Oklahoma City, OK

May 1, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

Touring a metro area that I called home for nearly a decade seemed a little surreal to me, especially with a growing baby bump and a toddler in tow. I commuted back and forth from the City to Norman, 70 miles a day at my claims adjuster job in what I can only refer to as my ‘old life’.

I worked hard. I still work hard, but I don’t have a paycheck to reflect that every two weeks. Visiting OKC reminded me of the career and young adult life I left behind a couple of years ago. I appreciated the work experience I gained, but I’m happy as an entrepreneur and housewife. On days that I’m bored and cooped up in our on-post housing in Alaska, I remind myself that it could be worse — I could be sitting in my cubicle in OKC, dealing with unhappy insureds, with only a long commute home and a cold meal to look forward to. I spent those days counting down until the weekend when I could have brunch with friends, or until the next payday. Now I’m watching Margot grow up little by little everyday while her little brother tosses and turns in my belly. It’s been so much more rewarding than the insurance workflow I was previously overwhelmed by.

It seems that even while I’ve been away, making major changes in my life over the last two years, Oklahoma has remained the same. Sure, there are a few I-35 improvements, new restaurants, and expanding suburbs, but the landscape hasn’t changed much overall. The scars from the Oklahoma City Bombing remain, although healed in part by a spectacular memorial site. The University of Oklahoma in Norman retains its Cherokee Gothic integrity, even while enduring its decadent student housing expansion. And the downtown area is still under construction — a metropolitan anomaly that is not unique to Oklahoma.

The Arts Festival was more of a people-watching event for me, since Oklahomans wore their Sunday best everywhere. Where were the Chacos? Where were the zip-away hiking pants and gawky gardening hats that I’m used to seeing in the Pacific Northwest? It was a deviation from my new norm, to say the least.

It only took 12 years since moving to, and moving away from Oklahoma to finally visit the OKC Zoo. I guess I was just waiting until I had a toddler of my own to make it more fun. Margot enjoyed waving and playing peek-a-boo with the animals in their exhibits. It was a fairly one-sided engagement for her, since the animals didn’t wave back. It was a sensory treat for her.

Margot got an even better look at the animals near her Great-uncle Sam’s house on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. She ‘helped’ feed the goats, horse and donkey that lived on farms close by. Outside of the zoo, she’s saw her farm animal friends from books in real life. She gleefully waved to them as well.

Traveling with a one-year-old went better than expected; she kept the screaming to a minimum onboard the aircrafts, and back on solid ground, she happily played ‘chase’ and ‘peek-a-boo’ with her Aunts and Grandparents — she even got to meet the Great-aunts who have welcomed her so warmly since her birth. I speculate she is receiving special treatment from Isaac’s maternal side of the family because Margot is the first great-grandchild. She is the changing of the guard, so to speak.

My side of the family is ever-booming in population, so much so that I have aunts and uncles younger than me, and my grandparents have grandchildren older than me. The Sanchez and Shamblin generations know no cyclical bounds in my neck of the family tree.

Visiting to the lower-48 was totally necessary, really fun, and a little too short lived. Next time we’re up for traveling again, we may not be ‘up’ for traveling again! Woodrow Paul will be here, yay!, and Margot will be old enough for us to purchase her plane ticket…grumble.

Oh, looks like you caught that — Woody is what we’re naming our boy. We think it embodies his Okie roots well, while still nodding dutifully to his wooded Alaskan birthplace. We’ll meet our Creole-Mexican-Alaskan baby boy in September, when the leaves turn amber, and the air turns cold once again. Until then, we’ll stick close to Fairbanks.

Las Vegas, Nevada

April 28, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 4 Comments

Las Vegas, Nevada | Yea Yea Pueblo What an exciting week we’ve had.

It’s been at least 17 years since I’ve been to Las Vegas, and though I’m over 21 this time — pregnancy limited my activities in the same way they did back in the late 90s. No drinking, and well — no gambling, but mainly because shopping was more fun. The Vegas nightlife wasn’t entirely lost on us, though. Isaac and I made our way out to the Mirage to see the Cirque Du Soleil show Love. I’ve been a die-hard Beatles fan since the last time I was in Vegas and this performance showcased tracks from every period of the Beatles discography. It was positively sensational! I would go again and again if price and location were no obstacle.

Las Vegas, Nevada | Yea Yea Pueblo I’m surprised I didn’t have the cops called on me while waddling my maternity body down the Fremont Street Experience with a virgin Margarita in hand. Fortunately, my teenage step-sister was in stride, with the same drink in hand. It must have appeared less incriminating to see a pregnant woman and a juvenile boozing in Las Vegas. I swear, contrary to appearance, they were alcohol-free!

Las Vegas, Nevada | Yea Yea Pueblo Margot was fascinated by the lights on Fremont. She probably thought she had arrived in some cartoon land, which may have been confirmed for her when a homeless-looking Elmo showed up for a photo-op. These street performers and impersonators were everywhere; their tip jars overflowed while happy tourists cheered them on.

Las Vegas, Nevada | Yea Yea Pueblo While in Las Vegas, we had a gender scan to find out whether or not our newest addition would be a boy or a girl. We were happy to discover that our baby will be bundled in blue this September. It’s a boy! We shopped extensively at the outlet malls, and strip malls for our baby boy, coming home with an additional suitcase full of baby boy clothes and toys. The excitement of a second child is finally setting in, and after returning home, the nesting process has officially begun. Margot has no idea what’s going on, except that there are toys in the closet that I won’t let her have.

Outside of the Las Vegas city limits, Red Rock Canyon National Park beckoned — we toured the park briefly, letting Margot see the landscape, and check out a few desert tortoises at the welcome center. Military families get a free membership to all of the National Parks. Those military discounts always put a spring in our step.

Las Vegas, Nevada | Yea Yea Pueblo Margot wasn’t used to all the sunshine yet. She was slathered in sunscreen, tucked under a sun hat, and hiding behind toddler sunglasses almost the entire time we were outdoors. I suppose some of that may have been the first-time-parent syndrome kicking in.

She’s walking a lot more these days, although she prefers to hang onto our hands above her head while she walks — she lacks the confidence to venture out on her own most of the time. She’s getting better at it every day.

On this trip, all of Margot’s grandparents agreed that she is one adventurous eater. Here at home, she eats anything we eat, from feta and salad, to lentils and curry. She really only rejects broccoli and meat — even then, it’s only on occasion. She ate her weight in berries, cheese sticks, and yogurt on this vacation; she even indulged in Southwest Salad, Chinese food and Cajun while we were sojourning. I hope her openness to different foods doesn’t end anytime soon.

Margot also swam for the first time on this trip. It was nerve-wracking for me, probably because I’m a chronic worrier. She fared well, but preferred dry land overall.

She’ll miss all the attention and additional playmates she had while visiting family in Las Vegas and Oklahoma City. Peek-a-boo with her aunt Kelli, and chase with grandma Mimi solicited baby giggles that could end a war. We’ll try to keep her occupied half as much as her family in the lower-48 did, but they are a tough act to follow.

Las Vegas, Nevada | Yea Yea Pueblo I’ll post photos from Margot’s Zoo visit in Oklahoma City soon — there are even a few I took while we fed goats on a farm near her Great Uncle Sam’s house.

Babies on vacation — that’s some pretty adorable exploration.

One Year Later

March 18, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 5 Comments

One year ago today, I met my little girl for the first time. When I went into labor early St. Patrick’s Day morning, I was certain she would be a holiday baby, but I labored for 36 long hours — Margot, already 10 days behind schedule, was shy. She was finally born March 18, 2013 at 4:26 pm.

Margot was a mellow newborn, only crying when necessary, and sleeping through the night at only two months old. Each month we clapped excitedly as she gained new motor skills: lifting her head, rolling over, crawling, standing — now my Margot is independently taking 2-5 wobbly steps at a time. She’s also getting better at word recognition. When I ask, “where’s da-da?” she instantly starts waving, and scanning the room for her dad. She does the same when I ask her where the doggie is. It’s precious.

Little Girl Birthday Party Decorations The doggie I refer to is Sally, the new furry addition to our home. She’s an eight-year-old beagle we adopted from the animal shelter, meaning she’s the same age Yango was when I adopted him. Old age brings out the sleepy, peaceful, ‘kumbaya’ attitude in dogs. She’s gentle, and reminds me so much of my sorely missed Yango. First Birthday Anyway, Margot is a one-year-old now. She’s also going to be a big sister! If you haven’t heard, our second child is due early September 2014. We will be sure to share the gender once we know what we’re having. We are excited to have our children close in age. The military lifestyle means our kids will be pulled from their social circles and dropped into new ones in new cities every few years. Having siblings close in age will hopefully make that process much easier on them.

Plus, babies are just the sweetest blessing on earth. How could we not want a few?

095A7765 So — for her Birthday, we’ll be having a small Birthday get-together for Margot this weekend, she’ll have cake and balloons and all the normal first world Birthday spoils. The real celebrations will come next month, when we head down to Las Vegas, and OKC to visit family and friends, many of whom haven’t seen her since last summer. Hopefully my shy baby will warm up to all the old and new faces quickly during our visit. If they have snacks or toys, I’m sure she will.Happy Birthday, sweet Margot! And many more!