Martin Madness...

a lil somethin something about me

2011-06-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Age: 21 going on 40
Bed Size: Queen
Chore you hate: laundry.....
Essential start of your day: Change Paityn diaper, feed her and parker, skype with Chase, tub time.
Favorite Color: Green
Gold or silver: Silver. I always thought gold looked cheap, although i have to admit i like it lately
Height: 5' 3"
Instruments I play (or have played): Guitar.
Job Title: Homemaker/kick ass mommie
Kids: 2 Parker Chase-4 Paityn, Harlow-8 months
Live: In Hawaii, currently in Idaho Falls
Mom’s Name: Vikki
Nickname: Kris
Pet Peeve: when people touch my underarms.... ug.
Quote from a movie: "thats what i love about high school girls, i get older, they stay the same age...." ha ha ha
Right or left handed: righty
Siblings: 4. Brooke, Whitney, Shaena and Jaxon
Time you wake up: 7-8
Underwear: um this question has so many posibilities

Vegetables you dislike: squash

What makes you run late: kids :) not easy getting 3 ready and out the door alone
X-rays you’ve had done: hmmmm none
Yummy food you make: im not a cook. but i will say i have become a master of the chicken recipes :)
Zoo animal: monkey or maybe elephants

Wolly World

2011-03-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i went to Wolly World (walmart) for one of these....

ended up walking out like this....

all because of....

due too...

moral of the story for Parker, if you cry, kick, scream, yell, say sorry and yell some more so loudly the other side of walmart can hear you and you have parents shaking their heads at your momma, you DO NOT get the movie of choice.

moral of the story for momma, Find a sitter when you have errands....

The one about chatching up...

2011-01-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog,

oh how i have neglected you... so lets catch up...

Last time i posted Pay Pay was just coming home from the hospital today, my little girl is ALMOST 3 months old! Oh how time flies when your moving from Hawaii to Grey, Cold Idaho Falls Idaho. Then shortly after our return was Christmas then New years and now i finally have a break before all the other holidays we have coming up. Pay is happy and healthy and still waring her new born clothes. She is around 10 pounds and is starting to make for very good conversation. She loves her swing and smiles every time we make eye contact. Everyone says she looks like me, which is surprising seeing as how Parker looks NOTHING like me... O how i love to squish her little cheekies!

Parker is almost 4 now and we have begun preparations for his birthday party. He is really growing too fast and i cant believe some of the things he says sometimes.... most of which im glad is just to me rather than to other people... except when he cant help himself and calls some poor guy with a voice box in his throat a robot... embarassed parent? CHECK! He is obsessed with scooby doo right now and im not really sure how that one came about. But i talked him into something other than a "mystery party."

Chase has been gone about a month and a half now and it feels like its been FOREVER! He is doing as well as he can given the circumstances. He has 5 soldiers under his care, worked the night shift, but just got switched to 4-4 he will work alone for a few hours of it but it will keep him busy. We sent christmas to the troops again this year and they loved it. We miss him and cant wait to see him!

We have sooo many important days coming up! first is Valentines Day then we have oodles of birthdays including Parkers 4th on Feb. 20. then mine on April 2 in between we also have our anniversary on March 1. Chase will hopefully be home for rnr around may, which we will spend completely secluded at our cabin in island park....

Ok blog you are somewhat up to date.... my next post shall be ideas for Parkers birthday!

TRILPER

2010-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

Paityn was born on Oct. 20 2010 at 4:13 p.m. She weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. and 19 in. long. The hospital story is an interesting one..... PART 1- THE HOSPITAL

After three days of my mom and Chase trying EVERYTHING to get Paityn here I had a Dr. appt. Where it was concluded that was only at a 2 and not thinned out. So thanks to mom and Chase i had my membranes stripped. (WARNING! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT DOING THIS! SUUUUUUUPER PAINFUL FOR HOURS!) the Dr. said it usually takes a couple days to go into labor after and it only works if the baby is ready to come out. Also I seem to take after

mom and have difficult pregnancies so because the water level was low I had to go to the hospital or as i like to call it the PINK PALACE (see above pic for reference), where I got a non-stress test and had a couple contractions. Next they did the ultrasound and my water level was low so then i had to go to the labor and delivery unit for ANOTHER stress test but this one was 2 fetching hours long! The contractions were getting unbearable but i thought "your only at a two you wuss keep it together!" My contractions were every 3 min and off the charts so they came to check me. yet again only a two. So they were going to send me home but decided my

contractions were to regular so they decided to induce me even tho they are not supposed to until after your actual due date. We got to the room and i began yelling for an epidural. Parker was in the room so i was trying my HARDEST not to freak him out he was already stressed out seeing me in the hospital bed. They took their sweet time getting info and getting me ready for a balloon pump. The dr. came in and the nurse said to check me first before induction and low and behold i was at an 8! i was pretty stocked that i was in fact not being a baby but that i was simply about ready to push hence the incredibly painful contractions. After it taking what seemed like FOREVER i got the epidural, to my horror only the right side took... YES ladies and gents i felt EVERYTHING on my left side.... the nurse told me to lay on my left and

maybe the medication would spread.... not a chance. The Dr. guessed about an hour and a half before delivery so the nurse went out and said call me when you need to push. 10 min later i was pushing. the Dr. were running from room to room due to multiple deliveries so a group of nurses say "whelp its up to us" ha ha not a chance i will hold her in till i get a Dr! LUCKILY they came in the room before i even had the chance to protest. So then came the delivery and our lil girl was born! (still feeling EVERYTHING)

After only 5 hours of labor she was here.. VERY quickly. i was only in the hospital about 24 hours before we went home. we are so happy our little girl is here and healthy! All the trouble with my pregnancy and the pain with the delivery was worth it and id do it again for her

100 challenge

2010-10-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

So many of you who know me know that i LOVE books. I am going to set a goal for myself and to keep myself occupied for the year that Chase is in Baghdad that i will read 100 books. Starting now..... so i have a list of some of the books that i will read and would LOVE some suggestions as to what else should be on my list.

I was a little late getting into the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins but i LOVED it. It was completely morbid at times and shocking and crazy, but it is SO SO SO good. so on my list of 100 will be

1. Catching Fire- Suzanne Collins

2. Mocking Jay- Suzanne Collins

I also just finished City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I was not sure that i would like it, but it pulled me in. (even though the ending COMPLETELY bummed me out) so...

3. City of Ashes- Cassandra Clare

4. City of Glass- Cassandra Clare

I will also read the 8th installment of the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast

5. Awakened- P.C. and Kristin Cast

Now the rest will be things that i pick up here and there im hoping i can find 100 books that interest me...

34 weeks

2010-09-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

Dear baby,

34 weeks pregnant today. Almost done! We are so excited to meet you Paityn Harlo Martin.

Parker likes to kiss you and call you Dora. He is ready to meet you and often asks when he can see you. You like to kick my ribs and give me THE WORST HEARTBURN i have ever experienced. You are quite the mover so i like to think of you as my little ballerina. You are starting to drop and i think my pelvis is going to break. I have gained 20 lbs with you and have tried some interesting food combinations. Daddy is so excited to hold you (he does not think he will ever put you down). We love you and are anticipating your arrival!

Love your family.

The one about HALLOWEEN

2010-08-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

Im jumping the gun a little on this one, but im so excited i just couldn't hold it all in!

OCTOBER, FALL, CANDY, WITCHES, SPIDERS, GHOSTS, SKELETONS, PUMPKINS, HALLOWEEN.

LOVE it all! (well the scary stuff i LOVE to be fake)

Parker is so excited for Halloween. It one of our FAV holidays. This October is extra special for many reasons.

1. OUR HALLOWEEN BABY! how crazy that she is due on a FAV holiday?
2. Grandpa and Grandma Walker and Grandma J are coming out (yet to nail down schedules)
3. Parker loves to dress up and ask for candy and its so fun to watch him
4. Chase... This will be about the first Halloween he gets to spend with his almost 4 year old boy. I say ALMOST because there was one other time when parker was 2, but i dont count that because we went to 3 houses Parker was so sick and throwing up. Chase was in basic for the 1 and 3 he just got home from Iraq but he had to work late and did not get home till late that night. next year Chase will again be in Iraq so i am DETERMINED to go BIG and make this one special. to everyone. (I was sick last year) Parker was sick the year before and the year before he was just hanging out unable to do much.

like i said go BIG or go home. Parker is just as into Halloween as i am and even made me pull out last years decor in July. (of course its not up yet) just hanging around the house as his play things... he loves all of the scary stuff. So this year we are doing it up big. For all the reasons listed above and my own shear pleasure (and parkers). So here is what im thinking...

How awesome and easy is this? all you do is print out the template for the mice on Martha Stewart's craft blog, trace onto black paper and tape up.

Also on Marthas blog.... love this one too.

I love this idea too, i like how they embellished the letters. they seem so easy to make... we will see..

more ideas floating around in my head...

I found so many cute wreaths, im sure ill only do one but its hard to choose...

of course cob web draped over things. i would like to find a runner for my square table. maybe some garland wrapped around my curtain rods? im makeing pumpkin shaped pancakes and putting faces on some glasses for pumpkins and filling with oj...

like a said its a bit early but hey im not going to want to do much when im awaiting our lil ladies arrival in october so i figure next month is Fall enough :) im feeling super crafty lately and so is Parker so ill let you know how our crafts and decorating work out.

ARMY WIFE

2010-08-12T16:49:00.001-07:00

I am an Army wife - a member of that sisterhood of women who have had the courage to watch their men go into battle, and the strength to survive until their return. Our sorority knows no rank, for we earn our membership with a marriage license, travelling over miles, or over nations to begin a new life with our soldier husbands. Within days, we turn a barren, echoing building into a home, and though our quarters are inevitably white-walled and unpapered, we decorate with the treasures of our travels, for we shop the markets of the globe.

Using hammer and nail, we tack our pictures to the wall, and our roots to the floor as firmly as if we had lived there for a lifetime. We hold a family together by the bootstraps, and raise the best of 'brats', instilling in them the motto: "Home is togetherness", whether motel, or guest house, apartment or duplex. As Army wives we soon realize that the only good in "Good-bye" is the "Hello again". For as salesmen for freedom, our husbands are often on the road, leaving us behind for a week, a month, an assignment.

During separations we guard the home front, existing until the homecoming. Unlike our civilian counterparts, we measure time, not by age, but by tours. We plant trees, and never see them grow tall, work on projects completed long after our departure, and enhance our community for the betterment of those who come after us.

We leave a part of ourselves at every stop. Through experience, we have learned to pack a suitcase, a car or hold baggage, and live indefinitely from the contents within: and though our fingers are sore from the patches we have sewn, and the silver we have shined, our hands are always ready to help those around us. Women of peace, we pray for a world in harmony, for the flag that leads our men into battle, will also blanket them in death.

Yet we are an optimistic group, thinking of the good, and forgetting the bad, cherishing yesterday, while anticipating tomorrow. Never rich by monetary standards, our hearts are overflowing with a wealth of experiences common only to those united by the special tradition of military life. We pass on this legacy to every Army bride, welcoming her with outstretched arms, with love and friendship, from one sister to another, sharing in the bounty of our unique, fulfilling Army way of life.

High heels and combat boots...

2010-07-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,
Give me the greatness of heart to see the difference between duty and his love for me. Give me understanding that I may know, when duty calls him he must go. Give me a task to do each day, to fill the time when he's away. And Lord, when he's in a foreign land, keep him safe in your loving hand. And Lord, when duty is in the field, please protect him and be his shield. And Lord, when deployment is so long, please stay with me and keep me strong. Amen.

SGT. Chase Martin will be deploying at the end of the year. Our baby girl will only be a few months old when he leaves. This will be his second deployment and it never get easier. He has not even been home a year since his last tour and we got the fateful news that he will leave this Dec. I think alot of Americans forget how devastating this is on families. I think people are not as aware of war as they were a few years ago. It is very much still alive and taking husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends and separating families to keep our country a free one. Here are a few statistics that i want to share...

1. 85,000 U.S. troops as of Feb. 28, 2010 are in Iraq.

2. U.S. troop casualties- 4,413. 98 % male, 91% non-officers, 82% active duty, 11% nation guard, 54% of the casualties were under the age of 25, 72% were from the U.S. ARMY.

3. U.S. troops wounded- 31,874 20% of which are serious brain or spiral injuries.

4. 30% of U.S. troops develop serious mental problems within 3-4 months of returning home.

People loose their lives everyday, they uproot and move over seas for a year sometimes longer. They leave everything they love and know behind to keep us safe. To these service members we owe our freedom. So lets keep them in mind and remember there is still a war weather we like it or not. One of the best things to do to keep up soldiers moral is to let them know we still care and support them. LETS SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

SOME HEROS WARE CAPES, MINE WARES COMBAT BOOTS.
KEEP OUR HEROS SAFE AND BRING THEM HOME.

Wild child

2010-06-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Our Beautiful baby girl... she is a "wild woman" as the ultrasound tech said. She moved so much during the ultrasound that it was hard to get pics. She sure loves her fingers though! The ultra sound tech also went on so say that when she gets bigger i will be miserable. I didnt need to ask why i can already feel all the movements and they will only get stronger. She is 9 oz. so just a little smaller than she is supposed to be.... but Parker was little too so im not worried. We also found out she has an irregular heart beat and its too fast. 99 percent of the time the problem fixes itself but there is that 1 percent chance that it wont and her little heart will go into distress and fail. Luckily all her "plumbing" as the tech put it is hooked up right and all chamber of her heart look good. We have another ultrasound with heart specialists, but by that time the Dr. thinks it will have fixed itself. I am confident that it will. she has a strong heart and everything looks good so we are not worried.

Last night i had to eat a sugar cookie that was just staring me in the face... it was taunting me... and im not the only one that craved it right? Babies know what they want too. It was good and sugary. BUT i will never do that again! Our little WILD WOMAN proceeded to kick and move and nudge for an hour after that while i tried and failed to sleep..... no sugar after 7 :)

we are so excited to have the best of both worlds and park is starting to like that he is going to get a sibling... although he keeps asking for a baby broder..... we cant wait to meet her!

better late than never,

2010-05-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

I always come look at everyone else's blogs and figured i should really update um all 2 of you? this could be a very long post!

1. we moved into our new house a couple months ago, we love living on this side of the island its always sunny and happy. we have good neighbors and all access pool that park cant get enough of! He loves to play with our neighbor whom everyone calls bumsy (including parker)

2. when we had our first dr. appt they thought the baby was to small to keep an original due date of oct. 21 and moved it to oct. 31. we are now expecting a little Halloween baby. I am now 18 weeks pregnant and we are just a few shy weeks of knowing the sex! we can not wait!

this is what my belly looked like at 5 weeks pregnant

this is 18 weeks

18 weeks

3. Chase is going to the board on the 21 of June to become a SGT! we are so proud of him. he is a little nervous but i know he will be just fine!

4. Chases unit is scheduled to deploy AGAIN this Nov. he is going to turn in his packet to go back to AIT for counter intel. if all goes well he will not deploy and we will move to Arizona this fall.

5. Parker saw a buzzlightyear costume at the Disney store and asked everyday "can i have that buzz light year finger?" (the gloves that came with the costume) i finally caved and ever since, it has been his favorite thing to ware.

6. last but not least.... my little boy woke up fine this morning, but low and behold this evening he has a watery, swollen, gooey eye. it could be a number of things like a clogged duct or something bothering his eye or that his mother keeps wiping it and could be irritating it more... but i think its pink eye... which is caused by alot of different things but im still not quite sure where he would have picked it up... anyways it is labor day so nothing but the acc is open and the pharmacy is closed which is where we would get the drops to cure the infection so i have to let it go tonight pray its better in the morning if not, its to the pediatrician and eye drops for park... which will be a nightmare! i feel so bad for the little guy but he is not complaning at all! unless i come after him with a cotton ball! I feel like i have to wash everyones hands every ten min. and sanitize everything! im so worried that it will get to his other eye or mine or chases (seems inevitable tho, we are his parents) i am thinking that once we get the drops im going to have to wash all his toys his bedding, door handles and ect. (ill ask the dr) chase would call me a worry wart. chase on the other hand said he would not mind if he got it,,, quarters for him for 48 hrs if that happens. which means basically a snow day from work. ill just keep praying it goes away tonight!

New Diggs...

2010-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

The front of our new home!

The garage and master balcony..

Family room....

Kitchen....

Guest room, baby room....

View from the guest room, baby room...

Parkers room...

Parker and guest bathroom, not a very good pic...

The master bedroom...

The master bathroom... i need to paint it cause our colors dont match in this one..

The balcony in the master bedroom...

i will post better and more pics and pics of the landscaping... wich needs alot of TLC! so i wish mom and dad were out here! im not a very good gardener.... anyways here it is!

To infinity and beyond..

2010-03-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Grandpa" Vikki sent Parker Toy Story 1 and 2 and that is ALL he wants to watch! he wants everything to do with it, you will see what i mean....

He has a one legged buzz doll (it only has one leg due to excessive play time) another bath time buzz a small woody, a larger woody with a snake and boot. a very large woody doll complete with blanket, a zurg action figure and a soft buzz.... i think its safe to say my little big boy, is OBSESSED! THANKS G-MA VIC!
p.s in the pic where he is hiding his face, he was hiding from Zurg and yes, he made me do it also...

baby room

2010-03-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

I love the flowers and colors in this one...

i love this one! its more of the black red and white, modern alice in wonderland that i was thinking but with little pops of color...

i know i want a black crib either way...

im set that it is a girl due to the crazy morning sickness.... but ill look for boy bedding just in case! tell me which one you like and your ideas and if you think that you could make it! luh yew!

Expanding..

2010-03-01T11:53:00.001-08:00

3..

2010-02-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

THIS POST IS A COUPLE DAYS LATE, BUT THINGS HAVE BEEN CRAZY IN OUR LIVES LATELY.. (ILL POST LATER) SO THIS IS A HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY. I CANT BELIEVE HOW FAST TIME HAS GONE BY..WE WENT TO THE ZOO AND OUT TO EAT AND THEN CAME HOME TO PLAY WITH FRIENDS OPEN GIFTS AND EAT LOTS OF CAKE!

For Mom, Parkers space..

2010-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

the window is about 48 inches by 48 inches. i like the curtains to be a little longer than his window tho. i painted the stool and the crate to hold his cars... i cant figure out what to put on the shelves... and i need some other decor i need a bedskirt too... colors would be, yellow, green, blue (navy and sky) and red. im also debating on changing the look of the dresser.. big projects but i get the love for em from you! this is the 3rd time i have changed his room and need to settle with a 3 year old look so.. not too young yet fun and he could keep it till we switch him to a twin... let me know what you think!

Halloween 09

2009-11-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

SO THIS HALLOWEEN WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES BEFORE MOSTLY CAUSE I WAS PRE-OCCUPIED WITH GETTING STUFF TOGETHER TO COME HOME (YES HOME TO IDAHO!) SO I WAS A LITTLE LATE IN GETTING MY LIL MANS COSTUME.. LUCKILY I FOUND THIS GIRAFFE COSTUME.. CHASE SAID IT WAS A LIL GIRLY AND ITS A LIL YOUNG FOR OUR ALMOST 3 YEAR OLD BUT PARKER DEFF. PULLED IT OFF AND EVEN WANTED TO WARE IT AGAIN YESTERDAY! TO START OUT THE DAY I VOMITED MY BRAINS OUT! I COULD NOT EVEN KEEP DOWN WATER AND SPENT 90 PERCENT OF THE DAY IN BED WITH A VOMIT BUCKET... I THINK I LOST 10 LBS THAT DAY... UNLUCKILY CHASE THEN GOT CALLED INTO WORK AT 5.. RIGHT WHEN WE PLANNED TO GO. SO I SUCKED IT UP THREW ON SOME SHORTS (GOTTA LOVE HAWAII) AND HEADED OUT THE DOOR WITH HOLLY MY GIRAFFE AND HIS FRIEND LOLA THE PIRATE.. PARKER HAD SO MUCH FUN AND I STAYED IN THE BACKGROUND HE WOULD WALTZ UP TO THE DOOR RING THE DOORBELL YELL TRICK TREAT THEN HOLD OUT HIS BAG FOR THEM TO FILL OR WOULD GRAB ONE SINGLE PIECE YELL THANK YOU AND WALK BACK TO ME. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN AND EVERYONE HAD TO STOP AND LOOK AT MY GIRAFFE. WE CAME HOME ATE CANDY AND WHEN DAD GOT HOME HE SHOWED HIM WHAT HE GOT, THEN WENT TO BED. IT WAS A CRAZY BUT FUN DAY. HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR DADDY WILL BE HERE TO GO TRICK OR TREATING!

Husband, father, hero and soldier returns!

2009-10-03T22:01:00.001-07:00

After a year of waiting, he is finally home! Spc. Martin returned home Sep. 29th for good. We are so happy he is home and cant wait to have things back to normal. We love you daddy!

Parker..

2009-09-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

My handsome baby.. excuse me, toddler. i took this pic with my new camera and fell even more in love with photography.. not bad for just starting and a little boy who hates getting his pick taken....

IMPOSSIBLE THINGS...

2009-09-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

There is no use trying, said Alice; one can’t believe impossible things. I dare say you haven’t had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

You OK

2009-07-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

so me and parkie started watching pearl harbor and it got to the part where Rafe aka Ben Affleck hits himself with the wine cork in the nose when it is broken and says"it hurts, it hurts something fierce.." i started laughing hystaricaly. my eyes were watering and Parker just looked out the corner of his eyes at me like i was the most obnoxious thing he ever heard while he continued to eat his pasta. i even had to re-wind the movie and watch it again with the same effect only this time Parker asked.... are you ok? and then proceeded to eat and watch the movie....

OUR HERO

2009-07-07T21:22:00.001-07:00

Some heros ware capes... mine wears army boots

Chase David Martin was born July 7, 1988 to Julia Townsend and Dave Martin. He was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho and lived there his whole childhood and teenage years. He now resides in North Shore Hawaii. Chase is the oldest of three children. A brother, Ashton and sister Hayden. Our soldier celebrated his 21 birthday in Iraq fighting for our freedom. Hopefully he will spend his next birthday home with his family where he belongs. He is our hero and can not tell him that enough. Thank you chase for loving me more than i deserve. Come home soon. LOVE your HAWAIIAN babies..

Happy Birthday Pa!

2009-06-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Pa Lorn! We love your guts!

LOVE your HAWAIIAN babies!

A little LoVE for PoP..

2009-03-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

I was driving in the car yesterday out to my mother-in-laws listening to Pink's new cd. The first track "SO WHAT" ended and it was on to the second, as soon as the second song started playing parker started yelling at me "GO GO GO!" i skipped forward a song thinking that was the problem only to get yelled at some more. I finally figured out he wanted me to go back to "So What" i tipped my mirror down in time to see him head bobbing and mouthing all kinds of things. i tried 3 more times to switch the song and the same thing happend. I cant believe how big and funny he is getting..

Delish!

2009-03-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

This Juicy purse has all the favs. The white daisies, the yellow-ness and cant forget that BOW it is the icing on the cake! Loves it!

Gummy Bear..

2009-03-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Brooke is pregnant! With a very wiggly baby girl. She is due on July 16, 2009. But she will probably come the last week of June. We are so excited and cant wait to meet this little bundle of joy. She is a true blessing to all of our lives. Im counting down the days!