Letters Galore!

This last week i received 3 letters from Caleb! he has started writing me every day, even though he is incredibly busy with what little time he gets to himself every day. Getting letters more often is definitely helping this be a little easier on me :). The last letter i received was from the 20th, so i'm all caught up with what is happening except for this last week. He said that on the 17th he went to sick call because he has been so sick and it has been affecting training, but luckily its just a cold and they gave him medicine. He has already felt a lot of improvement since then! A young soldier died at Ft Jackson this last week from pneumonia, so i was relieved to hear that his illness was nothing too serious. Apparently his Company finally phased up to White Phase on the 19th! i had heard that they were having a rough time because so many of them were sick, but apparently they all pulled it together and they're now in their rifle phase! Caleb said he has an M16 he has to carry around everywhere and it weighs about 10 lbs. They got some new privileges with White Phase, like getting more time to eat, getting to ride the bus to church, and his favorite, getting to sing Cadence during Marches instead of  the usual left, right, left. Nothing too impressive, but priveldges are privileges, and he enjoys them :). I am hopeful for another letter tomorrow updating me on more! I try not to get too hopeful, but its hard not to some days.

Deanna and i got our reservations made for a hotel for graduation, and got a rental car reserved. We are getting very excited now that all the plans are being made. I'm supposed to be getting the Graduation Packet from Ft Jackson soon, and i'm excited to know all the information! i've been told they usually send them 30 days before graduation, and that last month will be starting in a little over a week! Can't wait for that final count down to start!

I have started buying things for our little Connor. I've only got the big things, because my Visiting Teachers are going to throw me a baby shower this next month, and they want to do it before i buy everything. So far i got his crib and changing table, and his bedding for the crib, and his stroller and car seat. but that's it :) i'm trying to remind myself that i still have two months, but time is going by so fast that i want to get it all ready!!! i suppose i'm starting to get just a little bit excited :). i'm probably going to sign up for a birthing class for this next month, and i'm going to go and tour the hospital i will be giving birth at. It's time for me to start making plans and it makes the end of this pregnancy seem like its flying by a million times faster than the beginning did!

An Update

I received a phone call from Caleb this Tuesday! It was a short call, about 5 minutes, but it was exactly what i needed! He didn't say much because he is sick, but he told me he is starting to recuperate and feel better, and that it won't be keeping him from graduating on time. :) Apparently there is a nasty flu bug going around his plt, and some people have come down with pneumonia. He said not to worry though, and that other than that he is doing well. And he told me he has sent me three letters recently, one of which i got yesterday in the mail! :) He apologized for not writing often enough, and i felt bad because i think i whined too much in my letters and made him feel guilty. i really need to work on that one! He told me that he did the Gas Chamber and that it was horrible, but i didn't get much details from him because he is so worn out from being sick. And i have also heard that they have just began White Phase! i didn't hear that from him, i heard it through the grapevine, but I'm pretty sure it is the truth. He is nearly 1/3 of the way done with BCT! Deanna and i bought our pane tickets for Graduation today! We're planning on making the remainder of the reservations this next week sometime so that we make sure to get what we want at a good rate. I'm very excited about it all. :)

I have been considering putting in my two week notice at work, but i decided last night to ask my Manager if we can cut back on my hours, and make it so that no one can pull me to other areas besides my own instead. I don't really want to stop working, i just can't handle it the way things are going right now. Something has to change, so i might as well try and see if they're willing before i quit. If they are willing to work with my request, then I'll continue to work up until my trip to Caleb's Graduation the beginning of April. If not, I'll be done by March. So, it looks like i will have to see what she says about it tonight at work.  I like having a job to keep my busy. but i also need some time to do the things that i need to do, and its hard not having Caleb here. So, I'm just going to have to see if they're willing to give-a-little to get-a-little.

Enduring On

This isn't fun. And it's not easy. I've gotten two letters... one on my birthday that was two sentences, and the other a few days before that. He sounds happy, but i just wish the mail didn't take so long! i mailed off his third package of letters today. I'm hoping he's recieved the first one by now. Patience is unfortunately not a quality i possess. The days drag by, and I try to remind myself to wait for a phone call or a letter, and not to be upset when they don't come. I know he is busy, and i KNOW that phone calls are a priveledge you have to earn. It's just not easy, and its not fun.

But, on the plus side, my Doctor has said that she will allow me to graduation in april! i'm cutting it really close, so i'm hoping and praying nothing happens to postpone it or i will be to far along in the pregnancy to be allowed to fly. I have started planning with Deanna, so that we can purchase tickets and make arrangements ASAP. i haven't recieved any information about it, everything i know i have found out by being a horrible stalker on the fort jackson page and the 3-34 facebook page! but i'm sure thats exactly what they are there for.

Caleb has been assigned to E Company 1st Platoon of the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 165th BDE at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. As far as i know he is loving it, and everything he gets to do. I got the chance to see some pictures of his company at Victory Tower were they got to climb on ropes and all sorts of stuff. I have receieved word that they are starting First Aid and Land Navigation, and getting to go to the field now. I'm sure Caleb is doing wonderfully at it all. They call this part of training "Red Phase". It last until week three, and then he moves to White Phase, and three weeks after that is Blue Phase, then after that finally Graduation. It sounds like a long tiring process to me, but i know he is 100% optimistic about it all, he was so excited before he left to start it all! Lets just hope i can stay as optimistic as he is!