Awe Struck

Tonight while giving Ryan his bath, I began thinking about Pat's homecoming. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I guess knowing that next month he'll finally be home has me excited. I know it's still far away (over a month), but it does feel like it's getting closer. Well, while bathing Ryan I was thinking how awe struck Pat is going to be when he meets his little boy again. I imagine Pat must be super excited to see his baby again, and I think it is almost as exciting as meeting him for the first time. Pat left before Ryan was very active so he's coming home to something so new and amazing. I know all parents are excited to see their children again after a deployment, but with Ryan being our first child Pat doesn't even have a clue what to expect. I cannot wait to see Pat watch all the funny and cute things Ryan does on an every day basis. While I tried to keep Pat included in Ryan's development, videos, photos and e-mails just aren't enough. I cannot wait for us to see Pat in the hangar. There is a tiny inkling of fear that I have for this moment too. I know Ryan is shy with new people. He warms up to people very well, but it takes a little bit of time. We'll only have 20 minutes with Pat in the hangar, and I just hope that Ryan isn't scared when he meets his Daddy again. I've warned Pat about this. He says he understands, but I still feel like he'll be a little sad if Ryan is really shy. I know I cannot control this situation though so I'm just focusing on our time together as a family after homecoming. I know once Pat is home a couple days Ryan is going to be so over Mom and all about Dad.

Speaking of when Pat is home, here is a list of things Pat and I plan to do:
*Paint, Paint, and more Paint. I want to paint the hall bathroom, the living room, our bedroom, possibly our bathroom, and touch up the main hallway. I still haven't decided on colors though. It feels like a big choice. I think all this painting will help this house really feel like our home, and that is so exciting to me.

*We are going to decorate Ryan's room a little more. Now that he's getting bigger and can appreciate things more, I'm thinking of doing some Curious George in his room.

*This spring Pat and I desperately have to work on/redo the landscaping to this house. A few of the bushes are completely dead.

*I still don't know what we're going to do for block leave. I think we'll be making that decision in the next few weeks. I am looking forward to just getting some time with Pat so I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever we do. I know I'll keep you updated on what we decide to do with our free time.