Pete solos the T-6!

Peter had his initial solo in the T-6 last week. It was quite the big deal. Spouses are encouraged to come out and walk with them through the whole "getting ready" process and to watch their husbands do their solo. So a friend came over to watch Joshua and I met Peter at work. I walked with him to the step desk where he got all of the last minute details like: weather reports, bird alerts, winds, and which plane he would be flying. Then he got all of his gear on in the Life Support room and we took the shuttle bus out to the planes. Two guys from the Madison unit were my escorts and stayed with me and explained everything that Peter was doing as Peter got the plane ready and taxied down the run way. We watched as he did traffic patterns around the run way and his several take offs and landings. My escorts explained what he would be thinking and doing inside the cockpit and what he would be saying on the radio as well. All I can say is, WOW! He has really learned a lot and is a great multi-tasker! We took pictures by the plane once he landed and taxied back. Then, according to tradition, everyone who just did their initial solo got thrown into the dunk tank. (A old, metal tank that is always full of stagnant water!) It was a fun morning and so fun to see Pete in action.

Joshua meets Granny & Gpa Bartley

My parents were able to fly here last weekend to spend a few short days meeting and holding their fourth grandchild. It was quite an adventure for them to fly here - their first time flying together since I was very young. And boy, a lot has changed in airline travel since then.
My mom had several new recipes that she had found and wanted to try out while she was here, so while Joshua was sleeping we were cooking. But any time that our little boy was awake he had more attention than he knew what to do with. A little baby can be such delightful entertainment. He wiggled and cooed and slept and cried and we were fasciated. Grandpa would often pick him up and with his deep voice start singing, "Jesus loves me" and Josh would quickly be asleep. It was such a fun visit!

Peter turned 30!

Monday, August 15th was a very big day for Pete Sailhamer. His 30th birthday. It's not every day that a man can say that they are 3 decades old. So what does a wife and son do for such a big occasion?

To start with some of our friends offered to babysit the weekend prior. So, to bid farewell to his youth, Peter and I went out on a little date and we very comfortably left Joshua with auntie Josie. We talked about birthday memories and future dreams and I gave him a couple little gifts.
That weekend we started introducing Joshua to bottles. And Peter was able to feed Joshua for the first time.  It was great father/son time for them and both of them loved it so much that I now pump a bottle once a day for Peter to feed to Josh.

On Monday, the real Big day, Joshua got dressed in his patriotic shirt that says "All American Baby" and we went to buy Daddy a fancy coffee drink and take it to his work as a surprise. I had to coordinate this with a couple of other guys in his class to make sure that he would be in the flight room at a specific time and not doing another practice flight simulator. As I was driving over to the building he was in I got a text from one of them saying that Pete had left to go practice and they weren't sure when he'd be back. It would have typically been no problem to come back again, but I learned very quickly that things take a lot longer with a baby and Josh was all ready and in his car seat...we were coming. The next few texts told me that they had told Peter that some Captain was looking for him and he should come back to the flight room. I smiled because just that morning we had a conversation were I was referred to as a Captain! haha! The next text said that he had just arrived back, perfect... I was just pulling into the parking lot. We followed Joe's directions through the maze of hallways to get to his flight room and gave Peter(Daddy) a great surprise. We chatted for a few minutes and then left before his next flight briefing.

the Sailhamer news of the week

What are the updates on our lives from the past week you are wondering? A lot is centering around the newest member, Joshua. A friend told me once when I was pregnant that I'll just want to spend hours staring at him. Maybe I don't spend hours at a time, but I do love to look at him and am fascinated by him. I am continually amazed at this little gift God has given us and Peter and I are both so enjoying this new role and job as parents. It is a joy.

The big events in Joshua's life this week have been that he Josh turned 3 weeks on Thursday. It's hard to believe it's almost been a month now. For the memorable event Joshua and I had a visit from LtCol Moon, who is in charge of everything here, and his sweet wife Debby. Peter was still at work, so I sent him a text asking if I should tell them hi for him or invite them to stay for dinner :).  I got a surprised "No way" in response, but awesome that they are coming over. It was a lot of fun to chat with them and have them meet Joshua. Colonel Moon brought a certificate from the squadron making Joshua an official (kid) member. It was really quiet the event of the day. Also, this past week, a friend of ours came over and took newborn pictures of Josh. They are really incredible! We're so glad to have them. Peter made an album you can view at: https://picasaweb.google.com/113355348959610386847/EmilyMoonSPhotosOfJoshua?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCITOmfWClLjaDQ&feat=directlink

For Peter, training has been going well and he is loving it. Depending on how the weather goes he may be soloing the plane next week. It has been a very hot summer here and Wichita Falls has been having record highs. This week it has been 112+ and many flights have been canceled since those temperatures are too hot to fly the T-6. (Peter could tell you why). So when you are scheduled for the late shift (9am-9pm) like this past week has been, it was a toss up if it would be too hot by the time you were scheduled to fly. Not flying gave him a lot more practice time in the flight simulators though. But hopefully today and this week it will be different and he will be flying around the big puffy clouds.

I am doing well and really loving being a mother. A friend from college drove up for a visit yesterday and it was great to spend time with her. And we have some other visitors scheduled to come soon too. My parents in 2 weeks and a friend from HoneyRock around Labor Day. I've also had several visitors stop by and chat and bring meals over, which has been so helpful for me and made me feel so loved and still connected.

Videos of Joshua

Joshua had some man time with Dad this afternoon while I went to the grocery store to get a few items. I came home to some fun video clips of our little man.
This first one is of Josh waking up. This is actually one of the quickest wake ups that we've seen from him. He is a hard one to crack. There is usually a lot, up to 5 minutes, of: stretching, raising his eye brows (with his eyes closed), and going right back to asleep. I have noticed that his left arm usually goes straight up in the air too, which Pete's video caught. Could our son be a lefty someday?


And here is what Josh was waking up for, play time (ie: exercise) with Dad. Peter had Joshua doing tummy time, leg lifts, pull ups and finally ending with a little flight lesson by guiding his little hands in the correct throttle position, etc. I heard all about it. But, unfortunately, the video is only of tummy time.

Josh meets Grandma Sailhamer and Uncle David

Grandma Sailhamer and Uncle David arrived the night before Joshua was 1 week old. It was a long day of traveling for them, taking them 6 hours to drive up from Dallas with all the construction. They finally made it to our house at 2:30am. The arrival had to be documented though because it was the first time that Grandma and Uncle were meeting their grandson/nephew - the first of three babies in the next couple of months. And we were able to capture the details from Grandma's look the first time she held him to Joshua's little smile. They came just in time to celebrate his 1-week birthday with us. And yes, we did count down the minutes and have a little birthday party! (Joshua slept through it all though.) We had so much fun together. And Grandma and Uncle David were great babysitters while mom slept or for Peter and I to go on our first date! Our refrigerator and freezer have been stocked well with their visit along with some expert vacuuming from a great Uncle. It was such a nice time and we are so looking forward to the next one!

getting to know Joshua

Joshua did come that week, his birthday being only a few days after the last post - July 14th. He was born at exactly 41 weeks and is healthy and absolutely beautiful (this might be the only time in his life that I can call him beautiful!). He weighed 6lbs and 11.5oz at birth and has: dark, wavy hair, fine facial features, long eye lashes, large hands and feet, strong, Sailhamer legs, and the faint appearance of dimples that might show more when he learns how to smile. He's a hard sleeper and hard to wake up. For the first few minutes he just stretches and has his eye brows raised, a look that we see often. Personality wise, he's very calm and peaceful. He is so perfectly formed and wonderful. While I was still pregnant, the Lord told me that this would be a strong baby. And we've been praying that the Lord would use that strength for good, that he would have a strong character and follow hard after the Lord and love what is right.

Today he is two weeks old. And already he is changing and passing out of the sleepy, newborn stage. We noticed the difference last week as he started becoming more aware of his surroundings and really looking at us. He is also starting to hold his head up. At the doctors today we learned that he has gained almost a whole pound in a week, which is above average. Grandma Sailhamer and Uncle David's visit to meet him was perfectly timed, catching both stages of newborn to this more-aware little Josh. For Peter and I it's just been a joy to be parents. We are loving this new work and life-role. And with it, my love for Peter seems different too, deeper and sweeter are the words that I can think of to describe it.


The birth story. Some of you already know the story, but for those of you who are curious it was surprising and covered in grace. I started feeling contractions early in the morning and knew that they were different and true contractions. Peter and I prayed for the baby and labor before he went into work that morning. Then I went on a walk and kept praying as the day dawned. The Lord told me that this was a holy moment. His perfect timing in bringing the new life that he had created into the world. Contractions continued steadily, but I could walk, talk, do everything in between. Peter came home at 5:30pm and still not much had changed, the contractions being only a little stronger. I called a friend who prayed with me over the labor and delivery. She reminded me that God gives us the strength to bear up under things in that moment (the present contraction) and not to worry about what it might feel like later. For the next couple hours contractions continued and became work. Never was in un-bearable. Peter was with me through each one, counting out the time each one took and cheering me on. At 8:00pm my water broke and I thought I felt the need to push. Surprised, we knew it was time to go to the hospital, but I still thought I had a long way to go. Peter very calmly and effectively got me in the car, which wasn't easy when all I wanted to do was in on my hands and knees and not move. We were on the labor and delivery floor at 8:30 and I was complete. The doctor was called. At 8:56 the doctor walked in and at 8:58 Joshua was born. It was an amazing moment to see him born (possible since the nurses didn't have time to break down the bed). And to hear Peter say, "It's a boy. Angela, it's a boy." After the months of not knowing, we knew...God gave us a son! The other moment that is marked with such sweetness in my mind is seeing Peter bend over to pick up and hold his son for the first time. "This is a holy moment..." God has brought new life into the world and gifted us with a wonderful, little son. After it was over I was surprised that it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would and am reminded that God gives us the grace to bear up under the things of the moment. And that when we are weak, he is strong in power.