3 day pass. Austin TX

I think the easiest part of Bradley leaving March 16 was knowing we would get to see him in a month. I've realized that only in the military it is common to say , " Its just a month." I knew I would spend this first month looking forward to the next time we could spend time together. I would stay busy training and adjust to my new schedule and life with Cohen as a "single mom". We decided together that getting a coach to hold me accountable with my triathlon goals would be a good idea, so I was also looking forward to efficient workouts and Ironman St George 70.3 (which would be my first Ironman event and race at this distance).  Having a daily workout that I know is benefiting me is motivating and it keeps my brain occupied. It also helps to break up the day for Cohen and gets us out of the house whether he joins me or goes to gym daycare. Bradley is super supportive of my athletic endeavors and I am so grateful for that. Anyways, Cohen was 6.5 months old when Bradley left so he would be 7.5 by the time his dad saw him again. This first month went by FAST. Bradley agrees =. We were actually able to talk quite often , even multiple times a day. This really helped the transition of him not being home seem easier. We tried to facetime and the first couple of times Cohen got so excited !!!! It was adorable to see his face light up when he saw his dad!! But a few times after that he started getting frustrated when he would see Brad. It broke our hearts! He would try to grab the phone and grunt. He didn't understand why his daddy was there and not here. So we stopped doing that temporarily because we knew we would see each other soon!!! Cohen and I borded the plane to go see Daddy on last time before he would eave for Afghanistan. I was a little hesitant as to how I would fee about having to say goodbye again but Im actually so grateful for the opportunity we had to spend time together as a family after really missing each other and knowing it would be month before we saw each other again. Time flies when you know you only have a little of it. We met Bradley at the hotel Thursday afternoon on April 18th and the pictures will tell the rest of the story:). My parents flew in from Tallahassee on Friday to take us to dinner and that was really nice of them! Steak and Lobster. We got a babysitter to stay at the hotel with Cohen. Saturday we went to seaworld. It was fun for about 5 seconds :). Sunday was Easter and we were clinging to each other so tight this day. Feeling the love for The Savior and for each other. I wish I could've paused time!! I just sat back and watched Bradley be a daddy. I watched Cohen love him and pay with him. They have such a special bond. Cohen laughs differently around his dad and plays differently as well. Its amazing to watch them together. Monday we had to say goodbye. THIS SUCKED. It is so hard to explain the different emotions. Im sad. Im scared. I can do this. Can I do this? We can do this. My baby wont understand. Bradley will miss so much. How can I do this on my own? Ill miss him. This isn't fair. Im strong enough. Be strong. You can do this. Be strong.  I am truly so proud of my soldier. SO PROUD. Saying goodbye was so hard. Watching Bradley cry as he held his son. Cohen would change so much before he saw him again. Walking, talking. It hurt to walk away with my sweet child and not be able to tell him why Daddy wasn't coming. But, its ok. We are ok. We will be ok. Somebody has to do this and its my family. We will be blessed beyond comprehension for this sacrifice. I am a proud army wife and our family is willing to go through this journey because WE CAN.

This was a good facetime attempt. Looking back at it makes me cry. He loves his dad so much!

Blurry! But you can still see the excitement :).

 

Cohen came with me for a training trip. Its not easy to juggle the training and the baby...so sometimes we do both at the same time.

Ironmommy and ironbaby .

My sweet friend LaRane made these cookies to send to the guys!

Getting ready to crawl!!

At the airport! Off to Texas!!!

 

SO HAPPY!

 

LOVE!!!

:).

I was so happy to finally be with them both!!

Hotel Pool- Also Cohens first dip :) He seemed to like it!

I really love this picture. They were having a great time and loving each other so much!

 

 

Heading out in Austin with my parents.

The only good thing about going to seaworld was getting this family picture :).

My best little buddy!!!

We even made time for family gym time at the hotel. hehehe

Our Last date together for 10 months!! Italian food and great food truck cupcakes!

Saying goodbye. ;(

 

 

 

 

Cohen Casey Moore 9/01/13 Birth story & hospital experience.

August 31st..."Labor" Day weekend. The nation was pumped for college football to begin and I was excited to get this baby out of me and be able to see my..... you-know-what again. The last week of my pregnancy seemed so incredibly long. I cant compare the feelings I experienced those last few days with any other event in my life. The anticipation was a killer. We scheduled an induction because Brad was participating in an intense program with the military with zero flexibility. Missing just 8 hours of this 13 week course would lead to his dismissal in this highly desirable and elite training. Most importantly , he wasn't allowed to have his cell phone on majority of the day for security purposes and it he was there 6 days a week for 12-14 hours a day. I was exhausted from worrying  over the thought of him not being around as I went into labor so our doctor gladly agreed to induce, even though this was my first baby. Obviously, there was still a chance I could have the baby before Sept 1 , but regardless my nerves were calmed. We planned to induce Saturday night in hopes to have the baby on Sunday. This way Brad would be available & present the entire time. My mother in law, Diane, who came to help for the first couple weeks, flew in from Georgia a couple days before  and we couldn't kill time fast enough. I was hot, living in my husbands basketball shorts, waddling and waiting. Finally the time came. I showered and shaved my legs and got ready like I was 21 and headed to the club...in my XL yoga pants of course. Who knew when I would be able to take the time to curl my eyelashes again, right? Driving to the hospital was something I hope to never forget. Brad's excitement had me mesmerized. He was so ready to be a dad and it melted my heart. Here we were in love to full capacity completely unaware a greater love existed and that we would know it soon. We listened to our favorite songs, and talked about what we thought baby Cohen would look like. I wasn't scared , just ready. My heart pounded and I held back tears of excitement as we pulled up to the hospital. Everything became real. Holy cow, literally. As we walked in, I tried to pay attention to my body and what it felt like. I focused on the waddling ( what I like to call pregnancy swag), the roundness of my belly, the tightness in back, the wideness of my hips, my movie-star status boobs, my thighs rubbing together, itchiness of my skin stretched to capacity, my protruding belly button, and my hands shaking. Weighing in at 186 pounds, 51 pounds heavier than I was just 40 weeks ago, and completely out of my comfort zone , I was ready to get started. I got settled in my stylish hospital gown and answered a few questions to the nurse.. After she "checked" me and reported back to my doctor, they felt it necessary to tell me that the induction may not work in the allowed time for a vaginal birth.  They thought that my body wouldn't be able to deliver the baby in time after the medicine started which would result in a C-section delivery. What? Does this mean my baby isn't ready? She said I could come back in a week and we could try again. Excuse me? Come back in a week? She may as well have said next year. Bradley and I prayed and after a few minutes of weighing out our options, we decided on taking our chances. We felt confident that things would go well. At 10:00pm I got my first dose of medicine. By the 9:00am the next morning my nurse came in and was impresses by the progress I had made. We were going to have a baby today!! I slept majority of the day and at 3:30pm a lady wheeled in a cart with what seemed like a gazillion tools on it. Clearly she borrowed them from a serial killer.Wait a second?! Um, don't you just catch the baby and snip the cord? Get that cart out of my room. Now. For the first time in 40 weeks, I felt sick. That cart meant the time was near. ITS GO TIME. Cohen Casey Moore was born at 5:50 pm. Perfect for my OCD. When My doctor told me the baby was one push away, I looked at the clock. 5:49. ARE YOU KIDDING ME( I was born on 1/15 @ 1:15)? That will drive me nuts the rest of my life. One. More. Minute. Phew. So there he was. 6 pounds 11 oz and 19.5 inches long. AMAZING. I AM A MOM!!!!! I loved labor and delivery. Loved it.Yes, Im being serious. Yes, I had an epidural an I'd love to kiss the human that figured that wonderful thing out. If you didn't have one, I'm sorry ;). We left the hospital Tuesday and we were so happy to be a little family. I had an excellent recovery. The human body is amazing. I was in the gym by Thursday. I had a baby 4 days ago and just ran 3 miles? I'm sure you are all dying to tell me about how I shouldn't have done that. Just like I shouldn't have drank soda while pregnant, raced a triathlon at 34 weeks, or ran a marathon, right? Listen, It felt great and my uterus didn't fall out. I was so happy to not be pregnant and yes I, "listened to my body." Thank you very much. Overall, my pregnancy and delivery was amazing. I didn't get sick, didn't need stitches, and learned to love and respect my body.  Having a baby must be the most spiritual experience we have on Earth. I truly believe motherhood is our greatest role and responsibility as women. Here are some pics from the hospital and the first few days.

{ I will have another post coming up soon about my experiences through pregnancy & recovery, watching my body change in so many ways, body after baby, and the details nobody talks about!  I will also include before and after baby body pics and include safe workout tips.}

Leaving the house to go to the hospital. SO big. SO ready.

Impromptu walking in pic. Last one of the belly. 186 lbs. I felt it. Phew.  

This was after the nurse said I was ready to start pushing. LETS DO THIS!!!

"The cart." I'm pretty sure this belongs to Dexter Morgan.

OMG. Hes here. ( Brad had the camera ready). You came out of me? You are real? 

5 minutes old. My angel. Straight from heaven.

I have died everyday waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years. Ill love you for a thousand more.

First family picture:) We are on cloud 9.

First one on one time with daddy just after birth.So special,.

I have no words.

I was made for you.

First bath. Little guy was so happy to stretch out. The nurses thought he was so strong holding out his legs like this!

Those feet.Those feet. 

Morning after birth. Football season has begun. Noles first game is on. He is straight chillin. I'm in heaven. 

Morning after birth.  The nurses said he looked like a C-section baby because he was so pretty :)

So new. So little. 

We are going home!? Where is the owners manual?

Our first day home. Those lips. 

All I did was watch him sleep. I cant believe hes mine!

Milk drunk face. I love it.

The first sleepy smile. So glad I was able to snap this shot!

We are so happy to have you home, Cohen!!

Couch time with Daddy.

Baby's first bath. He really liked it . 

Hi. My name is Robyn & I'm a ...?

Hello, my name is Robyn and I'm an Alcho-...wait , I'm a Mormon. Wow, have things changed.Talk about a 180. I want to share the importance of what it means to me to be of the Mormon faith. Chances are, unless you are a Mormon (also known as LDS which stands for Latter-Day-Saint), you probably don't know what this means, or your idea of Mormonism isn't correct.We aren't weird. We aren't a cult. We don't sacrifice animals in our Temples. We aren't forced to go on church missions. We don't believe in polygamy. I could go on..... and on. Instead, let me tell you some things that we are . We are followers of Jesus Christ. We DO believe in The Bible. Also, The Book of Mormon. We love Christ everyday. Not just Christmas. Not just Easter. Not just Sundays. We strive for his companionship and to be more like him in all that we do. We ARE Christians.We focus on His life, The Atonement, all that He has done for us, and how we can better ourselves while on this earth. We believe in Eternal Families...not "until death do us part". We dress modestly. We believe and know that we are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father that loves us very much. We are not brainwashed. No one is making us believe this. The church is centered around Jesus Christ, our Savior. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I find it bazaar when I hear people say Mormons aren't Christians. Read a book people. Ask a a Mormon...believe me, they will tell you. My conversion story seems to be one that stands out, not just here in Utah. It seems most of the Mormons that are "active" ( a term we use to explain currently attending church and living the principles and standards we believe in)  have been raised Mormon. I said most, not all. So, when I walked into church with tattoos and stale alcohol on my breath, I was surprised to feel so at home. Needless to say, my imperfections and struggles were apparent. Regardless,  I was welcomed and loved.  I could feel the spirit of The Lord hugging me tightly....unlike any other church I had been to. My husband, raised in the Mormon church, is how it all started. When I met Bradley, he had a "light" about him. He appeared truly happy and charismatic. He didn't drink, didn't have a foul mouth, and confidently  loved The Lord. I was sold. He shared his experience as a missionary with me. He told me about how he willingly lived in Mexico for two years to teach The Gospel of Jesus Christ. My first thought was, "so when all other guys are partying and seeing how many college girls they can hook up with, etc......you are teaching people about Jesus? And nobody is making you do this?" I instantly thrived for his conviction and love for The Lord. I asked him to teach me scripture and he did, I started investigating the Mormon church and it's wild how fast it proved to be true. I was baptized on May 5 ( cinco de mayo) which had previously had an entirely different meaning to me. Tequila. Enough said. For those of you that know me, you know I previously had issues with alcohol and drugs.It would be impossible to share all the dumb things I did during this phase of my life. I hurt others, mostly myself. I went to rehab on two occasions. I watched my own mother drown in her sorrows and commit suicide. Today, I am happy! I know true peace.  I am free of addiction, sorrow, and despair.I practice forgiveness. I practice self love. I know why I am here and where I am going. I know the purpose of life. How cool.  I know that I am a daughter of God. He knows me personally. My needs. My struggles. My prayers.  We can learn from our trials in this life. It only makes since to experience heartache, as Christ did. Without sadness we wouldn't know joy. Going through heartache allows us the opportunity to draw closer to our father in heaven and Jesus Christ and to understand a slight portion of what He experienced in the garden of Gethsemane. I believe there is nothing more important than the relationship we have with Christ, and our family. Family is what its all about. Being a mother is my greatest role on this earth. I have a husband who loves The Lord. He works hard to be worthy and he brings out the best in me. He strengthens my testimony daily by serving others, leading us in prayer, studying scripture, and many other things. So today I am proud to introduce myself as a Mormon and not an alcoholic. Being a Mormon  means so much more to me than the church I attend. It's my lifestyle. It saved my life. If you want to know more about Mormonism, or MY story, send me a message and I will be glad to share it with you, or just check out www.lds.org.

This is the Salt Lake Temple. Bradley and I were sealed (married) for time and all eternity here. It is beautiful. Here, worthy members of our faith may enter to perform sacred ordinances, draw closer to The Lord, and take time to pray. The reason that non members of our faith are not allowed to enter is because this is such a sacred place to us. Everyone allowed inside shares the exact same values and beliefs. It is a privilege.  Having said that, you should know that a chapel is different from a Temple. Everyone is welcomed into a chapel on Sundays or any other day of the week. Temples are only used for special occasions.

This is a picture of one of many rooms inside The Temple. This one is named The Celestial Room. Each Temple has a Celestial Room. It is perfectly quiet and white. Often the only thing you can hear are the turning of scriptures.  It is a place where we take our personal prayers and feel most close with our Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ. Its as close to perfection as possible. There are many more beautiful rooms inside the temple. This one is my favorite. 

The time is now.

Better late than never, right?  I've always wanted to blog, but I talked myself out of it because my life just wasn't that cool. When I converted to Mormonism, I told myself I would start a blog but I didn't. When I got married, I told myself I would start a blog but didn't. When I finished my first triathlon and ran my first marathon , I told myself I would start a blog and I sure didn't. When I got pregnant, I told myself I would start a blog because this was important! But guess what? No blog. Then I became a mother. Now, my life is cool. Now, I have done something I am proud of and worthy of sharing with you. Cohen, my son, is 4 1/2 months old now and I think often about how to organize his pictures and document his growth. Lately, the  importance of this has set in because my husband, Bradley, is leaving very soon on his first deployment.Really I should say our first deployment. Afghanistan. Every wife and mother;s worst nightmare. Hell on earth. So this is my journey. Really I should say our journey. The details of my experience as a new mother and a military wife. I'm about to be that girl. That girl who has a soldier in Afghanistan. That wife without a date night for a year. That wife who waits by the computer hoping that the Skype will start ringing. That mom that will witness the many milestones of my first born child in his first year of life without his dad. His first steps. First birthday. First words. So, now its time to start our blog. We will be many miles apart and we will be challenged to capacity this year. My hope is that if Bradley has even one minute to use the internet, he will be able to use this blog to see his family. He will be able to see his son's smile and stay strong knowing we are doing OK and making memories while he is gone. From now until Brad leaves, I will be playing catch up and posting memories from Cohen's first 4 months of life . I have 5 weeks. Deployment starts Feb 20...... I think I can....I think I can.... I can do this. We can do this.

Baptism:). Im a mormon!

Eeeeek! We are married!!!!

That triathlon

That marathon

<3 We are having a baby!

The coolest thing Ive ever done! Im a Mom!

My angel and my soldier.

.