Christmas Letter 2012:
December 2012
Friends
and family,
I
(Nic) hope this letter finds you well and enjoying all of the joy and happiness
that the Christmas season has to offer. Thanks to my lovely wife, our house has
been full of the sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas, and it is a thing of
beauty. As I sit to write this letter, my heart could truly not be happier. There
have been many changes for our family in 2012, and I mean big changes. But from
these changes have also come many blessings.
The
first big change we had was my leaving for Commissioned Officer Training (COT) to
become an officer in the Air Force Nurse Corp. The hardest part was knowing
that I would miss the entire third trimester of Stef’s pregnancy. We would be
apart from February 28 to June 15. The first five of those weeks I would be at
COT at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama. I would then be in San Antonio for
ten weeks for my orientation to Air Force nursing, the Nurse Transition
Program. We knew life in the military would be hard, but it was also an amazing
opportunity for our family, and the fulfillment of a long-time dream for me.
All
along our time apart, we were operating under the assumption that I would come
back to Lubbock from San Antonio for Audra’s birth (due June 4). We loved our
obstetrician, the hospital, and the fact that we had lots of family and friends
close by. However, through some unforeseen circumstances, we made the decision
that Stef would come down to San Antonio to deliver our baby girl (you can read
all of the details on Stef’s blog,
www.stefaniewilliams-foreverinspired.blogspot.com). All that really matters
is that our little angel, Audra Kayte, made her debut on June 10, 2012. She was
beautiful, healthy, and perfect. Our lives were forever changed…and so were our
sleep patterns.
I
finished the Nurse Transition Program a few days after Audra was born, and we
headed back to Lubbock to see family, pack up our life, and move to Virginia
where I am stationed at AFB. It was a little nerve-racking thinking
about driving half-way across the country with a not-quite-3-week-old baby, but
it worked out quite well: she slept for the majority of the trip. 27 hours of
driving time later, we rolled into , VA to start our new life as an Air
Force family.
Stef
and I have both enjoyed taking on the role of parenting. There is nothing that
can prepare you for the realization that you will be responsible for the life
and well-being of a tiny human, and there are no words to describe the
immensity of love that begins to grow in your heart for this little person that
you’ve only just met. We talk about what her personality will be like, what her
interests will be, and what kind of questions she will ask us. We pray for
patience and understanding, because Lord knows we will need it. We are so
thankful for our little stinker, and so proud to be her parents!
Another
big change for us here in Virginia is that Stef is staying at home with Audra.
She traded in grading papers of smarty-pants teenagers for changing poopy
diapers and reading Dr. Seuss. We are blessed to be able to afford to have one
of us stay home, and Stef is rocking in her new role! She has made some friends
that also stay at home with little ones, and sends me pictures and texts while
I’m at work of all of the fun and exciting adventures that she and Audra have.
As
we close out 2012, we have many things to be thankful for, as well as many
things to look forward to in 2013. We have found a church that we really enjoy,
got plugged in to a small group, and are learning to navigate all of the
winding, confusing roads out here on the east coast. I am enjoying my job, and
Stef and Audra are having a blast as Audra discovers new and exciting things
each and every day. We are so thankful for all of you, and wish you and yours a
very merry and blessed Christmas!
Love,
***We're off to Missouri in just a few days. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas and a safe transition to the new year!***
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