Matthew's food

I'm still here with nothing to really blog about... I have been trying to reclaim my house since being gone at the start of the month. I think I finally made headway today and found our bedroom.

I started looking at my posts last year at this time.... what all my thoughts and feelings were (which were plenty)... one post jumped out at me:

I posted this about Matthew's eating...

I can count on less than both hands what he MIGHT eat in a day. If we're lucky: 3 bites of oatmeal, an attempt at yogurt, grapes, bananas, pears, cheerios by the pounds, sometimes fruitbars and rice cakes. That's it. Oh, and bacon. IF it's crispy enough, if not it gets spit out. No chicken nuggets, no cheese, no bread, no veggies of any kind, just grains and fruit.

What's sad is that it is all STILL true. He's *TRIED* chicken nuggets but wooo buddy that is a battle. Still no bread, no cheese, no veggies.

Tell me this wont go on another year?

happenings

Random happenings since we've gotten back from our 2 weeks gone...

-we sent the kids away Tuesday night and our neighbor across the street whom we've NEVER met before ( after 1.5 years in this house ) comes to "meet the baby". Ha. Sorry lady, we sent the kids to a friends house so that mommy and daddy could talk without being needed. Ooops.

-Matthew's had serious tummy issues (poor buddy had two baths yesterday before dinner time) got a dinner of champions though-- dry cereal and a pedialite Popsicle.

-I woke up this morning with a weird rash/hive thing on my neck (we're thinking stress), yay for benedryl and cordizone cream

-Yesterday our clothes washer decided to pond the laundry room... though today seems to be working fine again. What gives?

-Mark will go 4-4.5 hours in the morning and during day without a feeding... but during the night it's every 2 or 3... again I ask, what gives?

-the mountain of laundry still needing to be folded in the dining room makes me want to run for cover (which might be why I'm blogging instead of folding it)

-I guess that's all. Oh and par for the course, looks like Jamie has to work this weekend. Go figure. He hasn't worked weekends since like Aug or September, so I am gone for 2 weeks and he has to work the weekend I'm home. oh well.

CongratsJenni

My dear friend Jenni got married yesterday. I'm so glad for her. I loved being a part of it! She let me do the bridal party's hair for the wedding. It was so much fun. And we were all pretty low key until I pined the veil in place. Whew! Then we both got a little teary! I'm so glad for her. Have I mentioned that?! I'm SO glad for her. She's found love. She made a commitment yesterday in front of God and witnesses to love and cherish and respect her husband. They both made promises with each other to live a biblical marriage. I pray that their marriage will be kind and fulfilling and wonderful. I pray that they'll stick together through thick and thin. I pray that they'll be each other's best friends and be each other's favorite parts of the days ahead. I'm so glad that God has blessed them both with love. The pastor talked about Mike being the leader of their marriage and their house, challenging him to be a man devoted to God and to Jenni. To push all others aside. He challenged Mike to be a man committed to his marriage and to his vows. The pastor then challenged Jenni to be a godly wife. I pray that they'll seek the "survival guide" often and use it to stay united in all the good times as well as the complicated moments that married life will offer them. Congrats Jenni. Happy first day being Mrs. M!

____

Of course when I go to a wedding, as a married woman, it makes me think of my own wedding. How insane I was that day and impossible. How emotional I was that day. How my great-grandpa was there that day. How much I needed my mom and my sister and my best friend. How much I wanted to just be in Jamie's arms. How I cried walking down the aisle and clung to my daddy. How I cried through my vows. How my sister cried through the song sung. How we laughed (oh how we all laughed) when I handed her my hankerchief after the song was over. How long the pictures took. How every dance danced with Jamie that night was like a dream. How crazy nervous I was in the bathroom trying to take down my hair afterwards. How much I love the man I married. How much our love has grown over the last 4+ years. ... I think specifically about our vows.... How we promised before God and witnesses to love and cherrish and respect and honor and keep ourselves for only each other and none other as long as we both were living.

And even though we have and will walk through difficult times, God will get us safely through. He's blessed us greatly. I'm so glad for Jamie's love and for his kindness and devotion and compassion. I'm so grateful for the Father's blessing of our children. I know that whatever trials are ahead of us, we will survive. It doesn't mean things are always easy or that things wont be hard or challenging or flat horrible, but it does mean that we can and should cling to each other always. In good times and bad, in sickness and health, in joy and sorrow...

I love you Jamie.

Surprise continued...

So besides just wanting Nic's birthday to be surprised with a visit by me (which I fully intend to do another time at random-- not tell her I'm coming! I loved LOVED LOVED the reaction of her seeing me!)... I also wanted her birthday to be FUN-AMONIAL! I thought about what I'd want for my birthday-- and I haven't celebrated my birthday with my family in years... but Nic has her family... what she doesn't have are her closest friends, who by default of finding friends via the world wide web, are scattered clear across the country. Thus "operation March trip!" began last summer... when I dreamed of how Nic's birthday would be so great if I could rally up some of her closest friends for her.

And. We. Succeeded!

Wisconsin, Louisiana, Georgia and Missouri (twice) all showed up for a surprise bash! I loved every moment of it!

Today is her birth-date. (well, I'm still considering it the 9th cuz I'm not asleep yet) ha.

Happy birthday my Nic-o!

And on the seventh day, He rested...

Praise JESUS!

Mark just slept over 6 hours, pushing 7 hours OVERNIGHT! I never heard him all night long and got 6 hours of GOOD solid real sleep!! For the first time! I got 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep~ I feel alive again!!!!!! Did I mention I just slept for 6 hours!?!?

New Mommies out there--- it will happen for you too! (Holly, Jess...)

Surprise!

So. My best friend is turning 29. Like for real... you know, the first real honest time she'll actually get to answer "29" to the question "How old are you?" And for me, as much fun as celebrating the "Big 3-0" or the "BIG 4-0" (etc.) is... I really like the idea of celebrating the "Last 20s" instead of "oh no, she hit the next step" I would like to say goodbye to the 20s with her. haha....

I flew in unannounced and uninvited today! (we live 14 hours apart). SURPRISE!

Her husband knew I was coming (and picked me up and took me to her!) and we have been plotting my little vacation for a while now. AND SHEWWWW! I'm so glad I don't have to hold this in anymore! I just wanted her last 20s birthday to be great.... and selfishly I wanted to be a part of it. haha.

And now a little bit just for Nic...

Nic I love you. I'm so glad we're friends. I'm so so glad that you trust me enough to let me this close to your heart and your life and your couch! (LOL) I'm blessed that you stand by me through thick and thin (and labor!) . I love shadowing parenthood 11 months behind you, not only in our first borns but also in the next two. I love knowing your extended family and feeling a part of them. I hope this birthday is something great! I have loved preparing to come surprise you so that we could celebrate your last 20s birthday together! ... as mine is still a few years down the road! *BAH!*

(And I needed a new "most memorable Nic's birthday" since in 04 --which is my most memorable birthday of yours-- I got a speeding ticket going to MEET you for lunch after I'd made your pumpkin pie and was bringing you A single slice in surpised in my purse-- I mean while the surprise part was good... The ticket and the moment stunk slightly...) SO! 5 (Oh my GOSH! FIVE YEARS?!) later, I'm ready to make a better "most memorable Nic's birthday"!

Soooo, surprise me!... what do you wanna do now that I'm here?!

Five years? Five birthdays???? Shut UP!

*and yes it's 3 am, I can't sleep!!!!

A year ago...

*big sigh*

It's been a year...

It's hard to think it's actually been a year since we lost a tiny babe. This weekend trip was good for me. I think really that without it, I would have moped around the house all weekend feeling sorry for myself. But at Nana's house you can't do that. I love being around Jamie's grandmother. She's a precious woman. It was good to spend the time with family... I was able to talk to a couple of the cousins about our loss and that was good too. Neither knew we'd had a miscarriage. The conversation was about birthdays... and "what do you do if you're birthday is on leap day?" and my heart felt tight and I felt tears creeping in my eyes... So I said, "well for me, it's pretty sad, because I lost a baby on leap date, and I don't even get an anniversary of that loss this year." ... Great. good job Kate, what a way to dampen the conversation, huh? Oh well. It's the truth. A year ago today, I was laying on the couch on bedrest, praying that our baby would stay, waiting the news of the blood draws... but the baby didn't stay. And my heart was truly broken for the first time ever. You think when you're young and dating that So-and-so breaks your heart and oh boo hoo... There is no pain of that like losing a child. Even one you've never met outside the womb. March greets me with painful memories of a sad time, and yet also brings promise that life will go on. I look at my Markie and know that life continues, that God is good, that the morning will come...

Ps. 30:5b "...Weeping may endure for the night, but JOY comes in the morning."

great grandmas

So we visited family this weekend, introducing Mark to family members... here are pictures of Mark with both Great Grandmothers on Jamie's side. He'll be meeting my grandma next week! I'll be so glad.

Nanmommy

Nana