With HOPE

Today I get to experience my first baby shower.  I'm so excited I could barely sleep last night.  Although, I do have to admit I had thoughts in the back of my mind that I would go into labor and somehow miss my shower.  Luckily, as I write this the shower is only a few hours away and I'm not having any contractions...so I am pretty sure I'm going to make it!

Seems kind of bittersweet today though.  I never got to have a baby shower when I was pregnant with Braelyn.  We had a date planned, but it was too far away from when I had her.  I just feel like this is going to be a huge celebration of this baby boy but we never got to celebrate Braelyn in the same way.  Even though we were all just as excited about her as we are for baby boy!

Today I know that I am going to focus on what a miracle this little guy is in our lives.  After sitting on the couch (mostly) alone for the last 3 weeks, I am so excited to see all of my friends and family.  Each person who will be there today has shown us tremendous love and support over the past year (and some of them over my entire life).  I saw a few of the decorations for the shower yesterday when I was at my parent's house and my mom and my sister have spared no detail for this party!  I can't wait to post pictures afterwards! It is a fall theme, since fall is my favorite season.  I guess in a way, fall makes me think of Braelyn too, so she will be a part of the shower.

I love this Steven Curtis Chapman song because it makes me think about how everything happens for a reason and we can still have hope.  Without hope we would not be where we are today, expecting this precious baby.  Braelyn paved the way for her little brother to make it here safe and healthy.  We know someday we will get to see her again.

Here are a few of the lyrics to the song that make it special to me.

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
There's a place by God's grace
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again

World Series Baby

The Cardinals HAVE to win tonight!  I can't believe it's come down to Game 7.  If last night didn't make you a believer in miraculous comebacks I don't know what would.  I said to Matt twice last night:  "I'm done watching this game, it's just too stressful."  

I say the Cardinals have to win because this is the year of Baby Squirt.  The year that I was born, 1982, the Cardinals also won the World Series.  How cool would it be if they won this year too?  Then Matt would be the loser of the bunch (well he already is since he is a Cubs fan).  :o)

I can't wait to watch the game tonight!  Hopefully it's a blowout so I don't feel stressed again!  Maybe the stress from Game 6 last night was the cause of Baby Squirt so rudely karate chopping me at 4 a.m....  

GO CARDINALS!

Little Ball of Love

As we get ready to bring a baby into our home, I can't help but to reflect on how Ritz has prepared us for parenthood somewhat.  Some might think I'm crazy, but if you don't have a pet, I don't expect you to understand.  I will always view Ritz as our "first child".  He has brought so much happiness to my life that I never expected.  I can't imagine my life without him and I can't remember how I lived before him.

Here is a list about why small dogs are better than big dogs.  And a few pictures of my puppy too!

• Little dogs are better cuddlers than big dogs
• Little dogs can share a bed with you without shoving you off
• Little dogs are portable. You can scoop them up and take them with you from room to room, even though they'd probably follow you anyway.
• Little dogs have a cute growl. No one messes with them!
• Little dogs have lots of personality to make up for their size!
• Little dog = Little mess
• Little dogs can't reach tables or open refrigerators
• Little dogs have cheaper medicine costs
• Little dogs are not smelly
• Little dogs eat less
• Little dogs live longer
• They are easier to walk (excpet when grandma is walking him...and he runs away)
• They are easy to travel with
• Little dogs need less exercise
• Little dogs stay cute, like puppies, all the time
• Little dogs don't need as much space
• They are good watchdogs
• They are lower maintenance
• They have huge hearts

30 Weeks

Well folks, we made it into the 30's.  Hard to believe that we are here but it feels good!  As most of you know, I was put on "couch" rest two weeks ago.  This is the start of my third week just sitting.  I am going to the doctor twice a week now too for them to make sure little boy stays put.  Every Monday they check my cervix and if we are lucky we get to see the baby too!  Then every Thursday, they hook me up to monitors to watch the baby's heart rate and also to check for contractions.  So far I have not had any contractions at all (except a few weeks ago when I think I had two Braxton-Hicks).  Two weeks ago when they measured my cervix it was funneling at the top.  That's not a good thing because then the baby's head can put more pressure on my cervix and open it up more.  Last week when we went to the doctor, things hadn't changed anymore which was nice to hear.  But today, we found out that the funneling was not showing, but now my cervix had shortened by 1 centimeter (for those that don't know...that is a lot in one week).  I thought they would take more drastic measures to keep me down, but they decided that sitting is still my best option for now.  I will go back again on Thursday to be checked.  Unless I start having contractions, I will remain out of the hospital.  If I do start contracting I will most likely be put in the hospital on magnesium (again) to try and stop labor for a few more weeks.  If there is a risk I will deliver the baby and they can't stop it with the mag, I could win another helicopter ride over to Peoria.  Let's just hope that doesn't happen.  One helicopter ride was enough for this lady.

I am doing fine!  Sitting is boring, but I know it's all I can do to help my baby right now.  I'm not complaining...just trying to get through each day.  I have had so much support and so many offers to help out.  I really appreciate all of them!  Trying to keep a good attitude, because quite frankly there is nothing else I can do at this point. :o)  We will get through this....and we will be bringing a baby boy home with us.  It might not be a few days after delivery, but he will come home with us to live eventually.  Hard to believe how much our lives are about to change in a few short weeks.

Next goal by doctors standards is 34 weeks.  Next goal by our standards is 32 weeks.  We are breaking it down into 2 week increments, however, each DAY is a blessing we are grateful for.

Baby Squirt 30 Weeks

Baby Mama 30 Weeks

Childcare...Yikes!

I wanted to write about our experience in searching for childcare because it was quite humorous, and by humorous I mean downright scary!

We actually chose our childcare provider when I was pregnant with Braelyn, and thanks to God for looking out for us, they kept a spot for us this time around.  I am so thankful to have found them, and you'll see why as this story unravels.

I am such a planner, so I made Matt start looking at daycare people at about week 14 when I was pregnant with Brae.  I wanted to have everything lined up and ready to go by the time I had her, so I could enjoy my maternity leave and not have to leave the house in the wintertime with a newborn to go and start the search.    To start with, I asked all of my friends who have kids about their provider and if they liked them/if they had openings, etc.  NONE of them had any openings.  Must have been a popular time to have a baby...

So, I had to basically start from scratch.  It's a pretty daunting process when you have no idea where to even begin.  I found a few resources and began to make phone calls to ask if people had openings and to set up a time to interview them.  I struck out big time, but did manage to find a few names.  Let me break this story down to discuss each sitter we talked to and let's see if you can find the problems. :o)

Sitter #1

We arrive and she seems very friendly right off the bat and welcomes us into her home.  Her home was fairly clean (not my kind of clean, but I know not everyone has OCD like me), and I could see evidence of children being in her home which was a good sign.  We sit down on the couch and start talking.  She tells us that she is in her late 40's, is married and has an 18 year old son who is going to the local community college.  Then  as if we had known her for years, goes on to tell us that just that very day she had a pregnancy scare.  I swear, Matt and I could not look at each other the entire next two hours that we were there!  She goes into detail saying that she was taking a birth control shot and the manufacturer called her and told her it was a bad batch so she had to call her mom over to watch the kids that day so she could run up to her doctors office to see if she was pregnant.  WOW!  Not sure I needed to know that 5 minutes after meeting her, but ok.  At this point she asks Matt & I if we work at State Farm.  We both reply yes, and she goes on to bitterly tell us that she used to work there, that is until her boss told her she was too fat to work there anymore.  Hmmm...seems like maybe there was more to that story than we were let on to.   I went into this interview with a list of 3 pages of questions.  I could guarantee my baby was going to be very well taken care of!  Haha.  Then this lady proceeds to talk for 2 hours about her daycare without letting me ask half of my questions.  You ask why were we there for 2 hours?  We could barely get a word in edgewise to cut her off to leave.  And with this being the first interview we did, we had no idea how to handle it (if you continue to read my entry, you will see we get better and better at leaving quickly as the interviews progress).  She goes on to tell us about how she has a little Indian boy who comes and she told the parents that she does not cook curry.  She also tells us that before he is allowed to play with the other kids and sit in her house, she gives him a bath.  Does that scream red flag to anyone else??  After talking for 2 hours, I knew for sure we would not leave our child at this house (well I actually knew after about 5 minutes...).  But I decided to be nosey and have her show us around her house.  She took us back to her bedroom first and then showed us her 18 year old son's room.  I asked her where the babies took their naps, because I didn't notice any pack-n-play's or cots.  She said that mostly they just slept in her bed and her 18 year old son's bed.  Say what!?!  That just about put me over the top.  So nasty!  Then she took us into the "play room" and went to open the closet door to show us the toys and the huge door just fell right off the hinges.  She tried to play it off, but it's kind of noticeable when a woman is trying to push back up a 30 lb door and latch it.  She had no child safety locks on any cabinets either.  Go figure.  Then she took us downstairs to her basement where she said the kids spent a lot of their time.  When we were upstairs talking to her, her husband had come home and went straight to the basement.  Apparently he was locked in a room down there with a computer.  She went to show us the room, and knocked and waited for him to answer then knocked again.  Finally he said we could come in.  Wonder what scary man was doing in the basement with the computer with the door locked?  That was about all I could take.  I told her we were still on the hunt for the right sitter, so we would be in touch if we decided to use her, but also told her not to wait on us to call.  As we got in the car I was so scared we would never find someone worthy to watch our child.  I remember I looked at Matt and said "what if they are all like that?"  And I think I also mumbled that I wouldn't even leave Ritz there, and he's a dog.

Sitter #2

So this lady tells us to be at her house at 6 p.m. sharp.  She sounded like she meant business, so we arrived promptly at 6.  She answered the door and it smelled like she was cooking some hamburger upstairs.  She leads us to her living room and tells us to sit on the couch.  Then she goes back into the kitchen and we hear her banging around.  As she emerges she is mumbling loudly about how she was trying to cook dinner, but was interrupted.  Seriously?  Did she not tell us to come at 6?  It's not like we just randomly showed up!  That was one strike against her (with about 10 more to follow).  I did tell Matt that if this lady sucked I was not going to go through my whole list of questions...and that I would elbow him and that meant we were going to make a quick break as soon as we could.  Sounded like a good plan to me!  When we got to the house the TV was on and boy was it loud.  As the woman sat down, we expected her to reach for the remote to turn it off.  She reached for the remote, but she did not turn it off.  She turned it down two notches and continued to watch it while "talking" to us.  She asked if we had any questions.  I very quickly and slyly jabbed Matt's ribs with my elbow and said "yeah we have a few".  I asked about 5 questions and told her that was all I had.  She did okay with the answers, but I wasn't impressed.  She then informed us that her husband also watched the kids with her.  We found out he was a long haul trucker and in his "spare time" loved to play with the kids.  FREAKY!  He was on a long trip when we came to chat with her, so unfortunately (fortunately) we did not have to meet him.  When we could pull her away from her TV show, she decided to show us her basement where she kept the kids.  We went down there and there was a lot of kids stuff crammed into about 10 sq ft of space.  She then proceeded to tell us about how they just replaced their egress window. I was thinking ok that's good, the perform regular maintenance.  Then she kept going with that story and told us it was recently changed because her husband was (and I quote her) "too fat to fit through the old one".  That was when we thanked her for her time and decided to split.  As we got in the car we just laughed...and commended ourselves for the new record of getting in and out.  We were only there about 30 minutes total.  Hopefully that gave her enough time to run back up and finish cooking her hamburger helper.

Sitter #3

At this point I was becoming very skeptical about in home daycare for our kid.  I was thinking about telling Matt to just get a second job or selling our house so we could afford a daycare center.  I was not going to leave my child with these freaks.  We went into the meeting with sitter #3 with the same plan, a quick elbowing if we needed to make an exit.  However, as soon as we entered the house of this sitter something was different.  And different in a good way.  The house was very clean and definitely centered around all things kids.  The team of sitters consisted of a mom and her daughter.  The mom was probably a little older than my mom and the daughter just a little older than me.  They were so nice and welcoming.  They said they first wanted to show us around the place and then we could sit down and talk.  The entire basement of this house is finished to be a daycare.  There was a big room where all the kids could play and there were tons of toys.  Then there was a really nice big bathroom, a small kitchen with a table for the kids to eat at, an office, and last a nursery room with cribs for the babies to sleep in.  I kept looking at Matt like this is it!!  We sat down and talked with them and by the time they had finished telling me about their operation, there were only about 2 questions that I had come prepared to ask that I didn't have an answer to.  They did a great job of explaining their day to day schedule and told us a lot about who they are and why they do this.  We were there for about 2 hours and not once did I even think to elbow Matt.  As we left, I told Matt that we needed to go back in there and tell them we wanted to take the spot they had open.  I was terrified that someone else would take it before we did.  Matt said he really liked them too, but he thought we needed to look around a bit more.  He thought they were kind of far from our work, which is true.  But I tried to convince him that the drive was not what mattered.  Our kid would be safe and loved here.  We wouldn't have to spend one minute of one day worrying.  We did love them from the minute we walked in the door at their house.  I just knew that we would end up calling them back!

Sitter #4

Since Matt forced me to call another person, we ended up meeting sitter #4.  She lived very close to our work, so Matt told me that even though he knew I had fallen in love with sitter #3, to keep an open mind.  As soon as we pulled into the driveway at this lady's house, I told Matt to just turn around and go home.  I could tell right away this was not a place we would want to bring our kid.  The place looked like a dump and was not well cared for at all.  Matt said he couldn't turn around b/c she was watching us from her window and that would just be rude and obvious.  So we walked slowly up the sidewalk to meet this lady.  As we stood on the porch and she answered the door, I was already elbowing Matt hard in the side (several times).  I could tell immediately this was a no go!  I decided that I would make this the fastest visit yet.  We walk into her house and stand in the living room.  Matt asks her if we should sit down in the living room or the kitchen.  She says "doesn't matter".  So we sit at her kitchen table, mostly b/c I think it would have been weird had all three of us sat down on her couch next to each other.  Seating was limited.  Haha.  We started by asking her to tell us a little about herself.  She started to stutter big time and got really flustered.  She said something about how she had to go get her resume to do that because she didn't have any of it memorized.  Never realized that telling someone about yourself was so hard.  Once she had her resume, she quickly read everything to us, including providing details about her GED.  I mean good for her that she finished, but not sure that's what I wanted for my child to be around either.  I really shouldn't judge b/c I don't know why she had a GED.  Anyway, she asked if we had questions for her, and I think I asked about 3 and then said that was all I had.  Matt was cracking a smile the whole time because he knew I was skipping several questions at a time just to get out of there.  Then Matt asked her where the kids play because her living room was pretty empty.  She pointed to the living room and said "right there".  So the lady had no toys at all.  She then took us back to a bedroom to show us the crib that she had for the baby to sleep in.  Pretty sure it was recalled back in 1980...  At that point I knew I just had to get the heck out of there and call up sitter #3 and snatch up that spot because I was NOT going to talk to anyone else in this town about childcare.  To this day I do not know where these lies came from, but I think I was just trying to get out of there as fast as I could.  I started to tell her that I wasn't sure we would actually need a sitter b/c my mom might decide to watch the kid.  But we would call her if we needed a spot.  Then I told her not to hold a spot for us and if someone else wanted it then they could have it.   I think my lies came because I was trying to be polite, but also just get out.  Matt was cracking up when we left.  Right before we walked out the door she asked if we wanted a copy of her contract just in case we decided to call her back.  Again, being polite, I took one.  When we got in the car we laughed because we realized it had only been a 15 minute visit.  A new record for sure.  As Matt was driving back home, I started to read her contract.  Can you believe in the contract it explicitly said that she would not be responsible for providing breast milk to the baby.  Um, so many thoughts on that subject...  First, how would she be providing it seeing as she was not pregnant nor did she have children?  Second, why the He#@ would I want someone else to stick their boob in my baby's mouth?!  Third, that is just NASTY!  I need to quit here because I could go on about this forever.   We immediately called sitter #3 and reserved our spot.  Sitter #3 told us that she had held the spot for us b/c she knew some of the other people we would be talking to and just had a feeling we would be calling back shortly.

Baby Squirt:  I just want you to know that we went to a lot of trouble to find you the perfect sitter to spend your days with.  We endured some freakish moments but also got a few good laughs out of the experience too.  You will grow to love your sitters and they will grow to love you.  I think through Facebook they already have grown to be attached to you.  You are going to be one lucky little boy who probably gets held too much (if there is such a thing) and loved on by all of the other kids.  We feel so blessed that God put sitter #3 on my list to contact.  Since we know we have to go back to work and share you, we feel so lucky that you will be in good hands (and not drinking someone else's breast milk).

Hope you all got a laugh out of our experience.  If you had any funny stories about looking for a sitter I'd be interested to hear them.

**Thanks**

I want to say a special thanks to my family and friends for all of the support you give me each day.

My mom has been the biggest supporter during both of my pregnancies.  I am so lucky to have her in my life.  She is a good advocate for me and the baby at our appointments and when I was in the hospital.  She cares about me so much and I am lucky to have her as my mama!  Thanks for all of the food that you cook for us and for the times you take me out of the house before my appointments on Thursdays for lunch.  It's nice to get out of the house.  I know you do so much more than what I said above, but honestly, you do so much I can't even keep track of it all :o)  I appreciate all you do for us!

Thanks to the rest of my family for always checking in on us and asking if we need anything.  Thanks to my sis for stocking this baby up on all the necessary cute items and for keeping me stylish in my maternity clothes!  Thanks to my friends who are willing to come to our house to hang out and help me pass the time more quickly.  Thanks for the friends who have offered to bring food.  Thanks for offering to run my errands and do anything to help.

I am not good at expressing my feelings most of the time, but I am so appreciative of all that is being done for Matt, Baby Squirt, and I.  It is really hard for me to accept help or ask for help...so I probably won't.  :o) I can't wait for Baby Squirt to meet all of the wonderful people who surround us!!  Love you all!

Bored Out Of My Gourd

I am seriously so bored!  I have only been on "couch" rest for 4 days now, but this is tough business.  I know a lot of people have told me I was lucky all I had to do was sit on the couch all day, but I am not a "sitting around" kind of person.  Please do not take this as a complaint though because I would do anything in my power to keep baby boy cooking for at least another 5 weeks.  I'm just sayin...it ain't easy!

Here are some of my observations during the past week:

- Daytime television SUCKS!
- I am always up to date on my DVR
- I am so lucky to have a job where I can work from home
- People are so nice to offer to bring food or come visit or run errands for us
- My hips are bony and hurt to sit on all day :o)
- My baby moves A LOT
- Ritz prefers to sleep upstairs in bed all day instead of be next to me :o(
- It's not a fun contest to see how much water you can drink each day when you have to get up to pee 100 times
- The cats are very smothering, to the point of all three taking over my seat when I get up to pee
- Thank goodness for the technology of instant messaging and Live Meeting so I can still talk to my work peeps
- I need to update my iTunes so I have more music to listen to
- These have been some of the longest days of my life
- I am SOOOO thankful to be past 28 weeks!!
- It's nice to sit at home with the windows open and enjoy the fall weather
- Working while in sweats is the best!
- Snacks are so much better when you can make something fresh, instead of just taking crackers to work
- I need to try my hardest not to gain 100 pounds from eating and inactivity
- Getting out of the house, even if it's just for two weekly doctor's appointments is refreshing
- Matt is a good help around the house and is a good sport with all of my commands
- Making lists of things to do is not nearly as fun when you can't actually "do" any of the tasks
- I should start knitting or something to pass the time
- Seems like about 2 p.m. every day would be a good time for a nap
- Sitting on my couch is one million times better than laying upside down in a hospital bed

But seriously, I am so thankful to be past the 28 week mark.  Baby boy is still growing right on track and is about 2.5 lbs now.  In another 4 weeks he'll be closer to 3.5 lbs.  My boredom doesn't really matter at all when I think about why I'm doing it.

Braelyn's Legacy

Over the weekend we celebrated Braelyn's first birthday.  Sad to think we had to celebrate it without her, but really amazing to think of all of the people who were blessed because of her.  A few months ago, Matt and I decided that for the first year we wanted to get both of our families together at Lake Evergreen to remember Braelyn.  I'm not sure we will do this every year, but something felt really special about doing it this year.  We debated for a long time on what to do while when we all gathered at the lake and had a hard time coming up with an idea that seemed perfect.  What we landed on couldn't have been more perfect.  We asked that every family take the time to do something nice for someone in need.  Whether this be a monetary donation or just taking the time to help someone.  (Thanks mom for mentioning this idea).  We then asked that everyone come ready to share their contributions with us on Saturday at the lake.

Friday was Braelyn's actual birthday and Matt and I took the day off of work and spent time together.  We didn't do a whole lot, but it was nice to be with one another.  It was (and still is) hard for me to believe it had been a whole year.  I felt like after Friday I was in a really good place.  I was kind of nervous about doing the "party" on Saturday because I was afraid it would make me sad again.  Little did I know that I really needed Saturday to happen!  We all met out at the lake around 2 p.m.  The trees were just as pretty this year as they were last year.  It was a beautiful fall day and the temperature was perfect.  I absolutely love fall, so October 7 will always be the perfect day to me.

We all sat around in a circle and shared stories about how Braelyn had touched people's lives in her short 12 hours here on earth.  The creativity and thoughtfulness of everyones contribution was mind blowing.  It never ceases to amaze me how much good has come to the world because our our tiny little girl.  Below are most of the donations/ideas that our families (and some friends too) came up with to honor Braelyn's name.  We are glad that other people inside and outside of our community will have new doors opened to them.

• Donation of baby supplies given to The Crisis Nursery (http://www.crisisnursery.net)
• Donation of baby items (especially for girls) given to the victims of the Joplin, MO tornado 
• Tiny bows donated to the NICU in Peoria and Urbana for premature baby girls 
• Donation to the Honor Flight-- a flight that takes WW2 veterans to Washington D.C. to see the memorial (http://www.wixy.com/pages/10681940.php)
• A 5K to run every year in memory of Braelyn
• Major overhaul of the playroom at the Children's Advocacy Center in Bloomington.  New paint, new toys, new supplies. (http://www.co.mclean.il.us/childadvocacy/)
• Donated books to a local library
• Monetary donation to Operation Smile (http://www.operationsmile.org/)
• A plaque to hang in the waiting area of the NICU in Peoria with an inspiring poem
• Monetary donation to The March of Dimes (http://www.marchofdimes.com)
• Two injured sea turtles were adopted for a classroom to raise and watch 
• Monetary donations for reading programs for children in schools
• Donation of time volunteering in the community
• A butterfly garden and a knockout rosebush planted in memory of Braelyn, and meant to attract butterflies
• Monetary donation to The Caring Bridge website (www.caringbridge.com)
• Donation of reading materials to classrooms to help children learn to read
• Preemie clothes donated to the NICU in Peoria and Urbana
• Donated time at an underprivileged school in the community 
• Monetary donation to the LivLife fund (http://livlife.us/newsite/)
• Monetary donation to St. Jude's (www.stjude.org)
• Donations of two large boxes of diapers and a large box of wipes given to The Home Sweet Home Mission in Bloomington (http://hshministries.org/)
• Donations of many children's necessities, such as socks, underwear, burp cloths, diaper wipes, and snow boots to a family at a local church who was struggling to make ends meet for their 6 children

Overall it was a great day to remember our special baby.  We are so blessed to have family and friends that supported us during the past year and who are still supporting us through the journey of having this baby boy.  I always say it, but I truly mean it, we would not be doing as well as we are today with out all of you!  

Happy 1st Birthday Braelyn!!   I hope we all made you proud. 

We made it...28 weeks!!!!

We have made it to our biggest goal this pregnancy...28 weeks!  We are thrilled.  If he was born today he would need to spend a lot of time in the NICU, but he would have a very high chance of survival and a lower chance of having long term health problems.  We are so grateful to have made it this far.

Today at my doctors appointment they noticed my cervix is starting to funnel at the top.  They want me to be sitting most of the day and not doing a lot of walking or standing.  They also want to start seeing me twice a week in the office.  Talk about a "frequent flyer" program...  But, we are very thankful our doctors keep a close eye on us.  This time around we will not be caught off guard with anything happening.  We will know what to expect.  Every Monday I will have a sonogram and every Thursday I will do a non-stress test (basically they hook me up to monitors and watch for contractions).  At the sign of any more cervical progress they will most likely give me two steroid shots that will help develop baby boy's lungs more quickly.  I had these shots when I was in the hospital with Braelyn too.  It is a series of two shots given 12 hours apart right in the butt.  For now I will just begin to take it even more easy than I was before (for those of you who know me, know this is very hard for me b/c I like to be busy) and they will keep close watch over me.  I will update if anything else changes. 

Thanks again for all of the love, support and prayers that have gotten us to 28 weeks.  Keep praying for Baby Squirt to make it to our next goal of 34 weeks.   While that would put him the same week as Thanksgiving, we are hoping more for a Christmas baby.  :o)

Thanks mom, dad, Kate and Kyle for the very cool Edible Arrangement!  I love it!!!! 

Braelyn's Birthday

Today marks Braelyn's first birthday.  Even though we miss her every day, we have been truly blessed by having her in our lives, even if it was only a short time.  I love this story below, and will always remember the night she was born. 

On the night you were born,
The moon smiled with such wonder
That the stars peeked in to see you
And the night wind whispered,
“Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world.
So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain
That they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.
It sailed through the farmland
High on the breeze…
Over the ocean…
And through the trees…
Until everyone heard it
And everyone knew
Of the one and only ever you.
Not once had there been such eyes,
Such a nose,
Such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.
When the polar bears heard,
They danced until dawn.
From faraway places,
The geese flew home.
The moon stayed up until
Morning next day.
And none of the ladybugs flew away.
So whenever you doubt just how special you are
And you wonder who loves you, how much and how far,
Listen for geese honking high in the sky.
(They’re singing a song to remember you by.)
Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.
(It’s because they’ve been dancing all night for you!)
Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.
(Listen closely…it’s whispering your name again!)
If the moon stays up until morning one day,
Or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,
Or a little bird sits at your window awhile,
It’s because they’re all hoping to see you smile…
For never before in story or rhyme
(not even once upon a time)
Has the world ever known a you, my friend,
And it never will, not ever again…
Heaven blew every trumpet
And played every horn
On the wonderful, marvelous
Night you were born.

Siblings

So do you think these two siblings look exactly the same?  I sure do!

Baby Squirt (26 weeks)

Braelyn (23 weeks)