Bittersweet

Today is a day for goodbyes. Goodbye to the first house Daniel and I bought, the home where we really learned how to be a couple, a real, married who couple who rely on God- though we have lots of work to do and are far from perfect. Goodbye to the home where we started a family, the home where we learned how to be parents and work together in that endeavor (again, work in progress). Goodbye to our church home and family- where God used his people as instruments to help shape us for His kingdom and mold us into the couple and parents we are as mentioned above. A place filled with people we will dearly miss. Goodbye to the wonderful therapists and Early Intervention program who taught us how to work with our little girl and made life with a special needs child feel easier by virtue of their expertise, care, love for Maggie, support and positive reinforcement for us. They will be dearly missed. Goodbye to all our friends who helped make our home in Birmingham feel like home- people whom we will dearly miss.

Today is a day where a now empty room was once Will's nursery where we decorated and fussed over every detail preparing for his arrival, our first baby, our first time as parents. A day where a now empty corner was once filled with Maggie's rocking chair- where we spent many late nights together- she hungry, me tired. Over here are the stairs Will first learned to climb up and down, up and down! Over there was the kitchen table where we shared so many family meals. Today is a day where we look at the front door and see Jake coming home to a family waiting to love him. A sidewalk where Will learned to ride his bike and driveway where Maggie took her first steps outside in a gait trainer. Over here is where Jake showed us his first smile and over there is where my Zoe slept. Every nook and cranny has a special memory, a first something and now we've had all our lasts here-- we will never again watch a child take his/her first steps, no more meals, movies or rough housing will take place on these floors or within these walls. A new place will hold our memories from this day forward. This house is just brick and mortar but we've made it a home. Our love and laughter has filled these rooms for nearly seven years and made it a home. Our home. It's amazing to think: I became a mom here, Daniel a dad, Will a brother and Maggie & Jake beautiful additions to our family. A whole family.

Even the little details belong to us, how we started and who we grew into-- we bought all the blinds and window treatments, selected every paint color and style of rooms, planted trees, installed garage door openers; the house was a blank slate when we bought it. What began as empty rooms turned into a guest room and computer room then converted to nurseries and a living and dining room that were converted into a computer/play room and a craft room. Our home came a long way from its humble beginnings, just as we have--our home grew with us.

Yes, today is a day of goodbyes. And goodbyes make me sad. I trust God has a purpose behind this move and I'm glad we'll be near family again, especially for the kids. But I will mourn the life we're leaving behind. Our entire life as a married couple has been built here and despite its imperfections, Birmingham has been our home for the last seven and a half years. Now we embark on a new chapter and adventure of our lives with many more memories to make. I'll enjoy every one of those and our new house will become our home as well. I believe it's important (at least for me) to reflect on our lives here to provide closure, though we'll always carry the memories in our hearts. We will miss you Magic City-- some for the city itself, but mostly for the relationships and memories we've made.

Goodbye.

Thanksgiving Thursday: family & friends

It was the middle of the night and as he slept soundly next to his beloved wife, he moaned softly. There was no struggle, no pain, no big adieu, but just like that he was gone. Mike Warren passed away in his sleep Monday, November 19th. Mike had such a love for the Lord, a love for people and a love for life. He was a truly beautiful man and I think all who crossed his path, particularly those who knew him well would agree with me. I will miss Mike- we all will. He had such a kindness about him that was rare in this life and he always made you feel part of the crowd, like you were someone special, at least to him and especially to God. Mike was my parents' best friend, he and his wife, Suzan. The four of them met at church and spent plenty of time together in God's house plus went on trips together, met regularly to eat out and enjoyed each other's families. I remember sharing a trip to Asheville, NC with Suzan & Mike to celebrate my parents' 37th wedding anniversary where they had a special ceremony to renew their vows. We saw them almost every time we visited my parents, they came to Maggie's 1st birthday party and my surprise 30th. They were part of our family- we'll stay close with Suzan, but will all feel Mike's absence. I still can't believe he's gone. Mike really displayed Christ's character and above all loved and loved everyone. This song reminds me of him:

Mike absolutely lived his life as proof of Christ's love. I only hope I can love the way he loved and leave the legacy he did.  Today I'm thankful to have known this wonderful man and thankful to have both my parents with me, thankful for my siblings, grandparents, nieces and nephews- for both the family I was born into and the one I inherited when marrying Daniel, I am truly blessed. Are you thankful for your family today? I pray you are.

Baby Jacob- 2 months

Ah, this newborn phase is going by too fast! Even more so than the other two, I feel like I'm not getting the chance to relish these sweet moments as well, mostly due to packing and all that buying/selling homes entails but also dividing my time among 3 kids. I snuggle and talk and play with Jake as much as possible but his sweet tinyness is just flying by too quickly!!
Jake, you are just growing and growing right before mommy's eyes! Can you slow down, please? Naturally I want you to grow and thrive and be healthy, but I also love this baby stage when I can cuddle you as often as I like before you want to sit and play then crawl and walk then run and eventually outgrow your need for mommy. I know that sounds dramatic and possibly debbie downer-ish, but I'm experienced in this baby-grows-up-too-fast-for-mommy business. Here today gone tomorrow. And no matter how many pictures I take or video I capture, it will never compare to holding my sweet baby boy in my arms, taking in your newborn smells and feeling your soft newborn skin. Let's move on to here and now...some baby stats at 2 months:

11 lbs, 3 oz (25th-50th percentile)
23 1/2 inches (75th percentile)
head circumference 39cm (I didn't ask for the percentile)

you:

• still love to cuddle...it's one of my faves too
• hold your head up well and are a very alert little boy, you love to look around
• can grab my hair good and you do it quite often :)
• still get the hiccups and go from zero to why-aren't-you-feeding-me in moments
• love to smile at us and we love it too
• have started making those precious baby noises in such a sweet, soft little voice and Will is convinced you're saying words
• can lift your head some while on your belly
• still love that binky and I don't mind one bit
• haven't slept through the night yet but I'm hopeful we'll get there once I have a chance to set a better day time schedule (we got 5 hours the other night and pediatrician said 6 is technically "through the night")

We are so enjoying you as a sweet member of our family, we love you Jakie-poo!!

Thankful Thursday: Maggie's gait trainer

Back in July I went to a CRS clinic and got prescriptions for Maggie's AFO's and a gait trainer. She was fitted for the AFO's almost immediately but the trainer finally came in last week! And it's pink! Yes, Maggie picked out the color. She was used to the trainer we had on loan and was getting really good in it, so we're going through a little re-adjustment period, but she's doing well and will only get better. I don't even have to set aside time to "work" or "do therapy" 'cause she asks to walk all the time!! She loves it and is getting in lots of practice. Hopefully she'll get real strong real fast and can move into a walker. We're so proud of our beautiful Maggie girl!!!

One of the parts we ordered is a guide bar so that I can help her if she needs it.

I'm having Will hold it here so I can take a picture

visiting with baby brother. She loves the freedom of walking

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to get Maggie the equipment she needs to be more independent all while strengthening her and improving her gait. I'm grateful to have access to state funded services that provided her with the trainer- and we were able to go through a catalog and pick everything we need! And of course I'm thankful for my sweetheart girl and her determined spirit. :)

Lasting Impression

You've heard "there's a first time for everything," well there's also a last. We don't always know when our last "something" will be but sometimes we do- like when moving out of state. We've visited our church, both Sunday School and service for the last time, had our last play dates, gone to the McWane center the last time, our last therapy sessions and lunch dates will happen this week and I'm hoping to get to the zoo one last time. I'm a pretty nostalgic and dramatic person (I know that comes as a surprise to you) so as I tick away the "last time" to see/visit a person or place it tugs at my heart strings.
I cried at church on Sunday- I was able to refrain from all out boo-hooing but I used  my fair share of Kleenex.  It will be nice to be "home" with family and old friends but we've changed so much since leaving that it will still take time to adjust. To go along with this post, here's a few pics from our last trip to McWane Science Center.

Maggie loved playing in the water! She cruised all along the sides of the basin over and over, back and forth. We were so proud of her! I was nervous at first, but saw she really had it, I stepped away and took some pictures. She almost lost control once or twice but recovered on her own. Oh, I love my girl!

Trick or Treat!

Our last Halloween in Birmingham. Sad but true. I considered going to TN this year but I'm pretty burned out on making that drive with the kids so we decided to stay here. It's just as well because the older kids were sick last week and I would have cancelled that trip. Fortunately, Daniel was able to be home and the sickness was wearing off by then. Since Halloween was on Wednesday this year, our annual church Trunk or Treat was held on the holiday leaving us the choice between church and neighborhood. We have stronger connections at church so we went there. The kids had a great time! Maggie rode in the stroller but made sure to pick up that bucket as high as she could to get her candy deposit. :) Our associate pastor and his wife live on/own a farm and brought some animals so we spent plenty of time at that "trunk".

When we arrived back home, plenty of trick-or-treaters will still out and about so we decided to load up for round two. I left my camera at the house, but we took a few good pics after trip two