Some big events....

It's been ages since my last post and boy has life taken some major twists and turns in the last five months. All which have made me realize how quickly life can change and how precious of a gift these days are that God have given us.

Let's rewind to April. The 9th of April to be exact. It was a beautiful sunny, windy spring afternoon. And it was a Friday which made it all the better. Work was done for the week! The weekend was here! I went to pick MVP up from her daycare providers house. Due to the beautiful afternoon, they were all outside playing in the back yard. While the kids played, I stood around and talked with our daycare provider and her husband about our plans for the weekend. They were headed to baseball practices, bowling and a birthday party. We were going to be celebrating a birthday as well. Mine was a few days away and we were going to get together with my family for dinner to celebrate. We were all looking forward to the weekend. I tried to convince MVP, who was driving with her friend in a play car, that it was time to get out and come home with me in our real car. Finally got her convinced and rounded up with diaper bag in hand. We said "See you on Monday!" to the daycare crew and left to start the weekend. Little did we know that come Monday life would look a lot different than what we all were expecting. Three hours after pulling out of the daycare's driveway, I pulled back up to it to see it surround by fire engines and engulfed in flames.

Thankfully the two youngest kids of the family who were home at the time of the fire got out safely along with their pet dog and were able to get 911 called. By the time firefighters were able to get there and get the fire put out unfortunately too much damage was done and the house was deemed a total loss. Oh how different Monday looked! But in a way Monday looked very bright as well. The family, friends, church congregation and community member rallied around this family and they were able to get moved into our vacant church parsonage. Oh how amazing God's timing is! Just weeks prior did the pastor decide to move from his preaching job on to another one leaving the home empty and able to be moved into.

And speaking of moving jobs, that brings me to another big change that has come about in our household. In June, after dealing with several month of changes, layoffs, shifts in workload and experiencing some stress from the environment, I decided to leave my job and pursue other opportunities in freelancing. Extremely scared and feeling as though my future felt so unknown (when isn't it though?), I also had faith that everything would work out. I am now working at a printer as a graphic designer and will see where life takes me.

And in the months following it seemed as though life was taking us down a very dark alley. In August there was severe flooding across the state and our basement didn't escape the wrath. We had nearly 8 inches of water throughout the lower level. Although a major headache to deal with overall we didn't loss much and that which was lost was replaceable. Then following the flood clean up came a Monday morning where I thought I had lost something that could never be replaced. I was driving MVP to daycare, a day after we had just celebrated her 2nd birthday, and heard on the radio that there was an accident on the highway into Des Moines. Knowing that a lot of family and friends take that route into work, I always dread hearing 163 and the word accident in the same sentence knowing that the chances are high that some one we know could be involved. I immediately thought of Coach who had already left for work ahead of me and would have been on his way. I dropped MVP off for the day and was going to give him a call just to check in. But before I could do that my phone was ringing. It was my dad wondering where I was as someone at work had told him a white car with Hawkeye license plates was involved in the accident. Knowing that I usually drive that car he wanted to check in on me but as soon as I heard him say that I knew the accident had to involve Coach. I cut the call real short with my dad and tried Coach on his cell phone. Ring, ring, ring - there was no answer. But I thought to myself, "He doesn't have his phone on ring, it's on vibrate, maybe he just didn't hear it." That's what I hoped but in my gut I knew I was just wishful thinking. I didn't know what to do. I called back my dad to see where he was as all I knew is that I didn't want to be alone if I was going to be driving up to something bad. He was already in Des Moines at work so I was it and all I knew to do was to keep driving out of town and on to 163. Scared to face what was coming in the next 10 minutes of my life, I used that time to plead with God. "Please dear Lord, let Coach be okay, let him be okay. I promise if you save him will we do so many good things for you. Please, please!" Then my begs turned again to wishful thinking, "He's going to be fine, God knows that I need him, MVP and I need him. Heck maybe it's not even him." And then, all in the short time span of a couple minutes, I took a walk down memory lane. I pictured Coach in his high school football jersey and thought back to the time we were in Paris together. And even thanked God for letting us kiss and embrace each other that morning before he left for work. Something that doesn't always happen during the hectic morning routine.

Then my phone rang again to break up my uncontrollable thoughts and emotions. This time it was Coach's aunt with the same question as my dad. She drove the same road to work, had just passed the accident and knowing that I usually drive the white car she was also wondering where I was. I said, "I'm driving. It's not me, it's Coach." She cried back, "Oh no, it's not good." That's when all my wishful thinking went out the window, until now I didn't really know what kind of accident it was. Finder bender, one car, multiple cars, on the open highway or further in town where the speed limit decreases? But when I heard her say that, my heart sunk. And then seconds later I saw her pass me going the other direction. I told her to to turn around still not wanting to drive any further by myself. She did and I jumped in with her. She confirmed it was a white car with Hawkeye plates just ahead of where we were but tried to reassure me saying "Maybe it's not him. I see several white cars with Hawkeye plates on this road."

Then, by that time, we had come upon it. I asked her if she could make out the plates and she couldn't. Although I really didn't want to, fearing what I was going to learn, we both jump out of her car to get a closer look. And then the next two words I heard confirmed that my prayers had been answered. Along with "I do" and "It's a Girl" the words I heard from the sheriff deputy's mouth are ones I'll treasure forever. "He's fine" he said, along with something like "Stop, don't go up there the car is unstable and leaning on a post." But all I really remember hearing is "He's fine."

In the moments leading up to that "He's fine" moment, and while cleaning up dirty sewer water from our basement and during the days that I sat unemployed before finding my new job or seeing a sweet family's home go up in flames, I was really asking God "Why?" Why do you allow all these hards times, suffering, moments of stress? Why? But then I realize without those, without the moments where I thought I'd never see my husband again, without the times of fears and tears, without the valleys we wouldn't be able to appreciate the peaks. And although I don't like to relive these moments, when I do it makes me all the more appreciative and joyful for the life I have and the days God have granted us.

Happy Birthday Mister Tuffy of Wrigleyville!

My first-born turns four today! I'm going to sound a little like a crazy lady but yes, I do feel as though I have two children. One a boy. One a girl. One with fur and one without. One with two legs. One with four. One who pees in her diaper and one who pees outside (or sometimes on the carpet - and those are the times when the mother/son relationship turn more into a mater/dog relationship). But let me introduce someone who hasn't officially made his blog debut – our adored family pet, the cutest ankle bitter around, Mister Tuffy of Wrigleyville, also known in short as Tuffy. Or Tuf. Or, as MVP would say, TuhTuh. Or Little Puppy Boy. Or You Dang Dog – you know, when those pee on the carpet incidents accidentally happen, but back on track...Happy 4th Birthday Tuffy!!!!



You make our house a happier place. You are such a good big brother to MVP. You give the best kisses (we just need to work on that doggy breath a bit.) And your daily greetings can be matched by noone. No matter how hard the day has been, when I walk in the door from work and see your wagging tail, life just gets a little better! And life gets even better when you curl up in my lap as the night winds down and snuggle until we usually both fall asleep. You are usually never one to complain – minus those times you tear through the garbage and dirty diapers in protest of being left home or the times you try to scratch through the door when we put you in your kennel. Again, enter master/dog relationship here. But overall you are a good Little Puppy Boy. Enjoy your special day! Eat a few extra treats and play a few extra rounds of tug of war with Monkey today. You deserve it!

A Sorta Serious Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I definitely did not let MVP in bed with me when she was restless one night in her room only to have her fall out and smack her head on the HARDwood floors. I would never do that because I've read all the warnings and heard all the advice that the safest place for a little one to sleep is in his/her crib alone.

And, on another night, I most definitely did not let her sleep next to rat poison. I mean, seriously, who would do that?

Although trying to make light of these two incidents for the most part I'm not. They both made me nearly sick and I do mean literally. After hearing MVP's small skull crash on the floor and seeing how she acted dazed and confused afterwards, I got all hot and sweaty and had to go sit next to the toilet because I thought I was going to throw up. I was sure she'd just encountered a brain injury. It was so hard to see her like that. It was so scary.

Although, not quite as scary surprisingly, seeing how we didn't realize what had happened until after the fact, the rat poison night had me worrying about all sorts of things. Had MVP eaten some of it? She seems perfectly fine, but will she drop dead at any minute? Will it have long term effects? Had it seeped into her system and will it cause cancer? Will she grow a third leg? Okay so that last one didn't really worry me but all sorts of thoughts started running threw my head. She had developed a strange rash on her face. So overall I don't think my worries were too over exaggerated.

Let me explain a little as to how this happened. My parents have a lake house that they visit on the weekends. Since they aren't there a lot they tend to get unwanted visitors such as mice and possibly other rodents like squirrels or small squinnies. For the mice, they set out traps and poison. It looked as though the mice were taking the bait as a lot of the poison had gone missing. Turns out, either Mr. Mouse or Sid the Squirrel is not dying from this poison but instead dragging it all around the house. We visit for a weekend and put Kenna to sleep in the crib. Everything looked normal. The normal blanket was laying on the crib mattress undisturbed. In the same room is the bed Coach and I sleep in at the lake. It too was nicely made and undisturbed. I crawl in it at about 11 pm and just as I lay down lots of little somethings hit my leg and cause me to jump. In the darkness of the room, I initially think that it's a bunch of dead Asian beetles as those too invade the house as unwanted visitors and upon arriving to the lake this time my mom was vacuuming up a whole bunch of them. But it wasn't. I didn't want to wake MVP who was sleeping on the other side of the room so I made my way to the other side of the bed and turned on the night light. Expecting to see those red bugs, I instead saw a pile of what looked like little blue pebbles. Not knowing exactly what it was, I decided I wasn't going to worry about cleaning out the bed but definitely wasn't going to sleep in it so headed out to spend the night on the couch and inform Coach that he'd have to do the same. We got a decent nights sleep on the couch and all was fine until the morning when we discovered that Sir Squinney had also hoarded a whole bunch of mouse poison into the crib, under the blanket that MVP had just spent the whole night sleeping on!!!! Panic set in!

I've been a worry wart from the start but I think becoming a parent has made my worry warts grow into disgustingly large, hairy ones. Although ultimately, everything is in God's hands and this does relieve a lot of my worry, from time to time the pressure of having a little life under your watch gets a bit overwhelming. But oh so worth it. And I'm learning to push aside the worry because in the end I find that I worry about the wrong stuff anyway. I mean, rat poison wasn't ever on my worry radar...but guess it should have been.

18 (or more like 19, because Mom is slow) month pictures

A little potty mouth (or poop head, your choice)

Thank goodness the potty seat is still fairly new and has yet to be pottied on! MVP struck this pose with the tush cushion and then proceeded to grab it by the handle and walk around the house like it was her purse. My germophobia kicked in and I had to interrupt the potty purse party. But do have to say, that she makes a toilet look pretty darn cute!

Cecelia, you're breaking my heart.....

Cecelia is here! For any of you Office lovers, you know what I’m talking about. For those not addicted to the politically, incorrect antics of Michael or the great love story that was Pam and Jim’s, let me fill you in. Pam finally agreed to go to hospital and The Office baby has been born! Her name is Cecelia Marie.

Although Coach and I missed several episodes of this series depicting the crazy workplace in Scranton due to other fav shows falling on Thursday night, we’ve recently caught back up with it. Just in time to witness the much-awaited birth.

However, watching it made me want to wait and wait for my next birthing experience.

Seeing the new parents, Jim and Pam, in their sleep-deprived state brought back many a memories of our first few weeks and months with MVP.

Jim and Pam, yet so overjoyed with the birth of their precious, one-of-a-kind baby daughter, were also so deranged that they didn’t even recognize their own above-mentioned “precious, one and only” baby girl. And instead loved on another little baby like it was their own.

Brought me back to a time when Coach and I left our precious bundle at home while we trotted off to church. Opps, we’ll blame that on several sleepless nights. Oh wait, can’t really do that. It was around the time MVP was 2 months and she’d started sleeping thru the night. Well, at least we left her home with a good baby sitter....Tuffy.

And then watching Pam struggle with breastfeeding, brought me back to the countless hours I spent hooked up to my beloved pump. And those times “the girls” felt more like boulders that could possibly crumple into tiny pebbles at the touch of a feather. The times spent milking in the car. Trying to hide from those that strolled by.

And how can we forget the days of being puked and pooped on?

Although, it seems as though these memories are ones that you’d rather forget, they are just plain priceless and so worth it!

That said, for now, I’m glad Jim and Pam are the ones at home with a newborn. Although one day we hope to give MVP a sibling, right now I’m enjoying a toddler who sleeps 10+ hours a night, can feed herself for the most part and keeps her poops under control (well, that last one is a bit debatable)….having a one more flashback to a fateful night shopping at Scheels…

Congrats to Jim and Pam and welcome to the world Cecelia…be good to your Mommy and Daddy – some days we need all the help we can get!

Our MVP as a newborn bundle......so precious.....and poopy
(can't forget about that!)

Check-up

It’s been a long winter. So much snow. So many delays. So many days of snow covered roads and treacherous driving. So many cars in the ditch. And today our black Hyundai Sonata became one of them. Nothing serious. I wasn’t hurt. The car wasn’t hurt. The snow pile we hit was probably hurt but for all I care, it deserves it after the winter we’ve had. I’m not bitter or anything. Just ready for spring!!!

I was driving into town to pick up MVP early from daycare so we could head up to the doctor’s office for her 18-month check-up. The back highway into town was covered in snow. Kinda weird seeing how it was not snowing and hadn’t for several days. The sun was actually out and skies were blue. But the winds were fierce causing snow to drift onto the roadway. Lots and lots of snow. And that said snow, caught my wheels wrong and sent me circling into the wrong side of the road and finally landing deep into a snow bank. Again, no one was hurt and it really wasn’t that big of a deal but did take a while before the car was dug out and ready to ride again. So we didn’t make it to the doctor’s and had to reschedule MVP’s appointment. I was bummed. I like her well-child appointments. Minus the screaming that ensues after the shots, it’s always fun to get her updated stats and nice to hear that she’s in good health (praise God, that so far all our check-ups have been positive!).

So since we missed the check-up, I wanted to take a few minutes to have my own little check-in on our 18-month old.

• Been walking since 14/15 months and now can add running to your list of activities even though in general you are still pretty klutzy. Sometimes get going too fast and don’t watch where you are going. You also have a unique walking/running style. In times when you’e really wanting to get somewhere fast, you swing your left arm like crazy. It must help you work up some momentum and looks pretty darn funny too.

• Still in size 3 diapers (but probably not for long).

• Wear size 12-18 month clothes. Some 18-month outfits are still really big.

• Size 5 shoe

• Some of the most commonly heard words coming from your mouth are: Mom, Dad, Tata (Tuffy), Nenna (Kenna), co....at (coat & hat), cracker, cookie, bar, Isaac, pass (paci), peas (please), Gigi, bye, wawa (water), bebees (babies), Ella, nyny, Elmo, elbow (these last two words sound similar to each other), baa (bath), bubbles, teeth (when you want to brush your teeth), whose (shoes), ahkey (yukey), Guke (Luke) and Abbie (for your buddy Abbie Keitges and this is probably your clearest word to date, surprised both dad and me how clearly you said it after just hearing us say Abbie’s name a couple times.)

• You do sign language for the words eat, drink, all done, please, thank you and potty. We see the sign for eat A LOT. You like to eat!

• You make happy, sad and surprised faces on command.

• See NBC commentators Brian Williams and Chris Collinsworth on TV and think they are Poppi.

• Have had one haircut from Grandpa Beek but still not enough hair for any barrettes or pigtails. Hair is light, light blond and grows longer in the back than on top. You have a nice mullet! You like baths and like to brush you hair but aren’t too fond of the hair dryer whenever Mom points it at you.

• Dad has taught you foot fire and how to get into defensive stance.

• You also do ballerina twirls and kicks.

• Love jumping on the couch cushions.

• Go to bed around 7:30/8:00 p.m. and usually wake up around 6:30/7:00 a.m. We say nighttime prayers before bed and you fold your hands, sometimes close your eyes and say “Amen” when we are done.

• Are pretty possessive of your blanky, paci and sippy cups.

• When you get upset you’ll hit – either something around you, someone or even your own head – we’re working on this : )

• You can identify several body parts including nose, eyes, head, hair, ears, fingers, toes, belly button, back, elbow and knees.

• You like to play “Ring-Around-The-Rosy” and have recently started joining in singing when it comes to the “Ashes, Ashes” part however you usually forget to “fall down.” You also usually like to include your baby doll when we play.

• Hate having your face washed or your nose wiped but man do you need it. For a little girl, you sure do have some big boogers! : )

• Say “cheese” and give a really cheesy smile whenever you see a camera.

• You love Tuffy and usually speak to him in a extra high voice and always pat your legs and say "Mirror" (Come Here) to get him to come sit by you. He never does - he's a little scared of you yet!

We’ve rescheduled your doctor’s appointment and will be going next week. It will be interesting to see how much you’ve grown since the last appointment and we’ll pray that once again you have a healthy check-up so the above list of milestones and memories can just keep growing and growing along with you. But time could slow down a little – 18 months gone by already – where does the time go?