Ring Bearer

Back in February, my cousin Phyllis asked if Max would be a ring bearer in her May wedding.  Without a thought, I said "Yes."  As the day approached, I started getting nervous.  I couldn't believe I thought this would be a good idea.  But, I tried to "let it go" (ha) and realize he wasn't even 2 - we couldn't expect much of him. 

Well, the big day came . . . Aunt Hannah was in the back of the church and I sat up front - our game plan to get him down the aisle.  And you know what?  It worked!  He did great!  Held hands with Julia and the other flower girl and marched right down the aisle.  It was the cutest thing!

Not to let us down, though, he did come running out of the cry room during the consecration.  It was awesome, let me tell ya.  Brook turned his back for 5 seconds to turn on the A/C and Max opened the door, ran toward the altar, screaming "Mommy, Mommy!" during the most sacred part of the liturgy.  I have never seen Brook run so fast!  Not to mention, my brother was sitting next to me with 4 of his young children and they are acting like angels, while my 1 and only child is running around like a crazy man.  Oh my.  Having a child is so good for any inflated ego I might have!

All in all, it was a wonderful day.  William and Phyllis are truly a perfect match.  Their love for the Lord and each other is so refreshing.  I am honored that Max got to be part of their special day!



Putting on his new St. Michael pin
(gift for being in the wedding)

All ready!

Pre-ceremony snack  ;)

What a little ham!

He walked down the aisle like a pro!

The beautiful bride, walking down the aisle with her dad

He was laughing at the toast, like he really understood what was being said!
Crazy kid

He partied like a rock star that night and . . .

couldn't keep his eyes open for the ride home.

Mommy (and Daddy's) Big Helper

Another helper post . . .



 

Helping Daddy make chocolate covered strawberries for Mommy's birthday

They were yummy!

Our sink was leaking.  Brook got a flashlight out to investigate.
Next thing we know, Max ran and got HIS flashlight out, so Daddy could see!

He loves to help me snap green beans (or yellow beans) for dinner

What's great about this, is b/c he helped, he's very eager to eat them at dinner! 
I need to get him helping with other veggies.  ;-)

Road Trip

Another oldie . . .

Mid-April, we went on a road trip to Massachusetts to attend a pro-life conference with my parents.  We went in their new motorhome and that's definitely the way to travel on long trips like that!  I was rather nervous about how Max would do, but he was great!  Of course, Mickey, Dora and Diego helped.  ;)  I actually found the travelling portion of the trip to be quite relaxing and, at 6.5 weeks pregnant, I wasn't feeling too crappy (another thing I was nervous about). 

The conference itself was incredibly inspiring.  Lots of speakers from across the country to talk about the sanctity of life. 

A few quotes stuck with me from that weekend:

- "God's love doesn't make you a sourpuss."

- "Narcissism is destroying generosity." 

- "Love is proven through sacrifice." 

It was a quick trip - Friday to Monday (including travel time), but a perfect weekend away to get refreshed and recharged.  Definitely needed! We don't get too much one on one time with my parents, since moving to GH.  So, it was a great trip for that, too!



Getting ready to leave!

He loved being in the driver's seat -
so many buttons to push!

The 1 night we were in Mass., we stayed at a hotel
(Max, Brook and I).
Max enjoyed lounging in our bed in the morning.  ;)

Belly Pics

15 weeks

21 weeks



It's. A. . .

GIRL!!!

Baby Post

Well, I made it "facebook official;" so, how about making it "blog official?" :-)

March 23rd
I found out I was pregnant this morning.  I can't explain it, but I just knew I was going to have a December baby.  When I took the test, I waited for the line, knowing it would appear (I'm not even 4 weeks pregnant yet).  Weird, huh?  We had to go to Jackson today for my cousin's wedding shower and it was hard not to tell everyone.  We are having Easter at our house with both families; so, we want to do it with everyone together.  I can't think of a more appropriate day to announce new life then on the day we celebrate our Lord's resurrection and the new life He gives us.

I have to say, I'm not scared.  I didn't know how I'd feel with getting pregnant again after the MC.  I am calm, peaceful and excited.  I'm not in denial that another MC wouldn't happen, but, no matter how long this baby's life is, it deserves to be celebrated.  And that is what we'll do.  We will continue to hold on to the promise that God has good things planned for our future. 

March 31st (Easter Sunday)
We had both of our families over for Easter and planned to tell them.  I wasn't even 5 weeks yet, but when is the right time to tell?  I mean, if I had another MC, I'd want them to know I was pregnant before telling them.  So, Max and I made Easter cards for the grandparents that announced the news.

They, of course, were excited, but I was nervous about telling everyone.  I didn't want to get everyone excited and then sad again if something did happen.  You see, for me, there is no real "safe zone" of when to announce the news.  I've been on quite a journey since miscarrying in December.  I had a full clotting panel done and found out I have a genetic condition that could cause MC.  It's pretty complicated, but long story short, my body has trouble breaking down synthetic (man made) B vitamins.  It has been fascinating to learn how much B vitamins do for the body.  Folate (B9) reduces toxins in the body, prevents neural tube defects and regulates homecysteine (among other things).  The last 2 are critical in pregnancy.  If homocysteine levels are high, there is a great risk for blood clots.  Women with this condition not only have early losses, but losses as late as 38 weeks, due to clots in the placenta or umbilical cord.  The thing that really stinks about this condition is that is was discovered in the late 90s, so there is little research out there.  Every dr / specialist / pharmacist has a different opinion on how to treat it, if at all.   So, I have had to self advocate and pretty much come up with my own plan.  This is not too big of a deal if we are just talking about my health, but we're talking about my baby's life.

My plan is simple right now:  I take a bio active form of B vitamins.  My body can absorb these better than synthetics.  You know what's amazing?  The health issues I've had for about the last 10 years have improved since taking them.  Insomnia, cyclical depression, anxiety . . . either written off in the past as "just getting older" or being told to take an oral contraceptive . . . have all been related to a B vitamin deficiency!  I always knew there was a reason, but no one was willing to really try to get to the root of the problem.  Other options I have during pregnancy are to take a baby aspirin or to get on prescription blood thinners.  I am hoping that taking the right form of folate for my body is going to regulate my homocysteine; therefore, negating the need for a blood thinner.  Time will tell.  It's all trial and error, which is really tough for this accountant who is used to 2+2 equaling 4.  I am trying to remain calm and not read too much.  ;) 

April 10th (6 weeks)

I went in last week for a series of blood tests for my peace of mind.  My progesterone is good (at 21) and my hcg levels are increasing like they should.  We have been really busy the last few weeks, which is good - not much time to sit around and worry.  I haven't been feeling too bad yet.  Nausea here and there - though, I did throw up this morning.  I have a totally different view of the nausea now.  MC does that to you.  It changes the perspective of a lot of things. 

May 21st (Weeks 7 - 12)

We have had a really busy spring, which has been good for me.  I had an ultra-sound at 8 weeks and saw a strong heartbeat!  To tell you the truth, though, I wasn't super relieved.  Our last baby died at 9.5 weeks; so, I knew I wouldn't have peace until I reached that point.  Well, at 9.5 weeks, my symptoms started to subside, just like with the last pregnancy.  It was awful and I was a mess.  The calm and peaceful feelings when I first found out?  Yeah, those were gone.  I was detaching from this pregnancy and it wasn't healthy.  Boy, MC created feelings in me that I never expected.  It was a really hard time for me and I am so grateful for close friends and family who listened without judgement, gently encouraged me and, most importantly, accepted me for who I am and where I'm at in life right now. 

I had a prenatal appt on May 13 (10.5 weeks).  The first thing my CNM did was get out the doppler to try to find the heartbeat.  She found it right away!  PTL!  We first heard Max's HB on Dec 8th - the feast of the Immaculate Conception - and now heard this baby's on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.  Surely, our mother in Heaven is watching over these babies.  At 11 weeks, I was able to easily find the baby's HB with my doppler and yesterday (5/20), I was even able to hear some kicks.  I am starting to let my guard down and finally starting to feel like this is real. 

June 18th (Weeks 13-15)

Right around The 1st of June my nausea almost completely went away.  I'm not used to this, since I was sick with Max throughout the entire pregnancy.  Again, thank the lord for the doppler.  I haven't been able to feel the baby much yet, which surprises me.  Again, comparing to Max's pregnancy, I felt him at 16 weeks; I thought for sure I'd feel lots of movement by now, since "they" say you feel the baby earlier in subsequent pregnancies.  At this point, I still can't tell if it's the baby for sure or just gas.  ;-)  Had a prenatal appt at 15 weeks.  Everything is looking wonderful!  Got the anatomy scan scheduled for the 2nd week of July.  Boy or girl?  We shall see!

Max at 23 Months

He is at such a fun age now and there is so much I want to capture, yet I keep putting it off!  So, here it goes!

Little Tiger Fan

At 23 months, Max is pretty good about eating most foods, but he loves, loves, LOVES spaghetti.  And just about any fruit.  Cheese, pretzel, hummus and raisins also top the list.

He gives the best "Hi" when greeting us.  Whether it's getting him out of his crib in the morning or after nap time or when we walk in the door after work, it's a genuine "I'm happy to see you" greeting.  It's wonderful.

He is such a good sleeper.  Thank you, God.  He sleeps 10 or 11 hours at night and takes a 2-3 hr nap in the afternoon.  He normally goes to bed with no fuss.  We bought bunks beds recently, thinking we'd transition him out of the crib in the near future.  But, he is such a good sleeper and isn't trying to get out of his crib yet.  Why mess with a good thing?

I have noticed lately that there is a side of him that only Brook and I see.  It's the sweet, "I wanna sit on your lap and cuddle" side.  I'm not sure if most people would call him sweet, b/c outside of the house, he is a crazy little boy, always on the go.  But it is definitely a quality I see in him.

His vocabulary keeps increasing.  I laugh at some of the things that come out of his mouth.  Last night, on our walk, we ran into our neighbors.  We said, "See ya," as we departed ways.  Max turned around in his stroller and yelled, "See ya!" 

He is quite curious and loves to be involved in anything we're doing - "I help," is a phrase we hear often.  He is quite the little helper.  ;-)  If I'm baking or making dinner, he wants to pull a chair over to help.  If Brook's mowing, he wants to go outside to help.  (We don't let him, of course!)  Speaking of outside, he LOVES to be outside.  "Me.  Play.  Outside," is what we usually hear from him.  He also loves to play in water.  He has no fear at the "big" lake.  (This does wonders for my nerves.)  When the water was just 40 some degrees, we had to force him out of it, b/c he was shivering. 

Such a good helper!

He is social.  If we're at the store, he will repeatedly say "Hi" to people until they acknowledge him.  At the park, he tries to play with kids he doesn't know.  This usually doesn't work out too well for him, b/c they're older than him, but he keeps trying!  :-)

First bell ring of the season!

He continues to be strong-willed and push limits.  Part of his strong-willedness (is that a word?) is thinking life is a big game and everything is funny.  So, I don't really know if you'd call it being strong-willed, but I don't know what else to call it.  For example, I say, "Max, let me change your diaper."  He runs away from me laughing, wanting me to catch him.  Almost every time.  Now, this can get on a person's nerves, trust me.  When he gets into trouble, most of the time, he laughs and laughs, trying to get us to laugh, too.  He has picked up "I'm sorry" lately, though, with a hug to go with it. 

He loves our parish priest - Fr Bill (or "Bill" as he calls him.)  Whenever he sees him, he runs up to him and gives him a huge hug.  During Mass, he sometimes yells out "Bill" at the most appropriate times.  Ha.  He has been doing really well in Mass lately.  When I say "well," I mean, isn't loudly "talking" and carrying on.  As long as I have activities and snacks to occupy him, he does well for about the first 30 or 40 minutes.  We always take him out during the consecration, though, so he doesn't disturb the congegation.  Sometimes, I wonder if we're doing the right thing by bringing him to church (vs leaving him in the nursery.)  I recently read this blog post and it was totally reaffirming.  http://iamtotallythatmom.blogspot.com/2013/05/dear-parents-with-young-children-in.html

Parenting is such an adventure.  It's hardest, yet best thing I have ever done and I continue to learn more about myself (the good, the bad and the ugly) as I parent Max.  Thank you, God, for giving me this little soul the nurture!