Independence Day, 2010

My firecracker baby, patriotic sweetie and I went to a friend's house

for some food

some fireworks

and fun with friends.

It was a rainy afternoon but the boys improvised.

And Brooklyn got to wear her festive skirt.

It takes a while

How do you write about death? This is my second occasion to do so and it doesn't get easier. My grandmother passed away yesterday. It was 3:38am on June 26th. She was 81. I keep having to remind myself that she's gone. It takes a while for it to register, I guess. My mind goes back to the last time I'd seen her...

{Our Four Generation Picture taken on Mother's Day 2010

It was Saturday evening last weekend (6/19/10.) And it was an accidental visit. I had called grandma to see if my mom was there. When grandma told me she wasn't, I didn't want it to seem like that's the only reason I called, so we chatted a bit. She told me my uncle and his wife had come over from Tampa to cook dinner for her and that John and I should bring the baby over for a visit. My sister Sarah was hanging out at my house so we brought her along with us.

{My sister Sarah, my daughter Brooklyn, & Grandma}

Truth be told, I could have drummed up no shortage of excuses to not go over. I'm not as close with my extended family as others are, so me NOT visiting people is the norm. But for some reason I felt like we should take the time to go over and say hey to everyone. It was a great time. I'm so glad I went.

We sat around chatting about the job situation (most of my family and I work at the space center), the effect the oil spill is having on our state, and sundry other topics. Grandma sat quietly, half contributing and half just watching the interactions.

When I asked her if she wanted a turn holding Brooklyn, her eyes lit right up. She held the baby until Brooklyn got too heavy and wiggly for her to manage. We all chatted some more, nibbling Hors d'œuvres (seriously, why can we not spell this orderves????) My uncle's wife told us how it takes grandma forever to eat a cracker with dip on it. Something that people normally pop into their mouths takes her 4 bites. We all laughed. Grandma can be so adorable.

At one point I noticed her sitting staring at Brooklyn. I asked her what she was thinking. She said "the baby is just soooooooo beautiful." I know grandma really loved her first great-granddaughter. You could easily see it in her eyes.



I was glad we went for a visit. But now I'm even more grateful for that time. I had no idea it would be the last time I'd see her. More memories will come to me. And I'll tuck them away somewhere on a scrapbook page so I don't ever forget. The funeral probably won't be for another week. I am looking forward to hearing what others in the family remember most about grandma. She will be dearly missed by us all.

{My grandma with her youngest daughter - my mom.}

Sickness has come to our home!

John was sick last week. I felt so bad for him. He suggested I pack up the baby and go stay with his parents to keep from getting sick too. I did that. We did everything we could to keep Brooklyn and I safe from the pukies. Well, it's just bound to happen I guess.

Brooklyn and I both got sick around the same time, Friday. Which I guess is good since they won't let her go to daycare while she's throwing up and I prefer not to go to work while I'M throwing up. I figured I'd just stay home with her and take care of us both. But John stayed home with us and he took care of BG while I rested and ran to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Ugh. Soooo unpleasant.

Today I'm starting to feel better though. Thank God for John. He makes life so much easier. I'm so thankful for him. He takes such good care of us.

Patty Cake

So today Grandma Linda taught Brooklyn patty cake. If you hold your hand out to her and say "Patty cake Brooklyn" she'll take her tiny hand and smack it several times. It's SO cute. I love how smart she is.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Morning:
I've been up since 7:00am. Went to walmart to get newspaper & ended up buying a little Christmas tree. Got donuts & coffee. Came home to watch parade and look through the black friday ads. Everyone is still asleep. I love this quiet time. Think I'll make this my new tradition for Thanksgiving mornings. I love my family. I love this moment soooo much.

Afternoon:
Heading to in-law's house for dinner. Freebie does it again....wonderful spread!
Then we take pictures of the family, eat pie, then watch 3 movies while lounging around the house.

Evening:
Good to be home. I love time with family but home is soooooo nice.

You can ALWAYS trust in God to come through!

Last week John's company cancelled the 4 day work week. Although that sucks for him, the child care schedule, at this point, was still workable. However then we were dealt a blow last night when we found out my mom wouldn't be able to care for Brooklyn either. Seriously? But we had it all figured out. Why is this coming crashing down on us??? I really felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I cried.

How would we manage to find care for the baby for the 2 days a week that my mother in law cannot cover? My mind started going crazy trying to find a solution to our new problem. Does part time daycare even exist? Not for an infant. Am I going to have to quit my job? I can't even think straight. My heart was overwhelmed with sadness. I made some phone calls. We prayed and then went to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.

And with tomorrow the sun came up. I called a friend this morning and asked her if her mom might want to work for us by caring for Brooklyn 2 days a week. The answer is a very enthusiastic "YES!" Seriously? Please don't be joking. "No, really. I would LOVE to watch Brooklyn for you. Thanks so much for asking me." Wow. I didn't expect that. But I knew that God would take care of things.

I called John with the good news and he was soooooo relieved. Shelby will start on 11/30.

Oh happy day!

Happy Birthday to Me!

We all slept in this morning but when I went to see the baby this is what I found:



Lunch in the village with John & Brooklyn. Thai Thai's...nummers!!

Lots of great pictures in the park.






Dinner with family & friends. More great pictures. What a luxurious day!

Back to work....*sniff sniff*

Today wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's Thursday and I only have one more day of work before the glorious weekend. Plus, I knew we were leaving Brooklyn with our parents, who love her nearly as much as we do, and I found much comfort in that. I did get a little emotional last night right before bed but recovered quickly. I reminded myself that many other moms return to work and have to leave their babies in the care of others. I'm not the first and won't be the last. And at least we don't have to use a daycare facility. She's being nurtured and loved by grandparents. How awesome that we can rely on our family!

Amazing Gift From My Aunt

Brooklyn,

Today we received and awesome gift in the mail from your Great Aunt Chris.

Here is the gift:



I know that your thinking, "awe, thats cute!" but here is why this gift is such a great gift: (Click on the picture to enlarge)



Your Great Grandmother passed away in 1986 after a long battle with bone marrow cancer. She was an awesome woman and an inspiration to anyone who met her. Aunt Chris had kept this outfit, that she had made, all those years and blessed you (and us) with this wonderful surprise. Chris lives in Boston and we are in Florida so we don't get to spend a lot of time together but she continues to stay involed in our lives and has always been there in our time of need. She, like your great grandmother, is an amazing woman and a we're so thankful she's our aunt. Your gonna love her, we do!

Pre-Natal Mother's Day

I totally did not share any of the events from Mother's Day. When I came home from church that Sunday morning, John and Bean had a nice surprise waiting for me: a card and some "I Love Mommy" bibs and burp cloths. John swears Bean put him up to it and that he had really no say in what was done that day, except to help her write the card since she's...well...currently incapable of holding a pen. He's so cute.

I also got some really great cards from my mom and mother-in-law.

It's kind of weird for me though because I don't feel like a mother. Yeah, I'm growing life in me as we speak but for right now it is more like a biological process than a maternal thing. I don't have any control over what is happening. My body has taken over and is doing what God programmed it to do. Now once the baby is born and I've had a chance to do some mothering maybe I'll settle more comfortably into the title of Mother.

It's still sweet thought...all the effort they put into making my day special.

A Few Good Things

Last night at dinner the waitress asks me when I'm due. I think "Oh here we go again with the 'you'll be miserable in August' comments from a stranger." My fist of death starts to twitch under the table. When I tell her my due date she says, "Wow, that is a hot time. But YOU'LL DO FINE! You'll forget about it before you know it!" She lives to see another day. I will remember her positive words forever.

On Monday I took an extended version of the glucose test that would screen me for gestational diabetes. This consists of fasting for the day followed by a very unfun 3.5 hour visit to the blood lab where they draw blood 4 times after giving you this orange sugar water that you have to drink quickly. *gag!* You can do nothing but hang around their office. No, you can't leave to go shopping at the plaza next door. No, you can't go home and take a nap. No, no, no, Rebecca! You just sit in the office and try not to burn off any glucose in between blood draws. I brought a book, a laptop & some cards to write out which made the experience more tolerable. So anyway, John and I and several of our dear friends, family and my coworkers prayed that my test would come out negative. Well the nurse called on Tuesday and confirmed that I have NO DIABETES! If anyone ever doubts the power of prayer...I'm here to tell ya that God DOES hear and DOES respond to our cries. Know this.

On Sunday my in-laws threw me a baby shower. Wow, what fun! Bean has soooo many cute outfits to wear now! All the guests were so sweet and it was great to spend time with several ladies I hadn't seen in a long time. The food was fabulous, the games were perfect, the decorations were adorable and I think everyone had a great time. I know I did.

As for me, my belly just keeps on growing. I feel more huge than I look. The weight gain is up to 15 lbs now. I think that is fine and the doc hasn't mentioned anything about me gaining too fast or slow. All is well.

God has shown favor on us yet again....

and has given us a baby GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the family Bean-ette!

Yay! The wait is finally over and I couldn't be happier.

John held my hand the entire time. When the technician's magic wand hovered over Bean's "baby bits", I'm pretty sure we all held our breath until she said "That's most definitely a girl!" Then simultaneous screams errupted (from me and The Moms), followed by tears of joy (again....from me and The Moms). In between joyful sobs I managed to croak out "Are you SURE???" The sweet technician confirmed it again and then let the doctor come in to confirm for a 3rd time. My mom made this sign that had "It's a Girl" written on one side and "It's a Boy" on the other. How cute is she?? I'm so glad she made the sign because we were able to snap a few quick pictures.

All other baby parts were verified and seemed to be working normally. It was INCREDIBLE to see the tiny chambers of Bean's heart. Two kidneys were visible. We saw arms & legs & fingers and toes. We saw stomach & brain and spine and ribs. All precious in my sight. God bless technology!

Of course The Moms were thrilled. I was so glad they were a part of this monumental day. Once I was able to wipe all the ultrasound goo off my belly, button my snuggly fitting jeans, we all practially RAN out to the waiting room to fire up our cell phones. That was the beginning of the 4 hour text/phone fest. God bless technology!

After the appointment our families gathered for a celebratory dinner at Outback. What an emotional day. It's only 8:00pm here on the east coast and I am drained!

I wonder if it could possibly get any better than this. I do have a sneaking feeling it's going to get TONS better. I can't yet imagine how much better, but I'm ready. =)

Yaaaaaay! At last...

I felt my first Bean kick today at about 1:45. I was sitting at work reading an email and...what the heck...I felt the tiniest most gentle little flutter in the front of my stomach. And then it happened again. I knew right away what it was because I'd never felt anything like it before.

I sent John a quick email and he calls me IMMEDIATELY to have me describe everything. Then he tells his coworkers (mostly women) and I hear them cheer from his side of the phone.

I called my mom to share the great news. No answer at the house. I'll try again later.

I sent a quick text to my sister, who does exactly what John did. She called me immediately and squealed over the phone for like a whole minute. She's so excited and we couldn't stop from giggling.

Then I sent a quick text to Tipitee, and I swear she does the same thing...call, squeal, laughter.

So yeah, there is some action going on. Do I feel pregnant yet? A little more than I did yesterday. But I'll really feel pregnant after Friday's appointment.

And did I mention I CANNOT WAIT FOR FRIDAY TO GET HERE ALREADY????????

Bean at 15 Weeks

Yep, we are on the brink of entering a new week in Bean's development. I've read that Bean can move all joints and limbs but I won't be able to feel the movements for a couple more weeks. The article also says that if I shine a light right at my belly Bean can move away from it. I kind of doubt that the light would pierce all the way through MY blubber, so Bean's delicate eyes are probably safe for now. Although there is not much for baby to taste right now, taste buds are forming. And finally, the article says I should start talking to Bean. I do have a neat little Dr. Seuss book that mom bought for us specifically for reading to the bun while still in the oven. Better dust that off and get to reading.

Wait, does that mean baby will talk in rhymes when she comes out? Hmmmm.

Yay! More fun stuff in the mail.

Mom sent us this great package that arrived today. So many useful resources and my first maternity top. I can't wait to dig in to the information. I'm all for any book that teaches how to soothe a crying baby.

Best Quote Ever

So Saturday we had lunch with John's grandparents, Papa & Nana. Despite his 86 years, Papa still has tons of spirit. They both really enjoy any bit of time they get to spend with their only great-grandson, Caleb. Time spent with him is limited for all of us because Caleb's parents share custody.

Papa did not mince words as he cautioned: "If I don't get to see this great-grandbaby more than I get to see Caleb, I'm going to stomp a mud hole in someone's back side!"

I heard this and choked with laughter. Did Papa just threaten us? Hahahahaha! I don't know what that even means but it sounds painful. Something about kicking our butts? Ouch!

Telling his family

So we told John's folks last night at Mimi's restaurant. I'm so glad John abandoned the whole 'let's wait til Christmas' farce. Neither of us can keep a great secret for very long. Who were we really fooling? Not even ourselves. Exactly.

Anyway, I bought a onsie that said "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's" and wrapped it in a Christmas bag with pictures of the pregnancy test. It took Linda a minute to comprehend but we could see the light bulb go off. It was so precious. I have it on video and will upload it later. John's dad wanted to stand up in the restaurant and ask for all the patron's attention as he shared the news. I wish he would have. That would have been SO COOL.

*** Update: Here's the video***


My sister wants to know when we can start shopping. I'm not really into buying baby stuff yet. As I was picking out the onsie I felt so out of my element even being in the baby section. I'm sure eventually I'll want to go crazy on baby supplies. Right now we don't have anywhere to put anything. So higher on my list of priorities is getting rid of useless crap we've been hanging onto forever. I've already dumped 2 big bags of clothing and I have a huge box of scrap supplies that I'm going to offer to some friends. I'd really love to have a 4 bedroom house rather than try and figure out how to stuff a baby & all the accessories into our condo. As I prayed for God to open that door, I heard from 2 people in 2 days of nice houses currently in foreclosure. Hmmmmm. Interesting.

Another thing to think about is what to do with the dog. Ugh. I don't even want to imagine how hard it will be to relocate a dog with an attitude problem. Anyone want a persnickety 8 year old Jack Russell Terrier who growls, snarls & bites the hand that feeds him, wants to fight with every other dog when on a leash, eats cats, follows you around the house to the point where you either step on him or trip over him constantly, and goes crazy when you vacuum or flush a toilet or turn on a flashlight or have visitors? You sure? He's really really cute.

Telling my family

As you can imagine, mom was super excited and just in utter shock to hear the news of Butter Bean Bassett (B3). Sarah welled up immediately and was speechless for like a whole minute. Watch the reaction here as they open their cards:

Then we called Heather in Portland because none of us could really wait for her to receive and open her Christmas package. I love hearing the reactions because people experience the same process John and I went through as our brain wrapped around the news: First joyful surprise, then shock, back to joy, then 3 days later you are still like "Is this for real? No way that just happened." Yep, Heather did the same thing. It was so cute. She was very excited, to say the least.

Then I called my dad. He giggled like a little girl saying "That is so cool!" I wish I had a recording of his reaction. So precious.

Well, I think John is getting more and more anxious for his parents to know. The plan moved from "lets wait until Christmas" to "let's tell them this Friday" to a phone call a few minutes ago "let's tell them tonight!" I'm so on board with telling them tonight! Then on Saturday my extended family is getting together and there we will tell Grandma, Aunt, Cousins & 2nd Cousins. Woopieeeeeeee!

This is the BEST WEEK EVER.