B... Birthday Bash!

We celebrated Stella's First Birthday a tad early and it was ah-may-zing! We stayed at home which ended up being the best plan possible because the weather has been just bizarre this Spring. Today we had dry spells, rain, hail, snow, wind, and lovely bright sunshine. She did great right up to the very end where we were pushing nap time. We celebrated with lunch, presents and cake and Auntie Lacey, Uncle Mark, my parents, and our friend Jamie and her kiddos Kaden and Marissa. So fun and people she's really comfortable around.

We are so blessed... and tired! So, tonight I'm going to let some of the pictures do the talking. So, in no particular order, a little (or large) share from Stella's First Birthday Party!

A... Absolutely Adorable

It's all I can think of for "A" tonight. Absolutely Adorable.

Challenge

Hey, I'm nothing if not a follower!

So, since I have been really slack at keeping up with this blog... I think I posted once in February and this is woot! woot! my second post of March... I figured I'd hop on with (so far) 776 other people, I linked up at lucky blogger number 777, and do the A-Z blog challenge.


I think this will be a GREAT way to get me back into blogging here a bit more and a nice way to try to introduce some new topics into this blog that has, admittedly, been kind of stuck. Go ahead and join in too!

MARCHing into Spring

This month is a busy, busy month for us. Full of so much goodness and love!

First, the big kids have started their Spring sports. Rylan's doing t-ball this year (and Jim is coaching, which will be interesting since he's used to coaching high school aged players). And Karleigh's taking on soccer. Her first game was this past Saturday and even with only having an hour of practice, ever, she scored two goals!!!

This was the best photo that I got prior to her first goal, I was too busy cheering and totally forgot about the camera in my hand!

I'm really happy with the team she's on right now. It's great for a first-timer. A good number of her school-mates were on the two teams that were playing next to us and seriously? The parents were so intense. It actually made me sad for the kids. Luckily, we won't be playing teams like "The Crush", Saturday we play "The Kickin' Kitties". Sounds good to me! ;)

After the game we quickly came home, did the dishes and cleaned out the van in preparation to pick up friends who came over from Australia. If you've read along since early on and ever clicked on my side-bar blogs, you know who I'm talking about. Brooke and I "met" right after my Eli and, a week later, her Caden were born. There are many things that are different about us, about our situation, but the core of 'who we are' has always been very, very similar and I've always felt like we just "get" each other. It was so nice to be able to give her a real, live, hug. To kiss her rainbow baby. To be in the same moment instead of 18.5 hours behind her. I could go on and on.

They brought gifts including a very special bear for Stella. Interestingly enough, Australia's Stillbirth Foundation has a special, light purple bear. It matches Stella's coming home from the hospital blanket exactly. All the proceeds of the sales go to the foundation. And, if you haven't already jumped to guessing it... the bear's name... is Stella. {insert goosebumps here if you so choose}

Stella loves Stella-bear!

They also brought a beautiful tile for the boys' garden which will be going right next to the orange lilies that I have planted in memory of Caden. I will, of course, post photos when the garden wakes up a bit more.

The kids got along great! We sat around and chatted and let them get used to the time change at their own pace and try to catch up a bit on sleep after such a long set of flights.

On Sunday, we headed out to the gorge to Multnomah Falls and then drove up to Vista House for a great view of the area even if it was overcast, it wasn't raining!

We also took an unplanned detour to the ER for Rylan to get seven stitches in his eyebrow after he fell into the corner of the van door that I had open while changing Stella's diaper. It was quite the blessing that we had extra adults there. Jim did a quick switch-a-roo with the car seats and Kim was able to ride in the back seat with Rylan to help keep him calm. Karleigh was totally grossed out by the whole thing (drama queen, though it was impressive at first) and Kim was calm as a cucumber! Plus, Rylan wanted to be tough for her. As soon as I got to the ER with Brooke and the other kids, he was tired, coming down from the adrenaline rush and full of tears. A day later though, he was back to his good ol' self. The photos are on my 365 blog.

Monday was sweet Edan's Second Birthday!!! I couldn't help but think of the excitement and fear filled email that Brooke sent to me with her positive pregnancy tests. Pregnancy after a loss is filled with so many emotions but her end result is just adorable!

Edan even shared his most very favorite birthday gift, Nok Tok!

Naturally, the visit seemed too short but I would take "too short" over "not at all" any day!

And that's just the beginning of this month! We've got more great things just around the corner and then *gasp*!!! Stella's First Birthday party! I'm so ready to welcome Spring, and while I'm a bit sad that the newborn phase is long behind us (except for that pesky sleep thing) she's so much fun these days!

3rd Birthday

I hesitated, at first, to use the term "birthday" but that's what it is. The emergence and separation of offspring from the body of the mother. I know that a lot of "us" get caught up on what to call it, but by definition, although we expected it to be in July, this is his birthday.

Yet, there are no balloons to tie to his chair. No cake to decorate. No candles to blow out. No presents to unwrap. No crazy sugar hyped three year old little guy running around. No FB wall full of Happy Birthday! posts - one lone "I'm thinking of you", love filled message. And? Even though we have his beautiful little sister, my heart still aches to know him.

On the outside, it's a day just like any other. The weather was exactly the same as it was three years ago as I crumpled in pure, raw, grief. In my heart, it's not just another day. It's his day. I'm not at a point where I can look to this day as being "OK" or "joyful" or even just "devoid of emotion." But I have peace. This day, three years ago, changes were well under way. Changes that would totally alter life as I knew it. Some people walked out of my life. Some ran. Others quietly tiptoed in and have stayed through everything.

The rawness, the extreme physical and emotional pains have subsided like a low tide leaving the thick, foot weighing mud behind, all the while revealing the rare beauties that not everyone gets to experience. He (and the others) were a necessary part of my journey. A journey that I've never walked alone even when it felt very lonely.

“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.'" Jeremiah 29:11-12

And tomorrow will be the first day of the next year...

Linger a little longer

My last handful of posts here have been real downers. Sorry about that. The rest of everything else is pretty swell but I do fully admit to running here to get the ookies off my chest. Instead of stuffing it, I get it out and then I'm able to move forward. It really isn't a bad thing.

Cheap therapy.

Also cheap therapy? This kid.

We are all crazy in love with her and her personality just cracks me up. She has cruised right into my favorite age which is from about 9 months to 18 months (but don't tell the big kids that. Though it was my favorite age with them too.) She has figured out how to make us laugh. She finds things hilarious, which makes us laugh... which makes her laugh even more.

Tonight, while nursing her before bed, she could. not. stop. giggling. Which gave herself the hiccups.
And then she promptly spit-up on us, totally startling herself.
Yah. It's been a while since that happened!

After she went to bed I noticed that tell-tale smell of baby spit-up.
And I kind of liked it.
Because this age is just a flash in the pan.

Almost to the hour, Jim and I have been together for 15 years now. It all goes so fast. So tonight, I will linger a little longer before I change my spit up sweatshirt :)

It Doesn't Define Me

It really doesn't. And I shouldn't let it. Or even feel like some days it does.

(it's kind of a 'poor me' stream of consciousness post, feel free to skip it!)

I honestly don't think that many people look at me like "Oh, that's the lady who couldn't stay pregnant." Seriously, people should have way too many other things to think about than that. But yet, I can't escape that nagging feeling that that's what some people do think, especially if it's been a while since I've seen them or I don't seem them often. It's just as likely that they're thinking "I could really swear that she was skinnier last time I saw her." or "Man she looks tired." or "I wonder when she's going to finally get a hair cut because what she's got going on now is just not working." or "You would think that her kids would behave better." or "Huh, I wonder what the paint color on that wall is." ...that one's especially possible when I feel like someone is looking right through me.

I've found myself feeling very small and insignificant and while most of the time that doesn't bother me. Sometimes it does.
And I want so desperately to fit in somewhere and feel comfortable.
That sounds pathetic.
But I don't really feel like I "fit" anywhere anymore. For entertainment's sake, I went to a website that I've used before... looked through the group descriptions for what I was hoping to find and didn't. fit. a. single. one. Really?!
I just want to be comfortable, like fall into a fluffy couch with a cozy blanket and a sweet, hot cup of coffee, comfortable.

Maybe I'm defining myself too narrowly.
Maybe I don't know how to define myself at all anymore.
Maybe I just need to get comfortable with "me".
Maybe that kind of comfortable is reserved for the most special of people and that's why it's so sought after.

Clearly, I must be having some issues. And it's that time of year again. But it's been that time of year for almost 3 years now so I should be getting used to it. And at the end of the day, I know that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I'm not missing out on any of Stella's infancy by running all over to different places. (I was super busy when Rylan was little and, sadly, it's all kind of a blur but there was lots of - not child created - stress too)

And when I feel alone, I'm not really... half-way through writing this post my friend (like the real-life, doesn't just live in my computer type) posted this:
~*If someone wants to be in your life they will work to be a part of it. So don't bother saving a spot for someone who won't make an effort to stay!*~
I feel like maybe that's what I've been doing a lot of...Waiting. Wanting things to be like they were "before" and that's just not possible. I'm not the same. Those around me aren't the same. It doesn't mean it's worse or better... it's just different. I can't control if other people gossip about me. I can't control if people don't understand me. I can't control if people judge me or my decisions, thoughts, ideas or beliefs anymore than I can control the weather!

I need to get up and get over it! And then I need to make sure that I don't take those soft places to land for granted.