Today, we celebrated.
Before the day slips away, I just wanted to take a minute to wish my sweet Adelaide a happy birthday in the blogosphere. It will be years before she reads any of this, but that's okay.
I so clearly remember the day we said hello to Addie. Today we remembered the events of the morning she was born and I told her all about going to the hospital and waiting and then having her and what happened afterward. She understood some of it, will understand more as she grows older, but listened to the story quietly until we were finished.
Today we ran up and down the beach, we fed the birds, flew a kite, made a couple of new friends on the beach, took her for pizza for lunch (her request) and had a little present/cupcake celebration later at home. This weekend we will celebrate again with a few friends and more cake.
I love when Addie says, "That's exciting!" when I tell her something she's happy to hear about.
I love when she says, "Hey guys, guys!" when she is trying to get mine and Sabian's attention.
I love her super tight, arms-wrapped-all-the-way-around-my-neck hugs. They've been pretty frequent lately.
I love how her imagination is growing in leaps and bounds.
I love how she loves to be around people and always "wants to say hi."
I love how, today, a little while after opening some clothes from Mimi (my mom), she kept running back to her room, then to the living room wearing a new article of clothing, showing them off to us.
This last one, as cute as it was, hit me with the realization...she's growing up. She is a little girl. She is her own little person. She is uniquely Adelaide and she's growing right before my eyes. I don't want to miss it and I'm so glad I'm sitting on the front row.
Adelaide, I love you and had such a fun day with you. Even on our challenging days I see how you are learning and growing and I am so proud of you. I am so thankful God chose me to be your mommy.
I am so thankful for Addie!
When I was pregnant with Addie it wasn't until a few weeks or so before we found out she was a she that I really started thinking along the lines that we could be having a girl. All along I, for some reason, just always felt we'd have boys.
And then I got that gut feeling that we were having a girl. I remember watching the DVD of her ultrasound that evening and sitting at the computer I cried and felt so connected to her, my daughter, this little girl growing inside my body. Before I knew she was a girl I might have thought, "What would I do with a girl?" But at that moment I thought, "I can't wait to meet this little girl."
I'm so proud of who Addie is and her little (often BIG) personality is growing more and more each day.
Now, in less than twelve hours we'll find out if Addie will have a little brother or little sister. As excited as I am to know, to be honest, I am anxious to know that this baby is healthy. I have no real concerns, but just an overwhelming feeling of simply wanting to know that everything is moving along as it should in there. It will also be so good to see this little one moving around on the screen and to point out little feet and hands to Addie.
Even more, I so look forwarding to meeting this baby and introducing him or her to Addie. I'm sure in no time she'll be teaching her sibling to do things like this:
Stay tuned...
I am thankful for this fun anticipation and for a morning appointment so that we don't have to wait all day!
Our internet is not working. Has not been working since January. You know how when you're watching a DVD that skips and it just keeps stopping and starting, stopping and starting, and you are missing snippets of dialogue? It's one of the most frustrating things to me.
This has been our internet for going on three months. Yes, we are on the phone with the cable company every week. Check that - Sabian is on the phone with them. One of the most patient people I know, but even this is getting on his nerves. Yes, they are reimbursing us each week this continues. Sure, $25 cable bills each month are great, but working internet is nice, too.
I've stolen away to Sabian's office at church for some internet/alone time. I've allotted myself an hour to check all of my frequented sites, trying to remember everyone I wanted to contact and everything I wanted to check. I'll inevitably forget something and someone and remember when I get home. But, while I am here, I'll quickly update you on Life.
Over the weekend we returned from a quick trip away to attend a friend's wedding. More than attend, the bride and groom asked Sabian to perform the ceremony, which he humbly accepted. Nicole is a friend of mine who has visited us twice since we've lived here. In fact, I believe she was our first non-family visitor. Nicole's family went to my home church in Illinois years ago, when I was really young. She has two older sisters I remember from that time, but Nicole and I connected when she moved to Belleville around the time Sabian and I got married. She needed an apartment, I was moving out of mine, and a friendship was born. I love Nicole. She is real, she is down to earth, she is sincere. I was so happy to be present as she walked down the aisle (looking bee-yoo-tiful) to meet her groom and start a wonderful life together. I am so excited for Nicole and Derek and was so glad they asked Sabian (who did a great, sweet job) to do their ceremony.
At the same time we were able to stay with our former pastor and his wife and had some really good time of catching up with them. They are such wonderful people and teachers and we've learned a lot from them. I am thankful for their influence on our lives.
The trip felt packed and fast, but it was good to have a change of scenery. I was really needing it. Addie was a great traveling buddy despite a cough she developed before we left (go figure).
Now we're in the midst of wrapping our minds around Addie's third birthday on Monday and planning a little party for her. And, in just two days, we'll find out whether she will welcome a brother or sister in July. Busy, exciting days ahead for us.
As far as pregnancy related news, all seems to be "normal" these days. I am feeling much better but still have some not so great feeling days, still pretty tired overall, but anxious to find out the gender of this little one. I've started feeling jabs and kicks, which is always such an awesome thing. It's what I missed most about not being pregnant when I had Addie, but was so glad she was here when we had her that of course, holding her was wonderful. Soon I will have to resign myself to shelling out a little money for some maternity clothes. I guess yoga pants won't cut it on a Sunday morning.
That's about what I have time for. One grainy iPod photo for you of Addie trying on my boots while "helping" me pack for last week's trip. Sweet girl.
I am thankful for our doctor's appointment on Thursday!
...has already been turned upside down!
Before I announced my pregnancy I was a little cryptic in my Christmas post about plans having changed and not been quite what I'd anticipated. Those "plans" were of the Christmas variety - baking lots of cookies with Addie, making our gifts to hand out to friends in town and generally getting things done early. This was all fine and dandy until the N word showed up - nausea.
While I found a permanent home on the couch or in bed, Addie and Sabian were troopers. If Sabian wasn't home, Addie was pretty good about entertaining herself, or being entertained by PBS (gasp!). I can be thankful that I haven't been quite as sick this time around as I was with Addie, but it still hasn't exactly been pretty. I felt guilty many days as Addie and I simply made it through our days, but I knew that it was only temporary. I keep telling myself, "It's only temporary, it's only temporary." That and a lot of prayer and a wonderful husband and friends help tremendously!
I certainly am not wishing the time away - I want to enjoy this pregnancy and I am thankful that I am feeling better. Not always great, but better. Last week when I was hit with the congestion crud that has been floating around I thought I might lose it, but it passed...until it hit the other two in my family. Addie not so bad, Sabian had it about as bad as I did, but we are all on the mend.
I've missed blogging and hope to be around more as long as Mediacom can get our internet issues fixed. A boring story, but let's just hope it will be fixed this week.
I will leave you with some photos of our backyard s'mores fire and some photos Addie took on her own.
I am thankful to be feeling better.
Baby Chaney due to arrive on or around July 27!
