Giving Thanks

This year we have much to be thankful for. When we were preparing our little meal last year we thought about what it would be like to celebrate with Addie. This year we were able to be thankful for her as well as God's provision throughout this year.

We've been enjoying a laid back few days, eating, eating some more, sleeping (some), and just taking it easy. It has been nice. Wednesday morning I took a little time for myself, having been confined to the house for three days. When I got back we started cooking.

A turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, a few rolls, and an apple crumb pie later and we were ready to dig in. After we ate we introduced Addie to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special, although she was more interested in the DVD case than the show itself.On Thanksgiving Day we slept in - until 10! That would be impressive if Addie had slept all night, but she was up at 1 a.m. BUT, she did sleep straight until 10 after that. She's still a little under the weather, but much better than she was. We're working our way back to our "schedule" and to her feeling 100% better.

We walked to our next Thanksgiving dinner, which was probably a good thing since the spread there was pretty big. We enjoyed good food and great company and then walked home in the warm afternoon sunshine. We were able to iChat with my family later on and then watched a movie while Addie snoozed.

Now that we've given Thanksgiving the attention it deserves, it is on to Christmas. We put up our tree today (pictures to come later) and while Addie was awake to see us put it all together, shortly afterwards she took a dip in the bathtub and is now sleeping, so it will be interesting to see how she reacts, i.e., what she puts in her mouth, to the tree tomorrow.

I am thankful for my family, near and far. As much as I would have liked to have been with them this Thankgiving, I am thankful for the day we had and the generosity of others.

The Infirmary

Snot, sniffles, coughs, fatigue - this has been our life for the past few days. I haven't stepped foot outside in three days. Check that - I did step a foot outside of the front door this morning, but that's been it. Cabin fever is settling in. Can you detect the insanity in this post?

It started with Addie's sniffles and a trip to the doctor on Friday. I've told myself I don't want to be one of those moms that jumps at the tiniest of things, but we were heading out of town that afternoon to take some students to youth convention in Pensacola and I wanted to make sure it was okay to take her. The doctor, who got us in an hour after I called, prescribed three days of antibiotics and gave us the green light to go ahead. There was an inkling in my mom brain to stay behind, but for a few reasons, plus the doctor's go ahead, I felt okay to move ahead.

By Saturday I was feeling a little light headed and had a bit of a cough. I knew I was sharing Addie's junk. Despite her sniffles, she did really well on the trip and kept her spirits high for the most part.

To be on the safe side Addie and I stayed home from church Sunday morning and planned to join in the Thanksgiving festivities that night at church. By Sunday afternoon I realized that wasn't going to happen. While Addie seemed to be feeling better, I was feeling worse. As of Monday morning, the two of us were in the same boat again. I told Sabian last night I was going to cut my nose off, I was so sick of the sneezing and the dripping and the blowing.

Today, I am happy to report I am feeling much better, but I can hardly jump up and down since Addie is still not feeling well. From time to time she lets her happy self shine through, but I can tell she just feels bad. I hate that, and I am frustrated. I'm not frustrated with her, just frustrated that I can't make it better, especially when I know she is crying just because she hurts. Being sick and caring for a sick baby is way different than those "I remember when" days when it was just me and if I was sick, I slept. Now, it doesn't matter if mom is sick - someone else still needs to be taken care of. But, Addie has been a good sport, hanging with me in front of the TV or on the couch or in bed.

So much for getting ahead on our Thanksgiving planning. We are having our own little dinner like we did last year, but we will prepare it tomorrow. Thursday we will head to the home of our good friend/neighbor/church member/surrogate mom and grandma, Connie, and enjoy Thanksgiving with her family. Then, hopefully, we'll be able to take advantage of a laid back, plans free weekend that will hopefully include a healthy Addie.

I am thankful for Sabian, who has been taking care of us as much as he can, and Lee Ann, who thoughtfully brought us dinner for tonight! One less thing I need to think about, which is great!

Fight for Preemies

Today we are fighting for preemies.

If you don't know much about premature births, find out more. I once participated in a March of Dimes walk but was really unaware of all that surrounds preemies until I read of my friend Jamie's experience with her daughter Adali. Simply reading of her experiences in no way gives me any real knowledge of what it is like to fight through their journey, but to see how Adali is growing and learning and thriving is really nothing short of a miracle. God is so good.

I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting this precious little girl, but I hope to one day (and I hope Jamie is okay with me mentioning them in this post). I was trying to decide what to write about today and visited her blog only to learn that November 17 is set aside to fight for these little babies. So, why not join it?

I'm still learning, and in the process I am very thankful for a healthy Addie - her safe arrival and healthy existence is not lost on me. Her safety and health are two great reminders of how I (we) need to look at others who need prayers, help, and if possible, a hug and a few words of encouragement. We may not fully understand the experience, but we can certainly be available to help.

My Girl

It is still hard to believe that Addie has been here for less time than it took to keep her safe in my belly. But, just one more month to go and she'll beat that. She was eight months old on Thursday, something that still blows my mind. Everyone said and says, "The time goes by so fast," and it is so true. I don't know where the time goes, and I know, of course, that she is growing because I see it happening right before my eyes, but it is still hard to believe.

It is wild to see her sit at the table and feed herself a cracker. Just the other day I saw her sitting up, but realized when I'd looked at her just seconds before, she was lying down. It was then that I realized she was able to get into the sitting position from her back all on her own. She catches a glimpse of her hand and turns it around and around, moving her fingers, analyzing them and their movement. She babbles and babbles and babbles...loudly. She turns when we call her name, whether we call Addie or Adelaide. She stands up in our laps, and she is getting oh so close to crawling. Even without the crawling she makes her way around. She emphatically shakes her head no, even if she wants whatever it is you have.

Sometimes she still gets up at night. Sometimes she lays her head on our chests. Sometimes she doesn't want to take a nap, or at least doesn't want to be put down awake. Sometimes she needs to be rocked. Sometimes she likes to bite when she is eating (ouch). Sometimes she bites down on the spoon and won't let go or sticks out her tongue and blows, spraying baby food all over. Sometimes she looks deep into my eyes, locking her gaze on mine, before she is soon distracted by a shadow, a bird, or the beep of the oven timer.

It is always fun to watch her, even though some days it is tiring. When she wakes during the night it can be frustrating, not knowing why she does it when I know she can sleep the night through. There are times when we have to talk over her in the car, when she's feeling particularly chatty. There are days when after she is in bed, my back aches and there is still laundry to be folded and dishes to be done.

I am always willing to rock her, even if some say it means I'm spoiling her, because I know this time is short. I kiss her cheeks until they are pink, because I know one day she won't let me. We throw her into the air or flip her upside down, because those are two things that generate the biggest laughs.

I will always be grateful for these times and I will always, always be thankful for my girl.

Mountainfilm Fun

Last weekend we had a dose of home via a visit from my sister and brother-in-law. They were actually staying about an hour from us in WaterColor, which is a beach community that is primarily populated by tourists but there are some full-time residents in the area, too. The community itself is pretty cool and we had the good fortune of being able to stay with them overnight on Friday and spend most of the day Saturday there.

The big event for the weekend was Mountainfilm, a film festival that finds its home in Telluride, CO but travels to the gulf coast once a year as well. My sister usually makes it down here for the festival and this year we were joining them. It runs for two nights but we just attended Friday night. Films are shown outdoor on a huge, inflatable screen against a backdrop of awesomely lit trees (see photo above. I think that photo is circa 2002-03). They even offer fire pits and you can make s'mores for free! The program runs for about three hours each night and features short films or excerpts of films exploring a variety of topics.

It was a chilly night! We came prepared with sweatshirts, jackets, and blankets and created a cozy cocoon for Addie, who fell asleep during the second half of the evening. We enjoyed spending time with some of my sister's friends and met some new people as well.

Here is Addie, ready to greet the chilly night:


Saturday was a lazy, beautiful day. We started at the Farmer's Market in WaterColor and then ended up with lunch before we headed back to Wewa and a busy Sunday. It was good to hang out with Les and Dan and to see what Mountainfilm is all about.

If you're interested, this was one of our favorites from the night. It is just under five minutes and worth the viewing, I think.

I am thankful that we had some time with my sister and Dan and that Addie did well during the festival. We'd love to make it to Telluride one year...we'll see!