The Day the Internet Puked a Little

So when I was 15-17 years old I went through a HUGE Country Music phase.  I knew all of the songs on KMLE Country 108, saw Clint Black & Wynonna in concert and stood in line with a friend for two days to get Garth Brooks tickets… which I never got because they sold out.  I see it as my “rebellious” years… giving me my own identity by becoming obsessed with bad music.  Haven’t we all been there?  I mean, Dave loved Stryper and Warrant.  And Jamie was rappin’ it up and rollin’ in her low-rider.  Not really, but I’m just sayin’.    Somewhere along the way I lost all interest in Country.  Someone once told me that they were talking about it and thought it was really weird that I liked it so much and then don’t now.   Really?  Oh.  Well, I guess I’m weird then.  Shocker.  (Personally, I thought it was weird of them to be talking about it! ha!  Who thinks about that kind of stuff about other people?)  Not sure how it happened…  but I guess it was a passing teenage phase for me and it was just over.  Like my need to mark who my friends were in my yearbook every year.  [Please tell me I'm not the only one who did that. ]

Luckily I was over my phase by the time I met Dave.  There’s no way he even would’ve dated me at the time if I continued to truly love it.  Before we were dating we were sitting with some friends and I started jokingly singing along to all these old country songs that were playing because I knew them all and word for word.  He looked at me and said, “What’s wrong with you?” then got up and left the table.  I just laughed and kept singing because I apparently loved to disgust and humiliate myself in front of the guy I was interested in.  Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why it took so long for him to ask me out.  Just making sure that I honestly wasn’t into country anymore…. or because I was amazingly annoying. Hmm.

All this to say that it’s not a normal thing at this point in my life that I like a Country Artist. Then, a few years ago, I came across this song…

Or go here for real video

… and immediately fell in love with it.  Dave and I had gone through some stuff that really pushed us apart for awhile… it’s not fun, but the good thing is that when you fight for a marriage it can be even stronger than you thought possible.  It was while we were on the mend that I heard the song.  I know there are a lot of music snobs that will turn their nose up at Keith Urban… but I don’t care.  I do really like him.  He’s my one Country fix now – although he is maybe 1/2 Pop, 1/2 country.  And I really don’t like much of his older stuff.   But I digress….

Anyway, Dave was a little disturbed when I bought the “18 kids” CD (but HELLO!  He has Iron Maiden!) and I think he was slightly scared I would get back into a Country phase.  When I told him why I loved the song so much, I’m sure he breathed a sigh of relief.   The song makes me feel warm and loved and like I’m such a lucky girl because it has the heart of Dave all over it.  We lost our way in our immaturity and lost some trust in each other, but he is determined to show me how much he loves me and how much I can depend on him in the future.  Every girl should be so lucky and feel so loved.

Sit back, listen to the song and imagine Dave singing it to me.  Then, after you’ve had that vision you’ll probably need to go in the other room and puke a little.  ;)

Motherly Weeping

Okay.  So.  This is Drew LAST YEAR.  (August 3rd to be exact.)  My sweet, chubby little 9 month old baby boy trying out the high chair the day we brought it home:

To show you exactly why I’m totally freaking out, here he is today hamming it up:

My (still) sweet, no longer chubby, no longer little, 20 month old toddler.

Our little Drew Bear. Our little Drewbie Doo.  Our little Baby Bear.  SLOW DOWN!

*cough* Uh, please.

Don’t want to take it from me?  How about Winnie?

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry.  We shall get there some day.” -Winnie the Pooh

Wise Sand

Collin at the Beach

“In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.” Rachel Carson

“Relationships-of all kinds-are like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is. The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold onto some of it, but most will be spilled. A relationship is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship slips away and is lost.” Unknown

“Many do with opportunities as children do at the seashore; they fill their little hands with sand, and then let the grains fall through, one by one, till all are gone.” Thomas Jones

“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.” Rodan of Alexandria

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble” French Proverb

The Story of Drew, Part 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 in case you missed one.

The LONG Story

Part 5 – NICU and Home

The NICU time was rough.  I didn’t have much energy from the blood loss and would feel spacy and woosy and, although I was always sitting, would need to leave to go lay down.  After I had been discharged from the hospital, the drive there and walk up to see him would be enough to wear me out.  You cannot believe how frustrating that was when all I wanted to do was be with my baby, but physically couldn’t handle it!  Leaving him every day was heartbreaking and I was often in tears, I felt like a horrible mother having to leave.  But my doctor had instructed me to rest… told me that it was my job to rest and it helped to know this was the best place for Drew right now and they were taking good care of him.

Dave and I would drop Collin off at school and drive to the hospital in the morning.  We’d spend as much time as I could handle – usually only a measly hour – and then leave to allow me to crash back at home.  Dave would usually go back that night after he put Collin to bed at night.  My parents would go sometimes during the day to check on him during their lunchbreaks.  Every night we called in the middle of the night to check up on him.  3:00 am seemed to be the magic number for us.  We would love hearing from the nurses how he was doing and how many cc’s he had been drinking.

Drew’s main issues in the NICU were maintaining his temperature and having some jaundice.   Mostly we just had to wait until he got a little older so his body could maintain things for itself.  When he started taking bottles he took to that immediately and we loved watching his weight go up and up every morning when we came back to the hospital.

We were so anxious the day we brought him home.  We could not wait!  The staff could tell we were chomping at the bit and made a couple comments to us as we waited for him to be discharged.  Maybe most parents are more tentative or nervous bringing such a teeny baby home, but we just couldn’t wait for him to be part of our normal lives and introduce him to our home!  I’m sure it helped that this was our second child.  I probably would have been a little more scared if I didn’t have prior baby experience to lean on.

The part I love about this story is God’s timing and how it’s just so perfect.    The first full day we had as a family at home — after our 2 week journey of uncertainty, fear, pain, peace and thankfulness — was Thanksgiving Day!  Now I dare you to tell me that God doesn’t like to make us laugh and smile.  My parents brought over an entire Thanksgiving meal the night before that we just had to throw in the oven and cook.  So Dave, Collin, Drew and I quietly celebrated and gave thanks to God for our family, our lives together and the amazing blessings he had given us.

What a beautiful ending He wrote for Drew’s debut into the world.

Young Love

No, there’s nothing half so sweet in life as love’s young dream.  ~Thomas Moore

I found this photo in a chest out in the garage. Jamie wanted to see some more of the stories I was talking about, so I was digging around for more old family gems.  That I way I can post them and continue to assult your brain with pointless stories and weird jokes. Muhahaha!

This must’ve been the first valentine’s after our wedding because it was  f o r e v e r  ago, but dt has a wedding band on.  Look how freaking young we look?  (And thin. *Sob*)  We went to our favorite Sushi place at the time.  It was the closest one to us, happened to be in the nearest strip mall and had a big neon sign that read “SUSHI”.  It didn’t look that great, but they had great sushi! (and sake bombers.)  It was so classy they came to our table stuffed flowers and balloons in our hands, quickly took our picture then grabbed the v-day props and left before we had a chance to to figure out what happened.  :)

Hmmm.  What was our life like back then?  dt was probably working at Insight and me FT as the Office Manager at Seattle Espresso…?  First apartment.  Only had little Kaycee. No kids –  but thinking about it already.  40 minutes walks almost every night.  Band Practice and weekend gigs.  Nights watching Early Edition & Ally McBeal & Friends.  Dial-up Modem.  Protege and Golf.  Awww…. Those were good days.

Pictures like this remind me how I’m so happy and blessed to still be so in love with such an amazing person.  I just love us.

Water 8

Water 8

For 40 Days

Little Miss Hannah

I don’t know how I stumbled upon this blog, but it is about a little baby with Gaucher’s Disease.  A fatal disease.

This is every parents nightmare, but you can be part of their Hope.  Please support them in their cause to find a cure for Gaucher’s.  Help them raise money, awareness (spread the word) and/or pray for their little girl!  Imagine how much that would mean to you if this were happening to your precious baby.

You can get updates at www.littlemisshannah.com

New New Look

I can’t seem to decide on a new look!  Nothing is feeling right.  Grrrr  Oh well, for now we’ll go with this one.

Makeover

I changed the look of lucyshouse.  

I like the dark look with the drawings – makes them really stand out!  But what do you think?  Is it too harsh?

Stormtrooper

From nerdist.com