Spring Break

Abigail is 17 months old now and I cannot think of any other way I would have wanted to spend my spring break-- except maybe with a little less rain. She is absolutely remarkable. We played so much and had time to do so many things. Among the highlights were cuddling in bed and reading book, dancing in the living room, coloring Easter eggs, watching her try to figure out how to jump, and just babble. I was blessed with so many kisses and hugs and snuggles. It is going to be so difficult to return to work tomorrow. I just want every single day to be the way this past week has been. We are just so blessed. I must remember to cherish each of those moments when I get home-- focus NOT on all the other junk going on in my life, but instead all of the wonderful things going on in ours. Time truly does pass quickly.

So much has happened...

Wow. It has been so long since I have even had a moment to think about blogging.

An update since the last blog in October: Derek is still working at Huntington and I at Mapleton. Soccer conditioning began and is scheduled two days a week. I started my masters degree at Graceland University... ... ... ... and Derek and I experience the greatest loss of our lives. As I looked back over my previous blogs I noticed that I put a little smiley face next to the decorations for Abigail's first birthday party. I put a little smiley there because I said we were going to use them in the nursery. I put a little smiley there because I knew I was pregnant.

After reading over that blog a flood of sadness came back. We were going to have a baby until on December 5th I experienced some bleeding and went to the emergency room. On December 6th we lost the baby. I miscarried. I was almost 11 weeks pregnant. It was the worst experience of my life. Daily I think about where we would be, where we SHOULD be right now. What we should be doing. At this point, we would have known the gender of the baby. We probably would have decided on a name. And I would probably be bitching at Derek to get the spare bedroom cleaned up so we could make our Dr. Seuss nursery.

But that is not where we are.

I think about that baby every day and it has gotten a little easier, depending on the moment. But then... there is ABIGAIL. SHE IS MY SAVIOR. I do not know what I would do without her.



Right now she is walking and talking and running and hiding and sassing and.... ohhh so busy. She brings so much joy to our lives. I cannot wait to get home from work and see her and I cannot wait for the weekend so we can play all day. She currently enjoys tea parties, coloring, and playing with her kitchen. We keep the tea party set in a pink box. She dumps it out, rummages through the mess, pulls out the teapot and a cup and makes SHHHH SHHHH sounds as she fills it up with tea. At Paw's house she has a little table where she will sit and color or play with play dough. While she has colored in coloring books, I think she prefers plain white paper because she is soooo creative hahaha :). It shocks me how imaginative she can be since she is still so small. Her imagination shows when she plays at her kitchen set or with her nursery. She will gladly help me prepare dinner by frying up some Ohs or stir, stir, stirring her pots and pans. And she shushes me when it is time to put the doll baby asleep her pink nursery set. Abigail is absolutely amazing and I am so thankful for her.

So much has happened....

I think I will try to get on here more and retell the joyous moments in our lives.

Abigail's First Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Ab's first birthday. IT WAS FABULOUS!!! We rented out a little hall and invited both sides of the family and all the friends. I was a little worried because everything I had read about first birthdays STRONGLY recommended keeping the celebration small, but that's just not how we roll haha.

The party had a Dr. Seuss theme. I put up books and stuffed animals on the tables, as well as some kooky centerpieces. I also ordered these really cool wall stickers of the characters off the Internet. We intend on reusing them for the next nursery. ;)

We set up a nifty little section in the corner where Abbi's friends and her could play. Arienne Vaughn, Parker White, Mason Smith, and Abigail played for the first part of the party. We then moved on to the cake where Abs simply picked at the frosting until DadDad showed her how to take giant bites. We finished with the presents. SHE HAD SO MANY!!! ... and she did so well.

All in all it was the best birthday experience ever! I can't wait for next year! :)

Back to schoool... back to schoooool...

Exactly 11 days prior to my first day of school I got a phone call. I had applied for an online teaching job back in December and constantly nagged and followed-up (border-line stalking) to absolutely no avail at all.

Exactly 11 days prior to my first day of school I got a phone call. While on maternity leave I decided that I did not want someone else raising my childrend and I was determined to find a way that I could stay home with Abigail AAAAND do the things I loved aaaand make money>

Exactly 11 days prior to my first day of school I got a phone call.

I was offered an online teaching position.

I declined.

(I just couldn't do that to my school.. but I may be regretting it now. I miss my Abigail.)

Emmons Reunion

Today Abigail, Derek, and I attended the Emmons reunion. We arrived a little late because The Worm was napping, but when we got there, she was WOUND UP! She absolutely loves to be around people and does whatever it takes to get people to look at her and smile. She is loud and she laughs a lot. She reminds me of her Auntie Natalie a lot in this aspect. ;)

When it was time to eat she had about three bites of her baby food and then decided that she should have what everyone else was eating. I gave her small bites of cheese and a cracker-- GRANDPA on the other hand covered her tray in brownie crumbs and whip cream dollups!! She loved it!


After dinner she hung out with her cousin Masen-- Anna and Joe's son. He is about a month younger than her. Last time they played together at Grandma Ruth's birthday, she screamed at him and made him cry. Twice. This time she was nicer and they took turns chewing on toys! SO CUTE!!

Abigail's First Friend

Well, summer is here and I am heading back to the world of soccer. We work out three times a week from 9 to 11 in the morning. I enjoy the time I get to train with the girls and Lord knows it is good for me to be out there workin out too! :) Needless to say, I needed someone to watch Abbi.

We are blessed to live in a fabulous neighborhood and across the street, lives another couple very similar to us (Pete and Andrea) with a little boy just 8 weeks younger than Abigail-- Parker. I asked Andrea to watch Abigail while I was doing the soccer thing this summer and she seemed absolutely thrilled to do so.

They are both at the age now where they can sit up on their own and play with toys. I need to take a picture of my living room as it is always insanely scattered with singing gizmoes and colorful stuffed animals. Anyway, Andrea has a room very similar to this and Abigail's eyes light up when she sees all of the new toys to play with. But, this pales in comparison to the way her eyes light up when she sees her new friend Parker! She gets so excited and waves her hands, starts talking-- even shouting at him, and reaches out to touch him. Andrea says they can sit and play for the full two hours together. What a great experience! I am so glad that she has the opportunity to interact with Parker while I get to coach soccer. two birds. one stone. awesome.

I am curious to see how their lives intertwine as they grow up. :) I know that I still hang out with some of my neighborhood pals from back in the day, and sadly some of my closest neighbor friends, I rarely or never talk to.

Either way, right now Abigail has a great new friend-- Parker!

100.1 degrees (once I averaged it all out)

There are a number of possible contributing factors: a second tooth popping up, vaccines yesterday, or the fact that ancient air conditioning unit decided to quit working for a 6-hour period today.

Whatever it may be, it has happened. Abigail has a fever.

It is her first fever ever and I reacted just like any other crazy mother would react.

1. I sent Derek to the store to get a new battery for the thermometer-- just to be safe

2. I took her temperature in her ear, under her arm, in her other ear, with the ear thermometer under her arm, both ears again, and again, and again at varying angles...

3. Repeat #2

4. Read every last detail on the Motrin box while Derek gave her some medicine.

5. Felt her head, cheeks, handies... all which felt SOOO HOT

6. Repeat #2

7. Had Derek dig up the information on the vaccines from yesterday and read all four pages twice. (which had some CRAZY symptoms and side-effects that made me worry even more and check for swollen tongue, crusty eyes, pale-ness... all kinds of weird things)

8. Cranked up the AC- which randomly decided to start working again

9. Repeat #2

10. Fed her a bottle and put her to bed

Currently: I am staring and the video baby monitor, armed with the thermometer, watching her breathe. .... and about to repeat #2 :)