Gratitude | Days 12-15 | Mr.

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So I’m playing *major* catch-up on my gratitude posts. I look back on Timehop and my “On This Day” and see how, before kids, I was able to make a legitimate gratitude post, find a picture that corresponded, and get it posted at a decent time.

Not now.

Not with two boys.

Although it’s been a few days since I last blogged- just know that my Mr. has been by my side everyday. And I take him for granted. So for days 12-15, I am dedicating those days to my Mr.

I cannot do this life without him. I say I can, and that he wouldn’t be able to do life without me…but deep down we both know that we wouldn’t know what to do if the other wasn’t there.

Mr. has bugged me since I was 7 years old. He’s loved me since I was 7 years old. He’s been my best friend and constant, since I was a 7-year-old little girl on a school bus.

Our relationship was built on communication. I feel that communicating is one of our greatest strengths. I am thankful that Mr. let’s me put it all out there and never rebukes me for my thoughts, fears, or feelings.

He knows my heart.

He knows me better than anyone else.

He is my partner. My confident. My forever. He loves his boys- and he loves all of me. I am grateful that our paths crossed back in elementary school, and that a stubborn teenager said, “yes I’ll go on a date with you” so many years ago.

I am grateful for the life I have. I am grateful for my Mr. and him giving me the title of mom; but my favorite title is wife. I am so grateful to be Mrs. to my Mr.

Gratitude | Day 10 | Wild Thing

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My Wild Thing. He was my calm…now he’s my storm warning.  He used to watch…now he mimics. He was so quiet…now he’s found his voice.

He’s loud. SO loud.

Wild Thing is such a little (baby) boy these days. He does his best to keep up with Monster- but he not quite there yet. He loves his inner circle, and there are only a select few who are in that circle! He’s set in his ways and I can see some strong-willed tendencies in him as well. (Pray now)

But, let me tell you. This boy loves and he loves big. There is nothing better in the world than getting a slobbery kiss from him when I least expect it. Chasing him around the house before baths is something we’ve turned into a game. Just him and me. Every single night.

It makes him belly laugh. Oh how I LOVE his laugh!

He’s a beautiful masterpiece. His personality is tenacious, and his ability to love big melts my heart. He is my Wild Thing- that’s for sure. I am forever grateful The Lord saw fit to entrust him to us!

Gratitude | Day 7 | Good Days

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We had such a good day today. I mean:

no drama

no whining

no fighting.

It. Was. Such. A. Good. Day!

I don’t know what was going on or how it even happened. All I can say is when your four year old and your one year old get along…and there’s no tears.

It’s a good day.

Days like this are few and far between. I was able to see the bond and friendship that’s between the boys. I was able to see how much admiration there is between these two, and I was able to sit back and watch them enjoy eachother’s company.

I know tomorrow will not be like today. But God’s Word says not to worry about tomorrow. So…I’m not even gonna think about tomorrow. Right now, I’m thanking The Lord for such a good day with my two boys. I am thankful to see a glimpse of the future- it’s gonna be good!

Gratitude | Day 5 | A girl named Jana

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Photo By: Jana Glass, Looking Glass Photography 

They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  Whoever “they” are, is correct.  At least I think they are.

We tend to have professional pictures taken twice a year- to  commemorate the boys birthday.  (The picture above was taken for Monster’s fourth birthday.)  I love professional pictures.  Love them.  You know why- because I have found a photographer who captures my family for who we are.  She’s awesome and I’ll leave her information at the bottom of this piece.

I love pictures simply because they freeze time.  They’re so much fun to go back and look at.  They’re a fabulous talking point.  They’re an investment. I am grateful for pictures, and beautiful professional ones at that.

I am grateful to have found Looking Glass Photography and owner, Jana Glass simply because she sees what I see in my head, and can bring it to life.  Jana has talent!  Waiting on her email with my pictures is like waiting for Christmas.  When my inbox has her name pop up- I am ready to open that present!

I am grateful to have had Jana capture every milestone in our family for the last four years.  She’s not only an amazing artist, but she’s grown to be my friend.  If you’re interested in checking her out, I’ll leave her information below.

Looking Glass Photography

https://www.lookinggphotography.com/contact/

Gratitude | Day 4 | Night Time Prayers

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Photo By: Jana Glass, Looking Glass Photography 

This boy. He wears me out! He is stubborn, strong-willed, and set in his thinking. He is me through and though. His actions show leadership. His heart shows compassion. His mouth gets him into trouble.

Yet, every night when he lays down in bed, and we say our prayers, his true character shows. Of course he prays for things that any four-year-old would pray for. His new shark book, his glow in the dark stickers, and his new monster truck.

BUT…in the darkness and comfort of his room, he opens up and shares things that I wouldn’t even think of asking him.  He’s asked questions about the moon, Jesus, and how to be nice to people who are mean. He’s asked about his Big Mamaw, why his sister is in Heaven and not here, and why cookies taste so good.

There are so many nights that I just want to crawl in bed and go to sleep. Forget bedtime and just rest. I can’t though. I cherish this small window of time each night to just let my Monster speak from his heart.

If you’re reading this and you’re tired as a mother (haha, get it) don’t ever give up the opportunity to put your baby to bed and listen to them. Hear them. There’s a vulnerability there. There’s a trust that is formed and a bond that is made stronger. Sitting on the floor, listening to my Monster speak to me, openly, is something I am so very grateful for.

Gratitude | Day 3 | Sweet Potatoe Casserole

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Sweet Potatoe Casserole?!  Why in the world would you be grateful for that?  Well, once October wraps up, my side of the family immediately starts diving into planning for Thanksgiving. It takes a lot of coordination because our family is SO big, and we have in laws to think about.

Every year, my sisters and me bring something to our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. We’re at a point now where it’s basically a given of who’s going to bring what. I’m in charge of bringing sweet potatoe casserole. Not just any sweet potatoe casserole, my Mamaw’s recipe for sweet potatoe casserole.

My Mamaw passed away, unexpectedly, 28 days before Monster was born. It was a total shock to us all. 2013 was a tough Thanksgiving to plan without our Mamaw. My sisters and me decided we’d each take on one of her recipes to bring to dinner that year. In a way, it made us feel like she was still present with us. I still feel like it’s an honor to create something she loved making to share with her family…and now I can share it with her great-grandbabies.

To this day…we each stick to that recipe we picked back in 2013 and bring it the day of our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. It’s amazing how the smells, tastes, and memories bring my Mamaw back- even if it’s only for a few hours. So today I’m thankful for sweet potatoe casserole…because it reminds me of my Mamaw- who I am so grateful for.

Gratitude | Day 2 | This Life

My Life

I have a crazy life.

I have a messy life.

I have a beautiful life.

Anytime I describe what it’s like being a stay at home mom, and a full-time wife…those words echo in my head. Crazy. Messy. Beautiful.

Most days, everyday, I feel like I fail. I feel like I can’t live up to this expectation that I see on social media of all of these other moms and their perfectly-spotless homes. Their beautiful faces and clean hair. Their kids who take these pictures that really are magazine worthy.

Today is one of those days where I didn’t even want to write my gratitude piece- and people- it’s only Day Two! I have screamed, stomped, and dealt with two stubborn boys. All. Day. I was sitting in Wild One’s rocker, surveying the mess of his room and I just felt a slight tug on my heart.

I love my life. Mr. and me decided to do this life together. We chose for me to raise these crazy, stubborn, 100% American made boys. I am done with this day. I am done with parenting today. I am ready to put this day to bed like these little people running around me; ignoring the fact that I’m not even concerned with them running around in a diaper and macaroni clad shirt.

My life is hard. It can be lonely. It can be maddening…but it also has tender moments of love. Cuddles, and snotty kisses.

I am blessed to have this crazy, messy, beautiful life. I am grateful.

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F O U R

img_4197I still can’t believe that I get to call this sweet boy mine! I am beyond grateful that The Lord picked me, of all people, to train this boy up. I am a blessed momma!

The journey that we are on is incredible. I couldn’t ask for a better partner or Daddy to Monster than Mr. This guy gave us the title of “Daddy and Momma” F O U R years ago.

Monster is charming, confident, and charismatic. He’s eveything I never knew I needed or wanted. He tests me and teaches me. He loves me for me and there hasn’t been a day over the last F O U R years where I haven’t been cuddled, hugged, or kissed.

My first born, over this next year I hope you grow into a deeper friendship with Jesus. That you learn how to lead those around you. Lastly, I pray that you can continue to show kindness to those you don’t know. You’re my Monster…and I love you! Forever and ever, amen!

Love, Momma

Bitter or Better?

First, I’d like to thank you for sticking around and reading my story.  Second I have to say that my thoughts, and these words are dedicated to Baby One. Baby One does have a name. Their name is Kimble, after my Papaw. I always said that my first child would be named after him. From the moment I took my first pregnancy test, and it was positive, they had already had a name.

I tired to name Monster Kimble, but it just didn’t feel right. I feel that now is the time to tell you that we held onto the name Kimble because it was already taken. Our sweet little baby in Heaven is walking the streets of gold with their great-grandfather, whom is their namesake. Baby Kimble crosses my mind everyday! There isn’t a day that goes by that I haven’t thought about where we would be if she had lived. I think about who she would look like, what she would sound like, who she would act like!

Then I also have the thought that if Baby Kimble had survived, I would not have my Monster or my Wild One. I can’t imagine my life without these two boys. I am grateful that Baby Kimble thought it was fit to let her brother, Monster come to this side of Heaven. I am forever grateful.

I titled my story ‘Becoming the New Me’ because I am no longer the girl you used to know. I am a newer and better version of the old me. I feel that I have overcome the lowest low I have ever faced- and for that I am thankful.

I know I was able to overcome my miscarriage because of my family- especially my Dad. I was able to overcome because of friends who stood by me when I got mean and nasty and didn’t judge me for the way I was acting. Lastly, Mr. helped me a lot.

I can’t speak for my Mr. I know he had a really hard job trying to keep it together for me; but I never once thought about him- and what he was going through. He had lost a baby too. I was so wrapped up in what I was feeling and myself; I forgot to see how my Mr. was. Husbands of wives who have miscarried have THE hardest job in the world. I can’t even begin to describe it to you.

This post will conclude my journey through miscarrying- but I do hope you read this particular post with an open heart and an open mind.

I want to share with you a sermon that was preached by our Senior Pastor at church March 30, 2014. This friend makes me fill like I have finally come full circle. The title of the sermon was, “Never Once: A Song for Suffering.” Our Senior Pastor taught out of the book of Psalms that morning…and I want to share with you what I learned. I want you to see that even though I went on this terrible journey- God was with me. God was for me. God carried me through it.

Psalm 13

New International Version (NIV)

A psalm of David

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

Sound familiar? It seems that God is distant to David; David feels abandoned. I can totally relate- been there, done that, and I have burned that t-shirt. Have you ever felt this way? Maybe you didn’t suffer a miscarriage, but you have faced some type of anguish in your life? Obviously this feeling of abandonment from God is something we face…I mean David of all people had felt it. (This David is the David that killed Goliath, with a slingshot and stone. How could HE feel this way? So I am not alone?…)

Check out the next two verses:

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.

David begins with a ‘sigh’ and ends in a song. God will never leave your side! Some suffering we can’t explain- that’s OK though- there is a purpose! Sometimes suffering leads to maturity and will be used for future services. When we go through pain and suffer…it will either drive you to The Lord or away from Him.

Because of my suffering, I feel that I have a better relationship with God. I have a stronger marriage. I have a love for my Little Boy that I could NEVER explain to you. God entrusted this baby boy to Mr. and myself- you best believe I am forever thankful. He is so special…and I know that every mother feels this way. When you lose a baby, and are given a second chance- the love you have is entirely different. I can’t explain it- but I know mothers out there who are in the exact same position as me get it.

As this part of my story comes to an end, I want to thank you for reading my blog about my experience. I know that I am not the only woman to experience this. I looked everywhere for something to help me cope with my loss. There are no books out there on miscarrying that really were able to convey how I was feeling. If you have stumbled upon this blog- I hope that I have been able to share that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I hope that you were able to learn something from my posts. I also hope that you never have to go through what I went through. We will have times of suffering in life. I hope that I can leave you with a few scriptures that have been very helpful when it comes to suffering.

John 16:33 New Living Translation (NLT)

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 10:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Psalm 56:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.

Psalm 23 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul;
 He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

What I have learned is not to blame God. Trust God. Trust that He will overcome the devil and his ploys. So when you face adversity, does it make you bitter or better?

Pregnancy After Miscarrying

I can’t even being to tell you how excited people were about our second pregnancy. The outpouring of love was amazing, and helped slightly with the healing of my heart. Here is how I was able to make it to 39 weeks 4 days to Monster and 39 weeks and 1 day with Wild One.

I was very anxious throughout both my pregnancies. I didn’t do any kind of planning. I didn’t do much “talk about the future.” I took both of my pregnancies one day at a time. I had to give each pregnancy over to God. Only He was going to be able to make this work. Without Him, nothing could be done.

With Monster, we went to the doctor at 8 weeks, and had an ultrasound. Mr. came with me to this appointment but got a call on his phone from work, so he didn’t make it back to the ultrasound room. I laid there on the bed thinking, ‘I was here 5 months ago- and the outcome wasn’t good, Lord help me.’ The ultrasound tech moved the wand around, and caught a glimpse of our baby. I could see them! I could hear their heart beat! I saw our baby laying and waving their little arms around like, “Hey, Momma!”

I had come full circle. 5 months ago I was looking at an empty ultrasound screen- now I was looking at a screen that proved there was a life growing inside me! I couldn’t believe how gracious God was. I still can’t do this day.

Pregnancy number two was a bit different. We had just celebrated Monster’s second birthday. Everyone we loved had come to celebrate with us. Long story short- some pictures got posted to Facebook and I had someone call me out and ask if I were pregnant. I responded with the typical, “No way! I’m just happy and still packing around baby weight from Monster.” Then, Halloween rolls around, and I have a childhood friend swing by with her kiddos and made the remarks about how I just “glowing.” My response, “I just bought this great bronzer!”

In the back of my mind I knew I wasn’t pregnant. I just knew. Well, these two comments bugged me to no end. So, on November 3rd 2015 (two years to the day of Monster’s originally due date) I took a pregnancy test. BAM!   Positive.

So I did what any great mother would do. I texted Mr. and asked him what we had done! Then I called my Mom- thinking she could make it all better…no. She was elated! Fast-forward to my 8-week-check up and the ultrasound tech placed that wand on my chubby little belly. Instantly I knew- I knew I was further along than I had originally thought. The baby that was growing inside me wasn’t 8 weeks along, he was 11.5 weeks along, I was almost three months pregnant. I had no clue.

Both of my pregnancies were normal, different from one another, but normal. We went to the doctor every four weeks for check ups. Everything was great. But, remember those mind games I told you about? Those would still haunt me. Every move I made, every ligament stretch I felt scared me. I was so afraid that I was going to lose each baby during each pregnancy. Once you’ve faced the loss of a pregnancy, you have officially been robbed of ever enjoying being pregnant.

If you haven’t lost a baby yourself- you can’t and never will relate to someone like me. You can’t tell someone like me to quit worrying. You can’t tell someone like me to enjoy being pregnant. You can’t tell someone like me to get over the past and enjoy what’s ahead.

Yes, I was told all those things. Let me repeat- if you haven’t lost a baby yourself- you can’t and never will relate to someone like me. You may know of someone who miscarried. You may be related to someone who has miscarried. BUT- unless you go through it, word to the wise, keep your mouth shut.

I worried about my Monster and my Wild One up until I delivered. I selected to deliver Monster by C-section. Yes, you read that right. I chose to have a C-section. Myself, Mr. and my doctor talked about it for three months. It was a planned birth, and I’m sure you’re asking yourself why I chose to do this?

I chose to have a C-section because I had lost a baby before. People had plenty of opinions about this too. I asked my doctor in August what the safest way of delivery is for a baby. She said safest for baby is C-section, safest for mom is natural. Guess what, I wanted what was safest for my little boy. I didn’t want to run the risk of losing him. If you haven’t lost a baby yourself- you can’t and never will relate to someone like me, remember? I’m sure you have your opinions about that now, but guess what- everything was OK. Monster was born healthy and happy on October 30, 2013. Wild One was also a scheduled C-Section, and was born happy and healthy on June 28, 2016. I had no recovery issues, no problems at all, with either delivery. I am forever grateful for that.

Pregnancy after miscarrying is not easy. You will be sacred the entire time you’re pregnant. You will worry about every doctor’s visit. You will never be OK with being pregnant. You have been robbed of the joy. All you are going to want to do is get your baby here, and hold them in your arms. And you know what…that’s OK.