Pink-Polished Toes

I was super excited to have a slumber party with GG on Friday night! Rick was going to the Lexington Catholic game, so it was a perfect chance for us girls to spend some precious time together.
Although I've always valued my time with Gabriella, the upcoming arrival of the twins makes me appreciate our time together even more. For the past 2 years, it's been Rick, GG, and me. Alone time with Gabriella will be harder to come by when there are 2 extra little ones fighting for our attention. This time matters.
I guess that's why the fact that I'm still sick upsets me so. On Friday, I felt good all day, until...
I got home and that familiar sick feeling started creeping around, threatening to ruin my night. Rick let me rest before he left with the hopes that would help...
it didn't.
I felt sick the entire time, BUT
at least I was able to do almost everything I had planned!
We painted our toenails. For Gabriella, it was the very first time her little toes had been polished. We popped popcorn and watched my favorite movie, Annie. While I was laying down on the couch, Gabriella was propped up against me, listening to me sing along. Every now and then, she would look back at me and smile. I think she liked my out-of-tune version of It's a Hard Knock Life. The later it got, the worse I felt, though. Later, I cried to Rick because I couldn't follow through with one special part of our night: a dance party. I wanted us to turn the music up extra loud and dance around the living room. It would have been nice to feel 100% for this special night with my daughter. As it turned out, I gave her everything that I had; every bit of energy I could muster. Amazing what you can do for your children.
I took the picture below as we were waiting for our polish to dry.
My foot.
Her foot.
One day, that little foot is going to be as big as mine. One day, that little foot will be walking 10 steps ahead of me instead of waiting patiently beside me. One day, GG won't care that we didn't dance on Friday night. She won't care that I couldn't stay up past 9:30. She won't look back on any of the things we didn't do.
Instead, I hope, she'll look back on the things we did.
The things we did...
together.
Like paint our toenails.
and giggle.
and hold hands.
and give big kisses!

I see God in the pink-polished toes of a mother and daughter.

Love,
Mary

Seemingly Ordinary, But In Fact, Extraordinary

There we were, all gathered 'round, waiting.
and waiting...
and waiting...
GG sat there reading the closest book available (James Dobson's Dare to Discipline). I sat off to the side with my camera in arm's reach and Rick sat perched and ready with words of bribery, "McDonald's, cookies, etc..." Gabriella had just let us know moments before that she needed to go "poo-poo" so off we all went to the bathroom in hopes of experiencing the first successful attempt together. Well, we waited...
and waited...
Gabriella stood up, sat down, stood up, sat down. She even had a brief stay in each of our laps, but that didn't last long as having a bare booty baby that wants to "go poo-poo" is not ideal for a lap-time cuddle session.
Rick and I just knew it was going to happen, but the longer we waited, the more our doubts grew.
"Patience," I told my little family to no avail. It just wasn't happening on this day. Of course, I had plans to take pictures of this monumental occasion, but since it wasn't going as planned, I snapped a few honorable mentions. This one stuck out.

While we were busy waiting, we were having the best time. We were making jokes and laughing. Watching Gabriella's little hands turn the pages of James Dobson's book and point to the words like she was actually reading...it was hilarious! I enjoyed that time with Rick and Gabriella more than they will probably ever know and there was no main event.
Everything seemingly ordinary, but in fact, extraordinary.
Maybe it's why I'm so incredibly content with my life. Maybe it's why I'm brought to tears by something as silly as laying awake with Rick in the middle of the night and getting the giggles over nothing at all. Maybe it's why I want to get on my knees and thank God for this life when Gabriella says, "Help Mama," and holds my hand as she leads me to bed when I'm sick.
It's finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
It's being thankful for the smallest things and finding such joy in them.
Trying to get lost in every precious second of life...
Are you able to? Do you?

I see an extraordinary God in the ordinary mismatched socks of a little girl waiting.

Love,
Mary

You Know You're Pregnant with Twins When...

I must say that the past 10 weeks have been the most trying weeks of my life. Many of my close friends and family know that I was super sick with GG, but that pales in comparison to how sick I've been with the twins. The purpose of this post is not to complain, though. There are far more important and significant stories of people facing difficult times in the world right now. I have the miracle of life waiting on the other side of this for me.
I prayed (and many have been praying as well-thank you) that I would start to feel some sort of relief, and this week, I had a total of 35 hours of relief! Yes, I counted every single one because they were so precious! hehe
Being so sick all the time can kind of start to wear on your mental state. You start to feel like you're going to go crazy. In order to keep from totally losing it, I have to find the humor in the craziest situations. So, I've decided to compile a short list of scenarios from the past week or so.
You Know You're Pregnant with Twins When...
1. You are a super conservative republican and a speech by a democratic President makes you weep. And not in a bad way. Seriously. Barack Obama was giving a speech and I was so overcome with emotion I cried. Definite sign I'm carrying TWO babies!
2. You're in the middle of your nightly throwing up and your almost-2 daughter joins you in the bathroom. She stands in front of her potty, puts her head down, and starts to make gagging sounds, trying to spit up. It's become the norm around here. Another sign of TWINS!
3. After a 25 minute shopping spree in the clearance aisle of Wal-mart, you have the sudden feeling that you're going to pass out. So, you grab a pillow that's 50% off and lay right smack down in the middle of the floor, sweating profusely, while your husband says to every passerby, "It's ok. She's pregnant. She's having twins." You know it's TWO babies because you don't even care that people are starting to walk by just to get a glimpse of the "crazy lady" in the clearance aisle.

I probably have somewhere around 20 weeks to go. Sounds like a long time, but...

If I am laying on the floor at Wal-mart every single day of that 20 weeks, it still wouldn't be a steep enough price to pay for the life that's inside me.

On another note, I came home from school the other day and found these two jewels waiting and waving...

I can't wait for the day when this shot will include two more sets of tiny feet, two more sets of adoring eyes, and two more hands waving and welcoming me home.

Today, I felt God on the furry side of a hot pink, discount pillow and I'm so thankful that He gives me the insight to see Him and feel Him in the strangest places.

Thank you, everyone, for lifting my family up in prayer. We feel it.

Love,
Mary

Reoccurring Fear

I was talking to a friend the other day and she was sharing her pregnancy experience with her twin boys. She shared some of the fears that she had along the way and how she thought they were "crazy." I thought to myself as she spoke,
I've had that same fear! I'm not alone or crazy after all!
We all have fears that worry us, that keep us up at night. I can promise that no matter what your fear is, someone else has also felt the same way at some point in time. It's comforting knowing that someone else has been where you are...knows how you feel.
With that said, I've had a reoccurring fear for the past few weeks. The sight of two precious babies on that Ultrasound screen 4 weeks ago has been the center of my life. I eat, breathe, and dream twins! It's all my little family has been discussing these days. It's like our home has a heartbeat from the palpable excitement!
Lurking around the corner is our next visit. Next Wednesday to be exact. While I can't wait to see those precious reminders of God's miraculous work in our lives, I have this dread. What if when the picture shows up on the screen there is only one baby? To carry and deliver one healthy baby is a miracle in itself, but two...
Rick says not to worry. Of course, that's easier said than done.
I just want to see those two sets of precious arms touching each other. I want to hear two sets of heartbeats.
At work we have secret pals. Last Friday, I got a note with just the right message.
The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.
How true this is...
God will not lead my family to a place of His will and not protect us.
So, as I wait for this next appointment, I'm going to try and push my reoccurring fear aside.

I see God every day when I look at the best picture I've ever taken.

Love,
Mary

I Think It's What Heaven Must Be Like

Seems as though our backyard has turned into a wildlife refuge. It all started with this little guy, featured above. Lucky (or a Praying Mantis as most normal people probably refer to such an insect) was spotted as Rick was mowing one day. He saw this little guy (I'll never know how) and in order to save him from the blades of death, picked him up and put him in a cage....
three weeks ago.
He's still there.
In this picture, he's been let out for a walk.
Don't worry. Lucky comes back.
I guess he likes us.
OR...
Maybe Lucky likes his company, the one footed frog that Rick and Gabriella found in the garage one night when they were on their way to find bugs for Lucky to eat.
Toe, Gabriella named the frog this because he's missing toes, is also in our backyard now, loving life.
The crazy thing is (that's right, I haven't even gotten to the crazy part yet) Rick and Gabriella have tried to release our new friends back into their natural habitats...TWICE.
They keep coming back!
So, it looks like we are now the proud owners of one really large Praying Mantis and a one-footed frog.
I love it...and here's why:
Every night, when I'm so sick and in between being on the bathroom floor and the couch, I hear my little family mapping out their plan of attack so that they can find food for Lucky and Toe. Gabriella starts the conversation with, "Catch bugs! Eat ant!" This is her way of saying we've got to feed the mantis. Then, Rick tells her where they will sneak around, what bugs they're attempting to find, and off they go as the door closes behind them.
But I can still hear them...
I hear them laughing and whispering and I just imagine them tip-toeing through the grass sneaking up on some unsuspecting prey. I just lay there and listen to them.
They always come back super excited to tell me about the adventure.
I think it's what Heaven must be like...hearing your family so full of joy as they share the memories they are making together. There isn't one other way I think I'd rather spend the rest of my life...
or after.
I can't wait until the twins are here and they can share in the excitement of our ordinary, everyday life. One where we catch bugs and set up wildlife refuges in the backyard.

I see God in Lucky, one of our newest and most unique family pets.

Love,
Mary