Dear Baby

I keep forgetting to post these weekly so here's a few to catch up (minus a few that I forgot). I love the idea of seeing weekly growth but I wanted a unique way to do it other than just in pictures. Since I've periodically written letters to Liam, when I saw this idea on Pinterest I fell in love with it and decided to give it a try. 

That One Weekend When Nobody Showered

Yes I said it…NOBODY showered; not Brian or Liam nor I showered the entire.weekend.long.
It also should be called:

The weekend we thought Liam had the plague, then the flu, but it turned out just to be hand-foot-and mouth.
The weekend we were quarantined inside our home with worse cabin fever than a hunter in the middle of winter hyped up on red bull.
The weekend we ran through all of our dishes and laundry before we stopped to do a load.
The weekend we watched Croods twice, Lady and the Tramp four times, and Veggie Tales once because Liam couldn’t get off the couch.
The weekend the couch was never more than two feet away from a puke bucket.

The weekend we sat covered in germs and stink next to Liam on the couch because he begged for us to just hold him, hold his hand, hold his cup, hold his roo-roo—both of us to hold him---and we did without moving, without a grudge, and without showers.

Let me tell you it was worth it. And so was using the entire can of Lysol and the entire water tank of hot water Sunday night.

Sometimes little superheroes just need to be held.

Writers Gotta Read

I’m not going to lie, I have been such a slacker lately. I have been too busy to write, too busy to read and too busy to stop and breathe. That is all about to change.
I took a new, totally amazing, totally rewarding, totally WORTH IT  job back in August this year, and we have been trying to perfect our family schedule ever since then. The new job gives me mornings with Liam when Brian is working and then time with the both of them in the evenings after 6 pm, but there is no time for “me” time. I used to write in the mornings after Brian took Liam to work and then have my alone time with Liam in the evenings from 4-6pm before Brian got home but not anymore.  Now my mornings are filled with giggles and tickles, fixing breakfast and packing lunches, and occasionally sleeping in with my snuggle bug Liam.
I WOULD NOT, WILL NOT, CHANGE THEM.
So where is the time to write and paint and read?

When I started the new job and started coming home after 6 pm to dinner on the table, followed by bath time then reading time, then brush teeth and bed time---well there was no time left. 
I sit here now writing only because my little blonde bear has a horrible virus/plague and has spent the past three days napping on the sofa. Soon though he will be back to his normal bouncy self and then we will be back to the normal schedule.

So as I explained to Brian in so many words, “if I do not write I do not function” and he looked at me with those “I don’t understand but I will fix it” eyes…..a plan developed. I will deliver Liam early to our sitter once a week before work and have an hour to write then as well as turning off the TV one night a week for BOTH of us to write, read or whatever. A mandatory no TV night.

Hallelujah.

Since I believe with everything in me that writers have to be readers, I have been looking for books to motivate and move me, or just make me enjoy the read, and I have developed my LIST. (Queen of lists right here.)

Like any good list, it is primed and ready for expansion; so I am willing to hear input as well but what I have so far is this:

Eleanor & Park—by Rainbow Rowell
The Book Thief – by Markus Zusak
How to Raise Selfless Kids in a Self-Centered World—by Dave Stone
Give Them Grace—by Elyse M Fitspatrick and Jessica Thompson
Radical—by David Platt

So here’s to the love of books, both writing and reading alike!

Winners!

Our two winners were Renee and Manda! Thanks to all those who pinned, posted, and shared! Soon we may pair with Blue Lizard to do a mega sunscreen giveaway so if you didn't win don't give up! To the winners please email me your shipping address via the email listed on our contacts tab, and thanks so much for participating! 

Oh, Happiness Giveaway!

Okay, it’s no secret that I’m not a huge fan of September this year. So what better way to try and start September off right than with a Labor Day giveaway? How about two Labor Day giveaways!

My friend Sarah Autry over at Oh, Happiness! is one crafty lady. If you remember I mentioned a while back that she was responsible for revamping my blogs, but she also runs an Etsy site selling her customized invitations and art prints. One of her latest creations are these adorable Pregnancy Prayer Cards that have customized prayers and scripture centered around your growing baby. Each weekly card details new developments for your baby and specific ways to pray for them as they grow. (All references in NIV.)

Here’s some examples:

I only wish I had these when I was pregnant with Liam! They are truly unlike any other pregnancy tracker gifts I have ever seen!  Since I have so many pregnant friends and family, we want to give away a set today!

It’s so easy to enter, here’s how:

Do any ONE of these three things:

• Repost this giveaway on any of your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or your personal blog, etc.) and leave your name in the comments section below.
•   Post the link to Sarah’s Etsy site http://www.etsy.com/people/segraha on any one of your social media accounts.
• Go to Sarah’s Etsy account (Oh, Happiness!) and favorite her site!
•  Pin it! Pin one of the images above to Pinterest with information on where to purchase the cards!

It’s that easy!

Then head over to www.throughliamseyes.com to check out our sunscreen giveaway! Winners will be announced later this week so stay tuned!

 Happy Labor Day All!!!

 

Dear September

Dear September-

I have mixed emotions about meeting you this year. I won’t lie, last year you were one of my favorite months of the year. September is National Awareness Month for Visual Impairments and Blindness, including Albinism, as well as White Cane Awareness month. So this year I looked forward to you just like last year to do my White Cane posts, wear my Raise Awareness shirt, my braille shirts more often, even doing little giveaways of sunscreens and braille books.

Then things changed. You changed for me, for our house, for our family.

Nowadays when I think of you, September, I dread you. I dread the emotions you bring with you this year, and hope that next year will be better. Right now all I think of when I think of you is a due date. A month that should have marked the coming of our second child, our middle child, and for that reason it is special. I’m a middle child, and one day I will have a middle child, just not this September. So for this year, as we wade through September, no belly about to burst, no nursery prepped, no every-five-minutes-or-less bathroom runs, and no baby in our arms, I will hold a grudge 30 days long, and hope that next year I enjoy you more. I’m not sure you will ever be one of my favorite months again but for now I am content enough not to rip your page from my calendar altogether. But that’s as much as I can say for now. Be kind to us September, in our house you are special, you are still loved, but you are also on the bottom of the totem pole.

Sincerely a sometimes but not this year fan,

Truth

I found this recently. I've been avoiding this blog recently, one that I frequent often for her mommy wit and advice, and her overseas travel stories.  She and I discovered our pregnancies at the same time and I knew she would be blogging a lot about it, so I avoided it like the plague.  I dared to venture to her page this week and I was shocked when I read her most recent post. It was like ripping off the bandaide on an old wound, bringing anger and tears at the same time, but it was a MUST read for me. My heart needed it, and it was beautiful. I won’t spoil it or try to under explain it here, but it is well worth the time to read.
http://adrielbooker.com/dear-pregnant-woman-from-a-baby-loss-mom/