(Near) Death by Bird

So in an attempt to get more pictures of the baby birds, Steve and I boldly walked up onto the porch and shooed mama-bird away.  Not very nice, I know, but I need a picture.  Sorry bird.  Don't feel too bad for her though, because she got some serious "Stay away from my baby birds" training.  She swooped all over me and Steve, we could feel the whoosh from her wings flapping like crazy on our back and Steve thought his life might be in danger.  I, however, was the one with the camera and my face three inches away from her nest so I'm pretty sure I had it worse.  Regardless, here are the latest pictures.  They're already growing a ton!  They haven't started squawking yet, but they constantly lift their little heads up and hold their moths open, bobbing around for food.  Hilarious.  But only if you're on the inside of our house, safely perched behind glass.

One Hard Working Man

Steve is amazing.  The past couple of months my lovely husband has been working harder than I think I ever have.  He's getting the basement ready for his family to come and stay.  He ripped the entire thing apart and has been steadily reassembling it, which takes way more work than originally anticipated.  At the same time he's been working on his green thumb.  This weekend he built a stellar raised bed in the backyard, it's perfect, and I can tell you right now it'll be coming with us when we move.  That's how great the thing looks.  He found awesome building materials at Home Depot on clearance, so the whole thing is built out of some super fancy, never weathering decking material.  While doing that he's been picking up my slack on household chores, keeping the dishes cleaned and the fish fed.  And while doing that he's been looking for jobs, researching baby gear, and getting accepted into CSU's MBA program!  I pretty much just wanted to take a minute and remind everyone what a rockin', hardworking, husband I have.  :-)

TIme

Sunday was a little cold and a little rainy.  But I hardly noticed.  Two of my lovelies and I headed to Chagrin Falls to walk around, chat, and maybe grab some Ice Cream.  That's a giant lie.  We drove to Chagrin Falls specifically for Ice Cream.  Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in fact.  It honestly might be is the best ice cream I've ever had.  I could go on forever about the amazing flavors and all the qualities about Jeni's I love.  But I won't.  You need to go and find out for yourself.  I will tell you that my favorites are as follows: Bourbon Butter Pecan, Lemon Blueberry, and after yesterday Pistachio Honey, along with Rhubarb Lime Cardamom are on the list too.  :-)

Jeni's was splendid.  But it wasn't the best part of the day.  Spending time eating ice cream with Mere and Sondra was the best part of the day.  We ate, talked, walked, Starbucks-ed, and talked some more.  It was the best afternoon I've had in a long time.  It took living here two and a half years, but between these ladies and the ones I've met through our Community Group, Cleveland became my home.  Sondra and Meredith helped me put down roots here, to start calling this place home, and to allow my heart and life to settle here.  And while Mere is heading out on a great adventure of her own, we will stay connected.  I wish we had more time here and now to spend together, but I already know that from now on time spent together will be all the sweeter for the days in between.

 You are one of the ladies in my life who has shown me so much about being a Christian wife and mother, having a gentle spirit, and and unfailing commitment to Christ and her family.  I love you Mere, like Tonks loves Lupin.  (Well not quite, but close enough.)

Nature Preserve

We have a bird living in the wreath on our front door.  It took to dive-bombing Steve and the mailman.  Neither of which were too happy.  And while I generally think birds are disgusting and disease  ridden - this one is okay with me.  Cause she made a little nest, and had some little eggs, and now we have teeny tiny birds living on our door.  Here's an up close and personal shot taken just seconds before mama bird came back and squawked at my head.

Mother's Day

Some of you know our story.  Some of you don't.  

Our family and friends know our good news by now, the fact that we're expecting a baby.  And we're overjoyed.  We're already trying to prepare for our little one.  Imagining him or her.  Daydreaming about what this little one will mean to our lives.  We're truly full of hope and the promise of good things to come.

But today we also remember.  We remember the little one we lost.  The little one who should have made their entrance into this world, on this day.  I've had the day in the back of mind, anticipating the arrival of the day we should have been setting out for the hospital.  The day we should have brought our first child into this world.   It took my brain an overly long time to make the connection between our baby being due on May 8th and Mother's Day.   Somehow the two together are harder than they would have been passing by themselves.  One of my dear friends and her husband had their own struggle with starting a family.  Her husband said "My wife is a mother already.  A mother without a child."  His words have resonated with me over the past months, finding a place in my heart and taking hold.  I have been a mother these many months, a mother missing a child.  And while I'm waiting to be made a mother again, to a healthy baby who will hopefully remain with us for years to come, I will always remember our first.  A baby who waits to welcome us home.  

 

The sadness of this day is certainly tempered with the joy of our growing child, but we still mourn and remember.

Winner

Jen and I went to a Women's Brunch at our church today.  It was pretty stellar.  Especially when I won two bags of frosting.  That's right, bags of frosting.  Who'd have ever thought?

 

 

Also, its 6:20.  I've eaten three bagels so far today.  Don't worry...there's time for another.

Carbs

I ate four bagels yesterday.  I just wanted that out there.