Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Catch-Up
Whew. Feels like the last week has been a catch-up week for sure. After having been out of town for almost a week after Kathy passing away, with the memorial service, etc., it was sort of a shock to get thrown back into the work/school/home routine again.
This past weekend, we made our way down to Montgomery for the day Saturday again. BT's sisters were still in town, as well as his grannie, so we used that day to have some more time with them and to celebrate his dad's upcoming birthday. Plus Thomas loved seeing his new "best" cousin Sara Kate again. They're six months apart and like two peas in a pod :-)
BT's dad is going to come up here for the day on Sunday, and we're hoping for nice weather to get to go to the zoo. I'd appreciate your continued prayers for a husband and son who lost a wife and mom. It's been rough for everyone, but they're hanging in there. Today marks two weeks since Kathy passed away.
On another note, Thomas just keeps growing and growing. It blows my mind each and every day. Can't believe in three months, we'll have two little people to watch and be entertained by. If Kathryn is anything like Thomas, we're going to have an absolute blast, albeit a fairly exhausted blast for a while :-)
This past weekend, we made our way down to Montgomery for the day Saturday again. BT's sisters were still in town, as well as his grannie, so we used that day to have some more time with them and to celebrate his dad's upcoming birthday. Plus Thomas loved seeing his new "best" cousin Sara Kate again. They're six months apart and like two peas in a pod :-)
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| "Playing" the Wii |
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| This is what happens when both want in the car at the same time |
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| With Gramps at his birthday party |
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| Post-Birthday Party Wagon Ride |
On another note, Thomas just keeps growing and growing. It blows my mind each and every day. Can't believe in three months, we'll have two little people to watch and be entertained by. If Kathryn is anything like Thomas, we're going to have an absolute blast, albeit a fairly exhausted blast for a while :-)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Bad Dream
Two nights ago, Thomas had a bad dream.
I woke up hearing him just crying and crying a pitiful little cry.
When I went to his room, I realized he wasn't awake. He just lay there, crying in his sleep, for about ten minutes, until I was finally able to wake him.
Then he wanted me to hold him. It's been a long time since he's let me hold him still and rock him.
And as we sat there, at 4am in the darkness, slowly rocking and calming down, I realized we weren't alone.
Kathryn was making herself known through her strong bumps and kicks as if to say, "hey mom, I'm here too."
I think this might be the story of her life :-)
It was then that I felt for the first time that I was holding my two babies, my son and my daughter, right there with me in the middle of the quiet night, and I smiled a very big smile.
I woke up hearing him just crying and crying a pitiful little cry.
When I went to his room, I realized he wasn't awake. He just lay there, crying in his sleep, for about ten minutes, until I was finally able to wake him.
Then he wanted me to hold him. It's been a long time since he's let me hold him still and rock him.
And as we sat there, at 4am in the darkness, slowly rocking and calming down, I realized we weren't alone.
Kathryn was making herself known through her strong bumps and kicks as if to say, "hey mom, I'm here too."
I think this might be the story of her life :-)
It was then that I felt for the first time that I was holding my two babies, my son and my daughter, right there with me in the middle of the quiet night, and I smiled a very big smile.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Goodbye
Can't quite explain the month of grief we've had....
We said goodbye to BT's mom this week.
She suffered a massive brain stem hemorrhage on Monday morning.
Two weeks before, she had suffered a much milder stroke, more specifically four brain bleeds related to her leukemia. The two weeks following the initial stroke were spent some in the hospital, the rest in a rehab hospital.
There was lots of driving back and forth for us, but it was worth it, for her.
We rushed down here Monday afternoon after we got the call from BT's dad that we needed to come now. He didn't tell BT how bad it was until he got there. When we got there, she was already on a ventilator, unconcious. The plan, at that point on Monday, was to keep her on the ventilator until her mother and sisters could get there from Little Rock, and until BT's sister could arrive from overseas on Wednesday morning. But sometimes, even modern medicine can't keep what needs to go. Her heart simply stopped and she passed away Tuesday afternoon.
We had all noticed how much more aggresive the leukemia had gotten over the past few months. We made it a point to be there as often as we could. In hindsight, of course, you always wish you had done more. But I think she knew how much we loved her. And even after the first stroke, we simply weren't expecting such a massive one to follow. Everyone felt she was recovering well, which made it quite a shock.
I am comforted by a few things. First, she knew our newest daughter would be named Kathryn after her. Second, that we live close enough we got to spend lots of time with her, and her with Thomas, over the past couple years. And third, that we had a really good visit with her just this past Sunday, right before the end. In fact, the last picture we all have of Kathy is of her son, and her redheaded grandson. She told me a long time ago that she always hoped she would have a redheaded child, she just didn't know God planned for it to be a grandchild instead.
The most important thing, though, is that we know where she is, and we are truly and graciously comforted in this fact.
So we are still here, in Montgomery, until tomorrow afternoon. Then we'll try to regain some sense of normalcy on Sunday. BT and I have committed to finally find a church in Birmingham now. We've jumped around from place to place, and often taking time off for months. This has made us realize the importance of a church family through how much support his father has here in his. We're ready to get back to some normalcy, or ready to adjust to our 'new normal.'
This is the last picture of BT's mom.
We'll miss you terribly....
We said goodbye to BT's mom this week.
She suffered a massive brain stem hemorrhage on Monday morning.
Two weeks before, she had suffered a much milder stroke, more specifically four brain bleeds related to her leukemia. The two weeks following the initial stroke were spent some in the hospital, the rest in a rehab hospital.
There was lots of driving back and forth for us, but it was worth it, for her.
We rushed down here Monday afternoon after we got the call from BT's dad that we needed to come now. He didn't tell BT how bad it was until he got there. When we got there, she was already on a ventilator, unconcious. The plan, at that point on Monday, was to keep her on the ventilator until her mother and sisters could get there from Little Rock, and until BT's sister could arrive from overseas on Wednesday morning. But sometimes, even modern medicine can't keep what needs to go. Her heart simply stopped and she passed away Tuesday afternoon.
We had all noticed how much more aggresive the leukemia had gotten over the past few months. We made it a point to be there as often as we could. In hindsight, of course, you always wish you had done more. But I think she knew how much we loved her. And even after the first stroke, we simply weren't expecting such a massive one to follow. Everyone felt she was recovering well, which made it quite a shock.
I am comforted by a few things. First, she knew our newest daughter would be named Kathryn after her. Second, that we live close enough we got to spend lots of time with her, and her with Thomas, over the past couple years. And third, that we had a really good visit with her just this past Sunday, right before the end. In fact, the last picture we all have of Kathy is of her son, and her redheaded grandson. She told me a long time ago that she always hoped she would have a redheaded child, she just didn't know God planned for it to be a grandchild instead.
The most important thing, though, is that we know where she is, and we are truly and graciously comforted in this fact.
So we are still here, in Montgomery, until tomorrow afternoon. Then we'll try to regain some sense of normalcy on Sunday. BT and I have committed to finally find a church in Birmingham now. We've jumped around from place to place, and often taking time off for months. This has made us realize the importance of a church family through how much support his father has here in his. We're ready to get back to some normalcy, or ready to adjust to our 'new normal.'
This is the last picture of BT's mom.
We'll miss you terribly....
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Best. Day. Ever.
Well, best day in January ever, at least that I can ever recall. It got up to 72 degrees here today, and was completely sunny with low humidity and not a cloud in the sky. PERFECTION. So of course we had to take advantage of the beautiful day by getting out in the sun, especially after the week we've had (our one week-iversary of kitty cat dying, as well as some other major family things going on with BT's family--lots to deal with--keep them in your thoughts and prayers).
So off we went to the zoo! We went ahead and bought our membership for the year today so we would be all ready once the spring and summer come along. Since Thomas has been going to the zoo since he was six months old, I was really excited to see how he was there NOW. And he LOVED IT. His favorites were definitely the petting zoo (which our zoo has a really new children's zoo and it's fantastic), the carousel, and the horse and llama.
Later on in the day, after nap, we took Beau for a walk (he's been pretty bummed out this week, losing his buddy last week really has actually kind of hit him hard), and so T got a wagon ride in at the same time! It was a perfect ending to a wonderful spring-preview day.
We ALL needed this day. Makes me really REALLY ready for spring.
Oh, and by the way, baby girl has a name. Kathryn Lyn. Kathryn after BT's mom, and Lyn after my sweet sister Mally, my mom, and my grandmother. We'll call her Kathryn, even though I won't be surprised if a nickname eventually comes our way. I've heard her already called: Katy, Katy Lyn, Katelyn, and Khaki. So I guess time will just tell, but in my mind, she is my Kathryn :-)
So off we went to the zoo! We went ahead and bought our membership for the year today so we would be all ready once the spring and summer come along. Since Thomas has been going to the zoo since he was six months old, I was really excited to see how he was there NOW. And he LOVED IT. His favorites were definitely the petting zoo (which our zoo has a really new children's zoo and it's fantastic), the carousel, and the horse and llama.
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| On the Carousel Ride |
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| Trying to figure out this petting zoo thing |
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| He Loved it! |
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| Once he had the ropes, he was totally in charge of the day. |
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| Thomas also seemed to have NO fear. |
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| Checking out the pigs |
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| Loved the Pigs alot too |
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| Come to the zoo, yall! |
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| Mr. Serious |
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| Waving to the animals |
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| Lunch Break! |
We ALL needed this day. Makes me really REALLY ready for spring.
Oh, and by the way, baby girl has a name. Kathryn Lyn. Kathryn after BT's mom, and Lyn after my sweet sister Mally, my mom, and my grandmother. We'll call her Kathryn, even though I won't be surprised if a nickname eventually comes our way. I've heard her already called: Katy, Katy Lyn, Katelyn, and Khaki. So I guess time will just tell, but in my mind, she is my Kathryn :-)
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