Thankful Thursday

David got home today from a short business trip to California.  (Side note:  While at a conference there, he presented a paper he'd written and, from what I hear, did a great job.  I'm so proud of him!)  He took the red-eye flight last night and wasn't able to sleep more than about 20 minutes on the plane.  He crawled into bed at 7am, got up with Audrey and I an hour later at 8am, and went to the office at 10:30am.  He worked until 2:30pm, came home and napped for about an hour, and stayed up until 10pm helping me with some stuff.  What a guy!

So, of course this being TT and all, I am super, duper grateful for how hard of a worker my husband is.  These trips wear on Audrey and I for sure, but he's the one that's often thousands of miles away from home for days or weeks on end, eating weird food, putting up with different people and time zones, working his butt off, and then going back to a lonely hotel room.  

For each of the past several years, he has spent 2-3 months out of 12 living this way.  No, it's not as bad as many have it.  But, it's more than we "signed up" for...and it's dang hard sometimes.  Especially now that Audrey is old enough to know he's gone but too young to understand why or to be able to count down to his homecoming.  (When I let her "talk" to him on the phone this week, she said "Daddy, home".  How sad is that?!)

For a guy that could be content to never leave the state, that's a lot to deal with.  For a girl who didn't marry a military man on purpose, it's a lot to deal with.  

However, despite ALL of that, this is where God has us as the moment and we're learning to do the best we can.


In light of that attempted positive attitude, here are five things I'm thankful for when David travels:


1.  It racks up frequent flier miles galore.


2.  There is less laundry to do.  And less to clean up in general (no offense, honey).


3.  I don't have to roll The World's Worst Bed Hog back on his side of the bed several times a night.


4.  There are always a ton of shows stacked up on the DVR when he returns.


5.  We've learned not to fight about stupid stuff and to value the time he's home.  We've never been a couple that argues much, but I think his trips make us even more willing to let the little stuff go.  

So, yeah, I wish there were less good-byes, but it's a JOB.  And it provides for us.  And for that especially, we are grateful.

In closing, I'd like to ask you to keep up your faithful prayers for our family.  We have a lot on our plates these next few weeks and are a little overwhelmed about when and how to get it all done.  More details to come, but it's way past my bed time now.  Please just pray that God gives us the time, energy, and focus we need.  

Sweet dreams!

Thankful Thursday

What a day!  This afternoon was a rough few hours sandwiched on either side with some really fun times.  Let me start at the beginning.

Audrey and I had a great morning and got a lot done, including plenty of playtime.  After she took her morning nap and ate lunch, we went to the doctor for her second flu shot (the first time babies get it they have to have two) and her MMR (we'd held off on it because we were traveling to Baltimore and didn't want her running a fever).  She started crying the moment we walked in the door and clung to me for dear life.  So, apparently, she's familiar with the doctor's office now.

Once we were back in a room, she sat there with her head on my shoulder and said "Peas, peas, peas" as in "Please get me out of here, Mommy!"  Since she's had a cold, I wanted the nurse practitioner to take a look at her and make sure it was okay to give her the shots.  She came in and checked her out (with AJ crying the whole time) and said her ears and lungs were clear.  She told me it could just be a virus or it could be...drumroll, please...teething.  She said her nephew had a snotty nose for three months straight while he was her age because of those darn molars!  Anyway, we got the green light for her shots, got them, and got out of there.  Once she'd stopped crying and was buckled in her car seat she kept saying "Yay!"  I don't think that was a coincidence.

She seemed good so I thought we'd run over to Hobby Lobby for a minute.  We were walking the aisles, enjoying ourselves, when I looked back at her and noticed the floor was wet where she was standing.  I walked over and felt her legs.  Yup.  Her size 4 Huggies were filled to the brim and couldn't contain her waterfall output.  I grabbed her, threw a couple of tissues from my purse on top of the (minor) spill and rushed out, dumping my carefully selected purchases on a nearby shelf.  No, I didn't stop to find an employee.  Yes, I'm pretty sure we're banned for life.

After a parking lot diaper change, we drove home.  I unloaded her, cleaned both of us up, and set her down to play.  I was on the phone comparing rough day notes with my sister-in-law when I walked around the corner and found red crayon scribblings on the wall.  Our first masterpiece.  (Forgive me if I seem less than proud.)  I got off the phone, put Audrey in her usual post-doctor's-office bath, and then laid her down for a nap.  

Though I debated taking a nap myself, especially since David was taking customers out and wouldn't be home before 9 or 10pm, I decided to be productive and, after cleaning up the wall, worked on a few things around the house.  Audrey took an incredible nap and when she woke up, she was in a great mood.  

I fed her snack and we took off to JoAnn's to finish what I'd started in the afternoon.  (I just couldn't bear to go back to Hobby Lobby so soon.)  After making sure her diaper was completely empty and dry, we stopped by the pet store next door first.  We took our time walking around the fish tanks and bird cages.  She squealed with delight at the guinea pigs and mice (eww! NO WAY!) and we talked to the birds for awhile before heading over to JoAnn's.  We spent a long time in there and she had a blast walking up and down the aisles and pointing out colors (that's her latest thing).  We checked out and left (without incident) to go have Chick-fil-A for dinner.  Though I got her grilled nuggets and fruit cup, I did trade her toy in for a small ice cream and let her have a few spoonfuls despite the looks I swear I was getting from other parents.  Oh well.  Moderation and choices, right?!

We came home and played (not with crayons, though) before I got her ready for bed.  We read books and said prayers and she let me rock her and sing a little longer than usual before I tucked her in.  What an awesome night with my sweet girl.  Totally makes up for pee-pee in the aisle and red crayon on the wall.  

So now, as I wait to hear the garage door go up and signal that it's time for snuggling, Grey's Anatomy, and Oreos, here is this week's list...

1.  Christmas plans already being made for celebration schedules, gifts arrangements, and present ideas/projects.  Two of my favorite things:  Preplanning and Christmas.  Yay!

2.  Colors.  As I said, Audrey has really been into learning and naming them lately (purple is my favorite to hear her say.)  It has reopened my eyes to all of the beautiful colors God has painted all around us, especially this time of year.  

3.  Dinner with a sweet friend.  We usually meet for play dates with our girls, so to have a whole 90 minutes of uninterrupted conversation was wonderful!  Granted, a lot of the conversation was about them, but still...

4.  Grandmothers. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating - they're just that awesome.  Whether stepping in and keeping AJ so I can go to the grocery store alone or giving me a night off for the aforementioned dinner with a friend, they are always willing to help out.  Audrey (and David and I) really love and appreciate them!

5.  The garage door opening...goodnight!  :)

Thankful Thursday

1.  My father-in-law, whose birthday was yesterday.  He, like all of my in-laws, is a huge blessing to me, David, and AJ.  Happy Birthday, Ed!  We love you!


2.  Great gift finds!  I stumbled on an incredible Christmas gift idea for super cheap and crossed a few people off my list.  It's something I think they'll love plus I saved about 90% of what it would've cost full-priced.  Win-win!


3.  A clean garage.  I tackled ours this week and feel so much better now that it's checked off the "back-burner-list."  Sure, there were more pressing things to do this week, but I'm choosing to focus on how good it feels to have that one done!


4.  Brinner (breakfast for dinner).


5.  Friends and family who I can turn to for prayer.  For both big and small things, it's great to have people who mean it when they say "I'm praying for you."  I hope they know I mean it too.


Pictures from our Baltimore trip are posted in the gallery, so be sure to check them out.  Have a great Friday!  

Thankful Thursday

I just want to take a moment and point out that this is the THIRD post this week...the second one today, in fact!  Plus, I updated www.imperfectperfectionist.com.  I want to make sure you realized they are there, read them, and remember this rare occurrence the next time I get swamped and go missing for a little while.

Now, you'll understand as I keep this short and go straight to the list, lest I dare get something else done this week!

1.  Audrey's tummy finally seems to be getting back to normal.  We're going to stick to the probiotics and the bland/no-dairy diet for 2-3 more days, but I can tell she feels so much better.  Thanks for the prayers and keep 'em coming!

2.  Family time.  Audrey got to see her Great Grandma, her Grandmom, her Granddad, and her Grandpa this week. Coupled with all of her family time in Baltimore last week and the upcoming visits we have planned for this weekend, we have been seriously loved on lately!

3.  Less television and the benefits that come with that.  Not being impressed with several of their new seasons, David and I made the choice to "give up" on a few shows that we regularly record and opted not to add any new ones for now.  We decided we have plenty to watch and could use the extra time to do something more productive.  Could there be a direct correlation between that and my extra writing this week?  Hmm...

4.  A precious little nose.  Audrey had her first introduction to the pavement this week when she fell on the back patio and scraped up the bottom of her nose (don't ask me how, but that's where she got it!)  She was bleeding and crying, but I'm pretty sure David was more of a mess than she was he was so upset that he didn't catch her.  She's fine now and is back to smelling anything and everything she can.  It's not just flowers or things that are obviously fragrant.  She'll smell puzzle pieces, stuffed animals, hair brushes...whatever she can and she'll often bring it over for us to smell too.  It's hilarious.

5.  Clothes shopping!  David and I are going outlet shopping this weekend and I am so stoked.  Last fall/winter season I was 25 lbs heavier, the year before that I was in maternity clothes, and the three years before that I was working and needed career-type clothes. SO, I'm really excited to be updating my fall/winter wardrobe for the first time in 5+ years!!!

Happy Friday!

Oh Poo

Warning:  This post is gross, but I'm sharing anyway.


You think that once your baby gets a little older, your world will stop revolving around poop so much.  And I guess it does get better.  But all it takes is one little stomach virus and suddenly it seems that every conversation and thought is back to their little bowels (which can make very large messes.)  What did she eat?  What was the consistency?  When did she go last?  How many times did she go today?  How is her diaper rash? Is she staying hydrated enough?


As I mentioned last week, Audrey came down with a stomach virus of the southern variety (that's a nice way of saying diarrhea, in case you missed it) last Wednesday evening.  We put her on the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and bread/toast) diet for 48 hours and kept her very well hydrated.  By Saturday morning, she was fine.  Then I guess we rushed her back into a regular diet too quickly because since that afternoon, the frequency has been back to normal but the...ahem...substance...has not.


To make matters worse, I came down with it late Saturday afternoon and was pretty useless all day Sunday.  (Thank the Lord it was after the race and we were even able to squeeze in a fall festival that afternoon!)  Now I'm usually the "let it run it's course" type when it comes to being sick and taking medicine.  I've always thought that if your body is working that hard to rid itself of something, it needs to be allowed to get rid of it.  However, after almost 24 hours of taking trips to the porcelain throne every 2-3 hours,  I needed sleep and rehydration.  So, David took Audrey to the store and got me some medicine and crackers.  A few hours later, I was still weak, but felt much better.  (Side note:  The box of Imodium AD reads "Controls the symptoms of diarrhea."  What, exactly, are the symptoms of diarrhea, other than having diarrhea?)


Monday morning dawned and life was good again.  By Tuesday, I felt 100% better and we even went for a jog that night.  Just to make sure the virus knew who was boss, we ate fast food for dinner and then came home and cleaned, bleached, Lysoled and Clorox-wiped every bathroom, light switch, handrail, cabinet knob, remote control, and door knob in the house. Take that, stomach bug.


SO, in summary, David is fine, I'm better, but Audrey is still trying to get back to normal.  We've put her back on the BRAT diet with a few extras, got some powdered probiotics to mix in her drinks per the doctor's advice line, and have cut out all dairy for the time being.  Please pray her little tummy heals soon.  I know she's tired of it and, frankly, David and I are tired of nearly passing out at every dirty diaper change.  Plus, if this keeps up much longer, we'll have to break it to her that she can't go to college because we went broke paying for wipes.

To clue you in on just how much this has consumed our household this week, allow me to close by sharing a conversation I had with David on Tuesday night:


D: "I had a scare today at work."
Me:  "OH NO! Did you have a loose bowel movement?!"
D, laughing hysterically:  "Uh, no.  I meant I thought something was messed up with a presentation I was doing."
Me, slightly embarrassed that I just asked that as D is still cracking up:  "Oh."


In case there was any doubt, I've officially got Mommy-brain.

Trip to Baltimore

As I mentioned in my last Thankful Thursday post, David, Audrey, and I went to Baltimore with my Dad, brother Kevin, sister-in-law Jenny, and nephew Carson.  The purpose of our trip was two-fold:  We wanted to introduce the kids to their maternal great-grandparents and a great uncle and second cousin that they'd never met and we also wanted to help my Dad pack up some things in his parents' house (since they now live together in an amazing heavenly mansion.)


As is usually the case when you're traveling with small children, you have to make up your mind that you're just going to role with it before you even leave the driveway.  If the trip is going to be an enjoyable one, you've got to "pack your patience" as I so often remind myself and David.  SO, when the plane was delayed almost an hour on the tarmac and then, once in the air, the flight attendant woke Audrey up by slamming the armrest down on her little leg, I mentally tried to "unpack my patience."  Before long, we landed and I silently congratulated myself for not punching the flight attendant in the face.  First hurdle crossed.


As we got off the plane, my brother called my Dad (he'd gone up a day before us) and got the bad news that the air conditioning was out at my paternal grandparents' house, which is where we were staying.  No sweat (get it?!)  We agreed to go there first and then decide if a hotel was necessary.  By the time we wrangled the kids, got the luggage, wrangled the kids, took a bus to the rental car facility, wrangled the kids, got the car and installed the car seats (no more kid wrangling!), and fought construction traffic to the house, we decided that it was going to have to be pretty darn hot to warrant the inconvenience and expense of a hotel.


We finally pulled up to the house and caught our breath.  As we walked in and heard the sound of door brush against the wind chime that hung on the foyer light, I felt a lump form in my throat.  I hugged Dad and took a minute to block off the stairs for Audrey and Carson.  Then I took a step back, leaned against the wall, and let it sink in that neither of my grandparents were there.  They wouldn't ever be there again.  Every sight my eyes fell on was reminiscent of them.  Every smell I inhaled reminded my brain whose home I stood in.  But they were gone.  My Grandma Gaye was not about to poke her head out of the kitchen holding a dish towel or a spoon like I'd seen her do a million times before.  My Pop-pop was not sitting in his chair laughing his one-of-a-kind laugh at something on the television.  We weren't about to sit around the table, hold hands, pray, and eat one of her delicious meals.  We wouldn't get to do that this trip.  Or ever again.  I caught Dad's eye as the tears gave way and David came over and put his arm around me.


A moment passed before I snapped back into action (I'm sure it was Audrey's tugging at my leg that did the trick) and we started to formulate a plan for the evening.  The heat turned out not to be that bad (in fact, it got so chilly later that night that we needed blankets) and we elected to stay.  Jenny and I took a trip to the grocery store and got back just in time to eat delicious delivery pizza and get the kids ready for bed.


Once the little ones were asleep, we started going through things and helping my Dad pack up.  As we opened drawers and leafed through boxes, the stories started to flow.  We walked through rooms and listened as Dad told us about special pieces - the big clock he'd carefully chosen and saved up to buy them for Christmas, the beer steins from all over the world, the archery trophies, the military uniforms.  There were ornaments we'd each sent them for Christmas, souvenirs from their many trips to Hawaii, and photographs and slides spanning decades.  It was overwhelming.  We packed up a couple of boxes and fell into bed around midnight.


Around 4am, I woke up.  Suddenly the gravity of whose bed I was sleeping in (theirs) hit me full force.  We rarely went into their bedroom and now here my little family was, sprawled out all over it.  It felt strange.  I prayed and tossed and turned for almost an hour and finally fell back asleep.  Around 7am,  David and I crawled out of the room to avoid waking Audrey and met Dad in the kitchen (who knows how long he'd been awake).  We drank a cup of coffee and talked until the others woke up - Carson with the most adorable bed head ever.  Once everyone was fed, we got to work cleaning out cabinets and throwing away expired food and toiletries.


After we got ready and David returned from taking Dad to pick up the moving truck, we headed over to my mom's parents' house.  I was so excited as we pulled up and it seemed to take forever to get the kids out and walk up to the door.  (Of course we did have to haul two diaper bags, my camera bag, two backpacks full of toys, the pack n' play, and our purses from the rental van.  It must have looked like we were moving in!)  My grandmother greeted us before we could even get in the door and hugged and gushed over all of us.  It had been four years since David and I had been there and though we try to keep up through letters and not-frequent-enough phone calls, it was so nice to see them in person.  We walked in and were greeted by my grandfather, my mom, my Aunt Jill, her husband Paul, my Uncle Jim, and his son Dwayne.  We all pulled up seats and started scarfing down lunch, trying to catch up on each other's lives in between stuffing our faces.  We passed the kids around and Aunt Jill gave AJ a tour of all of the flowers in Great-Nana's garden.  Mom got out a sneezing baby doll that had belonged to Jill and cracked Carson up for a few minutes.  Audrey got a hold of it, set it on the ground, and looked like she was performing chest compressions trying to get the thing to make that funny noise again!  Before we knew it, they were ready for their naps.  We put them down in the bedrooms and enjoyed some uninterrupted conversation with the adults.  I took a minute to stroll around and snap some photos, then the kids were awake and ready for snack.


After a few quick bites, we gathered the whole clan outside and took a ton of group shots.  As is the usual, Audrey didn't smile in any that I was in and Carson grew rightfully impatient by the thousandth click (he always expresses what everyone else is feeling about my camera).  We called it quits and let them burn off their energy by running around the backyard.  It was neat to see them enjoy the same area where we had spent so many summer vacations.  As Audrey stood in one spot in particular I remember thinking, "I snapped peas right there."  (My grandfather used to have an extensive garden of vegetables...I miss the tomatoes the most.  He says he finally let the deer and the groundhogs win.)  As the sun started to set, we gathered them (and our 27 bags of stuff), said goodbye, and loaded up the van.


We arrived back at my other grandparents' house and the guys got a few things loaded just as a rain storm moved in.  After a quick dinner (where my Dad learned his lesson about giving Audrey a potato chip.  She begged him for more for the rest of the meal!) we bathed them and got them ready for bed.  Before going down, Audrey was giving out hugs and kisses (as best she knows how) and went running after Carson (whom she called "Baby" the whole trip) to give him his.  He leaned into her (his way of giving hugs) and tolerated her "Mwahh" noise.  We got them tucked in and, with very little productivity left in any of us, we sat around, ate oreos, and shared more stories of present and past.  One thing we kept bringing up was how used all of their stuff was...in a good way.  There were very few things that were put up "for special occasions".  They also didn't own a lot of super nice, fancy things.  They didn't care about fine art or expensive clothes.  What they didn't give to us, they put into living life.  As I've said before, they worked hard and played hard.  What an example.


The next morning the guys loaded the remaining boxes into the van and we said goodbye to my Dad and sent him on his way.  Not, however, before Audrey had made him her buddy and followed him around for the better part of the morning.  After he left and even once we got home, she said "Pa?" quite a lot wondering where Grandpa had gone.


After we got ready and she had woken up from her morning nap, we took a trip to the cemetery.  It was sad to see their names so boldly displayed.  I grieved at all they were missing...at all we were missing....by them being gone.  Then and now, though, God keeps bringing Psalm 84:10 to my mind, "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand days elsewhere..."  They had a lot of really good days here, so that's saying something.  Just knowing that they are together again brings me more peace than I can describe.


We left there and headed back over to my maternal grandparents' house.  Mom made crab cakes (a must in Baltimore) and we chowed down on them and all of the leftover desserts.  When the kids went down for their naps, David and I went for a walk with my grandfather.  I loved listening to his stories and I must have asked a million questions just to keep him talking.  He spoke about everything from his construction business (I begged him to come build us a house, but he laughed me off) to his time in WWII.  Some of the things I'd heard before (he was in the Army Corps of Engineers and built bridges and roads all over Europe) and some were new (he lost his childhood best friend on D-Day).  I soaked in every word and tried to memorize his expressions, his laugh, his walk...everything about him.


When Audrey woke up, she spent more time in the garden, this time with my mom, and walked around the house with her for what must have been the equivalent of a 5K to her little legs.  I sat on the porch with Nana and talked about how much fun we'd have shopping together.  We caught up about life and talked about David's traveling and how tough it is being home alone.  She confessed she doesn't like it when my grandfather goes up to their cabin in Maine for a few days, so she couldn't imagine how I deal with weeks of his absence.  As I did with my grandfather, I tried to hang on every word and ask a lot of questions.  One of the most startling realizations was when she told me that by the time she and my grandfather were mine and David's ages, they had been through a war, been married seven years, had three kids, had just moved into a new house that he'd built himself in addition to starting his new business, and they bought a new car!  Boy, did I feel like a slacker!


As the afternoon turned into evening, we desperately tried to ignore how quickly the minutes were passing.  We walked and talked and took more pictures before heading outside to begin a long goodbye. Losing one set of grandparents certainly makes you cling a little closer to the other.  We gathered by the van and hugged, making promises about seeing each other soon that none of us knew if we'd be able to keep.  As I got into the van I looked back at my grandfather - a man whose strength I've always admired - and saw tears in his eyes.  He had told me earlier what a dream come true our visit had been for him and I can't imagine how tough it was to watch us go.  I closed the door and cried as we waved goodbye and drove away.


We ate dinner, put the kids to bed, did some more cleaning, and started packing up our tremendous amount of stuff.  David and Kevin loaded up the 8+ huge bags of trash and set out to find a dumpster to illegally dispose of it in. No trash service + lots of trash = a need for criminal activity.  They returned without a police escort.  The only problem they'd had was a small amount of chocolate syrup that had leaked on David's jeans.  Shew.  We went through pictures, talked about our visit, and climbed into bed that night anxious about the trip home.


The next morning we got ready and loaded everything into the van.  We went through the checklist that Dad had left for closing everything up (okay, truthfully, my OCD self went through it about five times).  We each posed for one last picture in front of the house and pulled out of the driveway sobered by the fact that we were leaving it for the last time.  The ride to the airport was quiet, despite my best attempt to try and find something on the radio to listen to.  David dropped us off at the airport and went to return the van while Carson pushed his cars around the benches and Audrey pushed her stroller around the empty check-in counters.  The shuttle bus dropped David off and we checked in, went through security, and found an empty gate to let the kids run and play around.  We ate lunch and, after two stores, I found toy stuffed crabs for Audrey and Carson to commemorate their trip.  We boarded the plane, took off on time, and thanked the Lord as Audrey quickly fell asleep in David's arms for the entire flight.


We landed and shuffled our crew to baggage claim.  We had made it, the kids had done way better than expected, and we were back on Confederate soil.  We hugged goodbye and parted ways, tired but all very glad that we had gone.  It was an emotional trip, but a good and necessary one.  As is the norm at her young age, Audrey will never remember it.  But the rest of us, especially her great-grandparents, will never forget it.