Change of scenary

We've updated the blog, and are now at:

www.theatypicallife.com

We wanted something that allowed for more links to be visible (99 balloons org, etc.)

Thanks for following us. Sorry if we have made it hard.

Also, if you had subscribed to the feed it will no longer be working, I will be working on a putting one on the new blog.

Thanks.

We're calling him Anders

It's a boy

-who decided he was ready to come into the world yesterday, early morning (12:40 am). Thus far, he is quite a gentle soul, and we are cherishing the opportunity to get to know him. Ginny is currently doing great, and all details about delivery will come (or not) from her.

Of course, as all parents do, we have enjoyed seeing similarities & differences between him & his siblings already. We think he’s pretty great.

We’re still at the hospital with a winter storm beginning to take shape outside; should be able to head home tomorrow, but the weathermen are predicting icy armageddon, so we’ll see.

Thanks for all of the visits, prayers, and notes.

wow

thanks Brooke for the pics...

the hazel post

gm:

37.5 weeks. it has been a unique pregnancy. a long pregnancy. a new life & new memories are quickly approaching and I can’t wait! the time & affections & attention that I now spend solely on hazel will drastically change. while I can’t begin to imagine how & I fight the “whoa!” overwhelmed feeling, I really can’t wait to meet him or her & begin this new mom journey.

the other day i was telling a friend who hasn’t seen hazel in a long time about her & i found it was good for my soul. so good in fact, that I’m doing it again here. I’m very aware that this is the sort of post that matt, myself & our parents will find fascinating & probably no one else…I’m fine with that. I know without this, I may forget what is going on in this season of her 1 year old life just like how right now I can’t possibly remember what summer feels like or it was like to not be pregnant.

in the delivery room, hazel’s first breath was quickly followed by her first scream. she had these phenomenal lungs. healthy and robust & loud. the first few days of her life we didn’t know if she would do anything but scream. and while we are quick to confess that we had no idea what to do about it, we loved that scream & those lungs. the first night she was at home with us, we tried to get her to sleep in our bed & in the bassinet in our room, but the only place where she actually fell asleep was in her own crib in her own room. i was just trying whatever worked & didn’t see then the independent spirit that was there from the start. her first little “fit” was around 8 months. she was crawling & decided that being still for a diaper change was no longer acceptable. she kicked those rolly polly thighs spastically back and forth in disgust & disapproval of the diaper change. more often than not, this trend continues & she really can’t stand diaper changes & clothes changes. we laugh & sigh & struggle to teach her a different way of dealing & although we don’t know what to do with the hard-headedness she inherited from both of us, we just love it. this independence has been a big part of her whole first year & I always find myself daydreaming about if & how it will play out in the rest of her life. like maybe when that cocky junior high boy goes to grab her hand, she’ll look at him with that same look she gives people who try to get in her face and make her laugh…“seriously? am I really supposed to be impressed with this?”

she’s never been much of a snuggler due to the fact that she just has too much to explore & sitting or hugging would only slow the exploration process down…but lately she’s actually given us the occasional hug or prolonged moment. in light of the previous lack of this attention, matt & I can be found in puddles on the ground when these incredible moments take place. she smiles & laughs, but not all the time because most of the time she’s just too busy contemplating & discovering & laughing at your attempt to get her attention only slows all the discovering down. she does give kisses with that awesome 1 year old interpretation of a kiss that is an open mouth leaning into the subject to be kissed. but don’t get me wrong she doesn’t give you a kiss when you want one, only when she does.

a while back she started barking back at our dog. it’s more of an “oooh, ooooh” sound than a “ruff, ruff” and then instead of just for dogs it became the official noise for all animals. now, she’s added some variety & there are a number of fun animal noises…a cow “moos”, a turkey “begob-begob-begobs”, sheep “baa”, monkeys “aaah-aaah”, lions “ruuuuh”, tigers “guuuuuh”. she loves books & lately will actually let me read them to her. she loves unpacking things from drawers or taking everything out of a wallet or just taking all the toys out of a bin & putting them back in so she can take them out again. it took her 9 months to finally sleep & now she is a great sleeper at night, but is not so fond of the nap. older kids are always a win & when she waves at them from across wal-mart, saying “hiiiiii” & they don’t respond, she looks at me as if to say “what’s their problem?” she talks & jabbers a ton lately. one day she woke up & it’s as if she learned Chinese in her sleep. the words she can really pronounce & say the way an adult says them…she whispers these words…for no apparent reason.

like every kiddo, she is ever-changing & always keeping us guessing & is such a blast to get to know. we love her & count it a gift & honor that God has let us be her parents.

Interview with Tony Dungy

Here's a link to some video of my time in Tampa. Quite an honor and opportunity to be associated with such a great group of folks.

the stranger on the couch...

Our prayers are with those in Haiti.

These links have helped me know the story, as well as how I can help: world vision, aaron ivey, big picture.

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Thankfully, Ginny has arrived at 36 weeks (due feb 7); thus, weekly Dr. visits began this week. All looks good. We should have a date by next week that we will not be allowed to go beyond. Ginny is feeling quite pregnant- there is something about confinement to the couch for months at a time that has not made these last few weeks the most enjoyable. However, in light of all that this baby has already brought, we really have nothing to lament, and she-as always- is taking it in stride and smiling along the way.

Lately, we have been reminding one another that a human being is about to plant itself squarely into our lives and possibly even want us to feed it. It is amazing how the thought patterns in preparation for #3 have been vastly different than they were with both Eliot & Hazel's arrival. Survival of bed rest & daily Hazel chase have left little time for discussion or preparation. I guess this is good. I guess this is a more normal way of welcoming children after #1. But it is new to us, and seems like we're being rude to the tike to come.

Of course, there is ever present in the recesses of our minds, and more so, our hearts, the feeling that, eventually, something is going to go wrong. It is the nagging guest that will not leave- the one on the couch that you wish wasn't there, and you had hoped that if you did not acknowledge his presence, he would just go away.

But he doesn't.

And I'm sure there are some who would write this off as a lack of faith or pessimism, and it is quite possible that there was a time when I could be counted among their fold. Although, I am ever certain my faith needs work, I am just as sure that this is not the entirety of the issue.

It is just that experience can never be discounted. What one has walked through with his own two feet will always be a louder voice than the preacher or the self-help book or the bumper sticker. Because once you have walked through it, you know. And until then, you can only look to those who have.

The only statistic that matters to us, is the one whereby I have one child in bed tonight and one no longer on this earth.

I know loss. I know it happens. I know we are not safe. We do not deserve everything to be fine this go around, nor can you assure us it will be. I have walked in suffering, and it was a teacher I cannot mute.

With such disposition, we stand waiting on this baby.

And yet there is more.

Because this harsh reality ushered more lessons of experience as well.

He is good no matter what comes.

One is in bed, but for two He was faithful.

Update & Best of 2009

Update: Ginny is officially off of bedrest- after 109 days (but who's counting? me). It is great news on all fronts. She is now at 35 weeks pregnant. All looks great, and we are thankful for all of the prayers & well-wishes.

It has lately become common practice to randomly look at each other and ask, "are we ready for what is coming?" Of course we are & of course not. There's an idea- till now, unspoken, as not to jinx it- that we both harbor, a thought that this baby cannot be a worse sleeper than the first 8 months with our resident ankle biter. However, this line of thinking never helps, so we're just trying to gear up for what comes. And we cannot wait to meet the one who is coming.

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BEST OF 2009

It's that time- our second annual "Best of" list. Remember, something only needs to be new to us in this last calendar year to make eligible to appear below. Also, we would love for you to add anything that made your highlight reel for the year, it's a good way to be aware of things we may have missed.

Disclaimer: It must be said, that we typically pride ourselves in exploring areas not inhabited by everyone else; however, this year- somewhere between lack of sleep with a baby Hazel & bed rest- we had less time to explore- or read or think.

Books:

M(att):

Drops Like Stars (Rob Bell)

This book stole thoughts from my head on the subjects of pain & creativity, and, in the process, said them better than I could. Warning, it's a big picture-book type of book & quite awkward to pull out at the coffee shop. But well worth pushing through the embarrassment.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Donald Miller)

Donald Miller sees life as story, and helps you do the same. I enjoyed the opportunity to go see him talk about the book in Little Rock, and was encouraged to live a story worth telling.

Manhood for Amateurs (Michael Chabon)

The Pulitzer-prize winning novelist takes on being a father, son, and husband. If you're looking for something found at a Christian bookstor

e, keep looking. Manhood contains superb prose from a guy taking the time to convey the weight and wonder of being a man.

G(inny):

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Shaffer & Barrows)

A historical novel set on an island in the English Channel.

Ginny enjoyed this detour from her normal buffet of books.

Currently Reading (M):

Free (Chris Anderson)

The Year of Magical Thinking (Joan Didion)

Music:

Ginny serves as the musical gateway for our household. The bands and musicians below seemed to join the mainstays, making their way into the rotation that serves as the soundtrack to our

lives.

Owl City. Ocean Eyes: With lyrics as deep as a kiddie pool, these guys seem to prove that fun music can go a long way.

Kings of Leon. Only by the Night: Radio has managed to wear them out, but I think I liked it at one time.

Mat Kearney. City of Black & White:

I kind of miss the rapping,but another great cd from a guy who managed to spell Matt wrong.

Aaron Ivey. Between the Beauty & Chaos: Changing the world, and singing about it.

The Swell Season. Strict

Joy (+ Once soundtrack) The duo that won an oscar for the Once soundtrack has a new offering.

TV/ Film:

Foyle's War: Some friends introduced us to this crime-solving series set in 194o's Britain. We've been waiting on Netflix to send us the next one every since.

500 Days of Summer: Well done movie about getting over a girl.

Once: Older movie we had never seen. Enjoyed the music more than the movie, but both are good.

Tech:

Flip Camera: A Christmas gift I can't wait to enjoy. I'm sure I'll be passing on some footage.

Google: You may have heard of it. But this year I went google for calendar, docs, contacts, and more. It allowed me to sync all content on the Iphone and various computers in ways that others promised but never delivered.

Words with Friends: Iphone app that we have enjoyed over the holidays. Basically, Scrabble on your phone playing against people you know. Makes you feel really smart & then really stupid two minutes later.

Skype Video: This has proven useful in various business endeavors as well as allowing us to see our new nephew for the first time. And it's free.

Twitter: We like it, and it forces brevity.

Whrrl: Tell a story using pictures and various other means for text. I hope to actually use this one a little more in the year ahead, but I like the concept.

Misc:

EQ3: After 5 months without a couch due to multiple debacles, probably our bar is set pretty low. But we have enjoyed our couch and rocking chair from here.

Magazines:

Due to months of bed-rest, we are up on the periodicals, and Ginny is capable and available for being your lifeline for all things magazine related.

Dwell: Modern furnishings, great photos and architectural gems.

Atomic Ranch: Mid-century modern interiors and exteriors.

Relevant: Always eager to flip through the only magazine to which I have a subscription.

Ready Made: A do it yourself mag for hipsters, granolas, and posers.

Oxford American: Great southern writing, music, and topics. All from the campus of my alma mater.

Hazel's List:

Moo, Baa, La La La. Sandra Boynton

Elmo

toothbrush

any ball

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This list- in pieces- is quite shallow, but taken as a whole the collage of the above, as well as various new memories, come together to represent quite a year.

We bought a house. Watched Hazel grow (and grow). Traveled to NYC & Petoskey, MI (among others). Found out we were pregnant with our third. Survived spending a quarter of the year with mom on bed-rest. And leave it looking forward to another.

An amazing year, indeed.

four going on five

MM: We passed on our typical Louisiana road trip due to Ginny's current state of 34-weeks ripe. It turned out well, as we were able to enjoy some great family fun, as well as Fayetteville's first white Christmas in quite some time (3-4 inches). Ginny is doing well, and feeling very...pregnant. Bedrest has pretty much dissipated back to normal life. We have an appointment Monday, and baby & mom are doing great by all indicators- going on strict bedrest at 19 weeks, and now having arrived at 34 weeks is something we are celebrating this season. This "little" one is on track to beat out its big brother & sister in the birth weight department.

Hazel did not quite grasp Christmas yet, but it was really fun to see her running around- excited about something- because mom & dad's inflection let her know she should be. With some help, she managed to open each package and explore the contents with unmatched curiosity. Four stockings watched over it all- perched atop the fireplace. It will be five when Christmas comes around again. And it is this fact that calls me back from all the trappings of a typical holiday season. God put on flesh and came as a baby, overcoming death and offering hope in place of my ache for an empty stocking.

It is our hope that you have a meaningful holiday season.
Our Christmas card said it all as we approach the New Year...

"This year we remember the One sent to earth as a child...as we ourselves:
remember one.
enjoy one.
anticipate one."

Steven Curtis Chapman: My Life and My Family

Steven Curtis Chapman: My Life and My Family

grass is greener...a great update

gm:
wanted to update you guys on the latest around the mooney household...

life has once again drastically changed. at my appointment 2 weeks ago, things looked really good. so good, in fact, that i got permission to be up for 4 hours a day &...
wait for it...
here comes the real kicker...
take care of Hazel all by myself!
i don't think words could accurately describe how great this is, so i'm not even gonna attempt it. just know, it's really really great. life feels pretty normal, which is anything but normal. it's fantastic, superb, sensational, beautiful, wonderful...well, you get the idea..it's as if i have a brand new lease on life. i have thought lately that everyone should be put on full bedrest at some time or another in their life because since i've been "up" it seems like the grass is greener & the sky is bluer & i honestly LOVE doing all these mundane & routine things. don't get me wrong, the immobility for 10 weeks has made my being up a bit tiring & after about 5pm your great grandma could destroy me in a foot race. but i'll take tired over immobile anyday!!
we had another appointment today & things continue to look good. & we continue to pray & rejoice that the Lord is still knitting #3 together within me. exploding with gratefulness to such a creative Maker.

we'll keep on keeping ya posted.

Gender Poll

For the first time there is a consensus on gender in the Mooney home. We guess boy. What do you think? Place on a bet on your left. Who knows, the majority of guessers were right with Hazel.

Thankful for this gal...

Here are some recent photos from my phone.

Tampa

Because my wife has threatened to out me if I did not mention something, here I go. I am leaving tomorrow headed to Tampa, Florida to attend a banquet put on by Family First. I will be receiving an award named after Tony Dungy's father (Wilbur L. Dungy). I am more than flattered and honestly humbled.

It is a bit overwhelming, as it feels somewhat like being handed the World Series Championship in the first inning of game 1. With that said, it is a great testament to my son and my God.

Ginny disagrees, but I feel as if I forfeit any dad status by leaving her and Hazel in their current state. I'll try to keep some updates coming on Twitter. Let me know if you have any good questions for Tony or Max Lucado.

The leash is longer

MM: At our Dr.'s appointment last week, after 9 weeks of complete bed rest, Ginny was given the green light to get off the couch for "1 to 2 hours a day." Needless to say, she is quite happy with this turn of events; she was most excited to be able to cook a meal.

Ginny still cannot be left alone with Hazel; so, her life changing freedom hours have not equated to much change on my end. Our friends and family are a constant at our house. They've got to be tired of us, but they show no signs of giving up yet.

Twenty-eight weeks down, and each week that passes with no delivery is a great thing. We are deeply immersed in what for us has been a 7 month conversation- what will we name this little guy or gal? The list is narrowing, and no we're not telling you.

Obviously, I have been a little quiet as for my take on this whole bed rest journey. There's plenty to say, but very little opportunity to sit down and write it. For me, it pretty much all boils down to an epic lesson in how unbelievably selfish I can be. Your wife on bed rest pretty much forces you to be the guy you wish you were- you serve your wife & you get to be the dad that you always hoped you could be. So, in practice, I am doing the stuff that saints are made of. However, I would quite prefer to perform these righteous acts without all the frustration, fatigue, and mental cussing. I'm doing all the right things, but struggling to do it excellently.

I pretty much cannot relate to my male peers these days. They want to talk fantasy football & razorback victories while I sit wondering why she woke up at 5am and contemplating adding another snack before putting her to bed. The ongoing joke is that I only lack mammary glands. I gravitate to working mothers and look for opportunities to quiz them on their child's caloric intake.

And I love it. I really do. I love being such a vital part of Hazel's life. I know this season will not last forever. And when it is gone, I will miss it sorely. It is this perspective that leaves me most frustrated when I am not enjoying the process of my current status. I know there is a beautiful fragrance to cherish here, but I smell dirty diapers.

As for Hazel, she is quite a trooper. She's walking, laughing and exerting her will on the world. She's not unaware of what is going on. My getting out the door has become something like an olympic event. Gold medals are awarded when I slip out unnoticed and tears are avoided. And gold medals are a rarity.

The current season of life seems like one of survival for all three of us. But all of it is such a great reminder of lessons learned in days past. We're making it. And baby's coming!

And the leaves keep talking

MM:

It has been a while. Ginny's bed rest has not really allowed much time for blogging- or going to the bathroom for that matter. She has a Dr.'s appointment tomorrow. It has now been 6 weeks and 5 days of bed rest, but who's counting?

Me, that's who. February, the month she's due, seems more like a speck on a distant horizon than a reality, almost a little cruel to actually dwell on. But getting through a day is a victory, and a good thing for baby #3.

I always prepare scripted answers to questions I know I will receive in multiples of ten. This process, while admittedly uncreative, allows for the fact that I am prone to uninhibitedly say what I think and this habit often leaves me apologizing to someone for something. So, I craft a good enough reply, and if the first recipient seems pleased, I go with it. In order to give you a window into our world, here are a few of the ones dealing with bed rest.

> Life looks wildly different than it did 6 weeks ago. The way we do every single thing as a family has changed.

> For me it is completely a a physical thing. There is more to do than I can. And I have no time to feel anything because the trash needs to go out, Hazel is crying, and we probably need to eat something tonight. For Ginny, it is completely an emotional thing. And the fact that what we are walking through looks so different, is what makes it feel like your not going through it together.

> No Ginny is not bouncing off the walls. She is actually handling the down time well. Somehow, she manages to have plenty to do, all from her perch on the couch. But what has been really hard for her is not getting to mother Hazel the way she would like. Watching other people meet the needs of your daughter is not fun.

There are plenty more actually, but you get the idea. I just wanted to give a brief update on bed rest. Again, our family and friends have made it possible for Ginny to do what she is supposed to- sit and be still. We cannot thank them enough.

However, today is not really about bed rest. Today is about honoring two of my favorite lives: my son and my wife.

Today is Ginny's 30th birthday and the 3 yr marker for Eliot leaving this earth.
Today is a special day.

I hoped that forcing myself to write on this day would help me grapple with what I feel and think about a day that is always an awkward tight rope walk between deep pain and inexpressible joy.
----------------

Tears fall like leaves around this time each year. Fayetteville is on fire.
Our hometown is covered with hues of red, orange, and yellow. As if the trees were trying to tell us something. A recital for those who will listen. I devise reasons to get out of the house just so Hazel and I can meander through streets- the ones with real trees, just before and after the suburbs. I don't even try to describe the brilliance to Ginny because she will know she is missing out.

Far and away, this is my favorite time of the year. The intensity of the colors are matched only by the thoughts of my son that come so effortlessly and so often. Thus, this season always come bearing gifts for us. And I love it for that.

Ginny broke down this week on a friend who asked what we would do for this day. Nothing seems appropriate or enough. How does one approach a day that changed everything? Not to mention, it is Ginny's birthday. And before you wish that weren't so, just know that there is something beautiful about that fact that I cannot quite put to words.

So, defying doctor's orders, I took her out today. We visited the grave and ate an Italian lunch. But most of all, we just drove around and looked up at the leaves.

We talked about how Eliot's life has changed us. Of how God has worked enough redemption that we can breathe. We can see green peaking through ashes. In fact, just being witness to this is one of the main changes. For we desire to be a part of God's working redemption in the lives of others.

And the leaves keep talking. He is making all things new.

october

gm:
october is a great month. leaves are changing & falling. football is in the air. pumpkins on the porch & pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin muffins in the kitchen. lately, when folks come over to help bedrest life happen they have on jeans & boots & scarves. everyone is buying candy & working on their halloween costumes.
and...october is when hazel was born, when i was born & when eliot went home to be with Jesus.
yep, it's a big month around here.

hazel turned 1 last wednesday & on saturday we had a little party at our house. bedrest didn't stop the fun. i made a banner and then bossed my great mom & great mother-in-law on all the other details. friends, family, tons of kids, pbj sandwiches, balloons, cake and the wonderful chaos that the combination of those things bring. hazel even got to try her first piece of cake. to say she loved it is a serious understatement. she looked at me, with that serious look she so often wears, as if to say "really? you knew about this? and you're just now letting me try it". she devoured it. started by picking the icing off, then grabbed the whole piece in her hand & ate off of it one bite at a time. all the while never unclenching the fist out of fear of losing this greatness.
later that day, when most of the guests had left, matt & i gave her the gift we had gotten her: her first baby doll. i've never seen her play with a doll before & wasn't sure what she'd think. it was love at first sight. all hugs & kisses for the doll.

all first birthday parties are special, no matter who the kid or what their family. but for me, this one was quite special. it wasn't exactly what i pictured...many of the fun & crazy traditions i'd like to start for Mooney family birthdays will have to wait till next year, when my world is a bit larger than my couch. the truth is that hazel will not remember her first birthday, but i sure will. at one point i looked around the room & the scene looked particularly familiar. some new faces, but many of the same faces that knew & loved eliot & celebrated his birthdays with us, were joining us once again for a birthday celebration. yes, it was quite a special day for quite a special gal.

now for lots of pictures:

impossible love

there's a line from a movie i have never seen that my dear friend often quotes when we are talking about being moms. the mom in this movie looks at her daughter, sighs, & says "impossible love". if you are a mom, my guess is that resonates with you. how can you even describe what loving your kid looks like? what it feels like? it bursts, aches, frustrates, rejoices, thanks, tires, energizes. it can make you feel crazy one moment & more sane than you've ever felt the next. i think about this often as i attempt to mother eliot while missing him. hazel while currently on the couch. #3 while not yet having met him/her.
i think that there is a lot of mommy refining taking place here on this couch. i don't pretend to totally understand all that He is teaching me. but what i do know is that i am not the mom i long to be and it has nothing to do with this bedrest journey.

for about the first 3 weeks of bedrest i didn't have our camera. i wasn't totally sure where i last had it & asking someone to search for the camera was low on the list of all the millions of things other people are daily doing for us. the other day a friend brought his fancy camera by for us to borrow. i am beyond grateful. here are some of the latest pics taken by a mom who loves her kids with that impossible love...

teeth




#3



a little...well, a lot...of bonding time with dad lately



side ponytail (& when mom's on bedrest, pants are totally optional)

thirty thanks

gm:
A friend of mine keeps a blog completely of lists…and I love it. Not sure why, but it intrigues me and even when the topic is seemingly not that interesting, it is really interesting. So this post is a little random list of some of my most recent bedrest observations. I do not presume that this is interesting, but I guess you never know.

Things in my normal life that I usually take for granted, but bedrest has reminded me that I am really really really grateful for:

1. An incredible husband (think I’m just saying that? wrong, see previous post).
2. 2 incredible kids. (almost 3)
3. Serving Matt.
4. Caring for Hazel. (see #11-17)
5. How many people I know & love.
6. How many people I know & love that are really fun to hang out with.
7. How many people I know & love that are really fun to hang out with & go out of their way to stop by my house.
8. The windows in my living room.
9. The view out the window from my living room. (trees, leaves falling, clouds, sun, squirrels)
10. Where I live. (Close enough to the university to hear ballgames, frat parties, etc.
11. Bathing Hazel.
12. Feeding Hazel.
13. Holding Hazel.
14. Dancing around the living room Hazel.
15. Playing with Hazel.
16. Changing Hazel’s diapers.
17. Swinging at the park with Hazel.
18. I can read.
19. I can see.
20. I can smell.
21. I can think…well, most of the time.
22. Cooking.
23. Walking.
24. Books.
25. Driving.
26. Restaurants.
27. Grocery shopping.
28. Cleaning. (this one is so shocking)
29. Shoes. (I guess more specifically I’m thankful for typically having a reason to wear them)
30. i get to be a part of God making another person! May I never overlook this gift...amazing!

the latest & the greatest

gm:
the latest:
so what i affectionately call the "bedrest journey" continues at the mooney household. we went in to the doctor last week & there was no change with the placenta previa. we left there with a better understanding of what is going on, since the info received before pretty much was in the midst of a scary unexpected trip to the hospital. at this appointment, we were able to sit & ask our doctor (side note: this incredible, God-send woman who delivered eliot & hazel & has walked through a lot with us) to explain further what happened & what is the skinny on the situation. the short of it is that there are 2 things that make this placenta previa a bit precarious...1. how early in the pregnancy it is (i am almost 21 weeks) & 2. that there has already been hemorrhaging. so i continue to sit & we day by day are learning a completely new way to do life with mom on the couch. more on this later...but for now, the real reason i got on here...

the greatest
he hands me a cup of water & i spot her drool on his arm. i lay here & he glances my way while rushing through our house with her in his arms. his eyes are tired, but it would take a lot for him to actually admit his exhaustion. he pushes through the unique challenges of our new way of doing life with such humility, determination, & love. at the same time, he's honest in the difficult moments. he schedules the baby's week with moms-day-out, grandparents, friends, & sitters so he can attempt to work & oh, i don't know, make a living in the midst of this. he comes home from work. he lays on the floor so she can crawl over him, around him & then up to his face. they laugh together & play for a while. he empties the dishwasher, then fills it. all the while with the little girl pulling on the leg of his jeans that really need to be thrown in the wash. he prepares my dinner, he prepares her dinner. he feeds her, bathes her, puts her to bed, then actually feeds himself. he picks up from her dinner, sweeps the millions of cheerios from underneath her highchair, then does more dishes, then a little laundry, then putting away the toys.

all the while, i sit & i watch. he does that which i currently can not. i watch him do the routine daily things with her that i took for granted & now miss terribly. i watch him serve me & wonder what it now looks like for me to be his wife when all i've ever known is what i now can not do. it's only a short while. in my head i know that, but my heart is having a hard time adjusting to my role as a mom & wife completely redefined...even if it's only a short while. i wonder a lot. my mind goes all kinds of places & most of these are places that blur the picture before me.
in front of my very eyes is something spectacular that i've been too immersed in myself to see.
yes, it's matt.
yes, it's the greatest, out-of-this-world daddy.
yes, it's the greatest husband who relentlessly loves his wife.
but really, when the picture focuses just a little, i see that it's actually Jesus. it's been Him all along.

Matt's birthday was a week ago. All that I had planned for his birthday wasn't possible. Therefore, from his wife on his birthday, he received, for the first time ever...nothing. So this post is a little insight into our lives as of late, but is more than that, it's a birthday present of sorts. A "thank you". A "love you". if you so choose to comment, wish him a belated birthday with me.

the Walmarts post

MM: I insisted that we give some sort of update on life even though Ginny just wanted to release some apparent, pent-up anger. I am glad she is writing. I am currently happy about all things that occupy her while simultaneously involving little to no movement.

Read the post prior to this one if you did not know that Ginny has been placed on bed rest. She is doing well- although the most difficult part by far, for her, has been the mandatory hands-off approach to parenting Hazel. I am tired, but smiling. Yes, we’ve bonded. Hazel always loves the hand that feeds her. Yes, I have had lots of help from great friends & family.

We go to the Dr. in order to check on everything on Wednesday. Until then, tell them what you think about it, Gin…
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GM: So most posts on here are quite… well…they’re sort of serious. We like to talk about all that Eliot’s life taught us & continues to teach us & for both of us there is a lot of healing & processing in the midst of that.
When I was entertaining the idea of starting a little blog, Matt would have none of it. He said, “Why would you do that when we can blog together?!” I explained that I wasn’t exactly a “writer” like him & I wanted to just post about the mundane & silly & everyday mom stuff & not worry about how it’s written. He said that was perfectly fine & even encouraged it. Well, I have yet to do that…til now…

I don’t really like Walmart. That statement may seem like no big deal to most of you, but you see, we live in Walartland. We are very close to Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, AR.
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The point is we live in Walmartland. Which is why, upon moving here, I quickly discovered that my days of shopping at a nice little Kroger or Albertsons or Harris Teeter were over. I remember this stark realization well. I needed asiago cheese for a delicious & easy zucchini casserole. Walmart #1: no asiago. Walmart #2: no asiago.
Not long after this experience & others similar, I decided I had to put an end to the frustration & learn to deal with this current predicament. So, now, out of the goodness of my heart, I share my tips for dealing with the megamart.

1. Always park close to the cart return. It doesn’t matter how far way you park. I my estimation, 9 out of 10 times, you are GOING to park far away at Walmart. Don’t fight it, just go with it. But if you park close to the cart return, you simply load your groceries & essentially you’re done.
2. Park near the entrance where you will end up, rather than where you start, which requires you to…
3. Have some semblance of a plan. Ok, ask anyone who knows me & they will testify that I am one of the furthest people from type A that you’ll ever meet. But, ya’ll this seriously helps me survive walmart. I organize my list into 5 categories:
a. household (all non grocery, like toothpaste, batteries, the things that take forever to find)
b. dry groceries
c. dairy
d. meat/freezer
e. produce/bread
I go in that order & don’t judge, just try it & tell me if you don’t spend WAY less time in Walmart than you used to.
4. When deciding a check-out, don’t just go by the shortest line, look at the actual checker. Sweet grandma Pearline may have the shortest line, but you’ll be in that line all day. Just make your best guess on who is fast & it won’t matter how long the line is. In my doing this, I have made a great friend. I’ve now known her about a year, we’ve actually grabbed lunch together. I could write a whole post on how great she is, but that’s for another time. She told me to...
5. Go to Walmart on Tuesday or Wednesday morning. My friend said this is a great time to go because everything is re-stocked from the weekend & is at it’s freshest. I’ve also discovered that there are very few people there at that time! If you can’t go then, whatever you do, just don’t go on Saturday or Sunday people, it’s just frustration waiting to happen.

So there ya go. And it’s not even Christmas.