2014 Year in Review

I have always loved reading other peoples blogs and seeing a slice of their life and being able to often relate to what they are going through...That being said, I'm not always the best at updating this blog!  I hope to be better about that as a way to better chronicle what is happening in our family's day to day life.

We have had such a blessed year.  It started off rough with another tubal pregnancy and another surgery.  Cue to eight weeks post surgery and I was pregnant again - this being our fifth pregnancy.  We were shocked, overjoyed, and very very nervous.  Our OB was even hesitant and nervous to be too excited.  Then we heard the most magical and awe inspiring sound in the world - our baby's heartbeat.  We had yet to experience this in any of our previous pregnancies.  Cue to a few months later (and much nausea!) and we found out we were having a baby girl.  I was SO blessed with a pretty easy pregnancy.  However, at our 37 week ultrasound they told us that my fluid levels were low...Like really, really low and that we had to go ahead and take the baby the next morning (They called and told us this after our two doctors conferred...We had been to lunch with my mother in law and to pick up last minute stuff at babies r us-Thank goodness!).

Our birth story is very clinical.  They checked us in, got me started on a fetal monitor, drew lots of blood (we banked Harper's cord blood), and then we had to wait because my OB had another patient that was ready to push and mine was a C-Section so I could wait.  Once we were ready they wheeled me into the OR where it was just me and my nurse, Sandy, and the anesthesiologist.  He did my spinal block (which was not awful but not pleasant either!), and then they put me on the operating table and got things started.  They started cutting me open (which smells like burning - they use a laser for a scalpel now evidently!), and Philip was allowed in the room.  It was about 60 seconds later and we heard our sweet girls first cries!  It was a sweet sweet sound to our ears because with her being early it was always a fear that we might have issues or be in the NICU for a while.

Philip took Harper to a room to bond while they sewed me up and then when I joined them I got to start breastfeeding Harper.  Breastfeeding is a special bonding experience but whoa...It was hard for us.  I had mastitis twice and then two abscesses formed in that same breast.  Cue to a biopsy to rule out cancer and two drainage sessions later and we are just not on the road to breast recovery.  We had to also switch Harper to soy formula which agrees with her tummy much better!  We had a quick delivery process and were out of the hospital two days later.  It all seems like such a blur and the first few weeks flew by due to all of the medical stuff I had going on with my breasts and then with Harper and getting her formula figured out.

We are so blessed and so grateful to have had such an easy pregnancy and delivery and such a healthy and thriving beautiful, sweet little girl!  She was six pounds three ounces and 19.5 inches long at delivery and ten pounds seven ounces and 24 inches long at her two month check up.  She loves car rides and going places, her rock and play (she slept there for her first six weeks), getting to love her wubbanub, and getting where she likes to be read to.  My goal is to update this blog regularly so that when Harper is older I can show her everything as a type of journal.

Me waiting to go to delivery.

First family photo of me, Philip, and Harper.

Our families (missing my dad) when we found out it was a girl!

Me with my brother and parents.

2013 In a Nutshell

I was looking back over this blog a few weeks ago and realized that I haven't written a post in almost a year!  We have had so much happen in our family in a years time...it's amazing how wonderful (and sad) life can be.

My goal this year is to take life slower and enjoy moments...even the sad ones.  

Below is a list of some of the things that have happened since I last blogged.  I'm sure I'll miss some things, but this is a good list...

1.  Our house of six years sold.  The house we lived in before we were even engaged.  Sometimes I miss it, but mostly I love where we are now.
2.  See above - We moved!  We LOVE our new house...It's very fitting for our little family. :)
3.  I completed a practicum and entered into my Internship phase...I will graduate (Hopefully!! :/) in May...If the coursework doesn't kill me (Kidding; I think?).
4.  I enjoyed my first summer off in forever...I read a lot of books, cooked for my husband, and just enjoyed the new house.
5.  We renovated some things in the new house - Looking back we probably should have done these things PRIOR to moving into said house, but we survived it (even if our hardwoods didn't!).
6.  We traveled.  A lot.  We went to Biloxi (several times), Destin, St. Simons Island, Bahamas, Blue Ridge, and Las Vegas (and I might be forgetting some!).  We are very blessed.
7.  We lost loved ones and had illnesses and hospitalizations, but we are all doing okay now.
8.  My "baby" brother started college at Auburn.  He was hospitalized for over a week after only one week of classes...However, he is now doing really well and healthy as can be! :)  
9.  We took fertility meds to try and help us conceive...They worked around Month three after endless hot flashes, mood swings, and horrible acne (I've never had an issue with my skin before so this was a struggle for me!).
10.  We got pregnant and miscarried around week 7; this was our third loss...It never does get easier.  
11.  We prayed - A LOT - Probably not as much as we should; we are striving to be better about this.
12.  SURPRISE - two months later I was pregnant again; However, we again got sad news at our first ultrasound (almost week 8) that I was having another ectopic pregnancy.  I can still remember with our first pregnancy not even comprehending what that was exactly, but this time around we knew better what to expect going into surgery.  Once again, it never gets easier.  Not only is your body trying to heal, but your heart is as well.  My husband is a blessing like no other...Without his love and support I have no idea how I would have gotten through some of these tough moments.  With him and my Lord and Savior...
13.  We have loved having a Church and a Pastor that are beyond amazing.  We have been blessed to have our Faith to lean on in sad and difficult times.
14.  We loved, laughed, traveled, moved, and had some wonderful and not-so-wonderful times this year, but we are so grateful to have another year.

Here is hoping to a fabulous 2014!

XO-Tarin

Life Update

I have not blogged in forever  - I love reading other's blogs...I just can't find the time to write my own lately!  SO much has happened in our lives since I last posted.  I write this so that I can look back and see the ups and downs in our lives months or even years later.   That being said - I am glad that I have an "outlet" to spew my feelings! :)

We just remodeled our upstairs bathroom - I have never been so glad to never see someone again as I was those contractors - Don't get me wrong; they did a great job and it looks fabulous, but I'm OCD and the mess about killed me!  It took three long weeks, y'all!

My dad's younger brother has been diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer.  This seems surreal to even type that.  He is so young (early 50s).  It's just jolting that he could not be with us soon.  He has the same type of cancer that we lost my Great-Grandmother to in the 1980s.  It is in his esophagus, lungs, and parts of the stomach.  He is on a feeding tube and resting at home with hospice care.  They tried chemo and radiation but said that at this point it was fruitless...Never good news.  He is an inspiration to me in his Faith and the fact that he was at Church yesterday despite his weakness and how badly he feels.  I don't know how he found the strength to get there and stand, etc.  We are all in prayer for him, my Grandfather, and my dad and his sister right now.

I saw my OB today about my yearly and about our fertility.  It has hit two years that we have been trying.  We have one tubal and one miscarriage down and still no baby.  I filled the prescription for Chlomid today and we shall see.  I am in prayer that this path works for us and that this is what we are supposed to be doing.  I am praying that my left tube is still healthy and that we can have a healthy baby.  I am not greedy - at this point I would just be grateful to get to have one healthy child.  Just one.  I also have to have an ultrasound of my right breast on Friday and I would appreciate any prayers for a good outcome of that as well...It worries me with our family history.  There is someone else in our family that is having a biopsy on the 20th and prayers for her would be welcomed too.  It seems that there is so much sickness and sadness lately, but I am hopeful and prayerful for good things ahead! :)

On a happy note, we did get to go to Las Vegas in February and had a blast!  Also, I am LOVING my practicum experience at the middle school where I am placed.  I am SO BLESSED to have such an awesome supervisory - I am learning so much from her!  Also, my brother is well into his Senior year.  He graduates in May!  Crazy how time goes...So proud of him!

Hopefully my next update will be filled with blessings and positive news.  Just keeping it real, though...This has been our lives lately...Good and the bad.

XO-T

Christmas 2012 Recap

Y'all - I completely failed at the POD thing this month...We have just been too busy!  I have tried to soak in every little moment of this Christmas because it feels as if the moments go by in an instant and I would just love to pause those moment and go in slow-motion with them to make them last just a hint longer! 

 

We traveled to Gray to see my husband's family up until Christmas Eve when we left to come home and spend Christmas day with my family.  Sadly, I do not have any photos from the hubby's family Christmas...However, I do have some from my side of the family's get together. 

 

We had such a blessed Christmas...We thought alike and got each other IPads (we are secret tech nerds!), and the pugs even got a stocking this year from my sweet MIL.  Prissy is LOVING her Santa - she just sucks/chews on his beard all day long! 

 

Last night we lost our minds and decided that it would be great timing to take down allll of the decorations and clean the house...Y'all we didn't get done till around 9:00p.m.  Hubby said we aren't doing as much decorating next year, and I kind of agree with him.  It takes up so much time that we could just be spending with each other and family.  However, it looks so pretty!

 

On the baby front, the Mr.'s first cousin and his wife just had their baby yesterday morning.  Welcome to the world, Baby Ethridge!  He is just beautiful from all of the photos I have seen so far.  If anyone reads this regularly you know that the hubby and I had sad news last month with our miscarriage.  I'm not gonna lie, y'all...It was hard on us this Christmas and Thanksgiving.  I have cried a TON, sat around and felt sorry for us, and imagined how different this Christmas would have been if I was still pregnant.  I remember each Wednesday how many weeks I would have been.  I pray that this gets easier and that we are able to conceive again soon with a health baby and pregnancy. 

 

Enough of the sad...Here are some photos from our Christmas :)

 

Our IPads - I got a black one and he got a white one!

Our living room tree/mantle this Christmas.

Porter on Christmas Eve - He has hollowed out this cushion!

Mom and Dad's house Christmas lunch.

Madison (brother's gf), Stewart (brother), and Brandon, his best friend.

The Mr. - HATES having his photo taken!

My Nana, Dad, and Mom.

My Nana and Ralph.

My granddaddy and his friend, Cora.

My brother and me.

Mom and Me.

Dad and Stewart.

I pray that y'all families had a blessed Christmas and that you have a happy and safe New Year!
XO-T



Pod - day 5

Today is temperature - it is unseasonably warm here in Georgia! Feels more like September than December! Also- check out the massive mounds of leaves in our yard!! Pathetic!

Xoxo-T

Picture of Day- December

This is the picture of the day for December- I'm already behind! Day one was view for day, day two was fav holiday movie, day three was red, and day four was joyous ( weren't the pugs cute this morning?! Made my heart smile!)

Happy Tuesday, y'all!
Xo-T

Baby-Trying Update

So...If you can sort of read between the lines on some old posts you may have figured out that we have been trying for a baby for a while now - Since April 2011.  I know it's probably weird to talk about it so openly on this blog when I can't even seem to discuss it openly with friends or family...This just seems easier and more private.  Weird, I know. 

We had a tubal pregnancy last December that resulted in emergency surgery.  We kept on trying but had a setback when I had to have my gallbladder removed in June.  Well, we were at the point in our plan with our doctor that we were going to talk to a fertility person in March of 2013 if not pregnant yet due to my chances being more difficult as I only have one tube now.  Well, about two weeks ago I had horrible pains in my right side and they discovered a cyst on my right ovary...Thought nothing of it until I discovered I was late.  I was pregnant again - Y'all I just can't describe the joy that P. and I felt upon seeing that little "pregnant" message on the screen of the test!  We went that day for an ultrasound and blood work b/c they consider me high risk.  As excited and overjoyed as we were, we once again only got to enjoy the happiness for a week this time as well.  I woke up Thursday morning and knew something wasn't right...

Upon calling the doctor they put me on some meds to try and help, but it was too late.  We have had a hard week and a hard time tying to accept that this was just not our time and not that sweet babies time.  Everything happens for a reason and I pray for God's healing hand to be on our hearts.  We have pushed through this week and are planning a big Thanksgiving celebration with our families. 

I just wanted to share the pain and emotions that we have been going through and that it does get easier and to not give up; if anyone ever stumbles upon this and it helps them, then that was my purpose in writing this.  I feel grateful and blessed that it was not another tubal and that my left tube does seem to be working properly.  That was my silver lining throughout the sadness of the miscarriage.

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

 

Have a blessed Thanksgiving y'all.

 

I am thankful for my wonderful family, amazing/supportive husband, my snuggle pugs, my faith, and for this blog in allowing me an outlet to express the things I have been feeling and not able to say out loud.

 

XO-T