Baby baby baby!!!!

We're getting the nursery semi-pulled together....a little at a time. My wonderful Nate took off all the baseboards, sanded, re-stained and varnished before we were allowed to decorate. Now, we're watching the clearance end caps like vultures and scoring some pretty sweet deals.

 

Here's the progress so far:

 

Martha, here’s your close-ups:

The zebra has the hymn“Come thou Fount” as his white fur.

This owl has a belly made out of a torn-out book page. Don’t worry, I used a crappy cowboy book…nothing good.  

Repurposed birds from a baby shower I threw for a friend…

 

These came in the mail yesterday- the first set of 12 reusable diapers. Average savings per child: $2,000. (!!!)

Our deal of the week: 3-piece luggage set for little girl Eigsti.

We found these at Kohl’s.

Originally $120.

Price reduced to $49.99.

15% off coupon

$10 off coupon

gift card from Grandma E.

Gift money

Total cost: –$1  (YESSS!!!!)

And Nate’s other project (as if he didn’t have enough to do!) Here’s the before picture of the floor:
And the after- new tile. He did a WONDERFUL job…it’s beautiful.

And just for good measure, here’s what Charlie is up to. There’s a new little lady that moved in this summer- her name is Bella and she LOVES Charlie. He might be partial to her as well…..as you can see.
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Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day. Today we remember the men and women who have fought for our freedom. And two of the most important men in my life have served our nation's country in this way: Dad and Grandpa.

My dad
* is one of the kindest, most gentle men I've ever met.
* Is a Vietnam Veteran
* He's always been an encourager, gave me freedom to dream out loud and share ridiculous visions for my future, and allowed me to be completely myself.
* He was always proud of me and made sure I knew.
* He's a verbal encourager.
* I used to wish so badly that I was a runner, because my dad was and I respected him so much for it.
* Some of my favorite memories are of him working on a project in the garage, the smell of sawdust or varnish permeating the air. I would sit for hours in a lawn chair watching him or journaling, classic rock on Z-98 blasting from his paint-splattered stereo.
* He's an amazing artist and craftsman and doesn't "play" with his talents nearly as much as he should.
* So many of his traits are similar to Nate's, and I'm thankful for such a wonderful dad to show me how husbands should really treat their wives.
* He and my mother have so much fun.
* I. Love. This. Man.

These are my adorable parents. We took this picture at the Omaha Zoo this past summer.


My Grandpa

* Has the biggest heart of anyone I know
* Is not afraid to cry
* Talks more about how blessed we are than anything else
* Should have written a book with all of his stories that we hear again and again and love it every time.
* Is a WWII Veteran
* Became a follower of Christ after he was married and had his first son- because a pastor knocked on their door to share Christ with his community.
* My favorite memories of him are singing "Down by the Old Mill Stream" and swinging on the front porch swing- just the two of us.
* He spends nearly every morning walking the mall with my grandma. He does more walking, she does more shopping. :)
* He loves wearing flannel and plaid.
* He's a "hat grandpa" and looks adorable wearing them.
* Grandpa LOVES Port wine. It was one of the 3 items on his Christmas list last year.
* This man and his wife have been married for over 68 years, and she still giggles at him.
* "Whatever you do, don't overdo it" is one of his favorite sayings.
* So many times I've thought "What would Grandpa do" and rationalized decisions based on his character because I respect him so much.
* He is wiser than any other person I have ever met- at least, I like his advice the best.
* I feel so incredibly blessed to STILL have the ability to call and have meaningful conversations with him.
* He is one of my favorite people in the whole world. Love him!

Here he is at the Lion's Club pancake feed a couple of years ago.


And for good measure, here are the ladies on a very windy mother's day this past spring. What a bunch of cuties. :)

November 3rd

Today is blustery and cold; typical weather for early November. The skies are gray, trees contrast with dying vibrant colors, and fallen leaves whip across sidewalks and streets. Today is November 3rd.

Today I met my husband after work at the cemetery where our son, Oliver, is buried.

Today is his due date.

I woke up in a bit of a fog, not having slept well, but brushed myself off and headed for work. It wasn't until I was mere blocks from work that I realized how hard moments of my day were possibly going to be. The only sign of a Kleenex I had in the car were the drive-through napkins stuffed in the passenger side door compartment- just out of reach, and the half paper towel with smears of cream cheese from my morning bagel. I'm not sure if I just needed a really good cry, or if it was the realization that the wetness I felt on the paper towel was either from A) tears or B) parts of cream cheese that I was potentially smearing all over my cheeks that caused me to break down into the sob-fest. Could have been a combination of the two.

By the time I got to school, my eye liner was gone completely, and I was really wishing that I had my faux glasses to slightly cover the increasingly puffy eyes.

All joking aside, today has been, for the most part, normal. There have, however, been small bits of great heartache as I daydream about snuggling up to a perfect baby boy, who could have been here by now. I've allowed the visions of a new baby for Thanksgiving and Christmas enter my heart and head. I've glanced more than once in the direction of "Baby's first Christmas" outfits and "Santa's little helper" sleepers at Target and Khols. I've wished that he could be here with us. I've imagined Nate holding his son, Oliver curled up into the newborn ball, taking naps on dad's chest, and even wished for crying in the middle of the night from a little voice.

We are daily prayerful and thankful for our daughter, who will join our family in March. We love her and look forward to sweet moments with her. She will bring great joy in a few months, and we know that.

But today, we remember our little boy who will never be held this side of Heaven. We won't hear his cries or watch him learn to crawl. He'll never take first steps or attend a Thanksgiving or Christmas family gathering at Grandma and Grandpa's. We'll never buckle him into a car seat or pack a suitcase for him on vacation. He'll never play with Charlie or learn to crawl on our stairs. He just won't. And today, that makes me cry. We really wanted him. We really loved him. And we had such mighty dreams for his life.

Today we remember Oliver. We think of him every day. We love him always. And we look forward to meeting him and sharing in the joys of Heaven one day.

Happy November 3rd, Oliver. We love you.