Fall Fun

It is no secret that this is my favorite time of year. This year I have yet another reason to enjoy it.

At some point in her life she will pay me back ten fold for actually putting her in a pumpkin. Isn't it cute though? She sleeps so well that she barely woke up enough to realize that she was in fact inside a pumpkin.

Again. Barely awake. We took her to the pumpkin patch so we could pick out the perfect pumpkin (see above) for her first Halloween. The very nice lady at the pumpkin patch volunteered to take our picture. Not the best picture but it will have to do for this year.

And last but not least a couple of weeks ago we drove up to do some "leaf peeping" but the leaves hadn't really turned where we went. Oh well we got a picture of Lauren (sleeping...again) and I in the mountains.

Tiny Pirate Fan

We are still here. Things are going really well adjusting to having Lauren home with us.

I'll spare everyone the gushing over how wonderful being a new mom again has been so far. Lauren has really just been the best little baby so far. She sleeps, she eats well, we think she is pretty cute, and Tonka loves her. I'm not sure we really could have asked for anything better so far.

She is such a fabulous baby we have already toted her to her first Pirate game. It was a blast and she did wonderfully! I carried her in carrier all day while she just slept. It was amazing to see her sleep through everything including all the fans cheering.

In Great Contrast

To the post below which shows a father saying goodbye to a daughter he loved so dearly.

I bring you this.......

Megan Grace's dear little sister Lauren Hope going home from the hospital. She was born on 9/30 at 7:49 am weighing in at 8 pounds and 20 inches long.

We are comforted in the fact that Baby Lauren resembles her sister so closely that we get a glimpse of both our daughters on a daily basis.

The time that has passed since March 13, 2009 when we found out Megan Grace would not be raised by us here on Earth has been filled with a wide range of emotions from complete sadness to sheer joy as we brought Lauren home from the hospital.

Even still Megan Grace has found a way in the early days of Lauren's life to interject her own sense of humor. Lauren was about 4 days old when a friend pointed out to me that I had been telling everyone that her birthday was 9/29 instead of 9/30. Sure enough I had confused the girl's birthdays :) All I could do was laugh as I pictured Megan Grace smiling down over all of us.

Happy 1st Birthday in Heaven Sweet Angel

There is no party, no balloons, no cake and no celebration however we have memories.

Memories of the sweet little girl who touched our lives forever on this very day last year.

She was not with us long but her memory will remain forever. Our love for her is never ending.

Megan Grace ~ We are so glad you came into our lives even if it was for a short time. You have shaped our family forever just by being you and for that we are so very grateful.

I'm sure you are smiling down from above but what I hope you realize is that many of us are smiling back at you on this very day. You touched lives of people your daddy and I do not even know.

How amazing is that?

Happy 1st Birthday Megan Grace! We love you!

Love,

Mom, Dad, Tonka, and Baby Sister

Mother's Day

The other morning as I was driving to work, I began contemplating this Mother's Day.

Last year, I vividly remember standing in church with tears streaming down my face. Megan Grace was still here with us yet we knew it would be the only Mother's Day we would share with her on this side of Heaven.

This year is again very different. As I ponder Mother's Day this year, I teeter between longing for the daughter who is not here with us while holding out hope for the daughter we are expecting later this year.

Such a twisted ball of emotions all being housed within my heart and soul. Through the coming years I am sure I will continue to figure out how to reconcile these feelings for now though they kind of just reside as polar opposites forever playing a game of mental tug of war.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful Mother's out there especially the ones who woke up as I did this morning trying to balance such opposing feelings.