Happy Anniversary - 9 years

NINE years ago today, we stood before God and a handful of family and close friends and said I DO! We were ALL IN and ready to start our lives together. After being a confirmed bachelor for 40 years, God had finally revealed to me my #2. My soul-mate. My BEST friend. My LOVE!

Not only had I been lucky enough to find my beautiful bride, I became instant dad to my 2 incredible 3yo twin daughters. We then added our amazing son, Jake and our MIRACLE son, Finn! Our family was now complete and we have set off on some amazing adventures!!

The past nine years have been full of AWESOME HIGHS and TERRIFYING LOWS. We've said hello and goodbye to special lives. All the while, standing side by side and barreling through it all. Eight months ago found us a one of those low times …. we were both extremely overweight and struggling financially … with no real motivation to do anything about it.

******** found us at that point and we dove in head first …. not expecting any real results but figuring, at that point, we had nothing to lose. To say it was difficult is an understatement …. but no one said it was going to be EASY ….. but boy has it been WORTH IT!! To date we've lost a combined total of 120+ pounds and have more energy than we've had in years!!

So …. here we are today!! Once again we are standing in front of a group of family and friends … this time 90,000+ strong …. Reaffirming that we are ***-**. Our passion for helping others is greater than ever and we love representing this amazing, Christian-based company.

Betsey – you are my rock. I can’t imagine a single day without you. There is no one on this earth that I’d rather be on this journey with! Thanks for putting up with my quirky habits and loving me unconditionally.

Happy Anniversary … I LOVE YOU!!

~Britt

Time Flies... and Stands Still

8 years that feel like 80.  8 days that feel like 800!  Time passes so strangely as a wife and mother.  Days seem to drag on and on, but the weeks and years fly by without a second glance!  Everyday is so full, yet the weeks are long as we wait for some special or specific date to come.  Momma told me there'd be days like this, but it has taken a long time to heed her words.

8 years ago today, I was a bride.  God had brought me my #2 a mere 4 months previous to this date.  I am sure my family thought I was being reckless.  I know outsiders looked at this as a union doomed for failure.  But, I serve a BIG God, whose plans I don't always understand, but he has proven to me over and over again how faithful he is.  I not only married my soul mate, I married the gift God had brought to me.  A man who put my daughters first, who would become the father to two amazing little boys, my best friend, my love.  We have been through bad.  We have been through very sad.  We've done hard.  We've endured painful.  But most of all, we have LOVED!  I love him more today than I did on that warm winter day 8 years ago.  More than on the night of a December basketball game in the beloved Gallagher-Iba area when he proposed to me at halftime.  More than on that fateful day that he told me he loved me for the first time.  Even more that the first "take my breath away" kiss.  All of those moments, while still precious and honored memories, pale in comparison to the love he has shown me as we do life together.  Lucky doesn't even begin to cover it.  Blessed.

And with that thought of time getting away from us..  The last few weeks passed in a blur!  School concerts, class parties, snow days, adjusting to a new job and schedule, office parties, Christmas vacation, Christmas, New Year, rest of the break, frigid cold, and today, FINALLY back so school!  We had a really nice, low-key Christmas.  That's what happens when your whole family lives less than an hour away.  The kids got lots of fun new stuff, and have enjoyed their break - for the most part.  Of course, 17 days with no school or other distractions is a LONG time!  Even with Emma and Lara gone for 6 of those days with their "Other Dad."  We got to spend some good, simple family time together.  Not a while lot to show for it.  I didn't even get a picture of the kids all together. Mainly because at some point during the chaos of Christmas morning, Finn stole my camera.  Then hid it.  And my iPhone pictures are just not very good.  BUT!  When I found the camera and unloaded it, I was pleasantly surprised with these little jewels:

Finn's selfies from Christmas day

Today was everybody's first day back at school.  Emma and Lara (who both got straight A's last semester!  WOOT!) are back to 6th grade, Jake back in 1st grade, and Finn to his pre-school class.  We are so ready to get back into our routine.  Basketball practice started last night for Jake; dance for Lara tonight.  Baseball and volleyball sign ups are soon.  Time to get busy again!  And to just LOVE my family!

In the meantime, our little man celebrated what should have been his 2nd birthday yesterday.  What a wild ride the last couple of years have been.  We've come so far.  So many ups and downs - more than the rest of the 8 years combined.  But oh so worth it.  Such an education!  And so many life lessons learned.  Still many more to come.

Finn's "should be" 2nd birthday

We are so thankful for our brave little man.  And his supremely patient older siblings.  We feel like we don't get enough time with the big kids sometimes due to the responsibility of taking care of our preemie.  But they take it all in stride.  And are such great helpers.  Finn is so lucky to have such loving, caring, patient siblings.We are all lucky he came along to complete our Dream Weaver Family. A family that started 8 years ago  today...

Due Date

Today, January 6, 2012, is my due date. Today was the day our baby boy was supposed to be here.  It is hard to imagine that he is 3 months old.  Especially when I am still in the “newborn fog” as sleep and showers are almost non-existent since his homecoming.  Finn seems to be adjusting to his new environment pretty well.  We have gotten the temperature issues under control, and he is eating like a CHAMP!  He has the chubby chipmunk cheeks and rolly polly belly to prove it!  The last 4 days have been a bit nuts with all 3 of the big kids home, too, but he seems to be weathering the storm well!  We are really enjoying this time as a family, and we know it will all change again when school starts back for them on Monday and the routine has to get back on track, and it will just be the two of us home all day.

Finn turned 3 months old (by the calendar) yesterday.  I am not sure how much he weighs exactly (I sure miss nightly weight checks!), but based on how he was gaining the last week he was in the NICU and the first few days home, I would say he is right around 7 pounds.  We are still keeping him on the 5-8-11-2 schedule, but he seems to be modifying it on his own.  The last 3 nights have been a bit unpredictable.  He seems to want to eat twice at 11, and then sleep 4 hours.  That right there shows me he is adjusting to being HOME and he knows he is in charge here!  We are going to keep this schedule as best we can for a few more days, then we will let him set the pace a little more.  He also seems to have his days and nights mixed up!  He literally sleeps all day during the daylight hours, and then he is more awake after 8pm.  And, like WIDE AWAKE from 11pm to 2am.  NICE!  My mom was just complaining last night how she never sees him with his eyes open.  That’s because she’s not here when he’s awake! LOL! 

If you didn’t already know, Finn’s “room” is simply the north wall of the master bedroom.  So, his crib is a mere 4 feet from my side of our bed.  When Jake was a newborn, we had him sleeping in a pack-n-play in our room.  It only lasted a few nights as Britt couldn’t sleep through all the noises Jake made when he slept.  That’s a WHOLE NEW challenge with Finn since he has his oxygen machine in the room as well -- and that’s a noisy contraption!  Last night we would get Finn to sleep, and then he would just whine and fuss and sputter and cry.  When we went to his bedside to replace his paci and rub his back, he would settle down and fall back to sleep, but then when we wearily climbed back in to bed, he would fuss again!  The solution?  We put him in the Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper *right next to* our bed.  He slept GREAT after that!  I guess he was just lonely.  Sweet boy!  4 feet away was just too far…

Today brings up a lot of emotions.  I’m sad I didn’t get to experience Finn’s birth the way I thought it was going to be.  I feel bad for Finn that I was unable to provide the perfect environment for him after 26 weeks and 5 days, and he had to enter this world in an emergency situation and be poked, prodded, hooked up, looked at, handled, medicated, intubated, tube fed, and otherwise just messed with when he should have been hanging out in the womb.  I ache for my family and all the sacrifices they have had to make over the past 5 months – I know they were troopers, but I know my other kids missed me and suffered from my absence.  But, I am also thrilled that Finn is here, home and (mostly) healthy.  I am proud of Emma and Lara and the young ladies they are becoming right before my eyes as they care for their fragile baby brother.  I light up with joy at the smile on Jake’s face when he looks at or smiles at or kisses his sweet little brother.  And I absolutely melt when I see Britt being the awesome Dad he is to all our kids, but especially this baby that we ALL had to work so hard for.  I love the little smiles Finn gives us, and the moments he makes eye contact with his (finally) blue eyes.  I relish the quiet moments when I can just cuddle him and watch him sleep.  And I am truly blessed by all the lessons he has taught me and allowed me to be a part of during his precious life.

This morning I saw where Britt had posted a beautiful status on the “Early Adventure of Finn” facebook page.  It truly sums up the way we are feeling today:

And tomorrow?  Britt and I will mark 6 years of marriage! Another fact I have a hard time wrapping my mind around.  Some days it feels like we have been together for a lot longer, and other times it seems like my fairy tale wedding was just yesterday.  While we will celebrate this day, it might not be the same commemorative date night we are used to.  We will be home with our 4 kids, quietly looking back on the journey God had led us on over the past few years.  And all our MANY blessings will be counted.  Love Never Fails.