Great Expectations

Oh, where to even start with this post......

Since getting pregnant with this little "miracle,"  I have dealt with nothing but horrendous nausea and vomiting.  It has colored every experience dating back to Vegas.  Being sick is YUCKY!  I had been looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday since The Jessups told us they were coming about 3 months ago.  Oh I simply couldn't wait.  Even with the nausea, at least I would have some distraction and fantastic conversation and activities to keep my mind off of my troubles.  When Tuesday of last week rolled around, I was ecstatic with glee waiting for Grace, Sebron and Jancsi to arrive.  We picked them up in the evening and headed up to the mountains to start our vacation.  Then vacation started.....

Tuesday night I woke up at 2AM spewing my insides out from all ends (I know your thinking, "Gosh Bethany couldn't you sugar coat it?" trust me, I AM).  I was so sick and every 15 minutes I was up spewing again.  It was unbelievable.  If I even drank 2 sips of water I was over the toilet.  By 8AM I could still hold nothing down and was miserably thirsty.  I decided with the morning sickness included I needed to get to a doctor.  We drove down to Conifer, met with a doctor and discovered that I had managed to get a stomach bug.  Thank God for anti nausea drugs!

On a side note:  Pregnancy has a funny way of taking your dignity.  Exhibit A: In the doctor's office headed to the bathroom I couldn't make it and had to dart into a room with a trash can, oh, and a waiting patient.  Exhibit B: While waiting for the script to be filled, I threw up right out of the car, just when the owner of the car next to us decided he needed to leave.  AWESOME!

So I managed to bring a stomach bug into our Thanksgiving household.  This bug was like no other bug I have ever experienced,  8 hours after me, Bob went down, 8 hours later Lily went down then like dominos, Mema, Grace, Sebron, Jancsi and Papa all went down.  IT WAS RELENTLESS and AWFUL!

We all missed enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner and traded it in for soup broth and popsicles.   We had the 5k Gobble Wobble on the books and Bob and I were too weak to do it so Grace and Sebron had to run it by themselves.

It was so discouraging.

Thankfully, since we all took turns there was always someone to watch the kids so that the parents could be sick.  Here are some of the times the kids had outside.

Amidst all of the misery, it was wonderful to share conversation and just live life again with Grace and Sebron plus it was wonderful to see our little kiddos together.

They have both grown up so much in the few short months that we have been apart.  It is simply special to have them together again.

The last 3 days were pretty good all things considered, even though we were all still under the weather. Grace and I got to run together.  I had so many runs planned and we got to do 1.

Oh well, it was special.  I just miss her so very much, especially now when we are both pregnant and still running.  Bob and Sebron also got to run together too even though it was late at night after Bob worked.

We made Christmas cookies, watched movies, went to the play ground and of course enjoyed a milkshake at Chic-fil-A.  Although the time together was different than we all expected we made the best of it.

Here was the one picture we managed to get of all of us.

This picture is really special because we don't have many friends that would be wiling to take a morning picture.  This is what I love about the Jessups, life with them is always real.  Hopefully next time we won't have the bugs take part in our festivities as well.

Daddy Daughter Time

I love the weekends these days.  I seriously look towards our Saturdays and Sundays with great anticipation.  Why you ask? Because my husband is AWESOME!  Thats why.  AWESOME, WONDERFUL, AMAZING and a GOD SEND.  Here he works all week long and comes home to a "monster" of a wife.  Yes, my face is broken out like a 13 year old and I have cold sores from all the vomiting.  I do get a shower, but I always nap on my wet hair leaving a "stuck in a light socket" vibe while lounging in my 5 day old comfy pants and sweatshirt.  Oh, and, I cannot cook......anything right now.  So not only does he come home to his "lovely" wife, but he has to make his own pizza dinner, every night.  Yet despite all of this, when the weekends come, he is on, 100%.  Wife, Husband, Mom, Dad, Cook, Cleaner, Encourager and Friend.  Yep, he does it all and I am simply overwhelmed and completely amazed at the man the Lord chose to give me in this life.  There is simply none better.  True story!

This weekend was by far the worst for me yet.  I couldn't hold anything down on Saturday and today has been hit or miss.  So this weekend has turned into the great Daddy Daughter Date weekend.  He has taken her everywhere.  They went to the park, to Chic-fil-a, to the grocery store.  They read books, played airplane, made dinner, played in the water, read more books, vacuumed, took Lily's babies for a walk, played on the IPAD and did just about everything.  He even went for a bike ride, got a flat tire and ran back home for 6 miles when he couldn't reach his "never checks her phone" wife.  All so that he could get home to help get Lily ready for church.  He humbles me.  Bob has worn more hats than he should and has done it all with unwavering joy.  I love this man........even if he is the root cause of my vomiting.

I feel like Dory

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming."  Unfortunately I do not have Dory's positive outlook at present, but her mantra runs through my head all day.  Oh I am just so sick with this baby.  It's overwhelming and I am only 9 weeks. Oy.

Pictures and blogs have been literally the last thing on my list these days.  So sorry faithful followers.  Frankly every day is exhausting and a trial of will power.  Have you ever seen the commercial about depression where each frame says something like "sunshine hurts, wishes hurt, fun hurts?"  I never, ever thought I would liken this part of pregnancy to depression, but this time, it is simply the only correlation I can make.  Everything is harder when you feel wretched all. day. long.  Boy its rough.

Lily has really been a trooper through it all.  The poor dear still does not handle me vomiting very well at all, but she is learning that Mommy is just sick and that there is a baby in my tummy.   We try to run 3-4 times a week.  No, if you are wondering, its not fun, but I am determined to stay running and praying that by the time I feel good again I will still be running.  Some days it is all that I can do to get out.

We are anxiously looking forward to Thanksgiving next week because our dear friends Grace, Sebron and Jancsi will be coming out for the week.  I am just thrilled to know that I will have my running partner and pregnant friend in person again.  Oh I am looking forward to it!

Hope in Tiny Packages

"For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God!" Psalm 86:10

God has once again done what several doctors considered impossible.  We are pregnant again!  The Lord has seen us fit to parent another precious life and surprised us with Baby Longmire #2.  Many have asked me if we were "trying" this time.  Honestly no.  Bob and I had decided that one blessing was okay with us, considering the fact that us conceiving naturally was such an "impossibility."  That being said, we weren't about to limit God, so after Lily was born, lets just say we weren't preventing it.  Bob and I have always wanted to either have kids close together or only have one.  That is just how we feel about our family.  So we decided that once Lily hit the 4-5 year mark we would call it quits and be a happy family of 3.  Both of us really never thought we would get pregnant again and were very okay with it.  God knows, we don't!  When I discovered I was late and woke up feeling horrible, I thought, "no way."  A few days later I took a test, well 2, and yep pregnant!  It wasn't that it was a surprise, it was just so unexpected.  Bob and I were overwhelmed and somewhat dumbfounded.  I had a good mind to write to those 2 fertility doctors and show them our miracles.  Truly amazing!

I must admit that having another baby is new territory, especially for me, an only child.  I have had moments of wondering, "Really God, can we parent 2?  Lily is so precious and so amazing it seems selfish to think you might have another baby for us.  Plus, how do you love them both equally?" I know, the Lord will walk us through it.

Unfortunately, I am not going to dodge the vomiting/horrible morning sickness this time.  In fact, I feel like it is worse this time.  Bob took this picture of me in Vegas.

Yeah, on the floor soaking up the cool tile after being sick.  Awesome!  With Lily I held off vomiting until 9 weeks.  This time, 4 days after I took the test I woke up with the toilet.  It is amazing how the Lord lets us forget.  I cannot believe I was ever this sick.  The hardest part?  I now have toddler who does not consider sitting on the couch all day fun.  Throw up and move on is what my new motto is.

This baby to me is hope.  Our world has its issues, its sinful and in desperate need of a Savior, but little miracles like this tiny baby give me hope for the future.  Bob and I are blessed to be able to take part in raising a generation that fears the Lord, loves others, demonstrates compassion, seeks peace and stands up against injustice.  We have been blessed.

May we live up to the calling!

Celebrating our Girl!

Our little girl is 2! Today!  Unbelievable.  It is overwhelming to watch her little life just fly by.  She is so smart and I see her smarts oozing out of her on a daily basis.  We got to celebrate Lily all weekend and it was simply wonderful.  Grandma Jill and Grandpa Steve flew in from Chicago to celebrate the little one and we had a great weekend.

Our weekend started when a brand spanking new Radio Flyer wagon showed up in the mail from Grandpa and Grandma Longmire.  Lily was beside herself with anticipation when I told her, "Oh Lily, its your wagon!"  As soon as Daddy got home they were on the floor putting it together.  Precious.  Lily helped take the nuts off the bolts and supervise as Daddy built.  Her eyes got bigger and bigger as her little wagon slowly came together.

On Saturday morning, Lily woke up to Gamma and Gampa in her room!  Oh she was so excited and I was thrilled that I got to sleep in.  Wonderful!  We decided hiking in the mountains needed to be on the agenda so we all headed up to the Golden Gate State park, with the wagon of course, to get in some fresh air.  

Once we got to the top we sat down for a break and took in the outdoors.  Lily discovered pinecones and thought they were the best things ever.  She and Gampa started throwing them back and forth and Lily was just beside herself with glee.  The whole hiking trip was wonderful and a great way to spend the morning.  Lily was such a trooper and she talked non stop about "hikine in the mountains."  

Sunday brought the birthday party and all sorts of family and friends.  After the big party I threw last year, I wanted a laid back, chill, party with family.  Funny thing is though, my family has expanded through spouses and kids and our small party had well over 20 people at it.  The wagon was a huge hit and it was so much fun to have all of the little girls in.  Gampa Steve got his exercise  pulling around these lovely ladies.  Kira, Lily, Mykenna and Kenneleigh with room to spare.

Lily opened her present from Aunt Heather and Uncle Derek first which was a baby and a stroller.  She was so set that it took all my energy to convince her that she had more presents to open.    I just love how these little toddlers haven't yet really figured out the concept of presents. It was entertaining to watch her wrestle with all of the paper and chaos.  Her cousins were all about opening her presents and Lily was happy to let them.

Once presents were finished, Gamma Jill lead craft time with some of the infamous pinecones discovered the day before.  All of the girlies got to make Christmas ornaments with glitter and glue.  It was a special time before the cake arrived!

Mema and Gran Fran completely outdid themselves this year with the cake.  Mema made it to look like Bon Bon, Lily's favorite horsey to ride.  It was spectacular and I could not have asked for a better 2nd birthday cake for Miss Lily.  

The day was an absolute celebration of our little girl and I loved every minute.  Here is a picture of the whole party.  We are so blessed to have this kind of love, this kind of support and this kind of family.

Happy Birthday Lily Grace!  WE LOVE YOU!