I'm so very greatful for a healthy baby who's here

Tonight I put Sophia to bed for the last time before her first birthday. I may have cried a little. I may be a bit misty as I type.

I'm just so grateful. I didn't know one little soul could change my life so drastically and amazingly. I didn't know another person's happiness could feel so much like my own. I didn't know my husband could love his baby so much that he would be perfectly fine with all girls in our family.

But, I can't help but think of so many mothers who never celebrated their baby's first birthday. Or did so wondering if they would celebrate a second one. There are so so so so many tragedies out there that I will never understand. I don't know how a 7 month old gets cancer. I don't know how a momma watches her baby shrivel away from malnutrition or treatable disease because she can afford neither food nor medical care. I don't know how a 30-something pregnant woman is nearly brain dead from the flu and pneumonia while her baby and husband live on. I don't know how babies are murdered. I don't know how young mommas die from cancer, leaving their beautiful perfect children behind, many so young they will never remember their mommas who loved them so fiercely. I could just bawl thinking about if I faced the same fate. If Sophia never knew who I was and how much I loved her, how much joy she brought me.

My only comfort is this, my Father knows. If I were gone, he would send another to love her. Maybe not in the same way I do, but more than enough to meet her needs. I trust he does the same for all children who have lost a mom. Maybe it's not a physical person, in some situations the Father himself is the only one there to love those children like they should be loved. And I know the Father comforts those who have lost children if they let Him. I do not understand how because that is not the road He has chosen for me. I know tomorrow it could be. Oh how that thought hurts my heart. I will trust that it would somehow be in His plan and bring Him glory.

But today, I am oh so thankful that Sophia has come through her first year healthy and thriving and that she, myself and her papa are all here to enjoy it together. I'm keenly aware not everyone gets this privilege.

Merrily we roll along

Ore the interstates.

So as aforementioned here are some photos of all our travels.

The first trip was to Georgia, seeing John's side of the family.

Sophia with Grandpa Johnny

Sophia is enamored with Uncle Jeff

She loves Grammy Melanie (and her jewelry)

Still enamored with Uncle Jeff

Us at the rehearsal dinner

Bathing in Great Great Aunt Susan's sink

The Basset Hound Ring Bearer, Jake

Still enamored with Uncle Jeff

Playing with cousins

Snuggled up to Aunt Hali

The White Women, present and former

Papa makes her smile

Family visiting after the wedding

Great Uncle Dale and his big baby Standard Poodle, Millie

Goats!

Goats sniffing Sophia!

Sunday on The Farm (Hilltop Farm)

Then on to church camp the next week

Loves riding on Papa's shoulders and using his head for a drum

Brrrrr! It was cold in that concrete building with hardwood pews

Our Pastor's wife, her daughter, and Sophia

Lots of cooking...and eating

Helping in the kitchen

Another chilly night, hanging out in the camper before church service

Peeling lots of veggies

The little kids found a turtle

Enjoying a warm day!

And last weekend, on to Baton Rouge for Megan's Bridal Shower

They had the cutest mice on the cheese platter!

With MawMaw Gena and Aunt Megan

Fun with Aunt Megan

So as you can see, it was a busy and fun three weeks. I had a good time, but am glad to be home!

I just couldn't do it...

I couldn't do two consecutive months of daily posting. And thus I am missing out on the annual "Thirty Thankfuls/ 30 Days of Thanks/ Thirty Days of Thanksgiving" blogging themes always going around this year.

I thought I might at least participate on Facebook, but I haven't. Since I deleted the FB app from my phone, I'm on there much much less. I don't even upload photos hardly. But no one in my family has complained about a lack of Sophia coverage, so I guess it's okay.

I spent a week and one day without my phone recently. The first couple days were hard. You see, while I was away visiting family, someone (cough cough Hali) picked up my phone (we have the same one but different cases) and took it with them.

By the time it was realized, they were about 45 minutes away. Neither of us wanted to drive to them to get it, so we agreed that when everyone got back to their home cities, it would be mailed to me. Unfortunately overnighting was cost prohibitive, so it came Priority. It was mailed Monday, but we left Wednesday morning to go out of town again, and before the mail ran. We did not come home til Sunday.

The only real inconvenience was that I didn't get a text from my boss telling me not to come in Monday. So that was a wasted trip to work. And then I did think about some "what ifs" since we don't have a landline. Guess I would have had to run across the street to the neighbors in an emergency. But that's all passed now.

We were gone more than home the last two weeks. We went to Macon for John's sister's wedding and then to Alabama (north of Brewton) for our annual church camp. And this weekend Sophia and I are going to Baton Rouge for my sister's wedding shower. Sophia has been a real trooper. She's slept in a lot of unfamiliar places. But I take her sound machine and mobile for stability.

So with all that combined, I have been pretty unplugged from technology. Once I get my photos uploaded I'll do a post on our travels.

For now, I'm helping John with his eBay business. We are finally fully staffed at work again, and so my hours have been a little cut lately. Feast and famine. So I need to help out with the business so we can maximize it's potential.

John had an interview at Starbucks today. He is supposed to hear a decision by Friday. It would only be part time for now. His plan is to return to school this spring. He would like to get into the radiography program in June, but from what we read online that would take a miracle. It would likely be June of 2015. If that's the case he will at least finish his general AA for now.

Changes all around these days. Should be for the good!