Christmas Letter 2007

Now this was one wild year! It was filled with weddings, cross-country road trip, new jobs, very long runs, lots of drama, and new family members.

As 2013 ends, I remember 2007 - the last year we celebrated New Year's Eve before children came along. In fact, I became pregnant for the first time within weeks of writing this letter.

Christmas Letter 2007

Merry Christmas Friends and Family!

It really feels like Christmas right now. The lights on our tree our glowing while I work on Christmas cards with the snow falling outside. How lovely!

Love

This year has brought many exciting new things into our lives, as well as our friends. Love was all around at the six weddings we attended this year. Two of which were those of the wonderful women who moved in with us shortly after we finished construction on our home in the summer of 2006. Beth married Ken Yoder in April, and Ruth married Doug Kauffman in September. Though we miss them, we know they enjoy being a Mrs. to their men!

 

Family

Adrian is now a licensed officiant, and he actually performed three of the six wedding ceremonies. (He’s great at it and really loves doing it) A very special experience for him was officiating his sister Leona’s wedding in October. We gladly welcome her new husband, Gary Gerhardt, and his two children, Jordan and Abby, into our family and as neighbors down the road.

Adrian officiating Brad and Amanda's wedding in June.

 

My sister Lillian is due to give birth to her second child this week! She and Keith are expecting a little girl this time and will have their hands full, since little Gabriel just turned one in October. Adrian’s older brother Jeremy and his wife Jessica also have two precious daughters, Alexis and Madison Kate. So, now we’ll have six adorable nieces and nephews! We love being aunt and uncle J

Aunt Jul-Jul with my sister's little ones.

 

Travel

We were blessed to have the opportunity to visit Jeremy and his family in British Columbia, Canada this summer. In June, we took advantage of a few weeks off between jobs and hopped in the car for a spontaneous road trip across the country. We drove from Delaware to Washington state in four days and experienced the beauty of America. From there we entered Canada and stayed with Jeremy’s family for a week, then drove back through a gorgeous, mountain route in Alberta. We agree that this trip was one of the best experiences of our lives, and we highly recommend you consider a cross country road trip sometime in your life.
(We have amazing photos of this trip, but they are all in an album that you'll have to see in person!)

Another amazing experience I had this year was traveling to San Francisco, California to run my first marathon. I completed the race as part of a program to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In addition to the months of rigorous training, I had to raise $4,200 for LLS to use in helping families battling blood cancers. Thanks again to everyone who supported me in this effort! There were over 20,000 participants, mostly women, who ran either a full (26.2 miles) or ½ (13.1 miles) marathon with me on October 21. It was more physically straining than anything I’ve ever done, but the joy of finishing made it all worthwhile. It’s actually kind of addictive, so I just ran a ½ marathon in Virginia on December 1, but with only 100 others this time.

My friends Kristen and Lori finished the Marathon in San Francisco with me!

Work

Adrian and I have both embarked on new careers this year – entering the world of sales. In July, he became the commercial sales representative for Atlantic Aluminum Products, a successful Greenwood based company that installs sunrooms and custom railing. I joined Ryan Homes, a residential home builder with communities throughout the East Coast, as a sales associate in August. In spite of the crazy housing market, the job is going great, and I was recently promoted to a sales and marketing representative. I’m currently managing home sales for two new developments in Easton, MD. 

Now that you have read about the life and travels of Adrian and Julles, we want to wish you a great year ahead and pray God’s blessing on you this Christmas season.

                                                                                                                                Many Blessings to You this Year!

New Years Eve 2007, Ade and I were enjoying Rehoboth Beach, Del. with these lovely ladies!

 

Christmas in Our First Home 2006

Whether it ever existed I do not recall, but there seems to be no Christmas letter for 2006. However, I cannot let that year just pass by without a review. It was a significant year - the year we built our first home.

Our First Home

The Seely family has a large farm in Greenwood, and Adrian and I were blessed with a piece of land to build a home. We decided on a beautiful ranch design with a finished bonus room and 2-car garage. At the time, we thought this might be the only home we'd ever build and where we'd raise our family...we wanted to do it right the first time.

The home we built in Greenwood, Delaware. Photo taken in 2009 with landscaping.

Construction started on our home in early January, just weeks before my 24th birthday. Truth be told, I knew little about what to expect for the cost and monthly payment; real estate was quite foreign to me at the time.

History now shows us that early 2006 was just about the height of the housing market (if not slightly past) and home loans were easily obtained with no money down. We locked in at a 6.6% interest rate for 30 years.
Side note: mortgage rates hit an all-time low late 2012 with fixed rates less than 4%; that equates to savings of at least $400 a month on a home this size!

That year Adrian devoted countless hours to our home. He assisted with the framing, installed the plumbing, laid the tile in the kitchens and bathrooms, hung the siding, painted the walls and much more. He is very handy, especially when it comes to construction! I usually left for work in Wilmington by 6:30 a.m. and didn't get home until close to 7:00 p.m., so I did not get to see much progress until the weekends.

By June, the home was complete and we were ready to move in! However, right around that time, a frightening incident occurred.

The Washing Machine Incident

Adrian was working on installing the new washing machine when he let out a deafening yell. I ran in the laundry room to find him lying on the ground with a massive cut in his right forearm (I could see inches of his muscle...gags). He had tied into a 220 volt and the electric shock had actually cut his skin. Immediately, we went to the car and I started driving to the hospital about 20 minutes away.

The problem is, I don't handle blood and pain well at all. About halfway there his arm starting bleeding heavily and I couldn't take it any more. I pulled over just in time to put the car in park before I fainted! That's right, hard core passed out in the driver's seat leaving my husband to call his parents to come rescue us and take us to the ER. What a day!

It's really a miracle that Adrian lived through that. The doctor told us that if both his hands had been on the washer and that current passed through his heart, he would not be here...That wasn't Adrian's first close call and it certainly wouldn't be his last.

Two Wonderful Women

Once we moved into our new home, we welcomed two housemates. Women from out-of-state who were dating local friends of ours and wanted to be closer as their relationships blossomed. We jokingly called it the halfway house because within a year both women were engaged and soon married.

Three engaged couples and us! Ruth and Beth are on the left with their fiancés Brad and Ken.

Brad and Amanda are to our right. If we took this picture again today, there would be 8 children in it :)

 



We loved being able to share our home with Ruth and Beth, and the special opportunity to get to know these amazing women! Little did we know that four years later we would move to Indianapolis near Beth and Ken.

Youth Group

Our home also became a fun hang-out for the youth group we continued to lead. As youth pastor, Adrian was an exceptional speaker and leader; he was able to challenge and encourage many of the youth to recognize and use their talents for God's glory. That year, our church of about 100 members had a youth group that grew to over 40 teens attending our weekly youth gathering. I loved seeing God use Adrian in this capacity, but dealing with teen drama was no piece of cake.

Marketing Fun

Though I had a long commute, I did enjoy my marketing position with Nason Construction. That year they completed a $30+ million expansion to Christiana Hospital, Delaware's #1 medical complex. I worked tirelessly to put together an award submission that resulted in Nason being the first Delaware firm to receive a First Place Construction Excellence Award from Associated Builders and Contractors! Unfortunately, I did not get to attend the award ceremony in Las Vegas.

I never would have imagined that two years later, I would be having surgery in one of those new state-of-the-art Operating Rooms that Nason Construction built. Christiana was the only hospital in Delaware that has the expertise deliver a baby with spina bifida.

New Baby Boy

One more big event that year was the birth of my first nephew. For the first time, I got to really imagine what it would be like to have a baby as I experienced pregnancy and birth through the eyes of my dear sister. I was able to join her in Vermont when Gabriel was born, and I fell totally in love with this little guy!

Holding my precious nephew Gabriel (this was taken the summer of 2007)

We finished the year celebrating Christmas with Adrian's family in our new home. It was truly a blessed year in our lives.

Christmas Letter 2005

Just before Christmas I had posted the first Christmas letter that I ever wrote. It became a tradition, so I'm doing a little series of posts at the end of 2013 with these letters to provide a "Year in Review" for this Seely family. It's very interesting for me to read these and remember those times and have the knowledge of what was to come.

The year 2005 was a very busy year for us, and that year did involve two moves...

Christmas Letter 2005

Merry Christmas Friends and Family!
We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year! We say that because most of you will probably receive this after Christmas. Sorry for the delay, but that’s what happens when you move the week before Christmas. Yes, we just finished making our second move of the year, and that’s just the beginning of what has happened in our lives in 2005. 

Home

It was early this year when Adrian’s parents offered us some land outside of Greenwood to build a home. After months of taking steps toward making this new home a reality, we just signed the loan this past week and we are ready to break ground and begin construction. Naturally, we are very excited about this!

As for our moves, in June we had the opportunity to move from our apartment in Bear (we moved there from Greenwood in Aug. 2004) to rent a home near downtown Dover. For various reasons this turned out to be a great move for us, and we enjoyed our short time in the state’s capital. However, last weekend we moved back to Greenwood due to some unforeseen events. In October Adrian’s Grandma, Lena Seely, passed away, leaving her house in Greenwood empty. We were given the opportunity to stay there and received approval from our landlord to break lease early in order to do so. This move is a huge blessing in many ways, specifically because the house is adjacent to where we will be building our home.

Work

The recent move is also better for our work situations. Early this year, Adrian began working with my father, Byron Outten, at his plumbing business in Greenwood. This has worked out very well for both Adrian and Dad.

Adrian and I at Nason Construction's Holiday Party

As for my job, I have been the marketing coordinator for Nason Construction in Wilmington since March 2004. Though I am now 1½ hours from the Wilmington office, the decision was made last week to create a new position for me in our Salisbury, MD office (45 min. away) that would allow me to lead the marketing and business development effort for the Delmarva Region. I am looking forward to this new role.

Church

Another reason we are glad to be back in Greenwood is to be closer to our church and the youth that we are now working with. It came unexpectedly, but in April several people at church approached us about becoming the youth leaders. After much prayer, we decided to take on the role and have thoroughly enjoyed this new experience. An average of 20 teenagers attend the weekly meetings, and a few weeks ago more than 50 came to the special worship time and pizza party we hosted – it was great!

Play

In spite of the busy year, we have still managed to squeeze in some personal fun with a couple of weekend camping and hiking trips as well as a few rounds of golf (Adrian is teaching me) and a little swing-dancing.   And in the evenings, we find ourselves amused and entertained by Max, our Jack Russell, who is quite adequately fulfilling the role of a son…for now.
 
All that being said, we hope that you have had a blessed year as well and pray God’s blessing on you this Christmas season.                

                                                                                                                With His Joy,

Adrian and Julleanna Seely

 

Four Years ago December 26 - The First Seizure...IN HIS WORDS

Yesterday we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day with both of our families! A marvelous breakfast at Adrian's parents with his three local siblings and a delicious dinner at my parents with my little brothers and Aunt Bon's family. That may be the first time that we've seen both our families on Christmas day...I'm not 100% sure. Last year we were in Virginia, and the year before that his parents joined us in Indiana.


Adrian bought floating lanterns for Christmas this year.
We lit them and sent them flying last night at mom's...so fun!

My brother Cameron and I laugh as we wait
for a lantern to fill with hot air and float away.

Our little girls visit with Granny and Grandad Seely on Christmas morning.

Typically, my parents go to upstate New York for the holiday. That's what I grew up doing, spending every Christmas but one with my mom's family in New York. Now that my sister and her family live in nearby Vermont, that's all the more reason for my parents to spend Christmas day up north. But this year they went up early and came home early to celebrate with us who could not take the trip. They came over to our house Christmas Eve for snacks and Adria and Johanna's dance party ;)  We really did appreciate all the time with our loved ones.

Four years ago, Adrian and I spent Christmas in New York/Vermont area with my extended family for the first time since we'd been married. It was great to see many of my 25 cousins, aunts, uncles and grandma that I had not seen in years on Christmas Eve and then watch Adria open gifts with her little cousins Christmas morning.

Adrian helps Adria open a present in Vermont, the day before his first seizure.

We had no idea our lives were about to change the very next day. In fact, we did not even know that day what had happened.

The First Seizure...IN HIS WORDS

December 26, 2009. It’s not the most important date in my life but it definitely ranks as one of the most memorable. Adria was just over one year old and we had just returned from having Christmas with Julles family up in Vermont. Julle had to be back to work the day after Christmas so we had the great pleasure of spending Christmas day driving back to Delaware where we were presently living. It wasn’t too bad of a drive, but driving for seven hours isn’t my ideal way to spend Christmas. We had a good time visiting in Vermont though.

The morning of the 26^th was our normal routine for a Saturday. Wake up about 7:30, have breakfast, and then Julle heads off for work about 9:30. At this point in our lives Julle is the sole bread winner and I am the bread maker so to speak. When Adria was born and we realized the level physical challenges that she had, we decided that one of us needed to quit our job and things worked out that that person was me, so I became the stay at home parent. I had only been a stay at home parent (or Hollywood husband) for a year and was still trying to adjust to this new role. Be an over the road truck driver with two days a month home time? Been there, done that. Cut wood and deliver calves in sub-zero weather? Love it and did it. Be a stay at home dad? Now there is a real challenge. Little did I know just how challenging it was about to become.

After lunch that day I put Adria down for her afternoon nap and then I laid down for some rest to try to catch up on some lost sleep from our trip. About an hour and a half later I woke and knew right away that something wasn’t right. Actually a lot of something’s weren’t right. First of all I felt really…..off. I couldn’t think. I was very confused about where I was, who I was, what was going on, everything. My head hurt, my tongue hurt, all of me hurt, and as I got up off the couch and began to walk around to try to get my bearings things just got more confusing. I found the shoes and socks that I had been wearing when I laid down were now by the back door and soaking wet. My pants were also soaked halfway up to my knees. Doors that had been locked were now unlocked, coats that had been in the closet were hung on chairs, and other strange things had been done. It appeared that I had gone sleep walking and that putting on my coat, unlocking the door, and going outside was all part of it. Fortunately, we lived next to my parents and I was able to call them to come watch Adria and help me try to figure out what was going on. Although we didn’t realize it at the time, this was to be the first of many seizures to come.

Our First Christmas Letter

Before I began this blog, the only literature you would have read about our lives came in the form of our annual Christmas letter. I started writing them the year after we got married, and I think I've sent one out about every year since with our Christmas card. You may never read them, but I enjoy the annual updates and photos from people when I get them in the mail.

I just discovered that I still have all of these letters on my computer. So guess what? You can read them all. It'll be a little snippet of our last decade. Keep in mind, I do try to keep an upbeat tone in these, no matter what REALLY went down that year.

Here is our First Christmas Letter - December 2004

One year down, 99 to go (or something close). Yes, November 22 marked our first year of wedded bliss…and blissful it has been. We will spare you too many of the details but thought you might be interested to know just a few. It’s been an eventful year with a new job, home, and family members.

First and foremost, it is no longer just the two of us. Our young son joined us in January, and he is simply the most adorable pup you will ever see. We’re not kidding. Our little Jack Russell’s name is Max, and we only hope that our children will be as cute and obedient.

We’re also proud to be Aunt and Uncle again, as Adrian’s brother and sister-in-law gave birth to their second beautiful daughter in August. We hope to follow in their footsteps one day, but we’re very patient about that.

In March, Julles was blessed to land a job that utilized many of the skills she gained during college. Though she never anticipated working in the construction industry, she is now happily employed as a Marketing Coordinator for Nason Construction, Inc. in Wilmington.

We still lived in good ‘ole Greenwood for a while, but the long commute encouraged us to pack our bags and move an hour north in August. We rather enjoy our third-story apartment in Bear, Del.

Adrian still owns his own business, APQ Painting, but now has the longer commute. For most of the past year, he’s been acting as assistant superintendent as well as painter for a townhouse project in Easton, Md.

That’s probably enough details for now, as we know you need to get back to baking or wrapping gifts or other holiday preparations. We truly hope that all is well with you and that you have a blessed Christmas!

Love,

Adrian, Julles and Max  

 

 

 

Meeting Santa at School

She wants a Purple Pony for Christmas. At least that's what Adria told Santa in her pre-school class today. Not sure where that came from, but I guess I should go hunting for one this weekend! I'm not 100% sure, but I think this may have been her first time willingly sitting on Santa's lap - her teacher's husband did a super job playing the part :) And some high school assistants made cute elves.

I think this was her first time actually being willing to sit on Santa's lap

One of the surprise blessings to returning to Delaware is that the state has a great pre-school program for children with developmental delays. It's part of the local public school and is free for children who qualify with an IEP (Individualized Education Program).



Adria in circle time at pre-school working on the letter Q this week.

A short bus equipped with belted booster seats comes to pick up Adria every weekday and takes her and other qualified children to their special classroom in the local high school. For 2.5 hours in the afternoon they get lunch and learn letters, seasonal facts and many other things in their "Interest Areas." It's the perfect amount of time for her and Dad, and she loves it.

Her three teachers pour into the 24 children in her K-4 class, and I've been impressed with all they have taught her. Not all the children have an IEP, but those who do get individualized therapy times once a week.

Adria gets physical therapy, where she is currently learning to balance on one leg and try to walk up steps without needing to hold onto the railing. It's been great to see her progress over the year when little things like being able to step up on a curb are huge triumphs! She's a trooper.

Today, parents were invited to stop in and watch our children meet the special visitor before Christmas break. It's fun to watch a group of 4 and 5 year olds as Santa enters the room, and they one-by-one sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. Each child was given a gift, a box full of art supplies. I found out that these were provided by the local Lion's Club. How sweet!

It was a fun way to celebrate the last day of school for two weeks. And I was thankful I had the time to stop in and participate before running to a home closing. My first two home sales at my new job settled on their new homes this week. Yeah!

That's what I wanted for Christmas.

Blessings visible with a day at the Childrens Hospital

Today I was reminded again how blessed we are with our little Adria and how different life could be.

We packed up the girls early and were on the road by 8 a.m. to get to A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children by 9:30 a.m. It was time for Adria's bi-annual visit with various doctors in the "Spinal Dysfunction Clinic." Because spina bifida impacts so many different areas of the body, the hospital coordinates times when the various specialist come together in one area to see their patients with similar challenges. It works well but it means that we sit in room for a couple hours and typically see at least seven doctors, physician's assistants, physical therapists, nurses, etc.

As we sat in the Rainbow module waiting area before her appointments, I saw a young man in a wheelchair and his father. He had large shoulders and a thicker mid-section with short, lifeless legs hidden under baggy pants yet he was aware and cognitive, all tell-tale signs of spina bifida.

I said hello and introduced myself asking his name and what grade he was in. Ninth grade...he just started high school. That's a rough time for anyone, but I couldn't help but think how much more difficult it is for this young man. I almost felt guilty saying that my daughter has spina bifida too, as she went stomping past to go look at the train set.

His father asked what level she had, meaning where was it located on her spine. I said the L-4/L-5 area. He seemed surprised saying that was the same as his son's spina bifida level. He asked, "It wasn't myelomeningocele was it?" There's a question I almost never hear.

"Yes, she was born with myelomeningocele with her spinal cord and a sac protruding from her back," I replied. Truly, I think he was almost in shock. He said it's amazing how different she can be with the same level of spina bifida. Yes it is, I thought.

We chatted for a few more minutes about things like catheterizing, bowel management, shunts, and surgeries. All things we understand and experience yet very rarely have the opportunity to talk with other people who know exactly what we mean. And then Adria was called back.

Adria did great. It's wonderful that she can now stand barefoot (with mom's help) for her height to be measured. She's 3' 2" tall and almost 42 lbs. That's pretty short for her age, but you'd never know without other kids around.

She showed off fairly well for the doctors, and they were pleased with her progress saying she looks great. The best thing we had to share was that the bowel program we have in place now seems to be working to keep Adria's diapers clean most of the time. This was a big concern of ours during our last appointment with the clinic in May. Yeah for progress! But they were quick to warn that this is ever changing with their spina bifida kids, so be prepared...

They also asked how easily Adria tires when walking. She can go fairly far, about 1/4 mile, but definitely couldn't make it through a walk at the mall.  They suggested we might start thinking about getting her fitted for a wheelchair at her next visit...it can take 6-8 months for one to come in after ordering. This discussion was minorly alarming to me because I've been so pleased with Adria's progress, I just didn't think we'd be talking about a wheelchair. The doctor assured me that many of the childrens' wheelchairs collect dust and are only on-hand for major outings like a trip to Disney World, once they've outgrown a stroller. We'll see I guess. I'm in no rush for this. We still have a jogging stroller and a double stroller that work just fine when needed.

But as I pondered the possibility of a stroller, I thought about that young man I met earlier. For him there was never any question, he would need a wheelchair. He has almost no feeling in his legs. He has the same "birth defect" at the same level as my daughter. He is a special boy and I hope and pray the best for him.

I just realized how very blessed Adria is. She is a little miracle. She is amazing.

Adria helping to put on her braces

Johanna being like big sissy and taking her shoes off...

The new hospital addition is coming along nicely! Can't wait to see it.

Adrian's Christmas Wish...IN HIS WORDS

This week has been a rough one for Adrian. There's no quick, easy explanation why but there are just times that it's more difficult to cope with what his life has become. He had a look in his eye the other day that made my insides churn. It's an almost haunted look that I have seen many times over the last four years but not so much recently. We fear the worst will happen when he is feeling this way but then remember the seizures have often come when he's feeling totally fine, this doesn't have to mean anything.

It just makes Adrian's Christmas wish much different than most. As he shares here...IN HIS WORDS:

So it’s that time of year again that’s filled with the hustle and bustle of travel and family, of food and friends, of shopping, 50% off, and free shipping. The time of year for the giving and receiving of gifts, whether it be a warm hug and genuine smile or a new car, each of us are secretly and vocally wishing for that one or many things that we think will make our life happier. It’s that special time of year for hope and joy and of peace on earth good will to men. It is also the time of year to think; to think of the miracle that this season represents and to think of others more than usual as we find ourselves sending and receiving Christmas cards from friends and family we don’t often talk to.

This season I find myself thinking of the thousands of others who also struggle with epilepsy, some of whom are my friends. And my heart breaks for all those who live under this constant cloud of “what if”. I have to be honest and say that as I think about the miracles that this season represents, the miracle of Jesus’ birth and the angels appearing to the shepherds, that I am struggling with anger and hopelessness instead of being filled with the hope and joy of Christmas. Because for myself and the majority of those like me there is no hope of a visible miracle since there is nothing visibly wrong with us.

We are not blind so there is no sight to be restored and we have no cancer cells to go into recession. There is nothing that can be found to show that a visible healing has happened because there is nothing visibly wrong with us to heal. My doctors have, for some reason, been very clear with me that many seizure victims can go 10, 20, even 40 years seizure-free and then have them start again. For each person that suffers from seizures, each person’s situation and severity of attacks are different than the other persons, but with the rare extreme cases like me, living with seizures is living with a death sentence that can be carried out at any moment. The one thing that we all have in common is that we now have to carry this burden the rest of our lives with no assurance that it will ever be removed.

So this Christmas I find myself thinking of all those who have to live with that and wishing there was more I could do for them. If you know someone with seizures or any other physical struggles take time this Christmas season to reach out to them and let them know you care. Let them know that they matter to you, that they are important. A picture is sometimes worth a thousand words but in this case a Christmas card isn’t enough. Take time to make a phone call, take them to breakfast, or just give them a hug, or two, or three.  Knowing people care is the best medicine there is.

Prior to four years ago when it came to this time of year, the gifts I wanted were things like a new TV, a sound system, or head phones, now I just don’t want to go to the hospital. I want a Christmas not marked by a seizure, a ride in an ambulance, and all the memories that go with it. I want a Christmas spent with family watching my children play and my wife laugh not cry. I know that this wish can’t be found anywhere for 50% off and it won’t come with free shipping but I do know that it will definitely make my life happier. So here’s to hoping that this Christmas wish will come true.

Every Christmas card has a Story

There are very few areas in my life where I can claim to be organized, but I do fairly well with my addresses for Christmas cards. They are saved in a label format on Microsoft Word, so all I have to do is go through the file and update addresses, add or delete names based on who we've met that year or lost contact with, and then print. Stick the labels on the cards and Presto they're ready!

It works great, but it does make me think how annoying we must be for making you change your record of our address every year for the past five years. Any of you who've sent us mail have probably about given up on trying to keep track of us! And I don't blame you; trust me, this wasn't all planned.

But this year it really struck me as I went through the list of names and addresses, that so many of us are going through life events that are "unplanned" - not that we could possibly plan out life. There were many names I had to delete, some because they are no longer with us on earth and others because of broken marriages or strained relationships. It made my heart sad to think of your pain.

We understand pain, but not all types. And I know that your pain is unique to you and your life experience. Whatever it is, it matters and is significant. Whether you lost your mother this year or your husband left you or you're not cuddling a baby that was supposed to be in your arms or you are alone again wondering if love will ever find you...your story matters.

So I prayed for you. Though my cards may feel impersonal, since I didn't hand write your address or even sign our name (it's printed on the card), I thought of you. As I stuck on the label, stuffed our picture card inside, placed the stamp and sealed the envelope, I said a short prayer.

If there is anything I am convinced of or anything I have learned over the past few years, it would be that we are all going through something. Big or small, there is a pain in our heart. And so often it is held in secret. But God knows. He sees. Whether you feel that or not.

Much of the reason why I decided to share our journey is to offer hope that you can survive the pain and the daily grind and keep going in the face of uncertainty. And while Christmas should be a joyous time, for some it can make the pain more acute. For three years straight, Adrian had a seizure within a few days of Christmas, robbing us of much festive joy.

As you open your Christmas cards this year and look at the happy smiling faces, realize there is much more to their story. And whether you receive a card from me or not, know that I appreciate you and that you care enough to share in our story.

Whatever is on your heart this season, let's remember that at Christmas we celebrate the life of Jesus. He came to earth to live as a man, to experience our pain, and to carry our burdens. His Story is the greatest of all!

My Water Broke in Wal-mart and a Successful VBAC

For some, the first two years of a baby's life fly by, but I think about all that happened since Johanna's birth and it seems like a long time. She was born in Indianapolis, turned one at our Virginia home and now is two in Delaware. She was born the day before her December 3 due date, but that was actually a surprise to me!

My mom flew into Indianapolis on November 30; I picked her up but went back to work that day and ended up working until almost 10 p.m. that night to sell one more new home before going on maternity leave. I don't advise this, but I did end up being the top selling Indianapolis Sales Rep that last quarter, in spite of the fact that I was on leave the last month of the year. My pregnancies have actually proved to help my sales technique, but I'm still kind of annoyed at myself for putting in those late hours the day before I went into labor. Yes, I had a family to provide for but my priorities were somewhat out of whack.

39 weeks pregnant at the park in our Geenwood, Indiana community

I was completely unprepared when my water broke the next day. Mom, Adria and I had planned to pick up a few groceries, then relax with pedicures after lunch. Baby Girl had other plans for us.

We had just stepped into Wal-Mart when I felt it. Yes, my water broke right in the produce section of Wal-Mart! No, there was no clean up on aisle 9 or anything nasty like that. I'll spare you the details and just say there was no question what was happening and it's a good thing there was an extra jacket to sit on in the car!

It was such a surprise because I'd had a check-up at the OB the day before and there were NO signs this baby was coming anytime soon, in fact he thought it might be another week at least. There had been no contractions or dilation or any of that lovely stuff that precedes labor.

This was a first for me. I never labored with Adria, as a C-section had been recommended due to her spina bifida and the need to protect the "sac" protruding from her back as much as possible. For more about her birth, read here. My OB in Indy was great and fully on board with my desire to try a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section), but he too was surprised when I called to say my water broke.

Once he confirmed this, he sent me straight to the hospital for the baby to be monitored as there can be complications with a VBAC and I would need to deliver within 24 hours. He also asked me if I'd be willing to go to a hospital that I had not planned because he had a mom laboring there already and was concerned about not being there for one of us if we were in separate hospitals 15 minutes apart. I saw the value in this, though I was disappointed to not deliver in my hospital of choice. It ended up being a good thing because we both delivered within an hour of each other.

We made a quick stop to get some lunch before going to the hospital because I knew they wouldn't feed a laboring mom, especially one who was at risk of needing a C-section. But, I did not have my hospital bag packed yet (I'm a tragic procrastinator...don't wait this long if you're pregnant!), so my dear husband had to pick out some clothes and supplies for me and baby and bring to the hospital. This is not ideal, folks, but he did okay.

Adrian was actually working 45 minutes away that day as this was during the brief period when he'd returned to work. He left work and was able to be with me as I labored, while my mom watched Adria at our house. I laid in the hospital bed with monitors on my belly for hours before I really felt contractions, but they came and I had the "joy" of experiencing labor pains. Much of the night was a blur as I felt almost constantly faint with aches and pains. I have a low pain tolerance and a history of passing out (yes, I fall down too!) so I had no preconceived notions that I would go through delivery "all natural."

When midnight rolled around and I was still only 3 centimeters dilated, it was time for Pitocin to kick things into gear. My OB was concerned about the labor progressing so slowly, but I'd heard horror stories about how this drug causes extremely painful contractions and I was already feeling fatigued. So I said, bring on the epidural if we're starting Pitocin!

In my experienced opinion, an epidural is a wonderful thing! So what if I could barely walk the next day? Kudos to all you amazing women like my mom, mother-in-law and sister who collectively gave birth to 15 children without one epidural...but as for me, I took the "easy" road on this one. For the next three hours, I literally slept through hard labor. I was surprised once again when my OB checked me just before 4 a.m. and said it was time to push! I thought I had several more hours based on how slow things had been going but that Pitocin did work. I will add that there are new studies out this year about some possible risks of the drug, but my experience is that it helped things along and prevented another C-section.

For 45 minutes, I did controlled breathing pushes at the guidance of my OB and wonderful doula at each contraction. There was a little trouble getting baby girl out, but at 4:44 a.m. on December 2 Johanna entered the world!

She had a precious cry and Adrian called his parents so they could hear it. Another three weeks would go by before they'd have the chance to meet her. I felt so incredibly thankful to have a chance to deliver a beautiful, healthy baby girl!

And then I heard the sweet tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" over the hospital speakers; they played it every time a baby was born at St. Francis Hospital. Welcome our little star, Johanna Belle!

 

 

 

Our Adventure-seeking Baby Girl is 2!

Yesterday our little Johanna turned 2 years old!

Sometimes I can't stop kissing her precious little cheeks and other times I want to bop her on the head. C'mon, you know you feel the same way if you've had a toddler.

From the start she's been so different from her older sister. While we cheered Adria learning to army crawl 3 inches on her first birthday, Johanna was already running around the house by the time she turned one. On the flip side, Adria had memorized and could recite the words of a few simple children's books by her second birthday, while Johanna has really only mastered a dozen or so words that mainly just we can understand. She always jabbers, it's just not intelligible most of the time. Vocabulary will come, she's too busy adventuring all over!

Johanna is a constant ball of energy every waking moment. It's stunning really. But at least she'll often take a 2-3 hour afternoon nap for Daddy. Every day she wants to wear a "jesh", that's a dress, and may have a major meltdown if you deny her this. The dress is critical for her dancing, this occurs anytime music is playing. It's generally just spinning in circles but she's learning a few new moves, one being a bottom shake. Hmmmm.

Shoes and socks are never worn indoors by her, this is unacceptable. She would be happy to live on a diet of cheese, strawberries, milk and Smarties with the occasional yogurt and granny applesauce. Bows, clips, hair ties...what are those? They rarely stay in long enough to keep her bouncy brown hair out of her eyes. She loves babies and animals and says "ahh coot" when she sees either. Thrills and speed get her giggling, but once it stops...beware. She doesn't actually walk, it's more of a skip, hop, jog around the house.

Her expressions are endless. Her frown, troubling. Her strength, impressive. Her smile, infectious.

In her 2 short years little Jo-Jo has been known to:
- eat a tub of butter
- dump sister's medicine on the carpet
- poo in the tub, multiple times
- draw on our friend's wall
- empty the kitchen cabinets then hide in there
- enjoy the taste of dirt
- spew at the most inconvenient of times
- throw away her sneakers and other useful items
- dump what seems like gallons of water on the bathroom floor
- secretly hide away in the pantry with a bag of chips
- steal away a pack of oreos right from under my nose
and dozens of other things that demand the common phrase, "No Jo!"

That's our baby girl! Are these things normal??? Hahaha! We never experienced this kind of stuff with Adria. But it holds a preciousness all it's own (when you look back on the moment :)

We are so thankful for this little gift given to us before Christmas two years ago. And we are excited to see what God has in store for our beautiful, adventurous little girl!

Our happy little Jo-Jo

Mommy and her new baby on December 2, 2011