Coincidence or God?

Do you ever wonder just how much detail God cares about? Something happened early this morning that left that question in my mind: "Does God REALLY care about such trivial matters?" I'll tell you the story and let you draw your own conclusion.

This summer, we were out garage saling and happened upon a house that had old edition but still packaged Nascar cars and collector cards. Since we moved over to this part of the state, my life-long friend, Janiece and I usually buy small gifts for each other's kids and it's no secret that we often glean them from clearance aisles. No need to be pricey because after all, it's the thought that counts. Tony got to thinking that these might make great gifts for her boy's September and November birthdays so we picked up four of them.

This morning, I was getting Talon's ready and realized it was his 13th birthday. I was feeling kind of bad that I hadn't thought to get him something more special than OLD edition cars. And yet, I knew there probably wasn't much to be done about it since in this struggling economy we are pinching pennies every which way we can.

It was then that I noticed the year in the upper right-hand corner of the car package...would you believe they were put out the very year he was born?!

Now you tell me, was it coincidence or was it God?

Lessons Learned from Megyn

• The world doesn't revolve around me
• When something isn't going right, don't give up
• There is more to life than pets
• God promised strength in our weakness
• God loves to answer prayer in unexpected ways
• Life is not always a well-rehearsed drama; sometimes God asks for an encore!

A Girl's Best Friend

This post is a little belated but my arms have been a bit too full to type lengthy posts. I think Tony will understand.

When I found out I was pregnant last fall it was really no surprise when at my ultrasound they told me I was carrying another girl. Wish as we might, I have always said if I had boys they would probably turn out to be wife beaters - I don't consider myself to be top-of-the-line mother material and I know that the relationship between a mom and her son is pretty important to how he will turn out. Equally important is the relationship between a father and his daughters. Look at our little family of four girls and you have to conclude (and rightly so) that Tony is an AWESOME dad! I think God gave our girls the best.

Happy Belated Father's Day, Tony! Thanks for caring about all your girls (me included =) We often hear our Sunday School teacher, Sis. Campbell, say that her adult girls know they can call their dad anytime during the day if they need him. I know that you will be the same way when your girls are grown. And you are certainly the one they will be turning to...because you care and they know it!

Planning Ahead

It's almost impossible to get a decent picture of my father-in-law. Anytime the camera is aimed in his direction, he puts on a goofy face. Shortly after the death of both of my parent's, I told him one day, "We are going to have a really hard time finding an appropriate photo for your obituary!" Though the comment took him by surprise, it didn't change a thing.

I reminded him of it again when they were down recently to help us the week of Megyn's birth. And again, he was uncooperative.

Last night, we met them at Culver's in Greenfield, not far from where they are working at their General Youth Camp. I was snapping pictures of him with Megyn while he was chatting with Tony. I kept getting terrible expressions (not his fault for once) and asked him if he would please give me a pleasant face. Somehow I got this expression and was totally shocked.

So shocked in fact, that my next comment was, "Hey! I think we might be able to use this one for your obituary!"

He has decided not to eat my cooking anymore :)

Megyn, Bill or Both?

A week after the surprise discovery that we were expecting our fourth child, we had already decided on a name for each sex. Our three daughters weren’t overly thrilled with the first name we had chosen for a girl. But we figured that we would wait until our ultrasound to stress over whether we wanted to make a change or not.

The weeks came and went, and the day for the ultrasound arrived. We were told we were having daughter number four. The news was incredibly devastating to our youngest, who had built up her hopes for a brother in spite of our suspicions that it was indeed another girl. By this time, she was the only one who still didn’t care for the girl name we had chosen, so we knew it was time to get down to business and decide if there were other options.

I had been tossing around the name Megan for a girl, but I liked it spelled with a “y” – M-E-G-Y-N.  My husband, Tony, wasn’t sure about the name because he had a cousin named Megan and didn’t know if he wanted to duplicate. Because twins run in my family and because I LOVE picking out names, I always enjoy thinking about possibilities for two boys, two girls or one of each. I was trying to talk Tony into Rylan or Riley for a twin alternative. He determined early on that if we were to have a child named Riley it would be for a girl, not a boy.

A week after the ultrasound, our family of five was sitting at Steak ‘n’ Shake and discussion turned to the baby’s name. We talked about various combinations and finally Tony’s eyes lit up and half joking, he said he MIGHT be able to consider Megyn if we said she was named after Megan Kelly on Fox News. He googled her name on his phone to show me who she was and low and behold, we discovered that her name was spelled with a “y”, exactly the way that I preferred. It seemed like a sign.

Then Tony got a mischievous glint in his eye and said, “Hey, you liked the name Riley. We could name her after Megyn Kelly and Bill O’Reilly and call her Megan Riley!” We laughed about it but for the rest of the day, we tossed it around in our minds and aloud. My hang up was the fact that we had started a pattern without realizing it. Our first daughter’s name started with a “B” and each of the other two daughter’s middle names started with “B”. I wasn’t sure I wanted to break that pattern with our last child. Each daughter also had an unusual name and a more common name. Megan Rylee didn’t exactly fit that criterion.

Several hours later, getting ready for bed at 1 a.m. my mind was still swirling and we were still saying the name, “Megyn Rylee”. Thinking out loud, I mused, “What if we combined the “B” from Bill and the “riley” from O’Reilly and made Briley?” It would fit the pattern of the middle name with a “B” and the common name combined with the unusual. Again, Tony googled the name Briley to see if there was such a name and how we would spell it. I consulted the baby name books lying on the floor beside the bed. One had the name; the other didn’t. And though I’d never personally HEARD anyone with the name, there were several spelling variations to choose from.

Over the course of the next few days, we finally decided on Megyn Brylee – and that is how two Fox News reporters were the inspiration for our fourth daughter’s name!

She's Here!

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Today, I was looking through my box of misc memorabilia for something and happened upon this ultrasound picture from when I was pregnant for Kerrigan, 8+ years ago. I was amazed at the difference!

Ultrasound of Kerrigan, 8/18/00 at 18 wks, 2 days

Ultrasound of Megyn, 1/23/09 at 20 wks, 5 days – approx 8.5 yrs later
(she’s giving us a thumbs up =)

Adjectives or Nouns?

Today, Kerrigan decided she didn't want pizza for lunch like the rest of the family was enjoying...she wanted an omelet. So Tony made her one. When she finished, she wanted another and of course, all the stuff was put away. So I told her to ask her fairy godmother.

She thought about it for a minute, then said, "I don't know who my fairy godmother is." Then she modified that statement with, "Well, I know who my mother is, but I don't know who my fairy or my...well, I know who my mother and my God is, but I don't know who my fairy is."

(By the way, she didn't get another omelet. One item for the short-order cook was enough...just in case you thought she was spoiled. Well, okay...she is, but...=)

What We Only Think, She Says Aloud

Tony and I had to chuckle this morning when Kerrigan was looking at a postcard advertising the Talley Trio's appearance in the area. She looked it over and then remarked, "She's pretty [Lauren]. She's ugly [Debra]. And him? (long pause) I don't know WHAT to say about him."

In Memory of Mom

Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of my mother’s death. Last year, I had cried so much throughout the year that when it came to this day, I didn't want to schedule a day to mourn. I just wanted to relive the good memories. So we chose to do something happy in her memory. Tony took me to town and we picked out two hanging baskets of flowers for our front porch. Every time I looked at those throughout the spring and summer, I smiled.

This year, again, I wanted to celebrate her life rather than mourn her death. So I decided to splurge and shop at a store in the town where the girls attend school. The Jack ‘n’ Jill Shoppe reminds me very much of the New Yorker in her town where Mom loved to buy baby clothes for all the grand kids.

It was fun looking at all the beautiful clothes and trying to see them through Mom's eyes. There were two or three outfits that were definitely her style but this one just stood out to me. When I finally took it to the counter, the sales clerk told me she thought I was right in going with it. She said that it was the one I reacted most strongly too of all of them. I cannot wait until G4 is big enough to wear it.

Mommy's Having a Baby

The sibling next to me in my family line-up is a sister 7 yrs and 10 months my senior. Welcoming me into her world was not an easy thing for her. But unfortunately that detail wasn't discovered by my parents until many years too late. Having that knowledge and knowing that Kerrigan will be getting her eight year position as "baby of the family" usurped, we have been making an attempt to involve her with my pregnancy in anyway we can. She was especially looking forward to the possibility of a little brother (so she could still be the baby girl - her actual words upon finding out I was expecting!) We tried our best to prepare her for the fact that we were most likely having another girl. So it was even more important after the ultrasound to make sure she felt a part of the changes happening around here.

I was very excited to find out that the hospital offered a "Mommy's Having a Baby Class" for siblings ages 3-8 yrs old. And how much cooler was it that she was the only one of our girls to qualify. It was all about her. She has been waiting quite impatiently since my first doctor appointment for the opportunity to attend this class and last night was finally the night.

The first thing they did was draw a picture of their family for the new baby. Then Nurse Chris read a story to the group. After the story, each child was given a teddy bear of their very own, a tape measure, an I.D. bracelet and card, a diaper, t-shirt with the hospital name and a hat - all the same as the ones that will be used on our new arrival at the hospital. They measured the bear's length, head and chest, weighed it on the digital scales and then dressed it up for it's trip home. We were then given a tour of the awesome maternity ward. It was too beautiful to describe. All I can say is it compares to a hotel room without the carpet!

While we were in the class, a little chime went off with the first few measures of "Rock a Bye, Baby". About 10 minutes later, it went off again. The song signified the arrival of a baby, so we were privileged to see two brand new babies in the nursery during our tour. Of course, all that made us anxious to see our little one and yet apprehensive for all we know that goes along with her arrival. All in all, the evening was a huge success.

What I've Learned While Baby Shopping (recently and in years past)

• JCPenney’s baby socks stay on
• JCPenney’s has the softest receiving blankets and if you can catch them on sale, they aren’t much more expensive than Wal-Mart or Target
• Cloth diapers (which I use for burp clothes and which consequentially became my children’s “bankies” b/c I would put them under their face while sleeping – and which was doubly AWESOME b/c I had not one special bankie but 12 or 18!) are cheapest at Wal-Mart
• Target has the best deal on gowns anywhere around…Chico brand are soft and three in a pack for $10 (even Wal-Mart wanted $10 for a pack of two!)
• Target’s Chico brand onesies are actually thicker and softer than my previously preferred JCPenney’s Okie Dokie - and cheaper to boot
• And last but not least, everything looks so tiny I can’t believe it will fit anything other than my daughter’s dolls but my sister says I will be surprised.

Progression - Nov thru March

Glides on Smooth?

A couple weeks ago, Tony took Janae shopping. They came home with most everything on the list and and then some. One of the extras happened to be deodorant for the 11 yr old herself. (This seems to be a tradition for Daddy to buy them their first one. Something we'll have to remember for the two other girls coming along =)

A few days later, Britnee and I were in the dining room talking and Janae came bustling through the hall on her way to the living room. We heard her mumble to herself as she passed by, "That stuff doesn't glide on nearly as smooth as it says it does!" I was puzzled at first and then realized, she must have been trying out her deodorant. I called her name and asked her if she had twisted it up. She responded that she hadn't been able to get it to budge in either direction. Britnee immediately went and brought it out to see, yelling Janae's name as she came back in the room. The stick was a good quarter to half an inch BELOW the plastic! Ouch!

Big sister fixed it and we both had a good chuckle after admonishing Janae to always make sure the white part of the stick was showing well above the plastic container!

Got Ketchup?

It seems like a no-brainer but sometimes it takes this mom a while to "catch" on (pun intended). I gripe all the time about not being automatically given ketchup and salt when I order fries at the drive-thru. But when they hand me a ridiculous overflowing handful at my request, I understand why the fast food companies try to cut cost at every corner. And then I gripe about that. Moderation is the key.

But since their employees can't seem to get that through their heads, I guess we get the benefit. Now to figure out what to do with all these packets? I've been told that it takes 90 ketchup packets to refill a ketchup bottle. But I certainly have better things to do with my time and I would end up with more ketchup outside the bottle and on my hands than IN the bottle. After too many years of tossing them, I finally realized that these extra packets are perfect to toss in a lunch box with a corn dog or hot dog. Makes my life easier! And I WON'T gripe about that =)

The Name Game

I was corresponding with a friend last night via email. I asked how to spell her youngest daughter's name. She told me and then proceeded to share the spelling of the middle name then added, "I think..I can never remember if it is 'c' or 's'..." I had to chuckle.

I began to recount a couple similar stories. Members of another family I know always have a feud about whether one of the grandson’s name is Mark Evan or Evan Mark. If I remember correctly, it was supposed to be one way and the parents changed it at the last minute. But the rest of the family still insists that it’s the other way.

The parents of one of my best friends that I grew up with debated whether her name was MaryLee or Mary Lee. I think the mom wrote it as all one word on the birth certificate but the dad said it was supposed to be two separate names.

And then I got to thinking...maybe I need to order my kid’s birth certificates. Who knows what kind of names or spellings they might really have?

Finding the Balance

I said I'd never be a facebooker. Was pretty adamant about it in fact, my husband is quick to remind me. But then I got pregnant and laying in bed all day long to keep the nausea under control provided too many endless hours of boredom. Especially since no one seemed to be blogging. I thought it was due to the fabulous fall weather that I was missing out on. But now I have my sneaking suspicions that it was more of an epidemic called "Facebook". And I got hit too.

Now I spend my days checking the status of over 200 friends and family a few times a day. And updating my own if I have something new or clever to share. (Okay, sometimes it doesn't even meet that criteria =)

Anyway, now that I am doing facebook, it seems redundant for me to post some of the same news on my blog. So I am struggling to find the balance. I'm sure there are some of you out there who read my blog that have no desire to be on facebook. So you are missing out. And that's not fair. I also use my blog for a reference point when I scrapbook. I know that one of these days when I scrap the photos from the past few months, I will have a gap in my journaling because my status updates on facebook will be long gone. And anyway, those don't really share the deepest feelings of my heart...not like blogging does.

So bear with me while I struggle to find the balance. I enjoy writing too much to forsake my blog. Maybe-hopefully- it's just the stage I'm in with the pregnancy and all that keeps my brain from flourishing with an overabundance of words. And is only capable instead, of one-liners at this time.

Whatever it is, I hope to figure it out soon. If nothing else, rest assured that you will inundated with baby photos come June =)

Progression

What Can Brown Do for You?

Today, we were discussing the fact that Tony is trying to get bronchitis. I hate when people pronounce it 'brown ki tus'. (sorry if that includes you =) We don't say it that way around here. But apparently that's what Kerrigan heard since a few seconds later, she piped up and asked, "Do you have to be brown to get bronchitis?"

And you thought this post was something to do with UPS didn't you?

Free Babysitting?

I dreamed I had our baby last night. Then I proceeded to check myself out of the hospital and meet Tony and the girls at a hotel for the weekend! When I got there I realized that I’d left something behind. When Tony arrived he told me he and the girls had gone to the hospital to get me and found out I'd left. He spoke with the nurses and told them I was anxious about caring for the baby and needed a couple more days with just him and the girls - one last time. They understood and said it was fine to leave the baby with them until we got back from our little getaway.

But just in case you think I've lost it, I woke up feeling terrible!!!