we're expecting!!!!

if you know mike and i... that title REALLY got your attention!

for those of you who've been following along with the "skylar saga"... we have an answer!!!

skylar is our precious and beautiful black lab!  she is a completely amazing dog!!  and somehow or another, mike and i let her go "into heat".  it's really a long sad story and i think you can guess the ending...

as i stood at the vet's today, being grilled about what i would do should i find out my dog was pregnant, i felt like the kid who got caught stealing the candy bar.  i couldn't answer the vet's questions... i stumbled over my words... i choked up... and i eventually cried.  most of all, i felt like a complete failure as a pet mommy.  HOW COULD I BE SO IRRESPONSIBLE AS TO LET MY DOG GET PREGNANT??  WHY DIDN'T I GET HER FIXED?  WHAT WOULD I DO WITH ALL THE PUPPIES??  these were the questions being fired at me... "how many kids do you have?  how many dogs?  and what do you think you'll do with these puppies?"  the only thing missing was the bright light sweating me out!!

i literally left the vet's office in tears.  the ultra sound confirmed our precious skylar IS indeed expecting!!  and part of me was overjoyed!!  i'm 35 and i've never had a dog have puppies... but the words of the vet kept ringing through my head... "terminate the puppies"...  tears kept falling.  how do i make a good decision for my fur baby? 

of course i talked to mike... and i spoke with pastor mark.... my mom... my sister in law, cindy ... my daughter sireana... and every person agreed with me and was super supportive!  there is no way i could terminate those precious puppies!  i understand the perspective of the vet who i'm sure sees an endless stream of unexpectedly pregnant poochies... but that option is just not for us.  now, please don't ask me what vet it was... i don't want a tyraid of anger or rampid rumors... the vet did nothing wrong... simply outlined our options and highlighted his opinion.

so... babies... approximately six... baby daddy... UNKNOWN!!!  so we shall all be surprised when they come in to this world!!  mike assured our teens they WILL be helping with this process!  i think his exact words were something like "we're going 4-H with this!! we're all going to learn something!"  and i think that's true.  mike and i clearly knew the consequences of not getting sky fixed right away... and we knew the consequence of letting her out of the house unattended during her heat... and now we will accept those furry cuddly consequences with joy and love!! 

i'm hoping to to blog through this whole process... i'll try to get some pics of sky!!!  hehe!!! 
we're calculating she's due some time around Oct. 31.... so... anyone want a New Year's Pup?!?!?

God Bless,

the gonsers

the "rocKStar CollectioN"!!!!

i don't have a TON to say in this blog... other than to start by saying i COMPLETELY SUCK at the "before & after" pics!!!

i can not believe i didn't get a good picture of "katy" before... but honestly, she was just soooo stinkin' UGLY, i couldn't stand to document it!!!

but under her HIDEOUS facade lie a diamond in the rough!!  she was a good quality dresser with dove tail design... heavy duty... truely built to last!!

she was so... ugh... i thought i'd just throw caution to wind and here's what we got:

 

"katy"

named after katy perry is the first dresser in our "rocKStar CollectioN"!!

 

our daughter lexi and i came up with the idea to have a collection of pieces specifically aimed toward teens.  and so far, it's a hit!!  "katy" was posted last night and is already SOLD!!

 

we're on the look out for more "flat front" dressers like her to ROCK OUT WITH!!  and don't fret... we won't forget the boys!!  brady will be helping us design some fantastic guy dressers and various pieces!!!

 

 "lexi" would be a great nightstand or TV stand :)

 "danielle" is a coffee table :)

 

my precious alexis... a teenager???? no way!!!

today, my precious lexi lu lu turns 13.  i'm pretty sure she hates when i call her that!  but since she offically turned a "TEENAGER" today, making me OLD... i'm going to call her lexi lu lu!! 

 

wow!  holy "no make-up laurie!"  but look at lex... man is she gorgeous!!!

 how precious is that... lex and her daddy!!

 

 

when my kids have a birthday, i try to blog about them... make them feel as special as they really are to me!!

 

with brady and brittin, i can share the stories of their births... but with my other four kids, i can't... i wasn't there...  but i do remember the first day i met lex...

I will never forget the day I met Lex. It was a Thursday. It was our first “family date”. She and Mike came to our house to eat pizza and play Wii. The kids had so much fun together, they begged to have a sleep over! I fell in love with Lexi that day.

 

here we are in 2010!!  look how YOUNG she looks!!!! 

 

I’d be lying if I said that our journey together has been perfect. Just because Mike and I fell in love doesn’t mean Lex had the same feelings! I think we had the “honeymoon” period where we were all so excited and having so much fun. Then the task of parenting starts. Brady and Brittin have had their whole lives to learn my “quirks” and personality flaws. Lex was thrown head first into my world!

 

 

Lex is amazing. I mean AMAZING! The day I met her… she was half hidden behind her dad, peeking out, all shy! When we’d go to a restaurant, she was too shy to order her own food. In a large group, she was quiet and reserved. I could tell she was missing out on so much fun! She was afraid to cut loose and be a kid! 

 

our first family vacay!  notice lex was SHORTER than me... then!!!

 

I love watching Brady, Brittin, and Lex together! It makes my heart smile! Mike and I know how lucky we are. So many times blended families don’t blend! Our children have gotten along from day one. And lexi is AMAZING with brittin! Not every child would embrace what it takes to be part of a family with a special needs child. Lex could easily be kind to Britt yet keep her distance but she does just the opposite! Lex knows everything about Britt! She takes care of her, helps her, plays with her! The other morning I went in to wake lexi up and I found brittin curled up in her bed with her. I said “why are you in lexi’s bed?” Half awake, she told me “because I love her”. (tears!)

 

 

lex and britt!!

 

 

lex has proven to be a MUCH STRONGER person than i think she ever thought she could be!! after six years at the same elementary school, lext made the big leap to becoming a JIMMIE!!!  in 6th grade, lex joined brady and began attending Jimtown Schools!! 

first day of 6th grade!  look at the terror on her face!!

 

 

not only did she switch schools... she also started playing her first sport... VOLLEYBALL!!! another huge leap!!!  I'm so stinking proud of you!!!

 





 WHY CAN'T I ROTATE THIS?!?!  Ok... turn your head i guess :(

yesterday, i put on this "snap back" cap and we were at church... i was joking around giving lex a hard time... and she BEGGED me to take it off.  apparently she's too cool for "snap backs"!!!

 

but she'll never be too cool to cuddle with our puppy rudy!!!  they were all tuckered out after a long drive!!  lex was always willing to go on a "friday adventure" with me during the summer!  i missed her soooo much when she went back to school.  she may not know that.... 

 

 see lex on the right... notice we are now THE SAME HEIGHT!!  who am i kidding... i'm in heels... she's TALLER than me!!

 

 

lex... you are simply spectacular!!  i love you in a million ways!!  thank you for being such a sweet and caring person!!  your heart is so big, im surprised it doesn't jump outta your chest!!  i appreciate you more than you will ever know and thank God for bringing you into my life!!!

 

i love you forever!!

laurnadoone

 

Decorating with PURPOSE!!!

we had a wonderful weekend with tons of family over for lexi's 13th and brittin's 8th birthdays.  it was a great time of catching up and everyone checked out our new furniture adventure!! 

my sister-in-law said i must be watching nate berkus, but to be honest, tho i know who he is, i've never watched him.  for shame i'm sure!!  so i guess, my latest personal trend in decorating is what nate does...???  and everyone seemed to love it, so i thought i'd blog about it! 

i call it "decorating with purpose"!  when it comes to your home, i have a few firm beliefs:

1.  your home should be decorated to reflect YOU, your interests, family, and lifestyle.
2.  it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to decorate.
3.  every piece you bring in should serve a purpose or be LOVED.

i'm going to try REALLY hard to stay focused and not ramble!!!

1.  i think this is the most important for me!  i often wonder WHY my house is ALWAYS full of people!!  but my daughter explained it to me... our HOME is cozy and comfortable... the kind of home you want to hang out in.  good to know!  so how did we create that atmosphere?

i think it starts with two things:  FIGURE OUT WHERE YOUR FAMILY LIKES TO CONGREGATE and PICK OUT REALISTIC FURNITURE.

try as we may, we can NOT get our children to "hang out" in the family room.  everyone wants to be in our main level great room.  it's open to our kitchen so we decided to focus the majority of our attention and $$ on couches and a dining table.

remember, i said be REALISTIC!!!  would i LIKE to have a white slip cover sofa from pottery barn??  OF COURSE!!!!!  is that realistic with four kids, 2-13 years old plus two fur babies???  absolutely NOT!!!  so for the first time in my life, i made a GOOD decision on couches!!  We went with an Italian Leather... NOT CHIP LEATHER PRESSED TOGETHER!!!!!  as cheap as i am, i want to stress, if you are going to go with leather, make it good!  i LOVE our leather sofa, love seat, giant chair and ottoman!!!  and, the best part is... we shopped around and found an "over stock/warehouse" type place and got a SWEET DEAL!!!  we had to drive 90 minutes but it was totally worth it!  we got all 4 pieces for $1800.  the sofa alone was priced at $1500 on some websites we found.  so SHOP AROUND and do some checking!  see if you have an overstock warehouse near you!

for our kitchen table we did the same thing... we realized we needed to seat a minimum of eight and the table needs to not show every smudge of left over syrup and pencil mark from a homework mishap!  we went with farm table with bench.  after some checking, we realized there was no way we could afford one, so mike and my father-in-law built one!  it's amazing!! 

 

mike built the bench, then we found six chairs on craigslist (an excellent resource!!) that we painted to match the table and we reupholstered them as well.  did i want some awesome fabric... YES!!!  but what i got instead was a "marine grade vinyl" that matched our leather furniture.  the upholstery on our former kitchen table was a NIGHTMARE!!  do my kids eat anything or just smear it on the chair seat?!?!?  the vinyl was a much better fit for us and our current lifestyles!  

2.  i sorta covered being thrifty in the previous section.  i think it's just really important to shop around.  and that doesn't mean you have to buy junk.  be willing to have "previously owned" items. 

i took some pictures from around our home to show some of my favorite items and how inexpensive they were. 

 i just love this little vintage Velveta box!  and its great because i LOVE it AND SERVES A PURPOSE! (thats from #3!!) my husband ALWAYS puts his keys in the same spot, but sometimes they would get burried under one of my paper hoards (hey, i'm not perfect!!) but now, he can put them in this cute box!  i also suffer from "CAN'T FIND THE 8 YEAR OLDS GLASSES" syndrome!  they were like the keys!  they SHOULD be in that special spot, but were usually burried or shoved over somewhere.  now, we can skip the morning panic attack because the glasses are in the box!

 i have always had a thing for old interesting looking books.  i just think they're cool.  and they are GREAT for changing the height of other pieces.  i have a NEW obsession!  ROOSTERS!!  i can't expain it!  i found this super cool iron rooster napkin holder at a garage sale.  $3 and he was mine all mine!!  i'm not really into "napkin holders" for holding napkins, so i put a cool black & white photo booth strip of two of our girls in it.  i <3 it!! 

so cute!!

i found this frame at a garage sale... 50 cents... REALLY??!!!  i love the pic of me and our youngest :) she melts my heart!  and the blue bottle is a nice PoP of color!!  DON'T BE AFRAID OF A RANDOM POP OF COLOR!!!

these vintage tinker toys brought back fond memories when i saw them at a garage sale :) so for $1 i figured i had to have them!!  this is my attempt at "tinker toy flowers"... NOT every decorating attempt is a winner the first time around!!  this is still a work in progress!

all together on a garage sale dresser in our kitchen.

 i found this basket of vintage wood blocks at the same sale for 50 cents.  adorable!  and we ALL played with wood blocks as kids!  i tipped the basket over on a coffee table with a clearance walmart lamp.  i sorta hate that it's from walmart, but at least it was clearance :)

 the first birthday card mike ever gave me said "i love you" on the front.  awe!!!  and on the inside it read "like a fat kid loves cake".  if you know mike... this card makes perfect sense!  i made this frame at a local pottery joint (that has since closed... sniff sniff)

 this shelf needs a major makeover, but i wanted to show it for a couple of reasons... this shelf has lots of sentimental stuff.  the far left pic is my mom's baby pic.  i have pictures of my grandparents up there... a family pic of us... the pheasant is because my husband and son are avid bird hunters... the hanging baby gown is from my daughter brenna who was born into heaven... the shelf reflects US... that makes me smile!

and lastly... remember, dressers DON'T HAVE TO STAY IN BEDROOMS!!! 

wrapping up...

number 3 was about purpose and loving your items... i think i pretty much covered that... i don't personally love mass produced "art" from chain stores... i'd rather leave a wall blank for awhile until i find the perfect piece...  so just remember, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks as long as YOU love it!!! 

miscarriage, funeral, and two in the NICU

i was all set to be able to write this... but that was this morning... i've apparently gotten over my rush of emotions!! 

my favorite thing about reading blogs is when i find one that SOUNDS JUST LIKE ME!!  i love when people write exactly how they talk!  and i love when i'm reading and i think "i do that too"!  i think when we find that human connection if reaffirms we AREN'T CRAZY!!  well... maybe it reaffirms that we are crazy and so are other people! 

i think what i WANTED to talk about this morning is the struggle to have children.  it's a topic that is so often NOT discussed!!  it's like such a sensitive topic, people are afraid to bring it up.  so today, on my daughter's 8th birthday, i thought i'd share my long road....  a little warning... this might be tough to read....

.............

i've never had FERTILITY problems.  it was always a joke that i could LOOK at my ex-husband and get pregnant.  my problem was STAYING PREGNANT.

pregnancy #1... june 1999... i remember i was so excited, i couldn't even wait until my (ex)husband got home... i told him on the phone.  my mom was with me when i found out.  it was a planned pregnancy and i was SUPER excited and terrified all at the same time.  and i was starting to question if i was too young (gee... alittle late for that!!)... i was 22.  everything was pretty normal.  went to the ob/gyn... everything seemed ok.  didn't hear the heart beat on the first visit, but i was only like 10 weeks and overweight so he didn't think anything was wrong.  in august i went to south carolina for a week long teacher's conference.  we drove.  on the friday we headed home, i started cramping.  by the time we got home 15 hours later, i was doubled over in pain.  i called the doctor's office and they weren't all that much help.  saturday was pure agony.  sunday was MORE agony.  the cramping was out of control. 

here's the part i'll never forget as long as i live... it was sunday evening... my (ex)husband was at a meeting... i was sitting on the couch watching Touched by an Angel... it was the episode where Eric Roberts was running a sweat shop... crazy how we remember weird stuff!!  anyway... i had this sudden pain and then a... swoooosh.... of relief, and fluid went EVERYWHERE!!!  it's like i burst.  and i FREAKED!!!!  luckily my mom and step dad lived one mile away.  i called my step dad and he raced down to get me to take me to the ER.  another little thing i won't forget... he had a new car so i was super concerned i get a towel to sit on so i didnt mess up the seat! 

the next few days were just DUMB!!  our local hospital was completely incompetent... the ob/gyn was a train wreck... it was without a doubt one of the most painful, both emotionally AND physically, times in my life.

by tuesday afternoon, i was physically better... but that's when i crawled in bed and refused to get out.  after three days of refusing to leave my room, my mom came over... laid down next to me... and said "laurie marie, you will get out of bed today.  you will get on with your life.  i know you're sad, but you will have a child someday.  now get out of bed."  i usually listen to my mom... and this time i DID!  and my mom was right... i got on with my life... it was difficult watching people around me announcing their pregnancies... it was hard to be around babies... but every day i moved on.

a couple of GOOD things came from this difficult time:

1.  at this time, i was estranged from my grandparents and that side of my family.  but when my grandma heard what i was going thru, she reached out to me and our relationship was FULLY restored!  that was amazing!!

2.  during this time, i knew someday i would have another child, but it was during this period of my life that i decided i wanted to pursue becoming a foster parent.  and we did!!

pregnancy #2... i don't know that i will go in to a TON of detail on pregnancy #2 in this blog... but i'll do a quick skim over!

december 28, 1999... four months after the miscarriage... we announced i was preggo!!  woot woot!!  something in my spirit told me this was it!!!  we were building a new house, and we moved in february.  we were taking all our classes to become foster parents. i was nesting big time!!  getting the house ready for lots of kids!!  at the beginning of my pregnancy, my mom called to read me an article about a woman who developed pre-eclampsia during her pregnancy and died... nice mom!!  but not to worry, the article sited that only 5% of women develop pre-eclampsia.  i wasn't too concerned.

june 2000, i wrapped up my first year teaching and welcomed our first sibling group of foster kids!  sabreana (15), sireana (14) and kim (9)... they were only going to be with us a few months while they transitioned into an adoptive home in indianapolis.  i was feeling good.  my feet and ankles were the size of TEXAS!!  i couldn't wear any of my shoes!  my dad took me shopping and we FINALLY found some sandals i could wedge my feet into!  my blood pressure was a little high... so my NEW ob (who i love) was monitoring me and had me on medication.

july 14, 2000... i was excited for my ob visit because the swelling was down on my feet and i wanted to show him!!  yeah... he thought that was great, but what WASN'T great was my blood pressure!!  it was THROUGH THE ROOF!!!  "i'm sending you to the hospital for a few tests.  they may keep you a little while.  you may need to finish your pregnancy on bed rest".  ok.  whatever... i had seven weeks to go.  i wasn't too worried. 

we go to the hospital.  i called my parents just to let them know.  that was a friday.  that night i missed the surprise anniversary party for my aunt and uncle.  the next day, i missed my baby shower!  and sunday, i missed the surprise 50th birthday party i'd been planning for my dad!  UGH!  nurses kept checking me and when i asked why, they said "because you're blood pressure is so high, we want to make sure you don't have a seizure".  great.

monday, july 17.  i'm gonna skip a lot... they tried to induce... that didn't work... i was fine with that because i wasn't all that jacked to push a baby out anyway!  a c-section was performed and at 6:37 pm... my precious brady was born!!!  3lbs 2oz... 16"!!!  he stayed in the NICU for two weeks.... just long enough to maintain his own body temp and take a bottle.  he came home 3lbs 11oz!  he was such a little peanut!  i'll have to post pics sometime... he was so gorgeous!  he looked just like a baby doll!! 

pregnancy #3...  when brady was two, i remember thinking "he's so perfect, i don't want to have another child!"  we had adopted sabreana and sireana (that's a whole other story!!)  i was pretty happy!  but my world was about to be shattered...  my (ex)husband of five years came home and told me he was having an affair.  again... that's a whole OTHER story!  we stayed together and after six months of "working" on our marriage, i guess we decided having a baby was a good idea.  WHAT WERE WE THINKING!!?? 

december 2002, we found out i was pregnant.  from the very beginning... though i had no reason to... i knew something was wrong.  i knew it in my spirit.  ob visits went well... everything was looking good!  but still... something wasn't right.  the baby just wasn't very active.  brady kicked up a storm... but not this one. 

may 18, 2003, we had just gotten home from a trip to nashville, tn.  i blurted out "something is wrong with this baby!"  that was a sunday.  my (ex)husband said "you just aren't using your faith!!!  but if you think you have to, go to the doctor."  yeah... there's a lot of reasons he's the EX!  so monday i called the doctor and got in right away.  at the doctor's office he got out the portable ultra sound... and got that look on his face... and turned and said "i'm sorry, your baby is gone"...  i think i already knew that... but to hear it was a crushing blow... like a punch in my stomach.  i had gone to the doctor alone, against my wishes... so i made the call from the doctor's phone, "the baby is gone... i'm heading to the hospital..."

the first hour, laying in the hospital bed, i was alone and totally numb.  later, there were "sorries" and "we'll try again"... but i was in a haze.  NONE of that was going to bring my baby back.  someone came in and discussed "the delivery".  WHAT??  you don't "DELIVER a dead baby" was what i WANTED to scream.  everyone would come to agree, i would have a c-section.  i'm not kidding... i was in a TOTAL FOG!!!! 

in the operating room, music was playing... i remember laying there... in a fog... my doctor was very kind... when the "procedure" was over, they were rolling me out and i looked up and asked "was it a boy or a girl?"  my doctor gently said "it was a girl"... and at that moment, i realized "Butterfly Kisses" was playing through the speakers... i still can't listen to that song...

in the days that followed i was totally detached from the situation.  i didn't want to talk about it.  i didn't want to deal with it.  she was out of me and gone.  period.  a nurse came in and wanted me to hold her.  i refused.  the nurse gently told me if i didn't at least see her, i'd regret it all my life.  i agreed to see her and hold her if she was on a pillow.  that's what i did... and nothing more.  someone came and explained we'd have to plan a funeral.  i said i didn't want to.  we were told, after a certain gestational age, you can't just leave the body... you have to have a funeral.  ironic given abortion laws huh???  so i looked at my dad and (ex)husband and clearly stated "i guess you guys have a funeral to plan... i'm not doing it"  and i didn't.  i was in the hospital until friday when i left to go to the "viewing"... still in a haze... i don't think i cried.  i don't think i had any tears left...  so many people came...

we had just left our church... and hadn't found a new one yet... so i asked our former pastor's son (also a pastor) to perform the service... i was so thankful for him.  it was held at the cemetery.  i sat in a chair.  all our friends and family were there.  my (ex)husband read a poem he wrote.  i just sat there.  i think there was a dinner after... i don't remember... 

i don't remember much of the weeks following.  it was a really terrible time for me... i remember being at the park with brady one day... he was such a joyful child... i remember crying there... my dad was with me... he didn't offer any superficial words of encouragement... he just hugged me and reminded me of the joy standing in front of me... brady.  that was a turning point for me.  my in-laws owned a house on syracuse lake... i told everyone i'd be going to the lake for a week... alone.  i didn't want anyone to call me or be there.  i needed to re-focus and get back to me.  i took my beloved dog cookie.  half way through the week, i let my mom come.  we had a nice visit.  by the end of the week, i'd planned for my parents, (ex)husband, brady, and two friends to come friday evening.  i was ready for life again.  my ex was late and only one friend came... turns out he and his girlfriend had broken up.... we sat and talked for a few hours... and all the burdens and pain of the past months melted away... i felt like Laurie again...  i remembered i had an identity.

tons of cards and letters came.  each one made me feel alittle better... and made me understand brenna wasn't forgotten... i put all my keepsakes for her in a box.  pictures of her... cards... the dress she wore in the hospital... she was born into heaven on may 20, 2003... i've opened that box twice since.  each time i open it i cry.  but i know now, thats okay : ) 

pregnancy #4... i'm actually not going to write about this... this was brittin and i just did a blog about it... so you can read that!!

it's taken me... three HOURS to write this!!!  and as i've written it, it's brought back a lot of emotions... reminded me how blessed i am with the children i have... how crappy parts of my life were... and how AMAZINGLY FANTASTIC my life is now!!! 

infertility and pregnancy issues SUCK!!!  there's no other way to say it!!  but knowing you're not alone may help!!  and for any women out there, if you ever need to talk... even if you don't know me... email me!  i read after my first miscarriage "in a few years, YOU will be counselling women who are going through what you are going through now"  that was hard to believe, but it's true.  and if i can help just one woman... i'll be thrilled!

thank you for reading this super long and serious blog!!!!  have a blessed day all!!

<3
laurie

Brittin... The Story of a "Special" Needs Princess

**  author's note... i titled this blog that way so if someone is googling "special needs" they may find this.  we understand brittin does indeed have some "special needs" but in NO way do we feel that DEFINES her!  and when anyone asks "what's wrong with her" we politely answer, "NOTHING!"  

The Story of Brittin

It’s hard to believe my “baby” will be eight in two days!!  She’s such an amazing child!  Some days, when she’s never more than two feet from me… or doesn’t understand I CAN use the bathroom alone, I get so frustrated with her.  Then I remember what a true miracle she is!

Our Miracle From God

May 20, 2003, my daughter Brenna Joy was born into heaven.  After that, I wasn’t sure I could handle trying to have another child.  But tests were run, prayers were lifted, and the decision was made to try again.  Doctors were confident they knew what had happened with Brenna.  I was diagnosed with Factor Five, a blood clotting disorder.  Once pregnant, I would need a shot every day, of artificial heparin.

My pregnancy with Britt was progressing.  I felt pretty good.  I passed the 27 week mark, at which I had lost Brenna.  September 7, 2004 was a Tuesday.  The doctor’s office called to move my regularly scheduled doctor’s appointment from Friday to Monday.  I didn’t think much of it.   September 10, 2004 was Friday.  That was the day I knew something was wrong.  Brittin’s kicking had slowed dramatically.  All I could think was “it’s happening again”.  I spent the rest of the weekend somewhere between panic and complete denial.  When I got ready for my Monday doctor appointment, I was prepared for the worst.  Brittin hadn’t kicked in at least 24 hours… it was exactly like Brenna.

At my appointment, the doctor walks in and asks the standard “how are you doing?” at which time I burst out with “I’m horrible!!  Look at me!!”… No shower, no make-up, and rambling about my baby being dead…  Being a great doctor, he settles me down and gets out the Doppler, heart beat thing… and INSTANTLY finds Brittin’s heart beat!  There are no words for the relief I felt at that moment!  THAT was the good news.  The bad news, my blood pressure was so high, I had to go to Memorial Hospital immediately for testing and monitoring.

Once at the hospital, it was whirlwind… within 30 minutes doctors discovered I was contracting, I had almost no amniotic fluid left and Brittin was in complete distress.  Brittin had to be delivered immediately.  I really don’t remember much… though I do remember I kept telling them “I can’t have her today!  She’s only 29 weeks!”  I even refused to scoot onto the surgical table!  Doctor’s knew best.  Brittin was delivered at 2:37 on September 13, 2004.  A huge TWO POUNDS and lengthy 14 inches!!

 brittin next to a pencil!!

look close!!  britt has a wedding ring on her WRIST!!! 

  

I firmly believe that doctor’s appointment was changed by the hand of God.  If I had gone on Friday as originally planned, everything may have looked fine.  I would have made an appointment for a month later… I was told by the neonatologist, Brittin would have survived at most, two more days…  Brittin is my miracle from God!

Life With Brittin

During Brittin’s delivery she had a stroke.  The stroke left brain damage resulting in hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, agenisis of the corpus collosum and cognitive delays.  But NONE OF THAT has slowed her down!!  We wondered if she’d ever walk… she showed everyone at her 5th birthday party she would!  We wondered if she’d go to school with other children her age and she wakes up every morning anxious for the bus to come get her! 

I’ve been given two outstanding pieces of advice along the road with Britt:

1)            Fight for your child.  As the parent, you are the BEST advocate your child has.

2)            If you treat your child like they’re “retarded” they will BE “retarded”

Both statements are true and the motto’s Mike and I live by (for all our children).  No other person in the world will fight for our kids the way we do as parents.  Resources don’t fall in your lap.  You have to look for them.  It can be discouraging.  Over the past eight years, I’ve found myself burnt out many times.  But someone is always there to pick me back up and remind me what I’m doing.

Brittin’s neurosurgeon is known for his… sometimes grouchy demeanor, but his interaction with Britt has always been amazing.  He’s the person who told me to set my expectations high for Britt and he really did say “if you treat her like she’s retarded, she will be retarded”.  That was hard to hear, but it’s the best advice I could get.  This holds true for all children.  Set expectations high!  Drive your children to succeed!

Daily life with Brittin is an adventure!!  Her pace is slower.  What takes one family 10 minutes might take ours 20.  Activities that some families take for granted, like a bike ride, are a real ordeal for our family. 

britt got her first bike... well, TRIKE for Christmas 2011!!  she's done well with it!

But the pure joy Brittin gets out of life outweighs any challenges we face.  Her sister Lexi posted on facebook last week, "The best thing in the world is to hear Brittin's little belly laugh. <3 ".  And there’s something about her.  It’s really inexplicable.  Family members, acquaintances, and strangers are drawn to Britt.  To this day I’m not really sure why, but it doesn’t matter.  Brittin touches the hearts of everyone who she meets.  If you ask Brittin if she’s limited, I don’t think she’d even understand that concept.  In her mind, there is NOTHING she can’t do!  When we go to Lexi's volleyball games, she tells me SHE will play volleyball when she's older!! 

britt played t-ball for two years.  this year, she started playing with the "Challenger League".  the league was a real blessing for britt!

Whenever our other children complain about an ache or pain we remind them:  Brittin has had six brain surgeries, two tendon surgeries and one heart surgery, you can work through a paper cut!
Brittin has had a huge impact on our family.  Her siblings are better, more sensitive people because of her.  Walking through the mall one day Lexi say’s to me “I really don’t like when people stare at Brittin”.  I had to fight back the tears.  And Brady told me when he was six years old “I’m just letting you know now mom, if anyone EVER messes with Brittin, I will punch them, and then you’ll get a call because I’ll be in the principal’s office”.  How could I argue with that?

brittin on her first day of 2nd grade!!  so big!!

that's our girl!  goggles and goofy teeth!

me and britt, on a very special day for our family!

brittin dancing with her "big daddy" :)  makes your heart melt!

 

Brittin is our princess and our miracle… in every way.  You cannot have a bad day when you’re with her.  Her spirit will infuse you with joy and possibilities you didn’t know existed!  We thank God for entrusting us with such a miracle!  

victoria

yesterday, my sister told me not to share all the steps to our furniture projects... but honestly, i'm not too worried about that... why??

well:
1.  not everyone is interested in DIY furniture projects.  they may love how the end result looks, but they don't care to try doing it themselves.  thats how i feel about anything that involves sewing.  COULD i sew?  i'm sure i could!  do i WANT to sew??  lets see... i have a BRAND NEW, NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE BAG sewing machine in my linen closet... been there since 2000!!!  i'd say i have very little interest in sewing!!

2.  if someone reads one of my step by step blogs... yeah... they really aren't step by step!!  hardly informative at all!!!  anyway... if they read one of my blogs and feel inspired to try a project, I'M THRILLED!!!  i WANT people to strut their creative selves!!  EVERYONE should express themselves!! 

3.  our homes should be beautiful!  i personally believe, as much as possible, the items in our house should have meaning or purpose... when i chose an item... i want it to be because i LOVE it!!  i would rather have a blank wall than fill it with mass produced "art" from Target.  i'm hoping that by offering AFFORDABLE home furnishings and decor, i can help people make their house their HOME!

So.... with that said... let me show you "victoria"!!

 when my dad brought me this... drab brown chest, i though "UGH!!"  that was in early july.
i think i knew she had potential... but i shoved her back in the "painting line-up" several times!

here she is NOW!!  she's stunning!  the pictures don't do her justice!!! 

 



 

we were trying to keep her "neutral" so we went with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint 'Olive' and 'Versailles'.  this piece was in very good condition so painting her was a breeze.  no sanding or prepping was necessary.... 


i am HORRIBLE at taking step by step pics... but here is the mirror.  in it's original state, the "decorative piece" was PAINTED ON.... YUCK!!!  so i found this AWESOME wood embellishment for a dollar!!!  thank you OSCEOLA SALVAGE!!!

isn't that embellishment FAB????!!!!

i decided to distress her... quite a bit... i wanted her to look older...

 

i LOVE the distressing!!  i think it makes her features pOp!!! 

so... HERE SHE IS!!!  ALL PUT TOGETHER and ready for her new home!!!

please ignore the reflection of my car!!

and ignore mike's arm :)

Victoria CAN COME LIVE WITH YOU!!!! 

Chest & Mirror $145



 

 

"Remington Steel"

"Remington Steel" an unexpected purchase for us!!  we went to look at a hutch we found on craigslist and while we were there, the lady showed us this depressing looking table and made us a deal we just couldn't refuse!! 

so we brought this home:

 at first glance, you may not think it's too bad... but it had been chewed on and scratched up!!  and the upholstery is just... so 1995!

so, like many projects we avoid... we shoved this beauty in the back and totally ignored it for two months!!!  then, over Labor Day weekend, mike and i were in agreement this monster was taking up far too much room and it must be tackled. 

our first problem... A VISION!!  we didn't have one!!  sometimes we bring a piece home and it gets painted IMMEDIATELY because someone has a vision of what it should look like... this was NOT the case with Remington!  thankfully however, after digging him out... and staring at him... mike got the vision!  and then we could start!!

i need to learn to take better pictures!!  you can't tell, but Remington was fairly damaged on the top.  Lots of scratches...  so this is the day our 12 year old son brady got his first lesson using the sander!

 



brady did a great job!  there were a couple of wood embellishments on the middle legs that were loose and pretty chewed up (bad rover!!)  so collectively we agreed it was better to remove them than to try to fix them.  you'd never know they're missing! 

mike decided to go with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint 'graphite' on the top.  Because it's such a large surface, he rolled it.  a couple of days later, i dark & clear waxed it.  i LOVE how it turned out!!  it reminds us of a acid treated/polished concrete!  very cool!!!

the chairs got an update using ASCP 'olive'.  we just love that color!!  i distressed them and dark/clear waxed them as well.  the upholstery is what had me freakin!!  i've never really been responsible for picking out upholstery!!  so while mike and brady watched the ND v. Navy game, sireana and i headed to a great upholstery place in South Bend ~ Prairie Salvage... i would highly recommend them!  very very knowledgeable and super duper prices!!!  i love the stripes i picked because the colors match perfectly with our paint and i feel stripes are timeless.

  this pic is alittle crazy because the flash makes it look bright green... but it really is a beautiful dark olive.

of course if you read our blog regularly, you know the upholstery work falls to brady the 12 year old!  crazy as it seems, he's really good at it!!  i was concerned about the stripes... no room for error... they can't be crooked... but that little stinker did an AMAZING job!!  my dad supervised him and helped with the first chair, but after that brady finished the job!  i'm so super proud of that boy!  side note:  later that weekend he made fresh homemade salsa!!  fiesta!!

i'm working on being more descriptive on how we complete a project... and i'm not totally there yet, but i hope this blog was alittle better!!!

and the final product...

i tell ya... if i didn't have my own "gonser custom farm table"... THIS would be staying in MY dining room!!!

but alas...

"Remington Steel" is FOR SALE!!!

Table & Six Chairs

$395