Happy First Year Birthday, Piper!

With my sister's permission, I am using the following letter of hers as a guest post for today's blog entry. Today is Piper's First Year Birthday, and I found this letter to be appropriate in commemorating the occasion. Jaime sent this letter to family and some friends a few months ago. Please read it all the way through - you will be blessed indeed.

“A mother’s treasure is her daughter.”

Nine months ago a little girl entered our lives. We decided to call her “Piper Montgomerie.” The very moment she came out, we knew very little of what lay ahead of us. We did however thank God for what lay behind us. What most of you don’t know is, when I was pregnant with Piper, it was an abnormal pregnancy to say the least. The short version of the story is that Gary and I were told at just 12 weeks pregnant that there was some concern in one of our ultrasounds. From that appointment we had to go to a specialist group for further ultrasounds and doctors appointments for months to come. We were told that Piper would not be “Normal”. There was presence of cystic hygroma and some other medical jargon. She was believed to either have “Down’s syndrome”, “Turner’s Syndrome”, or a “Lethal Heart disease” & would not survive after the age of one. During that same appointment we were encouraged of two things… one was to do some further testing to determine which of the three she would have which had risks of miscarrying, and the other was to consider termination. This was literally like a knife through our hearts. We had never been so uncomfortable and so hurt and feeling like we were in such a cold and dark place. Once we were able to leave that medical facility and sort out all the of the information that was just presented to us, we found our clear thoughts. Gary and I knew right away that we were uncomfortable with both choices that were presented to us. Those of you who know me well, know that I am usually taking the rebel route, if you tell me to go left I will go right. I think we caught that unit off guard when we presented them with our decision to do “nothing” (in their eyes…neither of their options) and just ride out the wave that we were on. But we knew that we were actively doing “something”, we were leaving it in the hands of the man in charge. Through our faith in God and the endless support of our family we prayed that God would have a hand in her health and reminded ourselves everyday that we were ready for whatever was in store for us and this child. We committed to love and care for this child in whatever way her health demanded.

As you read this you are probably thinking “Why didn’t we tell you?” Our decision to keep this to ourselves was not intended to hurt anyone’s feelings or to have people feeling “left out”. It was made to insure that we only had positive energy focused on the birth of our child at all times. We didn’t want to focus on the “What if’s & what might be.”

I am writing you all now to inform you that indeed “Piper” did not turn out normal. Instead, she turned out to be an “Angel” sent from above. She fought past every obstacle that was working against her and came to us with nothing less than perfection. I will never forget the moment when she came out and I couldn’t yet see her so I looked at Gary and said “How is she”, he replied “She’s perfect”. I have never had so much emotion rushing through my body at any one point in time. In the hospital the doctor’s gave her a 9.9 on the APGAR test and said “No one gets a 10.”

She has changed our lives & shown us love that we didn’t even know existed. She laughs religiously and has infinite amounts of energy. She lights up every room when she is in it. She makes it known that she is here and she is lively! People are drawn to her wherever we go. The gift of our daughter “Piper” has been the greatest joy we could have ever imagined and we look forward to every second with her. Gary and I race into her room in the mornings to fight over who gets to take her out of the crib first. As we get up to the crib and peek over she is looking up waiting for us with her huge smile and as soon as she sees one or both of us she starts to giggle. There is nothing greater than waking up to this every day! We are so fortunate. There is not one moment that is taken for granted with “Piper” and we thank God everyday for her.

Piper has so many funny quirks about her… when she plays she propels her arms so fast while doing a cheering scream that we swear she is going to fly into the air at any second. She imitates grunts and screams and copies anything that you do. She giggles with this amazing innocence, and when she cries she sincerely feels like her heart was just broken and you can see it on her face. She loves life and loves big and her heart is made of pure gold. Hopefully you have all been able to meet “Piper”… and if you haven’t you are in for a real treat!

Name Meaning:

Piper – Flute Player

Montgomerie – from the hill of the powerful man

We know this was meant to be… she is a girl that makes beautiful music from God.

With all of our Love,

Gary, Jaime & Piper Musselman

What to Do with Christmas Photo Cards...

... once Christmas is long gone?

You want to keep them for the keepsakes they are, but where do you keep them so that you will eventually revisit them?

This idea was adapted from another mom who shared what she did with hers a few years ago. She keeps the photos and includes them in her weekly planning calendar that hangs on her family's refrigerator. Her family then spends that week praying for the family whose photo appears.

I don't use a weekly calendar method, nor do I have my calendar on my refrigerator. Instead, I cut out the photos, tape/glue them to card stock, write the family name under the photo, and thread them on to two binder rings. We flip to the next card each day. They hang on my calendar, right near my desk, where we all see the family for that day. The idea is that we individually, and corporately, pray for that family as much as possible in our prayer times that day. Now, some days go by, and I (or we) haven't been as faithful as originally intended. Then, we just leave that family up for another day, so that we are sure they have a full day during which their family is covered in prayer. Once Christmas is over, I look forward to making many more beautiful additions.

Party of Six

Every Wednesday night, my sister, Jaime, comes to pick up her baby girl, Piper, from our house. We keep Piper with us on Wednesdays while Jaime is working at her internship for school.

When Jaime first gets to our house, the kids, Jaime and I all play together, visit, and laugh, a lot. Then by the time Dave gets home, dinner is started, or already in the works. Jaime and Piper stay to eat dinner with us before they travel home to get Piper's nighttime routine started.

I was saying just the other night how our weekly tradition of getting to spend time together reminds me of that old TV show title, Party of Five. Those five family members had a special table they all sat at to eat dinner together.

So we now have our own Party of Six tradition, and we enjoy every minute of it. I personally enjoy getting to do something to serve Jaime. Both of us have little ones, so schedules are something we have to stick to right now. That doesn't always leave me all the time I would like to serve my extended family. Serving dinner to her is one way that I can do that right now in this season of our lives. We enjoy sharing about our day together, the kids laugh and carry on, and since it is a night Dave is home, we all get the benefit of a real family dinner together at the table. Now, if we can just figure out a way to get Gary here... (his work schedule prevents him from being here on Wednesdays).

Uncle Russell enjoying his beloved baby time during our stay... he adores babies and children.

Blueberry Pickin' with Nana

The first of many times blueberries were harvested during our week's stay in Georgia. Drew loved the concept of field-to-table with his food!

Man, I just don't know where to begin. We vacationed from Jun 30th to Jul 7th. It was THE best. We joined my parents at their cabin in Georgia. The boys loved, loved, loved the outdoors (no surprise there). A quick synopsis: Drew was able to see fireworks for the first time, by the river, in Albany, Georgia. We visited cows, up close and personal, in the pasture. We ate hundreds, and picked thousands, of fresh blueberries. We made blueberry pie for the first time, without a recipe, and it was delicious. We visited the Museum of Aviation in Warner-Robins, Georgia, and saw a massive collection of warplanes, helicopters and other flight vehicles. Some were used for cargo, rescue, combat... wow, wow, wow. We could not believe all the planes we were seeing in person. A definite strong recommendation if you are ever in that area. We had a great trip up, and a good trip back as well. On the way up, we visited Yoder's Amish Restaurant. A first for me, a repeat offense for David. Well, yes, it was unbelievably yummy, but I ate small morsels so as not to be sick the whole trip. I still don't do well with eating (without side effects) since my surgery in December. Also, in allergen news ... Drew ate pancakes with buttermilk in them and his reaction was slightly more subdued. We are trying to test the waters a little bit in regard to his food allergies, and with some success. On the way back, Nana (my mom) joined us for the trip while Papa (my dad) remained for another week. In that scenario, the boys were definitely happy to have someone join them in the back of the van for constant company.

I don't have any photos to upload yet. My hard drive failed upon our return, and while my computer has a new one, I can't get it to recognize my smart card yet with all my photos. And, as you can imagine, figuring that out is not high on my list of priorities.

I've just scratched the surface... I'll keep the posts coming.

Dad's 70th Birthday

Cousin Linda (from New York), Gary, Jaime, Piper, Mom, Dad, Drew, Jen, Dave and Brad

Uncle Dave and Piper, just chillin' on the couch at Nana's. Do you think he could be any more proud of her? By the way, her dress says Diva in Training. Cute!

Beach Fun

I love this photo of Bradley for many reasons, but one of those is because he looks like his late Great Uncle Gene (my dad's brother) in his fishing hat.

Mother's Day 2010

Dear Andrew and Bradley:

Today is Mother's Day, and I want to share some special words with you. I am in love, crazy love, with your Father. He encourages me to be the best mother I can be, and he is a wonderful example of a godly parent. I love the two sons he gave me more than I thought I could love two little human beings. There will never be enough time or words to cover all the emotions and sentiments I have for you, my family. But this is my attempt to give you a little glimpse.

There is not a single day that goes by where I do not thank God above for giving each of you to us, and to me. I now understand so much more of God's purpose for my life because of my boys. I will never forget each tender moment we have shared, from the first time I laid eyes on each of you, the sleepless nights (more with one of you in particular), the bonding, the cuddles, coos and kisses, the baths, the baby food, and on it goes. Each time I touch your skin and look in your eyes I am reminded of God's design and miracles.

Sure, some days are slightly more challenging than others. Some days I let the house go and we just play, all day. There are a few days when I just can't keep my eyes open. And some days I don't always feed you the best things. Some days I don't say the right things. Some days I don't do the right things. Those days are the days where I know, most assuredly, I am not capable of anything without God.

I also want to tell you that I do not see my being home with you and caring for you as my 'job.' You both are my joy, and caring for you, and our home, is something I desire to do, as best I can, every day. Before beginning this journey of motherhood, I wondered if any of it would come naturally, if I had any mothering instincts. The girl I was before both of you came along longed to be a mother, for so long, but was very unsure how my business-minded self would function outside of a career focus. Oh, how I adjusted- there were days that weren't easy, but generally because I had to realize how selfish I was and that there wasn't room for that anymore. Now, four years into the journey, I hardly recognize that girl in the pumps and glasses. She was part of me, but not all of me.

You will never owe me anything for being your mom. The Lord called me to mother each of you. He did not present a transaction to me where I agreed to fulfill certain responsibilities in exchange for something else. One day, when you are old enough, I hope you will understand that gifts, brunch or dinners out, pampering treatments and the like are not my desire- they are not my style. I do not wish to spend Mother's Day apart from you. Sure it's nice to be appreciated and it's nice to hear thank you once in a while. There are days where I need a little bit of a breather, but not to get away from you, but rather to re-focus myself on my priorities and tend to myself for a short time. The greatest gift you will always be able to give me on Mother's Day is your time. Mother's Day is a day I will always look forward to spending with my boys, that is, until you have families of your own and therefore, time or distance may determine otherwise.

Rest assured this Mommy could not be more fulfilled in her God-designed role to be entrusted with your lives. Overwhelming, and sometimes frightening as it may be, I do not desire to be outside of where God has placed me. There were days, early on, where I could not have said this. But because I've been in that place, I can now look back and see how the Lord has changed, and continues to change, me, to be the Mom I am called to be. None of us ever arrive - we are always works in progress. Mommy will always be a work in progress. There is a song that I hope you will both always keep close in your memory:

He's still workin' on me, to make me what I ought to be
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars
The sun and the earth, and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
He's still workin' on me.

I know I will make mistakes. I know I won't always be the best example I could be, or should be. I know there will be days when I drive you crazy. But I promise to give it my best, and when I don't, I will ask for the Lord to re-direct my steps. Be forewarned- I will never stop loving you. I could never possibly understand accurately how our Heavenly Father loves and feels for us, but motherhood has given me more of an understanding than I had before. What a privilege and a gift each of you are to me.

Papa and His Boys

A few weeks ago the boys and I took Dave's car to get the new tires put on (thank you, TireRack.com ). The dealership is up by where my parents live, so my Dad (aka Papa) came to visit us while we waited. My Dad works very long hours, and the only time he is usually home is when the boys are sleeping, so we don't get to see him as often as we would like. But, clearly, you can see by these photos that Drew and Brad could not get enough of their Papa - it had been about 3 weeks since they had seen him last. We all laughed and giggled endlessly together. I'm not sure Papa was prepared for the boys' literally climbing all over him as much as they did, but he loved every minute of it, as did they.

The Hardest Thing About Boys... Thus Far

... Is that even as infants, I can't hold them as much as I would like. Once they get to be about four months old, they start wiggling out of my arms. They want to move, they want to run, crawl, jump... they are already wired to be movers and shakers. They love the arms of Momma, but not enough to stay put.

I know I only have them for a short time... and once they become men, they won't be desiring Momma's coddling, by God's design. But do I have to let go so early? I just wish I could hold them, rock them, kiss them, indefinitely, until they are at least five - right?

Cousins

Brad, Piper and Drew playing on Drew's new bed.



Can you believe these two are only 4 months apart?! (By the way, Bradley is not poking Piper in the eye- it just looks that way).

Charts! Charts!

A few people have asked me about the charts I keep on my refrigerator. They are just what I came up with after much trial and error that help me manage my responsibilities at home, as well as our schedules. It really isn't that I am that checklist oriented; it's just that I need to see things throughout the day so I don't lose my direction.

Anyway, I am including links to these documents for those of you who wanted to peruse them and customize for yourself.

Weekly Family Schedule

Weekly Household Chores

Daily Household Chores

Drew Learns How to Feed Bradley

Two weeks ago, Dave was still at work and I was home with the boys. Long story, but I had a bit of an emergency (clearly I am fine now, so no worries!) and I had to have Drew bring me the bouncy seat into the bedroom so I could put Bradley in it. He was a very good helper, and brought the seat in right away. Well, prior to this, I had been feeding Bradley a bottle in the living room. Drew remembered that, and while I was phoning a neighbor, Drew had returned to the living room, bottle in hand, put it in Bradley's mouth, and sat there feeding him. I could not believe my eyes! What a smart, helpful and loving big brother he is!

A few days later, Drew was showing off his 'skills' to Daddy. Here are some photos of that.

Mom's/Nana's Birthday Party

We celebrated Mom's/Nana's birthday with Sonny's BBQ takeout and cake at Gary and Jaime's house on October 25th. Here a few photos from the fun.

October 17th - 19th: 3.5 Weeks

Uncle Gary's Birthday

On Sunday, October 18th, we all gathered on Sanibel to celebrate three important milestones in Uncle Gary's life:

1. Uncle Gary's 3oth birthday
2. Uncle Gary's 31st birthday
3. Uncle Gary's One Year Anniversary of Heart Surgery

So, how, you ask, does one celebrate two birthdays in one year? Well, last year, on Uncle Gary's birthday, he was traveling to Houston to have his heart surgery. Therefore, party plans were put on hold. This year, then, was especially momentous as we celebrated two birthdays and a successful surgery!

We spent time with Uncle Gary, Auntie J, Papa, Nana and the Musselman furry babies: Val and Jada. Here are some photos from the celebration:

Grandpa & Grandma Gonzalez

I am way behind on blogging and this is my attempt to start to catch up.

In September, Dave's parents left Naples and moved to North Carolina. Of course, we miss them tremendously. We had a nice visit with them right before they moved. It was a week before Bradley was born, so it was hard to see them go when they did. Here are some photos of Drew with his grandparents, having a grand old time. He misses them so much already!

Welcome to the Family, Bradley!

Bradley David Gonzalez
Monday, September 21, 2009
8:21 a.m.
8 lbs. 1 oz.
20 inches long