Time is running away with my heart

Is it possible that time actually speeds up when you're happy? It seems as though the night comes as quickly as the mornings begin. And, I find myself begging for just another hour. My days used to be filled with the hustle and bustle of alarm clocks, phones ringing, meeting reminders and email alerts. Now, they are filled coos and ahhhs, cries that mean I'm hungry and cries that mean change me, vibrations of bouncy seats and songs from swings. My life has changed beyond anything I ever imagined or was prepared for. The last 8 weeks have been the happiest days of my life. I know that sounds so cliche, but it's the truth. And, those of you who have children are probably reading this and smiling in understanding. Cooper James Edwards entered my world at 3:52 p.m. on March 13. He weighed 8lbs 13oz and was 20 in long. My life will never be the same.

Before he was born, I wrote him a letter. The short story of it said this ... "I can't wait to meet you. I hope you have ... I hope you are ... I'm going to love you forever and ever." Well, now that he's here, it's the beginning and the end of the letter that I realize are all that matters. I no longer care whose eyes he has or which personality he takes after. He's Cooper. And, he's perfect. He's mommy's little snuggle bug. He's the spitting image of his daddy. And, boy oh boy does he melt my heart all day, every day. And, I love him so much. No, I mean I REALLY love him. It's as if God cracked open my chest during delivery and stretched my heart in order to make room for the amount of love that I would have for him the minute I laid eyes on him. I'll never forget that moment for as long as I live.

Ahhhh ... Life is good. No, wait, life is PERFECT. And, for those of you who are thinking, "yeah right, no one's life is perfect" ... Let me tell you, this is my version of perfect! I have prayed for this little guy for as long as I can remember. God granted my every want and need when He answered this prayer, and I thank Him every day!

I'm sorry for not giving updates over these last 2 months, but I've been busy enjoying my precious little boy. I'll try to do better. I promise.

Love and blessings,
Rian

Long Time, No Write ... A Christmas Update

It's been a while. I've missed you guys! The holiday season sure takes a toll on one's schedule! Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I wish I could find time to write every day about all the joys of this beautiful time of year!

We kicked off Christmas this past weekend with my fabulous family! It's rare that we're all together in the same room, at the same time. But, when we are, we have a blast.

My little brother, Wil, is one of the funniest people you'll ever meet! He gets on a roll, and before we know it, we're all in tears we're laughing so hard. This time, we found out how funny his cute little wife is too!

Jeff, my older brother, and his wife have been remodeling their home, and this was the first time any of us have seen it. It's really beautiful! They did an awesome job. I know they are so proud.

Let's talk about how much we all ate ... on second thought, let's not. We'll leave it at this ... the women in my family sure know how to cook! And, well, let's face it ... the food at a family gathering can make or break the event. The gathering isn't all about food. That's not what I mean. But, if it's good, it puts everyone in a good mood, and folks are simply happy and having a great time. If it's not good, eveyone tends to focus on how quickly they can get away from the event to fill their belly's up because all they can focus on is how nasty the food is. Make sense? I NEVER want that to happen at my house. When I have folks over, I want them to leave happy and full and happy and looking forward to coming back again. I guess I take that after my sister. She's the queen of entertaining. It's an art. Not everyone can do it well. But, she does. Okay. I just realized how long this paragraph is compared to the others. I'm thinking I may need to do another post on the art of entertaining. Stay tuned.

Anyway, the way we do Christmas gifts in our family is simple. We buy for the kids. The gift to all of us brothers and sisters is simply being together. We know the value of family, and it's important to us that we spend quality time with each other. I think so often, we (as in people in general) get so caught up buying presents, that we forget to enjoy the presence of family and the true meaning of Christmas. There's some talk about playing dirty santa or some other game next year ... again, it won't be about the gift, but it will be all about having some fun!

Next on our list? An Alabama Christmas ... I'll share stories next week. :)

What are your plans for Christmas?

Thankful Challenge: Day 16-23

Well, I'm just a little behind on my blogging. Sometimes life just runs away with you, and before you know it, you haven't blogged in almost a week! It's a travesty!

Day 16: I'm thankful for lunches with old friends. Today, I had lunch with my dear friend (and former employer), Ali. We always have the best discussions that leave me thinking about how to improve this ole crazy world!

Day 17: Today, I'm thankful for my sweet sister. I came home from work early with a migraine, took a nap and woke up to a massive box on my doorstep. It was Patrick the pup straight from NYC! My sister knew I had been looking at buying him for Cooper, so she ordered him up and had him delivered. Love it! Cooper is going to love his very large stuffed puppy dog AND his Aunt Kelly!

Day 18: Speaking of pups, today I'm thankful Dolce. I know, I know. I've already been thankful for him once, but today's his birthday, and well, dang it, I'm thankful for him again! He's 4 years old today, and he's been the sweetest, most loyal companion I've ever had (well, as far as furry companions go). I just love my sweet doggy, and I'm thankful for him every day!

Day 19: Well, today I'm thankful that football is just a game. Neither of my teams played well today, but you know what ... it's just a game. Those student athletes are still getting their college paid for. We still wore our orange and blue (and royal blue - Go Cats) and life didn't stop with a loss. I'm still proud to be an Auburn Tiger and a Kentucky Wildcat!

Day 20: Today I'm thankful for time with family. I got to spend some time with my niece, Madison, cousin (and fellow soon-to-be mama), Sheldon, my other cousin (Sheldon's mama), Lisa and my favorite Aunt Betty! I've been blessed with the most wonderful, beautiful  - inside and out - family members! And with Thanksgiving coming up, I get to spend time with almost all of my family. I sure do have a lot to be thankful for!

Day 21: Even though today was definitely a Monday at work, I'm thankful I get to come home and find surprises left for me by my sweet, sweet niece, Madi! Over the weekend, Jared and I had a disagreement about whether or not I need another Christmas tree just for my nutcrackers. As you can imagine, he thinks one tree is plenty. I don't. So, on Sunday, I explained my version of the story to Madi. She laughed and laughed at my drama, and on Monday, she snuck into my house like Santa (only she used a key and not a chimney) and dropped off a brand new Christmas tree. Gah! I love that girl! Was that not the sweetest thing in the whole world?

Day 22: Today I'm thankful that Jared and I were able to agree on nursery furniture for Cooper. We debated for a few minutes (in a very respectful way) and finally we agreed and made the purchase! Our little man has furniture and it will be here some time in January or February! Oh I'm just so excited! I can't wait to get the nursery ready for him!

Day 23: Well, it's almost Thanksgiving, and you know what? I'm thankful for Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for delicious food (duh - Cooper has to eat) ... no seriously, I'm thankful for a day set aside with no work to spend time with family. So often, our days pass quickly with all of our responsibilities and to-do lists, and we forget to make time for those we love. Today, I'm thankful that I get to spend time with my siblings and their families (except Wil - dang it ... he should so be coming home), and then we're heading to Al to spend time with Jared's side of the family on Friday. Life is good. And, I'm so blessed that we have somewhere to go and special people to spend quality time with!

Thankful Challenge: Day 5, 6, 7

Sorry to combine 3 thankful posts in one, but we had a very busy weekend! This weekend was a wonderful weekend though. It was a weekend of celebration, love, lots of time on the road, excitement, happiness and LOVE.

Day 5: I am thankful for love. Today, we celebrated the wedding of my little brother, Wil, and his bride, Mindy. The wedding was a beautiful reminder of the vows we promise each other (and sometimes forget in our busy lives). My family has been blessed, and I'm thrilled all of my siblings have found their one true love, their best friend. Congratulations Wil & Mindy! We love you both!


Day 6: I am VERY thankful for being lazy! Today, Jared and I slept in. We didn't get home from the wedding in Alabama until almost 1 a.m. After lots of driving and a busy day, my prego body was more than exhausted! We managed to do nothing all day! It was a great day of catching up on our DVR, taking naps, homemade potato soup and cornbread and then pizza delivery (yes, someone on TV mentioned Papa Johns and my craving quickly turned from potato soup to pizza). Rest. It does a body good.

Day 7: Today I am thankful for answered prayers. Last week I had the triple marker blood work done. It tests to see if your baby has down syndrome, spina bifida, etc. Today, my doctor called and said the blood work was normal! Praise God for a healthy baby!

Thankful Challenge: Day 4

Today I am thankful for my amazing family! Without them, I don't know where I'd be! Here are just a few of my favorite pictures ...