Side-by-side: Ducky

There were a couple pics last year that I wanted to do a side-by-side with this year.  Here's our Halloween Ducky!

 

 

Happy Halloween 2014!

We had a lot of fall events going on this month

We spent a weekend in Lima with
Aunt Liz and Uncle Mike. We went to a corn maze!

Boo at the zoo!

Elephants smashing pumpkins!

A long day for our little guy!

Pumpkin carving!

The boys think carving pumpkins is GROSS!

Mommy's idea to make the pumpkin a Joshua Jack-o-lantern

You were in bed by the time we finished.

Our little pumpkin

You were so intrigued by the pumpkins, stems,
and leaves!  It was ridiculously hard
to get you to glance toward the camera!

Trick or Treat!

My favorite Davy Crockett!

The best picture I've gotten of your Jack-o-lantern teeth

My 2 supermans

Daddy dressed up for work this year

Uh, oh...

Gotta go find the gate!

My Champion!

I did it!  I completed the half marathon!  I am so proud of myself!  One month ago I broke two toes and was sad and depressed.  It seemed like God had yet again taken away something near and dear to me.  It didn't make any sense, breaking two of my toes at the worst possible time for Disney World and for my training for the half.  Training had been such a sacrifice for Daddy and me to coordinate, but it was good to take a step away from mom responsibilities for a moment and try to use that time to pray and heal.  But once I broke my toes, my training was over.  I did not run for 4 weeks.  It was a very frustrating and disheartening time because I figured I would barely be able to walk within the maximum allowed time of 4 hours.  I debated about even participating. 

BUT...a few days before the race my toes started feeling less sore and I figured I could try to jog as long as possible and go from there.  So I started the race with my NICU friend Callista running at her pace of 10:30ish...and I kept running...and kept running!  My toes were super cold and didn't warm up until 3 miles, and didn't hurt too bad until the 10k.  But I kept going.  I was close to NCH by this time and I really didn't want to stop, so I kept going.  Shortly after running past the hospital I told Callista to go ahead and I walked on and off during the last 3 miles.  

At the start a mom read my sign on my back and asked about Joshua.  Another man encouraged me saying we were fundraising and running for a great cause.  A woman during the race asked about you too, how early you were, how little, etc.  I got to celebrate your story during the day and just think back on the hard year it was and being so thankful of the outcome.  Thinking of all your NICU friends, all your primary nurses, all the patient champions, all the kids that were on the holiday giving commercial with you last year, thinking of Madi (Cami's twin who passed away)  emotions came in waves throughout the race.  As I neared the finish though I really wish my toes could have cooperated to sprint to the finish.  So I could pound my emotions on the pavement, it was emotional finishing for many reasons, but also because I really did not think I would be able to participate!  I not only finished, but I ran about 90% of it!  with 2 broken toes!  Thank you Lord!  Makes me want to do it again next year...hopefully I'll be healthy!

Right before the start with Cami's mom!

My cheering section!

   

Hugs all around at mile 12

Abby waiting to give me a flower she found

My champion!

I loved the NCH butterflies, kept me focused on why I was running

Thinking back: Opening your eyes!

Today I am thinking back to the day you opened your eyes for the first time.  (You were born with your eyelids fused shut)  I remember Joe dropping me off in the mother's room to pump.  Those early days, I rode to your room in a wheelchair that daddy pushed because I was still recovering from your c-section.  During those days I was also extremely sleep-deprived and dazed.  So as I pumped in the little pumping booth with the curtain drawn I closed my eyes and I had a "vision."  It was weird - I was still awake, my eyes closed, but I was dreaming and I saw you in my minds eye, somehow in the back of my eyelids.  I saw a profile of your little face - it was such a clear picture...and as I was watching you, your eyes fluttered and your little eye opened just a tiny slit and it gave me such a hopeful feeling!

When I was done pumping, bottling, washing my pumping equipment and wheeled back to your NICU room Daddy and I lifted the cover over your isolette and after a few moments I saw it!  I saw exactly what the Lord had shown me just moments before!  And now as I look back on the pictures we took from that day when you first opened your left eye. it is EXACTLY that clear picture in my mind's eye, that was ingrained in my head when I was pumping.

Such a wonderful little blessing during such a hard time!