A CONVERSATION: ABOUT CHARACTERS.

via

*while watching our favorite TV series*

 Timmy: I think my favorite character is Michael.

Me: … Michael? Do you mean Matthew??

Timmy: Oh, is that his name?

Me: He's your favorite character
and you don't even know his name??

Timmy: I guess I just go by feelings, not names.

Valentines.

 

My Valentine surprise from Mr. Valentine included a babysitter, a festively decorated hotel room, a yummy meal, vegan chocolates, sparkling juice, roses, candles… and a two hour nap.

The nap was the best part. Really.

We had the hotel room and the babysitter for about six hours. And while I have never heard of anyone renting a hotel room for just half of a day, I must say that it was a perfect idea. I've been feeling a little sick these past days and Rosemary hasn't been sleeping well. A cozy little space to curl up in, snuggle, and sleep was just exactly the very best way to spend Valentine's Day 2013.

A CONVERSATION: ABOUT THE TIME.

*after being awakened by Rosemary crying at some wee hour of the night*

Me: Uhgggggggg. What time is it?

Timmy: … I don't know… Don't be mad at me.

Me: Huh? What TIME is it?

Timmy: Don't be mad.

Me: I asked you what TIME IT IS?

Timmy: I'm sorry. I'm trying so hard…

Me: …

I think it's obvious that a clock on my side of the bed is a good idea.

NATURAL REMEDY: FOR A COUGH

It's been a sad week at our house. Rosemary caught the flu, which then turned into the croup. Her coughing, coughing, coughing was unbearable. I held her for hours in the middle of the night, listening to her shuddering breaths and counting the minutes between another gasping, coughing attack. There was usually only about two to five minutes of rest before another one hit. She was awake, literally, for days on end because she could not fall asleep. My poor, poor baby.

Of course, after being coughed on for days and days, Timmy and I caught the same flu. So we have all been coughing ourselves silly. Not much can truly help an awful cough. But we did find something soothing, and I'm sharing it with you - in case you find yourself awake at midnight in a similarly unfortunate situation. 

 
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Once boiling, add one generous tablespoon of oregano, thyme, and sage. Stir in and let steep for 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

FOR ADULTS:

Pour the hot liquid into a large bowl. Put a towel over your head and the bowl and inhale deeply. Try to keep it up for about ten minutes.

FOR BABIES:

This requires two adults. Pour the hot liquid into a large bowl. Put the bowl on the floor. Have one adult hold the baby in their lap, being very (VERY!) careful not to let the baby touch the boiling hot water. Have the other adult hold a large blanket over their heads and the bowl, making a "tent". All the steam will stay under the blanket. The baby will probably cry (mine sure did) but that's actually good because that makes them inhale more deeply. Try to keep them under for about ten minutes. The longer the better.

These herbs are antibacterial and antiviral and will immediately start working to clear up the cold in your throat and lungs. Cold viruses are sensitive to heat and the warm air will help to loosen congestion. We did this every night and saw a definite difference.

WILD ONES.

 When I met Timmy, he was wild. Marvelously so. He dreamed of climbing mountains and jumping off cliffs. He was loud and intense and passionate and unstoppable. I said "Oh no! Please don't climb that!" and I said "That's dangerous!" and I said "You're going to hurt yourself!" many, many times. 

When I look into my daughter's eyes, I see Timmy. She is wild. Beautifully so. She dreams of climbing the piano and jumping off chairs. She is loud and dramatic and passionate and stubborn. I say "Don't climb that!" and I say "That's danger!" and I say "You're going to get hurt." many, many times.

They still climb. And when one obstacle is conquered, they look ever higher to the next. And the next. When they are together all I hear is squeals and screams and giggling. 

And tears, of course, because I'm usually right with my admonitions.

But even still, I'm glad that our daughter was born with the heart of her father. She is brave and she is sweet and she is mine.

A CONVERSATION: ABOUT METEORS

 

*While discussing the pros and cons of a potential road trip.*

 

Me: I don't know babe. Maybe we shouldn't go. 

We could get in a car accident and die.

Timmy: Yes. But what if we do go and our house gets hit 

by a meteor while we're gone?? We'll be so glad we went!

Some Things, on a Monday.

1. Tim is definitely, obviously, certainly Rosemary's favorite person. Her whole face lights up when he walks into the room. I think that, because I haven't left her sweet little side for more than a couple hours since she was born and we always, without fail, have a feeding rendezvous every three hours or less (except during the night)… I have kind of become just an everyday part of the scenery of her life. Good old, always-there MOM, that's me. So Tim is her favorite, and in truth I can't blame her, and we both await his arrival home each night with eager expectation.

2. Our tickets to Hawaii have been purchased. The thought of Hawaii kind of cancels out any negative thought that exists. Baby crying inconsolably because she can't figure out how to roll the other direction? Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii.

3. As if I wasn't already socially awkward enough with my crazy diet… I'm gluten free now too. It is with great reluctance that I have given up gluten. Rosemary has had a lot of congestion and a rash that won't disappear since she was born, and the doctor thinks it might be a gluten intolerance. That's kind of the conclusion he came to by default, since the most common food issues with babies come from either meat, dairy, sugar, eggs, or gluten, and gluten is the only one of those five things I eat. So you're wondering what gluten-free vegans eat. The answer? Vegetables, vegetables, nuts, some fruit, vegetables, and rice cakes. After one week of this, I'm starving. 

5. Our part-time worker decided to go back to school (the nerve!), so now Timmy is back to working six days a week. (Thank goodness we are closed on Sunday.) This has been a devastating blow to the morale of our home. But, my friends, there is hope on the horizon. Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii.

6. I showed my risk-loving husband and similarly cra-zy little sister this video, in an attempt to prove once and for all that bungee jumping is insane. Instead of the "ohmygosh, I'm never bungee jumping again!!!" response I was smugly expecting, they both excitedly stated, "See?! She lived! I told you it was safe." Ummm, guys… when a survival story includes the word "miraculous", SAFE cannot be an additional adjective used in its description.

7. I've fully embraced winter hibernation. Pajamas, fireplace, and baby snuggles are my only ammo against the winter blues that three snowstorms in one week brings. Oh, that and…  

Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii.

A Coversation: About French

Me: I wish we could teach Rosemary a foreign language.
I know some French. Let's say something in French. 

Timmy: Ok!

Me: Bonjour je m'appelle Becki. Je suis magique.

Timmy: … TRIANGLE!

I learned some basic French before we went on our honeymoon to Paris. I basically knew how to say, "My name is Becki. This is my husband, Tim. We are newlyweds. It is so magical. If I eat dairy I die."

And I could only remember it if I said each phrase in that exact order,
so needless to say I didn't have very many meaningful French conversations.

And I think it is obvious from the above conversation that Timmy knows ZERO French.

So I guess Rosemary won't be bilingual, but…

she has a Daddy that will always make her laugh.

(so who needs French?)

 Timmy Text: There's a surprise for you upstairs on our bed.

…and when I ran upstairs, this is what I found:

*smile*

Familiar Magic.

Timmy swept me away on a surprise adventure to the Fireside theater to see "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" - one of my favorite musicals. The show was AMAZING.

Spending the day together 
- just the two of us - 
was like old, familiar magic.

Of course "Rosemary" was every other word on our lips and it was incredibly sweet to realize that dates with Timmy are even more magical with a darling baby girl to return home to.

Babymoon Album for Timmy

For Father’s Day I made Timmy a “Babymoon” album. I purposely made it in the same style as this album I created to document our year 2010. A simple binder at Target, clear plastic sleeves, brown Kraft paper, and bright photos. It’s simple and structured, which makes this project one I can actually finish on time. (All my other scrapbooks exist in a half-finished state.)

The album is divided into several parts. It begins with statistics about the trip, a map of where we went, and a record of our hilarious conversations. Then it advances in chronological order. 

Each day starts with our journal entries for that day. (Tim and I bring our “vacation journal” with us whenever we travel. This is a tradition we started on our honeymoon and it has accompanied us all over the world. Every night before bed, we’ll each journal our thoughts on the day, recording what we ate, where we went, and any silly conversations we had that day. I LOVE it.) 

The journaling is followed by photos, and after I gave Timmy the book we spent several date nights entering “captions” for each photo. (I found this to be more fun to do together. Also, I love that the captions are written in our own handwriting, adding an extra personal touch to the entire album.)

I love it. I’m so glad that I recorded this – before the baby comes. Our Babymoon feels like one of our last ties to “just us two” times and soon my camera will be flooded with photos of Baby Love and our hearts will overflow with memories of “family of three” times.  

A Picture Text From Timmy.

there are hearts in the air
there are hearts on the ground
there are hearts all around
you and i.

there is love in the air
where there's love we are there
you and i sweet girl.

- Timmy

Two Years.

Husband,

 
June is our month. During the eleven long months between its end and its beginning, June whispers of romantic memories and dances with impatience, eagerly waiting on the sixth calendar page… waiting for our arrival. For us to be back here again. In June. We are welcomed with bright blue skies and glowing green grasses. Warm air infused with irresistible sunshine and recollections of why we adore June so. Because it’s beautiful to be in love in June. And because to be married in June is to join hearts in the sunburst of summer, at the height of earth’s happiness… when the birds kiss the air and butterflies swarm in brilliant bunches around dew filled flowers. The earth celebrates with you, when you’re married in June. Radiance of new growth is at it’s peak… the tree leaves will never be a more precisely perfect shade of green and the sky explodes with blue hues unlike anything you could ever find anywhere else but in June.

 
It was in June that I first loved you, in June that I first kissed you, and in June that I first called you mine. June remembers. And so do we.

We greet June with knowing smiles, nodding our heads to its yearly welcome, tipping our hats to its sunny salutations. Hearts bursting with the overflow of a past year’s love, minds reeling with ever increasing memories, and lips kissing one year better than the last.

We’ll always celebrate in June, because June is the best month of all. It is good, so good, to be two years married.  

But only because I married YOU, 

two years ago… in June. Happy Anniversary, my darling. 

 

30 Months "Engaged"

 *30 Month Anniversary Roses from Timmy*

Last night...

 
Timmy: Tomorrow we will have been "engaged" for 30 months... Happy 30 Months of being "engaged" babe!

 
Me: *falling asleep and thinking how happy I am to be with this guy who remembers the anniversary of the day we got engaged* ...mmm...happy...

Happy is one word that sums me up quite nicely right now. (Tired was a close second, but it's happier to be happy than tired, so happy won.)

Three Years.

 

When I first moved to Madison I lived at an apartment complex less than a mile from Tim’s house.

The first night we met at a young adult gathering, he completely ignored me and I thought he was just too cool to talk to me. I told my sister about this super cool energetic guy who was “definitely not a potential husband”.

Two months after first meeting him, I found myself at his house for a Superbowl party. I couldn’t stop thinking about how badly his white walls needed painting.

The second time he spoke to me was because he accidentally ran into me (literally) at a party and said, “Oh, I didn’t see you there. What’s your name?”

It took Timmy three months of repeatedly asking me my name for him to actually remember it. Finally, he stored it in his cell phone and used it as “notes” for whenever he saw me.

Once he was able to remember my name, I stopped feeling irritated with him and started realizing how amazing he was (is). But I didn’t like him romantically at all.

Because there were several “Tims” that I knew, my nickname for Timmy was “Bouncy Tim” and I would constantly relate hilarious stories about him to my family.

The first time Rynn met Timmy she said, “You should marry Bouncy Tim!” I told her that whoever Bouncy Tim married would be an extra special girl and I certainly did NOT think that would be ME.

I really liked talking to Tim and found myself seeking him out at gatherings. He kept me laughing with his silly stories and I genuinely enjoyed his company.

Tim says he loved talking to me because he made me laugh so hard. He also says that he became enamored with “the cutest girl” he had ever met and he was constantly surprised at my “sweet little sayings” and “complete purity”. (His interpretation of me makes me sound a little like a Disney princess.)

Timmy liked me first. God told him I was the girl for him while he was at a dinner party at my house. I briefly wondered why he made so much eye contact that night, but had no idea it was because he was looking at me as his future wife.

My parents met Tim when I was moving into a new apartment and my friends offered to help. My Dad told me afterward, “You should like that Bouncy Tim. I like him a lot.”

The first time I realized he might like me was at the movies with a group of friends. He “happened” to sit right next to me and during the movie he shifted his arm so that *gasp* our arms were touching!!! I remember telling my mom that I really didn’t think Tim was the kind of guy to touch a girl’s arm without good reason. (Haha!)

I became fairly certain that he liked me when our group of friends went laser tagging and Tim spent his entire time chasing me into corners and shooting me.

Tim decided to paint his house and he asked me to pick out the colors. I was completely oblivious at the time, but he later told me that he knew I would be living there someday and that’s why he wanted me to choose them. I was trying to impress him and chose “manly” colors - blue and grey – not colors I would have chosen for MY house. (We started dating two weeks later.)

I first realized that I was going to marry Tim while I was praying at a worship gathering. As I was praying, he stood up and started reading Psalm 16. Suddenly I just knew. (Psalm 16 was the Scripture reading at our wedding.)

I was happy to trust God and accept that Tim was the guy for me because I had been able to get to know him slowly over six months. I realized that he was a man of great character and he met all of my hardest requirements on my list of qualities I wanted my future husband to have: he didn't like to watch TV or play video games, he wasn't a sports fanatic, he wasn't a drinker/smoker, he made me laugh, he wanted to homeschool his kids someday, and he was interested in being healthy. (I made this list when I was 18 and many guys didn't get a second glance thanks to their failure to meet one of these requirements.)

The night before he asked me out we were at a worship gathering with our group of friends. As I was leaving he stuffed a fake purple flower into my hand and said, “I want you to have this.” I got out to the car and said to my friend, “Tim O’Brien just gave me a flower…”

Timmy told me he had "taken a shining" to me and asked me to “court unto marriage” after an evening church service. After explaining that he didn’t want to kiss me until our wedding day he paused and said, “Oh. I guess I should ask if YOU like ME?” I said yes.

That first night we started “courting” Timmy asked me where I wanted to travel the most. I responded with Ireland and Paris, and at that moment our honeymoon was planned. Almost exactly one year later, we were married.

On June 8, 2008 I had no idea where my relationship with Timmy would take me. I get a little overwhelmed when I think of all the beautiful, good things that have unfolded over the last three years. My life is full and I am happier now than I have ever been in my entire life. The funny thing is, I thought the same thing three years ago… two years ago… and last year, too.

My capacity for joy seems to be ever expanding
as this life of mine gets better and better.

Joy.

There is no room for anything but joy on April Sundays studded with patches of 80 degree sunshine and cool, refreshing spring breezes. The rest of it all gets crowded out to the recesses of our mind. We forget everything but the glory of the sunlight and the whispers of our love. Love is soft on sunny Sundays, murmuring in a sleepy daze and beating in golden time with our perfectly synchronized hearts. So we simply linger on a blanket in the park, dozing beneath the heaviness of the warm air and finding that the world slows down in a beautiful way, on sunny Sundays in April. Time sighs and patiently pauses long enough for two people, blissfully in love, to taste the prolonged sweetness of a perfect afternoon. Here in the sunshine.

A Conversation: About Pajamas

 

Timmy: Umm, I made eye contact with that lady, 

and she laughed at my pajamas.

Me: Well, not many guys would wear penguin pajamas. 

To Barnes & Noble...

Room Service.

 (Dinner in bed, served by my handsome waiter/chef/husband.

Feel free to laugh at how he cut the onions. But doesn't it look yummy?

Morning sickness has NOT disappeared

but I've been pampered.)

Golden.

20 times we've met

this special day

since 20 months ago.

The anniversary

of "you and me"

and the day our life

begins.

(It's safe to say

I like life this way

and I am bursting with

big grins.)

I never knew

I'd find a "you"

so much sweeter

than my heart foretold…

and

(even when you fuss)

This thing called "us" –

it's golden.

20 Months on February 20th!

Happy Golden Anniversary

to my best friend.

Blurry Pictures

 

Something you don’t want to hear
when you’re having blood taken:
“Oh wow, you certainly have tiny veins…”

Something you don’t want to hear
when your husband is cooking you lunch:
“Uh oh, you’re going to be upset…”

Something you don’t want to hear 

at 5:00 in the morning:
Your alarm.

I heard all three of these today. Combine loss of blood, a burned lunch, and lack of sleep with an awful case of feeling icky, having to come in an hour early and stay an hour late at work, PLUS a marathon shopping trip for groceries… and I’ve had one crazy day.

However, the one good thing all those not so good things have in common is Timmy. Getting blood taken is much happier when you have a husband to hold your hand (and put cold ice on your head when you very nearly pass out). Having a husband willing to cook lunch for you every day is pretty fabulous (even if he does burn it sometimes). And having the alarm go off at 5:00 AM is better when your husband is also awakened to share the misery.

All that to say,
I like being married.
More specifically, I like being married to Timmy. 

 

(Even on those days when all we have to show for it

is a blurry picture of us pretending to smile.)

 

Some days are just blurry picture days. 

 

The End.