Picture Time!

I thought I would take a break from deep, sometimes depressing posts to share some pictures! These pictures were taken in Illinois on a trip to this amazing little store called Pasquesi Home and Gardens. Pasquesi's has everything from home decorations to dog food and treats. The best part about it is you can bring your dogs into the store. We loaded the car up with Piper, Lexy and my mom's dog Roxy. I had a great time walking around and took a ton of pictures. Here are some of my favorites! They had a ton of beautiful birdhouses that I couldn't help snapping a few pictures of.

For my birthday, Josh had flowers delivered and they were so beautiful! I played around with the lighting a bit and managed to get some shots that I thought looked really cool.

Since we don't get much snow in Alabama, I was thrilled to play around in it on Christmas. I snapped a million pictures but haven't had the time to edit them all yet. Here are a couple of the ones I have. The last picture is my parents dog, Sunny. I am pretty sure he was posing for me.

This last picture was actually taken after we got back home from our trip. We gave Piper and Lexy bones to chew on but Piper was just too tired. She wanted to make sure her bone was safe though.


To see more or to see this in a larger size, check out my Flickr page!

Little Fingers and Toes

My really good friend and coworker had her first baby yesterday evening. I wrote about her struggles in a previous post (She is Leslie in that post). Given all that she has been through, I was so relieved to hear she had a healthy baby yesterday. She is one of the most giving and kind people I know and she deserves a healthy baby. I cried so hard when I found out she finally delivered last night because I have never been happier for someone else than I am for her.

Today over lunch, another coworker and I went to visit her in the hospital. I was nervous to see her because I despise hospitals and because I just don’t have a lot of experience with newborns. When we go to the room, her little boy was not there because he was getting checked by the doctors. We sat and talked to my friend and her husband and she looked great, even though she said she was tired and sore.

A few minutes later, the baby was wheeled into the room and everything changed. I was in complete awe of this little tiny thing making strange noises and faces. His father picked him up for a while and then handed him to my coworker. I knew I would get a chance to hold him next and I was terrified. What if I dropped him? What if I held him wrong and he woke up and cried?

My coworker turned to me and asked me if I wanted to hold him. I nodded my head and concentrated on holding him correctly. I could feel myself shaking from the nerves. Once he was in my arms, the nerves were gone and I just stared. My nose filled with the new baby smell and I couldn’t stop staring at him. I have never seen anything so perfect. His little ears, fingers, fingernails, nose, eyelashes, everything was perfect!

The rest of this afternoon, I have struggled to think of anything other than that baby. I can still smell him on my clothes. I can still see his perfect little face in my mind. Yesterday, I would have told you I wanted a baby more than anything in the world. Today, I couldn’t tell you anything without tears falling. To say that I want a baby is a huge understatement.

Final Reverb Post

December 30 – Gift Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

My birthday was on Tuesday of this week and my husband surprised me with so many sweet gifts. He gave me a beautiful watch, roses and chocolate covered strawberries. Jewelry, chocolate and flowers? I am one lucky girl! For Christmas my mother got me an Epiphanie camera bag and I am in love. Receiving gifts is wonderful but they don't even come close to emotional gifts I have received this year.

My husband gives me courage and strength every single day. As someone with anxiety problems, having a husband that is constantly by my side even though he does not fully understand my anxiety problems, is priceless. He is constantly pushing me to be a better person and while this is challenging, it is the best thing for me.

My mother and father give me confidence because they are my biggest cheerleaders. Whether it is for work, hobbies, marriage, etc., my mom and dad are always cheering me on. My sister gives me joy. She is one of those people that can make you laugh no matter how down you are.

My blog and twitter friends show me how I am never alone. When I am at my lowest, there is aways someone there to help me stand back up. You all give me hope and I can't thank you enough.

December 31 – Core Story What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)

At the core of me is hope. No matter what I face, it is impossible for me to give up hope, even if I try. I will one day be a mother. I will someday live my life free of anxiety. I will find a job I enjoy and will one day become a photographer.

In addition to hope, I never stop working on myself. I love to look inside my mind to figure out what needs improvement. I will never stop working to make myself happier and more complete.

Reverb has helped me realize areas in my life that could use improvement. It has also brought up a million things that I am incredibly thankful for. I have met some wonderful people thorough this process and I am so grateful for those friendships. This year has been challenging and wonderful at the same time. I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for me!