The Quest for Mommy Nirvana: A Year Full of Change, Trials and Triumphs

I can't believe, once again, it's been two years since I've written on this blog! So much has happened since my last post in February 2014. First and foremost, I lost my dad....at only 54 in September of that year. It was crushing and although he was managing a heart condition, unexpected. In addition,
the month before my dad died, after working a 90 hour week, we lost our beloved border collie mix, Papa Champ! CRUSHING! It was terrible. Matt was traveling, and I had to put him down after two days of surprise sickness. I felt like I had a 6th sense and knew this was coming. I can't explain it, but how much I miss my Dad and Papa Champ.

Two years since my dad passed (those words seem so impossible) things are good and I am truly grateful for the time that I had with him. God takes life and he gives life. About 5 months after his passing, I found out I was pregnant with my third little bitty. It was definitely the distraction we needed to get us through a somber year. We spent an incredible year with my step mom at my dad's house. It was hard at first, but a journey working through our grief and accepting God's plan.

A year of lots of family time, Family feud, tractor rides, car rides and fun in a beautiful country setting on 14 acres. My step mom I think was a saint to let us stay with her for a year. Eleven months later, Matt and I closed on our first house together...but I'll get to that later. The biggest surprise that I will forever cherish is the intimacy and closeness it brought to my marriage. Because of some family issues I do not want to discuss, we became closer and more dependent on each other, in the very best way. I can't imagine loving him more, but I do. Every day. He is the champion of this family. After all, he has four girls to look after. Buy him a beer when you see him!

The BIGGER news is that Morgan Rae was born on 11/5/15! I was dead set I was having a boy and SURPRISE it was a girl. Matt will never say this, but I think he secretly was wanting a girl. What can I say, he does the girl thing well. Morgan is the spunk, the sweet, the only baby I got to experience a long-time nursing relationship and boy is it sweet. She is the easiest baby to nurse and I have never grown tired of it. We have so much time together that I will always remember...her smirks, her smell, her devotion.

In August, almost exactly two years since Papa Champ passed, we welcomed Papa Coop! So the year can be summed up like this: New baby, new house, new puppy! The answer I give to people who look at me like I'm crazy is, "We like extreme parenting!"