the calm before the storm.

let's begin here.

just kidding.

but dang. i must have really been losing it.

clearly, we were using food as our coping mechanism.

:)

:)

but really.

way back in march, we packed up our house.

march was a long month full of snow and living amongst boxes and trips to the storage unit and the crazy, CRAZY hoops we had to jump through to get into our new house.  

however, we had a good last few weeks in the green house.

and now, as i type this...tears come to my eyes. 

oh the memories.

such a sweet sweet 5 years in that home.

so much growth, i think my heart tripled in size while living in the green house.

God was so good to us there.

He IS so good to us.

and, as i think back to march, through my very sleep deprived memory,

....i think of one main little person:

 our sweet little roman joe.

what. a. trooper.

 he may have thought packing up our house, making trips to the storage unit, home depot, and helping daddy load up the trailer a bajillion times was all fun and games, but he didn't realize his whole world was about to be rocked.  

and he just kept his little light shining.

 and.  he worked very hard at preventing any stretch marks in the process.

 oh my sweet baby.

our lunch time now looks so different with a baby around, 

i didn't realize how sweet those last few lunches were...just you and me!  

[and your puppies]

chatting up a storm. giggling. and always wiping your dirty hands on your shirt.

i know we'll get back to more regular meal times.... someday....

but i will always miss those last days together, just the two of us!  what a special time.  

God has blessed us little roman.  He is so good to us.

it was nice to take things slow that last month.

i mean, it's not like a 37 week preggo lady can do anything very fast.

but really.  we were lazy and loved it.

 spending our days looking at machine magazines...

 watching machine documentaries...

napping together...

 

[ my heart ]

 watching our cousin play basketball...

 digging up the laundry...

 and reading our library books.

and our nights were spent with parenthood. [and other sappy shows momma loves]

....and packing, and packing, and packing, and trying to imagine the next crazy month upon us.

sweet roman joe.

the little one who made me a momma.

thank you for those beautiful first 2 and 1/2 years.

thank you for pushing every button i have...for stretching my patience...for making my days hard...

for in those moments i'm being refined.

in those moments, i'm learning to lean on my Father.

i will always cherish our time together, just us two :)

and now, i'm so excited to see you as a big brother.

keep shining little dude.

shine shine shine.

shine bright like a diamond.