Valentine's Day (Love Story Part III)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm was home sick from work today --- I've been fighting a bad cold and decided rest was just what the doctor ordered (especially since most medicines aren't allowed anyway).  So, nothing too exciting to report; but, at least I got to be with my Valentine...

Tonight, Jeff is making one of my favorite chicken-in-the-crockpot dishes and we are planning on watching The Bachelor (my choice) and playing the board game Sequence (his).  I feel lucky and loved. 

Anyway, in honor of V-Day, I thought I'd finally write Part III of our "love story."  If you want to check out the first two parts click here and here.

...

The night before I left for Clemson, Jeff and I had a sweet dinner at a restaurant called The Angler. As a gift, I made him a little calendar of the next ten months that I'd be away, complete with all of our "visits" marked.  We didn't consider breaking up, but we also weren't naive about how hard long distance would be.

Jeff would be staying in Roanoke, attending a local college, and starting a new job.   We were excited about his opportunities, but knew that the transition into two such different worlds would not be easy. 

We were also a little crazy strict about our "visitation schedule." I wouldn't have a car at Clemson my first year, so seeing each other would be dependent on Jeff making the six hour trip and me finding a ride home for breaks etc.  We also knew that it was really important for us to make friends and establish an identity in college apart from each other... So, we decided we'd see each other once a month to start.  In hindsight, I think this decision was funny (four weeks felt sooo long) but, I think it made all the difference.  A LOT of couples don't make it from high school through college - especially at different colleges.  But, God really gave Jeff and I a wisdom beyond our ages (and, trust me, it didn't come from us) about how to allow ourselves the space we both needed to grow-up and figure out who we were during this important time of our lives.  I am more grateful for that time than I ever realized I would be.  And, I honestly believe that I love Jeff more and better because of it.

That first year, I spent many a night sitting in the hallway or in the bathroom talking to Jeff.  I cried a lot.  We cried a lot - every single time we left each other, to be exact.  If I'm being honest, I'll say that we fought a lot too.  We missed each other.  We got jealous.  We were "too busy" to talk and felt "left out" too often.

Our first year was not easy.  Our experiences were really different.  And, a lot of the time it felt like we couldn't really understand each other.  I remember going to a church that year that LOVED to preach on dating and marriage.  I would call Jeff every Sunday and demand that he be more of a "spiritual leader," when - in reality - I was really the one that needed to learn to relax and be led a little. (I could write a whole post on this... Maybe I will one day.)

But, we both believe (firmly) that love is work, and love is a choice.  I don't know why or how we got that when we were only eighteen, but we did.  When one of us was ready to "give up," the other was always confident and strong.  We knew that God is not a God of confusion, so we trusted that if it was ever time to "move on," we'd both be on board.  Jeff was patient with me.  He made lots of trips.  He spoiled me rotten with care packages and dates when we were together.  My new girlfriends thought I was the luckiest thing in the world, and the boys got to know Jeff and respected our relationship.  The more we got to know each other's "new lives" the easier it became.

We grew up a lot that year.  I, especially, learned a lot about my God and who He made me.  And, how to love.  In fact, at the end of the year, we even decided that long distance WAS good for us... And Jeff accepted his admission into Virginia Tech for the following year and turned down his offer from Clemson.

The next three years brought many more trials and great experiences for both of us.  We each made lifelong friends and continued to learn about ourselves and our relationship.  Our Junior Year, we even got to spend six months in London together through a Study Abroad program that both of our colleges supported.  To date, it was one of the most wonderful things I've ever done... And, I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else.

I'd say, early on, we both knew we were in this for the long haul.  I am SO thankful for God's protection in our lives and for giving us that peace early on.  However, we had NO IDEA what that meant, or what the road to "the long haul" would look like...

TO BE CONTINUED... (Read Part 4 - My Milk & Honey story - here.)

I love you Jeff.  Happy Valentine's Day!! I'm sure we never would have imagined that we'd be where we are today nine years ago... But, I love you more now than ever before!  Thank you for being my valentine, my best friend, and the only person in the world I'd want to go on this adventure of life with.

18 Weeks

I can't believe it's been two weeks already... I've said all along that I thought this pregnancy would fly after 20 weeks.  I am even more confident now!

So, here I am at 18 weeks pregnant.  (As much as I loathe the word "preggo," I still find myself wanting to type it all the time.  What does that mean?)

This was taken last night right before we left for a couples shower for our friends Andrew and Allison. Thankfully, this is one of my Kathryn's "regular" dresses that still works with the bump. (For the record, approximately one hour later, I slipped in my "cute boots" at the party, dropped a full plate of food, and caused a huge spectacle.  Thank goodness you can get away with a lot when you are pregnant.)

And, a little update:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 Weeks

Size of Baby: About 5.6 inches long and 6.7 ounces OR the size of a sweet potato!

Maternity Clothes: You know where I stand with this...  Still struggling to get by and slowly converting to 100%.  (At least Shabby Apple started working for me... I'm OBSESSED with their maternity line.  One of each please!)

Gender: March 2nd is the date!!!  We are so excited!  I feel really confident about what it is, but I'm going to hold off on sharing until after the reveal - so as not to skew the poll results, of course.  Don't forget to vote!

Movement: A few times I've thought I felt something, but it may have been wishful thinking.  I'm hoping it will be obvious soon.

Sleep: Not bad lately.  The compromise is off.  Snoogle now sleeps with us every night.

What I miss: Hot dogs.  My sweaters.

Cravings: Direct quote to Jeff yesterday -- "I am just really craving artificial cheese right now."  Haha!  But, on a better note, I'm also LOVING fresh berries of all kinds! 

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good honestly. **Side Note** I have always had some pretty major lower back issues that I worried a lot about before I got pregnant.  Jeff and I seriously thought I'd have to be in a wheelchair or something. Besides one flare-up right around eight weeks, it hasn't been a problem at all!! (Knock on wood.)  I know it is still "early," but I am just SO thankful that I've made it this far with no pain! 

Things People Say: Well, Poppy continues to amaze me.  Yesterday, he said, "I think that baby's going to come in April... You look way too big!"  And, "I can tell your cheeks are getting chubby."  At least I love him a lot.

Best Moment(s) This Week: Planning our Gender Reveal Party!  Getting a baby gift in the mail from my mom this week - a cute pillow & changing pad cover.  And, catching Jeff flipping through a Serena and Lily baby catalog. ;)

(Another) Story Worth Sharing

First, remember my friend Libby?  She finished her chemo this week!!! Six hard months, and she is still as beautiful and encouraging as ever.  If you haven't been in a while, check out her blog here.

Second, I have another story I want to share with you...

Meet Baby Juddah:

Last Sunday, he was sitting next to me in church.  And, I'm just going to be honest, I didn't hear a word of the sermon.  Have you ever seen eyes like that in your life?  Jeff literally had to contain me in my seat.

Later, when I got to talk to Cherrie - Juddah's caregiver - and hear his story, I fell even more in love.  Juddah is from Korah, Ethiopia -- a city that, literally, serves as the "trash dump" for all the surrounding areas.  He and his twin sister Sarah were born in October among urine soaked towels with no food or clean water.  While Sarah seemed to be developing normally (although very small) with her mother, Cherrie - an American missionary with Project 61 - could tell baby Juddah was not healthy.  Finally, weeks after his birth, a doctor in Ethiopia diagnosed him with hydrocephalus - a life-threatening condition indicating that there was fluid around the brain. Then, sadly, he explained that in Ethiopia they simply "do not treat" this condition; only in America would things "be different.

Juddah at ten days old, when Cherrie first met him.

So Cherrie, unsatisfied with that answer, began her search to find an American hospital that would donate the services Juddah would need to survive...

Right before Christmas, she heard from a neurosurgeon at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke.

With permission from his mother, Cherrie packed up the now three month old Juddah last month, and moved to Roanoke for a strenuous six months of appointments, surgeries, and recovery.  Cherrie and Juddah are living with a family from my church, the mother a nurse at Carilion, during the process.  And, already, staff at the hospital and other members of the community are rallying around those precious eyes - raising money and donating clothing, food, etc.  Many of the nurses are even looking into making a trip to Ethiopia next year to serve.

You know, in the media, we hear a lot of BAD news.  We hear a lot about all the horrible things people do.  But, this story is one of encouragement and goodness.  Thanks to the unending commitment of a team of missionaries and the generosity of a hospital and its staff, baby Juddah will go back home a healthy little boy.  And, when he's old enough, Juddah will be part of Project 61's education mission, which pays for 250 children who were living in the dump to attend boarding school.

That's a story worth sharing.

If you'd like to read more, visit Cherrie's blog here.  Or, if you don't have HOURS to spend reading this story from the beginning, check out the article in our local paper today here.

All photos are from Cherrie's blog.