Christmas Photos

I finally got the last batch of Christmas cards mailed out over the weekend (only a little late). Here's the photo we included with the cards.
And a couple other favorites.
See that gorgeous quilt Naomi's sitting on? It was a gift from our friend Pat. The photo doesn't do it justice; it is absolutely amazing!

Our Budding Artist

For the first time, Naomi has deliberately put pencil to paper and drawn.

This Time Last Year

...I was sitting in a hospital waiting room in Buffalo while Sam underwent surgery to remove a Vestibular schwannoma. Although it was definitely not a fun experience for anyone involved, there were a lot of people that made it so much easier for me, and I'm so grateful for them.

1. My mother-in-law. Jude stayed in Buffalo with me and took turns sitting by Sam's bedside so I could get breaks (and some necessary sleep). I wouldn't have made it through those ten days in the hospital without her!

2. Kevin Guest House. We'd just been looking for an affordable place to sleep and shower, but this turned out to be so much more. I hadn't realized, until I was in the middle of it, how much difference it made to have the support of a house to go to, with people to talk to, and a kitchen full of food. So much better than an empty, impersonal hotel room. The staff and other guests there were wonderful! I wish I had oodles of money to donate to their very worthy cause.

3. Naomi. I was seven months pregnant with her at the time. Whenever one of us would start to get discouraged or depressed, we'd talk about the baby. My burgeoning belly was a constant reminder to Sam of why he needed to hurry and recover. She brought us so much joy and hope through those long days.

4. Sam. He never gave up. He fought and struggled and pushed himself. He was in pain, he was sick, he was medicated, it was hard and he got discouraged. But he never gave up. He knew Naomi and I needed him, and he got better for us.

A year later, Sam's still recovering. He still sometimes loses his balance; he still has pain; his facial nerve and muscles are still healing; and he will probably never again hear out of his left ear. But he doesn't give up. He focuses on what he can do. He works to be the best husband, father, and human being possible. One year ago, he was unconscious on an operating room table and he was facing a long road to even get to the point where he would be able to walk on his own; today, he got up at the crack of dawn to participate in a live fire training with the VFA.

I sure love this man!

Not Camera Shy

It's hard to get candid photos of Naomi. Sometimes I can sneak one off, but as soon as she's aware of the camera, she starts posing. (Then, after a few shots, she's had enough and wants to play with the camera, so after that they're all of her reaching for it.)

Anyway, recently she's gotten very good at her plastic stacking rings, so yesterday I thought I'd try and get a few photos of her playing with them. The first shot was exactly what I wanted.
But then she'd seen the camera, and started posing. She would grab the next ring and wait until I had the camera in position and ready before putting it on the post.
See that self-satisfied little smile. She's definitely a performer.

What's in a Title?

Do you want to hear a confession? I would have started a blog months ago if I didn't have to come up with a title for it. How do I capture all that my life is in just a few words? And have it be clever or witty? Way too much pressure for me. Anyway, after lots of thought, this is what I keep coming back to.

I love the picture book You Are My I Love You by Maryann K Cusimano. I am by nature neat, organized, scheduled, some would even say compulsive. Being a parent definitely makes me stretch out of my natural tendencies. "I am your calm face; you are my giggle. I am your wait; you are my wiggle." Sweet baby Naomi certainly enriches my life with her giggles and wiggles! And since most of my time right now is spent caring for her, I decided this was an OK title. Maybe not clever or witty, but it will do.

And because the primary purpose of this blog is to post current pictures for faraway family and friends, here's one from last week.