What a day!

Two years ago today, just before dinner time, I finally met and fell madly in love with the fruits of my labor and met Elyse for the very first time. She had an exciting day wearing her tutu and birthday shirt to VBS and having birthday songs sung to her all day long. I let her have ice cream before dinner and play in rain puddles in her tutu.

I want to post some pictures and write more about this emotional milestone for me but I'm exhausted.

I'll recap my last 24 hours.

Last night, 11pm, the nerve pain in my back was severe. I got into bed thinking I just needed to rest. I got out my snoogle and support pillows and positioned myself exactly how the therapist suggested to rest and stretch my back while sleeping. The pain intensified over time and I ended up lying there with tears rolling down my cheeks. There was no position to lay in that wasn't excruciating. I ended up next to my bed on all fours rocking, trying to get pressure off of the nerves. It didn't work. At some point, despite the pain, my body gave into slumber and I achieved broken sleep for a few hours.

5:45am Elyse awakes screaming. I comfort her back to sleep within a few minutes.

6:30am I am hoping to drift back to sleep. My 24 year old cat begins yelping like she does every night and she wakes up Elyse for the day.

Tired and foggy my birthday girls morning begins for us. Determined to make it special I place my whiny discomforts aside, whisper a silent prayer, and make breakfast

7:30am I'm getting ready to leave for VBS and am doing my make-up. I place my "supplies" on a towel each morning to keep my counter clean and Elyse knows not to touch this towel. She walks in, pulls it down and make-up goes everywhere splattering on the tile. We have a house showing scheduled while we'll be at VBS so I was trying to keep the house as meticulous as possible. Elyse was firmly but gently reminded that we don't touch mommy's towel. For whatever reason this caused her to have an accident right there on the tile which surprised me. I walked out to get some cleaning supplies

and almost stepped in cat poop!!!! Lots of messes to clean while still not dressed and running late for VBS.

We get out the door and have an uneventful day at VBS. While there we finally receive a promised offer from a potential buyer on our house. It isn't even worth the paper it's written on. I was slightly bummed.

Driving home from VBS I come to a complete stop to turn right on red and am forcefully rear ended. It shook both Elyse and I up and I had contractions for a bit after, but all appears okay tonight.

Add somewhere in there plunging a clogged toilet, swiffering muddy footprints, tipping over from the weight of my belly while trying to squat which tore a finally healing scab off a very sore knee, and on the day went. Most of the day it was little things but by this evening they added up and pushed me out of my comfort zone. I will do better tomorrow.

I spent the evening cleaning up the house from a little party Elyse had with her friends and extensive time on the phone attempting to sort out this real estate issue. I finally sat down with only the energy to eat a bowl of cereal and type this complaining post from my iPhone. Tonight I will rest in the assurance of the new compassion I'm promised tomorrow (Lamentations 3:22-23). There is bountiful thanks wrapped within this grumbling so I will dwell on that.