So Just Tonight...

I opened an online store.

I talked all about it here.

OH MY GOD!

For My Friend

I have never met Amy, although she is one of my dearest and closest friends.

Amy was one of my first “blog friends” (I think Charlie was the first). I used to be of the mindset that you couldn’t make good friends over the computer, but I was wrong. I met her at the insistence of her husband, who has a music blog. I commented about what our unborn baby (Noel) had been listening to in-utero, after he’d written a post about their new baby’s favorite songs. He emailed me with her information, and I’m pretty sure by that afternoon, we were on Yahoo IM, chatting about music and babies. We were “insta-friends”. She sent me lists of the baby gear I would need. We would exchange links all day, swooning over companies like Black Wagon, Vincent Shoes, Boon and Zutano. We’d dream about the endless amounts of wonderful things we’d buy for our babies, if only we had a money tree. We talked about music and email each other songs. We talked about our lives, our husbands, our babies, born & unborn.

Amy encouraged me to go to the doctor when my hands and feet started itching uncontrollably toward the end of my pregnancy (and it turned out I had HELLP syndrome). She was there for me when my baby was born 4 ½ weeks premature. She & Eric had been in my shoes with Hailey, who was also premature. Hailey had looked like a turtle when she was born, and Noel looked like a frog. We decided that they would one day get married. Our bond was strong, particularly after having similar pregnancies and births. Once Noel was born, we grew even closer. Our first children were only 4 months apart. We’d become friends when Hailey was just a few weeks old, and I was still pregnant. She was my first “mom friend”. I remember Hailey’s first word (Oliver) and when she learned to walk. I am sure that Amy remembers all of Noel’s milestones too.

When I got pregnant with Lennon, Amy and Eric were trying for another baby too. They waited, and waited…and waited. And yesterday, Teagan was born. Having known for years how much her family has longed for her, I am absolutely filled with joy about her birth.

Almost 4 years later, I can’t believe everything that has changed in our lives. The turtle and frog are now 3 ½, and two of the cutest and funniest little kids you’d ever want to meet (they’ve had a few web-cam dates already). It’s unreal that the first few months of our friendship, we would chat one handed while holding our only babies. We’ve shared joys and heartaches - new pregnancies, miscarriages, death, life, and exciting ventures. We’ve had a lot of laughs, and good times. Still, we’ve never physically met. I can’t wait until we do. I can imagine there will be lots of hugs, and tears, and kids screaming and playing and having fun, and lots of music and mayhem.

Welcome, Teagan!

My friend Amy just had a baby. She twittered it.

Tomorrow, I'm going to tell you about how Amy, although I've never met her, was my first mom friend. She is a great lady, and a cool mama, and I'm so happy for her, Eric, and Hailey.

Welcome to the world, Teagan!

The Missing Piece

Of all the relatives that have died over my lifetime, I miss my Grandma Logan (Neena) the most. I think it is because of her really strong, yet loving personality. She was the matriarch. Her husband, my beloved Grandpa Logan (known also as BoBa), was the quiet strong type, and he was amazing too...but she held the reigns. I feel like it was her that really gave our family it's sense of how important family is to us.

Her and my Grandpa set a great example, and extending open arms to their three favorite little ladies. My favorite memories of childhood almost always include my grandparents. There was something special about them. Something I hope Noel and Lennon see in their grandparents.

It makes me sad that we aren't with them more, which is why I am so thankful for this amazing internet. Really. What a great way to stay connected to the people I love and miss. I loved spending every holiday with them. I loved how we all just knew that either of the Logan's or Beaty's would have everyone over for every important time. It was something really special, and something I want to continue. I am so thankful for the Neen and how much more she made you all to me.

Thursday Is the New Friday

We are going to have a little fun in the sun over this three day weekend.

Jumping in the "PEWWWWL".

He was saying his usual, "CHEEEEEEE!"

I Love You, But Don't Forget to Read the Fine Print

You know, I've thought very little about how I would react if my children "came out" to me. In fact, it's completely a non-issue, as it should be. I look at my two small boys, and I see life. I see beauty. I see wisdom that we can't hold on to as adults. I see innocence.

I look at my children, who don't know or understand what it is to be heterosexual, or homosexual. When they look at a person, whether or not that person is gay, straight, black, white, so on and so forth...they see a person. I see my own children as little people, who will one day be grown up people, who have learned most of what they know from me & my family. I don't want my children marred by prejudices given to them by me or anyone else.

Several years ago, I had a part time job at a bookstore. I was working with a guy that was in his first year of college, and working part time to help pay for his car & such. He came out while we were working together, and his parents found out. Before he could tell them, someone else did. His parents sent him to their pastor, and monitored his phone calls, and who he was seeing at all times. He eventually got "caught" hanging out with a guy, and was kicked out of his home. His parents stopped helping him with college, and gave him no more money. They told him that as long as he was gay, he was not their son. I was appalled and disgusted by this young man's treatment by his own family. Now that I have two sons that I adore and love more than anything in this world, I am even more appalled and disgusted by his family's actions.

I will always, unconditionally love my children. Period.

I Am Really Glad It's a 4 Day Work Week.

You know those days when you wake up and just know it's not going to be terrible, but it's going to be sort of a drag? I felt that way when I woke up, and the 6th sense was right. It was just sort of an off day. Noel has been sort of in a "mood" lately. I feel like he's stir crazy, but it's just too hot to do much. I mean, going on a car ride is unpleasant. It takes the car about 5 years to cool down.

Tomorrow, we're going to interview the creator of Gustafer Yellowgold, Morgan Taylor. We'll post about it here, and at MumsTheWurd. We're really excited to find out more about the brains behind the ray of sun, Gustafer. I'm going to get a good night of shut-eye so I'm all fresh for our big interview.

If you want to read something sad, but at the same time hilarious? Go here.