First Draft Friends

We have a showing (#15) tomorrow, so this post won't be long. 

And AV gave Meg whatever she had from a few weeks ago.  Which Meggie had in the first place, so we're right back where we started.

We've been praying that God would move in our house situation this week.  That tomorrow will go well if it's supposed to be the right fit...and not go well if it's not.  Kyle'd like to have our house in Corpus nailed down by the first week in February.  I can't believe that's in just one week.  January's been one of the longest months ever, but one of the shortest, too, if you know what I mean.  Our time here is coming quickly to a close.

I snuck out with a kindred spirit of a friend tonight for Sonic treats.  We sat in the parking lot and talked about a lot of things, but mainly about how the second baby changes things.  Changes us.  About how it's so hard right now to maintain a sense of "me" in the demands that come with "mommy" that we're not really sure who we are anymore.  All of us is being poured out.  I wrote a little about that in a recent post on this whole moving thing, the military, and me.  It took me a few days to gather up the strength to post it, and even then I edited out most of the "negative" stuff. 

I'm still working on one that fleshes out the feeling of "invisible" and "left behind" that sometimes comes along with young motherhood - if we're not diligent to care for ourselves, too.  And, I'm learning that I haven't really been doing a good enough job...or really any sort of job at taking care of myself.  When it comes down to it, I think I'm disappointed in myself for not sticking up for myself.  Anyway.  I'll wait to say anymore until I'm finished with the next draft.

For now, I'm thankful for the friendships I have here.  For my "first draft friends" - like my sweet one tonight - who always accept me as I am no edits necessary and who've heard my ugliest truths and still love me anyway. 

I'll leave you with a picture I love from this weekend.  I suddenly realized that I barely have any pictures with Allie V.  While Meggie napped and Kyle practiced guitar, I set up the self-timer and tried to snap a few.  Um.  Have you ever tried to use the self-timer with a baby???  No. Small. Feat. 

But this one, in all its candid glory, is precious to me.  I love the way the sun shines in on her hair and that her nose is pressed into my cheek.  I love how I'm kind of laughing, and that I'm already in my tshirt but with jewelry on - my half-in, half-out of church clothes look.  I love how serious she appears, how much she's grown, and that she's OUR baby of all the babies that could have been - our snuggly, giggly, tender-hearted, perfect, sugar-coated doll baby.

Ah, there we go. :)