March 6

Another major milestone for the Roe boys. Last weekend we bought a ladder for the bunk bed so that Jack could more easily climb up and down when the time came for the big move. Today we picked up said ladder, and next thing I know I'm being talked into just making all the sleeping arrangement transitions tonight. As my three readers know (ha ha!), I knew this night was coming. I just didn't expect to decide on a whim to just do it and get it over with. Rob tells me this is the best way because if we plan ahead I'll just stress over it and be dreading it until the time comes. This way, we just do it and don't have time to worry about it. Well I worried about it for the two solid hours before bedtime, let me tell you. The boys were soooo excited though. We set up the ladder and talked about the new sleeping arrangements and within a minute they were both moving all their stuffed animals to the "new" beds and getting things read. I think they would have been happy to go to bed right then even though it was a good hour and a half before their normal bedtime! Well we decided maybe we should put them to bed early tonight just in case this new setup turns into an all night party - which is what happened when they first started sharing a room. Sure enough, an hour after going to bed, they were still going. It took Brayden less than a minute after lights off and good night's to come out of the room asking about something. I think he came out a total of three times. And from the sound of it, there was much standing up on the bottom bunk to peek up at Jack (as seen in this picture) and much hanging over of the top bunk to talk to Brayden. This isn't a HUGE adjustment for Jack... but this is Brayden's first real taste of freedom. They were in and out of the room, up and down from the beds, needing water, kleenex, comforting ("Brayden yelled at me!") and more. Ultimately something upset Brayden and he started crying and Rob went up to console him, convinced him to cuddle up with his polar bear (which has essentially been his pillow in his crib), and now there is quiet. I am so not ready for this! But I can't wait to go in and peek on them in a little while, when I'm sure they are sleeping! Now I'm just hoping they aren't up at the crack of dawn... and that Brayden will nap tomorrow despite his newfound freedom. Assuming this works, we'll be taking down the crib soon. Bittersweet! The pictures I took at bedtime did not come out great, but I still wanted to share one... I'll try and get a better one tomorrow night.


So for today I have actually chosen a different picture to represent this day in my 365 album.


Last week one of my closest friends had her standard 20 week ultrasound to make sure her second baby was growing as appropriate, and of course if she was having a boy or a girl. Sadly, while she did discover that she was having a girl, they also discovered that this little girl was not healthy as hoped, but had an apparent genetic disorder which would ultimately prove fatal. This diagnosis was confirmed by a perinatologist early this week, and on Tuesday morning, March 3, Mark and Mollie welcomed their baby girl - Grace - into this world for a brief time. Today they had a memorial mass to celebrate how Grace has touched our lives in the short time she was with us. I felt blessed to be invited to both attend the service, and participate in it as a reader. It was a beautiful memorial for this little angel. This week has been an emotional roller coaster as we have mourned the loss of this dear child and tried to understand the unfathomable. I trust in God's wisdom and plan for this baby, and yet it still hurts in the depth of my soul when I think about the pain my friends are experiencing in losing their child. It makes me realize just how blessed Rob and I are to have two beautiful, healthy children, who we can hold close to us each day. Even when they drive us crazy, we know we are truly blessed. My continued thoughts and prayers are with Mark, Mollie, big sister Madeline and their families in their suffering, but I have faith that Grace is in a better place now, and that all our lives have truly been GRACED by her existence, however brief. I know that she has touched my life.