My Daughter

My oldest daughter turned 8 yesterday. Maybe its the hormones but I have found myself really reflecting on the last 8 years. Who I am today, who I was then, how she has changed my life in all ways.

We were told 2 months before she was conceived that I had a very low chance of getting pregnant, and since I had such a complicated case aka-they really couldn't tell me what was wrong with me-I was limited in the kind of treatments that I could have to become pregnant. It was a devastating blow to Patrick and I. The months of tests, treatments and studies they performed on me, seemed futile, we were both exhausted. Then magically I was pregnant. It was so surreal we just couldn't believe it. A blessing like nothing else I have ever experienced.

Our first pregnancy was a really hard one. I was really sick for most of it, went into labor 8 weeks early, on bedrest for the last 5 weeks. I had 3 different due dates, I was in prelabor for 3 weeks, absolute craziness! Then at 9pm on a cold December night, she was here. Emilia Jesseca. My husband and I often remarked over those first few weeks how what was important and worry last week really meant nothing after she was born. Its still true. What mattered and was important 8 years ago really doesn't register any more.

Millie was the reason we had more children. She was a great baby, she was a great toddler and she proved to be an even better big sister. She teaches me new things every day. Most importantly she has taught me how to be a better person. She is like her Dad, (always has been a Daddys Girl) she is kind, compassionate and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. What a super power that is. I find myself wanting to be as wonderful to people as my daughter is or at very least setting a good example so that she knows that she is doing the right thing and making the right decisions even when people are not being as kind to her.

I am more of a protector now then I was before. I have always been a very protective person, of the people that I am closest to, but this has become much more intense. I am very protective of my family. I now know what it feels like to be a "Mama Bear". It makes it hard to mask ones emotions when one hears of injustice being done to her little girl!

I am really lucky to have her as my daughter, I am really lucky to have her as my first born. She really is an enchanting a wonderful girl, I can't wait to see what she does and what she is able to teach me in the next 8 years!

Happiness to you always.

What Has Happened?

Hello!

I have been reading on my Facebook page lately people posting things like " what has happened to customer service?" & "where have all the nice people gone?" My family and I were shown first hand that these posts are mild compared to what is actually happening out there this time of year. Let me be the first to tell you, its down right scary! Allow me to share.

We went to the grocery store on Saturday. This is usually a great family event! LOL, as funny as it seems it really is! The Littles love riding in the car-cart, the Bigs love helping and they have found that if they show an interest in something they usually get it! I think its a great way to have the whole family involved with a household chore. Now, we do get looks. We have a very large family by todays standards. People really do stare us down. The first few people to stare really makes me laugh, after that I take the:

"Take a picture it will last longer" approach...hehehe I never said I was nice! I was in a pretty good mood this day though and I really needed a good day so I was determined to make it a good day regardless of anyone I came into contact with!

Anyway, our trip to the store started out with a major bonus. It was sample day! SCORE! Millie and I were in heaven! They had little stations set up and everything! However, we did notice that it was crazy crowded so Patrick and I took the "you go get this and I will eat and the I will go get that and then you can eat" tactic. It worked for about 10 minutes, then the surge of people got to be so great that we just had to get going on our shopping list. From the minute we left the prepared foods area we saw that we were in store for a little adventure.

People were zipping around that store like it was on fire. It was like a survival game. We were pulling our Bigs out of the way of people that were simply not going to stop, they were practically running with their carts pulling things off the shelves at incredible speeds. I don't know if you ever watched the show Super Market Sweep back in the 90's, if you did, it was like that. Not only were they going at alarming rates but they still gawked at the huge family making its way down the aisle. A very dangerous thing to do! I had 2 favorite moments. The first was this woman with one of those little carts, she was zipping and I mean zipping around, every time we rounded a corner she zipped past us so fast there was a "gush" of wind that made our hair fly up. We had several close calls with my oldest daughter who would bend down to get something off the shelf and we would feel the air change around us, realizing this just in time to pull Millie out of the way! (I really wish I was over exaggerating...) My second favorite moment was when I, trying to be conscious of the other people around me at checkout, put my cart against the wall out of everyones way. Of course this was not good enough for one girl who decided that while I was putting a bag in my cart, that I was not moving fast enough for her. She literally pinned my 6 month pregnant belly against my cart pushing hers so that it scraped my back. UNBELIEVABLE! I was so stressed out when I left the store I was shaking. On the upside, my kids, were angles.

What has happened to people? Do we reserve this kind of awful behavior specifically for this time of year or is it what we have become all of the time? My mom calls this the rude season. I have to agree. I have witnessed so many near misses in the parking lots in the last 2 weeks, people getting cutoff on the roads, purposefully blocking entrances to stores. The customer service industry is really on shakey ground as well. You would think that with way the economy is now people would A-be grateful for the jobs that they have & B-the companies that they work for would want to keep their customers happy.

So I would suggest, slow down. Take a breath. The item you want will still be there in the 10 seconds it takes that family of 6 to get out of your way. Give yourself time, get plenty of rest, grab a coffee, plug into your IPOD & make your shopping experience fun. If it still gets you down and you feel like you would rather drink raw eggs, then shop online or my personal favorite go grocery shopping or do your big box store shopping after 10pm (don't forget your IPOD it keeps the "crazeys" away). Remember that this is the season for giving and remind yourself of that wonderful golden rule, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Its important and you will have a much more satisfying experience if you do this. Even though the chances are slim that people will follow the same advice.

Hang in there!

Be Merry and May Happiness Find You Always!

Regina