Seasons

A familiar season is upon us. It's not that I hadn't thought about a whole year passing, and mentally I realized it was March, but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago when I was driving to work, that it hit me. It was the place the sun was rising from the ground and the way the sky looked. It was the feel and smell of the air. Suddenly some intense emotion started welling up inside of me and I realized, in my heart, what time it was. Isn't it amazing that God's creation can conjure up such intense emotions and memories? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I would say we have grieved well. (do people say that :) We decided from the very beginning of this journey that we would try not to 'care' what other people thought we should do or how they thought we should feel. And that has been one of the most helpful things for me. I am not suggesting that the process of grief has ended. We are about to cross a major milestone in that process. And I would assume that for any kind of loss, there is always a part of the heart that is sad. I would hate for that to go away. I want to remember.

What makes me the most sad right now is to think back over the last year and realize all the things we did, without Titus. It's just crazy that such a great amount of time has passed. I've heard people say that when something tragic happens it feels like 'time stands still' for a while. I completely agree with that because it seems like just a month or two ago that we lost him.

I'm a better person than I was before I knew Titus. I've learned things about love and about God I would have never known. God loves me so much. He loves YOU so so much. It's unbearable to think what we'd be without His love. There are many things that I've always believed in or spoken that now MEAN something to me. Heaven; we  have a sweet investment there. Earth; we are not yet living in the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Humans; we are resilient and strong and a lot of people really do love others as they love themselves. Sin, there is no sin that cannot be redeemed by what Christ has already done. Pain; it will not only end, it will be REDEEMED. That word means the world to me. Trust; though difficult, it's possible, even when you know it doesn't mean automatic happiness here on earth. Hope; it's all over the place.

Speaking of redemption and hope: Titus is going to be a big brother! I know you are all aware of that, but I like to say it. :) We are expecting baby 'X' in mid September. September 16, if you're one for dates. Kent wanted to have something to call the baby, so he started calling it X and it's stuck (to my mother-in-law's dismay). She's afraid it will stick. Haha. It is believed among the male students in our campus ministry that X is a boy, and that's just because they never fathomed that little babies could ACTUALLY be girls. You should have seen their faces when I broke the news that there's kind of a 50/50 chance either way.

I am 13 weeks along and have been feeling good. Just the occasional prego discomfort, so I count myself lucky. I have been, for the most part, worry free. I attribute that to all the folks that are still out there on their knees for us. Really. I don't think that I'd be as sain as I have been without those prayers. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are beyond excited for this little one! That's the understatement of the year.

I owe my sister-in-law to be a belly picture. I have not forgotten. But it's not in this post. :)

Subject: Assumed

I'm going to be honest.

Not a day goes by that I don't ask why. And some days I stay there, soaking in the question and in the pain and start to feel very very sorry for myself. But some days, like today, I allow my mind to open up and wander heavenward. And I'm reminded that Titus is in a place of complete perfection. That he never had to worry with the things of this life and that he has reached the goal. And suddenly my longing turns from wanting him here with us, to wishing we were there with him. And that's the way it should be.

I've pondered how this post would go. I feel like I need to tell you all thank you because it's likely that if you're reading this, you've brought us before the Lord in prayer at some point in the last few months. It's said quite often, but truely, we could not be getting through our loss without you, your support and your prayer. We have been blessed by you. Please continue.

I'm starting to think that I could go on and on and on today. For your sake and mine I'll try to make this first post "back" managable. But I want to share with you a little of my journey.

I want to share with you because I don't want to forget. As we were driving back to Canyon after we found out we lost Titus I remember many many thoughts racing through my mind. One thought that I verbalized to Kent was that if we can't help someone else, if we can't encourage others some day who are in a similar situation or even just in pain, if we can't extract wisdom and knowledge of the nature of God from this experience, then it's all for nothing. And I'll tell you, that precious child was not all for nothing! We have learned the hard way to never never EVER compare your experience to anothers. Even if the same exact tragedy occured on the same exact day of the same exact year and you were wearing the same exact clothes. Noone is the same. The way we take in and interpret our pain is incredibly unique. However, after a while, it seems that the way we all should start to recover from loss and hurt should have a similar focus. A focus on things not of this world.

At the very beginning of March Kent started one of his Wednesday night classes with a question: Is it possible to always be joyful? At the time I thought, well, of course, we have better things to look forward to... yada yada yada. Little did I know that we were about to have a chance to cultivate an answer we were confident in. How is it that two of the strongest, most opposite emotions people feel can coexist? Joy and sorrow. I sit here and ponder that still. And all I can say is that when we first held Titus we were absolutely elated. Proud. Consumed. Awe struck. Everytime we'd call for the nurses the bring him in to us, we imagined being like any other parent that had just met their son. It's an experience that cannot be described in words. A miracle made by God. It's totally awesome. But ours was not the normal experience that parents have on the third floor at BSA. And that's where the sorrow enters. Deep, deep sorrow. I can't tell you the hurt. But always, always there with the hurt is the pride and the joy that we never knew until we met our Titus. Seriously, you think you're happy now, wait until you see your first child. It's crazy. And I still feel that way. Titus is in a much better place than we are, that fact and the fact that we got to be with him for a short time bring me the greatest joy I've ever known. But the fact that he is not here brings the greatest sorrow I've ever known. So, the answer to the question is yes. I think Helen Keller put it well: "What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us."

We are doing okay. Very busy, as usual. There are up days and down days. We are better for knowing Titus and knowing that he is hanging with Jesus. We talk about and to Titus often. We are getting used to our "new normal". And it's an interesting journey. Some days I talk to God and ask Him to take care of Titus, ask Him for guidance. But some days I don't understand how an all powerful God allows this kind of pain and it's hard to find words to talk to Him. A place we've all been, I'm sure. We imagine how it would be if he was here and we imagine what he's doing right now, cozied up in heaven's nursery. We are charter members of a group in Amarillo, M.E.N.D. (mommies enduring neonatal death) http://home.mend.org/ . We are proud parents and love to talk about our son. And, yes, we do plan for Titus to have brothers and sisters, Lord willing.

Okay, I apologize for the length of this post, and thank you if you're still reading. I want to share just one more thing that is therapeutic for me...

I don't know about you, but I love music. Sometimes I think some musicians are really just poets who had to get everyones attention by playing an instrument just so they can get the words across. Music, to me, is spiritual, meaning it taps into a part of me that's hard to get to, limited access. If there is any strong emotion, there is a song that relates. In my opinion. So I want to share a poem. :)

Held

Two months is too little

They let him go

They had no sudden healing

To think that providence

Would take a child from his mother

While she prays, is appalling

Who told us we'd be rescued

What has changed and

Why should we be saved from nightmares

We're asking why this happens to us

Who have died to live, it's unfair

This is what it means to be held

How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life

And you survive

This is what it is to be loved and to know

That the promise was when everything fell

We'd be held

This hand is bitterness

We want to taste it and

Let the hatred numb our sorrows

The wise hand opens slowly

To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

This is what it means to be held

How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life

And you survive

This is what it is to be loved and to know

That the promise was when everything fell

We'd be held

If hope is born of suffering

If this is only the beginning

Can we not wait, for one hour

Watching for our savior

This is what it means to be held

How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life

And you survive

This is what it is to be loved and to know

That the promise was when everything fell

We'd be held

A promise from God, by Natalie Grant.

Thanks for listening, I feel better. :)

Hope Does Not Disappoint

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a saviour from there, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 3:20-21

Baby Mama

Lately, I'm easily offended. (We'll just chalk it up to the hormones, like everything else!)I now park in the "Expecting Mother's Parking" at United. And when there is someone ELSE parked in that spot, I look extra close for a belly... or a screaming infant in a 25 lb carseat. And when I don't see either of those I feel betrayed and mistreated. I wish I were exaggerating... :) It seems that it takes extra effort to do the smallest things these days. It's crazy what a little four pounder added to the middle section can do to a person!

Another thing I've noticed from others since I've been in this third and final trimester is how folks LOVE to comment on the belly. Which I really don't mind at all and doesn't truly offend me, but I think it's interesting what people say. Everything from "you're only 32 weeks? you look so great for 32 weeks..." or " oh man, you're already this big at 32 weeks, I can't imagine how you'll be waddling in a few more weeks!" or "does everyone ask you if you're having twins, because I was big pretty early too and EVERYONE thought I was having twins..." (to which I answered, "No, actually, you're the first person that's ever said that to me." lol )

Honestly, I love my belly (I never ever dreamed I'd say that). It's so incredible that my body was MADE to do this. To offer perfect conditions to grow a little baby. It's especially amazing now that he has grown and and wiggles around all the time. And then I look back at that first sonogram picture - the size of a jelly bean! My heart swells up with a hallelujah! I can't help but smile. It really makes being exhausted and completely not motivated to do ANYTHING worth it.

With the impending arrival of Baby Mereness we've made some recent purchases. We bought a crib! Very exciting. You'd think that carrying a child for seven months and having a wiggling belly would introduce the reality that we'll soon have a cuddly bundle. But what's done it for me is having that crib. I got really nervous while we were standing in line to pay for it. I think it just makes me realize how our lives are about to change, of course, for the better!

If you've noticed the count down at the top of the blog.... 52 DAYS!!! That's 7.4 weeks. I did the math. We will have a baby before we know it!

Hellloooo Out There!

Well, for a little while I was stressing because I hadn't updated this thing in a while. Then I decided that it was silly to stress over a blog and that I'd get around to it and that you'd get over it. But, here it is!

We've had a very exciting, busy and fun filled last month! Christmas was good. But by no means normal! We spent Christmas with Kent's family in Panhandle. Well, almost all of his family, unfortunately Kent's oldest brother couldn't make it because of weather. I got to spend Christmas at work. Which was a bummer, but people are always extra appreciative of the work nurses do on holidays. It feels good. THEN, to make things more exciting, the day after Christmas, Kent and I became Aunt and Uncle! My sister, Saralyn, had her precious baby boy a few weeks early! Jackson is perfect and healthy. This is the first year EVER that no pictures were taken of me and my three sisters all together. We ran the batteries out on our cameras taking pictures of Jackson!

After a few days with my family, Kent and I headed to San Antonio for a little "babymoon", if you will. We had never heard the word until we were telling someone about wanting to go on a little trip before our family grows to three. So, our vocab has expanded. We went down to San Antonio and had a great time! The riverwalk was so fun and festive. I was pleasantly surprised! We were able to get tickets to a Spurs game, The Alamo Bowl (awesome) and The Lion King. If you ever, in your life have an opportunity to see Lion King on stage, DO IT!! It's amazing. Spend the money. Seriously. Okay, pictures, then baby talk...

Almost all the Mereness-Kelly family

Just the two of us... one last Christmas!

Favorite Christmas present: Jackson Thomas Roe

(he's SO cute!!)Spurs. We got altitude sickness, but it was fun. :)

Alamo

(it's SO COOL!!)We had great seats at the Alamo Bowl! the theatre where we saw Lion King was AMAZING, but

you can't take pictures in it. It's called The Majestic, in San Antonio,

you should look it up!

Aaaand, here it is. That baby bump. This was taken last week (week 27). Everything is going wonderfully and we are blessed to say that we are both happy and healthy so far. After our next appointment we start seeing the doctor every TWO WEEKS!! It is getting oh so real! I'm just about finished registering for baby loot. Oh man, talk about an experience. I've had great advice, though and always think about my mom: when she was helping my sister register, she had NO IDEA what most of the stuff was on the shelves. And she raised four children. So, to me, that means that as long as we got eachother, we're good :). That said, I am looking forward to having the help of some of those modern day conveniences out there! We are getting more and more excited about having another Mereness around here! And, to answer that burning question in your head, no, we do not have a name. No, we are not just being secretive and witholding information. I trust we will come to some decision soon. I hope. For the sake of my son.

Snakes and Snails and Puppydog Tails!

We are getting very excited about meeting our little baby boy! I will admit that at first I was a bit shocked. Having a boy has never been something I daydreamed about or pictured as part of my life. The reason, I think, is because my life has always been about little girls. Everytime we went to the hospital when I was young, we brought home a baby girl! It's just life. I think God's idea of keeping me on my toes is blessing me with a little boy. And as we get closer and closer to that day, I just can't wait! I've had many moms of boys tell me that "life will never be the same" and "boys are so much fun!" (both of those statements could be interpreted in a couple of different ways :). Everyday I realize what a wonderful adventure we are about to embark upon... and then I freak out a little.

Baby boy is kicking around like crazy these days. Kent was able to feel him kicking for the first time yesterday. SO FUN! And I know you're wondering about names. Well, we have none. Our college students have given him a few different names. (none of which will be on the birth certificate). They want him to have cool initials so they can call him JAM or BOM. ???

22 Weeks (it's grown a bit since this pic!)

For Christmas, every year, we go carolling with our students to widow's houses from our church, then we go to a family's house from church (The Uptons) and have yummy food and a white elephant gift exchange..... we always have many many laughs!

The Uptons' Christmas tree!

Exchanging "gifts"

We put up outside lights at the Bible Chair for the first time EVER this year!!

If you come to Canyon you can see the finished product :)

Our Christmas house

Kent went out for milk one morning and brought back this AWESOME tree!!

Happy Holidays!

A Bad Blogger.

How could it be that I've only just begun and I'm already a bad blogger? I realy would have predicted differently. But like they always say, Michael Jordan didn't make his junior high basketball team (maybe I just always say that?) Someday I will be GREAT :).

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family. The food and fun did not dissappoint! And if you know anything about my family, you know there's never a dull moment around the Wades!

Baby Mereness is growing fast! I've posted the 20 week pic, even though we're almost at 22 weeks. And tomorrow is the big day! We find out if it's a pink baby or a blue baby. Can't wait!!!

Sisters

Kent, in his "hunting shirt" with his prego wife

Me and Mom in our Thanksgiving aprons!



Not the greatest pic, but it's there!

Happy Holidays!