Her Beating Heart

I found the most amazing thing last week.

I don't even know how to start.

Our laptop was down so I had to work on our desktop computer, which I NEVER use. As I was using it, I had to save something in my Documents file.

I saw a video labled "A's Heartbeat."

My own heart stood still for a moment.

I clicked on it and the video began.

There I was lying in a hospital bed, incredibly pregnant with twins four and a half years ago. I was wearing my gown with pink hearts on it - the same one I was wearing the morning my daughters were born. The nurse had the doppler on my belly. Chris was filming and you can hear the heartbeat loud and clear.

Melissa's heartbeat.

At the time, we hadn't named our girls. Melissa was baby "A" and Ann Catherine was baby "B." That's why the video was labeled "A's Heartbeat."

Do you know what this means?

I have her heartbeat on video.

I can hear her heart beating.

It's loud and clear on this video. It's so strong.

Just like she was.

Four years later, what a gift - an absolute gift - that God just allowed me to find. I cannot put into words what this means to me.

I can lay down next to Ann Catherine and Lily Baker anytime I want and hear their heart beat.

For four years, I couldn't hear Melissa's.

Until now.

On the video, I am grinning from ear to ear. Melissa kicks and the nurse says, "Do you feel that?" and I excitedly answer, "Yes!"

I can not get over the goodness of God. I didn't know this video existed. I don't even remember Chris taking it.

But I will cherish it for as long as I live. One day I can let AC and LB watch it so they can hear their big sister.

She was alive. She was a living, breathing, kicking soul.

With the most beautiful heartbeat in the world.

Thank you God. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for letting me find this. Thank you that for whatever reason I haven't seen it until now.

Thank you for giving me such a beautiful gift. Thank you for allowing me to carry Melissa for the time that I did. Thank you that Chris taped that heartbeat for whatever reason on that day. Thank you for letting me find it now.

Thank you for that beautiful, beating heart. Now that I have found this video, my heart will never be the same.

Kensley Speaks

I just watched the most amazing video and wanted you all to see it!

I have posted about Kensley Kelly, the little girl from our area who was seriously injured in a car accident over fall break. I do not know this family personally but I was so touched by what they were going through and have been praying for them. Tonight I checked the blog that family and friends set up to update people about Kensley and they posted a video of her talking!! It is so precious and brought tears to my eyes. She has come so far since the wreck. To see it, click here. You will be touched. And keep praying for Kensley!!

Moses and Monsters

This was AC's prayer at naptime today:

"Dear God, thank you for giving me such a good day.
Thank you for Melissa, Moses and that story we learned today.
Thank you for monsters, animals and little girls.
In your name we pray, Amen."

Moses? It was their Bible story at school today. (You know, the one about baby Moses in the basket.)

Monsters? We read a Sesame Street story before nap. After all, Cookie Monster and Elmo ARE monsters - just nice ones. :)

I love children's prayers, don't you? So simple. They just pray what's on their minds. Sometimes we as adults overthink it. I just can't help but believe Jesus gets a big ole grin on his face when he hears them praying.

As I was leaving her room, she said, "Mommy, no one has a mommy like you."

My heart melted into a million pieces.

I am blessed beyond comprehension.

Classic

Ann Catherine came home yesterday with a note that said her class would be performing in a Christmas play next month. Wanting to know more about it, I asked her this afternoon, "What did Ms. Sharon tell the class today about your Christmas play?"

"Don't cry," she answered.

Classic.

And wise advice for a class of four-year-olds who will be on stage with an audience full of parents, grandparents and video cameras staring at them!

Treats Galore!

Remember this post where I said I just wanted to get one picture on Halloween of my girls smiling and looking at the camera? Well, I didn't get the "posed" picture I was going for, but I got these and I think they are even cuter!




I hope you all had a Happy Halloween! We certainly did. We went to our friends' house for a fun Halloween party. The girls played and made yummy cookies!




Then we hit the streets to trick or treat! LB was hilarious. I think it's the first time she "understood" trick-or-treating. After the first house, she said excitedly, "Mommy, let's go to annuder one!!" This knocking on doors and getting free candy was right up her alley!









The bumblebee and fairy had a good time. And doesn't Chris look cute here with his wand! :)



When we got home we got in our jammies and made hot chocolate (it was cold last night!).

Hope you all had a terrific Halloween!

Hockey Season Has Begun!

You would think Halloween was the biggest thing going at our house this weekend.

You would be wrong. At least as far as Ann Catheriene is concerned.

Last night the Huntsville Havoc had their home opener and AC had been living for it all week. Each time I would tell the girls they were going trick or treating on Saturday, she would say, "Yes, but we get to go to the hockey game Friday night!"

Don't you know that makes her Daddy's heart sing?!

Chris bought the girls new Havoc jerseys and when he brought them home, you could have heard AC screaming across the state line. But at the last minute, she decided she wanted to wear her shirt from last year's Melissa George Night at the Havoc game(and of course, that made my heart sing.)

Here they are, ready to go!



When AC saw me packing my camera, she asked if she could take hers so she could take pictures of her "boyfriend." Yes, you read that correctly. She LOVES #37 Travis Kauffeldt and will tell anyone who listens that he's her boyfriend.



Before the game she told me we had to hurry so she could go see Travis and tell him good luck or he would NOT score a goal! We got there in time for her to see him and sure enough, she told him good luck and he scored during the game!! After the game, we had the meltdown to end all meltdowns because he was in the locker room and she couldn't tell him good game. (I kid you not!) The child cried the entire way home. Heartbreak at such an early age :)

And I just have to include this sweet picture - look at those beautiful eyes :)



Speaking of the Havoc, this year's Melissa George Night is Saturday, January 9th. Make plans to come out and enjoy this great night of hockey to benefit the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund! It is a wonderful family night to help those precious babies in our NICU. We hope to see you there!

Jack-o-lanterns, Fairies and Bumblebees

We decided to carve pumpkins this year.

Let me rephrase that. Chris carved them while I washed dishes and the girls kept grabbing the carving utensils and waving them in the air, while Chris said, "Girls, put those down!" about every five minutes.

Ahhh, the joys of Halloween.

Last year we painted them with my friend Susan. The girls loved it but we couldn't settle on a date this year (and mommy is severely challenged when it comes to painting!). So Chris decided he would carve them this year.





Lily "helping"...



...and AC taking a candy break. She's my kind of kid.





Pumpkin guts stink!





I think Chris did a great job, don't you?!

Yesterday, the girls had their Halloween parties at school. I wanted to get a cute picture of the fairy and bumblebee outside in their costumes. For some reason, Lily Baker kept looking across the street (at what, I don't know!) and Ann Catherine had this pained smile on her face. After six tries of getting just ONE picture where both of my kids were looking at the camera and smiling, I said, "Okay, whoever smiles at the camera gets candy!!" (No, I am not above bribing my kids!! Even with candy. At 8:30 in the morning.).

And I got this.



Yes, I know. They did smile at the camera, but LB's eyes are closed. I finally gave up because we were going to be late for the party. My goal for tomorrow night is to get just one picture that will actually work.

And I'm not holding my breath. :)