Pause Button Pressed

Unfortunately ...

This blog is on Pause until it's author recovers from a particularly viscous virus even the doctors are a bit beguiled by. :-/

I hope to be back soon. <3

Sebastian's 2nd Birthday Party

Sebastian turned two last Thursday and we had his party on Sunday. I struggle with ideas for younger kids' birthday parties. Once they're three, I have better ideas, but one and two might as well be a wash.

This year, though, I wanted to do a balloon party. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, but by the time I thought of it, Joshua was too old to really enjoy it as his party. So we got a balloon cake and two bags of balloons and went for it.

Which room was easy. With a plan to repaint the dining room over this three day weekend, it had to be cleared out anyway. The balloons, not so easy. The air mattress pump I wanted to use to fill them? Didn't work. Air compressor? Not a chance. I had waited to do this after the boys went to bed for a 12 noon party the next day.

So I blew them up myself. Over a hundred. I think Kris grabbed somewhere between 10-20 and we ended up with about 130 balloons or so, with a few of the ones in the packages being duds. Yes, a lot of work. But for that work, we got this.

And this.

There is about three feet of snow outside from this massive Winter. We can't even go sledding because temperatures are often in frostbite range. So, the kiddos got to have a balloon ball room for a day, and absolutely loved it. Time to eat - back to the ball room. Time for presents - back to the ball room. Don't you want cake? Sure, but can we go back to the ball room after?

Even the dogs got a turn in the ball room, though it wasn't quite as exciting as anticipated. They were just too overwhelmed with the number of balloons.

And when it was all done, my boys and their cousins got to pop every balloon that was left, helping us get ready for paint.

All in all, it was worth every breath into those balloons. :-)

The Perfect Gift

I was having a really hard time on Sebastian's birthday. I kept thinking about the little sister who should be there to help celebrate and who wasn't. Rather, I kept reacting to that fact without consciously thinking about it. I didn't realize where my sad mood was coming from, actually, until the early afternoon.

It was Sebastian's birthday, though, so it was easy enough to focus on him. We practiced saying 'two' and answering the question 'how old are you?' We sang happy birthday. It was nice since his birthday was a Thursday and it was a day care day for Joshua so he and I were able to hang out together and it was easy to slip away for a minute whenever I felt too sad to smile.

For dinner, we took him to Applebee's. My boys are like me in many ways, but in this we are completely different: they love being sung to in restaurants on their birthday. It's nice, because it's something special we can do the day of their birthday, rather than just waiting for the weekend to have their party.

While there, my husband told me he has something for me as well. It was a surprise, but also a bit of an off-and-on tradition that he gets me a little something since he considers it my birthday, too, having delivered the boys.

This year, he gave me the perfect, absolutely most beautiful thing he could have given me. A little owl charm for my bracelet. More importantly, a reminder of Analin.

This little charm was exactly what I needed after an emotionally charged day. The thought behind it helped knock me out of the sadness and brought me back to being able to appreciate the day and the memories being made, rather than the ones that couldn't be. A truly perfect gift. <3

Happy Birthday Sebastian!

Sebastian is 2 today!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

The Boys

When Kris and I were talking about having another baby after our first, I was not sold. I loved this little boy so much and I didn't want to take anything away from him. I was terrified of sibling rivalry as well and the jealousy that comes from being one and then two.

I was so wrong. Don't mistake me. They don't like to share. They do get jealous of one another, but it is not who they are, or what they do. 90% of the time, these are my boys.

They love each other and share with each other and take care of each other. Joshua is excited whenever Sebastian learns something he can take credit for. Sebastian is over the moon whenever he's able to finally do something big brother can do.

I take as many photos like this as I can. I'm looking forward to the day I can take this photo and match it to one next year, in five years, in twenty. Two brothers, side by side, loving and enjoying one another.

<3

Mommy Excuses

This year has been different. Of course it's been different - I'm an entirely different person than I ever thought I could be after losing Analin. This new perspective has led me to a lot of realizations, one being that I really can do anything and be successful at it - if I just get out of my own way.

I make excuses. And I don't just mean the usual ones. I've bought in to the ones Society has outlined.

Apparently, I don't do anything. Apparently, I believe this as much as others think I really don't do anything.

To this, I mean - I get a phone call. "Carrie, what are you doing?" Oh, nothing, just taking care of the boys. "Great, because I need you to ..." Do this online research for me. Make up this flyer for me. Call this place for me and change my reservation. I am not joking - each of these requests have been asked of me, and not one of them from my husband, because I'm a stay at home mom and 'do nothing.'

Taking care of the boys is nothing? Doing two hours of pre-school with Joshua is nothing? Playing Duplos and working on Sebastian's fine motor skills and problem solving is nothing? I teach my boys to respect things and people, to eat healthy foods, to take care of themselves and others.

Why is it, I wonder, that when a woman or man stays at home to take care of their kids, they do nothing all day? Yet, when we do chose to work and send our children to day care we pay them to watch our children and do all the things stay-at-home parents do? Heck, the state helped my sister pay me while she went back to college during the week and worked on the weekends. Maybe I can apply for them to pay me to watch my own kids. Then maybe, since I'd be making a paycheck, I'd be doing something more than nothing.

I also don't do anything because I'm a 'starving artist.' Even when working on that art.

My husband (well meaning soul that he is) comes home and sees me writing, but can interrupt me and stop my process for many reasons. Believe me, when he stays at home to work, no one disturbs him. I make sure of it. And this is NOT to knock my husband. I will be the first to tell you I married the best man in the world. It's just to illustrate the same point as above.

Because I don't make money or go to an office, my writing is not valid as 'work.' It's my fault, too, because I fall into the trap, as well. So it's not as important to dedicate time and energy and purpose to.

Well, I say it's important. I say I do a hell of a lot, and a fantastic job at it all, too. My sons are happy and healthy and bring a smile to nearly everyone who meets them (withholding judgement on the people who scowl at them instead - everyone has a bad day). My writing is important to me. It makes me whole and gives me a sense of pride over this amazing talent I've been gifted with. To not write would be to waste that talent and a challenge to my happiness.

I want to be happy. In fact, I demand it. I spent too many years and nights not being happy. People have said happiness has to be found inside yourself. 'They' never tell you how to find it, or make it, or believe that you can, in fact, be happy with yourself in a society where the cookie cutter doesn't fit anyone.

Well, it took me 31 years, but I've finally figured out how to make that happen, how to carve happiness out of tragedy and hold on to it even through more hardships. And I think I've found the attitude to go with it. Believe me, you need attitude to stand your ground because all these revelations mean nothing to the people around you who still buy into the crap.

So even as I use this post to procrastinate working on my WIP, I will go back to working on it. And when the boys' wake up from nap, I will be a good Mom for them. I may even spend some time with my hubby tonight. I can do it all because I'm learning to kick the excuses to the curb. I've learned the word 'no,' and how to appreciate the everything that I do every day.

<3


Edit: I just found this post this morning and it really goes with what I'm trying to say here. I love this guy, and am happy to say my husband is very much like him.

A Husband's Amazing Response To "She's A Stay At Home Mom, What Does She DO All Day?

Cuddle Camp: Sick Day

I just started a second round of antibiotics after finishing the first this past Monday. I am definitely feeling the strain of having had a few doses of antibiotics in my life thanks to many, many sinus infections.

Both the boys were shipped off to day care today, thank goodness. As for me, it's Cuddle Camp. The puppies are making sure I stay warm in my weakened state. ;)

Rukia in front, Winston looking at you and Rambo doubling as Kia's pillow.

Love my puppies!!

(They are only dogs when they're in trouble)

Making Some Changes

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this last year. I know I grabbed a bunch of you at April A to Z time, then left you hanging throughout my pregnancy, then through the loss of it. It means a lot to me that you stop by, even when all I've been posting is the weekly WWBH.

I've taken a completely different view this year. I've decided I need to make time for things. The fact of the matter is, I have too many interests and my priority is clearly my boys so most of those interests get ignored, which means parts of me do as well. I have no intention of losing time with my growing children, particularly while they are so very much mine in these formative young years, but I can't ignore myself in the process.

Bring on compartmentalization. There are seven days a week, after all, and 16-18 hours in each where things can be done. I'm at a place in my life where I don't need to focus on deadlines as much as just getting things done.

Chasing Revery is still going to be around, I'm just changing things up a bit. I'm going to be writing more from the Mommy perspective than the writing one. Writing may still come up, and the WWBH will definitely still come every Wednesday. Heck, I may even write a story for it and post it up. But I've decided I want my creative writing energy to go where it belongs - toward my WIP.

I will still be writing letters to Dear Analin as well. The greatness of that blog is it really is personal and I have no intention of keeping a 'schedule' as I do here. I think I will add a blog feed here, though, so you can stop by and see if Kris or I have written something new if you aren't following Dear Analin already.

Then there's the new thing. Yes, a new blog. Nicole and I have started a blog called Reading Like Writers. We've been talking about co-blogging for a while, and this particular blog seems to fit a whole in my compartmentalization plans that somehow makes it work, rather than making more work. We're really excited to be taking on this niche set blog and have big plans for where we would like it to go.

There you are. Lots of many changes. I hope you are interested enough to stick around a while longer, and maybe even bring some more people on board. Because at the end of the day, Chasing Revery is my blog-baby and I'm not ready to let it go.

Lots of love,

Carrie.

Toddler Tales: Phone Call

We were dropping off the boys at my Mom's on Saturday. As Sebastian (2 in Feb) got out, he stepped on his toy phone. He held up one finger to my husband to tell him to wait, picked up his phone and said, "Hello?" Sebastian continued his conversation all the way into the house. It must have been something important. :-)

(Photo taken at a different time, but who's counting?)

Rants That (Don't) Matter

A few weeks ago I posted a mini rant about a TV show I can't watch simply because of bad timing on my part. I thought, perhaps, I might explain a bit about why it became important enough to post.

I'm the type of person who loves to be obsessed with things - disposable things, you might say, things that I can absorb myself with for a few days, then let them go with a happy sigh easily and lovingly.

This particular show became my first happy obsession after Analin died. It became a bonding time for me and my boys as we absorbed ourselves in these characters. It was a story line I love any variation of. So when I couldn't track down just a few first episodes of a new season, I became very frustrated.

Thankfully, with this happy obsession, I am content to visit the episodes Netflix has for me. And I'm taking it as a blessing that I'm not able to watch, since I'm not sure how catching up in the series, then still having to wait week to week for an episode would settle with me. I'm guessing not very well. The idea isn't to be stressed out by having to wait, but to enjoy the story in my time.

My Mom doesn't mind waiting week to week, but she doesn't get into stories like I do. I'm the type of person who doesn't want to read a book unless I know I have time to read it cover to cover in 1-2 sittings, either. Of course, with two boys, three dogs and a husband I'm also obsessed with, that makes for little reading time, but I have no problem with the order of my priorities.

So what of you? Happy obsessions? (Not so) silly frustrations? Patient or controlling? ;)

Christmas Preparation

We put the Christmas tree up the day before Thanksgiving. We put up our stockings, including the one we bought for Analin. The idea is that we will all write her letters each Christmas and stuff her stocking with them. Once it's full, we can pull them out and be able to see how she's affected us each year.

I wasn't able to put up my snowflakes, though. I have 3 boxes of glittery snowflake decorations, and this year we bought a box of much bigger ones. I generally use them to make a design on our front picture window, throw a few on the other windows and hang remainder on the tree.

I just didn't feel like it this year. I didn't feel like going through the effort to plan a design, to arrange them on the windows at all - to be happy about putting them up.




On Analin's 2nd Monthday I decided it was time. It was a sad day anyway, and I had reached a point I wanted them up more than in their boxes. I free-handed a tree on the window, gave Analin her own snowflake and even hung up a pair between her and Chiaotzu, our 9 year old boxer dog who passed away in the late summer because of a bee sting.

I cried the whole time. Putting up the snowflakes was just so final. Christmas is really coming, really happening and I feel like we're missing a key member in the celebrations.

Kris says we still have Analin, just not in the way we wanted. I understand the thought, but have trouble agreeing with it. But I still have this driving need to include her - to give her a snowflake, to hang her stocking, to get her a personalized ornament along with the ones we buy for the boys every year. So yes, she is here with us, just not in the way we wanted. I hate the very thought, because let's be honest - this is not the way it was supposed to be.

The first year is the hardest, they say, because of all the firsts. I'm beginning to wonder if I might be able to hold my breath for the whole time, to let the pain build up until I can let it all go in one big relieving exhale. Of course, I'm pretty sure I don't have the Navy Seal training for that.

The holiday season is the worst, I think, for a lot of us who have lost loved ones. I hear so many stories now, and whether it's because no one talked about them before they knew I would understand, or now I understand and make the effort to pay attention. Or maybe I was always paying attention, but just didn't have the experience to be able to empathize.

Regardless, the stories are there, and with them some hope. Because I see there is still joy to be found in the holidays. I feel it myself while I'm planning what to do with the boys. I just wish grieving didn't have to be so hard because I'm beyond tired of it already.

A Few Months Is Not Enough

We lost Analin on October 6, 2013.

Weeks ago. Hours ago. Months, even.

But I am not okay.

Surprised? Of course not. Not when I say it like that. It's funny, though, how easily others can forget.

On the Monthday of her passing, my mother emailed me to ask me to do some photo transfers for her.

Photo transfers. On Analin's Monthday.

I turned off my phone to stop the notifications, but guiltily turned it back on and did them a few hours later.

Six weeks after we lost her, I asked my husband to take the boys. I was supposed to take my niece and nephews to swim class, but I cancelled and told everyone I just wanted to be alone. Suddenly they were asking me if I was clinically depressed and suggested strongly I needed to go to counseling.

This may have been partly my fault due to my great desire to remember Analin with as much happiness as possible, to be strong for my boys and to live in the world as a successful, happy person.

But I am broken. Still breaking, in fact. And I am not okay.

For example, there I was on Thanksgiving, hurting so deeply I didn't know where to turn for relief. I began to blame everyone else as the source of my hurting until I realized it was all due to Analin's loss. I had a few apologies to hand out, though not as many as I could have, thankfully. I'm so grateful to a family who is understanding and loves me or the holiday could have gone so much worse.

All of this doesn't mean I am clinically depressed. It doesn't mean I need therapy, though I promise I will go if I need to. (I have started going to a support group once a month.) It just means I had a very painful experience, one that will take more than a lifetime to get over. I will have bad days. I will want to be left alone. I may lash out not knowing why and I will apologize after. I will say no, which I'm sure will come as a shock to many who haven't heard me say it often, if at all.

That last bit may prove beneficial in many ways.

This is going to take time and energy. Some days I'm going to be too tired to fight, to force a different way of thinking on myself. And that's okay. It doesn't mean I'm lost, or depressed-sad, or in danger of hurting myself or others. It just means I'm healing from a wound that reopens every minute, and today is a rough day.

So please, if you know someone else (or me), take all the days to notice how we are acting or feeling before jumping to the conclusion we need more than what we're giving ourselves. Most of the time, we're amazing at knowing what we need for ourselves. Trust us. Love us. Help us on those days we need you the most. And know we will be there for you, too, on the days you need us the most. Because we know this isn't over for you, either.

<3

Why Does It Have To Be So Difficult?

I hate how hard things are in our digital world.

I know, I know. First World Problems, and I am super lucky those are the problems I have to deal with.

Perspective wise, they're still problems for me.

What set this off? I have a TV show I love. Like, I am obsessed with it. And it has amazing music. So I want to find and buy the music.

Problem is, I have Netflix, which means I'm watching last season's episodes. Website for said TV show only has the current season song list, and I can't find it anywhere else.

We won't even get into the fact that I cannot (well, choose not to) watch the second season because by the time I had time to check it out, both Hulu Plus and the network webpage had taken down the first two episodes. I can understand the network page, but Hulu?

Seriously, it should not be this hard. I am a customer. A customer willing to pay, even, but I cannot find what I am looking for because I'm simply too late, or too far behind the times to have caught on and catch the information I wanted at the right time. And that's so frustrating to me.

So yes, it's a bit of a rant. Yes, it's a silly problem to have (to be honest, a problem I prefer over other's I've had recently, so maybe that's why I'm focusing on it so well). But it's a problem, nonetheless, and one I feel we shouldn't have in such a wonderful age of easy-to-get information and entertainment.

Any (not so) silly frustrations on your end? What do you think should be so much easier, but just isn't? I know I have a list a mile long, but we'll stick with this one. For today ...

Pathology Report

Today was my six week postpartum check up with the doctor. I scored high on the postpartum depression checklist, but not Depression levels, which is good and expected. I'm also checking out to be healthy, healing quickly everywhere except my pelvic bones, which took a beating mid to late pregnancy, so are just taking a bit more time to heal.

The important part of this appointment, however, was the pathology report from the placenta and umbilical cord. There had been an underlying expectation to find clotting as a reason, a result of the Factor V Leiden disorder I have - proteins that can lead to blood clotting in it's carriers.

However, there was nothing. No clots and no other findings that may have shed light on Analin's loss.

I'm so relieved. Relieved that it wasn't something with my body that caused this. I have spoken to many women recently who have lost babies because of something their body did or couldn't do, and I can express my empathy with them, having believed the same. It really is a relief to find out this wasn't the case, that maybe Analin's loss really was just a fluke, maybe moving forward to possibly have more children won't be as difficult knowing she didn't die because of me.

My heart still breaks every day. I expect it always will. But I will continue to look for the brighter side of things. It really is the only way to get through this - to actively work at it, to force a perspective on myself that I don't necessarily feel at the moment. So right now, this is my silver lining, knowing there truly wasn't anything I could have done to save her - no intervention, no medicine that others with this condition have and do use.

Today, it will be enough.

<3

WWBH Prompt (Plus a brief update)

Hello, everyone. :) With tomorrow being Halloween, things are a bit touch and go over here. Not only because we had holiday plans including little Analin, but because it is the last day of our due-date month. We have dress up all day, through breakfast at day care, lunch at Kris' work and possibly trick or treating at night, depending on the rain-predicted weather. We had already gotten all of the kids' costumes, including Analin's, which is now packed up with the rest of her things.

The difficult part is the memories we won't be making that we thought we would is brought into light on a holiday, and this is the first one we've reached so far. As with everything else, however, I'm sure it won't be as difficult as we're thinking it may be.

I am ready, I think, to start up with the WWBH prompts again. This week Leanne has put it together for us, and I'm scheduled for next week, along with the choosing of the monthly ad winner. Get your writing caps on, and dive into the prompt, making sure to get it in by 8pm EST next Tuesday to be eligible. :)

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Scary movies and candy galore, entice the imagination to explore. Take a picture and five simple terms, write a story of fiction to make readers squirm.

Haha! Happy Writer Wednesday and Happy Halloween, friends. It's time for another round of the blog hop photo stories. Here are the two stories we received from last week's prompt:

No Heroes Death by Tena Carr
Window Seat by Leanne Sype

Writers inspiring writers, spurring the growth of an imaginative writing community! This is what the blog hop is really all about, my friends. So we hope you'll join us this week, and be sure to invite a friend to join in too. All are welcome. Here's a quick review of how the blog hop works:

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

Here is this week's photograph (courtesy of Leanne Sype):

Your mandatory words:

day

vowel

stool

spaceship

calm

Kris' Speech

These were the words Kris wrote and spoke for Analin's memorial. <3 You can read more about her here.

-----

I want to start by thanking all of you for coming tonight. Carrie and I have been overwhelmed by all the love and support we’ve received from our families, friends and colleagues. It has been incredibly helpful to us to know that we have not been alone in our grief. We can never express our gratitude to all of you, but we will always try. 


One of the things I kept asking myself early last week was ‘Why?’. Why did this happen to us?

Why did this happen to our family? What had we done to deserve this fate? 

I know that many of you shared the same question with me. That this was so pointless - that it was so hard to understand the reason for our loss. 

I’ve come to realize that it’s really the wrong question to ask - this should not make us question and it’s not helpful for us to ask ‘why’. 

If there’s a greater meaning with Analin’s death, I cannot see it - But what I can do, is to cherish Analin’s memory and make her mean something. 

I take great strength from the fact that Analin was with us for 38 weeks. I smile when I think about how she would get mad at Carrie (and me I suppose) when the food Carrie ate was too spicy. It was amazing to feel Carrie’s belly when Analin had hiccups.

It was incredible to see when Analin had her kick-boxing workouts. 

I will cherish forever those hard, hard hours after Analin was born when we had her in our room at the hospital. When we got to hold our baby-girl in our arms. 

As I think of all those memories, I so wish that we could have had more. Right now, that’s the hardest thing for me to accept - that those incredible memories won’t continue. It makes me so sad but I’m really grateful that since I can’t have those future memories, at least I have some. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about how you actually can have a memorial for a baby girl when you hadn’t spent all that much time with her. But the thing is - I know her. We all do. And I know she’s with us. Right here.

We know she would have been beautiful and compassionate like her mother. 

She would have been smart and sweet like her oldest brother Joshua. She would have been smiling and happy like her brother, Sebastian. 

And maybe she would have had her father’s sense of humor - which of course would have driven her mother crazy. 

We know she would have been all those things - and of course, she would have been completely her own - our unique, amazing, beautiful girl.

So what do we do now? Well, we continue. Analin and her story is now part of our family and we will always keep her memory with us. We will cherish life and we will keep sharing our love with our family and our friends. We will try to be the best people we can be. Now this is just part of us and our lives.

I want to share with you just how amazing Carrie and our boys have been to me and to our family in the last week. Our boys are our super-heroes. 

Carrie, it sucks so much that we have to go through this, but I’m so incredibly grateful that since I have to go through it, that I go through it with you. You’ve been amazing for me, for our boys and you give us so much strength. Not an hour passes without me thanking the stars for you.

I want to finish by saying thank you again to our family, our friends and also to Kristin and everyone from Tiny Purpose. We will always be grateful for the support you have given us in these difficult days.

And of course a huge thank you to all for being with us tonight - we appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.

We will continue to need to lean on you. But you can lean on us too.

Tonight, we want to start a tradition that we intend to keep every year on Analin’s birthday - and that is to release sky lanterns. So with your help, we’d like to begin.

I don't know how to title this post ...

There really is no easy way to put this, so I'll use the main thing that has gotten me through these last few weeks - the Band-aid Method.

On October 6, Analin was stillborn. She was born at 2:25 in the morning weighing 6lbs 8oz, 20 inches long and she never opened her eyes or took a breath.

We had gone into the hospital on the 5th because I hadn't felt her moving. We had thought it was birth preparation and our visit was just a precaution. However, the nurse couldn't find a heartbeat, and the ultrasound confirmed there was none.

As of now, we don't have a reason for her loss. On initial exam, there was nothing obvious. We're not sure if the cord and placenta were sent to pathology because I had a different OB deliver me, and my OB hadn't had a chance to ask before my post-partum appointment with her. It doesn't matter much right now, except that my blood clotting proteins may have played a role, and that's important for any future pregnancy we might have.

On Monday the 15th, we had a beautiful ceremony for Analin in our front yard. Everyone who was able to attend had a small candle, each tied carefully with a power-word; strength, courage, memory, love, etc. Kristoffer gave a beautiful speech and chose an amazing play list. Then we lit up some sky lanterns. Joshua (4), who had been having a rough time, and I poured all of our sadness into the lanterns. We watched them rise straight up into the cold, windless dusk, and be carried away on higher winds.

We're still struggling a little over here, but have taken on the decision to move past this. The firsts - the first things to do without her - are the most difficult, hence the band-aid method. And then there's the belief that we cannot allow this grief to take over our lives, to poison our hearts against the other babies being born now (have I mentioned before that everyone we knew who was pregnant was also due in October?), to stop us from enjoying the two children still with us, or to come between us as husband and wife. So we move on, and we manage, but we don't forget. <3

Athena

I realize I forgot this past week's WWBH post. I'll be back on board next week. Until then, please check out Nicole, Leanne or Tena's blog to see what was missed.

Life has been something of a struggle over here. My best friend and I have been pregnant together. Since she had twins, we were expected to give birth very close to each other. As it turned out, the lost their son at 24 weeks, but didn't deliver him to give their daughter a stronger fighting chance. At 27 weeks, my friend was rushed into surgery so their son and daughter could be born. Athena survived and has been cared for wonderfully at the NICU.

She was 10 days old when I got to hold her hand. Athena is working on getting big and strong for her trip home. She's already beautiful. I've known her mother since first grade, my best friend. This indiegogo post was put together by Athena's aunt, describing the struggle of this amazing family, and looking toward hope for the future.


http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bringing-home-baby-murphy

WWBH Prompt + A Sad Update

I missed last week, I know, but it was for a very good and sad reason. Chiaotzu, my nine year old boxer pup (they're always puppies) died last Tuesday. We got the phone call just before midnight Wednesday morning. He had some sort of allergic reaction that caused his breathing to suffer greatly and his temperature to rise dangerously. Though he appeared to be recovering from the allergy attack at the vet, he ended up going into cardiac arrest and the vet couldn't revive him. Sunday we picked up his ashes and paw print. It's been a tough week - that boy was my baby before my human babies came along. I'm doing better than I thought I would with his loss. It's a blessing to have my boys and the joy they bring.

I wasn't going to miss this week, though, not with a winner to choose! But first we will revisit the submissions from last week's prompt.

Cap't Monkey And Tooele Boy And The Impressive Building by Scott Taylor

Regrets by Sally Stackhouse

Christopher Shawbell

is our lucky winner this month! Stop by next week and we'll have his button proudly displayed for the following month. If you would like to win, make sure you link up your prompt inspired flash fiction over the next few weeks and the next name randomly chosen could be yours.

And lucky you, there's a prompt right here to get you started! A reminder of the rules:

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

The Photo by Kristoffer Sorensen:

The Words:

passport

sunrise

carousel

travel

school

Cutting Back Officially

If you follow my blog regularly (and thank you for that!) you may have noticed I haven't been posting a lot. As it turns out, I'm going to make it official - starting next week I will only be posting Wednesdays for the WWBH prompt. I wish I had a return date in mind, but I can't manage to pin-point one so far.

My pregnancy is going well, but it's kicking the tar out of me. :-P Honestly, I simply need to divert my energy to taking care of my boys and growing the baby girl. That's why I'm not sure when I'll return to a full blogging schedule. She's due mid-October, then the holidays start, and that's proven to be a difficult blogging season for me. I can't imagine how it will be with a new baby, so I really don't want to speculate on a return date with the chance I may have to change it.

Thank you again to all my visitors! I hope you keep participating in the WWBH prompt, or take a chance and join up with us. Feel free to leave me comments any time. Though Blogger changed their commenting format, I will do my best to keep up with them and with you.