my people and my home

I am a grey’s anatomy fan…and just like Kristina I have “a person” but it is more like “people”…I have my “people”. My people are not foreign to this blog…their pictures have graced the pages many a times and their names pop up here and there. Just to refresh, Haley, Shan, and Kel…these are my people and my people came in town this weekend and warmed my heart, touched my belly, and made me laugh – many times.

I remember not too long ago when I would weep for my people…I would weep to be close to them, for them to live across the street from me, for them to be apart of my everyday life. I would let my mind hate this state and hate this town. I would make my Terry believe that my only happiness was in Georgia, right next to my people. I am glad to say God has renewed this place to me. I love my people, but we are better for each other by making footprints in different towns. We bring more wisdom to each other, more to our friendship, and in the end my people bring more to my heart.

As my people left our house yesterday, I was thankful for their presence in my home. My home. Yes, Birmingham is my home. And instead of crying when the left, I smiled that Mike and Cara were outside with Bryson washing cars and asking us to grill out. I smiled that Chelsey is coming for dinner on Wednesday to let us meet her new boy. I smiled that Robyn, Bridges and the rest of our small group form church are coming on Thursday to watch Lost. I smiled that I love our new church…that it feel like home to us. I smiled that Addison would know this place as her home, too – and that she already has friends in our neighborhood waiting for her to come and play. I smiled that my place in this world is perfect. Those girls are my people, but this neighborhood, this town, this state, this is my place – and I love it.

In the midst of this smiling, I wondered when it was I realized this place had become home. And then it dawned on me…a couple of weeks ago, we had Robyn, Bridges and little Evynne over for dinner. They are not only friends from church, they are neighbors and they make me smile. Robyn has a sweet gift of making people feel like you have known them for years…it is refreshing. So we had them for dinner. My Henry-dog about drove them nuts, but they handled it like troopers. As with any other night, Henry was waiting for the end of the meal when he gets to lick our plates. First, I put down my plate, then Terry and then even Robyn puts down her plate. It was so sweet to me. And probably so weird to her…we are officially the weird Tingles. But it was ok. It is so hard sometimes - being real with people you want to get to know so badly. But we were real…I was real. That is when I realized I was home.

I have been in Birmingham for almost 5 years. And for most of four, I fought it. I put on a smile to make acquaintances – not friends. Like I said, I already had my people. But I was wrong. I need community, I need friends, I need a home. My footprints are now permanent here…like I said, I am home.

addison's room - phase 1

This weekend was spent striping addison’s room. It was not a planned event but one that transpired out of boredom. Well, that and dislike for the shoot ‘em up move terry was watching. Yeah, so the painting is done, but not without some happening along the way.

So after…

Two days
4 rolls of blue tape
Two cans of cheap paint
A drop cloth that will tear if you breathe on it
Open windows with 40 degree wind blowing through your hair
No bickering...praise God for peace!
176 squats
224 calf raises (b/c my terry is short and can’t reach to tape the ceiling…even with a stool – haha)
Only one major spill on the carpet (rug purchase has just jumped from #7 on the list of needs to #1…oops)
Lots of sighs and groans…I got stuck on the floor a couple of times and couldn’t get up…
Worry that it was going to look like crap (that blue tape plays with your vision)
Making sure Addison wasn’t getting high on me
And finally Henry christening the room when I didn’t pay attention to his whining to be let out…

…This is what it takes to get a baby’s room to look like neopolitan ice cream.

Beginnings of a Nursery

Tired dad and happy Henry-dog

Henry-dog waiting for Addison

On to the next baby room project…painting furniture…

june

There are many, many sad things that have happened in the past year, each one of them keeping me humble and on my knees. There is Terry’s friend Dustin Salter- an amazing dad, husband, and pastor to college students through RUF at Furman. He was riding a bike with his sons, just spending some “dad” time with them, falls off his bike, and now has suffered brain injuries for 3 months. You can read about his journey here.

Then there is Brian Hatton – a man I have never met, but he too had an accident and suffers major brain injuries. He lies in a hospital bed, just a Dustin does, with a child at home and loved ones by his side day in and day out talking to him, squeezing his hand, and doing just about anything to “excite” his brain. His story is told here.

This past weekend my best friend’s father was rushed into surgery to drain a hematoma. If Woody hadn’t gone to the doctor when he did, he could have suffered an irreversible coma or paralysis on one side of his body.

Then I think back to last June…June 9 to the exact. I had a major deadline for a project at the University of Alabama that day. Our whole team had been working around the clock, on weekends, and some nights until 1 or 2 in the morning. I was exhausted. Then I get the phone call. The phone call every person dreads to hear. My 19 year old cousin passed away during the night and didn’t wake up the next morning. Tragedy. My heart breaks to even think about it. We later learned that he had suffered an aneurysm – again, another injury to the brain but this time a life was taken, my cousin’s life. Had he seen another day, June 10 would have been his 20th birthday.

So what is it with the brain? I think about these four people who have affected my life in some way and I wonder why did God turn their brains off, or save one in Woody’s case. There are days where I wish I could turn my brain off; I think we all have those days. There are certainly days, months or even a year here and there that I wish my brain would let me forget. Then there are times when my Terry is so stressed with work that I want my brain to take on those stresses for him so that he can have a good night’s rest. The heart keeps us alive, but the brain, that keeps us human. And on top of being very human right now, I am very pregnant. And as with any pregnancy there is a due date – mine is June 10.

I go in Addison’s room every night to pray for her. Last night I wept as I prayed. My brain will not let me forget that June 10 has two meanings. That day, that week, heck even that month will forever be one of celebration and one of loss. There is no way around it, there is no way to forget it. It is forever embedded in my brain. I’m not really saying anything profound, thought-provoking, or even humorous with this post, but I am saying what my head thinks – June is going to hard, that week will be hard. But I know, no matter what the emotion, life will be celebrated – for both Addison and Nick, we will celebrate!

i love this kid

i am sure most of you have seen this funny little commercial but i thought i would post it anyway. i forget how much i like this little man. so, for a good monday afternoon chuckle...

http://www.sillymortal.com/neat/good_doctor.html

likes and dislikes

This weekend I had to breakdown and buy some shoes…some really practical, extremely un-fun, boring black shoes. It was emotional (I know this sounds silly, but I’m pregnant, everything is emotional). I kept adoring shoes like this:

But ended up with shoes like this:

So in honor of my un-fun shoes, here are a couple of lists about being pregnant…

Things I dislike about being pregnant:
Weight gain – my butt is as big as much as my belly…
Growing feet – I had big feet pre-baby, just imagine them now…
Back pains – at the end of the day I am done…
Un-fun shoes – thanks to growing feet and back pain…
Double chin – I am afraid I had one before baby but today I blame it on baby…
Midnight trips to the potty – 4 times last night…4 TIMES, PEOPLE!
Tears that come out of nowhere – poor Terry, he is hanging in there…
Wine, I miss wine. And beer, I miss beer, too…I can’t even eat wings right now, they seem lonely without the beer…
My wedding wing doesn’t fit!!! I hate that!!! I am going to buy a really big, gaudy, fake ring and sport it until June…
People you don’t know touching your stomach – can’t stand it…who are these people?

Things I love about being pregnant:
Addison’s little kicks – she reminds me she is around every hour or so…
Ultrasounds – who doesn’t love seeing their little lima bean?
Food – everyone expects you to eat a lot…and I do…a lot…
Little clothes and little shoes – I can’t stand it, they are so cute!
Daydreaming about her – what she looks like, what she will act like, ect…
Praying for her – It is sweet and priceless…
Talking to her – I love that she will know my voice above all others…
If there is anything wrong – blame it on the preggers…
Terry’s excitement – seeing him fall in love with her more and more everyday…
Grandparents – it is amazing how excited they get, too…I love it!
Creating life – it is by far the most incredible blessing I have experienced…

Have a great Monday!

morning commute #2

slept until 7:18, left at 8:02, coasted into work at 8:30...nice, very nice.

morning commute

so my new years resolution ticks me off. every morning when i leave my house at 7:35 there is traffic...or a wreck...or just stupid drivers. it never fails. the result is not getting to work at 8 like i had intended...it is more like 8:15. but in spite of my stupid resolution, i tried again today to conquer the commute. i hear on the radio that traffic is backed up. ok, breathe, breathe. take advantage of the time..pray, laugh at rick and bubba, talk to addison. breathe. i keep a steady pace until the sign. the digital sign that makes me mad everyday. my good tax dollars put that thing up and never does it ever give me useful information. i digress. i have now hit the bumper to bumper traffic radio man so enthusiastically told me about just minutes ago. it is awful. but it gets worse. a couple cars ahead i notice a woman in a pt cruiser opening her door and pour out her coffee (well, what i thought was coffee). she is using her time wisely cleaning out her car, i think to myself. by now the cruiser and i are buddies on the road. she moves a little, then i move a little. she opens the door again. i look to see what she is throwing out this time and realize she is not throwing out anything she is throwing up...i mean some serious projectile. i look away. please, traffic, please move so i can get away from throw-up cruiser. no movement. for FIFTEEN minutes i have to watch this poor lady yack up her breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the past week. it is painful. awful. i am dying, seriously dying because i, too, am about to be a car-door puker. i feel for her, i really do, but for the sake of all us stuck in traffic, stop the puking!!!! finally, FINALLY, i escape.

monday morning revelation: forget the resolution, i am sleeping late tomorrow.