Saying Goodbye & Awaiting Hello
It seems like the more pregnant you get, the more you find yourself mourning the 'loss' of something, whether it be your current family routine, your personal time, hobbies you enjoy and you know will be tough to find time for, your ankles, or even the ability to bend over and tie your shoes without asking for your husbands help. I may or may not speak from personal experience.
Pregnancy jokes aside, our Robinson clan unfortunately had to say goodbye to something much more real recently when our Aunt Dorthea passed away. Many of our close friends knew about Uncle Bob and Aunt Dorthea and their love of coupons, IHOP, Disney, and most importantly, each other. This couple honestly reminded me of a real life "The Notebook" kind of love. They were a true example of what it meant to live life to the fullest and love one another every step of the way...all the way into their 90s. Let's just say I can only hope that Dave and I can amount to something that special but they most definitely set the bar mighty high. As someone who entered Dave's family so many years ago as a girlfriend, they welcomed me into their southern California home with open arms and coupons for dinner...to Carl's Junior (such a funny story and one of my favorite memories of them). It didn't matter that I was brand new to the family, they were truly as nice as anyone could EVER be. They were (and continued to be) an inside look into my husband's family dynamics, which is pretty amazing. Meeting them provided a quick understanding of where the love of Disney, aeronautics, music, and helping others through teaching came from. Caitlin never had the opportunity to meet Uncle Bob as he passed away shortly before she was born, but Aunt Dorthea did and for that we are so grateful. We spent the weekend in California a couple weeks ago honoring and remembering Dorthea and the wonderful woman she was. It was great to be a part of something so special, meet family I hadn't yet had the opportunity to, and simply to feel so much love.
Two very special seats
July 4th, 2015 after our IHOP breakfast with Aunt Dorthea
After our huge family IHOP gathering, we all headed to the beach
And, with all the goodbyes comes the anticipation of a new arrival and a very exciting first hello. Baby Alexander is due in A WEEK. One short week! Who knows when he'll actually make his appearance but it is something we are all anxious and ready for. Even Caitlin is tired of waiting...she keeps pointing to my belly and kissing it saying "baaaaaby" and it's basically the cutest thing ever. I just hope she loves him as much when he's actually here and not stuck in my belly! It's not just going to be hello to Alex but hello to a new family dynamic, hello to a new big sister, and hello to a new family of 4. The nursery is ready, the freezer is ready (oh hello to you as well, freezer meals! Breakfast burritos, lasagnas, bean and cheese burritos, chopped up chicken and marinades, and enchiladas are all prepped and ready to go!), the car seat is installed and ready, and the hospital bag is in the car. Let's go, baby!!
Only about a third of his clothes...he is one LUCKY boy!
Alex got Caitlin a Big Sister gift! (yet another craft project done thanks to my amazing Cricut...fun to do and saved me money on buying something personalized!)
xoxo
