Lucky Thirteen and Counting

Parker loves to sing and play the guitar with his daddy. Unfortunately for me, he screws the music up. Tonight I figured just get the camera back out and take pictures. Parker just doesn’t have the lyrics down to “Layla” quite yet. But he does stand there and sing his heart out.

Five weeks and holding strong. Whatever magic herbs I am taking and whatever the acupuncturist is doing is working. I think we have a “sticky baby” this time. We have never had a line this dark on any of our positive tests before. We are excited and hopeful.

I am feeling pregnant. Sore boobs, exhausted and emotional. We still have our fingers crossed, and we are still holding our breath, but everyday that goes by is a good sign. We have never made it this far before.

My sweet Dalin has been making movies on the computer for the past few weeks. He is the director and calls the shots. He has not been staring in the movies, just creating them. Yesterday while filming, the telephone rang, and Dalin left the camera on and ran for the phone. He ran right through the film. Today, I have found him watching that clip over and over again. He came over and said, “Mom, when I was running to answer the phone, my legs looked like a frog.” He proceeded to imitate what he had seen on the screen. This was the first time Dalin had ever seen himself walk. We had a nice talk about how his legs are just like his right arm, a little bit different because of his brain bleed at birth. He was fine with that explanation, because we have been talking about his arm not working for years.

Currently Dalin is filming the open room and finding every reason he can to walk across the screen. He is fascinated watching himself walk. Such a cute self discovery I got to witness.

Brandon took the girls yesterday. He left the house at 8am and returned at 6:30pm. It is a long, long day for everyone. They look gorgeous and hopefully this hairdo will last a few months.

I was reading all my posts on the blog yesterday and it dawned on me that I was an emotional wreck, besides that fact that both my big kids left within a few days of each other and besides the fact that I am from a long line of boobs. I felt a bit more unstable than I usually am. So I peed on this stick, and it all became clear. The reason Brandon’s rice pudding made me sick, the reason I had been gagging on my morning herbs, The reason I was so tired and of course the reason I was so emotional.

So there you all have it, first hand news from the crazy house. For my faithful blog readers this will come as no shock. Brandon and I have conceived twice before and it has ended in miscarriage, the odds are good this one will too, but I feel there is no reason to hide it, since I tell everyone when I miscarry anyway. Currently I feel like a ticking time bomb waiting…waiting…. waiting……

I am off to see my acupuncturist at one. She is going to help me “make this baby stick” she claims. I am suspicious it was the acupuncture that did this in the first place. The first two times I went in I was fully aware of my reproductive organs. I know that sounds crazy, but I could feel them all working while I was laying still with the needles in my body. I think I was probably conceiving at that very moment. So I am not giving up yet. I am going to keep up with the needles for at least twelve weeks, or until the dreaded day I see blood. I will keep you all posted on the daily drama from this ever changing family.

Opening day!!!!!
The final one!!! Oh just typing the words makes me well up with tears!
The day was gorgeous.  The weather was about ten degrees cooler than last year;  It was breezy and about 80.

The students, and faculty alike, were so happy to have Bronson back! Bronson was the perfect child this year. He may have known how close I was to tears because he was extra sweet, gracious, and loving. He hugged me constantly and seemed happy I was there.
I got to play “Mother Bear” for the last time in his life. He had his phone confiscated by a prick of a man on the faculty. So I marched into his office and demanded the phone back while Bronson hid from the drama in his friends room. However, when I returned with the phone, he was proud and relieved that he was still enrolled and there was no blood! It felt good to go to bat one more time. I am sure future employers and college professors won’t appreciate Bronson’s mom coming after them.

I also got to meet Tory Jones, Bronson’s best female friend. Tory happens to be dating Johnny, Bronson’s best male friend. It was so fun to get to hang out with her for a short time before I left for the airport.

Saying good-bye is easy at this point. Bronson is home in Asheville and happy where he is. I am so happy I trusted my gut and sent him off to school. I would do it again and again. He is not just learning, he is growing, maturing and flourishing in the environment. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments. YEA BRONSON!!!

I have waited patiently for two years to finally meet Tess, the girl that loves my boy and the one and only that holds the key to his heart. Throughout those two long years of waiting to meet Tess I have had my share of fantasies of what the actual meeting would be like. Tess and I running into each others arms and letting the tears flow. I have felt for so long that we were co-chairs of the “Bronson is the greatest” fan club. I also thought we had already formed a bond of mom/daughter or sister/friend. But what I found was that what I had hoped for did not materialize.

Tess did not care that she was meeting me. She probably said ten sentences to me the entire time we were together. Bronson claims she was just upset and didn’t want to say good-bye to him. I can totally understand that, but I felt bad. I had waited so long and thought she would feel the same way.

However, I did develop a nice friendship with Marsha Shlaer, her mom. We got along beautifully. She was wonderful. Whew…..What a relief. I was very concerned about that. So it is funny to be here now blogging about something that was so unexpected. I love Tess because Bronson loves her. I wish I had had the opportunity to develop a greater bond, a stronger relationship and a deeper understanding of the one my baby loves.

Last year Bronson was a junior and for some reason it seemed like college and adulthood were far from my mind. This year is so different. I am packing his bags for the last time. I am leaving tomorrow for his last opening day of high school. Where did the time go?

This was last years picture on opening day. I will post this years when I return.

Academically this year is pretty much a coast. His college applications will be in by fall. He is done with his foreign language requirements and is cruising by with all AP and honor classes. For Bronson, that is nothing. However, this year I have seen the mental strain…… Where to go, where to apply, what to study when he gets there? All big decisions that matter a lot! When Bronson is stressed, Mom is stressed!

Ty and Hadley both had their orientations today for Middle school. Ty got his activity card and hasn’t put it down since we came home. He is showing everyone and is very very proud of it!

He is a little nervous for school to start. He knows this is his last year in Middle School and he has begun talking about High school already. If going to high school is going to be as big of a subject as his birthday, I will go nuts!