As I’m sitting at my desk writing this post, I’m certainly not where I imagined I would be six months ago.  A lot has changed since this past spring.  Finding out we were pregnant.  Planning on being in Disney for my Birthday.

I had grand plans of enjoying my 28th birthday at the most magical place in the world – Disney World.  Unless you’re living under a rock these days, you know why Josh and I are safely in our home back here in Ohio.  Thanks for ruining my party, Irma.  You definitely gave us a story to tell our little one.  I imagine it going something like this:

Your momma only wanted ONE Walt Disney World trip before kids came along.  That trip was planned just three months before you were supposed to make your arrival.  It wasn’t designed like that, but we were going to go with the flow.  A week before your parents were supposed to hop on a plane and head south to the Sunshine State, the man on the Weather Channel said a big hurricane was forming out in the middle of the Atlantic.  Its course was still very much unknown.  Momma kept a watchful eye on this said storm who’s name was Irma for the next several days.  The day before we were supposed to leave, the chances of Irma missing Florida were lessening.  Momma cried a lot of tears Monday morning because not only was her dream birthday in danger but so was her only vacation with your daddy this year.  Against his better judgment, you daddy agreed to take momma to Orlando as long I promised if the time came, I wouldn’t put up a fight leaving.  All was dandy until Thursday morning when Southwest Airlines canceled our first rescheduled flight.  Then the most magical vacation ever fell apart when Orlando International Airport decided to close its doors Saturday at 5 pm.  No flights in.  No flights out.  Which means there were ZERO flights for your daddy to get momma out of the path of a hurricane that was sure to do some serious damage.  Our next option.  Rent a car.  And drive home.  5.6 million other people were trying to get out of South Florida the same time we were in one of the greatest evacuations in United States history.  What should have been an easy 14 hours home, took 20 hours and 21 minutes.  Needless to say, this momma is still tired, and extremely sore.  But getting out of dodge was worth it, because in just a couple more weeks, instead of holding tight to memories made in Disney, we’ll be holding you, sweet one.

So while I’m still pretty bitter that my seven day Disney trip was literally two days for so many reasons, I have a lot to be thankful for and feel extremely blessed.

Loren’s Birthday Blessings

1. I’m alive to celebrate another year older when so many aren’t granted that chance
2. I’m married to a man who cares more about my well being than I do some days 😉
3. We live in a state with fairly considerate weather.  We certainly don’t have to worry about a category five hurricane raging off our state lines wanting to challenge us to a 10 round boxing match.
4. While I can’t spend my birthday in Disney with Mickey, I will be spending it with my Husband still.  And thanks to a kind friend, we’ll be watching the Indians from behind home plate tonight.  That’s pretty freaking awesome if I do say so myself!
5. Josh and I were able to tell my Grandma a week ago today that she’s going to have a great-granddaughter.

Yes, you read that right.  We actually know what we’re having.  My husband wanted to know the gender of our little peanut, so we found out.  On July 18th.  Our Anniversary.  We’ve known for almost eight weeks that we’re going to have a little girl.  Or at least, that’s what we were told.  I still have this reoccurring nightmare that the ultrasound tech was wrong!  While I wanted to keep the gender a surprise until birth, I’m so happy we found out when we did so I could share such a moment with my grandma.  There were lots of happy tears shed, and I am even more thankful for a camera and being able to capture her reaction.

When she realized what the frame meant…

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!

And when she realized that we knew for awhile…her exact words were “You lied to me!”

Thankful my sister snagged this photo, because in the midst of all the crazy on that day, I didn’t take one!

You see, this sweet baby girl kicking away in my belly as I type this, is named after Grandma.  And even my great-grandma.  Charlotte Grace.  She is named after two insanely remarkable women that have influenced the woman I am today.  I am blessed that growing up, I knew three great-grandparents.  And I have such beautiful memories with of them.  I’m even more blessed that at 28 years old, I still have a great-grandfather who is alive and well.  I’m so excited for him to meet his great-great-granddaughter after she is born.

So while I may not be in Disney strolling through Magic Kingdom acting like a little kid, thanks again for that Irma, I do have a lot to look forward to on this birthday.  Here’s to another year older, and the last birthday I get to celebrate just Josh, the dogs, and I. Because next year, there’s going to be a bouncing nine-month-old keeping this momma busy!