How are you?

A question I’ve gotten a lot over the past 27 months. My standard response on most days has always been, “I’m hanging in there.”

Now, with a little one at home, I feel that most want me to do more than just “hang in there.”  I have responsibilities as a parent that went to Heaven with Anna and Abigail on Oct. 20th, 2013 and now, with the arrival of their little sister from Heaven, have come back.  To hang in there could imply that I’m barely making it or that at any moment I may let go. I’ve found that, with the nicest of intentions, people in our lives want us to be ok, good or even great, especially now.

Hanging in there ~ that is how I feel most of the time. I have a sadness, the piece of my soul that longs so desperately for my girls in Heaven, that will never go away.

Hanging in there ~  all of my attention these last six weeks has gone towards taking care of, loving and mothering Alice  – which it should – and I am grateful for the gift of her in our lives.  Alice brings us a new hope that was not there before. She is a light, just like her sisters, and I am so grateful that God has allowed us to be her parents. Finding the balance between being a parent to a newborn and continuing to parent Anna and Abigail has been difficult. Sharing love and joy with the world is how I’ve continued to parent my girls in Heaven and when I don’t have the time to do that my heart hurts ~ we are are finding balance.

Hanging in there means to me that I’m surviving the worst thing, in my perspective, that a mother can endure. Hanging in there means that I’m gripping tight to this world to love and help nurture Alice so that she too can be the little person, and some day the young lady, that God has intended her to be. Hanging in there means that I’m saying yes to God and the life He has in front of me and that I’m not going to give up….giving up would be easy.

Hanging in there means that although I can’t promise Alice bad things won’t happen I can do everything in my power to build a foundation of faith, prepare her heart and nurture her soul so that, like her sisters, she knows God’s promises ~ promises that can never be broken.

I’m going to keep hanging in there because, for the past 27 months, I’ve learned that in doing so my heart is open to a world that goes beyond life here and extends into the world where my girls now reside. I’m going to keep hanging in there because Alice needs and deserves all of me, even the broken pieces.

How am I?

I’m holding on to Alice and keeping my girls very close to my heart.

My dear friend gave me this beautiful statue when Alice arrived. She said she saw it and thought it was perfect. I would agree.

 

One day Abigail came to me and asked, “Susan, if we ever have another baby in the family and it’s a girl can we name her Alice?”

Yes Abigail, we will name her Alice and her middle name will be Lucille just like her great grandma and her sister Anna.

Cuddling with Alice Lucille makes me happy for so many reasons.

I would really love to get a photo of Alice and Linus together all cozy and sweet. This week I’ve been looking on Pinterest and I found these images for inspiration.

Being that Linus will only be two tomorrow and still very much acts like a puppy (a very large puppy) I decided to go with this for now.

This doggie was Anna’s favorite and was often pulled around the house on a long leash.

I think the dogs in the above photos look older and a little sedated…don’t you??

I know that there is hope for our Linus and I know that one day when he is old and grey he will lay his head on Alice’s back or she will lay her head on his, they will be the best of friends and love each other!

For now…he can just rest his sweet head on his Love Rock pillow.