marginalia: January 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

from the mouths of babes

charis at this amazing age. it's been so cool to see how her language and talking has developed. i mean it's totally fascinating to go from a coo to a sound to part of a word to a full word then to sentences. blows me away. i'm trying to soak it all up and record as much as possible. i'm constantly amazed at her ability to make connections too. she's not at the funny age where she says inappropriate things, but i will be looking forward to that. she's just talking a bunch.

we were driving the other day and she said, "i need a haircut. a big haircut." then she looked at me and pointed to my hair. i said, "i'm not ready to give you a haircut. but you want a big haircut?" she then said, "haircut like you." so, we're thinking of shaving her head. jk.

in the same car ride she said, "you feel better? grocery story medicine in your mouth feel better." so she talks in run-on sentences. basically, when adam's parents were here we had our long duke appt. when we got back she immediately asked me "you feel better?" which sounds so cute coming out of her mouth. adam's mom had told her that we were at the doctor to help mommy feel better. so, she often asks me if i feel better. and apparently we go to the "grocery store" (ie CVS) often to get medicine for mommy.

the other night we met adam for dinner. midway through she wanted to pray. you know she wants to pray when she says, "dear god" and asks us to hold hands. she was doing this funny thing with her eyes, trying to close them but peek, as she prayed, "dear god, thank you for food, yoga and balls." it's really that simple, huh? last night she did the same thing at home, "dear god, thank you for food, thank you for nonni, thank you for my water, thank you for my water. amen!"

she's been getting up early lately. ugh. "i wake up!" then she will call one of us, "daddy! daddy! where arrrrrrrrre you?" we try to tell her she can't get up until the sun does. "where's the sunshine?"

when she gets tickled or we do somethings she likes she says, "do again." and writing that doesn't do it justice with just how cute she sounds.

adam and i spend a lot of time sharing stories of our little girl. it's like we don't want each other to miss out on ALL of her. it never feels like "she" is all we have to talk about. in fact, we have plenty to talk about. talking about Charis is a joy and a relief. we both end up with huge smiles and we immediately miss her. (usually this is on our trips to duke) she's really fun. and i love to think of our story and how God knew just want we needed when we didn't think we were ready to be parents. He knew. He always knows.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

twenty eleven in pictures

TWENTY ELEVEN. well it's been a full year. i've been trying to get this post up for almost 3 weeks. so here it is...our year in pictures. it was hard to choose ones from the hundreds i have to show you our year. but it's been so fun and good for my heart to go through the year of pictures. charis has changed so much in a year. she's potty trained and in a big girl bed and talking in sentences. we've gotten to take lots of fun family trips to the mountains and beach. adam & i got to go to NYC. i started the year doing radiation then awaited reconstruction only to realize the cancer was back. then i ended the year starting a new treatment at duke (we don't have pictures of this yet). we celebrated charis' 2nd birthday. we went to new orleans to celebrate adam's best friend getting married. we went to asheville and greensboro to celebrate two friends' weddings. there has been lots of celebrating. we said good-bye to our dear friend, sydney, who is with Jesus. i miss her tons. we've gotten to have lots of family time on bikes, at the park, swimming, hanging out in the yard. adam finished his thesis and got his bound copy. i stopped working for and leading young life. i've gotten to continue sweet friendships with high school girls. charis took her first steps for a cracker at my sister's. we've gotten to spend lots of time with our extended family (parents & siblings). my hair saw lots of styles as it grew back from chemo then a mohawk then bald again. lots of birthdays...celebrated adam's 30th at sir ed's. i got to be on tv a few times. Team Patwa rocked it out again at Race for the Cure. friends road the 24 HOB again for me and Syd. we've laughed a lot and cried a lot. oh goodness what a year! full. rich. deep. unforgettable. i am thankful for every bit of 2011. every bit. looking back at all these pictures reminded me of all the things i am thankful for. and i'm trying to remember to be thankful in all things. all things.

and i anticipate that in the year to come i will have more fun memories, more amazing moments, and more to be thankful for.

so the pictures start from December and go backwards. it's just how i uploaded them. hope you enjoy a glimpse at our year.