Mud Lace And Grace: June 2011

This post is dedicated to my husband Brian, the father of our girls! In the past 18 months our family has undergone an incredible period. I wanted to take a moment to give thanks to the man I married and love so much.

November 21, 2009
I remember the girls birth, only two days after his birthday, and how calm and collected he was ready to take on anything that came his way. He held my hand and comforted me that day like no other person could. He smiled throughout the c-section as if having identical twins at 32 weeks and a pre-eclamptic wife was normal. He was the most proud father and husband that day. He could not have been more supportive, excited, and comforting in that moment of time than he was. I am so very thankful for that wonderful day.

December-March
Well we spent close to a month in the NICU with the twins. We watched them while they had brady's, apena's, drops in oxygen, feeding issues, feeding tubes, blood tests, and shots. I was recovering from a c-section and the pain was bad. The stress levels for both of us during this time and the immediate months at home following the girls NICU discharge are indescribable. Around February I was diagnosed with postpartum depression so that was yet another layer of difficulty on our newly formed family. I have to say that during my adjustment period to being a mom to preemie twins who were hooked up to monitors for 4 months after their birth for apnea (when breathing stops) Brian was again my rock, just like that day in the OR.

Before the twins were born my graphic design business was still doing well, however it was a new startup with twists and turns and a risk we took when starting it. I was still trucking along, but when we found out I was pregnant and it was high risk, Brian knew he would have to do something else. He turned to his dad who had ties to a land and ranch real estate venture called Legacy Land and Ranches. He was presented with an opportunity in real estate. The company was based in Waco but the both of them thought it was worth trying to expand to the Houston/surrounding area. So Brian studied for his licenses and got them right about the time we had the girls.

During this traumatic time he was in the beginning stages of starting a new career. All of this couldn't have been coinciding at a worst possible time....or was it the best?

When I look back to those first 3 months at home and how much Brian was able to help the three of us in the midst of his new career I am thankful part of the Lord's plan was for him to do this from home. When beeps were going off and babies weren't breathing...I thankfully had a man to turn to who stepped up to the plate to provide for his family through support, work, comfort, and most of all LOVE. When I couldn't breath at night because I was having anxiety attacks when beeps were going off at 3 am...Brian was there to tell me it was okay. They would be okay. I don't know what would have happened in those moments if he hadn't been there for me mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Well as one can imagine a new job with headquarters in Waco Texas isn't going to get up and running in a different city in only a few short months, even if someone is working hard to make that happen. When you have the "insanity" of preemie twins and a depressed mom on your hands, it is not likely to work in a few months. We moved in May of 2010 to try another plan.

May
This new plan entailed opening up a Legacy Land and Ranch office in the Bryan College Station area. This area was a 1/2 way point between our two families and had plenty of land and ranches surrounding. To imagine moving at this time was also traumatizing to me. I wasn't thinking clearly anyway due to my PPD, crazy raging hormones, and the adjustment period we were still going through with having two tiny babies to care for. Our girls by this time were 5 months old but only 3 months adjusted so they still required a lot of feedings and care around the clock.

After another short trial period of about 4-5 months the small real estate company Brian had moved for wasn't doing great and decided it wasn't in their best interest to open up an office in our area at all. This meant yet another change.

September-Now
In September of 2010 Brian started working as a Keller Williams agent specializing in land and ranches. He has worked every day since trying in a market that makes it difficult and an economy that makes it even harder. He is determined to succeed and has been gaining momentum in the last few months. It takes time in any new career to get established and especially one where you've made so many "moves" in only 18 months. I am so proud of him for the wonderful father he is to our girls even though life has been anything but easy. I know this is the story for so many fathers not just our girls, but I wanted to take a min to tell Brian thank you for everything he does for us everyday...working, calling, driving, moving, and thinking. Then of course the cooking, cleaning, yard work, helping with the girls, playing, hugging, and loving.

He provides for us one way or another in all ways that he should and loves us more than anything. So on behalf of Eden and Pryscilla, Happy Father's Day! Hang in there, keep working hard, keep your faith strong, and pray. You are a wonderful man, incredibly unique, funnier than anyone I know, interesting, intelligent, sincere, fun, and loving. We are so blessed to have you as our rock. Thank you for everything you've done for us in the past 18 months and everything will do for us in our future.