Well Happy New Year, y'all!! It seems we've made it through 2014. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hesitant to enter 2015, because 2014 has been the absolute best year of my life! It has been said that all good things must come to an end, so I wanted to spend my last waking hours of 2014 recounting my blessings & the greatest lessons I've learned this year. Here ya go!
1. Our great God is still in the business of performing miracles. If you need proof, come check out my super cute baby boy! This time last year I was straight depressed & never thought I'd get my heart's desire, but here I sit 365 days later with a 14lb butterball of perfection nursing and laughing simultaneously, spewing milk all over us both! God is good, and God is on time!
2. There's no place like home, but nobody said you could only have one. This year we packed up our family of 2 & a fetus and moved clear across the state of GA to my hometown. I was thrilled & thought that would change everything! While it did indeed change every aspect of our lives, I quickly realized that Thomasville will always be home too. I miss that place; the place where we began our lives as a family of 2, where Tyler started and ended his teaching career, the place that fulfilled my dream of becoming a RN, and the place we created new life. I miss it so much and though we live in Dalton which has always been home to me, home will always exist on Thomasville too.
3. There's nothing more sacred and spiritual than death. I know this sounds creepy and potentially inappropriate, but I spent the better part of this year working as a hospice nurse & I learned so much about death and the dying process, as well as my own view of it. Death is a very personal and private process, but as a hospice nurse I experienced it alongside my patients and their families, and that was a blessing to me. I won't go into many details because they aren't mine to divulge, but there's something beautiful about the moment a person let's go and finds peace--both the dying and those left behind. Though I'm not working in hospice any longer, I'm grateful for the experienxe and the beautiful souls I met--patients, families, and so many selfless coworkers.
4. If you want to experience true magic, look into your child's perfect eyes for the first time. There's nothing like the immediate bond that exists between mother and child, when you realize that this beautiful gift is YOUR'S and you assisted God in creating a miracle. It's so much better than I ever imagined and I pray that everyone who holds the desire will one day experience this kind of true love. Much to my husband's chagrin I want to do it over and over and over again.
5. Nobody loves you like your mama. I know this seems obvious, but you don't understand true love until you're a parent yourself, and because of this you don't know how much you're loved. Now go call your mama and tell her you love her! I promise you, you've never had a bigger fan, nor have you ever met someone who would be so eager to bear every pain and hurt and tear for you. Seriously, call your mom.
6. Don't make plans. Any plans. Ever. Life doesn't work that way! If you make a birth plan it will fall through just like your plan on when to have a baby in the first place. If you plan on having a job you probably won't find one. Life doesn't care about your plans, and God's are far better for you anyway.
7. Being a parent is HARD, y'all. People tell you this, but Hollywood has made everything look like a rosy fantasy and that's just not real. We all 3 cried through our first night home from the hospital, and on the way to the pediatrician the next day Tyler and I were zombies. We couldn't believe we could be so happy and so scared simultaneously. Tyler had dry heaves for a week and I don't know how many days I went without a shower. It's hard, but it gets so much better, and it's worth it. I still want to do it over and over again.
8. See a lactation consultant. Just do it. Our breastfeeding relationship was better immediately after 30 minutes with Carol. Breast is best, but it's impossible without support, so go find the support! You can do it!!
9. Never take a job without FMLA. If you do, you'll need it. If you don't, you'll probably wonder why it exists anyway, but better safe than sorry. I had delivery complications that didn't allow me to return to work until 10 weeks postpartum, and I was only allowed 6 weeks, so I got fired. Yep. Here we are, brand new parents with a 6 week old and zero income. That's some scary, real-life stuff y'all. Fortunately I'm a nurse, and I've now got a new & better job to start on Monday, but there was a devastating period of time when I didn't know what we were going to do! Needless to say, I won't allow myself to be caught in that situation again. The law really is there to protect us!
10. The Lord is sovereign. I hope you gathered that from #1-9, but just in case here's a reminder. This year He gave me a beautiful testimony, a perfect son, a magnificent husband who has loved & supported me through it all. He moved us closer to our families, and unexpectedly met my desire to spend more time home with my Jonas (13wks vs 6 is awesome!). This year He also gave us a sister-in-law and aunt, who is the perfect addition to our family. More recently He made a way for this new job & made it possible for me to get 2 new certifications the week of Christmas. Our God is sovereign!!
Here's to 2015! A year that will bring a new job, a brand new baby nephew, 2 new brother-in-laws, and a thousand memories with the 2 perfect Lipsey men I share my life with!
Thank You Lord for your blessings on me!
XOXO,
Hannah
