2012 Year in Review!

I remember starting they year with bad news. It was just into the New Year that I had been trying to cope with the news that my Grandpa was diagnosed with liver & pancreatic cancer. I knew that moment that he would not be celebrating another year with us. Shortly, after that diagnosis, we found out that it had moved to his brain. He did some chemo & it made him sick so he talked to his doctor & they did radiation treatments for him. I drove to be with him & spend time with him numerous times throughout the beginning of the year.

February brought some news that I needed to deal with. I found that my liver counts were off & I was to spend the next 6 weeks without any pain meds & alcohol. Alcohol was never the problem. Not being able to take tylenol & advil for my ever growing headaches. At last I found relief in finding & going to a chiropractor. So when 6 weeks were up I was pain free & my liver counts were normal again.

March came to really buckle down on the planning for the new house. It also was when Grandpa decided to end treatments. It was toward the end of March when I was told to come quickly because they weren't sure how long we had with him. I did my best & got there. It was improving though. He realized he could not go home though because he needed more care than could be handled there. So we got him transferred to a nursing home.

April was the worst month but one of the most exciting of all. We gathered for Easter at the nursing home to celebrate with Grandpa. Pretty sure it would be our last holiday with him. Hubby & I also broke ground on our new house! I was ecstatic & still felt that I needed to be elsewhere. So a few days after ground breaking I left to go back to IL to visit Gramps & be near by. I went in on a Friday & saw him. He had declined quite a bit in the week or so I was gone. He new who I was for minutes at time & then thought I was someone else. After visiting him I went to my mom's for the weekend. Her & I made plans to go visit Gramps Monday afternoon together. Well, we didn't get our plan as Gramps had other plans. It was Monday, April 23rd, when my mom called me to tell me I needed to come get her & get to Gramps. They were sure that this was going to be it. We had called the whole family & they were on their way as well. I can't tell you how grateful I was for that finally day with him. For that time to be by his side. I will never forget rubbing his shoulder & telling him its ok to go. We love you! As much as I dreaded that moment to come, I would never take it back. I think it made grieving a little easier. We laid him in his final resting place 5 days later.

May was kind of a blur as the grieving was still happening & also building our house. I had to take each day one at a time because it was difficult after such a great loss to move forward.

June was much better. We celebrated Madison's 2 nd birthday with a blast of a party for her. We had water balloon fights & all. It was during this that I noticed & realized that Gramps was gone but he was forever with us. He was with mom when she went around the house & pulled the hose on Grams. He was with Grams when Grams was just shooting everyone with her water gun having a great time. He was there as the day went on. He was watching all of us. It was this day, that made it possible for me to move forward without feeling guilty about leaving him in that cemetery.

July was hot & filled with fun of celebrating 4th of July. We had a blast with hubby's family for the family reunion & the 4th celebrations! It couldn't have been better.

August was the best month of all. It was this month that my daughter took her first trip without mommy. She went to Alabama with my parents. She had a blast & was spoiled rotten. It was also the month we got the offer on our townhouse & the weight had been lifted off our shoulders! Then the best of all things. It was this month that we found out we were expecting #2!!!! I couldn't believe it. It was then that I figured out my due date. April 28th! It was as if this baby was meant to show me that everything comes full circle. My baby is due a year after we laid Gramps to rest. She will have the greatest guardian angel ever!

September was a little difficult as I had to pack our home so we could move. It was bitter sweet as we had brought Madison home to that townhouse. We had watched our love grow. It was the one place that had brought me comfort when I couldn't be with my family. However, we were moving to our dream home finally! After years of talking about doing it! We were!

October was just settling in to the new house. Nothing too exciting. Unless you count Trick or Treating with Madison for Halloween! She was the cutest Minnie Mouse!

November was more of the same. Though there was Thanksgiving with the family.

December brought us the Christmas spirit! We got to decorate & spend time with our families. We also had our ultrasound. We found out we were having another Girl & that she was a healthy baby too!  Hubby has also started the bedroom in the basement so we can still have a guest room after baby gets here.

All in all 2012 was a good year for us, even if we lost someone so near & dear to us. I can't wait to see what 2013 brings besides babies! As I already know 4 babies that will be born in 2013! 1 in January, ours in April & 2 babies in July! Cannot wait to see & hold the squishy babies!