Every Day Is A Country Song

Hello there.

(Tuck, this morning)

Tonight, I'm stopping in to say "HI" and share some memories, some emotions, and lots of photos of Tuck, his nursery, and all of us loving on our little Mr. Snoofles.

~~Mr. Snoofles~~ Tuck, our sweet baby boy, is just nine hours shy of turning seven weeks old.

And Piper, our sweet baby girl...

She's a short two days away from turning three years old.

You could say I'm feeling extra emotional and sappy tonight.

Or every night lately, for that matter.

Yes, I'm still in that hazy, foggy, beautiful, zombie-like, I-just-had-a-baby phase.

And I'm cherishing these little, yet so very big and important moments as much as I possibly can.

Even the exhausting, puke-covered, blowout-stained, "I'm sorry I said what I said when I was sleep-deprived (or starving)" moments.

There is so much I could say right now.

But I'm still absorbing all the of the newness and greatness...

Tuck's birth story will be coming soon,

in the next couple weeks.

I look back to five years ago when I started this blog...five..WOW...

What a very different place I was in my life.

A place I will never stop being grateful for.

Five years ago, I spent many days wondering what my life would look like today.

Five years ago, I spent many tearful nights praying to become a mother and have a child.

Five years ago, I clung as hard as I could to the gift of hope.

And now,

I'm a mother.

A mother of two beautiful babies.

I mean, it's inevitable...

This overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love.

But I can truthfully say, I had no idea it could feel so, so big.

My heart really does happily hurt.

Earlier tonight, Tuck slept in his Rock and Play, while Steve, Piper, and I played in the living room.We talked about our day, and I mentioned we watched "Tangled" this afternoon

I put this song (below) on and watched as Piper instantly got ready to sing - her signature head tilt, while she swayed back and forth, smiling with each word.

I started to cry, and she gave me a hug. I told her Mama was crying because she was happy.

She's heard that a lot lately.

Whenever I hear this song in the movie, I get choked up.

And with these lyrics that so perfectly "say what I need to say," I'll let the photos do most of the talking. (And next post, I'll be back with lots and lots and lots of talking...that, I'm sure of!)

*******************************

"I See The Light"

Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi

All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight
Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be
And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you

All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time never truly seeing
Things, the way they were
Now she's here, shining in the starlight
Now she's here, suddenly I know
If she's here it's crystal clear
I'm where I'm meant to go

And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog is lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once, everything looks different
Now that I see you

Now that I see you...

***************************

A few from Tuck's first 24 hours...

Just seeing the photos above sends such a rush of emotions through me.

I am looking forward to writing his birth story and reliving that special day.

I took these photos a month ago, when Tuck was around three weeks.

He is sleeping in our room, beside our bed (and sometimes in our bed) for now, but whenever we go into his nursery, I smile.

Jessica made his letters. I more than love them!!!

She has some insane talent!

There are no words.

Okay just a few words...

I mean, that little teepee - she burnt it into that tiny piece of wood (with her wood-burning kit from when she was a kid...Awesome!)

Thanks to Steve for knowing just where to place everything on the gallery wall.

(And for letting me go with the theme he wasn't a big fan of...it's grown on him!)

The My Little Pony that Steve used to surprise Piper and I with, when he told us we were having a "Baby Tuck!"

A handmade Yankees birthday card from Jessica, to Steve, from years ago

Tiny moccasins - one of the first things I bought when I was pregnant with Piper.

She never wore them.

Tuck definitely will.

Tommy Tucker piece I found on Etsy

These pictures...these babies...they make my heart so happy.

#pipergraceiloveyourface

Dee Dee has found so many neat "Tucker" gifts for him along the way.

If Piper had been a boy, she would've been "Tucker," and to now have our Pippy and Tuck...

A crib! Yay! Now that Pips is in her big girl bed, his crib is that much more enticing to jump in!

A couple beautiful gifts we'll always treasure from Jessica and Ed...

Above - sand art - all done by Jessica. Again...no words.

Below - Awesome, unique, Yankees artwork they found and framed for Tuck's room (DaDa loves it, or course!)

Steve took some photos of me with the babes in Tuck's nursery last month.

He didn't want any of himself taken that day. He had hat-head and was wearing his famous "Pair-A-Dice" t-shirt with two half-naked women on it. I added a few recent favorites of him with the babes.

(Kim, if you're reading, you're probably really bummed he didn't want his picture taken in your favorite shirt of his :)).

And with that, I'll say goodnight with a few more photos of our

new baby/new family of four/poopy/pukey/pass-the-coffee

~~pair-a-dice~~ paradise....

" Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be"