We'll start first with...MARRIAGE. Just so that you know what it is this post is all about. Today Robert and I celebrated 5 years of marriage - we've joked that we're going to name our son London so that he always knows that his arrival was the nail in the coffin for our trip to see the Olympics during the summer of 2012. Guess we'll see how we feel on arrival day...
But in all seriousness, we're thrilled that we are being blessed with a son, even if it means we don't get to go to the Olympics. Although the thought of it all was kind of perfect - 5 year anniversary, going back to one of the places we honeymooned, checking something off of Robert's bucket list. I think we'll pass on Russia for the winter Olympics in 2014, but there's always Rio! And in case you haven't seen it, here's a pic from our honeymoon way back in 2007.
Celebrating anniversaries tends to make you think about marriage. Not to mention the fact that I'm currently reading
The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller. In reading the other morning I came across a quote that reminded me of something Robert used to say when we were dating. To be honest, I never really knew whether I should be honored or insulted by this statement, and often waxed between the two. Of course, now that his sentiments are reflected in a Keller book, I'm of course honored. I know, it's hilarious how much I value the expert's opinion. Anyway, Robert seemed to know very early on in our dating relationship that he wanted to be together. Me, on the other hand, took a little longer to come around to the idea. I remember asking him, how do you know you want to marry me? And he would respond by saying, "
Because when difficult things arise between us, you're the only person I've ever wanted to stay to work through it with. And that keeps happening over and over again, no matter how hard our conversations are or how much I disagree with you. I have never wanted to stay, and with you I do." I certainly did not give Robert the credit he deserved when saying that, but have since told him that I am so grateful for his wisdom 6 years ago. As Keller puts it:
"Many people have asked me, 'How can you tell whether you've got a friendship on which you can base a marriage?' The answer that Kathy and I have always given is this. When you see the problems in each other, do you just want to run away, or do you find a desire to work on them together?"
How stinking lucky am I to have been called to marry the guy who preempted Tim Keller's advice? Kidding. But I do know that it is God's wisdom that He gave Robert, and it's just a gift that I understood it years later so that I could affirm Robert's spiritual leadership. All that to say, I have spent this weekend with my sweet boy feeling richly blessed. We were able to spend some time in Annapolis yesterday, and had an amazing dinner at Founding Farmers this afternoon. Highly recommended. AND I'm pretty relieved that our son decided not to arrive today. I know it's selfish, but I was having a hard time thinking about sharing our anniversary with him. As if we won't be sharing everything with him soon enough.
Speaking of our son, nursery is ready to go. Lots of people have done their part to pitch in - in fact, I started listing them out and realized that when I got to over a dozen there were way too many people to thank. So know, family and friends, we are grateful for you and the pieces you've added to making our son's room a sweet place! Unfortunately, he still has to share the tiny space with me, as the room is double functioning as my office/his nursery. I don't think he'll mind. I know some of you have been looking forward to these, so take a look at the collage...
Other than that, we're between 38-39 weeks with no signs of our son gracing us with his presence anytime soon. Still feeling pretty good - no trouble sleeping and just dealing with swollen feet. It's pretty much the only time in my life I've not been excited about buying shoes, which my Mom, Tara, and our friend Vickie will tell you is nothing short of a miracle. Thanks for checking in - we'll keep you updated on our progress!
