How about we just pretend that this hasn't been left to rot, alright? Alright.
Really though, I'm not sure why we failed at updating this. I mean, we didn't even have a kid then. We hadn't even moved yet. And I wasn't even working full time (two part time jobs don't count). But, as you may know, there was some excitement in our lives. In the midst of that excitement was gray hairs, sleepless nights, and lots of ice cream.
Let me tell you a story.
In May, we started the process of buying a home. We were really excited, since it was our first ever home, and we were just so stoked to have it for our new baby that was coming mid-June. And because it has AC, and we did not want to spend another summer in our 3rd floor apartment without those arctic winds blowing in to cool us off. So yeah. Stoked.
Well, we were supposed to sign for our new home a week before the kid arrived. We made sure we did everything on time, but despite our attempts at punctuality, we still had to delay the signing by a week. This put it right before the baby's due date. Basically, if the baby came early, we were hosed. And, since we had already told our apartment people we'd be out by June 6, we now had a week of homelessness to look forward to.
Stress.
As fortune would favor, a friend of mine took over our spot from us. So, when we found out we couldn't move into our new place when originally anticipated, we worked with them and were able to extend our rent by another week. We're saved!
Now, that sounds pretty straight forward, but let me assure you, it was anything but easy. We weren't sure if they were going to sign on time, if we would even be able to extend the contract, and let me just say, that when they signed and everything for that apartment fell into place, it was pretty much the last day it possibly could. Really pushing the limits, there.
The next big stress was not knowing if we would still be able to move into our new place or not before (or even after) the baby came. There was so much "I don't know" going around that I'm pretty sure I lost 12 years of my life from lack of sleep. Can I just mention how stressful it can be, knowing your wife is about to pop any day, and and if she goes into the hospital before we sign, there's a very good chance I'll be taking her and the baby home to a hotel room? That's stressful!
We prayed hard, we went to the temple, and we fasted. We knew everything would be alright. And yet, despite having those feelings, we (mostly I) stressed out beyond reason. I was terrified. The last thing I wanted was for my wife and new boy to be homeless after leaving the hospital.
But, fortune prick me, we were able to sign on Tuesday, June 9. The next day we moved (and thanks SO MUCH to everyone who came and helped!). Then, on Thursday, we went to the hospital.
We stayed the night there eon Thursday, and early Friday morning Jill was induced. We played games (Monopoly Deal) while she was in labor, right up until the point when the nurse came in and helped Jill start the pushing process. Then, after an hour of that, we finally got our little boy, Benjamin Rex. Cutest kid in the world.
Did I mention Friday was the day Jurassic World was released? Because that also happened. The name is obviously just a coincidence.
We went home on Sunday, June 14, and were welcomed by a ton of boxes, littering each and every room. We couldn't have been more pleased.
That's the abridged version. Be it known that stress was high, uncertainty was through the roof, and, looking back, it's completely obvious that the Lord was looking out for us. I'm a little embarrassed when I say we worried so much, when we had felt that everything would work out. And guess what? It did. Just as the Lord promised.
Pretty fun stuff! So now we're home, we're living the life, and everything is just great (knock on wood).
I will try and update on here more often. It's good to be back. I'm doing this during my lunch break at work, so this might be the only time I get in a week, but if you promise to read it, I'll almost promise to post more often.
