We're home, thank you, and other updates #7QT

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To all the people who have been praying for us, who have written words of comfort, or shared with me your own painful stories, thank you so, so very much.  Your kindness has meant so much to me.  The first three weeks were very up and down for me emotionally, but after spending three days in a row last week bawling my eyes out practically all day, I woke up the next day feeling so much better.  I know that there will always be a little empty spot in my heart and in our family, and I will continue to have some rough days (not really looking forward to the month of May) and triggers (it wasn't fun to go to the birth center for my follow up appointment and be surrounded by pregnant women and new babies), but I do feel like the cloud I was living in has lifted.  Physically, I'm feeling completely "back to normal" and have been for quite some time.

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Lucia and I just got home from visiting family for 2.5 weeks.  It was a long trip and we missed David very much.  We came home to a clean house, a stocked fridge, an empty hamper, and a lonely husband/daddy.  Oh, and roses and balloons!  It was nice to see family, especially my newborn niece, and the trip reminded me just how much we are missing out on by living so far away, but it's good to be home.  The things I missed most while gone (other than David, of course): cloth diapers, access to internet (most of the time we were staying with my grandparents who are terrified by technology), and humidity.  My hands and lips were so, so chapped after only a few days away!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the plane rides alone with my toddler were atrocious.  I will NOT be doing it alone ever again (at least not until I forget just how terrifying it was).

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Can I share a few pictures of our Halloween? 

 

Trying out the "man eating plant" face. It was even scarier in person.

 We took her to a trick or treat activity put on by the city the weekend before Halloween.  She got the knocking on the little doors and holding out her bag thing down super quick, but refused to say "trick or treat". My parents were in heaven taking her.

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If you want to write a facebook post that gets over 10x more views than the average post, include a link to an article about American Girls.  There are apparently many women out there that once loved American Girls and lament with me that American Girls have become less about historical heroine and more about spa days.  I had (well, my mom still has) a Samantha doll - she looked nothing like me, but I loved the Victorian era.  I'm so sad that Kirsten is not longer around, or at least that sweet Santa Lucia costume for my little Lucia.

Did you love American girl dolls?  Did you have any?  Just read the books?  What drew you to them?  Which was your favorite?  Josephina came out when I was a little too old, but she is my absolute favorite.  (I will try not to project my love of Josephina on Lucia and make her get that one if she gets a doll someday.)

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I could totally write a whole post on American Girl dolls and their current decline and my own history with them, yadda, yadda, yadda.  But for an undetermined amount of time, I'm going to be taking a step back from blogging.  I'll still post semi-regularly (maybe one a week or so) and I have a few upcoming giveaways, but I'm not going to focus on it.  When the posts come, they come, you know?  The holidays are coming and I just want to focus on my family.  (I would be happy to post any guest posts, so if you have an idea, email me!)

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Do you have a charity or small/family business? Advertise for free!  I'm not taking any new paid sponsors for the time being, but I will help promote your business for the months of November and December because I just love supporting small business.  Ad space is limited, so get your ad space up now.  Oh, and if you are looking for Christmas gifts, please check out my sidebar for some small business ideas!

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23 months going on 23 years:   

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