dads grieve too – FALLING RIGHT SIDE UP

🧸𝟭𝗦𝗧 “𝗧𝗘𝗗𝗗𝗬” 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘-𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧🧸

This past weekend, we officially made our first trip back to Pittsburgh, PA since Theodore passed away in April, 2020. Along with providing a catered lunch for the Ronald McDonald House Facility, attached to UPMC Children’s Hospital, our intention was to “fill the (coffee) cups” of as many parents as possible… However, it was definitelyContinue reading “🧸𝟭𝗦𝗧 “𝗧𝗘𝗗𝗗𝗬” 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘-𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧🧸”

CHD is weird.

“You wanna know something, Mom? Everything that is weird today is Theodore magic!” -𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝟴/𝟯𝟬/𝟮𝟯 (𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆) My little 8-year-old was certainly on to something, as we were walking the beach back in August; she made a very basic point that carries a whole lot of punch. ‘𝘞𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘥’… It’s such an innocent way to put it. CHD isContinue reading “CHD is weird.”

𝟮𝟮𝟯 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 🖤

Oh, Oliver… I’ll admit, it’s one weird milestone I never fathomed ‘recognizing’… It’s a day I did not celebrate with your sister; I suppose I never had a reason to… It’s a day I took for granted; after all, she was so easy to “keep alive”. It’s a day I only began to pinpoint afterContinue reading ” 𝟮𝟮𝟯 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 🖤”

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗲 August 30, 2023 Here I am again at the water’s edge. I find myself chasing the coast line to feel closer to you. You seem bigger here; maybe because I feel so minuscule compared to the enormous crashing waves at my feet. The fierce waters roar, yet somehow their tonic pulse is calming to myContinue reading “𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 “

You Better Not Pout, You Better Not Cry… 🎅🏼

“You better not pout, you better not cry, you better not shout…” … scratch that, because actually, sometimes it’s okay! You’d be wearing your 3T Christmas Tree Sweater that matches perfectly with MacKenna and Arthur. I imagine you in a brand new phase of ‘fascination with Santa’, showing your little brother that he’s really notContinue reading “You Better Not Pout, You Better Not Cry… 🎅🏼”

Theodore’s 3rd Birthday in Heaven🎈

August 30, 2019 It was the day that you, my breathtakingly beautiful baby, redefined the meaning of my entire life. It was a day that your perfect self entered our world through so many imperfect adversities. And still, somehow, Mama finds it more difficult to manage the raw emotion surrounding the day that you enteredContinue reading “Theodore’s 3rd Birthday in Heaven🎈”

My Easel Back

That’s right, Michael Nelson, you’re an easel back. Hear me out… I’m talking about those long straight edge structures that protrude out from behind a picture frame. It may be the unpopular opinion, but the ‘easel back’ is quite frankly the most important piece. Without it, the beautiful image behind glass would simply fall flatContinue reading “My Easel Back ”

Seeing The Unseen

𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 It’s such a blessing and a curse. The hard truth is when I look at a picture of my children, I instantly see the one that is missing. It is my broken heart that sometimes has the 20/20 vision, while my regular eyesight takes a backseat. I see the unseen. I see the empty spaceContinue reading “Seeing The Unseen”

ARTHUR IS 2 MONTHS!

⫸ 𝕋𝕠𝕡 𝕋𝕖𝕟 𝕋𝕚𝕕𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤 ⫷ ————————— ➙ 11 pounds, 13 ounces ➙ 22.25 inches long ➙ gives the most adorable genuine smiles ➙ loves to have babbling conversations ➙ “Smiley Spitter-Upper” ➙ completed a 7-hour road-trip vacation ➙ sleeps 6-8 hour stretches at night ➙ favorites: blue binky & finger nibbling ➙ enjoys long warm baths with Mama ➙ prefers lullabies over white noise ⫸ 𝕄𝕒𝕞𝕒’𝕤 𝕄𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝕄𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 ⫷ ————————————————————— Contrary to timeContinue reading “ARTHUR IS 2 MONTHS!”

𝗡𝗢𝗧 “𝗧𝗪𝗢” 𝗙𝗔𝗥 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬…🎂

Oh Theodore, you would’ve been TWO today… I remember this moment… I remember being so thrilled that you were “comfortable” enough on this particular day to lay ‘chest to chest’ with mommy; feeling your chest rise and fall with each breath against mine was well worth recruiting someone to help coordinate the process of delicatelyContinue reading “𝗡𝗢𝗧 “𝗧𝗪𝗢” 𝗙𝗔𝗥 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬…🎂”