Molly's Big 3-0

Well, today is Molly's 30th birthday, so I'm back on the blog to publish a post about the day. The morning began with the continuation of my hunt to rid the yard and house of snakes. Today, Briggs warned me of another snake in the yard, so I went out there and killed it with a hoe. I'm somewhat relieved because it is the size of the first snake that I saw a few weeks ago. Hopefully, that means that the snakes are all gone. In any case, we've got an exterminator coming out on Thursday to double check the attic and crawlspace. Having them in the yard is one thing, but when you kill a snake crawling out of the soffiting, that's something else entirely. I think they're all gone, but I want a professional to reassure me of that fact.

The past week has simply flown by. Molly and I celebrated Alex's one week birthday with his first walk last night. Briggs came along, too. He's done very well adjusting to the new little person in the house. Besides the occasional lick, he's very good with Alex. He's even handled the idea of no longer being the only baby pretty well. (Some inappropriate personal licking and scratching, but otherwise he seems quite comfortable with the idea.)

As for Molly and I, we've just been trying to get into a routine. Alex is sleeping quite well. In fact, Molly even woke him up to eat last night because it had been six hours since he'd eaten. We've realized that the hospital's recommendations for feeding times simply don't fit every baby. As long as we don't try to force the feedings on him, he eats very well, and all of his other bodily functions are quite functional also.

Tom and Karen as well as Thomas, Amy, Gabbi, and Roman (Lil' Thomas) came over for birthday dinner tonight. We had a fabulous meal of fried chicken followed by angel food cake w/ strawberries for desert. There was a bit of a scare at one point as the porch swing broke with Tom, Roman, and Gabbi sitting on it. Thankfully, nobody was injured (besides a bit of a bruise on Gabbi's shoulder). At the end of the night, Thomas gave Molly a card that said he'd been praying for our family every morning since last July. The card included the finger rosary that he'd been using for his prayers each morning, and he told us to pass it along to someone else who needed prayers.

Of course, Molly and I were both touched by Thomas' thoughtfulness, and it is humbling to know that he is just one of many, many people that has prayed for our little miracle. Alex is the most amazing blessing we've ever received, and no amount of thanks could ever repay our parents, siblings, family, or friends for all of their prayers and support. To look into our son's eyes is to truly know the depth of God's love and blessings.

Because of those blessings, Molly and I will never be the same. Having Alex has changed our entire world for the better, and everything--from waking up in the morning to the taste of angel food cake--somehow seems a little different. I know that I speak for Molly when I say that Alex is the best birthday present either of us has ever laid eyes on.