do they make maternity pants to fit your life?

because in many ways, life right now feels like my expanding stomach - as though there's sometimes just a little too much of it to fit comfortably between the seams.

from the moment we found about about Papa's death Sunday-week ago until this past Sunday afternoon, life whizzed by at warp speed and everything I'd thought was going to happen was turned on it's end. as I wrote before, though, it all went as well as anyone could have hoped, and for a crazy and emotional week there were blessings to be found all over. did I have moments of mild meltdown? yes. were they fairly fleeting? yes. was it hard that M was out of town working the entire week, and I realized how much I've come to depend on him? uh-huh. a few of my favorite things about the week:

children at viewings and funerals.

riding up and back with my aunt

really remembering our wonderful Papa as he was, not as he was the past few years

knowing my Yaya was with him 'til the end. her example of sacrificial love has marked all of us.

hearing the details of his death, and knowing there is comfort in those details.

knowing Papa's body was tired and just wanted to stop.

knowing he'd spent a really nice weekend out at mom and dad's ranch.

seeing all of my cousins and their children... all of my family, for that matter.

singing with my cousins at the funeral. though we're scattered, we've been taught well and are deeply united.

the wonderful prayers I heard.

the service I witnessed, as family seeks to care for one another.

the many hands that blessed my belly.

it all went by so fast, but nothing was missed or done halfway. the service was memorable, the flowers were beautiful, tears were shed, stories were told, the bittersweet process of moving on was begun, and the whole thing was touched by God.

then it was back to Houston, to catch up on work and prepare for the family coming in for our church baby shower this weekend. I didn't sleep so well last week and felt so tired, but everything came together (as it does) and I was SO HAPPY to have Mom, Yaya, Linda, and Mo in town, especially after such a hard week. travel like that can be rough even if you're having a good week! I was sad my Grandma couldn't make it, but she sent the sweet Raggedy Anns she made for the baby, and they were proudly displayed at the shower. the Sargent's house was decorated so thoughtfully and sweetly, and the hostesses all did SUCH a lovely job! my camera ran out of juice and I haven't extracted the ones we got (or gotten the ones off of my brother-in-law's camera), so pictures will have to come later, but we were seriously showered with such generosity that I felt a little overwhelmed in the eye of it. which is actually a very nice place to be if you're me right now - when your firm grasp on things, your need to control, is lessened and you find yourself transparently bobbing along and reflexively, gratefully, accepting the things that are happening to you, you really do have the sense that your way is being guided by the One who knows best how to steer your boat. we started unpacking baby things at the new old house yesterday, and were overwhelmed again at the beautiful, sweet, helpful things we received. I also found 2 gift cards that weren't opened at the shower! which made me a little sad, honestly... I always want people to know how much their gifts are appreciated, and wouldn't want anyone to leave thinking I overlooked them in the happy chaos of the day. I'm trusting that it's all fine, and that my bang-up thank you notes will ensure that people know how touched we are.

my sweet family left Sunday after church, and as we left SWC M and I vowed to have a day of rest. we went to Central Market to buy some groceries for the week, came home and made lunch, took deep naps, and started packing a few boxes while catching up on the DVR. I'm determined to sift through and find another home for things we no longer need, so we're parting with almost all of our VHS collection and only keeping special tapes, like ones with family reunions, holiday videos, and my old plays and commercials - if anyone is holding onto this media format, we've got some good flicks to give away!

yesterday we started working on the rest of the bathroom. we painted walls, took out the old toilet, put in a new one, and placed the vanity where it goes. oh, and M built the crib, assembled the pack-n-play, and played with the stroller/carseat! we're not done, but the end is in sight and it's SO exciting. after work today, I'm hoping to finish touching up the bathroom paint (and maybe tackle the closet in there) and touch up trim around the house. it really is all coming together, but my to-do list still seems very long. and, of course, I'm drinking copious amounts of water and really trying to stay stress-free and off my feet as much as possible.

so there it is. I'm almost reluctant to hit post and log off - this has been a nice, quiet morning of macbook and decaf after a good sleep, and I'm loathe to let the day intrude on me yet. BUT, God has sent me some nice work to do (woo-hoo!) and a house to go play in that now has cable and internet (woo-hoo!), so I should hop to it. oh, and next week I'm scheduled for a 2-day Fiesta commercial shoot. I think they're going to just shoot shoulders up, but we'll see. I'm thankful beyond measure for the work, but a little nervous about how the days will play out. pray for a good memory and enough energy to make it through!

-m.y.