Day Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-Five

The Baseball Babies

The Marlins are welcoming two new babies to the team this year!!

And so, we threw the two mommies a "Rub A Dub Dub" Rubber Ducky party to celebrate!

One of my best girlfriends, Kelli, is expecting her baby boy Noah in July! 

And another sweet girl is expecting her first baby Martina in May!

It was so much fun planning this party for our two ladies. This mama got put in charge of decorations, and if you couldn't tell, I had TONS of fun! Late nights had me crafting lots of colorful banners, as well as designing and making several personalized onesies for the new babes! (SO grateful to my Auntie Kim who gave me the machine that's made it capable for me to craft such sweet things!)

Between all the baseball mamas, we had something like 20 kiddies running (sitting, crawling, and walking) around the celebration. The "big kids" got to play outside, but when the rain came, they all sprinted for the door!

Everyone but Amelia, who decided the rain was totally awesome!

I'm not sure it's possible to get any cuter than that!

We love you girls SO much and are so grateful for your friendships! Celebrating the two of you yesterday was a joy and a delight and we can't wait to lift you up in motherhood! It's the best feeling EVER bringing new life into this world and it's my prayer that the both of you flourish in your new roles as mommies. Please know that you have a family of girls surrounding you who'd go to great lengths to make you feel comfortable and loved. There's not a thing we wouldn't do for you or a diaper we wouldn't change ;) You have all our support and all our encouragement. 

We just love you two!!!

Congratulations on your two baby blessings!

Unfortunately, Amelia and I left the party early. Dad was scheduled to pitch yesterday and we wanted to be there in time to root him on! "Three up, three down, Daddy," we hollered!

(Totally loving making Amelia's shirts!)

She clapped for Dada!

And she walked up and down the stairs for Dada! 

And she totally stole everyone's heart as she trekked the long climb several times, without falling!  Well, most people's hearts, that is. Mom confession: maybe I'm crazy for letting her explore the stadium without pads on her knees and a helmet on her head. But the girl's going to grow up in a baseball stadium whether she likes it or not (she LOVES it), so I have basically no qualms about her getting dirty and taking tumbles. It did become very apparent to me, however, that maybe some moms don't feel the same way as I do, as I overheard one fan saying "Oh my gosh, SEE, that's why she shouldn't play on the stairs," when Amelia dove headfirst...right into my arms from a step. But even though I could hear the woman's disdain, Amelia was just so content climbing her mountains that while I briefly re-considered the safety of her exploration, I decided that I'd just let her continue on. Look, I'm a total pushover when it comes to Amelia, so if she wants to explore, she gets to explore. And although I extend her "leash" a reasonable amount, you'd better believe I'm very aware of my baby's safety and care more about it than anyone else ever could. So, climb on, Baby Girl! I've got your back! And your front! One more confession and I'm done: PLEASE realize that baseball is a family sport. I can't even believe I'm typing this, but it happened and I'm still in shock over it. If a baby is crying in the stands, just be nice. The tears will end and I promise you that the mommy is more aware of your possible annoyance than you could ever realize. I left Amelia with my girlfriend for literally 3 minutes while I ran to the restroom. When I got back, Amelia was crying. And I'll remind you that Amelia has a very soft, muted cry. Apparently when I was gone, another fan sitting behind us told her friend, "You'd think they could afford to hire a sitter!" Not kidding. 

I'll say this: Adam and I consider ourselves blessed far beyond anything we deserve. We are grateful for everything that's happened to get us to where we are today and praise God daily for his mighty provision. But with this lifestyle comes a lot of choices that aren't necessarily typical of the majority of families. Adam and I believe wholeheartedly in journeying this season - and all seasons - of our life together. Where he goes, we go. We want our kids growing up with their daddy around, and that means lots of travel, lots of games, lots of makeshift sleeping arrangements, and lots of flexibility. It'll mean that our babies will cry in the stands. They'll fall down in the stands. They'll stay up until 11 PM. They'll eat peanut shells and lick the railings. They'll meet an impossible amount of strangers and fly on countless airplanes. They'll get bored and pout. They'll scream for Daddy at the top of their lungs. And they'll get to witness their parents together, building their marriage and family one city, one state, one baseball park, hotel room, rental car, and apartment building at a time. I pray that when they grow up, they'll have learned the value of an interactive, present, Godly father. One who's there to watch all their firsts. One who's there to kiss their boo boos and wipe their tears. One who's there to quiz them on their homework and feed them treats behind Mom's back. I pray they grow up and know that Daddy was always there. For them. But mostly for Mom. Because it's a strong, lasting, durable, servant-hearted, God-fearing marriage that is the greatest gift we could offer our children. And we can't give them that if we're always apart or if they're always "with a sitter." 

I didn't mention anything to the woman who made that comment about my baby girl. I so badly wanted to say so many things to her, but she probably wouldn't hear it well because she doesn't know my heart. And so, I squeezed Amelia extra tight and cried about it to Adam when he got home. We're all trying our best, and sometimes, even professional baseball player's babies cry. It's true. And just because their daddies can likely afford a babysitter, that doesn't mean they want one. So, if you plan on going to a noisy, commotion-filled, family-packed baseball game any time soon, please accept the fact that there might be a small child crying somewhere. And if it bothers you badly enough, maybe stop the vendor and ask for a beer.

______________

In more uplifting news, Adam pitched well again yesterday! Although he didn't completely listen to Amelia's new shirt, he threw five innings of one run baseball! He's getting stronger and more confident as the days go by and we're looking forward to his performance this season. We're still not certain where he'll be headed to begin the year (a long blog entry for another day), but he's had a tremendous spring and has hopefully given them an idea of what he could offer the team in Miami. Camp ends on the 30th, so we'll at least know by then! 

His line:

5IP, 2H, 1R, 2BB, 4K, 1HR

He's scheduled to pitch once more on Tuesday.