I think it's officially a tradition for Emily and me to take each other out to lunch for each other's birthdays. It's good to have an excuse to get together at least twice per year. It was so great to catch up with her! 11-4-17
16 Weeks 3 Days Along
Sadly John is having to work today (Saturday) and tomorrow. He had to switch his upcoming Wednesday shift to today. As for my pregnancy- things are good! I'm not feeling the baby move as much as I used to. I don't know why. Hopefully that's not a bad sign....The baby can supposedly hear us now, from inside the womb. I want to start reading to him/her or singing, but I feel kind of funny doing it. Ha! In three days we get another ultrasound. Please, baby- show us your privates! I want to know the gender of this baby so bad!
Here's my current baby bump! Taken today!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about my Grandma Mottishaw. I talk to John about her and Grandpa frequently. Wish that I had appreciated her more and spent more time with her when she was alive. Being where I am now, in life, I truly admire so much of who she was. She was AMAZING. She was always thinking about others; rarely about herself. As kids, from the moment we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house to the moment we left, she was making sure we were never hungry; sure it seems like a little thing, but as a kid it was not. She'd have this amazingly fresh/moist bread ready for us; we could smell it the moment we walked in the back door (which was the front door to us). She was soft spoken and rarely gave her opinion. She didn't talk badly about people and she sincerely loved her kids and her grandkids so much. You could see it in her eyes, feel it in her voice. It was almost tangible. She was also an excellent artist. She was peaceful; people could tell, just by simply being around her, that her mind and soul were at peace... She had 3 tumors. The first was a breast tumor; she had to get a mastectomy (or masectomy, can't remember which), the second was an inner ear tumor. That one was right next to her brain. When they removed that it they injured a portion of her brain that caused paralysis to half of her face. The third was a very serious cancer; cancer of the pancreas. By the time they got her in for surgery they discovered the cancer had spread throughout her body. She died shortly thereafter. Grandpa did everything he could to keep her alive, but it eventually came time for her to return to God. From then on, Grandpa put on a smile, but it was completely obvious that he missed her deeply. They had a beautiful relationship and marriage. "Beautiful" is such a weak word used to explain it!... They were both incredible examples of what I sincerely want to become as a person and as a marital partner.... Grandma was sweet, loving, and kind to everyone. She refused to say she hated anyone. On occasion she would use the word "dislike," but even that was rare. Grandma didn't brag, it just wasn't in her nature. When we played the games UNO and "Sorry" with her, she insisted we take out all of the "mean" cards, which actually made it more difficult to play. Ha!... Boy was she patient and tolerant! In her elderly years she had some bad arthritis in one of her hands. So bad that her doctor recommended surgery. The bad news was that when the surgery was over and she awakened from the anesthesia, she and Grandpa realized the surgeon had performed the surgery on the wrong hand! I'm telling you, I would have been so upset, but not her. As far as I knew, she forgave them right away and then waited patiently for the next surgery on the correct hand. Mom says that Grandma didn't complain and I never saw her complain. Even through all of her cancers and surgeries, she didn't express pain in the traditional way. The doctors taught Grandpa how to ascertain her pain level by studying her facial expressions; grimaces mostly. She refused to be what one would call a "burden" on anyone. One of the most amazing things (and now that I'm pregnant, I find it really amazing) is I never heard her complain about her two babies who died at birth. She spoke of them fondly, but didn't seem to have been holding a grudge. Grandpa wasn't even able to be there at the time; he was serving abroad, in the army. When he was released he had to hitch hike home to her... I could really benefit from being in the presence of her strength and positivity right now. I get so worried about the safety and health of this baby. I love thinking about how Grandma LOVED babies. She loved all of her grandbabies and great grandbabies to death! I can't help but wonder if she is spending time with our little one right now, preparing him or her for their time on this earth. I hope she and Grandpa are doing just that! I wish John had the opportunity to meet them before they died, but sadly John and I hadn't met yet when they passed. I was telling John the other day how humble she was. She had so many beautiful characteristics, but wasn't showy about it and she didn't judge others. She was sincerely, all love. She was an excellent pianist. I heard she was a great singer, although I never heard her sing solo. She worked in their nearest LDS temple; she was a tutor at the elementary school. She was always looking for someone to help. I hope that she will be with me, John and the baby, in spirit, when I deliver... I've decided I want to be more like Grandma. I want to teach my kids the things she has taught me in the way she taught me. She did it by example. There was never any kind of lecturing; she wasn't preachy. She never used shame. She was strong, yet sensitive to other's feelings. She was phenomenal. She was the best.
Loine Mottishaw
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