The Last Five Years

Those of you who know us well know that The Last Five Years is one of our favorite musicals. (If you want to watch the movie with Anna Kendrick, let me know. We own a digital copy.) it's the story of a couple falling in and then out of love. The twist is that it's told in chronological order by the man and reverse chronological order by the woman -- their stories meet in the middle at their wedding. While I love the story and the music, I'm so blessed that our last five years have gone way better than Jamie and Cathy's!

Our 5th anniversary was 01/01/2016. We spent it driving home from vacation and getting ready for me to work the next day. We celebrated on New Year's Eve with a visit to the Biltmore Estate with a very fussy 4 month old, which was certainly an adventure.

Over the last five years, so much has changed for us. We have grown as individuals and grown in love as a couple. We have undertaken new careers and become first time parents. We have moved 5 times (!!). We have supported and challenged each other. We have fallen short. We have learned patience and how to forgive. Adventures all around! There's no one I would rather celebrate or mourn with.

In the spirit of 5 years together, here's 5 anniversary songs. (Some of the videos are pretty lame. I apologize.)

1) Invierno by Reik
(This was our first dance at our wedding.)
"The sky falls, but so what? We have our own world. The sky will keep being blue if we are together. Nothing else matters except that with you, it will never be winter."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1xxuY23jTfc

2) In Whatever Time We Have from Children of Eden
"We know life can be a battlefield, but we won't run, and we won't yield. You'll be my fortress, and I will be your shield."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UyMjstbkDto

3) I'd Give It All For You from Songs for a New World
"When paradise calls me, I'd rather be here."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy2skMYODwc

4) Creo En Ti by Reik
"I believe in you and in this love that has made me indestructible and has stopped my free fall. I believe in you, and my pain has remained kilometers behind. My ghosts are finally in peace."
"This is my only safe place."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_n5_9zh2rKg

5) Never Stop by Safetysuit
"I will never stop trying. I will never stop watching as you leave. I will never stop losing my breath every time I see you looking back at me. I will never sop holding your hand. I will never stop opening your door. I will never stop choosing you, babe. I will never get used to you."
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iGdDC8y6Q4k (wedding version)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d2gj6pdV7zQ (original version)

Here's to many, many more.

Waiting

I'm not known to be a particularly patient person. I don't like lines or slow drivers or conversations in which people take forever to get their point across. However, I've always been a proponent of babies "cooking" as long as they need to so that they can be at their healthiest when they are born. I've never understood why women plan inductions before their due dates for non-medical reasons, and I've not been sympathetic to women who complain about the last few weeks of pregnancy and just want their baby to hurry up and arrive. 

I get it now, you guys. Waiting for a baby is hard for many reasons. 

1). You are approximately the size of the hungriest hippo. I have been very blessed in the latest part of my pregnancy to have very few of the most hideous symptoms like swollen Shrek feet and insomnia. This last month of my pregnancy has been, I believe, the easiest portion of this journey for me. All that being said, 40 weeks pregnant is not the most comfortable I've ever been! I'm also looking forward to eventually being able to sleep lying down and not having belly that seems to get in the way of almost everything. 

2). You are scared of the impending physical trail (and just want it to be over already). I know that women give birth in fields all over the world. I know that my body is created for this. I also know that it sounds really intense and painful and that, yes, I'm terrified! 

3). You are tired of inquiries from strangers about super personal things. (Keep in mind here that I have loads of interactions with people I don't know due to my job.) While they are just being cordial and interested, answering the question "When are you due?" with "Yesterday" almost inevitably prompts horror stories of women whose babies were 12 days late or inductions gone wrong. 

It is not my most favorite season of life. 

Nevertheless, I have been trying to realize the blessings inherent in this period of limbo. 

1). She continues to gain weight (eek! for labor) to aid in her first few weeks of life. 

2). Every day we wait for a baby is another day my husband and I get to enjoy each other's company without added responsibilities. 

3). Tiny humans are adorable and precious, but they are forever -- I should enjoy my last days as someone who is not a mother.

4). I am apparently really impressing people by continuing to pick up shifts at work while I wait?

5). Most importantly, I am being called to trust God's timing and plan with something huge that's completely out of my control.

So for today, 2 days past 40 weeks, I will try to focus on the blessings of waiting and trust no, I won't be pregnant forever. (I would be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind.)

Esperar

Esperar significa "to wait" or "to hope". 

Yo espero para mi mamá. 

I wait for my mom. 

Tu esperas que él tenga un buen día. 

You hope that he has a good day. 

Él espera

He waits

Nosotros esperamos

We wait 

Ellos esperan

They wait

Una en un millón

Here is another of my new favorite songs that is relatively easy to understand! Try the same formula as the previous post to maximize learning. 

http://youtu.be/ZKS2QHuDAhQ

Lyrics can be found at http://letras.com/jesse-joy/1994864/

Estar Contigo

http://youtu.be/WphAQAAK5sQ

One of my new favorite Spanish songs is pretty easy to understand and uses simple conjugations, so I thought it'd be a good starting out adult song (as opposed to Michu Michu that I posted a while ago). 

If you have some background knowledge of Spanish, I recommend listening to it a few times in an attempt to pick out words you know. Then, look at the lyrics in Spanish!

----------

Estar contigo 

es como tocar el cielo con las manos 

como el primer día en verano 

como en un cuento 

estar contigo... 

Estar contigo 

desvelando uno por uno tus secretos 

descubriendo todo lo que llevas dentro 

lo dejo todo 

por un momento 

estar contigo 

Yo siento que tu compañía 

es el mejor regalo que me de dio la vida 

la fuerza que me empuja a seguir adelante 

de todo lo que tengo 

es lo mas importante 

Estar contigo 

es como un sueño 

del que no quiero despertar 

cierro los ojos y no estas 

Vivir contigo es mi deseo 

es todo lo que quiero hacer 

y a tu lado puedo ser 

solo yo mismo (solo yo misma) 

solo yo mismo (solo yo mismo) 

Estar contigo 

es que cada día sea diferente 

siempre hay algo que consigue sorprenderme 

es como un juego que me divierte 

estar contigo 

Siento que tu compañía 

es el mejor regalo que me dio la vida 

la fuerza que me empuja a seguir adelante 

de todo lo que tengo 

es todo lo que es importante 

Estar contigo 

es como un sueño 

del que no quiero despertar 

cierro los ojos y no estas 

Vivir contigo es mi deseo 

es todo lo que quiero hacer 

y a tu lado puedo ser 

solo yo mismo (solo yo misma) 

solo yo mismo (solo yo mismo)... 

Para siempre niña para siempre estar contigo 

Estar contigo (estar contigo) 

es como un sueño (es como un sueño) 

del que no quiero despertar 

cierro los ojos y no estas 

Vivir contigo es mi deseo (es mi deseo) 

es todo lo que quiero hacer (que quiero hacer) 

y a tu lado puedo ser 

solo yo mismo (solo yo misma) 

solo yo mismo (solo yo mismo)

-----------

Do you understand more looking at the Spanish words? Try listening again with the words in front of you. 

Now, use wordreference.com (my favorite translation resource) to fill in the blanks of what you don't know. This could take a few minutes, but you'll learn more this way than by looking up already translated lyrics. (A decent but not perfect translation can be found at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/estar-contigo-ft-jorge-villamizar-amp-lena-being-you.html)

Amar

To love

Yo amo: I love

Tú amas: you love

Él/ella/usted ama: he/she/you-formal loves

Nosotros amamos: we love

Ellos/ellas/ustedes aman: they/you-formal-plural love

Yo te amo. 

I love you. 

Él ama a Anna. 

He loves Anna. 

Poder

To be able to; "can"

Yo puedo 

Tú puedes

Él/ella/usted puede

Nosotros podemos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes pueden