Food & Good Thoughts for the Montaino Family

I’ve known Paige since we were in 3rd grade. I came into the school year late as I was transferring and, I really don’t remember who I met first.. If it was Maggie, Paige, Stacey, or Krysta but we all became fast friends. We moved into middle school and while Maggie moved away to Northern California (what happened to that girl!?) and we met Katie. We all had some great times together. Paige and Stacey went on to Mater Dei while the rest of us attended Canyon High. We didn’t talk as much. It’s hard when you go to separate schools. After high school I would hear details of what was going on in their lives. I’d smile and think back to our barbie playing days.

Really, I’d think back to the time we snuck Paige out from away from her parents and tried to go to a party and got caught. Brutally caught as in, Pagie was sitting on some guys lap while 5 of us were crammed in to a bench seat in a truck… Did I mention her Dad works for the police force and really really really appreciated when his daughter wore seatbelts!? Oh, those were the days!

Facebook friends now, I was so shocked and stunned when I saw Paige posting on her blog about how she was finally FINALLY pregnant with another child that they had tried for the past three years to have, while at the same time her Mom was going through another bout of cancer. A different kind of cancer, a very quick one. I can’t even imagine what the family was going through but when I stopped by her house to say in the first week of January after Karen passed, I was so happy to see Paige. Sweet Paige who is always upbeat and optimistic, even in the face of such a tragic time.

Krysta and I went to the funeral on Monday, which was so wonderfully packed with friends and family of Karen’s. It was beautiful to see. I would see Rex and Karen at the San Antonio Fiesta every year, working the funnel cake booth.  During the year I would see Rex shopping at the store I go to, along with Brady, Paige’s son, helping him and we would stop and say hi.

After the funeral, I knew that Paige was having a Dr appointment that Thursday. She was stressed and was looking forward to it.

Here is the thing with Paige being stressed. She is always so upbeat and good natured about everything. She always has a smile on her face, she’s always thinking about other people.

So on Friday to see a picture pop up in my Facebook stream congratulating Paige and Mike on Lucy Grace, only 1lb, 8oz and 11 inches long, it was shocking. She wasn’t even 27 weeks pregnant.

I stopped by the hospital on Saturday and Paige looked amazing. She had been able to see Lucy just that morning, she was smiling and just letting life happen… Because after the past few weeks, what else can you do? Her good spirits and family will see her through this.

At this point it’s Paige’s story to tell but I wanted to get some dinners organized for the family because, OH MY GOD, that is the best thing in the world to have food delivered to you. The week after Griffin was born was amazing. It’s a little odd that people just bring stuff over but you know what, people want to help. So let them help in the best way they know how, by bringing food. I didn’t want to intrude but I figured, let me stop by, get Mike’s cell phone and figure out what they were comfortable with so people could help them out while they concentrated on healing and supporting Lucy Grace at the hospital.

If any of you are friends with Paige and Mike, please pass this food schedule along to friends and family and sign up for a date. Be sure to mark it on your calendar, set a reminder on your phone, or whatever you need to do! But with a schedule, they won’t be so overwhelmed with food all at once and we can hopefully make life a little bit easier on them.

Again, here is the link:
http://www.foodtidings.com/SignUp.aspx?ScheduleGuid=9b81294b-30d4-4146-9ff2-bc773161f5fa

Thank you!