Life from A to Z

A New Adventure: Southern girl in a Northern World

2019-04-27T00:34:00.001-04:00

Back in September of '18, we packed up our 5 br, 4.5 bh house and stuck a For Sale sign in the front yard.
We stuffed two adults, two kids, 1 cat and a bunch of things in the Nissan Rogue, waved goodbye to Alabama and headed north.
15 hours and 29 minutes
987 miles
9 states
Into an 2 br, 2 bh apartment in Queens, NY.
We traded this view...

For this view...

Why you ask? One word: God.

For the last couple of years we had felt God was readying us for something. The small group we had considered "family" and our church went through major changes. So many changes that we found ourselves suddenly feeling drawn to look elsewhere for where we were supposed to be in a faith family. This was not easy since it was the church where E had been since a teenager, the church where we were married and had gone our entire marriage.

No where fit. Where God? Where are we supposed to be?

This is when I started to change as well. I no longer wanted the big house, with the big mortgage, and all the "stuff" with which you fill it. I wanted less. I wanted more quality, less quantity. I felt drawn to a more minimalist and simple life without the thousands of distractions. E and I both wanted to be debt free and be able to use our money to travel.

I know what you are thinking. NYC is not minimalist or simple! You are absolutely right. It is the antithesis of minimalist and simple. In my mind, NYC is a means to an end. You see, we were able to sell that big house, with the big mortgage, and get rid of a lot of the "stuff" with which you fill it. E is able to make twice to three times in NYC than what he did in AL. We are one step away from being debt free.

This is wonderful and I feel like it is a step in the right direction but I daily have to remind myself this

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21

"Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil." James 4:13-16

There is another purpose we are here, one that I do not understand or know yet but that He has ordained. We have seen God's hands through out this entire move so we feel confident that it is His doing and His will that we are now here. But why? We do not know.

So for now I will enjoy the adventure of being a Southern girl in a Northern world and see what He has planned.

The Heart of Motherhood

2014-01-08T23:02:00.001-05:00

When you think of becoming a mother you have these images of cooing over a perfect baby swaddled in soft blankets, holding little fingers as first wavering steps are taken, squealing in delight when the first "Mama" is heard, videoing the best Indian ever at the Kindergarten Thanksgiving show, sneaking teeth out from under the pillow without waking the recipient of the quarter, cheering and shivering in the cold for early soccer games, cringing and wincing as the car jerks forward in the first driving lesson, beaming a smile as the diploma is taken, crying a tear as the wedding march plays, and hovering in the waiting room to hear the announcement of the first grandchild.

You imagine the warm and fuzzy, the heart swelling and happy times.

Then you become a mother.

You didn't imagine the overwhelming fear you have when the reality that this small being is completely your responsibility not just to feed and protect but also to teach how to be a decent human being. The times when you are so tired you wish you could crawl in bed and wake up next week but your feet move because they depend on you. The hopelessness you experience when your child is ill and there is nothing you can do to help. The aching desire in your bones to be able to just hug your child and take the pain from them. The pride you feel when they accomplish something and the frustration you feel with them when they don't.
The constant battle to not look at other children and compare whether in favor or disfavor. The struggle to allow them some freedom to become a person while making sure not to let them run wild. The hair pulling moments when they show you just how much of your stubbornness they inherited. The heart stopping moments when they do something dangerous. The heartbreaking moments when they experience rejection, bullying, or dislike from others.
The nights you stare at the ceiling wondering if you are doing it right. Praying over their sleeping forms that God will protect this precious gift that inspires a love you never knew existed before they were born.

And for that you would not change it for the world.
That scary, automatic, overpowering love that you have for your child.
The root of an emotional spectrum.

The Heart of Motherhood.

New Year!

2014-01-04T23:28:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year from Bunny!

I cannot believe another year has passed. It is true they go a lot faster the older you get. I am going to try to blog more this year. Bunny is in a super fun age and I want to make sure I write these memories down lest I forget them.

I love doing photo shoots with Bunny but they are getting increasingly more difficult due to her mobility. We did a mini New Year photo shoot and I got a few great pictures out of four hundred. Well I might exaggerate slightly on the four hundred but it was close. Getting the hat on her head and the camera up to snap the photo before the hat was thrown to the floor was a feat in itself!

Then I moved her outside to get a better background and pictures had to be taken while going up and down the stairs.

So I did get this cute one that I personally love and then this other one that looks like she has had one too many juice boxes!

Whoopsedaisy!

Needless to say the tights did not make it through this concrete stair climbing photo shoot and we ended up with a scraped knee.

No one said modeling was easy!

Give Me Generation

2013-03-14T13:24:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I feel an eentsy teensy bit sorry for Bunny. E and I are so different in our thinking patterns from most parents that I fear we will have many "That's not fair!" and "Soinso's momma lets them do it!" in our future. To which I will answer "Life is not fair and I am not Soinso's momma, I am your momma."

Future example of how Bunny will be different:

I have had many friends in the last few months whose children have lost their first tooth. The common question on FB is "What is the going rate for a tooth?"
Ok first, why are you even asking that question? You are the parent of Your child. Decide for yourself!

Despite that, do you know what the common answer is?

FIVE DOLLARS!!!!

WHAT?!?

Type that again because I had to go get my reading glasses because I know I read that wrong.

Nope, you read FIVE DOLLARS!

That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard in my life. Five dollars from the tooth fairy?!?

I got a quarter!
25 cents.
1/4 of a dollar.
And I am lucky The Mom did not take a tooth fairy fee, tax or interest out of that quarter!

Bunny might, and this is still a huge might, get a dollar for the first tooth, but I do not know about the others. Given this economy and the current ~~leader~~ figurehead of our country, she might get an IOU from the tooth fairy!

This is just one of the many things I think is wrong with this generation that my generation is raising. They give them too many things! They want, want, want and expect, expect, expect. My generation is raising a bunch of socialist! They have to have something because all their friends have something.

What a load of horse dung!

You will always have someone in your life who has something you want but don't have! Either get over it or get to work and earn it!

Besides "things" do not give you value or contentment!

Needless to say, Bunny will probably think we are horrible parents for a while, but hopefully one day she will appreciate what she has because she worked for it/earned it.

Kodak Moments

2013-03-12T01:23:00.001-04:00

Today we parents have so many ways of documenting our little one's life that it can get ridiculous.
They breathe and we take a picture. Now I am not fussing about this, because I am one of the top offenders, just merely stating a fact.
We capture Kodak moment after Kodak moment but it does not change the fact that moment is gone and time will not stand still.
The other night, Bunny had fallen asleep in my arms and I carried her into our bedroom to lay on the bed with her. She, of course, woke but lay there so sweetly touching my face and just cooing and "talking" to me.
It was surreal.
It was beautiful.
A camera would have ruined the moment. I do hope my mind's eye camera captured it forever because it is something I do not want to forget.
We will never have that exact moment again.
6 months.
Our Bunny is 6 months old already.
Where has 6 months gone?
It is a bittersweet thing this parenthood. Seeing each new day and milestone is wonderful yet heartbreaking because your child is growing up faster than you would like.
I fully understand now why The Mom says "You will always be my baby." because now Bunny will always be mine!

Heart on Your Sleeve

2012-08-31T13:00:00.000-04:00

I have heard the saying "When you are a parent, you wear your heart on your sleeve."

That saying hit home the night Bunny was born. She had an infection, breathing trouble, and low body temperature so she was rushed to the NICU. Yet again, this was a particular plan I had NOT wanted to happen! I had wanted to avoid the NICU but alas there we were, 11:00 p.m. on Bunny's birth day, being escorted to the NICU.

The first night, I was so tired from lack of sleep, drug hangover, and giving birth that it did not really sink in what exactly was happening. The next day was a different story. I have never felt so helpless in my life than when I had to stand there, looking at my wired and tubed child crying and I could not hold her or soothe her.

Three months later, as I am writing this I still get this sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach at that memory.

Ten days.

That is how long they kept her in the NICU. Only two of them were we allowed to really hold her because she eventually had to have a PICC line put into her head.

It was the most freeing feeling when we were allowed to pack her up in her carseat and take her home! We were one of the lucky ones though, there were babies that had been there for a long time and still had a while to go before they could go home. I definitely pray differently now for mother's with sick children. That is an emotional place I hope to never have to visit again.

The Moment Our Life Changed

2012-08-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

"Lets have a baby."

Those were the words my doctor said to me at my 37 week appointment. They did not let me leave the hospital because my blood pressure was high. I went straight down to labor and delivery to be admitted. I had to call The Mom and have her go to my house to pack my bag. Luckily I had made my list! I walked her through the house to get each item.

I was admitted and they said they would start the pitocin at midnight. I did not write a specific birth plan down but I have to say that this was the one way I had hoped NOT to do. I really did not want to be induced because it takes so long but alas 12 a.m. on Thursday, August 30, 2012 I was induced.

Sleep was impossible. My mind was going in every direction. Amazingly I was not nervous at all just antsy about the long wait and getting too tired. At 5 a.m., they arrived to break my water. I have to say that was the strangest part of the whole process. It is just weird, gross, icky, and eww!

There is not much to tell of the next few hours except that I amazingly only had to feel 45 minutes of contractions thanks to modern medicine! I dilated fairly quickly, but I did take a dose of Nubain before my epidural.

I have never done recreational drugs but I think that the Nubain was the closest experience I have ever had to them! It was psychedelic!

The epidural was nothing! I did not feel a thing, though I was shuddering constantly as a side effect of the Nubain. The funniest part was my left leg swelled up so big but my right leg stayed normal so I had this cartoon look to my body. The Mom would pat my left leg and it was the oddest thing because I knew I should be able to feel it, and my brain could see it, but there was no feeling in that leg!

Then finally around 1:30ish, it came time for action. She was "sunny side up" as they call it, so I did a lot of useless pushing before they were able to turn her. I did not think she was ever going to come out of me! I kept praying "God just get her out, please!" Even with the epidural dulling the pain, I do not think I have done anything that strenuous before in my entire life!

I was not the calm, sweet, moaning woman we saw on the videos in the birthing class. Now proudly I can say I did not curse, yell, or scream angrily.

However, I did throw up, cry, cough, shudder, fuss at the stupid blood pressure cuff, grunt, and gasp for air a lot!

But at 3:18 p.m. on Thursday August 30, 2012, our life changed.

A head full of dark hair, 20 inches long and weighing 6lbs 5oz, "Bunny" (as we will now call her on this blog) was born!

One of the funniest things was when they tried to place her on my chest, her umbilical cord was too short so they had to wait until E cut it before she could really be placed on my chest.

It was love at first goo covered sight!

Pittsburgh, PA

2012-07-16T01:24:00.000-04:00

So Sexy Husband went to college and lived in Pittsburgh, PA for six years. We have been wanting to visit since we got married but not have had the time to go yet. It is quite the trip from B-ham to Pitt, so when we realized we would be practically half way when we went to VA for the wedding we decided to extend our trip to encompass Pittsburgh.
When you are going to Pittsburgh you are surrounded by rolling hills and countryside and then you go through this tunnel and "viola!" there is a city and three rivers that comes out of nowhere. The first picture is my very first view of the city.
One of the cool things about Pitt, are the inclines. They were designed back in the day to carry the steel workers up and down the hill. Pitt actually has two inclines but we decided to ride the Duquesne Incline. I was a bit nervous on the way up but the view made it worth the ride!
The view was great of Point State Park which is the place where all three rivers meet and the city comes to a point. Unfortunately I was unable to see the famous fountain that resides in the park because they were remodeling it. But our hotel was directly across the street from the park so we had great views from our window! I was actually excited we got such a great room with an even greater view. We scored a deal on Priceline and figured we would end up in the basement or such, ha!
We had a fantastic view both day and night, it was awesome!

One of the place we visited was the Phipps Conservatory in Schenley Park. It is like a botanical gardens that is mostly indoors. I love any kind of botanical gardens and it was amazing! I had to take it slow because I was extra tired that day but it was the type of place you almost have to take slowly to be able to see it all. My favorite part is what they call the Stove Room, which is a butterfly area! I love live butterflies. I am not really a fan of fake butterflies, drawings of butterflies, or butterfly jewelry but live ones I love! I made poor Sexy Husband stay in the hottest room in the conservatory so I could get some good shots of the butterflies. They do not stay still long so you have to work fast! I did get quite a few shots but this one that I am putting on here is my absolute favorite!

We also went to visit Carnegie Mellon University which is where Sexy Husband went to college and where he got his degree. It is a beautiful campus, especially in the summer, and I had a good time walking around, letting him reminiscence and who me everything. We got to go to the bookstore and managed to find Miss Priss a Carnegie Mellon onesie!
I cannot wait to get a picture of her and her Daddy in their matching Carnegie Mellon outfits :)

Near CMU is an apartment building where Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers, lived and not far from the area is the studio where he recorded Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. We drove by the studio where Fredosaurus Rex stands outside with two puppets from the show. Sexy Husband likes to joke that during college he actually lived in Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.

As I have mentioned on here before ever since our honeymoon, we have ended up going to Hard Rock Cafe if there is one in the city where we are visiting. There is one in Pittsburgh so we had to go and eat there one night. We got shirts as we usually do but I won't be able to wear mine for a while because they do not sell maternity shirts, ha!

On Thursday, we headed out with two of Sexy Husband's friends and went to Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water. It was a very interesting piece of architecture that was definitely nifty for the time period in which it was built. The best part though was Andrew, our guide. I think by the end of the tour, he was very glad to get rid of us. He obviously thought that Frank Lloyd Wright was god-like and so when I mentioned he was arrogant and pompous, Andrew puffed up and quickly "corrected" me by saying FLW was an artist! I had to laugh and tell Andrew that usually those two things went hand in hand. On one floor which was supposedly Kaufman Jr.'s area, there were windows that looked down into the guest bathroom. Now sure you had to get on your knees to look down through the window but it was still there. Andrew puffed up yet again when I mentioned that perhaps Kaufman Jr. was a playa. No! Kaufman Jr. was a studious man who kept to himself, he was not a playa! Andrew knew this for sure! I did not point out to Andrew that if Kaufman wasn't a playa then FLW was definitely a perv since he designed the house. Ha!

Last but not least we spent our last day hanging out with Sexy Husband's friends. They grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, we sat in the shade and enjoyed the weather with each other's company!

It was an absolutely fantastic trip and I am so glad we got to take it! Until Next Time....

New River Gorge, WV

2012-07-15T01:30:00.000-04:00

On our way to Pittsburgh, we stopped at the New River Gorge in West Virginia. The New River Gorge Bridge is located there and was for many years the world's longest steel single-span arch bridge. It has a place where you can stop and view it.
It rained on us most of the way there so we were pleasantly surprised when it stopped raining long enough for us to see the bridge and snap a picture with it behind us.

Since we had plenty of time to make it to Pitt, we decided to take our time and explore the New River Gorge. We headed to the south end of the gorge where the Sandstone Falls are located. We had to go down this very narrow river front road that had about a third of it torn to pieces for construction. The Mini did so well but I know that car was calling us names by the time we got back to civilization, ha!

The area was beautiful though and let's just say that being six months pregnant did not slow this girl down when exploring the area! I love water, especially in the form of the waterfalls. This area was very natural and woodsy. There were rocks to climbs, paths that used to be a creek bed that have huge, smooth rocks that just make a gorgeous scene.

One of the coolest things that happened was this little guy who was out for his lunch and had no fear whatsoever with me getting close enough to take his picture. Actually instead of fear I swear he looked mildly annoyed that I was interrupting his lunch!

It was definitely worth the time we took to scout out this area and I am glad we got to stop there on our way to Pitt!

Until Next Time...

A Wedding in VA

2012-07-13T02:20:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, on June 8th we left for 10 days of vacation. The first stop of the trip was The Dad's hometown, Galax, VA, for my younger cousin's wedding.

I have to say the weather was absolutely perfect the whole time we were there and the wedding was great. She got married on the river which was a gorgeous location, though the Mini Cooper did seem to question the dirt road :)

We got there Friday so we were able to go to the rehearsal dinner and the kids played in the river. The Dad has a brother that is 17 years younger than he is, so I actually have cousins who are around the same age as the Nephews and Niece. It was such an awesome sight to see the Nephews and Niece playing outdoors and just being kids. No electronics, just good old dirt, water, and imaginations!

They had some cute things at the wedding, one of them being a "Smore Love" station that had the ingredients for smores to be made when the bonfire was lit after the wedding. Sexy Husband and I got a picture near it before it was lit!

I have not taken too many pictures during this pregnancy so I definitely wanted one from the wedding to remember both events.

I had to capture this picture of The Parents because it shows them pretty true to form. The Mom will probably fuss that I posted it because of The Dad but it is a classic picture: The Dad misbehaving and The Mom scolding! Ha!

The actual wedding day was a beautiful, clear day and the heat was not at all bad, of course, we were in the mountains! The Niece looked super cute in her dress and korker ribbon bows. I caught this picture of her cutting her eyes at her Uncle Sexy Husband before the ceremony started.

It was The Dad's youngest sister who was the Mother of the Bride. I do not really look like either of The Parents but actually look more like this aunt. She looked absolutely gorgeous on the wedding day and I just hope that I look half as good when Baby Girl gets married!

The bride herself was beautiful and it was a simple but lovely ceremony. The oldest nephew (who is Catholic) joked how he was glad it was a Baptist ceremony and not a Catholic ceremony because it would be short. Ha! That kid cracks me up sometimes.

One of the young boys in the wedding came up the aisle with a "Last Chance to Run" sign and the groom's running shoes which was too cute.

Though the best part of the ceremony was the baby skunks. Yes I said skunks! Due to some ground leveling that had happened to the area near the ceremony a mama skunk had been accidentally killed and the babies were left on their own to wander the area. Luckily none of them sprayed during the ceremony but we could see them waddling around in the distance. It was kinda funny!

The reception was fun and my family definitely knows how to have a good time! They all danced and laughed. As with most weddings, I think we had more fun than the bride and groom because we got to party while they had to make the rounds and greet/thank everyone! We did not get to really see them much but it was still a great visit with everybody else :)

And this last photo is of me and my grandmother being photo bombed by none other than Sexy Husband!

Next I will tell about the awesome surprise, impromptu baby shower they threw me!

Until next time...

Hardwood and Hard Working Parents/Friends

2012-07-12T01:29:00.000-04:00

So we had to do a few things to the house to make it "livable" mainly for my allergies.

One big demolition part was the wall between the dining room and kitchen. It really needed to come down to make the space more open and that is one of the first things we did! The Dad is great at this type of thing and so we did not have to hire a contractor we did not know. I put a picture of the before, middle and after of The Dad's awesome wall removal. He has done a kazillion other things in the new house but this was one of the first major projects!

Upon removing the carpet, we were excited to find that half of the house (the hall and bedrooms) had existing hardwood floors. Unfortunately we think that the electric stapler had just been invented when they put the carpets in back in the 60's because there was 400,000 staples that we had to pull out of the hardwood. By we, I mainly mean, The Mom!

She sat on her bottom for days pulling staples from the floor. I will never be able to express my thanks enough for just that but then she went on to hand stain and polyurethane the floors after The Dad sanded them!
This picture of the nursery shows what a fantastic job she did! She and The Dad saved us a lot of money by re-finishing our floors while we were on vacation. (It had to be done while I was gone because of fumes)

The rest of the house (living room, kitchen/dining room, and den) needed flooring. We decided to go with bamboo because it is very durable, even more durable than most hardwoods, and it is a greener choice because bamboo replenishes much faster than trees. We were able to get a great deal at Lumber Liquidators and saved more money by installing it ourselves! (plus a few friends!) I have put together two before and after pictures of the living room and den. Also there is a collage of the work put into the floors and yes this pregnant woman definitely handled the power tools! Baby Girl will be very familiar with the sound of power tools by the time she arrives!

I did not get a picture of The Dad helping with the floors but he actually did quite a bit, including the last few rows in each room that had to be hand drilled because the air-nailer would not fit!

But now thanks to many friends and my fantastic family we have beautiful restored hardwoods and new bamboo floors in the house!

Until next time...

Buying a House

2012-07-11T01:00:00.000-04:00

So I don't think I have mentioned it on here yet, but last October (2011) we decided to put our house on the market and see if we could sell it. The main reasons being we wanted something with a bit more room to "grow" into when we started a family.

I will not rant about our realtor though we will never go with her again. She is a nice lady just not a great realtor.

In May, our current house was still for sale and the MIL said she wanted us to look at a house that a friend owned who was going to be moving to assisted living. I looked at it first and despite the very 60's carpet and decor I could tell it had a lot of potential.

We got Sexy Husband over to see it as well and decided to make an offer on the house. Long story short, we got the house!

Immediately upon signing the papers, we ripped up all the carpet (even the carpet in the bathroom, yuck!)
I must say that the carpets were in amazing condition despite their 40 year old age. I am putting one picture to give an idea of what the carpet looked like in one room. I do not have the time to put all the pictures, ha!
So we closed at the end of May and were leaving on 10 days of vacation on June 8th, so we had to hustle to get some things done before we left. Due to Mr. Kitty, we decided not to officially move into the house until we got back from vacation but that did not stop us from moving as much as we could before the 8th.
The new house has a full basement and garage so we could store stuff down there even while the new floors were being placed.

We even got the Nephews to help out with some of the things needing to be done one day! They even came back after vacation and helped us move the rest of the way into the new house.
I told the oldest that it was great he used one of his summer vacation days to help us to which he replied "Well I didn't really have a choice"
LOL spoken with honesty! I am still proud of both of them for helping :)

I will tell you about the floors and the fantastic work of The Parents in the next post.

Until next time...

Time to catch up...here we go!

2012-07-10T23:28:00.001-04:00

So the next few posts will hopefully catch up what has been happening in the last two months since I posted :) Stay tuned for recaps of the end of May, June and beginning of July!

Callaway Gardens

2012-05-17T00:30:00.000-04:00

Sexy Husband and I took a small trip to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA this last weekend for our anniversary. It was beautiful weather when we went down on Friday which makes it even more fun to ride in the Mini Cooper Convertible. I know come September I will not get to ride in the Mini as much as I do now so I am trying to enjoy it while I can!
The gardens were having a package deal in May so we were able to stay on the grounds. By the time we got there Friday, most of the places in the park were closed but we went ahead and drove around so we would have an idea of what to expect the next day. We were able to enjoy the scenery and catch a beautiful sunset at their biggest lake.

Now everything closes pretty early in Pine Mountain, so we were very limited on where we could eat dinner that evening. We chose a place called "Cricket's Restaurant" which had a bit of an identity crisis. The outside had a mountain(ish) feel and reminded me of a Gatlinburg style place. The inside also had a mountain lodge type of feel except for the Dollar Tree type Mardi Gras decor that was hung about everywhere. The menu had 1/3 Cajun style food, 1/3 seafood, and 1/3 American style food. It was definitely odd. We also were one of three sets of people there the entire time we were there! You could tell it was still their "off season". They closed at nine so we were back to our hotel by nine fifteen eastern which is eight fifteen our time. It was very strange to be in for the night that early on vacation!

The next morning we woke to realize it had rained the night before and everything was very wet. It was overcast and the forecast had changed to possible rain all day. I sent a quick prayer up that it would hold out at least until that evening and we set out for the gardens.
One of the first places we stopped was this beautiful chapel that was built nestled down amongst the trees next to an alcove of the biggest lake. It had absolutely, gorgeous stain glassed windows! I love stained glass windows so I think this was one of the prettiest sights I saw on the trip.

Unfortunately due to the strange weather we have had in the south everything bloomed early this year so we didn't really get to see many of the flowers and such because they were already bloomed out. They have an entire area dedicated to azaleas that I would have loved to have seen in bloom but it was still pretty because everything was green.

We headed next to the horticulture center, mainly because I had to go to the bathroom, but ended up looking around there as well because we had about 30 minutes until one of our scheduled events was to take place.

One of our funny traditions is for me to take a picture of my reflection in his sunglasses and I have actually forgotten to do this a time or two before so I made sure to get one this time!

Part of our package deal was passes to their Treetop Adventure which is basically a obstacle course/ zipline adventure 30 to 40ft up in the trees. I was really excited about it when we booked the reservations because I have not really done anything like it. Well, of course, when we got there it said "Pregnant Women Prohibited" but we had already paid for the tickets in advance and neither their website nor the tickets had said anything about no pregnant women so I told Sexy Husband that for the hour or so "I was just fat!" Ha!

We got outfitted in harnesses, helmets and gloves. They gave us a quick instructions class and then we were off on the "self led" adventure. By the second obstacle I was asking myself and Sexy Husband why I had thought I wanted to do this! I am not really afraid of heights but I am afraid of unsecured heights. So basically if I do not feel safe enough I get afraid. Even though we were harnessed and hooked to wires, I did not really feel safe because I had to keep looking down to place my feet in the right place. Then came the zipline. The gloves were used on the zipline to slow yourself down so you would not smack into the next platform. Well the gloves they gave you were standard work gloves. Not so great for a woman who has to buy children's gloves! They were almost ripped off my hand when I was trying to slow down. When I did finally manage to slow myself down it was too early, so then I had to pull myself the rest of the way to the platform. Needless to say my pecs are sore! LOL

There were very few places where you could "abandon ship" and get back to the ground so when the halfway point offered such an opportunity I took it! By that point I was quite upset/nervous so I knew it would be better for me and baby girl if I got down and just watched Sexy Husband do the rest. I might try something like that again one day when I am not pregnant and I have my own gloves!
Sexy Husband did finish the whole thing, the second half being even harder than the first. He was definitely sore that night and the next day as well!

After he finished, we stopped at the cafe and had a snack. I was able to grab a picture of this beautiful cardinal!
We went out in a canoe after that so that we both could sit, relax and enjoy the peaceful water. Rain was threatening at that point so after we got back from being in the canoe, we called it a day and just in time! They had a country store that had a southern style restaurant inside so we ate dinner there. I enjoyed a yummy pot roast.

We got back to the room around seven(ish) eastern time and I took a shower. We watched some television as there was not much else to do until I decided I needed something sweet. It was eight o'clock and every place was pretty much closed. We decided to try the gas station down the road and I prayed that had poptarts because I was craving poptarts for some reason!

They did have poptarts! So we got a pint of bluebell ice cream to share and poptarts for me. Ha!

On Sunday, we saw their "Birds of Prey" show and went to their "Butterfly Display". I was a tiny bit disappointed at the butterfly building because I was really hoping to see one of those beautiful blue butterflies but alas they did not have any. I did get a picture of this pretty fellow though!

Since it was rainy and we had seen everything, we decided to head back towards home and get lunch on the way. When we finally found a place that had restaurants we could not figure out why so many people were out to eat, it was past what we thought would be the church crowd. Then it dawned on us that it was Mother's Day! Doh!

Luckily we did not have to wait long since there was only two of us. After lunch we headed home. It was a great trip, and though I think two days is all you really need to see Callaway Gardens, it was pretty and fun!

Until Next Time....

Has it already been and has it only been 4 years?

2012-05-10T19:48:00.000-04:00

Today, May 10, 2012, Sexy Husband and I have been married 4 years. It has been great! I can truly say that without going "well there was that time" because it really has been great.

From Day 0, our wedding day, we have been able to coexist pretty easily. No huge fights, no major blowups, maybe a few "I am frustrated and miffed at you right now!" moments but I will take those over yelling and true anger. I know that our marriage is God divined because I would not have picked out such a perfect man for me!

I know they say opposites attract and when it comes to personalities we are definitely opposites but one of the things that I think helps us is that we have a lot in common as well. Having things in common, especially outlooks on life, is huge in a relationship, in my humble opinion. We were raised in very similar ways and so we tend to have the same views, or very close to the same, on the major issues: religion, finances, family, politics, etc. I like to think this has saved us from many a fight. Also while we were dating, we had discussions on these issues to see where each of us stood and how it would affect the other person.

So we have had four years of happiness and "wedded bliss" if you want to call it that. It will get interesting later this year when Baby Girl H makes her arrival and we learn together to be parents. I know we will do just fine and that as long as we keep Christ in our relationship we will persevere, but it will be interesting to see what new challenges arise for us as a couple when you throw a baby into the mix!

For the next four months though we are going to enjoy just being us, the couple!

My absolute favorite picture of Sexy Husband while we were dating! I hope Baby Girl H gets his eyes!

The Baby Journey with PCOS - Gender Reveal

2012-05-03T01:29:00.000-04:00

I started my Sunday by going to Wal-mart to get last minute items for the party. The Mom only called twice which was impressive. Before I knew it, 1 o'clock rolled around and our first guest arrived very early, but they are forgiven because they were surprise guests all the way from Chattanooga! It was actually nice they arrived early because we were able to talk to them privately some before the rest of the crowd showed up to the party.

A painted front door is what greeted our guests as they arrived, asking them which they would choose Team Pink or Team Blue. Once inside the front door they had to make a choice, sign their name, and take a sticker. I mainly made them sign for fun but also jokingly said it was so they could not change after the cake had been cut :)

As usual I had a lovely spread of yummy food because I fully believe you cannot have a good party without good food. I also had different little areas set up, one was a digital frame that showed pictures of me and Sexy Husband when we were babies and the sign said "Who Will Baby H Look Like?" , another space had strips of pink and blue paper that people could write name suggestions and put them in a box. The last station was a picture of a tree that has a heart in the trunk with our initials and the year Baby H is to be born "carved" in it. The guests were asked to put a fingerprint in the branches as "leaves" and then sign their name. I am going to frame this and hang it in the nursery as a beautiful and fun memory!

The party was scheduled from 2p.m. - 4p.m. and I had said on the invite we would cut the cake at 3p.m. I knew certain friends would be late so this gave everyone at least an hour to get there before they missed the main event!

The cake had maintained a bit of damage at the back during transit so I had a friend who I could trust to keep a straight face, check it and fix the icing before we took it completely from the box and placed it on the stand. Then I had the two teams take turns getting their picture around the cake!

The first picture is Team Pink, the smallest team, and second picture is Team Blue. It was a lot of fun to see which family and friends picked which team. Some picked for fun, others had very specific reasons they chose the team they did, but it was still fun no matter the reason!

Then it was time! SH and I had decided to use two knives and cut the cake together. I really liked this idea because it took us two to make this baby so it was fun to cut and reveal together if God had blessed us with a boy or girl. We sliced into the cake and had to pry the piece out because the icing was still cold and therefore thick. I saw the color a split second before SH did and started screaming in excitement.

It was pink!!

It was a very good thing we had a plate ready for the piece we cut because I practically threw it down with my knife as I jumped up and down and hugged Sexy Husband. I was tearful but I did not actually cry. It was extremely emotional and very exciting.

We have a cheeseburger! Until next time....

The Baby Journey with PCOS - The Gender Ultrasound

2012-05-03T00:25:00.000-04:00

So Sexy Husband and I decided we would "find out" the gender of Baby H mainly because The Moms would both have a heart attack if we didn't. Having heard of the new fad called "Gender Reveal" parties, I decided we must do one and it would be an awesome way to share this memory with family and friends. I will admit I was leaning more towards a girl, like 55% girl, 45% boy was probably my preference, but only because it took us so long and we are not guaranteed another. Sexy Husband truly did not care, he was fine with either. All in all though we both just wanted a healthy baby!

To explain for those who don't know, a Gender Reveal party is where you hold a party to use a cake, balloons, cookies, cupcakes, etc to reveal the gender of your baby to family and friends. Some couples decide to keep it a surprise to even themselves until the party, which is what we decided. I was actually delighted how much SH was wanting to go along with us not knowing and was "into" the party idea as well!

So the Friday morning came that we had our appt. and I must say I was more excited that Sexy Husband would actually get to see the baby because he was unable to attend the last ultrasound where the baby actually looked like a baby not a blob. I also was more than ready to see my little one again, it having been 8 weeks since I had last seen him/her in an ultrasound!

I had brought two envelopes with us, one for the bakery and another for us to double check after we cut the cake on Sunday (plus to hold the "money shots" that would go in the scrapbook) We told the Ultrasound Tech what we wanted and she said that she would warn us when she was going for the "money shots" so we would know to look away.

When she started looking for the baby, we quickly realized that Baby H had his/her back to us and was basically looking at my back! Now this made me want to smack SH because for the last two weeks, he would tell the baby to "hide" when it came time for the ultrasound. Obviously he has more influence than either of us realized! Luckily though we were able to get a few profile pictures, one absolutely adorable one of him/her sucking their thumb! I have the picture but I don't have a scanner so maybe later I will scan it at The Mom's house and show it off.

Then it came time for "the money" shots and we both looked away. She told us she was able to get a good one and then wrote in the envelopes, putting the pictures in ours, sealing them both shut and putting "No Peeking" on ours! I have to say I was extremely calm and had no desire to peek which is amazing for me.

The Ultrasound tech did explain to us how to look at the picture when we did open the envelope and I will never forget her explanation! She said it was like the baby was sitting above you and you are looking at the little butt cheeks and the legs coming out in "v". If it looks like a turtle is poking his head out between the "v" it is a boy, if it looks like a cheeseburger between the "v" it is a girl. I laughed hard at this but she said that is what they taught her in school! So turtle or cheeseburger, remember that!

I was mean and put a picture of the envelope on FB just to taunt The Moms, but I could not resist!

Our baby was 9 oz and 6 1/2 inches long which is right on target so not too small and not too big. I, of course, told SH that since he obviously had influence he would have to tell Baby H that 7lbs was the limit! LOL

After the appt. I took the envelope to the bakery and made Sexy Husband hide the other one later that evening so no one would try to peek before the party. Then it was time to wait....until Sunday!

The Baby Journey with PCOS - Old Wive's Tales

2012-04-29T13:22:00.001-04:00

So today in about 2 hours, we will have our Gender Reveal Party. We will find out if Baby H is a boy or girl. Giving this upcoming event I thought I would answer some of the Old Wive's tales and see what they say until I post what our cake revealed!

Old Wive's Tales :

Suspend a wedding band held by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant woman. If the suspended ring swings in an oval or circular motion, the baby will be a girl. If the ring swings back and forth in a straight line, the baby will be a boy. There is also a version done with a needle and thread above the mother’s wrist or her belly. Results are the same. - Sexy Husband and I did this and it told us we were having a boy and girl, because it would swing in an oval, then it would go back and forth in a straight line. I joked we are having a hermaphrodite. So point for girl and boy.
If you carry your baby high and tight, it is a boy. If you carry your baby low and wide, it’s a girl. - I am actually carrying low so point for girl.
If you crave fruits and vegetables, it’s a boy. If you crave meats and starches, you will have a girl. - Mmmm meat, was something I said a lot early in the pregnancy. All starches for this pregnant lady! Point for girl.
If you crave sweets, you’re having a boy. If you crave salty foods, you’re having a girl. - Mmmm cheese! I have been all about the salty foods. Point for girl.
If the hair on your legs is growing faster than before you were pregnant, you’re having a boy. If it is growing at the same rate or slower, you’re having a girl. - It is growing so slow! I am actually sad my head hair is growing slow but my leg hair can stay growing slow, ha! Point for girl.
If your feet are colder now than before you were pregnant, you’re having a boy. If they are the same as before, you’re having a girl. - No cold feet. Point for girl.
If your husband is gaining weight right along with you, you’re having a boy. If he hasn’t gained any weight, you’re having a girl. - We really haven't noticed a gain in weight for him but then he won't weigh himself either so I am going to say this one is a draw.
If your hair is gray, you’re having a boy. If your hair is not gray (natural or dyed), you’re having a girl. - My hair, thankfully, is not gray.......yet. Point for girl.
If you have morning sickness early in your pregnancy, you’re having a girl. If you haven’t had morning sickness, you’re having a boy.- Ohh yes, the nausea was vry present though luckily I did not actually throw up much. Point for girl.
If you look particularly good during pregnancy, you’re having a boy. If you’re not looking so good, you’re having a girl. - I think my looks are not so great right now, I am a grease pit and my hair, ugh! So if it is a boy, he is going to be a pretty one! Ha! Point for girl.
If your urine is a bright neon yellow color, you’re having a boy. If it’s a dull yellow, you’re having a girl. - I drink a lot of water right now so that is probably really the cause but it is dull. Point for girl.
If you must have orange juice everyday, you’re having a girl. If you don’t like orange juice, you’re having a boy.- No orange juice in this house. Point for boy.
If you’re having headaches, you’re having a boy. If you’re not, you’re having a girl.- I have always had headaches, and I do get them when the weather changes but I will give this one to the boy because I have had some headaches. Point for boy.
If someone asks you to show them your hands and you present them palms up, you’re having a girl. If you present your hands palms down, you’re having a boy.- No clue! Have never been asked to show my palms. Maybe I should have had my palms read just so I can answer this one!
If you pick up a coffee mug by the handle, you’re having a boy. If you pick it up by the body of the mug, you’re having a girl.- Unfortunately I quit drinking coffee for this baby but before the pregnancy I picked up by the handle so we will say point for boy.

So that is all I have time for because I have to finish getting ready for the party. End score for Old Wive's Tales is
Girl - 10
Boy - 4

So we will see how accurate the Old Wive's Tales are later today!
Until Next Time....

The Baby Journey with PCOS - The Mothers

2012-04-20T17:52:00.001-04:00

I am not saying this just because they might read it, but I am very blessed to have two mothers.

One by birth and one by marriage.

One of the greatest things is, though Sexy Husband and I were raised in very, very similar ways, our mothers are completely different in personality. This may not sound great to some people but to me it is great because I get two "different" mothers that each adds her own talent, love and fun to my life. And I am blessed that I have a great relationship with both of them!

I am also blessed that I have both living within an 8 mile radius of my house! This means ~~I will have a choice of babysitters~~ my child will be able to see both sets of grandparents quite a bit! This also means they have both been able to be involved in my pregnancy. I have tried to make sure to always involve my MIL because she had two boys so she will only ever experience "having a daughter" through her two DILs. I wish I could tell other girls who married into "boy only" families how precious this can be to your relationship with your MIL.

The funniest thing lately though is despite their definite, different personalities, my two moms are behaving almost exactly the same over Baby H!

Especially when it comes to the gender reveal!

Exactly one week from now I will have "The Envelope" that says whether we are having a boy or a girl. We are having a Gender Reveal Party two days later on Sunday, April 29th. I am having a local bakery make the "reveal cake" for us, which is a cake that is tinted pink or blue on the inside by whatever "The Envelope" says. The outside of the cake is neutral and so you don't know until the first slice is cut.

This is driving The Moms crazy! They have both, multiple times, "offered" to make the cake! They are cracking me up with their ~~oh-so-not~~ subtle ways of trying to find out the gender before the party. I have told both that I might have to screen their calls from Friday to Sunday just to keep my sanity ha!

Even though I will be happy to learn if we are having a son or daughter, I must say I am enjoying watching The Moms get more ~~pushy~~ excited as time draws closer.

However did they last 40 weeks back in the day?

The Baby Journey with PCOS : Living without Lexapro

2012-04-18T22:24:00.002-04:00

I shall preface this article to say I am not whining about this fact of my life at the moment, I am glad to do anything to keep Baby H healthy, I am just stating that it is not necessarily easy.

I am pretty sure I have posted on here before that I have depression. Some of it is due to the fact I have PCOS and some of it is inherited from my father's side of the family. When I was younger it was not bad at all, a day or two every few months, but as I got older and my hormones changed so did the depression.
About a year into our marriage, SH and I agreed something needed to be done because it was drastically affecting me and the enjoyment that should have been our marriage. I went to my doctor and started on Lexapro.

My symptoms usually were

Antisocial behavior - I did not want to leave the house, did not want to talk to people, just felt blah and wanted to lay on the couch or bed which is odd for me since I am such a social butterfly
Anxiety/Negative Thought Dwelling - This one is a bit hard to explain if you have never experienced it but I would start thinking about something, dwell on it, and spiral down into an unending negative mind game that would not end, even when I was trying to sleep.
Mood swings/Irritability - I would go from being fine to snapping people's head off in mere moments. (Poor SH!)

But then came Lexapro and oh what a marvelous thing! It changed things to be so much better! My moods leveled, I enjoyed being a social butterfly again, and my mind quieted!

Well you know how they say "You do not realize what a good thing you've got until it is gone."

Oh but I have been discovering this since January because....

I cannot take Lexapro while I am pregnant. It is bad enough that a woman is moody/hormonal when pregnant but take away her Lexapro and things can get a bit ugly!

Now I am the first person to say "Suck it up and move on, Sistah!" but unless you have had depression you just cannot understand that some days the "Get up and Go" has gone somewhere else. And unfortunately all of my symptoms have returned in some form or fashion.

I have to say I am very thankful that I can stop my meds and survive so that Baby H will be healthy. I will do it all over again if I am blessed with a second pregnancy. It could be a lot worse!

Luckily from what I have read and been told so far, I will be able to start taking it immediately after giving birth, even if breastfeeding, which is very good news!

I would say one positive thing is that I have been uber mellow during this pregnancy when it come to excitement which is a very good thing since both The Mom and The MIL have been plenty excited for all of us!

So here is to 153 days left of living without Lexapro!

Fun Facts of Baby

2012-04-11T23:29:00.003-04:00

I have felt stirrings that I think are the baby, and when we had our last appt. even with just the doppler the doctor said that this little one is a squirmer! My poor ribs in the coming months!
The other night, SH shook my stomach and said "earthquake" Poor Baby! LOL
Simon kitty was not happy when he tried to sit in my lap the other night and there was not as much room as he is used to having.
When talking to Simon kitty I usually say something like "Mommy's baby kitty!" Tonight I was talking to the baby and said "Mommy's baby....uh baby" then burst out laughing.
Fruit snacks and gushers have been the "strange" craving of the week
The end of this month we find out girl or boy!
We are having a hard time deciding on any names, I will have to post about this dilemma later.
I am 17 weeks and luckily have not gained too much weight, especially since I started at too heavy of a weight.

Here is what I am calling my "End of First Trimester Belly Picture" Due to the weight I gained because of hormone problems I already had a "belly" so it did not change much the first trimester. It really is still about the same except the bottom of it is harder and baby, not just fat lol. My legs are still skinny ha ha!

Tasty Tuesday

2012-03-28T00:30:00.000-04:00

So I really like to cook though I do not do it as much as I could. I don't think I will have the best instructions for someone who ~~is anal~~ needs every detail this time but it should be easy to follow. I decided today I would share with you one of The Mom's favorite things for me to cook.

Lemon Butter Tarragon Salmon sided with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Green Beans

First I peel and chop the sweet potatoes in to 2 inch chunks, put them in a steamer pot and steam for about 20 minutes or until soft. After they are steamed I place them in a bowl and add butter, spoonful of apricot preserves, and a splash of almond milk. Mash well.

I use fresh green beans when I can so I used the pot to steam them after the sweet potatoes were done. About 20 minutes as well or until soft.

I also decided this go round to use fresh everything so my tarragon and lemon are fresh. I have used bottled juice and dried tarragon before and it works just fine. I was making two filets so I melted about half a stick of butter, squeezed the lemon juice in and added finely chopped tarragon, stirring it all together with a spoon.

I always line my baking pan with aluminum foil because it makes life so much easier and I drizzle olive oil on top of the aluminum foil and rub it around so the salmon does not stick.
I have a basting brush which I use to ~~smother~~ coat the salmon with the tarragon lemon butter sauce. I bake it for 15 - 20 minutes at 375 degrees or until the fish is flaky. I use a fork to test and by lightly scratching at it, the fish should flake off easily when done.

Add a salad and some water or sweet tea and voila! you have got a super yummy and not bad for you meal!

Until Next Time....

Marriage Monday: Learning to Argue

2012-03-26T13:00:00.000-04:00

Since there is not something to write about Baby H everyday I thought I would try some new topics. I read a post on marriage at Mackey Madness who I found through ASquared and I decided to do a post on marriage as well. I figured I could impart some ~~wise~~ hmmm ~~profound~~ well maybe just some knowledge that I have gleaned in the 4 years that Sexy Husband and I have been married.

My ~~wisdom~~ point of this Marriage Monday will be:

Learn How to ~~Fight~~ Argue

First I will say that I grew up in a house that when brouhahas happened it usually involved The Mom ~~hurling~~ lobbing the book that was in her hand at The Dad ~~and horribly missing~~, followed by ~~yelling~~ a heated discussion, and eventually The Dad leaving the house to cool off. Now I also must say that The Parents have been married for 40 years and look to stay that way so these brouhahas were in no way marriage ending.

I guess I always thought this would be how I fought with my future husband.

Not in the least!

I am thankful to say that in 4 years of marriage (May 10th this year will be 4) we have had no major brouhahas. I have not thrown any books, and no yelling has been done. I ~~blame~~ credit this to each of us knowing how we fight and what to do when we are angry.

If I am to be truly fair SH really doesn't get "mad". The closest I have seen is more "frustration" than actual "anger". I kinda went "quote" happy there didn't I? Hmm

What was I saying?

Oh yes! Knowing how you fight and how you deal with your anger.

Know your anger type - I learned long ago that I am a "venter" I have to get things out, vent about them, and then I am fine. If I do not vent then it is much like a tea kettle, the steams builds until I explode. (I don't really do the high pitch whistle like a teakettle) For those times when I am ~~sailor cursing~~ angry (usually due to hormones) I know it is best for me to just go away from the person/thing making me angry and having a cooling period. SH has learned this as well and knows to just avoid me.
Communication is key! - We, as a couple, have also learned to COMMUNICATE. I know it sounds cliche but it is so true! Unless you have the ability to read minds you cannot assume your partner does!
Realize each other's expectations -Even though SH and I had very similar backgrounds there are still things that we learned to do differently and we have had to learn to talk out our expectations on how we think things are supposed to go or be done. Our example is the trash. We have trash pick up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so when we first moved into the house I expected the trash can to be at the road on every Tues. and Thurs., where SH expected the trash can to be at the road only when it was full. We had to learn each other's expectations in this and work it out.
Know each other's timeline - This is one that we learned very early in our marriage! I would ask SH to do something and expect it to be done asap and in his mind he had plenty of time. We actually came up with a numbering system at first of 1-5 with 1 being "right now" and 5 being "within the next week or so". We do not use the number system anymore because I just tell him when but it was a good exercise to get me used to telling him when and him used to listening to when.
Remember you have flaws too! - This may come as a shock to you but you are not perfect! They say that when people divorce there are three sides to the story: His, Hers and the Truth. This is because His and Hers were too caught up in the flaws of their partner to see their own flaws. Yes it may ~~make you want to kill~~ irritate you whatever they have done but just remember you probably do things that ~~make them want to kill~~ irritate them as well.
Know that you don't have to like someone to love them - Luckily this is not something I have had to face yet but I know there is the possibility in the future that there will be days when I do not like SH but that does not mean I will ~~kill him~~ throw in the towel because I do not have the "warm fuzzies" that day. Love is a commitment not just an emotion. Brouhahas will happen but we will just power through them!

I think that is all my points but it may be because there is some ~~soon-to-be dead~~ psychotic nightingale outside my window going nuts that is distracting me.

Until Next Time....

The Baby Journey with PCOS - Advice

2012-03-25T23:07:00.001-04:00

After having it confirmed that Baby H was indeed on the way, I signed up with Baby Center so I could get info about each week and other things. One of the parts of Baby Center is that you are connected to forums where women talk about different things that happen during pregnancy, or they want help with names, etc.

I came upon one where this girl was ranting about how she was tired of people giving her "unwanted" advice about pregnancy, parenting, etc. She was so offended and mad that everyone was giving her advice. I have to say though I really wanted to comment and say

"Have you really never given your opinion or advice to someone on some subject even when they didn't ask for it?"

Everyone has opinions and everyone loves giving advice. It is human nature and should not surprise or make you mad. Just because someone gives you their opinion does not mean you have to follow it. They are not holding a gun up to your head and saying "You absolutely have to have follow my advice".

I have given advice everywhere about everything, even motherhood (which I have yet to experience)' but that doesn't mean I expect everyone to whom I give advice to actually follow it. Even when I feel like my advice is very sound advice I do not expect it.

I have already had many opinions and pieces of advice given to me since we announced our miracle, but I have not let any of it bother me. I just take it, glean what I want from it, and discard the rest. Besides you never know when you may learn something that you can actually use!

The Baby Journey with PCOS: Symptoms

2012-03-18T23:30:00.000-04:00

Symptoms:

I have been very fortunate that I really did not have a bad go the first trimester. My main symptoms were fatigue, nausea, and every once in awhile a headache or backache. I must amend and say that I now understand why pregnant women want to complain about their ailments, but I am trying my best to make sure I do not whine or complain too much or to the wrong person! I try to focus on the good that will come from the symptoms and during the weeks when I am not going to the doctor I see the symptoms as my sign the baby is still there and doing fine!

This week I start my second trimester. This from what I have heard is called the Happy Trimester because you usually start feeling more energetic, morning sickness fades and you get to feel the baby move. I am not sure my body realizes yet that we have reached this point. I have been sick as a dog this weekend!

Heartburn has now been added to the list of symptoms. Before this weekend if you had told me "you are going to have heartburn" I would have thought no big deal! That is because I have never really experienced true heartburn!

My entire upper body ached, my teeth hurt, my arms hurt just to lift them, my back hurt, my chest burned like it was on fire. It got so bad, I threw up two times because my body needed to relieve the pressure in my stomach and esophagus! I finally sent Sexy Husband out at 2 a.m. to get some heavy duty heartburn medicine because the two types I had here at home did not even make a dent in the pain.

I finally got some sleep last night and have been "recovering" all day today. I know I am dehydrated but am scared to put too much in my still sore stomach. I have eaten half a baked potato and three frozen pancakes (the small ones) today. I took some tylenol to ease a headache, as well as my allergy meds, and am praying they stay down there!

I now have a true sympathy for those people out there who suffer from heartburn daily and are not pregnant! I hope this post did not sound too whiney. It was a horrible experience but I know I will have something wonderful to show for it in 6 months!

Needless to say, I will be calling my Dr. first thing in the morning!