34 Weeks

Dear Baby Girl,

We had a great appointment today. You smiled and waved at me. And it made me cry. I just can't wait to hold you in my arms. I'm so in love with you!

I've been so tired and hungry all week. But it's definitely worth it. For you. And for you to be healthy. I'd go through anything just to make sure you are one healthy and happy baby girl! But you look beautiful already. :)

This week, we haven't been doing much. Besides working. Your Uncle Barracuda really wants us to go see him and your Auntie Lola, and your Uncle Guy. We're going to surprise them. And we're leaving later with some other friends. It should be a lot of fun!

Yes, I've decided we're going to have a little fun. Our doctor OK'd it. And the flying. So we're a OK! But this will probably be our last trip until you're born. I don't mind. I really enjoy being home with you! And W of course!

Speaking of our favorite pup, we're about to graduate from our Baby and Dog Class. We've had so much fun! I hope you enjoyed it too! I know all of this work is going to pay off. And I just want you to know how excited we are to meet you! :) Now, your mommy needs to go pack for our trip.

XOXO Your Mommy

22 Weeks

Dear Baby Girl,

I'm so happy today! Your Auntie C came to visit us. And she spent the entire day with us! We went to our doctor's appointment. And your Auntie C got to see you, precious girl! She was so happy. And so was I. :)

We also went to lunch today. And we did lots of shopping for you. Your Auntie C is already spoiling you so much! You have so many cute outfits and toys now. Auntie C and I can't wait to play with you! Not only did Auntie C spoil you, she also spoiled me too! She bought your Mommy some clothes to wear while you grow big and strong. We're so lucky to have her.

But not all of this week was fun and easy. I watched your Daddy and your big sister Baby M. Your Daddy took her to work with him this week. Your sister is gorgeous! And now, I kinda know what you are going to look like. I just hope that your Daddy will be as loving with you, as he is with Baby M.

We've also spent lots of time with your Godparents. Your Godmother is performing. And your Godfather and Uncle Barracuda are working hard. We've had a lot of fun with all of them! One day, you'll learn the importance of good friends. They really do help you through all of life. The good and the bad.

But most of what this week has been about it, is that you're growing. And I can tell. My belly has popped out. And I'm getting to see more of what it's like to be pregnant. I LOVE it! But I'm pretty sure, I'm going to need to do a lot of shopping for maternity clothes. But I'm more than OK with that. Because I just want you to grow big and healthy.

That's been our week. Traveling. Spending lots of time with our friends and family. And just being happy. That's the important part of life. And I'm going to show you how to enjoy the people that love you. That's really important. Stay growing good like you are. We have 18 more weeks before we get to meet!

XOXO Your Mommy

Walk Away the Pounds

While we're on the road, this is one of my favorite workout DVDs to do. I just like the routines. And walking, well who can't walk? It's simple. And hotel friendly. Because something like Slim in 6, I just can't imagine trying to workout to that in a hotel room. I'm not getting on those floors. And imagine the noise you'd make. No, this is the DVD to take on the road. And it's a quick workout. :) XOXO

Cooking Problems

I'm pretty sure I didn't do something right last night. I tried to cook this. And well, I don't know what happened. But around midnight, T and I thought we were going to die! Yes, we did. Turns out, we had food poisoning. How do I know? We ended up at the doctor's office early this morning.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the 2 of us cooked together. Yes, T helped me. He's more experienced in the kitchen. I just don't know what happened. I know it wasn't the rice or other veggies we made. Or the dessert... that was store bought.

I'm thinking that maybe the chicken wasn't all the way cooked. But I honestly don't know. All I do know is, we got sick. Ridiculously sick! So did W. And we have to travel today. Am I serious? Yes! T has to go to work. I just hope we're feeling better really soon! XOXO

In Case You Were Wondering...

I was thinking, well I hadn't really told you how my healthy changes and weight loss were going. Obviously, I made this decision before we got engaged and married. But after T and I were engaged, and had set our wedding date, I was glad that I had been eating better. And working out. :) I really wanted to look my best for our wedding.

Since Jan. 1st, I've lost 35 lbs. I know, that's crazy! But we really weren't eating right before. And probably enjoying going out and having drinks too often too. Oh, and I was lazy as sin! I really had never exercised a day in my life!

So I cut out all sodas, alcohol, and most sweets. And I made it a point to exercise every day! I mean every day! I mostly did these workout tapes that my bestie gave me. And I started running at least 2 miles on the treadmill. I'd do that 4 days a week. And at least twice a week, I would go running with my bestie.

Obviously, since our wedding, well things are a bit different. We really enjoyed all the food at our wedding. And afterward, on our trip. I haven't worked out since the day before our wedding. Well, actual exercise. But I have been doing other things. And this morning when I got on the scale, I had actually lost another 2 lbs.

I think that's funny. Because I haven't been trying this week. Like I said, I haven't done a single workout DVD. I haven't gone running. I've eaten all kinds of food. And we did drink a little on our trip.

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be a little bit more "normal" now that the wedding is behind us. I'm going to try and cook a little more. And include some healthy food into our diets. But I'm not going to completely cut out sweets and alcohol anymore. I'm also going to come up with a more doable workout schedule. XOXO

Back to Work

My hubby is back to work. And obviously, we're back from our mini honeymoon. Which was a blast! We had such a great time. Just my hubby and me. Enjoying each other. Learning more about each other. And loving each other. This is really a magical time in my life. :)

But we're also back on track with his work. And our traveling. It's not too bad. In fact, my bestie and I just finished lunch together. It was amazing! And I'm so glad that we get to travel together. It was so nice to catch up with her while our guys were working. Just sharing with her all of my happiness. That was the best!

Now my bestie is off to go do some work. And I'm thinking about taking a nap. Have I mentioned? I haven't had much sleep lately. So maybe a good nap before T gets back is a good idea. :) XOXO

We're Married!!!

Yes, it's true! Last night, T and I officially became Mr. and Mrs. M!!! It was such a magical night. Everything was perfect. And now, I get to spend the rest of my life with the man I love!

The guys were running a little late last night. But they called ahead of time to let us know. So no big deal. I don't think I ever mentioned this. But they had to work yesterday. And today. But last night was truly the best wedding date, that we could come up with, until the summer. But in the end, it all worked out perfectly!

T and I had a beautiful ceremony. It was amazing. My bestie arranged for the Chapel to be decorated so nice. With gorgeous flowers. And lots of candles. It was everything I could have ever asked for! T looked so handsome. He had on his tux. And honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a more handsome man! I cried the entire time I walked down the aisle. :) My hubby also cried. And W, he looked cute in his little dog tuxedo. :) Yes, our dog was in our wedding!

With a little bit of creativity, we were able to get "The Guy" into and out of the Chapel undetected. Because that might have been a bit of trouble for all of us. The wedding party took some gorgeous pictures in front of the fountains. Very quickly! And we all went to the reception.

It was beautiful! Perfect. Like a fairytale. Just knowing that my hubby and I are going to be married and together forever, that was all I needed. But this reception was amazing! The food was so good. I swear, I've never eaten food that was so yummy! Our cake was amazing too! And yes, we couldn't resist it! We smashed cake into each other's faces. I swear, I still have icing in my ear. :) But it was so much fun. Sometime last week, we had agreed to not make a mess. But I just couldn't resist. And my hubby thought it was so much fun too!

The music was so good too! What good entertainment we got! I loved dancing to our song. And I'm pretty sure T enjoyed it too! We all danced well into the night! I forgot all about the fact that my wedding dress arrived just hours before our wedding. That our families weren't there with us. And that my hubby would be working today. I was just living in the moment!

I also got to meet C. My new sister-in-law. She is amazing! And oh so sweet! I hope that we get the opportunity to become best friends. Because she is so special. T cried when he saw his sister. And they hugged for such a long time. I'm so glad that she was able to come to our wedding. :)

Everything was so perfect! The reception was just as beautiful as our ceremony. So many beautiful flowers and candles. I felt like I was in a fairytale! But honestly, it would have been just as perfect at a court house with a justice of the peace. Just was long as I had T with me. :) All of our friends enjoyed themselves so much! And we definitely celebrated until the early hours of the morning. Then, well us Newlyweds headed to our "Honeymoon Suite" to enjoy a little bit of married life!

T had to leave a little while ago. To go to work. But we enjoyed breakfast in bed together. And although he has to work, we have a lifetime to share with one another. Tonight, we're headed off to a few days in the tropics! We'll do some more celebrating then. But right now, this new wife needs to get up and get ready. I'm going to go hangout with my hubby! XOXO

One Step Closer

We're one step closer to this...being man and wife! And now, I'm really starting to get excited. Forget about how stressed out I was. My friends have really come to my rescue! I have a wedding dress. And my bestie has a "Maid of Honor" dress. All because of our amazing friends. Oh, and my bestie's boyfriend (aka The Guy.)

We went and ordered them at a very expensive designer's shop. She is working feverishly on both dresses. And they should be ready on time. I really do hope so. In 9 days, I'll be married!

My bestie has also been working hard on our reception. She knows the owners of where we're having our reception. And they are doing such a great job with everything. My only request was yummy food, and some pretty flowers. But after seeing everything that my bestie has already done, it's going to be magical.

All the flowers are ordered. The food decisions have been made. A delicious cake is being made. Dresses are being made as we speak. The guys have their suits. We booked the Chapel. And T and I even managed to buy each other's rings. Yes, my bestie is holding onto T's for me. :)

So I'm not so stressed anymore. I've never been the type that dreamt about a "Fairytale" wedding. I never wanted my dad to walk me down the aisle. In fact, I never thought I'd be getting married. It's crazy, how when you meet the right man, everything just changes. And the only really important part of this wedding, is marrying my love, T. XOXO

No Wedding Dress

Did I know when we picked our wedding date that this month was going to be hard? Yes. T is working almost nonstop. I have no real clue about anything wedding related. I've never planned anything. And well, I'm beyond overwhelmed!

12 days from now, I will be getting married. I have no dress. I haven't picked out a dress for my bestie. I've been to the beautiful dress shops in the area. We even flew to NYC. Nothing!

I know we're getting married in Vegas. And it's going to be small. But seriously, I want a nice dress. Not a huge ballgown. But a nice dress.

The guys are working in CA this week. So my bestie, some other friends, and I are heading out early. Because I need to find my dress. Fingers crossed that I won't be walking down the aisle naked. XOXO

Breathe

I kinda feel like right now is so much more stressful than back in October. T's job is pretty crazy. And they're gearing up for a new year. He works such long hours right now. They're doing a lot of 1 day trips. And it's just tiring. He's already exhausted! And they're 1st "real day" of work isn't for another 2 weeks...

My bestie, she is so much better at this than I am. Her boyfriend does a heck of a lot more. A lot more traveling for sure! But she keeps it altogether. And I don't know how. She has suitcases packed for both of them. Labeled with what trip they're going on. She's working full time. And going to college. How in the world does she do it?

She came by to see me. And she could definitely tell that I was going a little nuts here. So she helped me to pack. Because we're going to FL for a few weeks. The guys are working out there. She helped me to get some things in order. And now, I have T's suitcase in the middle of our bedroom. All his clothes are folded on our bed. And I'm just trying to figure this out.

My bestie brought me over some beautiful flowers. And told me just to breathe. To relax and to take it one day at a time. That's what I'm going to try and do. Because if she can manage. So can I. I think I just need to get better organized. XOXO

Home Sweet Home

We made it home. Just a few minutes ago. And all I want to do is snuggle up in a warm blanket like this one. Doesn't it look so inviting?

We had a great time in the city. And I kinda wish we could have stayed a little longer. Because the city is so magical at this time of year. But after lots of work (for the guys) and lots of shopping (for us gals) we're home. With lots of bags. We did lots of Christmas shopping!

I think we're going to take the next few days to relax. And to try and get our Christmas tree up. Maybe some of these presents wrapped too. That would be nice. But for tonight, I see myself having a date with the couch, T, and a warm blanket. Maybe even a fire. :) XOXO

Bathing Suits

So I have no were near a "perfect" body. No, that's not me. I've got some nice "child bearing hips." I got that from my mom. And some slightly large breasts. The kind that need a little support. I also wear between a size 9 and 11. Just depending on the pants.

T doesn't seem to mind. It's funny. He doesn't even realize that I'm slightly bigger...OK bigger...than most of the women that travel in this group. I'm very aware of it. Maybe because my bestie is like a size -10. But she works out a lot. And performs. Her work somewhat depends on her body. Because she is a singer and dancer. I get it.

But it doesn't help that all these other women look like models. Or that we went to the beach yesterday. Just us ladies. And they all looked amazing in their bikinis. I sported a 1 piece. So did my bestie. But she totally looked better than I did.

I was feeling slightly down this morning, so I decided to look for a new bathing suit online. Something more girly. And I found this one. But I'm just not sure about it. I'm worried that my legs will look HUGE! And I won't have enough upper body support.

It's just weird. Most woman in the US are bigger than me. Or at least my size. And I feel so uncomfortable in my body. Why? I never felt like this before. But then again, I didn't travel in a group were most of the men are married to actual models. XOXO

Florida Bound

Yes, we're headed here. I'm so excited! A few days in the sun. And hopefully the sand. T is working until Sunday. But I'm sure we can manage some time away from his work. I'm just anxious to spend some time with him. And you know, enjoy the Florida weather. :) XOXO

Rattlesnakes

Do you see that picture? That's a rattlesnake. I know. I grew up in the SW. I should at least be "used to them." But I'm not! Not at all!

We landed a couple of hours ago. And some of the guys started talking about Rattlesnakes. Apparently, there are going to be tons of them around all weekend! I'm going to flip out! I hate them. I'm already paranoid. I made T look in the bed, bathroom, and closet of our hotel room. I don't know what I was expecting him to see...

But I'm freaked out. I'm not good with creatures. Especially slimy ones. With rattles. OMG! I just hope I survive this weekend...

On a better note, we had a blast in my hometown! T and I are thinking about another trip there around the holidays. None of my family still lives there. But there are so many things to do. And we're hoping that my bestie and his buddy will go with us. :) XOXO

Home

We're finally home. In my hometown. Yes! T wanted to see where I grew up. Well, until I moved East. And since we were already out West, we decided to use his few "days off" wisely.

It's crazy being back here. I haven't been here in at least 6 years! But it's also nice. We went by my childhood house earlier. It was so crazy seeing another family living there. But the house looks nice. They've done so much work to it. We also went by my grandparents' old house. I have lots of good memories of that house. And we also went by my elementary and middle schools. So crazy! They've changed a lot.

We decided to call it a day. And went to one of my favorite places for dinner. It was super yummy! And tomorrow, we have so many adventures. I want to show T as much of my hometown as possible. We don't have a lot of time. But we're going to make the best of it. :) XOXO

Sweet Home Alabama

I'm not going to lie. Last night was an eye opening experience for me. T took me out to see some of the fun that this place has to offer. It's craziness! I'm sure my bestie and her guy went out too. But something tells me, they weren't at the same places we were.

I guess I'm really starting to understand what this life is all about. The people were hilarious! I'm being so serious here. It was a lot of fun. But honestly, at the end of the day, I'm not sure if I could hang with these people. And I'm no angel. But seriously, that's a lot of partying.

Sweet Home Alabama will never sound the same to me again. But it was a fun night. I may or may not still be in my pjs. In bed. Because, that's how crazy last night was. Enough said. But it was fun! XOXO

I'm Learning

My new life, it includes lots of things. Starting with the work week. Mondays, those are T's days off. Days to do nothing at all. Completely free of work and responsibilities. AKA Most people's Sundays.

Tuesdays, he works. That's a very important day. He goes to work. I don't know exactly what goes on. But I'm assuming it's like "regular work." The stuff that you and me are used to.

Thursdays are travel days. Nothing too interesting. Just traveling. Then the guys work all weekend. I can pretty much assume that I need to entertain myself all day Friday, Saturday mornings and night, and a good part of Sunday. But it's not that bad.

You see, we still spend lots of time together. And we travel all over the place. It really isn't that bad. Don't feel bad for me. Because it's pretty fun. :)

And the wives/girlfriends...they're funny! My bestie hasn't gotten into that scene. She's just a loner. And her guy is always busy. So they try to get all of their work done at the same time. So when he is off, they can just hangout. And well, they're keeping things on the DL...

The rest of the women around here. Well, they are like professional shoppers. No lie! That's all they do. Shop. Until they drop. And exercise. It's crazy! I don't know if I will ever fit in. But I'm trying. And failing miserably! But it's OK. T and I crack up about some of these antics. It's just so different from the life I was living 2 months ago. XOXO

West Coast Fun!

We're out on the west coast this week. My bestie and I are planning some more shopping later. And our guys are working. That's just what our weekends are like. But at least they have a little down time. You know, like at dinner time.

For me, I really enjoyed the beach yesterday. It was beautiful! And in certain ways, I wish we could live out here. It's really beautiful! Even if our bfs don't like it. They're definitely "east coasters."

It's funny. My dad lives a few hours up the coast. As a kid, I was forced to visit him with my little brother. But we never got to come to CA. It's so beautiful! I would have traded all of my life to have come out here. But there is a lot of my childhood that I wish I could forget.

But on this trip, I'm just going to enjoy the sunshine, sand, and good friends. Isn't that half of the fun of traveling? I think so. :) XOXO

The Middle of Nowhere

We're in the middle of nowhere TN. I'm not lying! And my bestie is off working out. Our bfs, they're working. What does that leave me to do? Go hungry! I don't know how to cook. And my bestie has this place stocked with all the yummy, cook from scratch, kind of food. Sucks for me...

Do people really know how to cook? Just wondering here. Because my mom never cooked when I was little. Actually, never cooked at all. We ate lots of "warm-up" type of food, or takeout. Fast food was our friend. Now, I have no skills in the kitchen. And my bestie is a great cook! What the hell? Maybe she can teach me something.

In the middle of nowhere. And we don't even have cereal. I wonder when these people are coming back. Or should I just venture out and see what's going on? I might find something to eat... XOXO

We're Home

We're home. And I don't quit remember much of the last 2 days. But Sunday was a lot of fun. The guys had a really busy weekend! I know my bestie and I are happy to be home too! It was a crazy weekend to be honest.

My bestie has been going through a lot. So it's nice to see how good her guy is. They have such a great relationship! Even if they're both busy. And it's complicated. And they live in 2 different time zones. But I do know they are very happy. And we all ended up on the lake yesterday. T and I, we slept until the late afternoon. But we still made it out to the fun. And lots of friends. And yummy food! It was a lot of fun.

T's at work right now. And I'm trying to figure out his house. More importantly, his washing machine. I have so much dirty clothes. And I need to finish unpacking my things. Because we're back on the road Thursday. How does my bestie do this? XOXO