Proposal Story

 I'm an old married lady these days, with our first child on the way and all - but I thought I'd share how my dear husband popped the question!

 

John Proposed!!

(Tuesday, April 6, 2010)

John and I knew that we wanted to get married. We had talked about it many times but I wanted to let him propose when he was ready and in the way he wanted to. Minus my occasional peppering of questions about how much longer I would have to wait for the ring - I left him alone to do it in his own time (me being patient is quite an acomplishment!) 

Through our discussions, John had told me that the date he was going to ask was one of great importance to him. The day he proposed (April 6th 2010) was a complete surprise to me. I would have never guessed it would be in the middle of the week like that.

Monday night I had been up almost all night studying for my tests the next day; so when Tuesday came, I was already exhausted. After my first several classes of the day I got a call from John asking me to come over to his house, that he was sick and needed me to come check on him. I didn't have much time between my classes so I hurried off to see to him. When I got there we were sitting on the couch and it didn't take much sitting still for me to fall asleep. When I woke up (and realized I had slept through my class) I found a message from him but he was no where to be found.

The message started with a drawing of a ring and gave me clues as I read along as to what time and where I should be that evening. He ask me to meet him in "our park" at 11 that night (after we both had a chance to get off work). Our park has always been a special place to us. We frequently take walks there together, have had picnics there for some of our first dates. Any time I'm stressed and upset this is where we go together so I can unwind.

That night, I was fairly certain what was going to happen, hoping I wasn't wrong because I would look very silly if I had guessed incorrectly. I got all dressed up. I'm sure the people who saw us there thought we were crazy for what we were wearing. : ) I wore my white floor length formal. The same dress I was trying on when my friend first told me about John. Also the same dress I was wearing the first night I went over to his house for movies after a banquet. Wearing the dress just seemed fitting (plus I like to play dress up!).

As I drove to the park, I was a mess. I was already crying (tears of joy and excitement!) in anticipation of what was going to happen when I got to the park. I couldn't believe the night I had been waiting for was here!! As soon as I pulled up at the foot bridge he ask me to meet him on, I could see him there. Just seeing him there calmed me so much. Just like he always calms me. I met him on the bridge and he ask me to take a walk with him. (I'd like to note that I wasn't the only one who dressed up, he was wearing his suit!) We walked around the park twice while John talked to me about the things that make him so certain that I am the one. That we are ready to get married and are right for each other.

As we came back toward the bridge we had started from, there were some ducks at the edge of the water. Every time we go to the park, I run off after the ducks chasing them, looking like a complete fool I'm sure. Usually John just stands there and pretends to not know me; but this time he followed. When I chased the ducks off into the water he was there waiting for me. He told me that one of the things that he loves most about me is that I am myself around him. That I am willing to do things that could be considered foolish or silly because I am so comfortable with him.

At that point he got onto one knee and ask me to marry him. I was overwhelmed with happiness and got my "YES!" out to him. I didn't turn into a waterwork of tears, which was quite a suprise to me. I was calm, happy that my emotions didn't get the better of me so I have such a clear memory of the moment. Especially when he stood up to give me a hug and a kiss...and my engagement present!!

The ring he gave me as my engagement ring is the ring his father gave his mother. The day he chose to propose was the day that his father proposed to his mother. My engagement present is a second ring. It is the ring his great-grandfather gave his great-grandmother as an engagement ring when they moved to America from Germany and Poland. John's great-grandfather hammered out the ring setting himself!

We walked back to his car to get a blanket and spent the next while laying out watching the stars together. A perfect ending to a perfect night!

Count Down to Baby {15 Weeks}

I'm really behind on my bumpdate updates, but the first trimester really kicked my butt & I'm just now feeling like getting back to normal things.

Date:

5/7/13

Due Date:

October 22

How far along?:

We just completed our 15th week!

Weight Gain:

At this point I'm down 7 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.

My baby is the size of a:

Avocado! Roughly the size of an open hand.

Maternity Clothes:

Yes! I have a few pieces of maternity clothes and a few pieces of very stretchy regular clothes that I can keep wearing. I'm also in need of shopping for more maternity clothes.

Stretch Marks:

Yes. :( I have one. I've had it for a few weeks. It came out of no where. :(

Belly Button In or Out:

In! 

Wedding Ring on or off:

On!

Symptoms:

My nausea has gotten much better. I'm down to throwing up once a day, most days. I'm really exhausted all the time and having a lot of trouble sleeping. Headaches are honestly my biggest obstacle at this point.

Cravings: 

Fruit! and snow cones!

Aversions:

Chinese food in particular but food in general is pretty revolting still.

Sleep:

I'm getting 8 1/2 or 9 hours a night and it's a must have to survive but it's very restless.

I am loving:

That I look pregnant! And planning our Gender Reveal Party!!

I miss:

I've never been a big drinker at all, but I would give a lot for a margarita or pina colada these days!

I am looking forward to:

Knowing if it's a girl or a boy!!

I'm freaking out about:

Not much right now, I'm pretty mellow at this point.

Best moment this week:

I *think* I felt a tiny bit of movement. It's the only thing I can imagine it was, but I haven't felt anything since.

Worst moment this week:

I'm still throwing up some, that's never fun.

I also had a fit of crying in front of my children's choir last Saturday - I could have lived without that.

Emotions:

I'm pretty moody. I generally can't find a middle ground, I go from happy to angry to so sad. I cry really easily. I think this is what I'm most surprised by in pregnancy so far.

Milestones:

Nothing major, another week down!

Movement:

That maybe movement, but that's it.

It's a...:

baby!!

Exercise:

I'm finally walking again!! The first time in a while!

Diet:

Eh, Okay. Could be better - but it's hard when I find food so disgusting.

Goals for the upcoming week:

Get the last of the stuff for the gender reveal party

Nursery:

We'll start planning after we know if it's a boy or a girl!

Bump watch

CF Awareness Month & Our Story

For as long as I can remember, my brother Robert has been sick. 

Throughout our childhood when he was fighting a "cold or allergies" worse than usual (because it was a continuous battle) or his "asthma" had flared up again our entire lives would stop to revolve around him.  My parents tried to maintain a regular schedule and routine for the family but when Robert was especially not feeling well, everything about his personality and demeanor changed. He wasn't the artistic little boy who loved sketching or working out puzzles anymore. He was a screaming, angry, heathen of a child. Despite talking to doctors and behaviorists, the only thing my parents could find to control these outbursts was keeping him medicated at the slightest sign that his "sinuses" were going to "act up" again.

As Robert got older his respiratory issues got worse. When he would have a bad case of "allergies" or a "cold" you could tell he didn't feel good by his physical appearance. His face would literally change, becoming very swollen across the cheek bones and around the eyes. 

Our pediatrician was doing his best to treat his "asthma" and get him relief, but as he entered his preteen years it was clearly not working anymore.

When Robert was in 7th grade, he was having one of his "episodes". He was just so, so sick. An already skinny boy (at 5 foot 8 inches he only weighed 95 pounds!), he was visibly loosing weight. His face was distorted with sinus blockages and the cough that we'd all grown accustomed to because he's had it since he was an infant was growing more frequent and awful sounding.

He wasn't acting himself at all, but rather than the tantrums of his childhood; he was shutting off from everyone. He was in and out of the doctor on an almost weekly basis. New antibiotics or breathing treatments, my Dad was on the phone with the doctors office every. single. day.

At one point that spring it got so bad that Robert couldn't lay down to sleep at all. My Dad was staying up with him practically all night because his coughing had gotten so bad that he couldn't really sleep even if he could lay down. What little sleep he did get was upright in a recliner. My very frustrated father was explaining this to the doctor who was beyond sick of hearing from him so frequently. It was then that the pediatrician finally recognized how severe Roberts illness was.
We already had an appointment with a Childrens Pulmonologist (lung doctor) at Cooks Children in Fort Worth, but the earliest they could get us in was over two months away. Now that we had our doctor advocating for us, he got Roberts appointment moved up to the next week.

Just as luck would have it, in the short time between finally getting the doctor to understand how ill Robert was and finally making it to the pulmonologist; Robert was finally doing better! My parents joked that the doctor would probably not do anything because it looked like he had just had a bad cold and was finally turning the corner, but they kept the appointment anyway.

It was a routine appointment with tests and exams. Mom, Dad and Robert took their time coming home and enjoyed the afternoon in Fort Worth with Robert finally feeling better. The rest of us kiddos were hanging out with my Grandma, it was the first day of Spring Break. As they got back into town, the three of them were going to run home for something and come back and as a family we were going to go out for dinner at our favorite Tex Mex place.

Sitting at Grandma's house, I knew it was taking too long for them to get from our house back to hers. I thought it was odd, but then again - my family never runs on time.
When they got there, the atmosphere was immediately one of seriousness.

Robert went off to the play room to entertain himself and Mom and Dad sat down to talk to the rest of us. When they got home, there was a message on the answering machine from the Pulmonologist himself. He said that he needed to talk to them and that he would wait at the office for their call and gave them a back-door number to call in on after hours. In later days, Mom recalled that she knew something was seriously wrong; that they had finally found out what was wrong with her son if the doctor was waiting on them like this.

Robert has Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic condition affecting his pulmonary system and digestive systems in turn affecting his endocrine system. Being a genetic condition, he has had it since birth; but when he was born, it wasn't like today where the test is administered in the hospital before sending the infant home.  As bad as his respiratory problems were at the time, throughout his life he would have been considered a "healthy" CF patient (even without proper medical care). No one even thought to look for CF because if it isn't caught very early on in life, it usually isn't diagnosed.  Robert didn't display the normal symptoms. Other than his constant cough, his respiratory problems would wane with vigilant treatment from over-the-counter drugs. His primary constant symptom was the fact that his digestive system clearly didn't work the way yours and mine does (trust me, you don't want to know...).

The diagnosis came as a huge shock to my family.
When my parents were kids, children with CF didn't live to be teenagers.
Today we have treatments and amazing medical studies that are making great strides towards allowing those with CF to live a longer, fuller life. As of today, there is no cure. The average life span of a CF patient is now into their 30's or 40's depending on the severity of the case.

We are very fortunate that Robert responds very well to his CF treatments and is considered "healthy" for a CF diagnosis. Each day comes with lots of medications, treatments and challenges.
I love my brother dearly and while I'm heartbroken that he is sick, it is a huge relief to know what's wrong and what we can do about it.

I shared some of his story today because May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month.
For us, knowing that Robert has CF answered so many unanswered questions.

He couldn't gain weight because he doesn't digest fat and proteins.
(This is also the source of the horrible digestion problems)
His awful "dandruff" during the summer isn't skin - it's flakes of salt (I'm sure he's thrilled I shared that!)

The behavior problems associated with him not feeling well was as a result of his brain not getting enough oxygen - it affected his entire personality and mood.
When he was admitted to the hospital the day after his doctors appointment for his first two week stay, he was at 60% lung function. After being put on the appropriate meds to assist in digestion, he gained over 10 pounds in a week and was over 100 pounds for the first time in his life!

CF isn't very common, and you may or may not know someone with it - but I hope that you learned a little something from our story.

Survivor!!

This morning I drink proudly from my coffee cup (sadly containing decaf coffee) proclaiming that I am indeed, a Tax Season Survivor!

This may in fact have been the worst tax season I have endured yet.  I'm fairly 99% certain that the difficulty of the season had less to do with the amount of work (when in doubt extend it!!), and much more to do with the fact that I am that crazy hormonal pregnant woman.

A couple of tax season memories that will be scared into my psyche last forever include the various times, places and ways I managed to embarrass myself sprinting to the bathroom to throw up yet again.  The  multitude of ways I attempted to hold my hormone driven tongue from lashing out at clients who trust me, would have deserved it!

I'm excited to be back to the blogging world!

(and a tiny bit scared that as of now, I am behind on my Bloglovin' reads by 857 posts!!)

I've got a million... okay more like several posts that have been waiting to finally see me push that "Publish" button and I can't wait to share more about my quickly growing bump!

Thanks for bearing with me though yet another tax season induced hiatius - Happy April 16th... err, 17th (I slept through most of the 16th...)

Count Down to Baby! {2}

Date: 2/17/13

Due Date: We're still estimating around 10/14/13

How far along?: 

We'll still be estimating until we see the doctor on Wednesday, but according to the Bump.com I just finished my 5th week.

Weight Gain:

None

My baby is the size of a:
Appleseed

Maternity Clothes:

No, but I'm going to have to invest in a belly band soon. I'm loosing weight in pounds but all my fat is redistributing to my waist line and my pants aren't comfortable anymore.
Oh the lovely pregnancy bloat!

Stretch Marks:

nope.

Belly Button In or Out:
In. 

Wedding Ring on or off:

On. :)

Symptoms:

I've got them all apparently: Muscle and joint pain/fatigue, exhausted, I have to pee all the time, painful boobs, some mood swings (but not awful thank goodness!) and some indigestion.
On the bright side? I have the best complexion I've ever had! Amen for the Pregnancy glow!!

Cravings: 

none. This is what has surprised me the most so far!

Aversions:

none!

Sleep:

Eh. I'm exhausted during the day but then can't get comfortable enough to sleep at night.

I am loving:

Having this secret between just the two (well 3...) of us!

I miss:

Dr. Pepper!

I am looking forward to:

My first appointment with the midwife on Wednesday next week!
Telling our immediate family!

I'm freaking out about:

Being evasive about the pregnancy. I was asked point blank "you're not pregnant are you?" by a co-worker on Monday.

I'm also freaking out about telling some of the family. After the Doctors visit, we've decided to tell our parents, his grandparents and my brothers at the beginning of 9 weeks (3 weeks away). I'm worried about the reaction from his grandparents at first - they gave us a second honeymoon to Hawaii as a wedding gift. It's been booked for a couple of months now - and of course it's planned for the week before we're due.

Best moment this week:

Realizing that I can feel my uterus when I press down on my stomach!
I know, I know - I'm probably feeling the stretching muscles around it, but it is something clear and distinct that was not there before!

Or - looking at baby things with John while we shopped for our friend Tiffany's baby shower!

Worst moment this week:

Oh gosh, I'm not sure if I'm ready to share that one yet...

Emotions:

Great! I don't feel too terribly moody - not at all like I am when I'm PMS-ing. (John is singing his praises I'm sure)

Milestones:

Another week completed!

Movement:

none.

It's a...:

baby!

Exercise:

Still walking some.

Diet:

Normal.

Goals for the upcoming week:

Figuring out how we're going to tell John's grandparents.
Getting our 8 week appointment scheduled.

Nursery:

not worried about that yet.

Bump watch:

Count Down to Baby!! {1}

We've got some catch up to do - though we hadn't announced yet, I was too excited not to document everything!

Date: 2/10/13

Due Date: We are estimating that it will be about 10/14/13

(and I'm praying that our wee one really likes staying inside mommy so I can get through the 10/15 tax deadline!)

How far along?:

Again, with estimating because we haven't been to see a doctor, but I believe we're concluding our 4th week.

Weight Gain:

none. I'm down 3.5 pounds

My baby is the size of a:  

Poppy Seed!

Maternity Clothes:

Not yet. But I'm already looking into them!

Stretch Marks:

Nope! John had been joking around forever that when we are pregnant he'll rub cocoa butter on my belly every day. I'm going to hold him to it!!

Belly Button In or Out:

In. (I won't lie, not looking forward to it being out. My belly button is already sensitive to touch, I'm pretty sure that won't be pleasant)

Wedding Ring on or off:

On & loose.

Symptoms:

Maybe it's TMI, but my boobs hurt!

Cravings: 

None yet. 

Aversions:

None! :)

Sleep:

Great! I'm pretty easily tired right now, so I'm out like a rock!

I am loving:

How attentive John is being! 

I miss:

Cokes. I hadn't been really drinking them but I miss the possibility of them.

What you can't have you want?

I am looking forward to:

The first doctor visit.

I'm freaking out about:

Telling people. The doctor, I'm not a big fan of visiting the lady doctor. 

Guess I'm going to have to get over that.

Best moment this week:

The positive test!

Worst moment this week:

I've been cramping pretty badly. It was a great deal of the reason we didn't think I was pregnant before. Now that I know I am it scares me. Laying down seems to help stop them.

Emotions:

Excited. Nervous. Anxious... Excited!

Milestones:

Positive Pregnancy Test!

Movement:

None.

It's a...:

Baby!

Exercise:

We're going for walks each day. Roughly 2 or 3 miles.

Diet:

Normal, minus processed foods and caffeine.

Goals for the upcoming week:

Get an appointment with an OB/GYN. I'm pretty sure that I'll need to find a new one, so that search should be fun.

Nursery:

We won't start on that until we get into a new house.

Bump watch: 

Living the Journey: Cancelling Hawaii

A picture of Iao Valley in Maui from the Bestie's recent trip to Hawaii

So, we've cancelled our trip to Hawaii for this October.

As I've mentioned before, we were booked to visit Hawaii, Maui more specifically, the last week of September into the first week of October. This trip was a wedding gift to John and I from his grandparents as a kind of second honeymoon. We've known that we would go on this trip this fall for almost 3 years now. 

I have been so excited about the adventurers, sandy beaches, beautiful waters and well heck - everything, because after all it's Hawaii. 

but the reason we're not going is way better than what some old island can offer us!

3 weeks after we were booked to be in Hawaii - we will be welcoming our first child into the world!!

How are you Living Your Journey this week??
I hope you'll join us!

Rules:

- Follow Lauren & Myself

- Grab a button & link up

- Share a blog about how you are Living the Journey or any general post

- Visit other blogs and see how they're Living the Journey

<a href="http://enjoyingthejourneytx.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Enjoying the Journey" border="0" src="http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s495/EnjoyingTheJourneyTX/LivingtheJourney_200x200_zpsc6b61172.jpg" /></a>