Saturday, September 11, 2010
Day 18- The Person That You Wish You Could Be Day
I think that throughout life the things that happen just makes you stronger as a person. I think I like the person I have become but I do wish I was a person who was close to their family, who was more patient, understanding and not always in a rush!
Day 17- Someone From Your Childhood Day
When my family moved to a new town I started a new school and I remember being really shy. When I walked into the class and was introduced the teacher asked NR to show me around. That day and that instant NR became one of my Best Friends and continues to be to this day. Crazy 17 years ago I met my friend who to this day I have been though so much with and can talk to about anything!
Day 16- Someone That’s Not In Your State/Country Day
Well that’s an easy one because we move all the time and I only know a handful of people in this area/state. I miss KS, She came into my life at a time where I more than anything needed a great friend. Throughout our time in VA we grew closer and closer, and to this day we talk on the phone almost once a day! We are very similar, we think alike and we have husbands that are very much alike! I know when we moved that was not the end of our friendship and I am so thankful to have miss KS in my life!
Day 15- The Person You Miss The Most Day
I would say KK and JJ! In college I met KK and she was the randomest person I have ever met. We had many nights of studying late and then talking about life for all hours of the night, I miss what we had then! I miss my JJ she was my little sis who I took under my wing. This girl I just met no joke like an hour after she is clinging to my are at the cross country banquet because she had never wore a dress before and was self conscious (whatever beautiful skinny bitch haha). Both of these girls helped me though a lot in my life in college and my experience wouldn’t be the same without them, and I miss what we had!
Day 14- Someone You’ve Drifted Away From Day
Well in life you meet people and connect with people that are going through the same things you are going through. I would say in high school I had a lot of friends but as the years went on I stayed in touch with my closest friends, then in college same thing, and now especially having a child it is different keeping in touch or getting together with people who don’t have kids. I would say for the most part I have had some truly amazing friends but with the technology we have now I stay in touch with the ones that mean the most to me.
Day 13-Someone You Wish Could Forgive You Day
I don’t know in my life that I have done something so wrong or bad that someone who hasn’t forgiven me yet. I guess in middle and high school kids are mean and say mean things to each other, If I have said or did anything to anyone back then I am sorry!
Day 12- The Person You Hate Most / Caused You A Lot Of Pain Day
I don’t or try not to use the word HATE because it has such a strong meaning, and being a Christian I don’t think God would want us to hate anyone! But I do have people in my life that I would rather not talk to, one of those like I have talked about before is my” father“. He was a very controlling, selfish, abusive man and when I knew better as I got older I chose not to have a relationship with him.
Day 11- A Deceased Person You Wish You Could Talk To Day
Well this is just like day 9, but specifically I wish I could talk to my mothers mom (my grandma) and ask the same things I would my mom. How she raised so many kids, and did all the house work. I was only I think 6 when she died of cancer so I was old enough to remember her and things we did together and just not old enough to understand why she had to die so sudden!
Day 10-Someone You Don’t Talk To As Much As You’d Like To Day
My mother, my mom was always a really good listener and I miss her. The more I think about it the more it makes me mad because she is not dead she is just not allowed to talk to me! I wish more than anything throughout Alexis’s life I could have picked up the phone and tell my mom of her accomplishments, ask her how she did it with me, ask her how to make that dish I really liked to eat growing up. It just stinks that I can’t do that and I wish I could!
Day 9- Someone You Wish You Could Meet
Besides anyone famous, I would have love to meet my ancestors on each of my parents side. I lost all of my grandparents at a very young age, and I feel like I missed out on a lot. Just to know more about my family and their struggles of coming from Germany, Spain and Mexico!
Day 8- Your Favorite Internet Friend Day
Well I don’t talk to people I don’t know on the internet so I will change it to my favorite website day. I think by far my favorite website is face book. I think I along with MANY other people in this world have a secret addiction to face book. I heard about face book in college and in my sohomore year in college everyone I knew had an account. I vowed it’s a fad and I WILL not make an account. Ya I gave in like 3 months later. Over time I stopped using myspace because all of my friends and more were on face book so it was easier to keep in touch. I only wish I had been the one to have come up with it! Haha
Day 7- Your Ex-Boyfriend/Love/Crush
Well I don’t know if you will ever forget your FIRST “love“! In high school I dated a good share of guys but the one I actually “fell in love” with was all wrong for me but being blinded by that love you don’t see it at the time. He had a good heart but being young and immature he is forever the reason why I have trust issues with men. I was nothing but true, honest and genuinely there for him for 3 years, but due to my strict parents I couldn’t go out as much as he did, I wasn’t into drugs like he was and when I wasn’t around he would find comfort in the arms of other girls! I am glad life happened the way it did, but my first ‘love” will always have a scare on my heart.
Day 6- A Strange day
Well I would say the day I graduated from high school, because I felt like the world was at my finger tips and at the same time I didn’t have the family support from my parents!
Day 5- My Dreams
Day 5 - Your Dreams
I would say My dreams are like everyone else for the most part, the american dream! I want to be LOVED by one person for the rest of my life no matter what comes our way, I want a beautiful family, I want to have nice things and a successful career. Where my dreams may differ is that if more than anything I want to serve our country as a United states marine officer, but I do not have the support of family, IF I knew that my daughter would be 100% cared for I would do it in a heart beat! But that is not that case, so I just want to make everyone else happy and have a successful civilian career that I can show my potential in and advance in!
I would say My dreams are like everyone else for the most part, the american dream! I want to be LOVED by one person for the rest of my life no matter what comes our way, I want a beautiful family, I want to have nice things and a successful career. Where my dreams may differ is that if more than anything I want to serve our country as a United states marine officer, but I do not have the support of family, IF I knew that my daughter would be 100% cared for I would do it in a heart beat! But that is not that case, so I just want to make everyone else happy and have a successful civilian career that I can show my potential in and advance in!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Day 4- Sibling Day
My parents had 3 children together, two boys and me. Well being the only girl growing up and the youngest, wasn’t that fun. I felt so alone because they were so much older than me and they were boys, I wasn’t allowed to play with them because they were “to rough”. As we are getting older I think all 3 of us can agree we are getting closer and we are realizing that this is our family, each other so we need to be there for each other.
My Brother Conrad is 11 years older than me, growing up he wasn’t around much because he lived with my grandparents, then went off to college. He had his first son Tyler when I was in middle school. That is when I think we started to get to know each other. I would go to his house and babysit. He married his wife Jamie, who I couldn’t imagine a better person, she is a loving and giving person who has always been there for me in my life. They also have a son named Trevor, a daughter named Natalie, and they have a one year old son named Tanner! I love my nieces and nephews so much! My brother has a lot of life experience and I look up to him and in many ways he has been there when my parents weren’t he is the one who encouraged me to go to college and when I found out I was pregnant he encouraged me to finish my degree. My brother has a big heart and I am so lucky to have him and his family in my life! I try to get back to visit them no matter where we are stationed at least once a year.
My Brother Paul is 4 years older than me, so growing up he was always to cool to hang out with his little sister. In high school he was a big football player and track runner. My brother decided the military and college weren’t for him. He has lived in a couple states, and has had a couple of good jobs. I would say my brother and I haven’t really been close until a few years ago. He has the personality which HE is always right and you cant tell him otherwise! I think I am the only one that really gets him, haha. I love my brother but sometimes I wish he wasn’t so thick headed. He has not settled down yet….maybe someday!
My Brother Conrad is 11 years older than me, growing up he wasn’t around much because he lived with my grandparents, then went off to college. He had his first son Tyler when I was in middle school. That is when I think we started to get to know each other. I would go to his house and babysit. He married his wife Jamie, who I couldn’t imagine a better person, she is a loving and giving person who has always been there for me in my life. They also have a son named Trevor, a daughter named Natalie, and they have a one year old son named Tanner! I love my nieces and nephews so much! My brother has a lot of life experience and I look up to him and in many ways he has been there when my parents weren’t he is the one who encouraged me to go to college and when I found out I was pregnant he encouraged me to finish my degree. My brother has a big heart and I am so lucky to have him and his family in my life! I try to get back to visit them no matter where we are stationed at least once a year.
My Brother Paul is 4 years older than me, so growing up he was always to cool to hang out with his little sister. In high school he was a big football player and track runner. My brother decided the military and college weren’t for him. He has lived in a couple states, and has had a couple of good jobs. I would say my brother and I haven’t really been close until a few years ago. He has the personality which HE is always right and you cant tell him otherwise! I think I am the only one that really gets him, haha. I love my brother but sometimes I wish he wasn’t so thick headed. He has not settled down yet….maybe someday!
Day 3
Parents day-
Where to begin, My “father” is Hispanic (Mexican and Spanish) my grandparents came over when my dad was a few days old. His name was Raul but growing up he said he didn’t want the stereotyped of being Mexican so he wanted to be more “Americanized” so he changed his name to Paul and he didn’t carry on any of the Hispanic traditions, he didn’t even teach me Spanish. My mother’s family came to Michigan from Germany where they homesteaded and had a lot of acres on a farm that was pasted down for many many generations, until my grandpa couldn’t take care of it anymore and sold the farm and property. My moms family tried to keep there German traditions but threw the generations they lost touch with it. How awesome would it have been to grow up knowing Spanish and German?!
To sugar coat it, I didn’t have a great childhood, but I am sure I didn’t have the worst childhood either. My “father” was an adulterous, he was abusive, a liar and a controller. I say was because I haven’t talked to him since my graduation in high school nearly 6 years ago.
My mom she was never strong enough to face him and move on from him, looking back she was not there the way a mother should have been for her children.
While in my senior year of high school, my mother and I moved to my oldest brothers house, after I graduated from high school my mom went back to him and told me “your 18, your no longer my concern”. SO while in college I had NO communication with my parents, until one day I couldn’t take it anymore and I called my mom and by this time I had already had my daughter, I told her I was hurt that she had not tried to talk to me since. She actually ended up coming to my college graduation with my oldest brother. Then helped me move out to California where she stayed a week. That has been the most time in 6 years that she has spent with me. Haven’t really seen or talked to her since, because I don’t want a relationship with my “father” just my mom and he wont allow it!
SO what if anything did I learn from my childhood, well I guess to not be anything like my parents!! Honestly I am somewhat grateful to have had the life I have had, because that has made me who I am today! I PUT my self through college with no help from them. I have gotten married and have a beautiful daughter that honestly THEY are missing out on!!
Where to begin, My “father” is Hispanic (Mexican and Spanish) my grandparents came over when my dad was a few days old. His name was Raul but growing up he said he didn’t want the stereotyped of being Mexican so he wanted to be more “Americanized” so he changed his name to Paul and he didn’t carry on any of the Hispanic traditions, he didn’t even teach me Spanish. My mother’s family came to Michigan from Germany where they homesteaded and had a lot of acres on a farm that was pasted down for many many generations, until my grandpa couldn’t take care of it anymore and sold the farm and property. My moms family tried to keep there German traditions but threw the generations they lost touch with it. How awesome would it have been to grow up knowing Spanish and German?!
To sugar coat it, I didn’t have a great childhood, but I am sure I didn’t have the worst childhood either. My “father” was an adulterous, he was abusive, a liar and a controller. I say was because I haven’t talked to him since my graduation in high school nearly 6 years ago.
My mom she was never strong enough to face him and move on from him, looking back she was not there the way a mother should have been for her children.
While in my senior year of high school, my mother and I moved to my oldest brothers house, after I graduated from high school my mom went back to him and told me “your 18, your no longer my concern”. SO while in college I had NO communication with my parents, until one day I couldn’t take it anymore and I called my mom and by this time I had already had my daughter, I told her I was hurt that she had not tried to talk to me since. She actually ended up coming to my college graduation with my oldest brother. Then helped me move out to California where she stayed a week. That has been the most time in 6 years that she has spent with me. Haven’t really seen or talked to her since, because I don’t want a relationship with my “father” just my mom and he wont allow it!
SO what if anything did I learn from my childhood, well I guess to not be anything like my parents!! Honestly I am somewhat grateful to have had the life I have had, because that has made me who I am today! I PUT my self through college with no help from them. I have gotten married and have a beautiful daughter that honestly THEY are missing out on!!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day 2- Crush day
The Crush day…..
Haha well this one just makes me chuckle….I am a married women but I guess there is nothing wrong with having a crush right?! Just like probably every female in the world I have a huge crush on Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.
Now what makes a crush? Is it there personality, good looks, or what? For me what drew me to my husband was his beautiful blue eyes, cute butt, and witty personality.
Haha well this one just makes me chuckle….I am a married women but I guess there is nothing wrong with having a crush right?! Just like probably every female in the world I have a huge crush on Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.
Now what makes a crush? Is it there personality, good looks, or what? For me what drew me to my husband was his beautiful blue eyes, cute butt, and witty personality.
30 days of release through writing, emotions, feelings and everything between….
30 days of release through writing, emotions, feelings and everything between….
Day 1 - Your Best Friend Day 2 - Your Crush Day 3 - Your Parents Day 4 - Your Sibling (or closest relative) Day 5 - Your Dreams Day 6 - A Stranger Day 7 - Your Ex-Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Love/Crush Day 8 - Your Favorite Internet Friend Day 9 - Someone You Wish You Could Meet Day 10 - Someone You Don’t Talk To As Much As You’d Like To Day 11 - A Deceased Person You Wish You Could Talk To Day 12 - The Person You Hate Most / Caused You A Lot Of Pain Day 13 - Someone You Wish Could Forgive You Day 14 - Someone You’ve Drifted Away From Day 15 - The Person You Miss The Most Day 16 - Someone That’s Not In Your State/Country Day 17 - Someone From Your Childhood Day 18 - The Person That You Wish You Could Be Day 19 - Someone That Pesters Your Mind - Good or Bad Day 20 - The One That Broke Your Heart The Hardest Day 21 - Someone You Judged By Your First Impression Day 22 - Someone You Want To Give A Second Chance To Day 23 - The Last Person You Kissed Day 24 - The Person That Gave You Your Favorite Memory Day 25 - The Person You Know That Is Going Through The Worst Of Times Day 26 - The Person You Made A Pinky Promise To Day 27 - The Friendliest Person You Knew For Only One Day Day 28 - Someone That Changed Your Life Day 29 - The Person That You Want To Tell Everything To, But You’re Too Afraid To Day 30 - Your Reflection In The Mirror
Day 1- Your Best Friend day-
Best friend what is the definition? Someone who has been there for many years as a shoulder to cry on? Someone who listens to you no matter what time it is, and no matter what they have going on the next day. I want to believe that people come into your life at different times to help you with the different obstacles in life. In High school I would say I had 4 best friends, these were people who I would run to when life just seemed to overwhelm me, they were each different people with different opinions, views and backgrounds but they all were people I couldn’t have imagined how my life would be different without them. In College I joined a sorority and I had a lot of sisters but I would truly call 3 of them best friends, again they were there at different parts of college when I needed them the most and they needed me. Now post college when Adam has been in the marine corps I have met a lot of people some of which are just acquaintances, but in this time of my life I would say I have 2 best friends that understand the demands of being married to the marine corps. But No matter where I have gone, what I have done in my life, there has been ONE person that has never turned his back on me, who has always told me to follow my dreams, to just be happy and to keep swimming. That person is my BEST friend Jeff, I know it is probably unusual to have a best friend who is a guy who isn’t your husband but it all started back 8+ years ago. I met Jeff in High school Algebra class he was, well shy and not that outgoing. Over sometime I got to know Jeff and we just clicked, I think I brought him out of his shell and he made me look at life in a different way. We never dated, that is because we had such a strong bond that neither of us wanted to break. Without even saying things we would get what the other person was trying to say or if the other was upset. Threw life’s many obstacles I have turned to Jeff, as he does me. I cant imagine my life without my best friend Jeff in it.
Day 1 - Your Best Friend Day 2 - Your Crush Day 3 - Your Parents Day 4 - Your Sibling (or closest relative) Day 5 - Your Dreams Day 6 - A Stranger Day 7 - Your Ex-Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Love/Crush Day 8 - Your Favorite Internet Friend Day 9 - Someone You Wish You Could Meet Day 10 - Someone You Don’t Talk To As Much As You’d Like To Day 11 - A Deceased Person You Wish You Could Talk To Day 12 - The Person You Hate Most / Caused You A Lot Of Pain Day 13 - Someone You Wish Could Forgive You Day 14 - Someone You’ve Drifted Away From Day 15 - The Person You Miss The Most Day 16 - Someone That’s Not In Your State/Country Day 17 - Someone From Your Childhood Day 18 - The Person That You Wish You Could Be Day 19 - Someone That Pesters Your Mind - Good or Bad Day 20 - The One That Broke Your Heart The Hardest Day 21 - Someone You Judged By Your First Impression Day 22 - Someone You Want To Give A Second Chance To Day 23 - The Last Person You Kissed Day 24 - The Person That Gave You Your Favorite Memory Day 25 - The Person You Know That Is Going Through The Worst Of Times Day 26 - The Person You Made A Pinky Promise To Day 27 - The Friendliest Person You Knew For Only One Day Day 28 - Someone That Changed Your Life Day 29 - The Person That You Want To Tell Everything To, But You’re Too Afraid To Day 30 - Your Reflection In The Mirror
Day 1- Your Best Friend day-
Best friend what is the definition? Someone who has been there for many years as a shoulder to cry on? Someone who listens to you no matter what time it is, and no matter what they have going on the next day. I want to believe that people come into your life at different times to help you with the different obstacles in life. In High school I would say I had 4 best friends, these were people who I would run to when life just seemed to overwhelm me, they were each different people with different opinions, views and backgrounds but they all were people I couldn’t have imagined how my life would be different without them. In College I joined a sorority and I had a lot of sisters but I would truly call 3 of them best friends, again they were there at different parts of college when I needed them the most and they needed me. Now post college when Adam has been in the marine corps I have met a lot of people some of which are just acquaintances, but in this time of my life I would say I have 2 best friends that understand the demands of being married to the marine corps. But No matter where I have gone, what I have done in my life, there has been ONE person that has never turned his back on me, who has always told me to follow my dreams, to just be happy and to keep swimming. That person is my BEST friend Jeff, I know it is probably unusual to have a best friend who is a guy who isn’t your husband but it all started back 8+ years ago. I met Jeff in High school Algebra class he was, well shy and not that outgoing. Over sometime I got to know Jeff and we just clicked, I think I brought him out of his shell and he made me look at life in a different way. We never dated, that is because we had such a strong bond that neither of us wanted to break. Without even saying things we would get what the other person was trying to say or if the other was upset. Threw life’s many obstacles I have turned to Jeff, as he does me. I cant imagine my life without my best friend Jeff in it.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Weighting in on P90X…
I have always been physically fit, in high school and college I was involved in sports and ate great….UNTIL I was pregnant with my daughter. I grained right at 75 pounds when I was pregnant. I would not advise the “I can eat what I want, this is the one time its ok to be fat!” attitude…..well in 3 years I have bounced all around with my weight and couldn’t seem to steady myself at a weight I felt comfortable with.
I started P90X 5 weeks and 3 days ago, I bought the program because we are short on $ and there isn’t a co-op gym program here at this base and with a toddler I needed something I could do that wouldn’t monopolize much time. This Program is perfect, its right at an hour a day and I can do it when she is still asleep, napping, sometimes if I let her watch a movie or at bed time. Now I am not going to say this program is easy, because it is VIGOROUS…. but no joke I woke up the next morning so sore…BUT no pain no gain!!
I am starting to feel good about my body again, I can look in the mirror and see that my body is changing (its an awesome feeling). Not going to lie, some days I am just not feeling it, but I put the dvd in anyways, Tony says “do your best and forget the rest” that’s what I have been doing and it feels great!
I know once I get to where I want to be I will not go back to my “old” self, I will continue this because feeling and looking great does not come quick or easy it is a LIFESTYLE change!
I started P90X 5 weeks and 3 days ago, I bought the program because we are short on $ and there isn’t a co-op gym program here at this base and with a toddler I needed something I could do that wouldn’t monopolize much time. This Program is perfect, its right at an hour a day and I can do it when she is still asleep, napping, sometimes if I let her watch a movie or at bed time. Now I am not going to say this program is easy, because it is VIGOROUS…. but no joke I woke up the next morning so sore…BUT no pain no gain!!
I am starting to feel good about my body again, I can look in the mirror and see that my body is changing (its an awesome feeling). Not going to lie, some days I am just not feeling it, but I put the dvd in anyways, Tony says “do your best and forget the rest” that’s what I have been doing and it feels great!
I know once I get to where I want to be I will not go back to my “old” self, I will continue this because feeling and looking great does not come quick or easy it is a LIFESTYLE change!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Toys are toys….
Okay , I told my husband Adam when we have our childern (before we had a child), he or she will not be limited to only boys toys or girls toys, because I think its silly to tell a child you cant play with that, its for a boy! I had two older brothers growing up and I played with my fair share of dinosaurs and G.I. Joes, point is I played with those toys because I thought they were interesting, they were fun. I would say growing up I played will all kinds of toys and I turned out just fine!
SO this is not the first time this has been brought up to me, and well I find it rather irritating. There was a lot more said then this….“Your daughter is the only girl I know that would rather play with dinosaurs and trucks over dolls…….” and you say that like its bad?! why should we limit our children to pink princess things and dolls, or blue monster trucks and trains? I think children should be exposed to all sorts of toys when they are young!
Relating back to my child development classes in college….typically a child who was a female would get a doll to play or a kitchen set, or a vacuum or whatever because when that little girl grows up she will one day have children and clean house. A boy on the other hand would get a chemistry set, firemen hat or legos, because someday that little boy will grow up and have to provide for his family with a skill or trade. TIMES have changed….Its 2010 for goodness sake. If a girl wants to play with a chemistry set, LET her… she is curious and wants to know about the world around her. If a boy wants a kitchen set, don’t think anything about it maybe one day he will be an award winning chef!
POINT is….children are young, they are trying to explore the big world around them. So don’t criticize or deny a child a toy based on the social norms of that toy, because at the end of the day IT’S A TOY! A childs’ play thing!
SO this is not the first time this has been brought up to me, and well I find it rather irritating. There was a lot more said then this….“Your daughter is the only girl I know that would rather play with dinosaurs and trucks over dolls…….” and you say that like its bad?! why should we limit our children to pink princess things and dolls, or blue monster trucks and trains? I think children should be exposed to all sorts of toys when they are young!
Relating back to my child development classes in college….typically a child who was a female would get a doll to play or a kitchen set, or a vacuum or whatever because when that little girl grows up she will one day have children and clean house. A boy on the other hand would get a chemistry set, firemen hat or legos, because someday that little boy will grow up and have to provide for his family with a skill or trade. TIMES have changed….Its 2010 for goodness sake. If a girl wants to play with a chemistry set, LET her… she is curious and wants to know about the world around her. If a boy wants a kitchen set, don’t think anything about it maybe one day he will be an award winning chef!
POINT is….children are young, they are trying to explore the big world around them. So don’t criticize or deny a child a toy based on the social norms of that toy, because at the end of the day IT’S A TOY! A childs’ play thing!
Bragging rights….
My baby is growing up. It seems like just yesterday she was born and I couldn’t wait for her to crawl, to talk, to walk and now she is almost 3 years old! I can’t believe how time flies…Alexis has always picked up on things fast and I am so thankful for that, she is very blessed!
As a mother, I think it is my right to brag on my child....My little girl is FINALLY sleeping in her own bed (she slept in her bed until we introduced the toddler bed and then she slept in my bed for a good 10 months, while we were in VA) now she is happy and content with her Dora bedroom and has to sleep with all of her favorite stuffed animals haha. Also my daughter is practically potty trained (we introduced the potty around 15 months and didn’t push it but she did very well, with all the moves and jobs since we didn’t really stick to it, but we are now)!! She will tell me when she has to go, if we go somewhere she will hold it until we get home or she may have an accident, but I told her accidents happen and that’s ok! She still wears diapers to bed and when we are in the car but she asks me all the time for “big girl pants”! She has been counting for a long time now, but recently she has been counting EVERYTHING, its crazy she will tell me “mommy there is 4 books on my bed”, she also counts on her fingers and toes!! Alexis started talking very early, by almost 2 she was talking in sentences and now she talks in complete sentences!! We have been working a lot on colors, this is not her strong point… I think I have pounded everything else into her head but colors, but every night we color in her book with 3 colors and she tells me what they are, work in progress. AND… I am proud to announce she started preschool on Tuesday July 6th!! Her teacher told me she is very advanced for her age, she is a good listener and is very polite (when she told me this my jaw dropped…my child?! haha a good listener haha I wish she would listen at home). This morning I woke her up at 7:15am and she hasn’t been up this early since April and she didn’t want to wake up, but I told her we are heading to preschool and she literally changed her whole attitude and was excited…she told me “hurry up mommy we don’t want to be late to preschool!”.
I love my daughter so very much and I cant wait to see what wonderful things she will do in her life!!
As a mother, I think it is my right to brag on my child....My little girl is FINALLY sleeping in her own bed (she slept in her bed until we introduced the toddler bed and then she slept in my bed for a good 10 months, while we were in VA) now she is happy and content with her Dora bedroom and has to sleep with all of her favorite stuffed animals haha. Also my daughter is practically potty trained (we introduced the potty around 15 months and didn’t push it but she did very well, with all the moves and jobs since we didn’t really stick to it, but we are now)!! She will tell me when she has to go, if we go somewhere she will hold it until we get home or she may have an accident, but I told her accidents happen and that’s ok! She still wears diapers to bed and when we are in the car but she asks me all the time for “big girl pants”! She has been counting for a long time now, but recently she has been counting EVERYTHING, its crazy she will tell me “mommy there is 4 books on my bed”, she also counts on her fingers and toes!! Alexis started talking very early, by almost 2 she was talking in sentences and now she talks in complete sentences!! We have been working a lot on colors, this is not her strong point… I think I have pounded everything else into her head but colors, but every night we color in her book with 3 colors and she tells me what they are, work in progress. AND… I am proud to announce she started preschool on Tuesday July 6th!! Her teacher told me she is very advanced for her age, she is a good listener and is very polite (when she told me this my jaw dropped…my child?! haha a good listener haha I wish she would listen at home). This morning I woke her up at 7:15am and she hasn’t been up this early since April and she didn’t want to wake up, but I told her we are heading to preschool and she literally changed her whole attitude and was excited…she told me “hurry up mommy we don’t want to be late to preschool!”.
I love my daughter so very much and I cant wait to see what wonderful things she will do in her life!!
Career….
When I was in middle school I had a huge infatuation with dinosaurs and I wanted to be a paleontologist. But that faded when my brother had his first child. After many times of babysitting my nephew, I decided I wanted to be a elementary teacher. When my brother’s son was diagnosed with Autism, I decided I wanted to be a special education teacher.
After graduation from high school I told my family I wanted to enlist in the marine corps. Not having had anyone in our immediate family serve my family was very reluctant to let me join. Being 18, I TOLD them I was going to do it with or with out their consent. The night before I was to go to MEPS my brother talked me down from the idea, he told me to go to college (I had already been accepted to all the colleges I applied to) and if I still wanted to join the Marine Corps I should BUT as an officer. So when I went off to college that was my underline plan to join the Marine Corps as an officer after graduation.
While in college among joining a sorority, being in choir, the dance team, a member of the cross country team, the wrestling manager, being involved in Christian organizations, and working part time as a work study student and as a waitress (I was always extremely busy, that’s how I stayed organized to believe it or not) I declared my major to be Elementary education. After taking general psychology class I became very interested in it. So I made psychology my second major.
I was in my junior year of college and found out Adam and I were having a baby. I wanted more than anything to finish my degree (first in my immediate family to go, and graduate from college). Well if I wanted to have my cake and eat it too I had to make some hard choices. I wanted Adam and me to have the baby and live together, and I wanted to graduate college with both of my majors, BUT in order to do that I would have to stay an extra year due to finishing up all the required classes and student teaching. Not knowing what the future will hold I was reluctant to be away from my husband and keep him away from his daughter (I debated transferring to a college in California but not all of my credits would transfer), As I calculated it if I dropped my elementary education major ALL I would have to do is take summer classes to make up for missing the fall classes, come back after having the baby, and finish on time in the spring….so that’s what I did. It was a sacrifice I am glad I made, sure it was hard but it was extremely worth it.
Since graduating from college, getting married and having our beautiful daughter I still had my dream of joining the marine corps. To me it almost made so much sense to have both my husband and I serve our country, but it raised a HUGE debate with members of both of our families. I get that I will be away from my daughter, I get I will miss things that happen in her life… BUT to me I BELIEVE anyone who is mentally and physically fit should show their gratitude to all the men and women who have fought and gave the ultimate sacrifice in preserving what our for fathers did…OUR FREEDOM! To me that is the GREATEST honor of all, to proudly say “I served for our country”. To me it doesn’t matter what branch you serve, doesn’t matter what your MOS (or job) is, EVERY body in every branch and MOS serves as a piece to the whole picture.
I am currently un-sure what I want to do with my life. I was so sure, but having a child, and a husband who will be deployed or be in the field A LOT has altered what I WANT to do! My husband doesn’t necessarily like the idea of me being in the marines because he doesn’t want me to deploy and possibly get hurt, I get that, he also would like another child someday and me joining would put that on hold a while longer.
SO what to do? I could just sit at home and be a house mom and wife….NO! that is not the life for me, I am a self sufficient individual… I don’t ever want to RELY on my husband. No matter what I never want to feel like I NEED him, but to want him! I don’t want just any job, I want a CAREER…something I can move up in, something I like to do. The main difference between a job and career to me is: a job is something you have to do for the money, its something that you may not necessarily like, a career is something you choose….its your passion, it isn’t always easy but you are glad to have that career at the end of the day. well I must make a decision…. my life is slowly passing me by, and I am yet to decide whether to go back to school and get my masters or to pursue the marine corps or to find a happy medium 9-5pm job.
TO BE CONTINUED……at a later date:)
After graduation from high school I told my family I wanted to enlist in the marine corps. Not having had anyone in our immediate family serve my family was very reluctant to let me join. Being 18, I TOLD them I was going to do it with or with out their consent. The night before I was to go to MEPS my brother talked me down from the idea, he told me to go to college (I had already been accepted to all the colleges I applied to) and if I still wanted to join the Marine Corps I should BUT as an officer. So when I went off to college that was my underline plan to join the Marine Corps as an officer after graduation.
While in college among joining a sorority, being in choir, the dance team, a member of the cross country team, the wrestling manager, being involved in Christian organizations, and working part time as a work study student and as a waitress (I was always extremely busy, that’s how I stayed organized to believe it or not) I declared my major to be Elementary education. After taking general psychology class I became very interested in it. So I made psychology my second major.
I was in my junior year of college and found out Adam and I were having a baby. I wanted more than anything to finish my degree (first in my immediate family to go, and graduate from college). Well if I wanted to have my cake and eat it too I had to make some hard choices. I wanted Adam and me to have the baby and live together, and I wanted to graduate college with both of my majors, BUT in order to do that I would have to stay an extra year due to finishing up all the required classes and student teaching. Not knowing what the future will hold I was reluctant to be away from my husband and keep him away from his daughter (I debated transferring to a college in California but not all of my credits would transfer), As I calculated it if I dropped my elementary education major ALL I would have to do is take summer classes to make up for missing the fall classes, come back after having the baby, and finish on time in the spring….so that’s what I did. It was a sacrifice I am glad I made, sure it was hard but it was extremely worth it.
Since graduating from college, getting married and having our beautiful daughter I still had my dream of joining the marine corps. To me it almost made so much sense to have both my husband and I serve our country, but it raised a HUGE debate with members of both of our families. I get that I will be away from my daughter, I get I will miss things that happen in her life… BUT to me I BELIEVE anyone who is mentally and physically fit should show their gratitude to all the men and women who have fought and gave the ultimate sacrifice in preserving what our for fathers did…OUR FREEDOM! To me that is the GREATEST honor of all, to proudly say “I served for our country”. To me it doesn’t matter what branch you serve, doesn’t matter what your MOS (or job) is, EVERY body in every branch and MOS serves as a piece to the whole picture.
I am currently un-sure what I want to do with my life. I was so sure, but having a child, and a husband who will be deployed or be in the field A LOT has altered what I WANT to do! My husband doesn’t necessarily like the idea of me being in the marines because he doesn’t want me to deploy and possibly get hurt, I get that, he also would like another child someday and me joining would put that on hold a while longer.
SO what to do? I could just sit at home and be a house mom and wife….NO! that is not the life for me, I am a self sufficient individual… I don’t ever want to RELY on my husband. No matter what I never want to feel like I NEED him, but to want him! I don’t want just any job, I want a CAREER…something I can move up in, something I like to do. The main difference between a job and career to me is: a job is something you have to do for the money, its something that you may not necessarily like, a career is something you choose….its your passion, it isn’t always easy but you are glad to have that career at the end of the day. well I must make a decision…. my life is slowly passing me by, and I am yet to decide whether to go back to school and get my masters or to pursue the marine corps or to find a happy medium 9-5pm job.
TO BE CONTINUED……at a later date:)
Monday, June 28, 2010
From Coast to Coast…
Some people love it, some people hate it, the marine corps will take ya all over the country and world…we started in South Carolina and we have been to California, to Virginia and to North Carolina. I told Adam when we first started out, lets do and see as much as we can, because we may never have the chance to do it again…so at every duty station or holiday we try to make the most of it, to do and see as much as we can. To me life is about the moments you spend with your family, so we are always doing something together as a family.
Adam and I were both nervous to move to California, the crazy traffic and people, just the over all not knowing anyone or anything at this new place. However, over time we both grew to LOVE the Beautiful weather, the people we met and the really neat places we visited. We lived on base and the base beach was about 20 miles away so we went there often. Adam has an aunt who lives in the beautiful country side north of Hollywood. We visited a few times while we were out there, we had the chance to go white water rafting, and we walked through the beautiful red wood trees (an awesome experience). We also visited Hollywood a few times, that was really fun, there are many different things to see in Hollywood (word of advice its kind of scary at night, that’s when all the weirdoes come out hahaha). we also went to sea world, they have a promotion that military and their families get to go to the park free once a year. We never made it to the different beaches or to Vegas but if we ever get stationed out there again we will defiantly have to go.
When Adam had successfully completed officer school, Alexis and I moved to Virginia to stay with Adam while he was at TBS. While in Virginia it was a very stressful time for Adam he had a grueling 6 month training session where he wouldn’t come home for nights, and or if he did come home he would be walking in really late, had to study even later, and then be up at it again early the next morning. When we did do anything Adam was a good sport about it, we usually went on weekends or on holidays. We visited the DC area many times, to many of the museums and we also went to the Independence day parade which was really fun! We also went to Richmond a couple times where we took Alexis to the children’s museum, and to the holocaust museum. Over one holiday weekend I planned a trip I was extremely excited about, we went to PA, to the Hershey museum and to the factory (they give free candy at the end of the ride through the factory, yum yum). On that trip we also stopped in Baltimore where we went to (a rather expensive and not very entertaining) the National Aquarium. We never made it to the Smithsonian air and space museum or to Arlington cemetery, so those are places we will have to visit if we make it there again.
Now we are in North Carolina where already we have done many things. We have traveled to Charleston, SC and did many things there such as the patriots point, Ft. Sumter, and Ft. Moultrie, went to the market and the aquarium. We have been to Myrtle beach, where we went on the board walk and went to the Ripley’s aquarium (Alexis loves fish that’s why we go to so many aquariums). Alexis and I make it to the base beach at least once a week. There is much to do here and I am excited to discover our awaiting adventure.
Along with seeing new things, we have also met some really good friends that I hope through the years we stay in contact with. Without them, our experience of our duties stations wouldn’t be the same. People always say the marine corps is a family, and I am so glad to be apart of it. The people we have met throughout the years have stood by us through rough spots in our lives, our children have played together, they have welcomed us into their homes for special occasions. I hope that they all know how much each of them has touched my life.
Adam and I were both nervous to move to California, the crazy traffic and people, just the over all not knowing anyone or anything at this new place. However, over time we both grew to LOVE the Beautiful weather, the people we met and the really neat places we visited. We lived on base and the base beach was about 20 miles away so we went there often. Adam has an aunt who lives in the beautiful country side north of Hollywood. We visited a few times while we were out there, we had the chance to go white water rafting, and we walked through the beautiful red wood trees (an awesome experience). We also visited Hollywood a few times, that was really fun, there are many different things to see in Hollywood (word of advice its kind of scary at night, that’s when all the weirdoes come out hahaha). we also went to sea world, they have a promotion that military and their families get to go to the park free once a year. We never made it to the different beaches or to Vegas but if we ever get stationed out there again we will defiantly have to go.
When Adam had successfully completed officer school, Alexis and I moved to Virginia to stay with Adam while he was at TBS. While in Virginia it was a very stressful time for Adam he had a grueling 6 month training session where he wouldn’t come home for nights, and or if he did come home he would be walking in really late, had to study even later, and then be up at it again early the next morning. When we did do anything Adam was a good sport about it, we usually went on weekends or on holidays. We visited the DC area many times, to many of the museums and we also went to the Independence day parade which was really fun! We also went to Richmond a couple times where we took Alexis to the children’s museum, and to the holocaust museum. Over one holiday weekend I planned a trip I was extremely excited about, we went to PA, to the Hershey museum and to the factory (they give free candy at the end of the ride through the factory, yum yum). On that trip we also stopped in Baltimore where we went to (a rather expensive and not very entertaining) the National Aquarium. We never made it to the Smithsonian air and space museum or to Arlington cemetery, so those are places we will have to visit if we make it there again.
Now we are in North Carolina where already we have done many things. We have traveled to Charleston, SC and did many things there such as the patriots point, Ft. Sumter, and Ft. Moultrie, went to the market and the aquarium. We have been to Myrtle beach, where we went on the board walk and went to the Ripley’s aquarium (Alexis loves fish that’s why we go to so many aquariums). Alexis and I make it to the base beach at least once a week. There is much to do here and I am excited to discover our awaiting adventure.
Along with seeing new things, we have also met some really good friends that I hope through the years we stay in contact with. Without them, our experience of our duties stations wouldn’t be the same. People always say the marine corps is a family, and I am so glad to be apart of it. The people we have met throughout the years have stood by us through rough spots in our lives, our children have played together, they have welcomed us into their homes for special occasions. I hope that they all know how much each of them has touched my life.
I Do....
Like I had said before our original plan was to get married AFTER I graduated from college…BUT life happened and when we found out we were having a baby we decided to get married then instead of waiting. Between Adam in boot camp, MCT, and MOS school, me being in college full time, being pregnant and working part time we didn’t give us much time to plan a wedding. Oh before I get into the wedding I guess I could tell you about the proposal first.
Adam was on leave for memorial day weekend from Missouri, we went to his sister Rachael’s graduation from high school (that was the reason I thought he came to SC). The next day we went to church (Adam wore his dress blues, so handsome) and after he told me he wanted to go walk around the park, so we stopped at a local park and we walked for awhile, then we stopped and sat down. I was rambling about something and then out of the blue Adam literally jumps down on one knee and says very quickly “will you marry me” haha he didn’t even have the ring out showing he had the box closed. I looked at him (just joking) and said NO, but I couldn’t hold it in I was actually really excited. “YES!” I shouted and we hugged and kissed.
Like I said between all of Adams marine corps stuff and college and being pregnant when did we have time to plan a wedding? well Adam had orders to go to Camp Pendelton, CA and well we were on a time crunch now. I wanted us to be together after the baby was born, BUT in order for us to live together on base we HAD to be married….so a few weeks and a few wild fires later I left my daughter who was a month old with Adam’s parents and flew out to Cali. In CA I don’t remember being nervous getting ready to get married, I remember thinking this was the start of our wonderful life together. We decided that since we literally had no money we would go to the court house and get married ( I wanted to go to Vegas, but it was a good 3 hour drive, plus hotel and we just didn’t have the money). Adam had a friend he went to boot camp and MCT and they both happened to be at the same MOS school (with a different job) and now at the same duty station, well they offered to be our witnesses. So we headed to the San Diego court house on October 8th 2007 and within an hour we were officially married.
Every little girl dreams of a wedding, a beautiful church, gorgeous gown and vail, the perfect ceremony and nice reception…our wedding was not expensive or extravagant. If I said I wasn’t half disappointed then id be lying but we have memories, of our wedding that no matter what it will always be special to me!
Adam was on leave for memorial day weekend from Missouri, we went to his sister Rachael’s graduation from high school (that was the reason I thought he came to SC). The next day we went to church (Adam wore his dress blues, so handsome) and after he told me he wanted to go walk around the park, so we stopped at a local park and we walked for awhile, then we stopped and sat down. I was rambling about something and then out of the blue Adam literally jumps down on one knee and says very quickly “will you marry me” haha he didn’t even have the ring out showing he had the box closed. I looked at him (just joking) and said NO, but I couldn’t hold it in I was actually really excited. “YES!” I shouted and we hugged and kissed.
Like I said between all of Adams marine corps stuff and college and being pregnant when did we have time to plan a wedding? well Adam had orders to go to Camp Pendelton, CA and well we were on a time crunch now. I wanted us to be together after the baby was born, BUT in order for us to live together on base we HAD to be married….so a few weeks and a few wild fires later I left my daughter who was a month old with Adam’s parents and flew out to Cali. In CA I don’t remember being nervous getting ready to get married, I remember thinking this was the start of our wonderful life together. We decided that since we literally had no money we would go to the court house and get married ( I wanted to go to Vegas, but it was a good 3 hour drive, plus hotel and we just didn’t have the money). Adam had a friend he went to boot camp and MCT and they both happened to be at the same MOS school (with a different job) and now at the same duty station, well they offered to be our witnesses. So we headed to the San Diego court house on October 8th 2007 and within an hour we were officially married.
Every little girl dreams of a wedding, a beautiful church, gorgeous gown and vail, the perfect ceremony and nice reception…our wedding was not expensive or extravagant. If I said I wasn’t half disappointed then id be lying but we have memories, of our wedding that no matter what it will always be special to me!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Alexis Katherine
Although she was not planned by Adam and I, she was planned by God. God knew long ago he wanted our beautiful daughter to be born when she was. Adam and I certainly did not plan to have Alexis when we did, nope nope…OUR plan was to get married soon after my graduation from college, then him and I having good steady jobs, then someday children. But anyone who knows me, knows that I ALWAYS say “everything happens for a reason”.
Lets start with the fun stuff, I KNEW (this was before I knew I was pregnant) something was different with me when I craved a cheeseburger ( ok look I was a in shape, runner for goodness sakes I didn’t eat fast food!). My college roommate Katie can attest to this but for whatever reason I was completely grossed out by white sauces and creams! Later in my pregnancy I craved steak (due to my lack of iron), fresh pineapples, and I made dirt pudding (chocolate pudding, crumbled up oreos, whip cream and gummy worms….mmmm) and rice krispies probably everyday in the summer. Over all I gained 75pounds throughout the whole pregnancy (ya I know freaking insane!! I just didn’t want to deprive the baby of food hahaha). I was very fortunate and had 3 wonderful baby showers (one with my sorority sisters, one with people I worked with and one with friends and family from home), Adam and I honestly didn’t have to buy Alexis any clothes until she was 2! Lets see due to Adam being in MOS school in Missouri, I went to Michigan to my brother and sister in-laws house after summer semester of college to have Alexis. Which looking back I hope they know how much I appreciate all that they did for Alexis and me! Probably the worst thing was having heart burn (didn’t matter what I ate, everything gave me heart burn, I popped tums like candy!) and not being able to see my legs and feet!
The Due date…I believe the gynecologist I was seeing in South Carolina said I was due August 26th. So August 26th came and went and NO baby…. I was getting really worried for many reasons (in college there was a couple that had the baby to term and lost him in the last few days, she delivered a still born and because I read in what to expect when your expecting that after 40weeks the placenta starts to die and if that happens well the baby doesn’t get the food and nutrients). Well the doctor told me everything was fine, if I didn’t have the baby on my own they would schedule me to come in to get induced on September 11th.
ugh contractions…ok so I had a fairly easy pregnancy I didn’t get sick in the first trimester, I didn’t have swelling of anything, I didn’t have braxton hicks contractions. On August 30st I started having some sharp pain in my stomach and my sister in law (who knows what she is talking about, had 3 at the time now 4 kids) told me I was having contractions. Well I went about my day not really paying them much attention so I took a bath to help sooth it and well that didn’t work, I tried laying in different positions, that didn’t work. I think I slept maybe an hour that whole night, I was in so much pain but I didn’t have the heart to wake my family at 2am, so I waited till my brother started getting up for the day at 5:30am and said I think I have to go to the hospital. My brother who is 11 years older than I am calmly took me to the hospital (he later said he wanted to drive like a mad man, and if he got pulled over he was going to blame it on me about to have the baby). once I finally got seen they told me I was only dilated to 3 and I should come back, well crap I didn’t want to leave so they suggest I walk around the hospital and if I dilated to 5 they would admit me. My loving brother gladly walked his baby sister around the hospital holding onto me when I had bad contractions. finally after awhile we went back got checked and I was dilated to 5, sweet it was like 7 am by now. As soon as I could I called Adam, so he could see if he could get emergency leave to get to Michigan to be with me when I have the baby.
It was around 10am when adam called and said he was leaving for the airport, then around noon he said he missed the plane. Ok at this point I am in pain, I just want him to be here! Then hours later he gets on one plane to where ever and he had to wait till 9:30pm to get the connecting flight to Detroit, which would put him in detroit at midnight and then an hour to the hospital . You’ve got to be kidding right?! nope I want to say it was around 6pm when I finally couldn’t take it any longer and asked for the epidural. Doc says to me “sit up straight at the end of the bed and don’t move” WHAT?! you’ve got to be kidding im having hard contractions and I cant move? well he gave me the epidural, a few minutes later he came to check to make sure it took and NOPE I could feel everything. so I had to have two epidurals, then they kept asking how is your pain (im a baby when it come to pain) and I kept telling them I need more drugs…..but when the meds finally sank in I felt nice!! so nice I took a nap. when I woke up adam was still not there and I was worried he was just going to miss the birth of our baby. But to my surprise the doctor said the baby hadn’t assended down enough into the birth canal for me to push yet. Around 2:30am my big brother conrad finally gets adam to the hospital safely. I remember being happy he was there, being tired, adam was exhausted so I told him to lay in the bed with me, he did and next thing I know the doctor says I have to start pushing. I’m not lying when I say I pushed maybe 5 times tops and out came this deep blue-ish, purple baby. She was stuck in the birth canal to long and she didn’t breath right away, but a few seconds later while she was laying in my arms she started crying. To hold my daughter for the first time to see her tiny toes, was just beyond this world! It was the best moment in my life…then to see my husband look at her just made me melt. Our baby girl was born at 4:44 am on Saturday September 1st 2007...she weighed 7 pounds and 4.9 oz and was 20 inches long. Adam and I always say, she waited on her daddy to make her grand appearance!
The Name- Well we had a last name she was going to have adam’s last name because we planned to get married, the middle name was already set in stone because it’s a family tradition to use Katherine as a middle name for your first born daughter….Alexis was picked from a book of names adam and I had agreed we liked but I want to explore other names while adam after hearing it once said that was it, her name WILL be Alexis.
Lets start with the fun stuff, I KNEW (this was before I knew I was pregnant) something was different with me when I craved a cheeseburger ( ok look I was a in shape, runner for goodness sakes I didn’t eat fast food!). My college roommate Katie can attest to this but for whatever reason I was completely grossed out by white sauces and creams! Later in my pregnancy I craved steak (due to my lack of iron), fresh pineapples, and I made dirt pudding (chocolate pudding, crumbled up oreos, whip cream and gummy worms….mmmm) and rice krispies probably everyday in the summer. Over all I gained 75pounds throughout the whole pregnancy (ya I know freaking insane!! I just didn’t want to deprive the baby of food hahaha). I was very fortunate and had 3 wonderful baby showers (one with my sorority sisters, one with people I worked with and one with friends and family from home), Adam and I honestly didn’t have to buy Alexis any clothes until she was 2! Lets see due to Adam being in MOS school in Missouri, I went to Michigan to my brother and sister in-laws house after summer semester of college to have Alexis. Which looking back I hope they know how much I appreciate all that they did for Alexis and me! Probably the worst thing was having heart burn (didn’t matter what I ate, everything gave me heart burn, I popped tums like candy!) and not being able to see my legs and feet!
The Due date…I believe the gynecologist I was seeing in South Carolina said I was due August 26th. So August 26th came and went and NO baby…. I was getting really worried for many reasons (in college there was a couple that had the baby to term and lost him in the last few days, she delivered a still born and because I read in what to expect when your expecting that after 40weeks the placenta starts to die and if that happens well the baby doesn’t get the food and nutrients). Well the doctor told me everything was fine, if I didn’t have the baby on my own they would schedule me to come in to get induced on September 11th.
ugh contractions…ok so I had a fairly easy pregnancy I didn’t get sick in the first trimester, I didn’t have swelling of anything, I didn’t have braxton hicks contractions. On August 30st I started having some sharp pain in my stomach and my sister in law (who knows what she is talking about, had 3 at the time now 4 kids) told me I was having contractions. Well I went about my day not really paying them much attention so I took a bath to help sooth it and well that didn’t work, I tried laying in different positions, that didn’t work. I think I slept maybe an hour that whole night, I was in so much pain but I didn’t have the heart to wake my family at 2am, so I waited till my brother started getting up for the day at 5:30am and said I think I have to go to the hospital. My brother who is 11 years older than I am calmly took me to the hospital (he later said he wanted to drive like a mad man, and if he got pulled over he was going to blame it on me about to have the baby). once I finally got seen they told me I was only dilated to 3 and I should come back, well crap I didn’t want to leave so they suggest I walk around the hospital and if I dilated to 5 they would admit me. My loving brother gladly walked his baby sister around the hospital holding onto me when I had bad contractions. finally after awhile we went back got checked and I was dilated to 5, sweet it was like 7 am by now. As soon as I could I called Adam, so he could see if he could get emergency leave to get to Michigan to be with me when I have the baby.
It was around 10am when adam called and said he was leaving for the airport, then around noon he said he missed the plane. Ok at this point I am in pain, I just want him to be here! Then hours later he gets on one plane to where ever and he had to wait till 9:30pm to get the connecting flight to Detroit, which would put him in detroit at midnight and then an hour to the hospital . You’ve got to be kidding right?! nope I want to say it was around 6pm when I finally couldn’t take it any longer and asked for the epidural. Doc says to me “sit up straight at the end of the bed and don’t move” WHAT?! you’ve got to be kidding im having hard contractions and I cant move? well he gave me the epidural, a few minutes later he came to check to make sure it took and NOPE I could feel everything. so I had to have two epidurals, then they kept asking how is your pain (im a baby when it come to pain) and I kept telling them I need more drugs…..but when the meds finally sank in I felt nice!! so nice I took a nap. when I woke up adam was still not there and I was worried he was just going to miss the birth of our baby. But to my surprise the doctor said the baby hadn’t assended down enough into the birth canal for me to push yet. Around 2:30am my big brother conrad finally gets adam to the hospital safely. I remember being happy he was there, being tired, adam was exhausted so I told him to lay in the bed with me, he did and next thing I know the doctor says I have to start pushing. I’m not lying when I say I pushed maybe 5 times tops and out came this deep blue-ish, purple baby. She was stuck in the birth canal to long and she didn’t breath right away, but a few seconds later while she was laying in my arms she started crying. To hold my daughter for the first time to see her tiny toes, was just beyond this world! It was the best moment in my life…then to see my husband look at her just made me melt. Our baby girl was born at 4:44 am on Saturday September 1st 2007...she weighed 7 pounds and 4.9 oz and was 20 inches long. Adam and I always say, she waited on her daddy to make her grand appearance!
The Name- Well we had a last name she was going to have adam’s last name because we planned to get married, the middle name was already set in stone because it’s a family tradition to use Katherine as a middle name for your first born daughter….Alexis was picked from a book of names adam and I had agreed we liked but I want to explore other names while adam after hearing it once said that was it, her name WILL be Alexis.
My Marine
Ok so no matter what Adam says this actually started with me. I told him when we were dating that after I graduated I wanted to either join the marine corps as an officer (long story, I will save it for another blog) or join the peace corps. After his graduation from Newberry College, he didn’t really have a plan what he wanted to do. He toyed around with the idea of going to medical school and of teaching and coaching, but he ended up working at a car dealership (and that job isn’t easy). Adam Had talked a lot about wanting to (and I don’t remember the name of it) be an army jump out of airplanes guy, well I told him (no offence to anyone in any other branch, they all have the same goal in mind, to fight for our freedom) go big, the marine corps is said to be the toughest branch. He thought about it and out of the blue one day he told me he was talking to a recruiter. He told me he was going to sign up and go this in the late part of summer 2006. I told him to do it! BUT he didn’t tell his family, which I told him was a big no no that they needed to know. But he insisted that he wanted to sign up, swear in and then tell them before he shipped so that they couldn’t talk him out of it because that is what he wanted to do.
SO the ultimate plan was…. since Adam already had his degree, he was going to enlist, get his feet wet, and then apply to officer candidate school. I told him he has his degree so just apply for officer school right off the bat, BUT he insisted that enlisting would give him a huge advantage (not pay wise, woooah we were hurting for awhile) that the guys would respect him more for having been on that side of the fence. So I didn’t argue to much, like always I told him “I don’t want you to regret it either way.”
Adam Graduated from Parris island in march of 2007. His MOS was NBC (nuclear biological chemical something). He had his training in Missouri at ft. lost in the woods, which Adam said was HORRIBLE (I don’t know I was in South Carolina pregnant and trying to finish my degree). From there Adam was stationed in California at Camp Pendelton. After we got married, Alexis and I moved out there. It’s funny because when adam put in where he wanted to go, he put east, west, then over seas. But we got west coast, which we thought we were going to hate, but over time it grew on us. Moving on, so adam, Alexis and I lived together in Cali from October 2007 until January 2008, where I then moved to Adams parents house in South Carolina to finish my last semester of college (which even with Adams parents help was very difficult, small child, 19 credit hours, teething, need I say more). Then after completing college (on time, im 4 years with a baby, as you can tell I am proud of my self) Alexis and I moved back to California to re-join Adam. In the late part of 2008 Adam submitted his package to go to OCS. We waited and waited and WAITED and then finally I believe it was 3 weeks before his ship date, he received word that he was selected to go (btw his CWO called me, let me know first, I made cookies and went to his shop, adam was in the bathroom, when he came out he was like “um, hi, what are those cookies for?” haha when I told him he was speechless, so excited). Well Adam worked really hard and a month shy of his two year mark, Adam had picked up Corporal in December, I believe it was two weeks before he shipped to OCS.
Yes Adam was so excited and very nervous. This again would be more time away from Alexis and me, but I kept telling him, “It will so be worth it in the end!” Adam flew out of San Diego January 2009 and was at OCS until March. Once again it was back to writing letters (which by the way is something thrilling to wake up and wait for the mail, open it up and there is a letter from the love of your life). But I believe 3 weeks into it he was able to call me every weekend, so for me the weekends couldn’t come sooner so I could hear his voice. From there he was to stay in Virginia for 6 months for TBS. So Alexis and I moved from California to Virginia (Another note worthy accomplishment, I did all the tmo prep, move and drive across counrty by myself) We knew we weren’t going to be there long so we rented a tiny apartment (so glad not to be in an apartment anymore). Once again Adam had to go to MOS school (artillery, he blows things up) but this time it was in Oklahoma and due to me having a GREAT job (which I miss a lot….), and not wanting to pay out of pocket to move everything to move again Alexis and I stayed in Virginia from January 2010 to April 2010. From there we have been stationed at Camp Lejeune (when he put in his request this time he put west coast, east coast then overseas, it seems we always get our second choice) in North Carolina which we intend to stay for 4 years now.
Well most of Adam’s career in the marine corps has been in some sort of training, but now he is applying all he has learned in his new job. Adam and I haven’t talked about it a whole lot, but in 4 years he has the choice (well sorta there is also a selection board), to either stay in and continue a career in the marine corps (which is 20 years, and you can retire) or he can get out and do something else. Either way I have told him (even though sometimes I don’t show it) I am very proud of him. It takes a lot for a person to willingly join a branch of service in war time and make a sacrifice and be away from your wife and child for days (in the field), months (in MOS school, or someday workups, and then someday deployment). He made the choice that even though he has a family, he will miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and whatever else, that his honor and dedication to the marine corps comes first, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Not everyone can do what those men and women do, and they deserve so much respect (I could go on and on but I will save it for another blog). bottom line I loved Adam before he was a marine, I love him for defending our counrty, and if he chooses to get out I will love him and support anything he wants to do!
SO the ultimate plan was…. since Adam already had his degree, he was going to enlist, get his feet wet, and then apply to officer candidate school. I told him he has his degree so just apply for officer school right off the bat, BUT he insisted that enlisting would give him a huge advantage (not pay wise, woooah we were hurting for awhile) that the guys would respect him more for having been on that side of the fence. So I didn’t argue to much, like always I told him “I don’t want you to regret it either way.”
Adam Graduated from Parris island in march of 2007. His MOS was NBC (nuclear biological chemical something). He had his training in Missouri at ft. lost in the woods, which Adam said was HORRIBLE (I don’t know I was in South Carolina pregnant and trying to finish my degree). From there Adam was stationed in California at Camp Pendelton. After we got married, Alexis and I moved out there. It’s funny because when adam put in where he wanted to go, he put east, west, then over seas. But we got west coast, which we thought we were going to hate, but over time it grew on us. Moving on, so adam, Alexis and I lived together in Cali from October 2007 until January 2008, where I then moved to Adams parents house in South Carolina to finish my last semester of college (which even with Adams parents help was very difficult, small child, 19 credit hours, teething, need I say more). Then after completing college (on time, im 4 years with a baby, as you can tell I am proud of my self) Alexis and I moved back to California to re-join Adam. In the late part of 2008 Adam submitted his package to go to OCS. We waited and waited and WAITED and then finally I believe it was 3 weeks before his ship date, he received word that he was selected to go (btw his CWO called me, let me know first, I made cookies and went to his shop, adam was in the bathroom, when he came out he was like “um, hi, what are those cookies for?” haha when I told him he was speechless, so excited). Well Adam worked really hard and a month shy of his two year mark, Adam had picked up Corporal in December, I believe it was two weeks before he shipped to OCS.
Yes Adam was so excited and very nervous. This again would be more time away from Alexis and me, but I kept telling him, “It will so be worth it in the end!” Adam flew out of San Diego January 2009 and was at OCS until March. Once again it was back to writing letters (which by the way is something thrilling to wake up and wait for the mail, open it up and there is a letter from the love of your life). But I believe 3 weeks into it he was able to call me every weekend, so for me the weekends couldn’t come sooner so I could hear his voice. From there he was to stay in Virginia for 6 months for TBS. So Alexis and I moved from California to Virginia (Another note worthy accomplishment, I did all the tmo prep, move and drive across counrty by myself) We knew we weren’t going to be there long so we rented a tiny apartment (so glad not to be in an apartment anymore). Once again Adam had to go to MOS school (artillery, he blows things up) but this time it was in Oklahoma and due to me having a GREAT job (which I miss a lot….), and not wanting to pay out of pocket to move everything to move again Alexis and I stayed in Virginia from January 2010 to April 2010. From there we have been stationed at Camp Lejeune (when he put in his request this time he put west coast, east coast then overseas, it seems we always get our second choice) in North Carolina which we intend to stay for 4 years now.
Well most of Adam’s career in the marine corps has been in some sort of training, but now he is applying all he has learned in his new job. Adam and I haven’t talked about it a whole lot, but in 4 years he has the choice (well sorta there is also a selection board), to either stay in and continue a career in the marine corps (which is 20 years, and you can retire) or he can get out and do something else. Either way I have told him (even though sometimes I don’t show it) I am very proud of him. It takes a lot for a person to willingly join a branch of service in war time and make a sacrifice and be away from your wife and child for days (in the field), months (in MOS school, or someday workups, and then someday deployment). He made the choice that even though he has a family, he will miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and whatever else, that his honor and dedication to the marine corps comes first, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Not everyone can do what those men and women do, and they deserve so much respect (I could go on and on but I will save it for another blog). bottom line I loved Adam before he was a marine, I love him for defending our counrty, and if he chooses to get out I will love him and support anything he wants to do!
Thanksgiving & Christmas 2006 and the start of 2007
Like I have mentioned I was from MI and Adam is from Columbia which was about 45 minutes from our college so naturally Adam invited me to his family gathering for thanksgiving. Adam has a huge family compared to mine so I was extremely nervous to see his family, on the way over to his cousins house he was telling me who was married to who and I am not very good with names haha. The last time I went to thanksgiving at his cousins house about the only thing I remember is well while leaving my clumsy butt fell down 3 or 4 stairs on the front porch, adam started laughing and I got mad at him for that, after asking if I was ok he carried me to the car. so not a good memory haha so anyways I had only met his family a good handful of times and didn’t know everybody’s names, so I was pretty nervous. Well after stuffing our faces and meeting everyone we ended up leaving and going back Adam’s Apartment to spend some Adam and Paula time.
Christmas was one of the two times (the other was in the summer) of year I would go home to MI to visit my family. So usually Adam would take me to the airport and we would be apart for Christmas and New years until I came back to SC for the winter/ spring term. well haha I don’t really do good flying I get all tense and worried and work my self up, so ANYTHING can get me spiting fire when I am about to fly, so on our way Adam said or did something and I snapped at him. I told him I was pissed off at him and didn’t know if I wanted to be with someone who did whatever he did…..so we left on bad terms. I was mad at him and he was mad at me, both of us are extremely stubborn so neither of us called the other for a few days. By this time I was just annoyed, so my best friend Chrysti and I went to Canada…where it is legal to drink.. to kinda get my mind off him. While we were out that night I remember telling chrysti I had a weird feeling, I was craving things I never eat and I was just different, hard to explain. Chrysti brushed it off and said “come on your not your on the pill.” That I was, BUT I switched birth control pills right around thanksgiving….So when we got back from Canada I bought a pregnancy test, didn’t tell anyone I had bought one and took it, it was the cheap ones, ya know plus or minus. well sure enough it was Plus…..I called chrysti up and she rushed over and we bought two clear blue tests….sure enough they were pink and POSITIVE.
Mad that I hadn’t talked to Adam in days I called him up, and he acted surprised to hear from me. Not wanting to fight I cut right to the chase and told him I was pregnant. Neither of us knew what to say so we didn’t say much. FOR me abortion is out of the question, so when I told the most important people (my brother and sister-in law) they asked what I planned to do….I said Adam is about to leave in a month for the Marines, I don’t care if he goes or stays I don’t want him to regret it either way, and if we end up together we do if we don’t we don’t… BUT I am going to keep this baby, after all it is a part of me, a living being inside of me!
Well as soon as I got back to SC, adam and I talked and we agreed we want to be with each other, we love each other and going into the marine corps will be hard but at that time Adam was working as a car dealer and he didn’t necessarily make much on commission. SO the next step was to tell his parents….Well it must have been the weekend before he left his parents threw him a “goodbye/good luck at boot camp party” where everyone in his family was there. I kept telling adam all night, we HAVE to tell them. Not wanting to announce it to the whole family, we waited till everyone had left and told his parents. They were not thrilled with the idea, being I was 20 and a junior in college and Adam was 22 and was about to leave for the marine corps.
When I went back to school I found comfort in my sorority sisters who were very supportive, and in time Adams family came around and would invite me over for dinner. Three months doesn’t sound like a long time, but when you are waiting on letters, and letters get lost (or addressed wrong! haha thanks adam) its hard to figure things out. But we made do with it, Adam would write me and tell me how much being there made him realize he wants to be with me, not just that spend the rest of his life with me. I would write him back planning details for a wedding, and I wanted him to be very much involved with my pregnancy as much as he could be, so I would write each Monday what the baby was doing as far as what was developing, telling him my cravings and what the doctor would say at my visits. Adam Left for boot camp and I was a mere 105lbs….3months later at his graduation I was a good 125 pounds…not a big difference BUT I was only 3 months pregnant, I felt huge and very uncomfortable, worried adam wouldn’t even recognize me. But he did and I was so excited to see him.
Christmas was one of the two times (the other was in the summer) of year I would go home to MI to visit my family. So usually Adam would take me to the airport and we would be apart for Christmas and New years until I came back to SC for the winter/ spring term. well haha I don’t really do good flying I get all tense and worried and work my self up, so ANYTHING can get me spiting fire when I am about to fly, so on our way Adam said or did something and I snapped at him. I told him I was pissed off at him and didn’t know if I wanted to be with someone who did whatever he did…..so we left on bad terms. I was mad at him and he was mad at me, both of us are extremely stubborn so neither of us called the other for a few days. By this time I was just annoyed, so my best friend Chrysti and I went to Canada…where it is legal to drink.. to kinda get my mind off him. While we were out that night I remember telling chrysti I had a weird feeling, I was craving things I never eat and I was just different, hard to explain. Chrysti brushed it off and said “come on your not your on the pill.” That I was, BUT I switched birth control pills right around thanksgiving….So when we got back from Canada I bought a pregnancy test, didn’t tell anyone I had bought one and took it, it was the cheap ones, ya know plus or minus. well sure enough it was Plus…..I called chrysti up and she rushed over and we bought two clear blue tests….sure enough they were pink and POSITIVE.
Mad that I hadn’t talked to Adam in days I called him up, and he acted surprised to hear from me. Not wanting to fight I cut right to the chase and told him I was pregnant. Neither of us knew what to say so we didn’t say much. FOR me abortion is out of the question, so when I told the most important people (my brother and sister-in law) they asked what I planned to do….I said Adam is about to leave in a month for the Marines, I don’t care if he goes or stays I don’t want him to regret it either way, and if we end up together we do if we don’t we don’t… BUT I am going to keep this baby, after all it is a part of me, a living being inside of me!
Well as soon as I got back to SC, adam and I talked and we agreed we want to be with each other, we love each other and going into the marine corps will be hard but at that time Adam was working as a car dealer and he didn’t necessarily make much on commission. SO the next step was to tell his parents….Well it must have been the weekend before he left his parents threw him a “goodbye/good luck at boot camp party” where everyone in his family was there. I kept telling adam all night, we HAVE to tell them. Not wanting to announce it to the whole family, we waited till everyone had left and told his parents. They were not thrilled with the idea, being I was 20 and a junior in college and Adam was 22 and was about to leave for the marine corps.
When I went back to school I found comfort in my sorority sisters who were very supportive, and in time Adams family came around and would invite me over for dinner. Three months doesn’t sound like a long time, but when you are waiting on letters, and letters get lost (or addressed wrong! haha thanks adam) its hard to figure things out. But we made do with it, Adam would write me and tell me how much being there made him realize he wants to be with me, not just that spend the rest of his life with me. I would write him back planning details for a wedding, and I wanted him to be very much involved with my pregnancy as much as he could be, so I would write each Monday what the baby was doing as far as what was developing, telling him my cravings and what the doctor would say at my visits. Adam Left for boot camp and I was a mere 105lbs….3months later at his graduation I was a good 125 pounds…not a big difference BUT I was only 3 months pregnant, I felt huge and very uncomfortable, worried adam wouldn’t even recognize me. But he did and I was so excited to see him.
Break ups and make ups….
Since Adam and I started dating in 2004 there have been MANY, MANY break ups. NO need to Point fingers at who did what, but I personally can say that we were dating and in that dating stages you make lots of mistakes, young and dumb! In almost 6 years, I think Adam and I have argued about probably EVERYTHING under the sun!! haha but really we have! AND with every break up, we continued to realize there was just something about each other that we couldn’t live without. Durning break ups we both dated other people and well we both just kept coming back to each other, BY CHOICE! I can’t explain it, as much of a pain in the ass, stubborn, know it all that he can be I still to this day couldn’t imagine my life without him.
In the Beginning….
Paula is originally from a small town in Michigan, Adam is formerly from a slightly bigger town in South Carolina. They met in fall 2004, it was Paula’s first semester and the start of Adam’s 3rd year in college. It was a bright and sunny August morning when Adam was going into the financial aid office as Paula was leaving, he held the door for her and “hello”. It was LOVE at first sight for Adam…it took Paula a little while longer to fall for Adam. Paula and Adam continued to “run” into each other at different events, until finally a frat party kicked it off. Paula was meeting people and happen to meet this crazy, loud, energetic guy named John-Nick, who insisted she meet his roommate, Adam. Adam was holding a beer in his hand (a red solo cup to be exact), and was wearing a TKE t-shirt and wearing some black rimmed glasses with duck tape on the brim of the nose. When Paula was introduced to Adam he continued to do his “retarded voice” it was a rather odd first impression. Paula actually felt sorry for the guy, she continued to talk to him for awhile because she thought that he might really be mentally challenged. A day or so came and went and John-Nick invited Paula to go to his local high school football game with him and his roommate. Paula not having anything to do on a Friday night accepted the offer.
Right before they were to leave, Paula got a call and John-Nick had said he had forgot he had something to do, but I was more than welcome to go with his roommate, that he would be over shortly to pick me up. Paula wasn’t really sure about going, since she had met so many people in such a short amount of time, she couldn't’t even remember John-Nick’s roommates name. So she waited, and she thought …maybe he won’t even come. Then a ring of the phone and a man was on the other line “hey, are you ready to go to the football game?” She answered “yes I will be right down”. Moments later she approached a guy standing by his car with the door open. Oh crap she thought it was the guy that seemed to be mentally retarded, but he wasn’t retarded at all, he was talking and acting just fine today, but what was his name??? On the way to the game they talked about normal stuff, what year are you, what are you studying? where you from? blah blah blah all that fun dating getting to know you stuff. During the game Adam of course was telling Paula about all the plays they were doing and yada yada….then it was half time and Adam asked Paula if she wanted to go get something to eat. When they walked up to the concession stand, he asked her if she ever had boiled peanuts, BOILED what? She had never heard of those, Adam was amazed and insisted she try them. To her surprise the slimy, brown thing was actually really good. Well the end of the game couldn't’t have come soon enough, while leaving the stadium Adam ran into someone he knew in high school and thank goodness to Paula’s relief he said “hey Adam, hows it going?” Adam, so his name is Adam….good she felt a lot better now knowing his name, she had been on the “date” for about 2 hours and didn’t know his name. Well if anyone reading this has ever been to a football game you know after the game there is a rush of people trying to leave, that night was no different. As Adam and Paula sat in the car waiting for the traffic to move, Paula took a sip of her water and rrrrummmme went the car and splash went the water all in Paula’s lap. Paula turned to Adam and he was all red in the face…”ooops sorry!” Paula couldn’t believe he had purposely push on the gas to make her spill her drink, “so you think that is funny eh?” and Paula poured a good bit of water into his lap. They both sat there laughing. Not your typical first date but hey we are not your TYPICAL couple.
Right before they were to leave, Paula got a call and John-Nick had said he had forgot he had something to do, but I was more than welcome to go with his roommate, that he would be over shortly to pick me up. Paula wasn’t really sure about going, since she had met so many people in such a short amount of time, she couldn't’t even remember John-Nick’s roommates name. So she waited, and she thought …maybe he won’t even come. Then a ring of the phone and a man was on the other line “hey, are you ready to go to the football game?” She answered “yes I will be right down”. Moments later she approached a guy standing by his car with the door open. Oh crap she thought it was the guy that seemed to be mentally retarded, but he wasn’t retarded at all, he was talking and acting just fine today, but what was his name??? On the way to the game they talked about normal stuff, what year are you, what are you studying? where you from? blah blah blah all that fun dating getting to know you stuff. During the game Adam of course was telling Paula about all the plays they were doing and yada yada….then it was half time and Adam asked Paula if she wanted to go get something to eat. When they walked up to the concession stand, he asked her if she ever had boiled peanuts, BOILED what? She had never heard of those, Adam was amazed and insisted she try them. To her surprise the slimy, brown thing was actually really good. Well the end of the game couldn't’t have come soon enough, while leaving the stadium Adam ran into someone he knew in high school and thank goodness to Paula’s relief he said “hey Adam, hows it going?” Adam, so his name is Adam….good she felt a lot better now knowing his name, she had been on the “date” for about 2 hours and didn’t know his name. Well if anyone reading this has ever been to a football game you know after the game there is a rush of people trying to leave, that night was no different. As Adam and Paula sat in the car waiting for the traffic to move, Paula took a sip of her water and rrrrummmme went the car and splash went the water all in Paula’s lap. Paula turned to Adam and he was all red in the face…”ooops sorry!” Paula couldn’t believe he had purposely push on the gas to make her spill her drink, “so you think that is funny eh?” and Paula poured a good bit of water into his lap. They both sat there laughing. Not your typical first date but hey we are not your TYPICAL couple.
Hola Blogging world....Newbies here
Hello Blogging World!! My name is Paula, my husbands name is Adam and we have a little girl named Alexis. I decided to start blogging because franklyI am very bored right now while my husband is in the field, and I think it is a great way for family and friends to stay connected. Also if there is something going on I usually vent to my husband, and i guess he could use a break from that so if there is something on my mind I will probably post about it! The first post I will make will be about our past as a family, after that I will post current events going on with our family. Well thanks for checking out our blog and have a great day!!
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