10 Things About......ME

I thought it might be fun to share with you 10 random, or maybe not so random facts about yours truly. 


1.  I am scared to death of thunderstorms. 

No, I'm serious. 

At the slightest sound of thunder my heart kicks into overdrive. I can't sleep.  I don't want to be outside.  I hate 'em.  Growing up in the flat lands of Missouri as a child was no picnic when it came to storms.  We had some doozies.  Enough to scar this girl for life.

2.  I'm an honest to goodness TRUE red-head.

The only coloring I've ever put on my hair were a few highlights here and there.  Never anything to affect or change the overall color.  All my life, I've been told by several hair stylists that people actually pay good money to try and duplicate my hair color.  Too bad I can't bottle this stuff.

3.  I was an only child for 14 years and 8 months.

My younger brother was born on Christmas Day the year before my 15 birthday.  My mom had him right after she turned 41 years young.  He was an accidental surprise.

I was a freshman in high school at the time and remember being SO embarrassed to even think that my parents were still, you know, doing THAT.

He truly was a miracle baby as my mom started having pre-term labor around the 4 month.  He was born 6 weeks early and hasn't slowed down since.  I love him dearly.

4.   After graduating college, I spent two weeks in Belize snorkeling on the 2nd largest coral reef in the world.

All I can say is WOW!! And yes, I would go back in a heart beat.  Some of the most beautiful waters I have ever seen.  I even swam with sharks!!

5.  I HATE to fly.

Actually, it's the taking off and landing parts that I hate, but might as well include the whole package.  I get so nervous before I get on a plane that I almost make myself sick.  I do eventually get on the plane because it really is the fastest way to get some places. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

6.  I dream of being an author.

I would give anything to write a book, or two, or ten.  I have always LOVED to read and have a very vivid imagination.  I grew up coming up with all kinds of stories in my mind.  Now if I can just commit them to paper......

7.  I've been on TV twice.

No autographs please!

8.  Roller Coasters - JUST SAY NO!!

Definitely not for me.  I've given it the old college try and let's just say the outcome was not pretty.  I truly thought I was going to die.  A third of the way through the ride, I begged my hubby to make it stop--like he had any control over it.

9.  I walked down the aisle barefoot at my wedding.

I hate wearing shoes.  I've never worn a pair of high heels in my life.  Put those two together and you get me.  Barefoot.  At my wedding.  I just didn't see the point in buying shoes that a) I had never worn in my life and would therefore b) never wear again.

10.  99.9% of the population's appendix falls on the right side of their body.  Mine is on the left.

I'm told this was discovered when I was very young.  They aren't sure why it happened and it hasn't caused any health issues because of it.  None of my other organs are "backwards"--just my appendix.  Makes me unique.

Whew!  Am I glad that's over.  That was A LOT more difficult than I thought it would be.  But there you have it.  10 unique and quirky facts about....MOI!
  

Friday Follow

Welcome to another edition of Friday Follow. If you are looking for some new and exciting blogs to read and find some pretty extraordinary people along the way, then you've come to the right place. I've been participating for a few weeks now and it is TOTALLY worth it!

You have two chances to link up today. One Friday Follow is being hosted by my friends at One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families, and Midday Escapades. The other Friday Follow is being hosted by my friends over at Trendy Treehouse.

All you need to do is visit their blogs for instructions on how to play along.


For all of you that are joining me from Friday Follow, Welcome!! I hope you will join me in chronicling this crazy adventure I call life. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter as well.
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Happy Friday Follow to you. Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!

Wordless Wednesday

Guess who's 3 months old today??

I love you sweet boy!!

Living with Crohn's Disease

I have Crohn's disease.

I was first diagnosed in July of 2005.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had trouble with my stomach.  I just always chalked it up to something I ate causing the pain.  Little did I know that I suffered from a far more serious and possibly life-threatening condition.

For most of my life I exhibited only minor symptoms, ranging from occasional diarrhea and mild cramping to more severe abdominal pain and tenderness.  It wasn't until the summer of 2005 that things really started getting bad.  I remember spending most weekends in bed, curled up in the fetal position because I was in so much pain.  These once ocassional minor symptoms were suddenly getting worse and beginning to interfere in my daily life.  It fact, when it was at it's worse, I was going to the bathroom between 10-15 times a day.  And to make matters worse, all of this was happening while I was at work.

How embarrassing??!!!

I was scared to eat.  I was scared to leave the house.  I was losing weight FAST and I was in serious pain.

Luckily, my family doctor was familiar with my symptoms and suggested that I see a gastroenterologist.  A colonoscopy confirmed the diagnosis.  I had Crohn's disease and I had it BAD!!  There were basically open sores or blisters all along my large intesting.  No wonder I was in so much pain.

I started on a 28 pill drug regimine immediately.  Unfortuanetly, I was in such bad condition and had lost about 20 pounds in a week, that I also spent two weeks in the hospital getting fluids and steroids to get the disease under control. 

Fast forward 4 and a half years later.  I still have Crohn's disease.  There is no cure at this time.  Right now it is under control.  That doesn't mean I don't have the ocassional bout of pain and diarrhea, but I'm not in constant pain like I once was.  I have learned what foods I can and cannot eat.  Too bad these can change regularly and no one knows why.    

It is such a frustrating disease because there is so much of the "unknown". 

I am currently taking only 6 pills a day to keep this disease under control.  I also get a 2-hour IV infusion every 5 weeks to help with the constant joint pain that comes along with the disease. 

There are still times when I'm scared to eat.  It is especially hard when we are out at a restaurant or at a friend's house.  Not the two most convenient places to have an episode.  I still deal with some joint pain but nothing near as bad as it was in the beginning.  There are times when I go weeks with being able to eat whatever I want.  And then there are days when I want nothing more than Cream of Wheat because I know that's all I can handle.

I try my best to keep a positive attitude.  I try to keep my chin up.  Even though it's hard at times, I REFUSE to let this disease rule my life.

I can't.

I have too much living to do and too much to live for.       

 

Christmas.....in February

I received my final paycheck from my former employer today.  Much to my surprise, because of my 4th quarter performance last year, I received a very nice and very unexpected bonus.  We decided to celebrate. 

The hubby and I didn't really get each other gifts for Christmas this past year because we were preparing for and celebrating the birth of our baby boy.  Believe me, that was the BEST Christmas present of all. 

So tonight, we decided to treat ourselves. 


And boy did we treat ourselves!


My hubby came home with this.....

A new home theater system. 

And I came home with this.......

A new Nikon D3000 camera.

Friday Follow

Welcome to another edition of Friday Follow.  If you are looking for some new and exciting blogs to read and find some pretty extraordinary people along the way, then you've come to the right place.  I've been participating for a few weeks now and it is TOTALLY worth it!   

You have two chances to link up today.  One Friday Follow is being hosted by my friends at One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families, and Midday Escapades.  The other Friday Follow is being hosted by my friends over at Trendy Treehouse. 

All you need to do is visit their blogs for instructions on how to play along. 

For all of you that are joining me from Friday Follow, Welcome!!  I hope you will join me in chronicling this crazy adventure I call life.  Please feel free to follow me on Twitter as well.




Happy Friday Follow to you.  Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!

Tweet Tweet

I've decided to join the world of Twitter. 

If you would like to find out what a day in my life is like, please feel free to follow me.





If you don't want to follow me, that's fine too.

Happy Thursday!!

Down Day

I'm having a down day today.  I just want to crawl back in bed and sleep until tomorrow.  I don't want to talk to anybody.  I don't want to see anybody. 

My heart hurts today.  My head is pounding.  I feel like there is something sitting on my chest making it hard to breathe.  My eyes hurt from crying. 


I lost my mom 5 years ago today.


I was in the hospital room when she took her last breath.  That still haunts me to this day.  I wish I hadn't been there.  I wish that wasn't the dream I dream the most--seeing her laying in that hospital bed.

I miss her so much.  Especially this year.  I want her here so she can hold her grandson.  I want her here so that I can call her if I have a "baby" question.  I want her to hold me.  I miss her smell.  I miss her laugh.  I would give anything for just one more day with her.

I'm supposed to find comfort in the fact that she is no longer in pain.  I'm supposed to be okay because she is in a better place.  Well, I'm not.  Call me selfish, but I want her here with me.  I wasn't ready to give her up yet.

It hasn't gotten easier like everyone said that it would.  It is so much harder because I'm starting to forget what her laugh sounded like.  I'm starting to forget what she smelled like.  I'm starting to forget what her voice sounded like.

I don't understand why this happened.  There is a whole in my heart and I don't know how to fill it.  I wonder if my baby boy will ever know just how wonderful my mother was.

I'm having a down day today.

I am In L-O-V-E

I am in LOVE. 



I am in LOVE with my hubby.



I am in LOVE with my baby boy.



I am in LOVE with my NEW blog makeover.


Thanks Danielle!! You did an AMAZING job!! 

Five Question Friday--Valentines Day Style

Mama M over at My Little Life is hosting a Valentine's edition of Five Question Friday. 





So let's get started.....

1. What is the one thing your love does for you that you can't live without?


This is a hard one for me.  There are so many things that my hubby does that I don't think I could live with out. 

He folds ALL the laundry because I HATE to fold clothes. 

He runs to the grocery store on the way home from work because I've forgotten an ingredient or two for that night's dinner. 

He lets me sleep in on the weekends. 

He even paints my toe nails.  (SHHH...don't tell I told you, he might be embarassed that I outed him)

If I had to to pick just one thing that I couldn't live with out, it would be the love that he has for our baby boy.  Becoming a father last November has changed him so much.  I wish you could see the love in his eyes everytime he looks at our son.  It is SO awesome and I love him for the way that he loves Tristan. 

2. When did you know your love was "the one"?

As you know from our "how did we meet" story earlier in the week, it took a while for us to get together.  However, I knew from the first time that I saw him across the cafeteria at college that he was "the one".  I swear as unbelievable as that sounds, it's the honest to goodness truth.  It really was love at first sight!!

3. Does your love have a special ringtone on your cell?

I used to have a special ringtone for him, but we just recently got new cell phones and I haven't jazzed it up yet.  I would switch it up between "I Just Called to Say I Loved You", "Take Me Home Tonight" and "Let's Get It On". =)

4. What are you attracted to most in your special someone?

Phusically, I would have to say I'm attracted to his eyes and his smile.  However, what I find the MOST attractive about my hubby is his passion.  He is so passionate about being a husband, a father, a son, a friend, an employee.  He puts his heart into everything he does.

5. Did you know when/where he/she was going to pop the big question?

We both knew we were getting married eventually, but I can honestly say the proposal was a complete and total surprise.  I think it was for him too.  Evidently, he was planning something big, but on a spur of the moment decision decided that getting down on one knee in our kitchen floor was the right time to propose.  It was the perfect moment. 

So there you have it.  A very LOVEly edition of Five Question Friday.  If you want to participate, hop on over to Mama M's blog by clicking on the button above.  Not only will you have fun doing it, but you might find some new blogs that you enjoy reading along the way.

Sweet

Well, I did it. I resigned from my job today after holding the position for the last two years.

AAGGHHH!! What was I thinking?!! I must be crazy!!

Okay, I'm better now.

I knew that when I got pregnant with the kiddo that me not going back to work was going to be a possibility. Today, I made it a reality.

I'm feeling so many emotions right now.

I'm SO excited that I will get to spend the days with my baby boy.

I'm SO glad that I don't have to go back to work at a company that has really changed it's vision and direction from what it was when I started there two years ago.

I'm SO glad that we won't have the expense of a daycare.

I'm SO thankful for my hubby and how supportive he has been through this whole decision process.

There is a part of me that wonders if this decision was selfish on my part. If living on one income is going to be too difficult.  It's defnitely going to be an adjustment, but I know we can do it.

Besides, from now on, I get to spend my days with him.....

and he's worth it. 

I will no longer be defined by the Bachelor's Degree that I got from the four years of college I attended, or the 12 years I've been working in the field of investments/banking.  No, from this day forward, I will simply be a wife to my hubby and a stay at home mommy to my precious baby boy. 

And that is sweet. 

Valentine's Day Extravaganza Day #2

It's the second day of Mama M's Valentine's Day Extravaganza. Yesterday was all about the meeting, today it's all about the dating. Since the hubby and I were best friends before we really went into the boyfriend/girlfriend role, we didn't really go on "dates" like the conventional couple would. My best date story takes place the Valentine's Day 2 months before we got married.

We were attending a marriage conference that weekend. Since the conference was taking place over Valentine's Day weekend, we had free time on Saturday night to have a "date night". Jason and I had made reservations at a really nice restaraunt in town. Things had been pretty hectic for us since we were in the midst of wedding planning, so instead of getting gifts for each other, we opted for a nice quite dinner with each other.

While on our way to the restaraunt, Jason says he needs to stop off at our apartment to pick something up that he had gotten for me. While I was flattered at the idea of a gift, I was feeling a little guilty because I hadn't gotten him anything.

So we pull up and park. He then tells me it will just be easier for me to come in with him and open my gift there rather than taking it with us to the restaraunt. We lived around the back of the apartment building so you couldn't see our door or the stairs leading up to our apartment from the parking lot.

As we walk around the corner, I notice that there are rose petals sprinkled all over the stairs. I'm a little slow, so I still hadn't really caught on to what's going on. I'm pretty sure I made some comment like, "How sweet! Look what someone did for Valentine's Day!" Then we get to our door and I realize it's what HE did for me for Valentine's Day.

We enter our apartment and there are candles everywhere. There is music playing and my favorite bottle of wine chilling on the table. Jason had arranged for a friend that he worked with to come in and cook this AMAZING dinner for us, complete with homemade Tiramisu for dessert. I was completely surprised. Evidently he had been planning this for some time and let me tell you, he pulled it off beautifully. I was completely surprised and it was one of the best nights ever.

Thanks Babe for all your hard work. It was a night that I will never forget.

Now it's your turn. If you want to participate in Mama M's Valentine's Day Extravaganza just click on the snazzy button below that she made just for the occasion.

Valentine's Day Extravaganza

This year, Mama M is hosting a Valentine's Day Extravaganza over on her blog, My Litttle Life.  It sounds like SO much fun.  Today we are supposed to write about  how we met the love of our life. 

The love of my life(that would be my WONDERFUL hubby, Jason) and I have known each other for 13 years, been together for 8 and married for almost 6.  I hate answering the question of how we met, because the truth is, we met in college because he dated my roomate.  Now before you get the wrong idea, let me explain. 

Nothing, and I repeat, nothing happened between us while they were dating.  I'm not that kind of girl  The only thing that DID result in their relationship was us becoming best friends. 

Unfortunately, there were many more boyfriends/girlfriends between the two of us before he wised up and admitted his feelings for me we ended up together. 

And the rest is history in the making while we live happily ever after. 

If you would like to join in, just click on this super snazzy button that Mama M made just for the occasion.

Friday Follow

I happened upon Friday Follow last week as I was doing some random blog hopping and let me tell you it is AWESOME.  Not only did I find some new amazing blogs to start following, but some new friends started following my blog as well.  I plan on participating again this week to find even MORE great blogs and have MORE blog friends find me.  You should check it out at One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families, or Midday Escapades for the rules and how to play. 

Trust Me.  You will be glad you did!! 

Wordless Wednesday

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

UGH!!

UPDATE:  WE HAVE GROCERIES!!!


original post:

I am SO mad right now. 

I am so mad I could spit.  In fact, I think I just did a little on my laptop. 

Let me start off by saying that I love my husband more than life itself.  He is my best friend and I know when it came down to it he would do anything for me.  However, he is the world's BIGGEST procrastinator.  He likes to put off doing almost anything. 

Oh my gosh!  It drives me nuts.

 In this case, all he needs to do is go the grocery store.  Now, just so you know, I ALWAYS offer to go with him.  I'm just not quite comfortable going by myself yet with a 2 month old.  Most times he will offer to go by himself so we don't have to bundle up the baby and get him out in the cold weather.   

In this particular case, he was supposed to have the afternoon off on Friday.  So I was all prepared to go, grocery list in hand.  Well, because of things at work he had no control over (I hate his job, but that's another story entirely), we were unable to go.  So the solution was that he was going to let me sleep in on Saturday morning and then after I was up and showered, we would go to the store. 

So on Saturday morning, I slept in, got up and showered and was all ready to go.  On Saturday, however, my sweet baby boy was not feeling well at all.  So we BOTH decided not to get out and go to the store. Jason offered to go by himself on Sunday. 

Sunday came and went and he didn't go to the grocery store.  He did go to Sam's with a friend of his and got toliet paper and kleenex, but we still had no food in the house.  So he said that he would go Monday on his way home from work. 

Monday came and he ended up working late and didn't make it to the grocery store.  He did run by and grab something that I could throw together for dinner because we were both SO tired of fast food.  He promised that he was going to get up this morning and 6am and go to the grocery store before he had to be at work at 8am. 

So 6am rolls around this morning.  I get up with the baby to feed him.  Jason gets the bottle ready for me like he always does while I'm changing Tristan's diaper.  I was feeling slightly giddy inside because I was thinking that since he's up helping me with the baby, he might acutally FINALLY get to the grocery store.  So Tristan and I settle in and what does Jason do?  He goes back to bed.....

He made it to work by 8am, but we still have no groceries.  UGH!!

Just so you know....

Danielle from The Design Girl and I have been emailing back and forth over the weekend.  You know what that means...??!!!  My blog makeover is SO close to being complete that I can hardly stand it.  I can hardly contain myself and am SO anxious to see what she has in store for my blog.  Seriously, you should check her out if you are looking for a new design.  She does AWESOME work!! 

Also, I can't begin to tell you how excited I am for tomorrow night. 

WHAT??!! 

You don't know why? ?

The 6th and final season of LOST premieres tomorrow!  I absolutely LOVE that show.  I'm a little sad that this will be the last season, but so looking forward to all the questions that will finally be answered.  

And with this being only the 1st day of February, I'd say it's off to a pretty good start.