Mother Nature has touched our lives again....with a BABY!

I actually wrote this entry on Monday, December 13th, 2010 but wasn't ready to post it until now!
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Monday, December 12th, 2010

When Matt and I first started dating we made two things abundantly clear to each other. I did not want to get married. Ever Again. Matt did not want kids. Although Matt did plan to marry one day and I wanted kids more than anything....we moved forward with our relationship.

Our first date was December 15th, 2007. Almost three years ago to the day! Time sure does have a way of changing things.

Although in December of '07 I swore I would never marry again, today is the one month anniversary of our marriage. With each passing day I am more grateful that Matt was the man to change my mind about marriage.

Despite Matt swearing in December of '07 that he didn't want kids, he (and I!) are thrilled to be 5 weeks and 5 days pregnant!!! At some point while I was changing my mind about marriage, Matt was changing his about kids.

Little bean at 8 weeks

On Wednesday, December 1st I attended our weekly meeting at work. My new boss starts meetings with ice breaker questions, and today's question was "What do you want for Christmas?" I went the mushy route and said that I didn't want anything, that I was just happy to be married and happy that Gram would be moved into her new house in GA for the holidays. Apparently my new boss had gotten to know me pretty well in a short period of time because she simply said  "You want a baby for Christmas!" before moving onto the next person. She was right, but I had already tested negative 4 or 5 days earlier. :(

The next morning my hands shook and heart pumped as I held a new test. This one featured a great big positive PLUS sign. YAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S FINALLY MY TURN!!!!!! I have been truly deeply happy for all of my friends and loved ones who have been blessed with babies, but I think God Must have known that I was going to shrivel up and die if one more person got to spread the baby news before me.

I wish I had a really cute story about the way I shared the big news with Matt. Unfotunately he had already left for work when I took the test and there wasn't a chance in hell I was going to be able to keep this news a secret all day. So....I called him. He didn't sound excited at all!!! He said "you know babe, stress can make those things come back positive". BUUUUUUUZ KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILL. Hehehe....maybe it was just Matt's "level headedness" coming into play, or maybe it just hadn't sunk in. I was craving the kid of reaction that I was having so I asked if I could call my mom. "No." 
"My sister?"
"No. Not until we are sure."
"Fine. Then I am going to stop at the drugstore and get another test. I'll call you on my lunch break."
"I'm sure you will"

I kid you not, an hour later I got a text saying "Can I tell my mom?" The excitement was finally hitting him!
Over the next couple of days we shared our special secret with Mom's, Dad's, Sister's, and Brother's. We also told our friends Jeff and Katie because it would take them one glance at me to figure it out. It would have gone something like this: "No cocktail? You are pregnant!!!"

As of today, the excitement is building and I am a ball of nerves. Growing a baby in your belly is a big responsibility! Right now our little meatball is more the size of a pea, but we are starting to form eyes, ears, nose, cheeks, and chin. Within a week or so our tiny webbed feet and hands will start to wiggle. Although Mom and Dad will have to wait until the 29th to hear it, there is a tiny heartbeat too.

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We are now 12 weeks and 4 days along, and the nerves have subsided quite a bit. Baby is no longer the size of pea....we are almost the size of a peach! We've been busy over the past 7 weeks! Hearing the heartbeat was AMAZING. 170 beats per minute. I teased Matt that it must be a girl with a heart rate that high. (My dad swears by the rule that a fast heart rate means girl. He had 3 girls.....all with fast heart rates) Matt teases me that since I haven't been plagued with terrible symptoms it must be boy. Only a few more weeks until we know for sure. Truth be told, we are just like every other parent and we just want a healthy baby with 10 little fingers and 10 little toes. There will be so much to tell over the upcoming months (baby is due August 10th) so stay tuned! Lots of Love.

While we don't know if baby is a boy or a girl...we do know that we will have a Tech fan! These items are only a sample of the arsenal of baby Tech gear we have already collected. 

Wedding Pic's Continued....

Well, Snow Day Number Three (!!!) provided me with plenty of time to download more of our favorite pictures. There are so many that we love. I hope you enjoy!

Me and Chesney getting ready to make S'mores in the fireplace

Go Georgia Tech!

Bridal Party

Did the guys have "a little Captain" in them?

The boys thought they were funny but.......

we got more laughs!!

Smooches! 



Matt's nephew Brock found a heart shaped rock. How appropriate!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Boyd!!!

It's not a party without cornhole!

Who is next?

Meal number 2 being prepared by Chef Papa!!

"Photo Booth" fun

I came home from the hospital as a newborn wearing this bonnett. It came with a poem that says:

I am just a little hankie, as square as can be;
But with a stitch or two, they've made a bonnet out of me.
I'll be worn home from the hospital, and on special days,
And then I'll be carefully pressed and neatly packed away.
Then on the wedding, I have been told,
Every well dressed Bride must have something old.
So what would be more fitting than to find Little Old Me,
A few stitches snipped and a wedding handkerchief I will be!
And if per chance, it is a boy, someday he still will wed.
So to his Bride he can present the handkerchief once worn upon his head.

Ugh...that poem gets me everytime! On that note....Lots of Love!!

Wedding Pic's are In!

Well, they have actually been in since before Christmas but sorting through 800 pictures to pick your favorites takes some time. Thanks to our snow/ice storm I have been able to mark a few long term items off of my never ending list. Anyhow, here are some of our favorites!

 Our "guest book". Thanks to Stacy's friend Jentry for making this for us!

Special Mother Daughter moment before the ceremony

My handsome husband!

 Bride and new Father In Law after the ceremony

The happy couple

Head Table

Lunchboxes. These came out so cute, and they required A LOT of help to make. Thanks to all!

Our Mini Cake with Mom and Dad's wedding Lladro.

Bride and Groom after "Leaving Our Prints"

My and my G-Unit!

Dear friends enjoying the beautiful scenery

Games!

These pictures take a LONG time to upload so this is all for now. More to come soon! Lots of Love!

Mother Nature

The day we booked our wedding venue at Red Top Mountain we were given several brochures about the park, one of which included a calendar of events. I was thrilled when I paged through it to find that a meteor shower was expected the night of our wedding. How romantic!

Little did I know that a meteor shower was only the start of fantastic events Mother Nature would show us during the first year of our marriage.

Many of our guests woke up to this on the morning after our wedding:

When I researched the symbolic meaning of double rainbows online (as with anything else on the internet) there were many different interpretations. The first one I found was my favorite: When double rainbows appear it means that whatever is coming to you has great meaning in your life and that one good thing will lead to another good thing. I really rejoice in your happiness and good fortune. The rainbows are a sign from the cosmic universe that you are about to have something great fall into your lap!

About a month and half later Matt and I were looking forward to our first Christmas as a married couple. In 2009 my mom bought matching pajamas for the family and we all stayed the night at home so that we could wake up together on Christmas morning. This quickly became a beloved family tradition. In Atlanta we always hope for a white Christmas. Over the years the weather has gotten our hopes up and let us down many times so as we prepared for our 2010 pj's and family "sleepover" we didn't think much of it when the news warned of a "wintery mix".You can imagine our excitement on Christmas Eve when peered out the window in our matching pajamas to see snow! Not just snow falling, but actual......accumulating......SNOW! The following morning we awoke to Atlanta's first white Christmas since 1882.

Mom and Dad's deck covered in Christmas snow!

Stacy and I in our matching pj's 2009

 Yep, the guys had to wear matching pj's too. (2009)

2010 Festivities. I'll let you use your imagination on this one.

This brings us to today. I sit cuddled up in my bed with my hubby and puppies close by and gaze out the window at the beauty of six inches of snow. The most severe snow storm Atlanta has seen since we moved here in the early 90's. Freezing rain continues to fall on top of the snow and roads are impassable. The news makes this out to be a catastrophe. Maybe it's the kid in me, but I don't feel like it's a catastrophe! We all enjoy an unexpected day off work, but there is something so much more special about a snow day!

Matt standing in the middle of HWY 92....not a car in sight!

Six inches of snow in our backyard...wow!!

It should be interesting to see what Mother Nature has to show us as the year continues. I have a feeling we are in for quite a show and quite a life together! Until next time, Lots of Love!

If you haven't already seen this...check out this YouTube video of a guy who REALLY enjoyed seeing a double rainbow.

My Own Grinch

Now, let me begin by saying that my hubby is the type of guy to go out of his way for someone else without thinking twice. Regarding most things, he has a huge heart. Except for things regarding Christmas. Matt thinks Christmas has lost it's true meaning. I disagree. I think it has a much meaning as you make it have. Anyway, last year we didn't get a Christmas Tree because "we weren't even going to be at home for Christmas". How sad is that?!?!?! I adore him anyway and lovingly call him My Grinch.

Even though this year I told my mom (who was so sad last year that we didn't get a tree) "I will have a tree. It is at your house", I secretly wanted a tree of my own. Not just any tree, a tree just like the one at mom and dads house. So my plan was to buy a tree for the house this year. I was going to have to wait until December 15th when my next paycheck comes in. December 15th. Kinda sad to wait that long but I am still commited to saving for the time being. Oh well. Better late than never.

So I drive home from work last night in the cold rain and as I pull into the neighborhood I peer into my neighbors windows at all the pretty Christmas Trees that have been decorated since Thanksgiving. As I pull into the driveway I have a bit of a heavy heart, but I am happy to be home and ready to get cozy. I run inside to avoid getting drenched by the rain and.......

MY GRINCH'S HEART HAD GROWN THREE SIZES!!!!

Matt had called my mom, found out where to get the tree I wanted, got it, and had it set up and ready for us to decorate when I got home. After it was decorated he insisted that I take a picture with it. I, of course resisted (It had RAINED all day for goodness sake. My hair was a disaster.). He won that argument in about .2 seconds by saying... "but it's our first Christmas as a married couple". And what a wonderful way to start off our first Christmas. The End.

True story, but pretty sappy shit huh? lol...thats what the holiday's will do to ya though.

Here is our tiny tree. It is perfect for our tiny house and tiny family.

I crack myself up. I hope you enjoy my shortened and personalized little Grinch story below as much as I did. Lots of Love!

The Matt Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

Then his wife, she said she would cry,

and that without a Christmas tree, she would just die!

And what happened then...?
Well...in Bella Boo-ville they say
That the Matt Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And for his wife he brought a tree and her bitching, it ceased.

Downsized

 Almost everyone knows that I LOVE to read (hence my frequent facebook jokes about how I love my Kindle more than my husband), but not as many people know that I am also a total television junkie....in the worst way. It started way back during Real World New Orleans and my weekly tradition of both trashy reality shows and girly weeknight drama's has grown exponentially since then. Desperate Housewives. Grey's Anatomy. Army Wives. Real Housewives of Atlanta, New Jersey, New York, Beverly Hills, DC, and Orange County. 16 and Pregnant. Teen Mom. Intervention. Psychic Kids. American Idol. Top Chef. Hell's Kitchen. It's sick. I know. The worst part is that I have surely left out at least half. God Bless my husband for putting up with my hobbies and God Bless the invention of the DVR!!!
 Recently I have gotten into this new show (and therefore dragged Matt into it also) called "Downsized" and, gasp, it might actually have some content that can be learned from! Downsized follows the story of a family whose business at one time brought in over a million dollars a year. Today the company has been lost due to the downfall of the housing market, their home has been foreclosed upon, and they scrape by to pay rent on a townhouse where the husband and wife live with their SEVEN kids. This show had me feeling mad, sad, and, glad depending on the scene. When one of their tween boys sells his beloved top-end baseball glove for the $100 that the family is short on their already extended rent, I wasn't sure which of those emotions I felt. I guess all three. Either way, this show got me thinking about some of the not-so-smart ways I spend money. So, being a newlywed I figured now would be a good time to step up the financial responsibility and I resolved that I was going to research money saving methods. This is how I came across what might be one of my new favorite websites. www.moneysavingmom.com.
Now, I haven't had the chance yet to dive too deep into the site, but one of the first tips I found was "Do not pay retail for anything." So I ask myself, "What is something I pay full price for that is probably too expensive?" and as a "money saving mom" to Bella Boo, the first thing that came to mind was Bella's divalicious hair cuts. No exaggeration, her hair-do's cost more than mine. Anyway, I kid you not it took me all of two seconds to find a coupon for $5.00 off at a groomer no more than ten minutes from my house. Now, $5.00 may not seem like much but Bells needs to stay as sexy as the next bitch so we have to stay on top of the "do". This means a hair cut at least every two months. That means 6 a year. Even if I couldn't find a better deal out there (which I'm sure if I spent more than two seconds looking, I could) that means $30 bucks a year. It took me two seconds to earn that $30 bucks! I like it. MoneySavingMom is a pretty extensive website from what I can tells so I feel pretty confident I can find a couple other tip and tricks to money savings. The possibilities are endless.......
LOL....most of you should know that I'm a little more realistic than to actually think I'll be capable of sticking to most of these money strategies.  This "money saving mom" thing will probably end up being a short lived hobby, but even if a few good habits rub off, I think it's worth my time. I know it's definitely more beneficial than my bad television habits which include watching other rich ladies of Atlanta, or DC, or New Jersey  rip each others hair out on national television or throw $50,000 birthday parties for three year olds.

Anyway, check out Downsized and if I find anything that works for me on MoneySavingMom, I'll be sure to let you know! Lots of Love!

This is my Bella Boo wearing her $50.00 Juicy Couture sweatshirt. NOT one of my smartest buys (the dangers of mixing cocktails and shopping) but she LOVES it!!!!!

Married....YAY!

So we are finally married. Wooo HOOOOOOO! We were thrilled with the way everything turned out. It was a lot work to pull off a diy wedding but it reflected us perfectly. We wanted it to be unique and it doesn't get more unique than designing and assembling every detail yourself (well maybe we didn't assemble everything ourselves. Mom had to cut me off of the wedding blogs in order to ensure she didn't have to pull all - nighters the week before the wedding). Thank you soooo much to everyone who helped make our day perfect. It feels great to be married and we are so happy to be back to our normal life in our little house with our doggies. We are at such an exciting time in our lives that we wanted to keep a journal of sorts to look back on and with family all over the country we felt that this blog could not only serve as our "journal" but also as a way to keep up with everyone. We only have two more weeks until we get our wedding pictures from our friend Ray the photographer so we hope you'll check back in soon to take a peek. Lots of Love!

Grandma AKA "G-Unit" helped out a ton with wedding projects. Here she is working on the lunchboxes!