Since I'm not prego anymore

Well as you all may know, I am not pregnant anymore... I haven't been since January 31st!! This means I can do a lot more now... I can eat deli meat, touch my toes, see my toes, lift more than 30 pounds, drive the car without rubbing my belly with the steering wheel, you get the point right?  I can also grab hold of skin around my stomach (yuck, I know)! So I have hired the cheapest personal trainer I could find! If you ask me he is also the cutest ;)

Look at all that strength in that finger!

Anywho! Last night we started a post-pregnancy ab workout. I hope that we see some results soon. I hope to look like one of those swimsuit models by next summer... haha!

A Little Trip We Took

So last weekend was Labor Day weekend... which means a long one for Mathis! YAY! So we took a road trip to the big town of Lake City, SC.  There is not much there, but there is a whole lot of love. We went to visit the Floyd family. Ashley, Erica, Teresa, and Ronald!

G-Ree, YaYa, Charlotte, and Auntie-E

We did a whole lot of laughing, some relaxing and even a little boating!

 G-Ree and Charlotte taking a break from playing on the boat!

 Charlotte and Yaya resting 

 Charlotte and Uncle Ron driving the boat

Mathis was the captain the whole way to Georgetown

So as you can see we were out for quite a while. See scenery was beautiful. The boat was put in on some river.. about an hour later we arrived in Georgetown, SC.. then just a short drive past that we were beached on Shell Island with the Atlantic Ocean right in front of us.

I must admit that at the beginning of our trip I was a little crazy. I was constantly trying to figure out what time it was and there wasn't a clock anywhere. I am so used to schedules and doing the same things at the same time everyday. I was reminded that even without a clock, things will go just as they should. I miss life in the south... where people aren't alway run by time. 

Our trip was just the break I needed. And I got to see people we love and have fun. We even got some good pictures.

Big Changes Ahead

Hello again! Sorry it has been forever... and a day since I have posted.  Life has been busy with visitors, trips, and just keeping up with Miss Charlotte. 

Any-who, for those of you who don't already know, we will be moving soon! YAY, I think! I am so excited to be leaving DC. The big city is just too big for me. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of stuff to do and see, but I am ready for a slower lifestyle. Our next stop in our Air Force adventures will be San Angelo, Texas. From what I hear... the middle of NOwhere!! I can't wait to get there, but I wish there were a way to wiggle my nose and everything be there and set up in our new house/apartment. That brings us to the part I am not so excited about... the packing, loading, traveling 1500ish miles, finding a place to live, unloading, unpacking... I will have to keep you in the loop about how it all goes. If you have any advice on stress-free, organized moving please feel free to let me know. 

Picture Time!!

 We had a photo shoot!
                                    ENJOY!!!
                                    (Charlotte is 3 months in these)

 beautiful

 thinking

 playing

 love

 best friends

 silly

 YaYa!

family

Thanks to Jessica B Photography

All about the TA-TAS!

So today I signed Mathis and I up to participate in the Susan G 5K. At first I was going to do this as a way to motivate myself to get in shape. You may remember a past post about me doing the couch to 5K  running schedule. Well that ended right after I ran the first time... anyways so then I decided that we would do it  because we have some friends on base that are going to do it with us. So when I was registering us there was a question asking why you have decided to participate in the Race for the Cure. I read through all of the answers (I like to run, I like the people that I will be participating with, or I care about finding a cure). So the first two answers fit, but as I started thinking about the third I remembered at the end of my second trimester, finding a lump in my left boob. 

I was terrified! At that point in my pregnancy, hormones were crazy and something like finding a lump seemed life-altering. I had to wait a couple of weeks before my next doctor's appointment... she felt, and sure enough I was sent to a man that Mathis and I called the "Breastologist." He was really a breast surgeon... Still with no answers, a lump the size of a marble, and pregnancy hormones raging, all I could hope for was that someone would quickly cure this cancer that I just knew I had. I mean, I couldn't have this new baby and go through chemo.. After another month passed, I was finally able to see the breastologist. By this time I was 37 weeks pregnant, and he was ordering a mammogram. I couldn't do that, I don't even know why he ordered it, I was HUGE and we even talked about the pregnancy.. So the breastologist just confirmed there was a lump and sent me on my way. Finally once Charlotte was born and about 2 months old, I was able to have test run. Luckily I do not have breast cancer!! YAY!! I have a clogged milk duct.

With all of that said, I know how terrifying it can be to find a lump. And to think that 1 in 8 women will be told that they do have breast cancer in their lifetime... early detection is the key! So I am running the Susan G Race for the Cure, because I care about finding the cure. I never want to go to the breastologist again, not knowing if those next few words from the doctor will change my life forever.

Yard Sale = New Wheels for Charlotte!

Well, with all of the yucky weather we have been having around here I decided to go through the house and find take out all of the things we no longer use! I must say that I didn't think there would be much, because I am usually really quick to throw things out that we don't use, I HATE CLUTTER! So I started in the kitchen, I reorganized the cabinets and pulled out all the duplicates and the unused small appliances. Then I went into the storage room in our garage... we had things in there that we never unpacked from our move to DC. Then to my craft stuff... I had moved it all down stairs when we found out that I was pregnant because our storage cubes weren't childproof and we knew we would need more room in the living areas for baby stuff. Anyways, I haven't touched it since then, so away it went. So after seeing how much excess  we actually had, I knew that we should have a YARD SALE!! I have never had one.

So after organizing all of the stuff and selling some of the big stuff before hand... yard sale day came!

                            

So after 4 hours of hanging out with friends in the garage, and selling almost everything our pockets are loaded with $$! Now we are off to buy Charlotte a new set of wheels! 

YAY!!! YARD SALES!

Family Traditions!!

Well with Miss Charlotte added to our little family now, I have been thinking more about family traditions. The ones I liked, didn't like, wish we had... I feel that it is these traditions that make a childhood memorable,  weather they are something that happen once a week or once a year. I am talking about things that are a little more special than eating dinner together every night (although that is something that Mathis and I do already and have every intention of continuing as Charlotte gets older).

Growing up in my house, there were traditions that my parents started with my brother and I. These things we began to look forward to when we knew they were coming. I remember getting new Christmas pjs every Christmas eve. It wasn't anything huge, but it was special and constant. I also remember going on family vacations every year. Even though a lot of our spring break vacations were to the same resort in TN, we always had a blast. I think that things like this will help us create a sense of fun and consistency in Charlotte's life.

So I know that I want to continue Christmas pjs and a yearly vacation with my new little family. We have also heard of families having a "special" dinner plate that is different than all of the other ones. This plate is used by someone who has accomplished something (a good grade, dance recital, accepted to college, etc..) or on their special day, like a birthday! One that I know Mathis would like is a monthly backwards dinner... you start with dessert first! I love hearing about new ones and trying to figure out which ones we will have for our own family:)

Please tell me your favorite family traditions!!

Getting in Shape

Well yesterday I went to my 6 week check-up... everything looks good, and I can get back to life! So I asked my mid-wife, Mrs. Oliveria, who is also a runner... How do I start running? Now for those of you who know me, you know that I don't like to be uncomfortable and I really don't like to sweat. These two things have kept me on a couch in the air conditioner for some time now, but I really want to get my body in shape for both vanity and I want to be healthy for Miss Charlotte. So Mrs. Oliveria recommends the "Couch to 5K" program. I came home, googled it, and decided that I could do this! So on Monday my journey shall begin!!

Mathis and I also went and bought bicycles today! This should be fun, I hope that it is true.. you never forget how to ride a bike.. we shall see! He got his mainly because it is cheaper for him to ride to work. Since he only works less than a mile from the house, we (I) didn't see a need for him to take the car. So between the bike, the running, and going to the gym I should be in shape in no time!

WISH ME LUCK!

Catch up!

Sorry for the delay... The last two weeks have been two very full weeks for our little family.

So to catch you all up, Charlotte has been growing with every breath she takes. As of yesterday she is officially out of newborn clothes :( She has learned to follow things visually, and she is much more alert! She has been smiling a lot more often as well. Everyday Mathis and I seem to get more and more wrapped around her little fingers.

Charlotte 2 weeks

Charlotte 4 weeks

Mathis is back at work after four weeks off. He was planning to just stay home the first three weeks, but the Sunday before he was supposed to return my Papa passed away, so off to SC we went. I think he has enjoyed going back, I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss him. I have since asked him to hire someone to move in and take care of me so that I can take care of Charlotte!

I have realized in the past two weeks just how much family means to me. As mentioned before, we went home for my papa's funeral last week. I will miss him so much! It brought back some great memories that I had with him, and I hope that Charlotte will be able to have memories like that with her grandparents. I know that with Mathis being in the military it will be a little different, but I think it is still possible for her to have great times with family! I also enjoyed seeing joy on peoples faces when they were able to see Charlotte. Grandma and some of the other family weren't  expecting to see her until Christmas time, expect by Skype. I love that a little one can make everyones face light up!

Since we have returned to DC and Mathis has went to work, I have been trying to figure out a routine that works for Charlotte and I both. I am very much a routine kind of person, babies don't seem to come on one of their own so it has taken some time. We did get the day/ night situation taken care of!! YAY!

Motherhood: Two Weeks In

Motherhood is full of dirty diapers, spit up, runny noses, sleepless nights, interrupted meals, sore boobs... it is also and more importantly full of learning, love, patience, laughter, togetherness, growth and larger boobs.

In the last two weeks my life has changed, going from order and routine to chaos and flying by the seat of my pants. I am learning exactly what it means to be a mother. I have learned that the official uniform of the mom is pajamas, or at best sweats and t-shirts. I am still learning that bodily functions and fluids are going to be a part of my everyday, and I may as well go ahead and get over it. I have learned that sleep is for the young, the college student, the retired, and the dead, but not at all for the new parent. I have learned to eat with one hand, enjoy my dinner even if it is cold when I finally get to it. And I have learned that if you are going to breastfeed, your boobs will hurt, at least at first.
I have learned that Mathis and I make an awesome team. Laughter is what has kept me going when all I want to do is throw in the towel and go to bed. I have learned to love someone instantly upon meeting her. She has taught me patience. I have learned that I have a lot of room to grow as a person and a lot of learning left to do. And I have learned that bigger isn't always better when it comes to boobs.

Needless to say, Charlotte has changed my life in a really big, positive way. I have gained so much respect and understanding for my own mother in the process (by the way, happy birthday mama)! 

Charlotte Joy!!

First off I have to say that I am sorry that this is coming so late!!

Charlotte Joy is here!! She decided to enter the world on January 31st, just 53 minutes after midnight.  Coming in at 7 pounds, 0.6 ounces and 20.5 inches long... she is perfect!

I have to admit that labor is nothing like I expected. Well I did expect pain, and I got lots of that. No worries though, I also got an epidural! I never thought that labor would take two people, but that is not something that I would have wanted to do without Mathis there. He was awesome! He was my distraction to all of the pain, my strength through all of the pushing, my hands when I wanted to push my epidural button and couldn't.. needless to say I am so thankful that he was there. I also didn't realize how important my labor and delivery nurse and corpsman would be. The two of them stayed with Mathis and I from the start, answering all of our questions and putting up with me constantly wanting to push too early.

So as different as labor and delivery was from my expectations, surviving week one was even more mind blowing. Sleep is something that neither Mathis nor I have gotten much of. We find ourselves sleeping in shifts, and as Mathis has said, we sleep while we blink. It really feels somewhat like college again.. awake all day and night, just lots of short naps here and there. Thankfully we have awesome family and friends, we haven't had to prepare a meal for ourselves yet! As minor as this seems, I am sure that we would have starved by now if we were expected to take care of ourselves, baby, puppy, and food. My parents we here walking us through all the unknowns until February 5th.. since they left we have had amazing people on base bringing us dinner each night.. and the Jennings are coming this weekend! YAY for help!!

We have discovered that What To Expect The First Year is a must have for all new parents. We were given this book as a gift but didn't think much of it since we didn't really use the What To Expect When Expecting book that we had. But, oh am I glad that we have this one... we seriously look everything up in there. It is like Charlotte's owners manual!

So that is what is going on with our family right now... we are all adjusting to one another!!!

So what had happened was...

You all know the story.

Boy meets girl.

Boy and girl fall in love.

Boy and girl get married.

Husband and wife start family!

they get a puppy..

Reality sets in.

Bills come in.

Mathis joins Air Force.. His dream!


Husband and wife move to DC!
Nothing to do one day...

BABY!

This is where we are today 40 weeks and 4 days into the life of baby Jennings! We found out May 10th that our lives were about to change in ways neither of us could imagine. I convinced Mathis that we shouldn't find out the baby's gender, in exchange a nursery done in Clemson colors.. Today, like every other day for the last couple of weeks, we anxiously await the first signs of labor. We are so excited to meet this little baby that has been swinging on my ribs like they are monkey bars. 

I must confess, this is not where either of us saw our lives only three years into marriage. But we both believe that this is exactly what God saw!