My Uneventful Life

Growin' A Baby

2012-02-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Being pregnant wasn’t too terrible. I mean… it wasn’t like I’m over here going “that was awesome!” but it wasn’t something I would never do again. I didn’t have any complications and my body handled it pretty well. Plus, you get an amazing little person out of it.

I had morning sickness almost immediately. I swear it started as soon as egg met sperm. I was nauseas for about a week on and off before I even took the pregnancy test, and I did that at only two weeks pregnant. It wasn’t too bad, compared to what it could have been *cough cough-Jessica’s experience.* The first month I threw up pretty much every day. I was okay enough to not puke at work, but mornings and evenings it would get to me. After that I still threw up plenty but not nearly as much as the very beginning of the pregnancy. It became more just in the morning when I did puke. It was almost always when I got up to take a shower and brush my teeth. I brushed my teeth twice in a row pretty regularly during my first trimester. Brush. Puke. Brush. Nice, right?

My tummy grew pretty quickly. I was small so I was expecting to show relatively fast but not nearly as soon as I did. I had people wondering if I was pregnant when I was only 7-8 weeks. I hadn’t even told everyone at that point. I actually had an employee at work come up to me at 8 weeks and say “You’re having a baby!” to which I could only reply “WHAT?!” Apparently the bump was already there. I told my friends right after that and then I told my coworkers. Obviously I couldn’t hide it anymore.

Mmmm... Cake pops...

My pregnancy was pretty low key. I had the regular pregnancy symptoms. I craved Coca-Cola, orange juice, cheese, cream cheese, Twix, and plenty of other things. I got uncomfortable and couldn’t bend over or see my feet. I have plenty of stretch marks on my thighs. Somehow I made it through pregnancy without stretch marks on my stomach. But my thighs are f#*@ed up... And my cute little belly button is now like a squishy cavern. I did get pretty bloated in the last trimester. I took my wedding rings off as soon as I got home from work and could only wear flip flops. Any other types of shoes were not going to fit onto my huge, puffy feet. I did ice soaks for my poor feet and put them up every chance I got. Who needs ankles anyway, though?

Romeo and I decided that we wanted to use a midwife, as opposed to a doctor, because we liked the idea of having less intervention. I wanted to let my body do what it was made to do. I didn’t want a doctor saying that things weren’t happening the way they wanted and try to rush my body and the process. We also decided to take part in Centering Pregnancy. This was a way of having our midwife appointments where we could meet with other couples who were due in the same month. We got to ask questions and got a lot in information in our 2 hour meetings. We had meetings once a month for the first two trimesters and twice a month for the third trimester. Romeo and I are both really glad we decided to do the Centering Pregnancy. We learned a lot and got to meet and become friends with a lot of great people. PS-They all have super adorable babies now too.

We found out at 12 weeks that it was a good chance we were having a girl. We were both so excited. We weren’t set on wishing we would have one gender or the other but I loved the idea of having a girl. When I was 20 weeks we went in for our gender reveal and found out that for sure we were going to have a girl. (Yay team girl!) We already had a long list of name possibilities and then we could at least cut it in half.

We knew we wanted her name to be different. I grew up with 3 other Heather’s in just one class at school and didn’t want her to have the same situation. She was special. And we also wanted her name to be at least Italian based to honor Romeo’s heritage. We thought about the name for a while and didn’t narrow our list down to a few names until the week before I went into labor. We did know from the start that we didn’t want to choose a name for sure until the baby was born so we could make sure the name fit her.

The plan for the nursery was to do green for a boy and purple for a girl, from the start. Slowly, but surely, the nursery came together. We did light purple and lime green with a garden theme. I love Quorra’s nursery. Purple is my favorite color and everything came together nicely. (I don't have any pictures right now but I promise I'll get you some.)

My sister helped me throw a baby shower, which had a purple nesting theme. It was super duper awesome and is the only reason my nursery got as stocked as it did. Check out some great pics of my shower on her blog.

When Nicole gave birth to her son, Broderick, we knew we weren’t too far behind and shit got real. We made sure all the bags were packed and everything at home was ready for our little lady to come. My big wish was that my water wouldn’t break at work. I worked full time through my entire pregnancy, up to the day before I gave birth.

Nicole’s birthday was September 27^th and my due date was October 4^th. She mentioned that she would like to have a new niece for her birthday. I told her that I would talk to the baby and see if we could make that happen. Before I went to bed on the 26^th I told Romeo that I really didn’t want to go to work the next day. I was tired, uncomfortable and the work day took every drop of energy I had. I said, jokingly, that it would be great if I woke up and my water broke so I wouldn’t have to go to work.

I got up the next morning to turn my alarm off and, low and behold, my water broke. Neither me nor Romeo got too nervous. We took our time, got ready, and headed to the hospital. I called my family on the way to inform them that we were getting ready to meet our little bean.

Check back in for my birth story!

Then Came The Baby In The Baby Carriage

2012-02-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

So remember when I told you I was a planner? Yeah, I’m not kidding. When my husband and I got married we had already discussed children. We knew we wanted at least one child, maybe two. Once we got married we decided for sure that we wanted to have a baby after we had been married for a couple years. We wanted to have time to be a married couple and to get to know one another before adding a baby into the mix.

After our first wedding anniversary we started discussing more and more when we thought we would want to start trying to have a baby. With more time and talking we decided that we wanted to start “trying” for our second wedding anniversary.

Remember my cousin and BFF, Nicole from Pampers and Pumps? We had our weddings mere months apart and were both discussing baby time. Her and her (now ex) husband had the same idea that Romeo and I had. It just so happened that both couples decided to start working toward a family around the same time. We do stuff together and thought that having babies around the same time would be AWESOME. She told us that she was pregnant right before Romeo and I starting the baby-making.

Anyway, I took my last pack of birth control in November and finished it the week of our second anniversary. My thought was to try to get pregnant in December/January and hope that it wouldn’t take us too long. Then we would have our baby before the holidays. Of course, we knew that babies and bodies work how they want to so this time line was a goal for us. We knew there was no way to guarantee anything.

Christmas and New Years came and went and we were still working for the baby-ness. Mid-January I was supposed to get my second no-pill period. I am always very regular and was looking for it. Not to mention that I was checking my fertility calendar like a hawk. (Remember-I’m a planner.) I always start in the morning and had gone to work and gotten home that day and still hadn’t started my period. I had a back-up pregnancy test at home and decided to go ahead and take it. I needed to know whether or not to expect my period and buy more tampons. So I went ahead and peed on the stick. I checked it a few minutes later completely expecting it to be negative and to start my period the next day, like every other time I’ve taken a pregnancy test.

But when I looked I saw a faint second line. I sat down and stared at the test for a while. Am I crazy? Is there really a line there? No way… I reread the directions. I did it right. The second line meant it was positive. But it was so light. But the directions say ANY line means positive. Then I googled it. (I do that a lot.) It means I’m pregnant.

Do you see the second line? Confusing, right??

That evening was Romeo and my date night so I gathered myself to go meet him. I didn’t want to tell him on the phone if I could tell him in person. We had to stop by his parent’s house first since they were having cake for his dad’s birthday. I got to the house and had Romeo meet me outside. I told him that I couldn’t drink the champagne they were getting ready to open. When he asked me why I told him it was because I thought I was pregnant. He was elated. His face lit up like a Christmas tree.

We knew we wanted to keep the pregnancy to ourselves for at least the first couple months so we went inside and kept quiet. I went home and took another test, which was also positive so it was for sure. We were pregnant. We were so excited that we got pregnant so quickly and I was stoked to be able to go through pregnancy the same time as Nicole.

My sister, Jessica at Heart on Homestead, and I are super close so we knew we wanted to tell her and her husband first. We invited them to dinner about a week later. After we got settled Romeo ordered himself a beer and I got water. I said “I can’t have a margarita today. I’m not going to be able to drink when we go on vacation either.” Jess was so confused. She asked why and I told her I was pregnant. *Cue the waterworks*

We told the rest of the family about a month and a half later. Everyone was super excited. I got to tell my cousins and extended family soon after that when we made a trip to Pennsylvania. Nicole and I were giddy to be able to go through the experience of becoming a mom at the same time.

Romeo and I started having the idea of being parents-to-be sink in and made all the new plans that came along with it. We were so blessed and excited to go through this experience together and couldn’t wait to welcome our little one. A piece of each of us. A show of our love. A miracle. Our miracle.

Then Came Marriage Part 2

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so at this point we have been dating for a couple years and Kahu has come in to the picture. We have been discussing marriage and I have made it clear that I would like Romeo to propose.

Ladies, you need to take this as some key advice. If you want your guy to propose STOP ASKING ABOUT IT. Romeo wanted it to be a surprise so he waited until I stopped talking about it. It was so hard to wait for him to decide to propose and I took it to mean that he did not want to get married. I was wrong. He just wanted to be able to propose on his own accord.

I went to visit family in Pennsylvania and I had been back for a few days. Romeo asked me to meet him at his house for our date night, which was very common. When I got to the door I saw rose petals all over the floor. I followed them which led me to a heart made out of roses with a ring box in the middle. Then Romeo walked out.

He told me that he loved me and asked me to marry him. Of course, I was overjoyed and said yes. We knew we wanted our engagement to be for at least a year. We looked at dates and went back and forth with each other and our family. It took some time but we finally set our date as December 7^th, 2008.

This put our engagement at about a year and a half. I’m glad our engagement was that long because I don’t think our wedding could have been planned in less time. The planning started right away.

I can honestly say that our engagement was the hardest time in our relationship (well, second to when we broke up years ago…). Our families wanted different things from us regarding our wedding plans and we were torn in different directions. I’m stubborn and wanted what I wanted. I stood my ground…for the first year. Then I started falling apart. Our relationship was suffering and we were arguing with each other and our families all the time. My in-laws wanted so much and Romeo didn’t know how to make them and me happy. I gave in and told them to do whatever they wanted for a number of things. I was tired of fighting and tired of wedding planning coming between me and my fiancée. I wanted to marry him and that was all. I just wanted to get the wedding part over with. My mother and I fought constantly. She knew there were parts of the wedding that I was not happy about. The problem was that there were parts that I did want and she couldn’t tell the difference. She’s stubborn too.

Sorry that so far my wedding planning part of the story has not been all warm and loving. It was tough and there were many parts of my wedding that I would change, if I had the chance to do it over. But, I did get to have the locations and colors that I wanted. And, more importantly, I vowed to be with the person that I love for the rest of my life. My family and friends were there and we danced the night away. Romeo drank way too much that night, but that’ll happen.

Be glad I didn't post more pictures. I have HUNDREDS

Once the wedding was over I got to breathe a sigh of relief. We went on our honeymoon, which was a 10 day cruise of the Caribbean. It was awesome. We got into our grove of married life and things got better day by day.

I love Romeo with my whole heart and soul and am so glad that we have the rest of our lives to spend together. I love being married to him. We have been through hard times together and have made it through to the other side better than we were before. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.

Then Came Marriage Part 1

2012-01-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, so technically I was dating my now-husband before I got the dog. But we got engaged and married after I got Kahu.

My husband, Romeo, and I were high school sweethearts. We met at school and had a couple classes together in our senior year (study hall and government). We knew of each other but didn’t really talk. Then I decided that I needed to get a job. I applied at the restaurant that his parents owned, Mamma Mia. I got the job and started hostessing and waitressing there. Romeo worked in the kitchen so we saw each other every single day. We began talking more and more.

Unfortunately, I had a boyfriend at the time that I had been dating for over a year. Let’s call him “The Nerd.” It wasn’t an exciting relationship at all. It was something that was “easy” so I stayed with The Nerd. He wasn’t hot, that’s for sure. We had practically no passion and were more friends than anything else. When I would come over to his house I would sit and watch him work/play on his computer. (I told you it wasn’t exciting.) I knew that I needed to end things when I started dreading going to see him. When I talked to The Nerd on the phone I would roll my eyes all the time and not participate in the conversation. At the same time, I was becoming more and more attracted to “the hot guy at work.” I looked forward to going to work and the classes I had with Romeo. We didn’t talk on the phone or hang out yet but we flirted each time we saw each other. So when The Nerd told me that he was moving in with a friend that lived almost an hour away I took it as a way out. I told him that was too much for me to deal with and we needed to break up.

I told Romeo right away that The Nerd and I had broken up. He is a good guy and waited about a week before asking me out. Of course, I said yes. We clicked instantly and were inseparable. The Nerd tried to get me to come back to him but I told him I had found someone else and was not interested in the slightest. He took some time but finally figured out that Romeo was my new one and only.

Romeo and I dated through our first year in college. Okay, community college. I’m not rich and could not validate spending that kind of money on school when I didn’t know yet what I wanted to do. Plus, I’m kinda lazy. Romeo started to get antsy in the relationship, as expected for a college guy. We broke up for about a year. That year was tough. We hated each other for a good part of the time and I wasn’t sure that I could ever forgive him for the way he treated me.

We got older and more mature through that time apart. As I was stubborn as a mule, I wouldn’t quit my job so we still saw each other at work all the time. We began talking again and as time went on we realized we still enjoyed each other’s company. We decided to give “us” another try but I told Romeo that he would have to earn back my trust. Well, he did. Looking back, the time apart was good for us. We were able to grow ourselves and mature and we were able to be better in a relationship together.

We dated for a couple years and began talking about marriage. I knew Romeo was the one I wanted to grow old with. While we were dating I decided I wanted a puppy. That led to the search and obtainment of my boo-boo, Kahu.

And you’ll need to check my next post for the engagement and marriage story. So stay tuned!

First Came The Dog

2012-01-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

When I decided I wanted a puppy I did my research to find out what breed fit me the best. I did an online breed questionnaire that asked me questions about what I wanted from my dog. I said I wanted a large dog that was low energy (as I am lazy), had little grooming requirements (again… lazy), would be a good guard dog, would be great with kids, and would be very attached to its owner (as I am needy). Clicked enter…. Bing! “You should get a Great Dane.” Well, thanks dog breed questionnaire!

This led me into finding out any and all information I could about the breed. (You’ll learn that this is the type of person I am. I am a planner.) After checking out Great Danes I fell in love with them. They had the personality I wanted, they were humungous, they were “low odor” (they don’t have as strong of the doggy smell), they had few grooming requirements, and were very gentle. Well, as gentle as a 150-200 pound dog can be. I would show my mom pictures of them and say how cute I thought they were. She would say that they weren’t cute. Agree to disagree, I suppose.

I found a reputable breeder that was within driving distance and signed up for a puppy in an upcoming litter. I knew I wanted a male because they tend to be “Velcro-dogs.” When the pups were born I was sent pictures of the available puppies and knew he would be mine. Kahu means “guardian” in Hawaiian. His kennel is Hawaiian themed and I lived there for a few years as a child. (I was an Army brat, so I’ve lived in a number of places.)

Oh, FYI- my breeders are Ohana Danes and Jaya Danes. Kahu’s litter was co-owned so he kinda has two kennels, although Ohana was where I picked him up. Stacey, the breeder for Ohana Danes, is amazing. She is always helpful with any questions I have with Kahu and loves all her Danes. She wants to know how they are doing and looks forward to pictures. If you are interested in a Great Dane I highly recommend her. And she is a responsible breeder and only does one or two litters a year. We have visited a number of times and Kahu loves playing with a bunch of dogs his size. I would love to eventually get another Dane from her. Maybe someday. Maybe…

I love my puppy. He may weigh about 175 pounds but he is still, and will always be, my puppy. There were times that he made me so mad I wanted to scream (and sometimes I did scream…okay, and curse…) but I wouldn’t trade him in for any other doggy. He is my boo-boo.

And for those who need to know… Yes. He does eat a lot.

Welcome!

2012-01-23T05:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to My Uneventful Life. This blog is about… well……..my uneventful life.

I’ve recently become a new mommy so most of what you will hear about will be regarding my experiences that come along with welcoming a baby into my life. I live in a small Southern town where not much goes on. Family and friends are a big part of who I am. They are there for me through thick and thin and they know I am there for them, no matter what.

Now, for the introductions of the key players.

First there is me, Heather. I’m a mid-twenties woman and will admit that I can be a bit weird. But you gotta have some spice in life, right? I like to have my kind of fun and if doing a little jig in a store for finding “the perfect onesie” is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.

Next there is my husband, Romeo. No, that is not a pet name or a joke. That is his name. It’s pronounced Roe-may-oh. He is from an Italian family so get used to Italian names. You’ll hear plenty of them. We’ve been married for three years and, although we had some pretty tough times in the past, he is the love of my life and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. He is amazingly supportive and gets my odd sense of humor. I love that he isn’t afraid to be weird with me. And that he doesn’t judge me when I’m goofy all on my own. He is the Ren to my Stimpy. The Spongebob to my Patrick.

Then there is the newest family member, our beautiful daughter Quorra (pronounced Cora). She is the light of my life. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I could be a mom but I am so glad we decided to have a baby because now I could never imagine my life without her. I love her more than I ever imagined loving anyone or anything. Having and raising a child is hard work but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Quorra will be the basis to most of my posts. I’m new to this parenting thing so we are working things out and learning together, day by day. Oh, and if I hear of any child from here on out with the name Quorra I will know that you stole it from me. Be creative and think of your own baby name. Mm Kay? Good.

Like I said, my family is a huge part of my life. You’ll hear most often about my sister, Jessica. We are only a year and a half apart in age and we are super close. Of course, we had our rough patch when we were middle school/high school age, but don’t most kids? She is an amazing auntie to little Quorra and is always there for me, whether it’s for a shoulder to cry on, someone to bitch to, a voice of reason, a listening ear, fun times together, or a last minute baby-sitter. Her husband, Kevin, is also pretty legit. I honestly could not imagine any better man for her. Oh, and did I mention that Jessica also has an amazing blog?? You should check it out. Heart on Homestead. Do it. Right now. Well, after reading my blog, of course. Other then my sister, I have two brothers and (obviously) a mom and dad. My mom and dad are still married, which seems to be rare now-a-days.

Other family members that will be mentioned plenty will be my cousins, Kristin and Nicole. Although we live over 5 hours driving time apart (and have always been at least that far away) we grew up together and are the best of friends. My sister, my cousins, and I are a fierce foursome. Be jealous.

Also, Nicole has an amazing blog as well. Read it. Pampers and Pumps.

Then there’s the Real Housewives of Harrisonburg, aka the RHH. And no, you can’t join. We are a group of ladies that have become great friends and love hanging out together. (Harrisonburg is the Podunk city that we live near.) We do tons together and are a great supportive system for each other. The RHH consists of (for now, we add people often): Kristin L. (who also has a mad awesome blog, Halfway a Housewife), Michelle (who’s blog is Left on WishingWell) (can you tell blogging is the new black?), Angela, Lindsey, Megan, Laura, and Natasha. Kristin and Nicole are honorary RHH members as they don’t live near us.

And now we have come to the main guy himself…. Big man of the house… Kahu. He is my 4 ½ year old Great Dane. He is spoiled rotten. I love my puppy. You will love him too, whether you like it or not.

So, there you have it. The main folks that make up who I am.

For my readers, there is not much that I can promise you. But I do promise that I won’t write every day, I’ll probably post blurry cell phone photos, have tons of misspellings and grammar issues, you won’t always understand my humor, and I’ll try to give you some insight into being a new mom.

Now read on to see how things progress in my continuing quest to be a good mommy and finding balance with having a baby and having a life. Even if it is an uneventful one.