Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tornadoes....OH MY!

It has been a crazy week!  First the most important part, Emily rolled over for the first time this week!  Yay!  Second most important part is Ryne and I have found a house and we are working towards buying it and starting the next chapter of our lives.  More on that later.

While this week was very exciting for our little family it was even more exciting for our area.  We had our first earthquake, or so I'm told.  Most people probably are thinking "or so your told?  wouldnt you know you had an earthquake?"  I used to think that sure I would know what an earthquake felt like but alas we had a 5.9 earthquake and I didn't feel a damn thing.  I thought my upstairs neighbor was losing her mind when she came knocking on my door asking me if I felt the apartment move.  I was thoroughly confused when my mom called asking if we were all OK.  I have to admit I'm a tad disappointed in the fact I didn't feel it.

Fast forward to the weekend and we got hit with your favorite hurricane and mine, Irene.  I was never this scared of a storm before and I think a lot of it has to do with Emily.   I filled bottles of water to make sure we could feed her and I filled our bath tub to be sure we could flush our toilet.  I made sure we had candles and flashlights.  Had it been just me and the hubby I probably wouldn't have done any of this.  And as if the hurricane wasn't exciting enough we also got a few tornado warnings last night.  Nothing is scarier than getting tornado warnings at night knowing that 1) you can't see it and that 2) you are on the second floor where the hell are you going to go? 

I am happy to report that the LeCompte clan is still standing.  We had a down tree in our complex and a lot of branches down.  We lost electricity for a little bit but not for long.  While the experience was very scary it was a little anticlimatic.  I have to admit I as looking forward to seeing 100 mph winds just to say I had.  That's not to say that I want a hurricane to come anytime soon but it would have been interesting.

Now that all is said and done the only thing I am worried about is that CBS airs Big Brother on schedule.

Ryne's Tattoo

Yesterday Ryne got a tattoo to symbolize his baby girl who was concieved in Disney.  Not too much to write today so I will just post his tattoo.

The Love of a Mother

Nothing can prepare you for being a mother.  You can read all the books, talk to friends and even join a message board with other mothers like The Bump but nothing can prepare you for taking care of a little creature.  Knowing that you are in charge of their every happiness.  Knowing that you are in charge of their well being.  Knowing that your life will forever be changed by this tiny little baby that you hold in you arms. 

For this reason (along with many others) I can't imagine what my friend Cheryl is going through.  I have to admit that Cheryl is not someone that I know IRL (in real life) but that doesn't make her any less of a friend to me.  I met Cheryl through The Bump, more specifically the April 2011 board.  We "walked" through our pregnancies together.   We celebrated in each others milestones and sympatized with each others struggles.  Our pregnancies were very different yet very similar.  For all tense and purposes I had a fairly easy pregnancy where as Cheryl was on bed rest.  But for both of us everything we went through was well worth it.  Cheryl gave birth to a beautiful baby girl Charlotte Juniper on March 30th, 2011.   Charlotte was born beautiful, healthy and happy. 

Cheryl's vision of a "normal" motherhood took a turn for her on May 28th.   This is when Charlotte at almost 2 months old was taken to the ER for for diarrhea, vomiting, and a bloated belly.   This sweet little girl has been in the hospital ever since.  She is in constant pain and is undergoing so many tests that a grown adult would cringe.  She was finally diagnosed with congenital lymphangiomatosis, which means she has cysts touching major organs.  One of which is only 1 mm from her aorta.    Cheryl announced yesterday that Charlotte will have surgery tomorrow to try and help her.  This is a dangerous surgery.  Cheryl wrote this on her page, "We truly cannot imagine how difficult this is going to be after surgery.....and the possibility of losing her in less than 36 hours is absolutely ripping us to shreds. I sit her staring at my precious baby girl, hands clasped, rocking away in her swing resting peacefully to her favorite music video. I am going crazy thinking that in less than 36 hours she may not be with us any longer.... I don't want to think like that, but the possibility is very real and incredibly scary."  She is begging for prayers for her sweet daugther and I ask you what mother wouldn't? 

I have only known Cheryl for a year and like I said I have never met her in person but she is a role model for all mothers.  I could never imagine going through what she is going through and know she would never wish it on anyone else.  She still manages to go through her day to day life even with her sick baby.   She still continues to share her friendship, support and humor with all of her fellow "bumpies" and we continue to share it with her.  She is truly one of the strongest woman I know and I truly look up to her. 

Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.  Tomorrow the girls from The Bump are wearing pink or red to show our support for Charlotte.  We invite everyone to join us as we all unite to help save this precious angel.    If you would like to keep up to date on Charlotte visit their page at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charlotte2011/journal.  

We love you Charlotte and are keeping you in our thoughts!

Emily says Get well soon Baby Charlotte!!!

What A Difference A Year Makes

1 year ago today I decided I should pee on a stick.  Why?  Well the most obvious reason is to say because I thought I was pregnant but the honest reason is because I was trying to prove to Ryne that I wasn't pregnant.  I was so convinced that I wasn't pregnant that after I took the test I didnt even wait for the results.  I walked into the kitchen and had breakfast.  About 15 minutes later I walked back into the bathroom sure I was going to find a negative result and sure enough I saw two pink lines starring back at me.  We had been trying to get pregnant for a few months but nothing could have prepared me to see those lines.  I was happy and scared all at the same time.  I woke Ryne up out of a very sound sleep only to say "I'm pregnant." I remember he made me show him the test to prove it.  The rest of that day was kind of a blur but I can specifically remember making the decision to tell our families.  Kevin, as with many things, got the phone call first saying he was going to be an uncle.  Kevin and I have a very unique relationship and I say that as a good thing.  We grew up as he said in his speech "your typical brother and sister relationship" but he is now my best friend.  It was a no brainer to me that Kevin would be the first person to know my happy news.  Later in the pregnancy it was one of the hardest things for me to keep the secret of the gender from Kevin for 3 days but I managed to do it :-)  Anyway back to last year.  We went to Ryne's parents first simply because they got home from work first, we don't play favorites.  We watched our recent vacation pictures and videos on the TV and then told them we bought them souveniors from Disney.  We gave them their presents, his mom's was the pee stick in a box (we didnt expect anyone to pick it up).  I remember she thought it was a thermometer and I like to tease her and tell her it would have been hilarious and a great story if she stuck it in her mouth.  They were excited to say the least.  Next was off to my parents.  We did the same thing and told them they had a souvenior.  My mom cried and my dad couldn't wipe the smile off his face.  It was on this day that our baby was dubbed Baby Bob.  Now a year later my life has been turned upside down and I hardly recognize it.  Most days I take time to stare at Emily and just take in her beauty and how much this time is precious with her.  Yesterday she giggled for the first time and it was great.  I can't wait until she is giggling more often.  She is my everything!   I never knew I could love someone so much!  It's scary to think how much she will grow in the next year and how many milestones she will hit.  I don't want my baby to grow up but I'm excited to watch it!

Oh Those Wildwood Days!

This past weekend was Emmy's first vacation and where else should she go but Wildwood.  The shore, this point specifically, has so many wonderful childhood memories for me and Ryne that it was a no brainer that she would go here.  And thanks to my wonderful parents, we were able to have an extended weekend.  This weekend was filled with lots of firsts for our little girl.  Her first vacation, first fireworks, first time sleeping in a hotel and first time night swimming.  Let's start with the fireworks.  She could have cared less!  The fireworks were going off on the beach and she was much more interested in playing with her monkey then she was in watching the pretty lights.  However she was very fascinated by the lights on the boardwalk.  She loved watching the new right "IT" when the lights were on.  It was funny watching her little head move back and forth as the ride swung.  It's so neat to see her see things for the first time.  As we get older we forget how amazing some things actually are and only when we look at it through the eyes of a baby do we remember just how great some of the sites in this world really are.  As far as the pool went she wasnt too happy in the pool because of the sun and all the layers we had on her but she loved night swimming.  We stuck her in a diaper and put her in the pool.  She was screaming and kicking, she loved it!  I can honestly say this was a vacation none of us wanted to end.  I would have loved to stay longer.  But on the bright side now we can look forward to our trip to DC in August.

Me Time

So when does this happen?  When am I "allowed" to have me time?  I guess the better question is when do I stop feeling guilty for even just wanting me time?  Since the day Emily was born, in reality since the day she was concieved, we have spent practicaly every minute of every day together.  Now don't get me wrong I love my daugther more than anything but I need some time for me.  Sure Ryne and I go bowling and we get some date nights but I wish there was more.  Just the simple act of going to the pool and "relaxing" is a big production.  I have to get out the stroller, pack the diaper bag, make sure we have bottles, put her swimsuit on, put her hat on, put her swim shirt on and then make sure her poor face isnt in the sun at all.   I thought going to the pool was supposed to be relaxing.  Not to mention our vacation scheduled for next weekend.  I already have about 15 things on a "must bring" list and that is just for Emily.  How can someone so little need so much stuff!  So to be honest I have to admit that I know the answer to my questions.  I know I can have me time whenever I want I just have to 1) stop feeling guilty for wanting it and 2) call a babysitter.  Number 2 is the easy part it's number 1 I seem to be struggling with at the moment

Bless The Broken Road

OK so besides turning into the world's worst blogger I have been doing a lot of thinking just not posting.  Today the subject is relationships.  More specifically mine and Ryne's.  So Ryne and I hit the 6 and a half year mark on July 11th, I forget he didnt.  Anyway it got me thinking of these past 6 years and all the milestones we hit.  It's funny but most of our milestones come in 2 year incrementes.  We met in 2005, got engaged in 2007, got married in 2009 and Emmy was born in 2011.   So does that mean the next baby is due in 2013, well only time will tell I guess.  I love Ryne with all my heart and he is the perfect dad for Emmy.  Sure we have our tiffs (I use the term loosely) but more often than not you will find us sitting on the couch watching one of our favorite reality shows with him rubbing my feet or me rubbing his back.  Him and Emmy are my world (and Hershey too we can't forget her!) and I don't know what I would do without any of them.  Becoming parents has been a much bigger adjustment in our marriage than either one of us could have ever anticipated.  But I'm happy to report we are still here and still going strong.  One of my favorite songs that describes mine and Ryne's relationship is "Bless The Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts.  Before Ryne and I met we both had our share of "love" and our share of heartbreaks but when we found each other it was like no love either of us had ever felt before.  I'd be lying if I said that I feel our "road" still isn't broken at times.  We come to intersections and we come to forks in the road and we have to pick a direction.  We always pick the direction that points directly to back to us, to our road leading us to our happily ever after.  I am certain of a few things in life and one of those is my relationship with Ryne.  I know we can make it through anything.  We would travel to the moon and back again for each other.  If this blog still exists in 50 years I will be here typing about how we made it for so long together with our children and grandchilden.

It Won't Be Like This For Long

As the song goes, "it won't be like this for long. One day we'll look back laughing at the week we bought her home.  This phase is going to fly by so baby just hold on.  It won't be like this for long."  As we reached this 3 month mark in Emmy's life this song by Darius Rucker seems to be the new theme song that is constantly with me as I navigate through life.  Those first two weeks of Emmy's life were rough to say the least.  She wouldn't sleep longer than 2 hours and was up what felt like all night.  All she would do was truly eat, sleep and poop.  Now 3 months later Ryne and I really do laugh at that week we bought her home.  We watched a video the other night and I actually thought "who is that baby?"   Emmy looks, and acts, so differently then when she was first born.  It's hard to believe that this is the same baby.  My tiny 6 pound baby is now pulling at toys, reaching for the dog, and talking to all her "buddies" and family, this list could go on and on.  Now I find that I am laughing with her as she smiles.  She can make me smile when I want to cry.  She can make a bad day so much better by just looking at her.  The other day I asked her "Where is your daddy?" and she opened up her hand.  And I laughed and said "That's right!  You're daddy is right there in the palm of your hand!"  And she smiled.  Ryne and I say things like "I can't wait for (insert milestone here)"  but the truth is I can wait.  Sure I am looking forward to when she can hold her own bottle and I would love to know what her voice sounds like but I can wait.  People always say "they grow up so fast" and before I had Emmy I thought it was just something people say but it is true!  I really hope that the rest of her life doesn't go as fast as these first three months go but I know it will!  She is such a beautiful and pleasant baby and I just want to hug and squeeze her.

In other news I have to give a little shout out to my husband.  Ryno, I love you more than anything and just remember "it won't be like this for long".  I am proud and happy to call myself your wife and I can't wait to see what our future has in store for us :-)

Christening

This past Sunday Emmy was baptized at our parish church.  It was a beautiful day and the weather couldn't have been better.  My parents were awesome for all they did to make the day special for Emmy.  From cleaning their house to controling the food to everything in between.  My little girl looked beautiful that day thanks to her godparents, Uncle Kevin and Aunt Barbie, who bought her the christening gown.  The food was delicious and everyone had a great time.  Thank you everyone for coming to help us celebrate with Emily Grace.

Speechless

I took this picture of Emmy yesterday and words can't do her justice!  She is such a beauty.  I can't help but think about how beautiful she is going to be as she grows.  I always think of that song lyric that says "You must have been a beautiful baby, you must have been a beautiful child, you must have been a beautiful baby cause baby look at you now!"  She will be a heartbreaker!  This has quickly become my favorite picture of Emmy.  I love her to pieces!!!

Daddy's Little Girl?

This Father's Day has got me thinking about not only my dad but my Pop~Pop Fish too.  There are many days where I miss you Pop~Pop so much it hurts and today is one of them.  This is the first time I am celebrating Father's Day without him.  This is not an easy day for me just as I am sure it is not an easy day for my mom.  In fact this morning I almost called him to wish him a Happy Father's Day only to realize that I couldn't.  I nearly cried when I remembered that I couldn't do this by phone.  My heart breaks whenever I look at my daughter and realize that she didn't get to meet this great man.  She was born not even a week after he died.  I never asked myself why him but at the time (and to be honest I still do) I ask why that time?  With only 4 days until my due date I got the phone call that my grandfather had passed away and at his funeral I stood giving the eulogy praying my water wouldn't break.  Not exactly how I invisioned going into labor. 

So while today I miss my Pop~Pop so much that it hurts I have to remember to celebrate the other men in my life.  Growing up, and even now, I never considered myself your typical "daddy's girl".  Sure I love my dad and he was a hero in my eyes but I wouldn't have pegged myself as a daddy's girl.  Then I realized something today, I was more a daddy's girl growing up and even today then I ever realized.  My dad has always been there for me to show me the way, teach me new things and tell me everything was going to be OK.  I have had the privilege of being taught how to throw a softball, roll a bowling ball and even empty the dishwasher (which I still don't do that often).  My dad always made sure to do things that as a dad he was "obligated" to do although I know he never felt obligated.  We went to Father Daugther Dances all through High School and only now as an adult do I realize what precious moments they were for us.  Perhaps my favorite thing to think about when I think about my dad is when we danced at my wedding and his speech.  Sure I pick on him for his speech but it was from the heart and he meant every word he said.  So here I am this Father's Day ready to say to the masses that I am proud to call myself a Daddy's Girl for I know that my life was influenced by a great man!  I know I can go to him for anything.  He is supports me in all I do even if he doesn't agree with it and he is someone that I will always be able to count on.

My hope is that my Emmy gets to have this realtionship with her daddy.  At only 2 months old you can tell she is completely in love with her daddy.  She looks at him with awe as almost to say "daddy you are my hero".  She smiles at him and talks to him on a regular basis.  She loves him and knows that he is her daddy.  My mom one time told me that she realizes that we are her mommy and daddy even if she doesn't know what those words mean.  And I thought what could this mean to a 2 month old.  Sure she loves us you can tell in her eyes but what must that feel like for her.  It much be such an overwhelming emotion for her tiny brain to comprehend, I'm 29 years old and I barely comprehend it.  Anyway getting back on track I know that when my baby is my age she will look back on her relationship with her daddy and smile.  She will know that he would move heaven and earth for her.  He will have been at every recital, softball game, bowling game, birthday party and everything in between.  He will be her hero and I will be second best,  and I am OK with that.  She is truly a daddy's girl and I hope she realizes it much sooner than I did.

One Hand

The time is now 10:34a.m. and I am typing this blog with one hand not because I can and want to show off but because I have to.  Why?  Because my daughter has decided that the best place for her to nap at the present moment is on my left arm (completely asleep by the way).  It's amazing what your body can do when it has to.  For instance the things you can do with one hand. I have learned that I can make a bottle, make a sandwich, pack a diaper bag, put on pants, pick something up, brush my teeth, brush my hair, turn on a swing, blog. . .the list goes on and on.  I can remember before I had Emmy watching moms carry their baby around in one arm and I used to think "isn't that dangerous" or  "I would be so nervous to do that".  Within one day of being home with Emmy I was a pro at the one arm hold just like every mother before me and every mother after me.  The one arm hold is getting a little trickier these days as Emmy is squirming a lot more and likes to look at different things.  So I've learned that I am now a pro at switching holding positions while standing with Emmy.  So the truth is I am not nervous about holding Emmy like this nor do I find it particulary dangerous (as long as I'm the one doing it).  But I would never hold another person's child like this for fear that I would drop them.  It's the whole "you break it you buy it" mentality.  The time is now 10:45 a.m.  and I am finished typing this blog.  But that's not really a fair assessment of my one handed ability as in this time I have typed this blog, put a crying baby in her swing, made sure she had her binky in her mouth, went to the bathroom, hugged and chatted with my husband, pet and chatted with my dog and got a drink of water.  Ah the multi-tasking days of a mom

Closing Times

Like the song says "every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end".  Today I went to close out my classroom and it was a little bittersweet for me.  There is so much drama that is surrounded by the end of this school year and I am just grateful to have a job.  For the 3rd time in 6 years I will be switching classrooms and for the 5th time I will be changing grades.  I have taught the same students for two years in a row and am glad that I am able to get a group of new kids next year.  I have to admit though this is the first time in years that I haven't looked forward to summer vacation.  I'm lucky I've never known what it was like to not have a summer.  I was always in school or a teacher.  Sure I worked at Kohls all through college but it was still summer and I had a break.  At that time I wanted to work so I could have money.  There is a big difference between wanting to work and having to work.  Now I have to work and it sucks!  I would love to be a stay at home mom and it's sad that in today's economy and world this is not a possibility for many moms.  So alas I am sad that it is summer because that means I am closer to going back to work and having to leave my baby girl.  I'm not looking forward to this one bit.  I don't know how my husband does it everyday.  He leaves me and Emmy laying in bed and goes off to work to provide for us.  I admire him for this.  I hope I can be like him and be brave when I go to work and leave my baby at home.  I hope that I am able to focus on my job and not worry about my daugther all day.  And it doesn't make it any easier when people say, "oh it's going to be so hard for you to go back to work!"  I want to slap them and say yes thanks for pointing that out I thought it would be really easy to leave my daughter for 8 hours a day.  But then I think that I have to be grateful for the job I have.  I'm lucky that I get days off, half days, good vacations and summer vacation to spend with my daugther.  Most moms won't get this opportunity and I am grateful for it.  It's a running joke amount teachers when people ask what is your favorite thing about teaching and you reply "June, July and August".   This was never my response until becoming a mom and now I know that teaching will be a whole different experience for me.  I know I will look at these kids and say I hope my daughter does/does not become like this child.  I will wonder will my child be the talker or the geek of the class.  I know I have a while to think about this but it is what enters my mind.  For now though I am going to enjoy my summer with my daughter and not think about going to work this coming Sept.

"I made you!"

So last night Ryne was telling Emmy the story of her conception, well parts of it at least.  He told her how she was a Disney baby and what we did that day and how she came to be her.  He ended it with an enthusiastic "I made you!"  She thought that was funny and let out a little giggle.  When Ryne finished his story I really thought about what he said and it got me thinking.  This time last year Emmy wasn't here.  The world didn't know of any Emily Grace L.   In fact this time last year we were trying to concieve our first baby and if she was a girl her name was going to be Madison not Emily.  Only after we became pregnant did our little girl become Emily.  I love my little girl so so much but if it wasn't for that perfect time she wouldn't be here.  Another day or another time and she could have been a boy or a girl but not this little girl.  Not my precious "happy baby"!  It amazes me everyday when I look at her and realize that Ryne and I made her.  She is a part of each of us.  Not long after I gave birth to Emily Ryne sent me a text that said something to the effect of "this is why we met".   And I realized that he is right.  We went to the bowling alley that night to meet and we fell in love and got married all to end up HERE with this little girl.  If it wasn't for Bobby (God help us!) Emily wouldn't be here.  I can't help but be sad by that thought!  The world is forever changed just by the mere presence of my daughter.  My life is forever changed by Emily.  She is my everything and she will change the world!

Phillies, Parties and 2 month shots

So this was a looong weekend for me and I am 29 years old so I can only imagine how it felt for Emmy.   The weekend started with Ryne having off on Friday and we all went to his doctors appointment that lasted longer than I expected.  Friday night was the first time I left Emmy for a long period of time.  But she was left with Aunt Courtney and I was very comfortable leaving them together.  So Ryne and I went off to the Phillies game with my class for "Be A Phanatic About Reading" night.  It was so much fun!  We always have a blast when we go each year!  And the Phillies won!

Saturday Emmy and I went to Tricia's graduations party.  She was pretty fussy that day.  Emmy is typicaly a very happy baby but I think from being passed around to everyone she was extra fussy.  She did eventually go to sleep but we found out she loves balloons.

On Sunday it was finally time for me to cash in on my Christmas present from Ryne.  He took me to see NKOTBSB in East Rutherfood at the Izod Center.  So Emmy had her first over night at Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop D's house.  The concert was so much fun!  And I got to be 11 years old again and not be in "mommy mode" for the night.  Ryne had bought seats that ended up being the last row in the building but we told the usher I just had a baby and that it was a csection and we got moved to row 5!!!!  It was great!!  I was so close to Jordan Knight at one point!  After the concert we went for a ride around Manhattan and saw things like Time Square and Central Park.  We got home about 3:30a.m.

Monday was time for Emmy's 2month visit and the dreaded shots.  I felt so bad for her.  She screamed during her exam she definitely didn't like when the ped. touched her belly or check her hips.  It was nice to see that she calmed down when she saw me and Ryne though.  I love knowing we can calm her because she recognizes us now.  She got a total of 4 shots, one in each limb.  I felt so horrible for my baby.  She screamed and I cried.  I think it effected me more than her.  She slept most of the day but at one point she was so sore she screamed for half an hour.  I felt so bad that I couldn't help her.  However by the end of the day she was back to her normal happy self. 

This week is the last week of school so I will be going in to help close out my classroom.  I'm so happy summer is here but also sad because I have to go back to work that much sooner.

Growing up fast

I decided that today I would post the pictures of Emily to see how much she has grown. 

                                                                                Birth

1 month old

2 months old



2 months old

Today Emmy is 2 months old!!!  I have decided that I am going to make a list of the top 5 things that these past 2 months have shown me that I can't live without.

1)  My Husband, Ryne

OK so as cliche as it sounds it is so very true!  I know I couldn't have gotten through these past two months as a new mommy without my loving husband.  He has been there for me in more ways then I could ever imagine.  I tell him that the month of April really put our wedding vows to the test expecially the ones that stated "in sickness and health".  I am really lucky to have him because not every man would do what he does.  He has been there for me when I need a good laugh or a hug.  And I can never thank him enough.  He is the man of my dreams and I am lucky to have him.


2)  THE BOPPY:  This wonderful pillow is what helped us get our little Emmy to sleep when she wouldn't lay on her back for the first 6 weeks of her life.  Without this magical pillow we would have had many more sleepless nights.






3)  Playmat:  Emmy loves her Jungle themed play mat.  She loves watching the lights and listening to the music.  When she is on it I can get ANYTHING done, while in the same area as her of course.  She kicks her legs like crazy and talks to the animals.  I love it and every mother should have one!





4) Snap and Go Stroller:  This is probably the best invention I have EVER seen!  Under the advice of my cousin Melissa I registered for this stroller and it has been great!  I love how compact it is and that we just pop the car seat in and out of it.  This stroller goes everywhere with us.  I will be sad when we can't use it anymore. 






5)  Pack and Play:  Emmy would NOT sleep in her crib so we had to try so many things to try and get her to sleep.  We even tried her cradle that I had slept in as a baby and that didn't work.  So on a whim I decided to set up the PackNPlay in our bedroom and we never looked back.  She loves sleeping on the elevated part of the PNP and I love being able to roll over and see her at night.  We have all been there and roll over to make sure our precious angel is still breathing (it's a mom thing).  I am going to be really sad when she sleeps in her own room :-(

Gotta start somewhere. . .

. . .so why not at the beginning.  

I met Ryne (my husband) on January 10, 2005.  We met at a bowling alley in NJ with the help of his cousin and my friend Bobby.  It's funny to think about how Ryne and I met because in reality this wasn't our first time meeting.  Since I had grown up being friends with his cousin, Ryne and I were at the same block parties, graduations and birthday parties and didn't realize it.  This is probably because of our age difference.  We dated for 2 years before getting engaged on Valentine's Day in 2007 and then finally said our I Do's on April 18, 2009.  Fast forward almost 2 years later and I gave birth to our first child.  A beautiful baby girl, Emily Grace, on April 5, 2011.  She was born via c-section due to "being stuck".  She was literally stuck in the birth canal and wouldn't fit through my pelvis.  So after 30 hours of labor we opted for the csection.  And our gorgeous baby was born at exactly 5:30 p.m. and she looked just like her daddy!

This brings me to the reason for this blog.  Some may ask why start a blog?  Even better why start a blog now?  Well I have several answers for that.  My first being that I want a place to share my thoughts not so much for the outside world to view but more for my little girl Emily to read about sometime in the future.  And my final reason is that I realized fairly recently that life goes by very quickly and we have to stop and take in the memories.  So this is a place to share my memories so that I will remember them and can come back and read about the good times when I have a particularly bad day.

So hopefully I can fill this blog with many happy memories of my family and it will be something I can look back on and smile. 

Happy 25th Birthday to my baby brother Kevin!

And here is a picture of Emily now: