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 :-)