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| Kristen |
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| Cory (on the left) |
Whadya think?
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Mother Nature's Paternity Test
It's beginning to look a lot like fall
This was quite possibly the longest summer of my LIFE. It was exceptionally hot around here, we found out that our house gets absolutely no cross breeze through it (despite living almost on the bay), and I spent the majority of it waddling from one air conditioned place to another. Squeezing into summer clothes after having a baby i not flattering at all, so I was quite excited when I woke up to rain and a chill in the air this morning. I'm glad to see that the weather is starting to catch up to our fall decorations.
I made these pumpkins as centerpieces for Thanksgiving a few years ago. At one point, I had leaves with everyone's name embroidered on them, but I think those are in a bag in the garage.
My sister-in-law, Ashley, and I both share a love of fall. Last year, we sent each other some of our favorite things (hers were way better than mine). Here's one of the items she sent:
While in Korea years ago, I came across these figurines. I thought the little boy holding the pumpkin was just too cute. I get excited to take out my harvest people every year:
And to top it all off, as if it wasn't fabulous enough that we woke up to rain and chilly weather, I received this in the mail:
Did you see that? The IRS is removing my penalty. Are you jealous of my persuasive writing skills?
And fall wouldn't be complete without a little college football. I can't wait to get these 2 dressed like twins again. Today, I'm going to try to find Payton a yellow headband so people don't think she's a boy.
Happy fall everyone...hope it's chilly in your neck of the woods!
I made these pumpkins as centerpieces for Thanksgiving a few years ago. At one point, I had leaves with everyone's name embroidered on them, but I think those are in a bag in the garage.
My sister-in-law, Ashley, and I both share a love of fall. Last year, we sent each other some of our favorite things (hers were way better than mine). Here's one of the items she sent:
When I lived in Northern California, there was a store called the Cranberry Merchantile in Sunnyvale that I absolutely LOVED! They had all kinds of handmade items and they switched their items out for every season and holiday. Fall was my favorite time to shop there, and I would save my money all year for it. Here are a few of the things I bought:
And fall just isn't complete without some Halloween decorations. I don't have all that many, and the outside of our house isn't decorated at all, but I absolutely LOVE these bat candles. When you light the tea light behind them, the eyes glow and are super creepy:
While in Korea years ago, I came across these figurines. I thought the little boy holding the pumpkin was just too cute. I get excited to take out my harvest people every year:
And to top it all off, as if it wasn't fabulous enough that we woke up to rain and chilly weather, I received this in the mail:
Did you see that? The IRS is removing my penalty. Are you jealous of my persuasive writing skills?
And fall wouldn't be complete without a little college football. I can't wait to get these 2 dressed like twins again. Today, I'm going to try to find Payton a yellow headband so people don't think she's a boy.
Happy fall everyone...hope it's chilly in your neck of the woods!
Monday, July 30, 2012
38 weeks and some change...
Actually, it's more like lots of change. Our house is changing, my body (obviously) is changing, the relationship that Cory and I have is changing, and the things that I now see as important are forever changing. I'm 38 weeks and 4 days today, but according to my calculations I should be more like 39 weeks and 3 days (I'll keep the details of that calculation to myself. Here are 2 pictures from the past 2 weeks:
I've had a few health issues that have had us worried for the past 2 months or so, but I've been able to control my blood pressure, and all of my NST monitoring has gone well. As far as we know, baby girl is about 7 pounds as of last Thursday, and I'm 1cm dilated and 70% effaced. Our doctor is on call on Wednesday, and there's a full moon on Thursday, so Cory and I think the chances of her coming this week look pretty probable. I guessed August 4th on our baby pool because that's my half birthday and 4 is one of my lucky numbers. My last day of work was last week (except for reals this time), and I'm planning on spending the upcoming week doing whatever I feel like doing. What a concept, huh?
I partially think she's not here yet for a few reasons. First of all, I needed to stop working and finish a few projects in the office. My nesting has crossed over to the office, and I've really enjoyed having the clarity that some complicated decisions have required. I've been worried about leaving "my kids" for two months, but I have them all placed with fabulous tutors while I'm out, and it's not like I won't be stalking them and checking in on them anyway. I hope to take Payton on several walks along the water to my office to check in and make sure things are going smoothly.
Second, I needed to schedule a hair appointment, get my nails done, and clean out my closet. I've accomplished two out of three, and I have to admit that cleaning my closet doesn't sound as exciting as it did 2 weeks ago.
Finally, I think she's still not here because she's been waiting for me to finish her rocker. My grandmother used this rocker with my mom and all of her brothers. She passed away when my mother was 13, and I've heard stories since I was a little girl about how my mom used to sit in it when she missed her. My mom used it with my brother and me as well. There were many nights that she sat awake at night, rocking me to sleep in this chair. I had terrible ear infections before I had tubes put in my ear around 3 years old, so this was the only way for me to sleep while inclined. When my mother asked me if I wanted to use the rocker for Payton, I was honored. I don't know how my mom grew up and had her own children without her mother, and for that reason alone, I'm so excited that we get to share all of these special times together. So while Cory looks at the rocker and thinks it looks like hours and HOURS of unnecessary work to refinish something that still looks like it's from the 1900s, I look at it and am reminded that there have been mothers before me that somehow pulled it off.
Here it is after a few coats of primer and semi-gloss paint before the fabric was attached:
We stripped the previous mauve velvet-like fabric, sanded down the brown stain, and painted it white-ish. Cory helped me attach the new fabric with a staple gun, and then I finished off the edges with ribbon (or whatever you call the fancy upholstery stuff). Here it is, finished, with the pillow that matches her crib set:
Here's our reading and rocker corner. At my first shower, everyone brought books instead of cards which was GENIUS! She has a fabulous book collection, and Cory has already started practicing reading some of the books. We used Glidden's smooth stone interior paint for the wall color in the whole room. The frame on the wall came from Ikea, but we spray painted it because black was not going to work in this room at all. The books are held in spice racks from Ikea that were spray painted.
On the shelf are some shoes, a picture frame from Grandma Peters, and the Tooth Fairy pillow I've had since I was a little girl. Sophie the giraffe is also tucked in there behind the pillow. The little "It's a Girl" button in front of the frame is from when I was born.
Her changing station is probably my favorite part of her room. The dress on the left is from my Godmother. The subway sign is from "My Sweet Prints" on Etsy. I don't remember where I saw this, but I absolutely love it. The bar with the cups and wire hanger for diapers is from Ikea. We don't have a lot of floor space, so I had to use wall space when I could. The changing table is from Target, and the wipe warmer has received lots of hype.
This diaper caddy was a gift and is super awesome! There are diapers, a changing pad, wipes, diaper cream, and baby powder in it. We will probably leave this in the "man cave" on the other side of the house.
We also got her crib from Target. My brother helped me put it together one day while Cory was at work because the changing table took us for-ev-er. The letter "P" is from "gracegraffiti" on Etsy. I absolutely love Etsy. I also super love the bedding, which was a gift from my parents. I found it on Layla Grace, and it's absolutely perfect. We have her Sleep Sheep, a lamb pillow, and a sheep stuffed animal in her crib now, but we'll have to pull them out once she starts sleeping in there. Those adorable angels on the wall are from my room, and they were also in my mom's room. You put them by the door, and they are supposed to keep out evil spirits.
It's hard to see in this picture, but the sheets say "I love Mommy. Mommy loves me. I love Daddy. Daddy loves me." Could they BE any more perfect?! The sheets, changing pad cover, blanket, dress, and Ellie are the perfect amount of pink (I didn't want the room to be swimming in pink).
Payton's Auntie, Ashley, gave her this "P" that is just perfect on the outside of her door. Her room is right next to ours, and we all know how much I LOVE anything with letters. I'm hoping to put a few family pictures in the hallway as well. You know, in all of the spare time I'm about to have...yeah.
Payton's room is the perfect amount of new and old. There are pieces in here that brought me lots of comfort and joy, and things that are all her own. We have the best best best friends and family that truly showered us with gifts. Most of the things we have for her were gifts, so her room is already filled with love. The only thing missing is her!
How far along: 38 weeks 5 days down
Countdown: any day now!
Baby's Approximate Size: she's about the size of a watermelon (21 in, 7 pounds)
Total Weight Gain: I have no idea...but most of it is probably water weight. My legs are swollen up to my knees, and my hands are so swollen that it's impossible to make a fist.
Sleep: I sleep pretty well, minus the several trips to the bathroom. It's extremely difficult to get out of our very high bed, and even harder to get back in. I only wake up if I have to use the restroom or if I go numb.
Best moment this week: The best moment this week was finishing her nursery!
Meltdown this week: My last meltdown was in response to something Cory said that I didn't think was very nice. He insists that I took it the wrong way, and I just might have. Men should just stop talking sometimes.
Movement: She is definitely running out of room in there. She kicks her feet around under my ribs, and had the hiccups at least once a day. I was born with the hiccups, and I guess that she will be, too. Her favorite thing to do is prop her legs/knees right up under my ribs so that I can't bend over at all. She is head down and ready for an easy delivery!
Cravings: I pretty much just like food. And I can't get enough water. Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! I can finally eat apples again.
Labor Signs: As of last Tuesday, I was 1cm dilated and 70% effaced, so I'll be curious to see where we are tomorrow. I'm still having Braxton-Hicks contractions, and I had a big one on the NST monitor last week. So far, they don't hurt at all. I had some cramping earlier this evening, but that all went away.
Symptoms: Swelling, carpel tunnel, swelling, joint pain in my hips and knees, foot cramps, swelling, backaches, and swelling. Oh, and some swelling as well.
Belly Button in or out: Half and half.
Wedding Rings on or off: Off, sadly. I can't even wear the single band that I got for swollen fingers.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy because I'm ready. Really ready.
Looking forward to: I'm so excited to FINALLY see what she looks like! She was uncooperative for both 4D ultrasounds, so we really have no idea. I can't wait to hold her. I can't wait to sleep on my stomach. I can't wait to see foot and ankle bones. I can't wait to wear my rings. I can't wait to have some sangria. Did I mention that I can't wait to hold her?!
I've had a few health issues that have had us worried for the past 2 months or so, but I've been able to control my blood pressure, and all of my NST monitoring has gone well. As far as we know, baby girl is about 7 pounds as of last Thursday, and I'm 1cm dilated and 70% effaced. Our doctor is on call on Wednesday, and there's a full moon on Thursday, so Cory and I think the chances of her coming this week look pretty probable. I guessed August 4th on our baby pool because that's my half birthday and 4 is one of my lucky numbers. My last day of work was last week (except for reals this time), and I'm planning on spending the upcoming week doing whatever I feel like doing. What a concept, huh?
I partially think she's not here yet for a few reasons. First of all, I needed to stop working and finish a few projects in the office. My nesting has crossed over to the office, and I've really enjoyed having the clarity that some complicated decisions have required. I've been worried about leaving "my kids" for two months, but I have them all placed with fabulous tutors while I'm out, and it's not like I won't be stalking them and checking in on them anyway. I hope to take Payton on several walks along the water to my office to check in and make sure things are going smoothly.
Second, I needed to schedule a hair appointment, get my nails done, and clean out my closet. I've accomplished two out of three, and I have to admit that cleaning my closet doesn't sound as exciting as it did 2 weeks ago.
Finally, I think she's still not here because she's been waiting for me to finish her rocker. My grandmother used this rocker with my mom and all of her brothers. She passed away when my mother was 13, and I've heard stories since I was a little girl about how my mom used to sit in it when she missed her. My mom used it with my brother and me as well. There were many nights that she sat awake at night, rocking me to sleep in this chair. I had terrible ear infections before I had tubes put in my ear around 3 years old, so this was the only way for me to sleep while inclined. When my mother asked me if I wanted to use the rocker for Payton, I was honored. I don't know how my mom grew up and had her own children without her mother, and for that reason alone, I'm so excited that we get to share all of these special times together. So while Cory looks at the rocker and thinks it looks like hours and HOURS of unnecessary work to refinish something that still looks like it's from the 1900s, I look at it and am reminded that there have been mothers before me that somehow pulled it off.
Here it is after a few coats of primer and semi-gloss paint before the fabric was attached:
We stripped the previous mauve velvet-like fabric, sanded down the brown stain, and painted it white-ish. Cory helped me attach the new fabric with a staple gun, and then I finished off the edges with ribbon (or whatever you call the fancy upholstery stuff). Here it is, finished, with the pillow that matches her crib set:
Here's our reading and rocker corner. At my first shower, everyone brought books instead of cards which was GENIUS! She has a fabulous book collection, and Cory has already started practicing reading some of the books. We used Glidden's smooth stone interior paint for the wall color in the whole room. The frame on the wall came from Ikea, but we spray painted it because black was not going to work in this room at all. The books are held in spice racks from Ikea that were spray painted.
On the shelf are some shoes, a picture frame from Grandma Peters, and the Tooth Fairy pillow I've had since I was a little girl. Sophie the giraffe is also tucked in there behind the pillow. The little "It's a Girl" button in front of the frame is from when I was born.
Her changing station is probably my favorite part of her room. The dress on the left is from my Godmother. The subway sign is from "My Sweet Prints" on Etsy. I don't remember where I saw this, but I absolutely love it. The bar with the cups and wire hanger for diapers is from Ikea. We don't have a lot of floor space, so I had to use wall space when I could. The changing table is from Target, and the wipe warmer has received lots of hype.
The elephant is also a gift from my Godmother. We named her Ellie, and she's super soft.
This diaper caddy was a gift and is super awesome! There are diapers, a changing pad, wipes, diaper cream, and baby powder in it. We will probably leave this in the "man cave" on the other side of the house.
Payton's closet is washed, folded/rolled, organized, and fully-stocked. Well, I think it's fully stocked. The closet organizer is from Babies 'R Us, and it's full of swaddle blankets, crib sheets, changing table covers, protective pads, receiving blankets, towels, wash cloths, burp cloths, and pac-n-play sheets. Underneath is a basket full of baby toiletries like wipes, nail clippers, and shampoo. We stacked up all of her newborn diapers (we hope she likes Huggies) in the closet and put the size 1s and 2s in the garage for now. Her dresses are sorted by size, and all of the cards she received (and the cards I received for mother's day) are in the adorable boxes on the shelf. We put a blanket made by my aunt on the shelf, as well as some of her bath toys that she'll love later on. The diaper bag is from "CoralTree" on Etsy, and is just big enough to hold all of my stuff.
We also got her crib from Target. My brother helped me put it together one day while Cory was at work because the changing table took us for-ev-er. The letter "P" is from "gracegraffiti" on Etsy. I absolutely love Etsy. I also super love the bedding, which was a gift from my parents. I found it on Layla Grace, and it's absolutely perfect. We have her Sleep Sheep, a lamb pillow, and a sheep stuffed animal in her crib now, but we'll have to pull them out once she starts sleeping in there. Those adorable angels on the wall are from my room, and they were also in my mom's room. You put them by the door, and they are supposed to keep out evil spirits.
It's hard to see in this picture, but the sheets say "I love Mommy. Mommy loves me. I love Daddy. Daddy loves me." Could they BE any more perfect?! The sheets, changing pad cover, blanket, dress, and Ellie are the perfect amount of pink (I didn't want the room to be swimming in pink).
Payton's Auntie, Ashley, gave her this "P" that is just perfect on the outside of her door. Her room is right next to ours, and we all know how much I LOVE anything with letters. I'm hoping to put a few family pictures in the hallway as well. You know, in all of the spare time I'm about to have...yeah.
Payton's room is the perfect amount of new and old. There are pieces in here that brought me lots of comfort and joy, and things that are all her own. We have the best best best friends and family that truly showered us with gifts. Most of the things we have for her were gifts, so her room is already filled with love. The only thing missing is her!
How far along: 38 weeks 5 days down
Countdown: any day now!
Baby's Approximate Size: she's about the size of a watermelon (21 in, 7 pounds)
Total Weight Gain: I have no idea...but most of it is probably water weight. My legs are swollen up to my knees, and my hands are so swollen that it's impossible to make a fist.
Sleep: I sleep pretty well, minus the several trips to the bathroom. It's extremely difficult to get out of our very high bed, and even harder to get back in. I only wake up if I have to use the restroom or if I go numb.
Best moment this week: The best moment this week was finishing her nursery!
Meltdown this week: My last meltdown was in response to something Cory said that I didn't think was very nice. He insists that I took it the wrong way, and I just might have. Men should just stop talking sometimes.
Movement: She is definitely running out of room in there. She kicks her feet around under my ribs, and had the hiccups at least once a day. I was born with the hiccups, and I guess that she will be, too. Her favorite thing to do is prop her legs/knees right up under my ribs so that I can't bend over at all. She is head down and ready for an easy delivery!
Cravings: I pretty much just like food. And I can't get enough water. Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! I can finally eat apples again.
Labor Signs: As of last Tuesday, I was 1cm dilated and 70% effaced, so I'll be curious to see where we are tomorrow. I'm still having Braxton-Hicks contractions, and I had a big one on the NST monitor last week. So far, they don't hurt at all. I had some cramping earlier this evening, but that all went away.
Symptoms: Swelling, carpel tunnel, swelling, joint pain in my hips and knees, foot cramps, swelling, backaches, and swelling. Oh, and some swelling as well.
Belly Button in or out: Half and half.
Wedding Rings on or off: Off, sadly. I can't even wear the single band that I got for swollen fingers.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy because I'm ready. Really ready.
Looking forward to: I'm so excited to FINALLY see what she looks like! She was uncooperative for both 4D ultrasounds, so we really have no idea. I can't wait to hold her. I can't wait to sleep on my stomach. I can't wait to see foot and ankle bones. I can't wait to wear my rings. I can't wait to have some sangria. Did I mention that I can't wait to hold her?!
Monday, June 18, 2012
32 weeks
For the past week or so, I have apparently been nesting. I've heard about people cleaning like crazy, but I haven't been doing that a whole lot, so I figured it just wasn't going to affect me. I was telling the teacher I work with on Fridays about some projects that I've been working on, and they all said at the same time, "Oh, you're totally nesting." I can't tell you when it started, but I'm pretty sure it started with Pinterest. I started pinning all things compiled in notebooks with dividers, and I got really into classroom organization. I looked at all of my teacher pins for reading, and I've been working on ideas for tracking student progress and organizing guided reading materials. The only way I can describe it is feeling horny for organization. If I'm horny for organization, then file folders/labels/post-its are like my porn and three-hole punching/sorting/labeling/consolidating is like masturbation. I know, it's not a pretty reference, but it's the only analogy that seems to fit. I was able to put down the binders and papers for the weekend, and I plowed my way through some of the piles around the house. My mom came to stay with me for the weekend since Cory was out of town, and we accomplished a LOT together. It was all worthwhile too when Cory came home, didn't even notice, and then threw all of his stuff from the weekend all over the livingroom...
How far along: 32 weeks, 5 days down
Countdown: 7 weeks, 2 days left to go! (even though I'm pretty sure she will be here before that)
Baby's Approximate Size: she's as big as a honeydew (19 in, 4.5 pounds)
Total Weight Gain: I couldn't tell you...I now face away from the scale at the doctor's office
Sleep: I sleep without any major problems. However, rolling over in the middle of the night is a VERY uncomfortable task, and getting out of bed to pee is the worst.
Best moment this week: I've had lots of great moments, but the best one so far was today at Starbucks. I've been downing so much water and juice that I decided to mix it up with some iced tea. As I was waiting in line for my drink, this woman came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder, and said that I looked great from behind and that she couldn't believe I was pregnant. Pretty much everyone tells you that you look great when you're pregnant because that's just code. This woman kept going on and on about how she wished she looked like me when she was pregnant, but she was sincere, and had the biggest heart. She didn't seem to get up for any reason other than to tell me that, and it truly made my day. When you feel fat and swollen and like your face is starting to swallow itself, it's nice to be told that you don't look that way. I've had so many people tell me how worried they are about me lately that it's nice to have someone (even a complete stranger) tell you that you're doing just fine. It means a lot to those of us who haven't had the easiest pregnancy and don't think it's all of this rainbows-and-butterflies shit that everyone talks about. I fear going back to that Starbucks because I'd hate to walk in and be disappointed that she's not there. I also had a FABULOUS shower last weekend that I'll post pictures of when I get the digital files.
Meltdown this week: I got some pretty scary news last week at my doctor's appointment, so I'm under close watch this week. It was the first appointment that I was supposed to go to by myself, but I obviously called Cory and he was there within a few minutes. I waited until I got home to have my meltdown so that I could have the ugly cry in the privacy of my own home.
Meltdown this week: I got some pretty scary news last week at my doctor's appointment, so I'm under close watch this week. It was the first appointment that I was supposed to go to by myself, but I obviously called Cory and he was there within a few minutes. I waited until I got home to have my meltdown so that I could have the ugly cry in the privacy of my own home.
Movement: Baby girl is VERY busy in there. Every now and again, I feel her doing these little, rhythmic movements on the lower left side of my belly. I thought that she was just practicing her rhythm and dance moves, but it occurred to me today that that's where her ribs are, and she's hiccuping. In fact, she's doing it again right now. Poor thing...I get them all the time, and they are loud and obnoxious. I guess she gets that from me. For the past 2 weeks or so, I've felt a lot more movement; probably because she's running out of room in there. At out 4D ultrasound, I got to watch her moving around and I was surprised to know that what feels like BIG movements are actually pretty small. I can't imagine what it's going to feel like in another month. It's fun to watch her rolly-polley around in there.
Cravings: I still love anything lemon, and I've been pretty successful at replacing lemon bars with lemon yogurt. I can't get enough water, and I'm still loving any kind of tart-ish juice (mango lemonade, orange juice, etc).
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anymore.
Labor Signs: No labor signs yet, but she's sitting pretty low, and the pressure makes me feel like I get kicked in the pelvic bone everyday.
Symptoms: Wait for it...foot pain, foot swelling, kankles/disappearing ankle bones, high-ish blood pressure, hip pain, pelvic pain, back aches, and the inability to sit up or get up quickly. I'm also starting to feel more Braxton-Hicks.
Belly Button in or out: It's still in, but one little part of it is kinda out. It just looks gross.
Wedding Rings on or off: I can still wear my wedding band, but my engagement ring doesn't fit anymore, so I borrowed another band from Pops. I'm hoping to go find some other bands that I can wear in the meantime because I feel naked without them anymore.
Happy or Moody most of the time: It depends on the day and what I've eaten.
Looking forward to: Having the nursery completed and everything ready to go. For the nursery, we just need a mattress, something to store her toys in, crib sheets, a changing pad, changing pad covers, and some sheet protectors. I also need to finish putting up her bookshelves and picture frames (as soon as they're ready). After my shower on the 30th, I hope to head to Babies-R-Us to order all of the other stuff we need before she gets here so that if she comes early, we're ready (monitor, sleep nest, stroller, car seat, etc). Most of all, I'm looking forward to meeting out sweet baby girl! Here are a few we're-not-quite-finished-yet shots of the nursery:
What I miss the most: I still miss sleeping on my stomach. I miss running and being able to work out so hard that you get a really good sweat going. I also miss having the energy to run around and do everything that needs to get done. I miss wine and sangria, and I can't wait until I can fit back into all of my old clothes!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The Peters Family Is Under Attack!
Yes, it's true. The Peters family was under attack today. Here's a picture of the crime scene, our kitchen window (this picture was taken AFTER the crime scene was cleared, so no evidence or blood stains remain):
Here's a picture of the weapon (it's wet because we watered down the evidence):
Here's a picture of the back-up weapons that we had on hand...you know, just in case:
Everyone knows how DEATHLY afraid of bees, wasps, hornets, etc. I am. As I was sitting at the kitchen table, minding my own business, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I figured it was just a moth or something that came in to say during our party Saturday afternoon and got stuck. My heart stopped for a minute when I realized that it was a WASP and not a moth. Wasps can sting you more than once, which makes them even worse. And unlike spiders that can's really move that quickly, anything that flies CAN and that is teeeeeerrifying to me. After I screamed like a little girl, and ran to the other side of the room to grab spray and a towel, I realized that I couldn't just leave it there...I had to WATCH it so that I would know where it was at all times. I mustered up enough courage to get my phone from the table, and I did what any normal, sane person would do.
I called Cory. Isn't that why people get married?! I guess not; Selena used to handle all of that stuff before. I guess every relationship has a designated person to handle such crises.
Anyhow...Cory rushed home from work 15 minutes before a work meeting to be my knight in shining armor. He realized that the jet stream of the spray would not allow him to remain at a safe/comfortable distance away from the victim, so he opted to use the broom for blunt force trauma. He looked at me, looked at the wasp, said, "This is a one-shot deal and I can't miss." Then he gave me nugs (is that what you call a high-five but with your knuckles?). He took a deep breathe, rammed that thing as hard as he could, and I started laughing uncontrollably. Here he is, 6'2 (I think) with broad shoulders, and he's launching this broom in a harpoon-style motion (like they do on Wicked Tuna) at an insect that isn't much bigger than his thumb. I'm laughing and cheering, and he's yelling at me because it isn't dead yet and here-to-fore isn't time to celebrate the homicide. He wouldn't let me take a video or a picture, but I wish I had done it anyway because it was awesome!
"I wonder how it got in," he says to me, "because we haven't had any doors open since the parts on Saturday." OMG, it's been in our house since SATURDAY?! I've been cohabiting with this thing since SATURDAY?! You've got to be kidding me. Then he tells me not to worry since it could have just come from a nest in the house. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
I watched a scary movie about bees invading a house on some cable channel when I was in 4th grade (cleverly titled "Attack of the Bees" or something like that), and then saw news reports the following week that said we were being invaded by Africanized honey bees in Southern California. I made my mom order the pamphlet of information, I wrote a report on it, I was forced to go to the Santa Ana Zoo a few months later that was INFESTED with bees, and I just haven't been the same ever since.
I. HATE. FLYING. INSECTS. THAT. STING.
I eventually made it to the grocery store and rewarded myself with my favorites:
To end today on a positive note, I brought some mango lemonade with me to work.
My biggest accomplishment of the day so far: packing the EXACT right proportion of apple slices and peanut butter.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
21 weeks
Here's what 21 weeks looks like!
Cory got his first present for baby girl at work today:
What should her first song be? So far, we've received suggestions for "Isn't she lovely," "Baby Got Back," and "Lady Humps."
What should her first song be? So far, we've received suggestions for "Isn't she lovely," "Baby Got Back," and "Lady Humps."
How far along: 21 weeks down
Countdown: 19 weeks to go!
Baby's Approximate Size: she's as long as a banana (7 in, 11 oz)
Total Weight Gain: 5 pounds (only one pound since 2/7...yipee!)
Sleep: I'm definitely not the narcoleptic I was during the first trimester, but once I sit down, it's really hard for me to get back up. I've had lots more energy lately, so it's nice to know that life basics (like showering and blowdrying my hair) don't seem like such marathon events anymore. I have no problem falling asleep, and I'm usually up, wide awake, by 7 every morning.
Best moment this week: The best moment this week was OBVIOUSLY getting married. Since the day we started dating, Cory and I have talked about getting married and having kids. We didn't think it would happen so fast, but everything seems to be happening the way it was supposed to, which is so awesome.
Meltdown this week: Cory didn't like something that I registered for, and he made that loud and clear. Melt. Doooooown. When I flip the switch, I can't stop myself, and then I start thinking about all of the things that are bothering me, and it gets out of hand. I'm better now...
Movement: She moves mostly after I eat, or when I'm sitting down at work doing something that involves a lot of thought. I think she likes the left side more, but I'm not sure why.
Cravings: This week, I can't get enough macaroni salad from Ralphs. It has nasty olives in it, so I just pick them out. I also still can't seem to drink enough milk.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Baby girl does NOT like apples. I get it. I tried to have some applesauce yesterday, but I couldn't get that past her. I'll try again today.
Labor Signs: Nada.
Symptoms: I've been congestion free for about a week, but I slowly feel it coming back today. I've started getting headaches, too. A children't Tylenol works pretty well for that.
Belly Button in or out: It's still in, but it seems to be getting bigger.
Wedding Rings on or off: On, duh. I love them together! And I can't wait until I get another diamond band as a "push" present!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, especially after I eat.
Looking forward to: I'm so excited to FINALLY start thinking about baby things. We tried to delay it until after the wedding, but my mom and I got a little ahead of ourselves when we found out we were having a girl. So far, she has a sleep sheep, a "shhh, baby is sleeping" sign, a tutu (the cutest one EVER), a sun hat, a pair of shoes, her first outfit that we bought her, and my old tooth fairy pillow. I can't WAIT to pick out all of her bedding!
What I miss the most: I really miss sleeping on my stomach. I have the pregnancy pillow that Cory's parents got me for my birthday, and I might sleep with that for the rest of my life! (Sorry, Cory)
Sleep: I'm definitely not the narcoleptic I was during the first trimester, but once I sit down, it's really hard for me to get back up. I've had lots more energy lately, so it's nice to know that life basics (like showering and blowdrying my hair) don't seem like such marathon events anymore. I have no problem falling asleep, and I'm usually up, wide awake, by 7 every morning.
Best moment this week: The best moment this week was OBVIOUSLY getting married. Since the day we started dating, Cory and I have talked about getting married and having kids. We didn't think it would happen so fast, but everything seems to be happening the way it was supposed to, which is so awesome.
Meltdown this week: Cory didn't like something that I registered for, and he made that loud and clear. Melt. Doooooown. When I flip the switch, I can't stop myself, and then I start thinking about all of the things that are bothering me, and it gets out of hand. I'm better now...
Movement: She moves mostly after I eat, or when I'm sitting down at work doing something that involves a lot of thought. I think she likes the left side more, but I'm not sure why.
Cravings: This week, I can't get enough macaroni salad from Ralphs. It has nasty olives in it, so I just pick them out. I also still can't seem to drink enough milk.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Baby girl does NOT like apples. I get it. I tried to have some applesauce yesterday, but I couldn't get that past her. I'll try again today.
Labor Signs: Nada.
Symptoms: I've been congestion free for about a week, but I slowly feel it coming back today. I've started getting headaches, too. A children't Tylenol works pretty well for that.
Belly Button in or out: It's still in, but it seems to be getting bigger.
Wedding Rings on or off: On, duh. I love them together! And I can't wait until I get another diamond band as a "push" present!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, especially after I eat.
Looking forward to: I'm so excited to FINALLY start thinking about baby things. We tried to delay it until after the wedding, but my mom and I got a little ahead of ourselves when we found out we were having a girl. So far, she has a sleep sheep, a "shhh, baby is sleeping" sign, a tutu (the cutest one EVER), a sun hat, a pair of shoes, her first outfit that we bought her, and my old tooth fairy pillow. I can't WAIT to pick out all of her bedding!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I've Got the Tools Like Martha
One of the best things about getting married has been registering for all of the stuff I've always wanted to have. There's an amazing feeling that comes with making a home, and I love having all of this awesome stuff. One of my favorite has been monogrammed EVERYTHING! Cory's parents got us some monogrammed towels and our monogrammed duvet cover, my parents got us all kinds of awesome electronics (I can't wait to make homemade bread), and I have Martha's dream kitchen. I could write paragraphs about each and every gift we received (I know you all know that), so I'll spare everyone and get to my latest favorite. We registered for all new baking sheets, and while Cory stepped away for 3 minutes at Macy's, I snuck in this fine gem right here:
If you received some kind of variation of the following on your thank you note from "us" (I use the term "us" loosely), I really, truly meant it:
we're making a house a home
I finally have all of the tools to make stuff just like mom
this was one of my favorite things to register for
I've always dreamed of having this
I feel like such an adult
As cliche as they all sound, I will be on a registry high for at least a year. Yes, I think of Jena and Selena every time I see our wine buckets, Anna when I walk by our coffee condiment set, the Peters family when we use our Keurig machine, and so many of you throughout the day (again, I'll spare you the list). What a year to make writing thank you notes my New Years resolution!
Our home is filled with adult things from the people we love. Take THAT, Martha!
Why Moms Are Always Right
THIS IS AS TMI AS TMI GETS...YOU WERE WARNED.
I haven't publicly shared a whole lot about my pregnancy, so since I'm just about half way into it, I thought this would be a good time to start.
I hit a wall back in November and December, and I thought that I was just really, really tired from work and all of the parties Cory and I were going to. It seemed like we had something to do every weekend, and I just couldn't keep up. I went up to visit Cory and his family in Manteca the day after Thanksgiving, and I remember how horrible it felt to wake up at 5:00 am. I dragged myself to the airport, slept a little on the plane, and was so excited to see him when I got up there. It was our 6-month anniversary, and he picked me up from the airport with a rose, chocolates, and a card. Could he be any sweeter?
We had breakfast with a friend of mine from the credential program in Sacramento. I was so sad when she moved away, and it was really nice to spend time with her and her family. We then drove back to Manteca to spend some time at his brother's house. I don't remember anything between the car ride and checking in to our hotel room because I couldn't stop thinking about taking a nap. After we both woke up, we met back at the house and headed out for some tubing. We had a blast!
I fell asleep at the dinner table that night at some embarrassingly early hour like 9:00 pm. I couldn't get enough sleep that night. Ashley made some off-the-cuff comment about me being pregnant to which I laughed. We drove back down the next day. That week at work, Cory found out that one of his coworkers was pregnant, and he was so excited. He told her that we thought we were in the same position, but that it was too early to tell.
A couple of weeks later, we had our "Friends Christmas" party at Dominique's house. The plan was to eat dinner together and then go out dancing in Downtown Fullerton, The problem with that was all of the pasta we consumed. Everyone was in a food coma, and we really didn't want to do anything but sleep. That worked out just fine for me! We decided to stay in instead, so naturally the girls ended up inside and the boys outside. At one point, us girls were talking about something really inappropriate, and wouldn't that just be the time that Cory walked through the doors. We immediately stopped talking and started giggling. Cory looked at all of us and said, "What? Did Kristen tell you she's pregnant?" Then everyone looked at ME! I took a sip of wine, assured them all that I was not, and continued fantasizing about going to sleep.
I went Christmas shopping with my mom that Sunday, and I remember having to drag myself around the mall. When I slept for over 11 hours that night, I woke up on Monday and I just knew that I couldn't wait anymore. Cory asked why I was so tired, to which I replied, "Because I'm carrying your child, THAT'S why." I definitely needed to know now. I went on a scavenger hunt that morning, in flip flops and velour in the pouring rain, and tried to find a grocery store that had tests that were not locked in a cabinet. Finally, at the third store, I found some. I also grabbed a bunch of frozen dinners and tried to find the least nosy-looking checker I could find. No small talk, in and out (so not like me). I dropped 2 of the frozen dinners running back out to the car sans umbrella, and I'm pretty sure I didn't stop to pick them up. It was so Cinderella.
I downed a bottle of water, did the deed, and waited. Something in the universe slowed way the hell down, and it was like the longest 2 minutes in recorded history. I'm surprised you didn't read about it on Google or hear about it on 60 minutes; the universe literally froze. I saw 2 faint lines, freaked the %&(# out, and paced around the apartment by myself yelling more 4-letter words. The big man upstairs obviously heard all of our jokes about making babies and decided enough was enough. I called Cory and then got in the shower. I knew I had to shower eventually that day, so that's the only thing that made sense to do, duh. Cory got off of his conference call, came over, and saw the 2 lines. "Babe, this is so exciting," he whispered to me. I was less than thrilled because I was still in shock. Damn that Spaghettini and their wine and their r&b music! I don't remember the date, but it was the same day that Starbucks was selling their coffee tumblers that gave you free coffee for the month of January. Sorry Cory and Selena, that's why you didn't get one from me. I tried going on Tuesday, but they weren't having that.
Cory gave me 2 days to figure out what we were going to do, how we were going to tell people, and what our plan was going to be. We talked a LOT those next few days. We were having a Christmas dinner that Friday with our parents, the Peters family Christmas that Saturday, and the Burns family Christmas that Sunday. We were going on a cruise for Cory's 30th birthday over New Years, so we knew that 1) we couldn't keep the secret for long because I'm not one to pass up a glass of wine, and 2) we had opportunities to share the good news with lots of people all at once. We told our parents that Wednesday so that they could have 2 days to mull it over before we all got together. We told the Peters family at dinner on Saturday, and we told the Burns family before dinner on Sunday. We also told friends once we confirmed it with the doctor that following Monday, and then the word was out. I waited a bit longer to tell people from work because we wanted to be sure that nothing happened first.
I slept for about 4 days over Christmas because my parents got an amazing new mattress and I didn't want to get up. The cruise over New Years was exhausting, and I found myself falling asleep at the comedy club. Who does that? The first time I threw up was when we were looking for wedding venues, and all I could eat during the first trimester was fruit, fruit snacks, pretzels, and milk. I cried a lot for no reason. We found out we were having a girl Friday, March 9th (I was so convinced that it was a girl that the day before the ultrasound, I told my office manager/other mom/best neighbor ever that I couldn't even imagine it being a boy). I finally felt her move Friday, March 16th after 2 square pizzas from the cafeteria and a sugar cookie. And while going through a bunch of my old baby stuff with my mom the weekend before the wedding, we found my mom and grandma's wedding predictions written on the bag. My grandmother predicted that I'd get married a long time ago (so long ago that I don't even remember), and my mom predicted that I'd get married in 2012...moms are always right! I knew that also as soon as I met Cory (more on our beginnings in another post).
I never took pictures of myself because I rarely looked presentable enough to take one. And for the past month or so, our livingroom (one of 2 mirrors in the whole house) has been so full of wedding messes that I haven't wanted to share it. I managed to take one the weekend before the wedding when I was about 19 weeks along:
More to come on where we are now tomorrow!
xoxo Kristen (yes, you get another trophy for reading this far)
I haven't publicly shared a whole lot about my pregnancy, so since I'm just about half way into it, I thought this would be a good time to start.
I hit a wall back in November and December, and I thought that I was just really, really tired from work and all of the parties Cory and I were going to. It seemed like we had something to do every weekend, and I just couldn't keep up. I went up to visit Cory and his family in Manteca the day after Thanksgiving, and I remember how horrible it felt to wake up at 5:00 am. I dragged myself to the airport, slept a little on the plane, and was so excited to see him when I got up there. It was our 6-month anniversary, and he picked me up from the airport with a rose, chocolates, and a card. Could he be any sweeter?
We had breakfast with a friend of mine from the credential program in Sacramento. I was so sad when she moved away, and it was really nice to spend time with her and her family. We then drove back to Manteca to spend some time at his brother's house. I don't remember anything between the car ride and checking in to our hotel room because I couldn't stop thinking about taking a nap. After we both woke up, we met back at the house and headed out for some tubing. We had a blast!
I fell asleep at the dinner table that night at some embarrassingly early hour like 9:00 pm. I couldn't get enough sleep that night. Ashley made some off-the-cuff comment about me being pregnant to which I laughed. We drove back down the next day. That week at work, Cory found out that one of his coworkers was pregnant, and he was so excited. He told her that we thought we were in the same position, but that it was too early to tell.
A couple of weeks later, we had our "Friends Christmas" party at Dominique's house. The plan was to eat dinner together and then go out dancing in Downtown Fullerton, The problem with that was all of the pasta we consumed. Everyone was in a food coma, and we really didn't want to do anything but sleep. That worked out just fine for me! We decided to stay in instead, so naturally the girls ended up inside and the boys outside. At one point, us girls were talking about something really inappropriate, and wouldn't that just be the time that Cory walked through the doors. We immediately stopped talking and started giggling. Cory looked at all of us and said, "What? Did Kristen tell you she's pregnant?" Then everyone looked at ME! I took a sip of wine, assured them all that I was not, and continued fantasizing about going to sleep.
I went Christmas shopping with my mom that Sunday, and I remember having to drag myself around the mall. When I slept for over 11 hours that night, I woke up on Monday and I just knew that I couldn't wait anymore. Cory asked why I was so tired, to which I replied, "Because I'm carrying your child, THAT'S why." I definitely needed to know now. I went on a scavenger hunt that morning, in flip flops and velour in the pouring rain, and tried to find a grocery store that had tests that were not locked in a cabinet. Finally, at the third store, I found some. I also grabbed a bunch of frozen dinners and tried to find the least nosy-looking checker I could find. No small talk, in and out (so not like me). I dropped 2 of the frozen dinners running back out to the car sans umbrella, and I'm pretty sure I didn't stop to pick them up. It was so Cinderella.
I downed a bottle of water, did the deed, and waited. Something in the universe slowed way the hell down, and it was like the longest 2 minutes in recorded history. I'm surprised you didn't read about it on Google or hear about it on 60 minutes; the universe literally froze. I saw 2 faint lines, freaked the %&(# out, and paced around the apartment by myself yelling more 4-letter words. The big man upstairs obviously heard all of our jokes about making babies and decided enough was enough. I called Cory and then got in the shower. I knew I had to shower eventually that day, so that's the only thing that made sense to do, duh. Cory got off of his conference call, came over, and saw the 2 lines. "Babe, this is so exciting," he whispered to me. I was less than thrilled because I was still in shock. Damn that Spaghettini and their wine and their r&b music! I don't remember the date, but it was the same day that Starbucks was selling their coffee tumblers that gave you free coffee for the month of January. Sorry Cory and Selena, that's why you didn't get one from me. I tried going on Tuesday, but they weren't having that.
Cory gave me 2 days to figure out what we were going to do, how we were going to tell people, and what our plan was going to be. We talked a LOT those next few days. We were having a Christmas dinner that Friday with our parents, the Peters family Christmas that Saturday, and the Burns family Christmas that Sunday. We were going on a cruise for Cory's 30th birthday over New Years, so we knew that 1) we couldn't keep the secret for long because I'm not one to pass up a glass of wine, and 2) we had opportunities to share the good news with lots of people all at once. We told our parents that Wednesday so that they could have 2 days to mull it over before we all got together. We told the Peters family at dinner on Saturday, and we told the Burns family before dinner on Sunday. We also told friends once we confirmed it with the doctor that following Monday, and then the word was out. I waited a bit longer to tell people from work because we wanted to be sure that nothing happened first.
I slept for about 4 days over Christmas because my parents got an amazing new mattress and I didn't want to get up. The cruise over New Years was exhausting, and I found myself falling asleep at the comedy club. Who does that? The first time I threw up was when we were looking for wedding venues, and all I could eat during the first trimester was fruit, fruit snacks, pretzels, and milk. I cried a lot for no reason. We found out we were having a girl Friday, March 9th (I was so convinced that it was a girl that the day before the ultrasound, I told my office manager/other mom/best neighbor ever that I couldn't even imagine it being a boy). I finally felt her move Friday, March 16th after 2 square pizzas from the cafeteria and a sugar cookie. And while going through a bunch of my old baby stuff with my mom the weekend before the wedding, we found my mom and grandma's wedding predictions written on the bag. My grandmother predicted that I'd get married a long time ago (so long ago that I don't even remember), and my mom predicted that I'd get married in 2012...moms are always right! I knew that also as soon as I met Cory (more on our beginnings in another post).
I never took pictures of myself because I rarely looked presentable enough to take one. And for the past month or so, our livingroom (one of 2 mirrors in the whole house) has been so full of wedding messes that I haven't wanted to share it. I managed to take one the weekend before the wedding when I was about 19 weeks along:
More to come on where we are now tomorrow!
xoxo Kristen (yes, you get another trophy for reading this far)
Monday, March 26, 2012
Every Little Step I Take
One of my tope 10 all-time favorite songs is "Every Little Step I Take" by Bobby Brown. So, it's only appropriate that this was our grand entrance song for our wedding.
Lately, we've been taking some pretty big steps, actually. We were married this past Friday, and we're expecting our first child in August (she'll probably be early like her dad). I feel like I have a million and one things to blog about, which is terrific because I also feel like I have a little more time to sit and think. Ok fine, I really just make time to write now because I like the way my ring bling sparkles when I type.
Although I want to wait until we get our professional pictures back to write all about the wedding (and the slave labor I put myself and others through to make it all come together), I wanted to post a few of my post-wedding thoughts and some of the pictures that guests have shared on Facebook.
I started off the day with chocolate chip pancakes in bed with my mom and Godmother. Selena stayed with me that night, but left early to go back home to get ready. More on the day later...
The morning after the wedding, we checked out of our room and headed to Aunt Laurie's house for the Peters' family brunch. We both agreed that, since we had so many people in town that we didn't get to spend much time with, we would make an appearance to say hello and visit a bit. It was really nice to sit and chat with everyone! I had 3 servings of coffee cake, which made baby girl jump around. Aunt Pam told me months ago that I'd have to let her know when I felt her kick, so I ran over, put her hand on my belly, and got to share some pretty strong kicks with her. Once she knew that all eyes were on her, she stopped, of course.
After we left Don and Laurie's house, we headed back down to my parents' house to have (yes, another) brunch with my family. My aunt and uncle from Arizona were in town, as well as my "Uncle" Joe, my Godmother from Washington, and my uncle from Northern California. I scarfed down 2 of my dad's (should be) world-famous eggs benedict, and enjoyed visiting with everyone. My mom asked us what our favorite part of the wedding was, and be both agreed that is was the ceremony. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?!
Cory's cousin put so much work into it, and did a lot of research to make it personal for us. We wanted it sweet, funny, and personal, and that's JUST what Tyler gave us. The funniest thing about the ceremony, for me, was after Cory finished repeating his vows. He struggled a bit with one of the longer verses, and after he finished all of them, he whispered, "Good luck," to me. I thought that was so sweet! I can't wait to see the video of our ceremony because I'm curious as to whether or not any of our side conversations during the ceremony were picked up. Cory and Tyler thought the funniest part was when the wine bottle was too big for the box we had. Cory got a champagne bottle that was just big enough for a wine bottle that we have at home, but it wasn't big enough for the one during our ceremony. I didn't even THINK to check it before hand. When we realized that it wouldn't fit, Cory tried to turn the box to the side to hide it from everyone, but Tyler saw, and just as we thought we pulled it off, Tyler added some comment that announced it to everyone. Fiddlesticks!
Another cool Peters family tradition is taking a picture from the Rev's point of view. It makes a pretty cool picture, dontcha think?!
We had lots of laughs!
We absolutely LOVED our venue, and we were pleasantly surprised at how good the food really was. We all know what a slow eater I am, and trying to scarf down all of that food so that we could visit with everyone was a challenge. The coordinators at the venue were AMAZING, and helped us keep up with the timeline for the ceremony and reception. Their execution of everything was absolutely flawless! The best part is that we can go back and have dinner or brunch any time that we want to.
Now I have all of these cousins! And tucked in there is something I've never had before...a sister!
There were many projects that I concocted for this day, and I really appreciate everyone's help. Many hands make light work! I also appreciate Cory trying (I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt) to overlook the chaos of a mess that was in our house prior to the wedding. Most of it is cleaned up now.
Yesterday, we spent the day by the fire watching sports, opening presents, eating wedding cake, making cheeseburgers, and reading through the cards that we had at each place setting. We are so grateful for all of the gifts that we received; our house is starting to feel like a home, and we can't wait to use the generous amounts of money that we received to purchase a dining room table, a china hutch, and a bedroom set. I'm most excited to finish buying what we need for our bedding. Most of the thank your cards went out today, and the rest will go out tomorrow (when I go buy more cards).
Overall, the best most bestest of all things was having so many wonderful family members and friends in attendance. Everyone says that their wedding was one of the best days of their lives, and I think it's because of the feeling you get when you realize that so many people want to share in the best moment of your life with you. I had (or tried) to hold in the "ugly cry" for most of the evening because I was overwhelmed with emotions. Still, though, I came in under my dad's prediction. I think I cried only 6 times; he predicted 8.
That morning, my mom also asked us if we felt any different. I knew that I felt different because I now felt like I had a true partner in life. I had someone that would fight for and with me, and that would always have my best interest at heart. For the first time in my life, I have a man, a true man, that wants to take care of me, and that I actually let take care of me. I have a man that no matter how mad I get at him, I always want to work it out somehow. I have a man that loves me exactly the way that I am. I have a man that has a wonderful family that I am happy to share a last name with. I have a man that I KNEW I would marry from the day that we went from "single" to "in a relationship with" on Facebook. And most importantly, I have a man that says he doesn't feel any different now that we're married because, in fact, he's thought of me and treated me as a wife since May 25th, 2011. He's going to be a wonderful father in a few months, and I can't wait to see all that this life has to offer us.
You deserve a trophy if you've gotten this far. Thanks for reading...more wedding updates to come!
xoxo Kristen Peters
(OMG that's the first time I've ever written it!!!)
Lately, we've been taking some pretty big steps, actually. We were married this past Friday, and we're expecting our first child in August (she'll probably be early like her dad). I feel like I have a million and one things to blog about, which is terrific because I also feel like I have a little more time to sit and think. Ok fine, I really just make time to write now because I like the way my ring bling sparkles when I type.
Although I want to wait until we get our professional pictures back to write all about the wedding (and the slave labor I put myself and others through to make it all come together), I wanted to post a few of my post-wedding thoughts and some of the pictures that guests have shared on Facebook.
The morning after the wedding, we checked out of our room and headed to Aunt Laurie's house for the Peters' family brunch. We both agreed that, since we had so many people in town that we didn't get to spend much time with, we would make an appearance to say hello and visit a bit. It was really nice to sit and chat with everyone! I had 3 servings of coffee cake, which made baby girl jump around. Aunt Pam told me months ago that I'd have to let her know when I felt her kick, so I ran over, put her hand on my belly, and got to share some pretty strong kicks with her. Once she knew that all eyes were on her, she stopped, of course.
After we left Don and Laurie's house, we headed back down to my parents' house to have (yes, another) brunch with my family. My aunt and uncle from Arizona were in town, as well as my "Uncle" Joe, my Godmother from Washington, and my uncle from Northern California. I scarfed down 2 of my dad's (should be) world-famous eggs benedict, and enjoyed visiting with everyone. My mom asked us what our favorite part of the wedding was, and be both agreed that is was the ceremony. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?!
Cory's cousin put so much work into it, and did a lot of research to make it personal for us. We wanted it sweet, funny, and personal, and that's JUST what Tyler gave us. The funniest thing about the ceremony, for me, was after Cory finished repeating his vows. He struggled a bit with one of the longer verses, and after he finished all of them, he whispered, "Good luck," to me. I thought that was so sweet! I can't wait to see the video of our ceremony because I'm curious as to whether or not any of our side conversations during the ceremony were picked up. Cory and Tyler thought the funniest part was when the wine bottle was too big for the box we had. Cory got a champagne bottle that was just big enough for a wine bottle that we have at home, but it wasn't big enough for the one during our ceremony. I didn't even THINK to check it before hand. When we realized that it wouldn't fit, Cory tried to turn the box to the side to hide it from everyone, but Tyler saw, and just as we thought we pulled it off, Tyler added some comment that announced it to everyone. Fiddlesticks!
Another cool Peters family tradition is taking a picture from the Rev's point of view. It makes a pretty cool picture, dontcha think?!
We had lots of laughs!
We absolutely LOVED our venue, and we were pleasantly surprised at how good the food really was. We all know what a slow eater I am, and trying to scarf down all of that food so that we could visit with everyone was a challenge. The coordinators at the venue were AMAZING, and helped us keep up with the timeline for the ceremony and reception. Their execution of everything was absolutely flawless! The best part is that we can go back and have dinner or brunch any time that we want to.
Now I have all of these cousins! And tucked in there is something I've never had before...a sister!
There were many projects that I concocted for this day, and I really appreciate everyone's help. Many hands make light work! I also appreciate Cory trying (I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt) to overlook the chaos of a mess that was in our house prior to the wedding. Most of it is cleaned up now.
Yesterday, we spent the day by the fire watching sports, opening presents, eating wedding cake, making cheeseburgers, and reading through the cards that we had at each place setting. We are so grateful for all of the gifts that we received; our house is starting to feel like a home, and we can't wait to use the generous amounts of money that we received to purchase a dining room table, a china hutch, and a bedroom set. I'm most excited to finish buying what we need for our bedding. Most of the thank your cards went out today, and the rest will go out tomorrow (when I go buy more cards).
Overall, the best most bestest of all things was having so many wonderful family members and friends in attendance. Everyone says that their wedding was one of the best days of their lives, and I think it's because of the feeling you get when you realize that so many people want to share in the best moment of your life with you. I had (or tried) to hold in the "ugly cry" for most of the evening because I was overwhelmed with emotions. Still, though, I came in under my dad's prediction. I think I cried only 6 times; he predicted 8.
That morning, my mom also asked us if we felt any different. I knew that I felt different because I now felt like I had a true partner in life. I had someone that would fight for and with me, and that would always have my best interest at heart. For the first time in my life, I have a man, a true man, that wants to take care of me, and that I actually let take care of me. I have a man that no matter how mad I get at him, I always want to work it out somehow. I have a man that loves me exactly the way that I am. I have a man that has a wonderful family that I am happy to share a last name with. I have a man that I KNEW I would marry from the day that we went from "single" to "in a relationship with" on Facebook. And most importantly, I have a man that says he doesn't feel any different now that we're married because, in fact, he's thought of me and treated me as a wife since May 25th, 2011. He's going to be a wonderful father in a few months, and I can't wait to see all that this life has to offer us.
You deserve a trophy if you've gotten this far. Thanks for reading...more wedding updates to come!
xoxo Kristen Peters
(OMG that's the first time I've ever written it!!!)
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