It's no secret that Facebook is the way to let everybody everywhere know everything there is to know about you... am I right or am I right? Over the past few months, since becoming a mom, my status updates have cracked me up. If not for other's enjoyment, at least, they make myself and Cory laugh. So, to save a few of them for posterity and just good ole fashion giggles, I'm adding some here so that we can always look back at the first 11 weeks of my right of passage into motherhood...
5/2/2011 -
5/6/2011 - It's hard to believe that my baby girl Alessandra was due today... So happy she was early!
5/11/2011 - I love hearing Cory sing to Alessandra to calmHappy One Month to our baby girl Alessandra - (aka Alex; aka Hollywood) love of my life!!! and...This is how tired my husband is... I'm holding the baby trying to get her to go to sleep. He calls the dogs to go for a potty break. "Alessandra and Gizmo, let's go potty!"Cory woke up this morning, looked at Alessandra, who has Smith cheeks and sorta looks like him, and said..."I'd be cute as a Filipino girl."Hollywood was being particularly fussy the other night. I sat her up against me while I was looking at the new Victoria's Secret summer SHOE sale catalog that had just arrived in the mail. All of a sudden, she quieted down. Cory and I looked down at the baby to see her staring at the catalog, mesmerized by all the shoes.
6/19/2011 - Cory came up with a new "ethnic background checkbox" for Alessandra...
6/30/2011 - HOLY EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP BATMAN, LIL MISS ALEX SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!
7/2/2011 - Lolo was over to visit Alex... He was holding her as she stared at him and flashed one of her heartwarming smiles... And my dad said, "How can you not fall in love with her?"Lolo just made Alex laugh for the first
7/21/2011 - now in the nursery in the changing pad, as I'm about to close up the new clean diaper, she pees, all over me and the changing pad. And then... As I was about to close the next new diaper, she decided to empty her bowels one more time, all over my hand, all over the changing pad. All before 6am... At least she was smiling the whole time.
That's all for now... will add more in a few months!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
It's A Girl!!!
Breast feeding and typing... how's that for Mommy of the Year? Everybody has been asking about how it all happened, and I finally have a chance to get to the computer. So here it goes:
So I was determined to have this child before Mother's Day. Her due date was Saturday, May 7th, Mother's Day was Sunday, the 8th... It was the weekend before, which happened to be our 2nd wedding anniversary (May 1st). We went out to a beautiful, delicious dinner at the Stonehill Tavern in the St. Regis Hotel to celebrate. It was a great Saturday night. The next day, which was our actual anniversary, we had planned to run a ton of errands and I was going to bounce like there was no tomorrow on my yoga ball to get this labor started. I thought it would be perfect to have our anniversary together for one last time, then some time that evening, go into labor, and have her the next day... so, I walked and bounced like CRAZY! We ran errands, we even made it to Golfsmith to buy Cory's anniversary present to himself - a new set of irons. (poor thing, he has yet to try them out).. came home, while Cory cleaned out the garage, I bounced...all the while having irregular Braxton Hicks contractions. They seemed to get more and more painful as the day progressed, but still with no consistency. Later that evening we stopped by Target to pick up some things for the house. We ran into BJ and Davis. I should have known that my wish was coming true, since the entire time that we were talking to them, I was having contractions every 10 minutes or so. In the middle of Target, of course, every 10 minutes, I was doubled over, hanging onto Cory in pain... After a handful of those, we decided to go home and rest. We didn't think she was coming, so it was time to give up for the day. When we got home, I sadly put the yoga ball away, sat on the couch and relaxed, watched the Angels game, contractions had stopped... I think I even started to panic a little about the upcoming week and all of those final discomforts of being pregnant. Not sleeping, not being able to breath, heartburn like no other... you name it, I had it, and I was just READY to have this baby and meet the love of my life. We decided to get ready for bed, Cory set his alarm clock to wake up for work the next morning and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. I was still up for another couple of hours, putting me to sleep finally, around 12:30am.
Around 2:00am, I woke up to pee, since I peed like 50 times a day towards the end of my pregnancy... and as I was getting back into bed, I felt this strange pain in my back that eventually radiated to the front. I laid down, didn't think much of it, thought it was just the normal back pain I had been feeling for 9 months. Then, I felt another one. Since, I could never fall back asleep, and I was curious, I decided to download a contraction timer app onto my Droid and start timing these "pains". I was convinced that they were just Braxton Hicks, but still wanted to time them for fun. All of a sudden, it was an hour later, the pain was getting worse, and the contraction timer was showing that the "pains" were coming steadily every 4-5 minutes. I was practicing some of that crap breathing they tried to teach us at the childbirthing class. Apparently, I was breathing loud enough to wake Cory up. At this point, it was 3:00am. I told him that I was having pains, that I had timed them, but for whatever dumb reason, I wasn't sure that they were real contractions. Then I showed him the contraction timer app that I had been staring at for the past hour. He said that if he didn't see it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed me, and he would have made me go back to bed. Sweet! Haha! But, seeing that they were perfectly timed every 4-5 minutes, and that's the magic number for when you should call the hospital to come in, we decided to call. We called, the on-call doctor said to head on in. I wanted to take a shower, you know, at least try to be presentable for the nurses. The contractions started to come 3-4 minutes, so we got moving. Cory called my mom, my mom called my dad at work, Cory text his parents to be on the look out for a potential email later in the day... everybody was on alert.
We got to Saddleback Memorial around 4:00am. They brought me into the admitting room where they checked to see my progress. Would you believe that there were FOUR of us that came in within 5 minutes of each other... it was busy. At my last OB appt a few days prior, I was 50% effaced, and only 1cm dilated. At the hospital, I was 100% effaced, 3cm dilated. They don't admit anyone until they are at least 4cm dilated. The nurse said that she did not want me to go home, so she was going to make me walk the halls for an hour. Great! One of the things I didn't want was to be one of those moms you see roaming the halls, leaning up against the walls in agony, moaning and groaning. But, alas, it had to be done. So, in my fabulous backless gown, my husband and I roamed the halls of the labor and delivery unit at Saddleback hospital. My family had already arrived, so they were waiting in the waiting room at the end of the hall. I felt bad, I didn't want to see them while I was in so much pain. So, I steered clear of that portion of the hall. Every 4-5 minutes or so, a contraction would hit, and the nurse advised me to lean up against the wall and rock my hips to get the baby moving down to make me dilate more and more. Oh, did I mention that I was having back labor. YOWZA! She told Cory to pretty much shove his elbow into my back to alleviate the pain... it really did help. So, for the next hour, there we were, walking the halls, rocking my hips, elbow in my back, drinking lots of water and juice, since that would be the last time I could have any fluids until after the baby was born. It was difficult. A few times, I caught myself saying that there was no way I could go through with this. The pain was crazy. And why the hell would I EVER think that I could do this naturally???? No drugs, what??? An hour later, they checked me, I was at 4-4.5cm dilated, and I was going to be admitted. Whoo hooo! By the time I got to my room, I was 5cm dilated, and YES, I wanted the epidural. The cool thing about being admitted so early in the morning is that it was the shift change. And with the timing of how I came in, I was the first in line to get the epidural for the anesthesiologist that was just coming on duty. FABULOUS, I didn't have to wait.
The epidural was wonderful! Of course, I was freaked out about it. I actually had a mini panic attack as the anesthesiologist had me hunched over and prepping my back. Cory was holding my hands, I calmed down... all I felt was the prick of the local, and that was it. I didn't even know when the epidural was administered. I just felt this lovely sensation in my legs, the doctor told me that I would feel the effects of the epidural in 15 minutes... nah, I was feeling them right then and there. THANK GOODNESS! After that, it was all a waiting game. I dilated 1cm every hour. In the middle of it all, I don't know how, but I managed to fall asleep for a couple of hours, while my family all ate Mickey D's for breakfast. Thank god I was sleeping, I would have been jealous. At 7cm, they woke me up to break my water. Eeuw is all I have to say about that. Around noon, I was dilated to 9... then to 9.5cm. For whatever reason, it took a couple of hours to get to the full 10cm. It was in these next couple of hours that I felt (down there) what nobody likes to talk about when in labor. The PRESSURE. At first, I thought that my epidural was turned down or something. I mean, I felt no abdominal pain, but the pain of the pressure down below was starting to get unbearable, and it HURT. I had always heard of the "uncontrollable urge to push", but not this type of pressure. Without getting too graphic, Tina said that when it felt like I had to "sh*t out a car", then it was time to start pushing. NO DOUBT! When I did finally reach 10, the nurse (her name was Tina, and we LOVED her) asked if I wanted to do a trial push. ANYTHING to get rid of this pressure. PLEASE! So, we did a trial push. With the legs up and everything. Apparently, I was pushing all the right ways, so they called in Dr. Han (my OB). I did a couple of pushes when she arrived, and she said that the baby still had some way to go, so to keep going and she would be back later. WHAT? So, I kept pushing. I swear, I felt like it was HOURS. At one point, I was so exhausted, that they made me push every other contraction, which, btw, were coming every 2 minutes. After a while, I was freaking out thinking that I was pushing and getting nowhere, so I asked for the mirror. I wanted to see my progress. As gross as it may have been, figured it would be a good idea. It was kind of amazing, to be honest. Gross too, but amazing all in the same. It did help to see this FULL HEAD OF HAIR getting closer and closer. Finally, after what still felt like HOURS of pushing, they called Dr. Han back in, they called the neonatal nurse, and Alessandra was almost here. It was gnarly. All I can remember is seeing her crown, then seeing her entire head, her shoulders, then her whole body, and ohhh the pressure. Before she was born, I thought that I would be grossed out by them putting this slimy, bloody baby on me right after delivery. Weird, I know, but it's what I thought. NO. As soon as she was out, they put her on my chest, Cory cut the umbilical cord, we were all in tears. After what felt like forever and a day, our little baby girl was here. Like I said, it felt like I was pushing FOREVER... would you believe it was only 45 minutes? HA! And she was here... Alessandra Victoria Smith, born Monday, May 2, 2011, 3:43pm, 7lbs 6oz, 18.5in.
They took her to clean her up and do all of those newborn tests they do. Cory busted out the camera to take all of her "first" pictures. She had the cutest little dainty girly cry. It was everything I had imagined in my baby girl's cry. Shortly after, it was skin to skin time and our first attempt at breast feeding. I am proud to say that she latched on with no problem on the first try! I thought that breast feeding would be this weird sensation, weird experience that I wasn't really sure I'd be into. I mean, I knew that I had to do, but just wasn't sure about it. As soon as she latched on, I was sold. After she fed, she got her first bath, Daddy did his first diaper duty, we learned how to swaddle...and now we are a family of 3. Ok, well, 5 if you count the dogs...
Before, my days were filled with Cory, work work work, going out with friends, drinking it up, having a blast, shopping for whatever I wanted, date night whenever we pleased, planning our next big vacation, nonstop concerts and Angels games, did I mention work work work? Then I got pregnant, and it was all about slowing down to prepare for this baby. Then I became a stay at home mom a little earlier than expected, but at the perfect time. Still trying to slow down, rest, and prepare for this whirlwind life of becoming a parent. And now she is here. Our lives have completely changed. We are sleep deprived, we rarely go out, we rarely see anybody, our conversations revolve around when the last time she was fed or changed, diapers are our most exciting purchase, and the muscles in my left arm are getting quite the workout, as this is the arm that I carry her with. Half of my clothes smell like breast milk or spit up, the house is a mess, showers have become a luxury, and cooking dinner consists of take out or frozen pizza. We are told that it will all get easier, and we have no doubt about that. Despite it all, we have an amazing, healthy, not to mention, absolutely stunning baby girl. Such a glamorous life…haha… and we would change it for nothing.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
In the home stretch...
Again, sorry it has been a while since I have been here... keep reading, it's been a crazy couple of months!
According to babycenter.com, Lil Miss Alessandra Victoria Smith (aka - Alex or Hollywood) is 46 days away from gracing us with her presence. WHOA. We have reached the point where mommy-to-be has prenatal appointments every two weeks. Fun. The nursery is almost done. After many back and forth conversations about should we paint the room, shouldn't we... we have decided to. And since Baby Daddy Cory has been traveling so much, I am beyond thankful that he is working a short week, is taking Thursday and Friday off to help me finish the nursery (ie - paint), and of course, to spend some quality time with me.
I know that it has been a couple of months since I've been here, so lemme catch you up...
Ever since my last post (the visit to the ER), I've since become a Stay-at-Home-Mommy. Without getting into too much detail, although, most of you who know me already know, work was becoming more of a stressful nightmare than a fulfilling career. It came to the point where, after certain incidences and many many tears, baby Alessandra decided to let me know how she felt about my work-related stress, and decided to send me contractions in the middle of a work day. I immediately went to Cory's office to let him know, and we had made the decision right then and there that our daughter means a helluva lot more to us than anything... the next week, I put in my resignation. I'm not gonna lie. It has been bitter sweet. More sweet, of course. But having worked in this industry almost my entire career, it was a bit of transition for me, mentally. I wasn't ready to put my career on hold just yet, so I was concerned about how the lack of interaction and a sense of every day purpose was going to affect me. Luckily, I've been able to stay busy with getting the house organized, setting up the nursery, getting little Miss Winnie trained so that she's not an unruly puppy when the baby arrives. And also, taking some ME time to just relax and "let go" of all the unhappiness that was consuming me at my job. I'm still adjusting, I miss the girls at work and my actual job... just not the other stuff.
So, here I am... it's been almost 2 months since my last day at work. I am told that I am looking very relaxed and that I do have that pregnancy glow - WHICH I hope to bottle up and save after delivery... Can I? Alessandra is doing well. We had a glucose test about a month and a half ago. I do not have gestational diabetes, which is great. But, I was on the high side. So, my obgyn advised me to lay off the sugars and starches... WHAT??? Only like my two FAVORITE things ever, especially in this third trimester. At our last appt, the baby measured about 2 1/2 lbs, and if I stay on track, she will be about a 7lb bundle of joy... please no bigger! :)
We just had the last of the two baby showers in honor of this lucky little girl. The first one was on March 5th. It was a gorgeous shower! My mom and Jenn did a WONDERFUL job. THANK YOU THANK YOU. And of course, Mama Eckert, Rachel and Danielle helped and were FABULOUS as usual! The food was incredible, the desserts were to DIE for... wish I had more. I will have to post pics here later. The second shower was just this past weekend at Cat's house. Again, fabulous food, wonderful people! THANK YOU CAT for hosting an amazing shower! AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY! The showers, the gifts, the love and support mean so much to Cory and I!
As we hit the home stretch, I've definitely been experiencing some of those wonderful third trimester pregnancy symptoms that nobody likes to talk about. Let's just say that the hormones relax certain muscles that allow me to clear a room faster than the speeding bullet...sleepless nights make for a pleasant wife in the morning. Which, I guess, makes me extremely lucky that I am not working at this time since I can sleep in once Cory leaves for work... all of these websites and books tell you about crazy dreams, but wow, crazy is not the word I would use. More like psychotic, make me not want to fall asleep every type dreams...and of course, physically, my belly is getting bigger, so I run into everything. And let's just say that, although I have been lucky enough to be "all-belly" and not swell everywhere else, like my feet, ankles, face, etc., I have managed to get puffy in other areas. I'll leave it at that. But the ones I have cried too - you're probably laughing your asses off right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, as this IS the miracle of life. I'm just not understanding those women who say "I LOVED being pregnant." Seriously? There's this huge belly in front of you that doesn't allow you to do mundane tasks, such as, putting on your socks and shoes or sometimes even putting on your pants, so your poor husband has to dress you. I guess that's good practice for the baby, right? Should I kick and cry in the process? :)
Anyhoo, I just keep counting down the days until we get to meet this beautiful baby girl. It is super exciting, but also just as nerve wrecking. Those of you who know me know that I am a control freak. And here we are, about to embark on this journey where I get absolutely NO control. How am I supposed to comprehend that? Still, I'm here to be humbled and fall in love with this little creation. It's endearing to see how excited Cory gets... btw, he has already predicted that #2 is going to be a girl. Anyone wanna take that bet? He is ecstatic at the fact that he will not only be a DADDY soon, but that he will have this little girl that will melt his heart, which in turn will allow her to break every rule he attempts to set out. (Some rules have ALREADY been broken) To all my dads out there, am I right or am I right? He looks at her closet and is overwhelmed with the amount of pink that has taken over, and is over the moon when he sees purple or yellow or green. Haha! He talks to her every night before going to bed. He even sings his crazy songs to her. She kicks back. Although it's difficult to tell if she is kicking in excitement or just trying to get her dad to pipe down.
Ok, so that's all for now. We have our first of the prenatal classes tonight. Infant Safety and CPR. Makes me nervous to hear about all the possibilities of things that can happen, nevertheless, it has to be done. We have the tour and childbirthing class next month. We are taking it with BJ and Davis so that should be fun!
Until next time...
According to babycenter.com, Lil Miss Alessandra Victoria Smith (aka - Alex or Hollywood) is 46 days away from gracing us with her presence. WHOA. We have reached the point where mommy-to-be has prenatal appointments every two weeks. Fun. The nursery is almost done. After many back and forth conversations about should we paint the room, shouldn't we... we have decided to. And since Baby Daddy Cory has been traveling so much, I am beyond thankful that he is working a short week, is taking Thursday and Friday off to help me finish the nursery (ie - paint), and of course, to spend some quality time with me.
I know that it has been a couple of months since I've been here, so lemme catch you up...
Ever since my last post (the visit to the ER), I've since become a Stay-at-Home-Mommy. Without getting into too much detail, although, most of you who know me already know, work was becoming more of a stressful nightmare than a fulfilling career. It came to the point where, after certain incidences and many many tears, baby Alessandra decided to let me know how she felt about my work-related stress, and decided to send me contractions in the middle of a work day. I immediately went to Cory's office to let him know, and we had made the decision right then and there that our daughter means a helluva lot more to us than anything... the next week, I put in my resignation. I'm not gonna lie. It has been bitter sweet. More sweet, of course. But having worked in this industry almost my entire career, it was a bit of transition for me, mentally. I wasn't ready to put my career on hold just yet, so I was concerned about how the lack of interaction and a sense of every day purpose was going to affect me. Luckily, I've been able to stay busy with getting the house organized, setting up the nursery, getting little Miss Winnie trained so that she's not an unruly puppy when the baby arrives. And also, taking some ME time to just relax and "let go" of all the unhappiness that was consuming me at my job. I'm still adjusting, I miss the girls at work and my actual job... just not the other stuff.
So, here I am... it's been almost 2 months since my last day at work. I am told that I am looking very relaxed and that I do have that pregnancy glow - WHICH I hope to bottle up and save after delivery... Can I? Alessandra is doing well. We had a glucose test about a month and a half ago. I do not have gestational diabetes, which is great. But, I was on the high side. So, my obgyn advised me to lay off the sugars and starches... WHAT??? Only like my two FAVORITE things ever, especially in this third trimester. At our last appt, the baby measured about 2 1/2 lbs, and if I stay on track, she will be about a 7lb bundle of joy... please no bigger! :)
We just had the last of the two baby showers in honor of this lucky little girl. The first one was on March 5th. It was a gorgeous shower! My mom and Jenn did a WONDERFUL job. THANK YOU THANK YOU. And of course, Mama Eckert, Rachel and Danielle helped and were FABULOUS as usual! The food was incredible, the desserts were to DIE for... wish I had more. I will have to post pics here later. The second shower was just this past weekend at Cat's house. Again, fabulous food, wonderful people! THANK YOU CAT for hosting an amazing shower! AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY! The showers, the gifts, the love and support mean so much to Cory and I!
As we hit the home stretch, I've definitely been experiencing some of those wonderful third trimester pregnancy symptoms that nobody likes to talk about. Let's just say that the hormones relax certain muscles that allow me to clear a room faster than the speeding bullet...sleepless nights make for a pleasant wife in the morning. Which, I guess, makes me extremely lucky that I am not working at this time since I can sleep in once Cory leaves for work... all of these websites and books tell you about crazy dreams, but wow, crazy is not the word I would use. More like psychotic, make me not want to fall asleep every type dreams...and of course, physically, my belly is getting bigger, so I run into everything. And let's just say that, although I have been lucky enough to be "all-belly" and not swell everywhere else, like my feet, ankles, face, etc., I have managed to get puffy in other areas. I'll leave it at that. But the ones I have cried too - you're probably laughing your asses off right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, as this IS the miracle of life. I'm just not understanding those women who say "I LOVED being pregnant." Seriously? There's this huge belly in front of you that doesn't allow you to do mundane tasks, such as, putting on your socks and shoes or sometimes even putting on your pants, so your poor husband has to dress you. I guess that's good practice for the baby, right? Should I kick and cry in the process? :)
Anyhoo, I just keep counting down the days until we get to meet this beautiful baby girl. It is super exciting, but also just as nerve wrecking. Those of you who know me know that I am a control freak. And here we are, about to embark on this journey where I get absolutely NO control. How am I supposed to comprehend that? Still, I'm here to be humbled and fall in love with this little creation. It's endearing to see how excited Cory gets... btw, he has already predicted that #2 is going to be a girl. Anyone wanna take that bet? He is ecstatic at the fact that he will not only be a DADDY soon, but that he will have this little girl that will melt his heart, which in turn will allow her to break every rule he attempts to set out. (Some rules have ALREADY been broken) To all my dads out there, am I right or am I right? He looks at her closet and is overwhelmed with the amount of pink that has taken over, and is over the moon when he sees purple or yellow or green. Haha! He talks to her every night before going to bed. He even sings his crazy songs to her. She kicks back. Although it's difficult to tell if she is kicking in excitement or just trying to get her dad to pipe down.
Ok, so that's all for now. We have our first of the prenatal classes tonight. Infant Safety and CPR. Makes me nervous to hear about all the possibilities of things that can happen, nevertheless, it has to be done. We have the tour and childbirthing class next month. We are taking it with BJ and Davis so that should be fun!
Until next time...
Friday, January 14, 2011
"How does it feel to know that she is now in control?"
So, Cory had to travel to the FedEx facility in Memphis, TN this week for work. Although it was only for three days, we still feel like we are newlyweds, and are sad to be apart. It was a fairly uneventful week, work-wise. I would come home, make dinner, and relax with the doggies and Hollywood. With the exception of my Tiyng Fely's passing last weekend, everything was pretty quiet... which is nice.
This past Wednesday, I woke up, got my normal "good morning" kick from Hollywood around 7:00am, continued to get ready for work, and move on with my day. It was a busy day, but nothing too crazy. I wasn't running around at work, but I was busy at my desk. That evening, my parents and Christopher came overto bring me some sinigang... I had requested some while Cory was gone because I was craving it. :) Had dinner with my family, my mom made some yummy fruit smoothies for dessert, we watched tv, talked a little bit about the baby and the dogs, and called it a night. A couple of hours later, I was sitting on the bed with the dogs, crocheting Hollywood's hot pink & black rock star blankie, and I realized that I hadn't felt her move... in fact, I hadn't felt her move all day. And when my mom was over making dinner, she had actually asked how she was moving, and it didn't dawn on me that it had been pretty calm in my belly. So, of course, in true Annaliza fashion, I started to panic. I text Cory, who was out on a business dinner in Memphis. He called back immediately, I told him what was going on. We decided that it would be best to call the doctor... Better safe than sorry, right? So, I called the on-call physician at Saddleback Memorial. Not a millisecond after I said the words, "I don't think I've felt the baby move since this morning..." did Dr. O'dell instruct me to come to the ER and up to Labor and Delivery. I called my mom to come pick me up, I called Cory to let him know, and I proceeded to ball my eyes out. I was like, "Are you serious? Am I having complications while my husband is out of town? I can't do this again..." I balled and balled and balled, then finally stopped, got myself together to get dressed, and told the baby that I loved her and would not let anything happen to her.
It's amazing how quickly they take you up to Labor and Delivery when you are having potential complications. Typically, my experience in the Emergency Room has included a 2-3 hour wait just to get triaged. As soon as I arrived, I told them my name, the on-call doctor had already told them to expect me, and a wheelchair was there in less than 5 minutes.
In Labor and Delivery, they had me in a room that had about 5 beds in it. I'm guessing this is where they process you before deciding to admit you or make you go home. I had to change into one of those backless gowns (sexxay), and they strapped on a fetal heart rate monitor and some other monitor for contractions, and then the list of questions began. When was the last time you felt her move? What did you do today? What did you eat today? Did you fall? etc etc etc... I started to cry. Before I could literally lose it, the nurse turned on the monitor and turned up the volume, and the sound of a galloping horse came through the speakers. It was the baby's heartbeat at a fluctuating 150-180 bpm, which I'm told is a good sign. And not 5-10 minutes later after I was laying in the hospital bed, Hollywood started to let me know that she was doing just fine... punching and kicking with intention. That's my girl. The nurse and physician continued to check her heart rate and movement and they said that she is an extremely active little one. They asked if her kicks were always THAT strong... I said YES. And the reassured me that it was a good sign to come in. If I wasn't feeling THAT all day long, then it could have been a sign of distress... so better safe than sorry. "She must have been taking a really long nap." They kept giggling at how much she was moving now. As if she knew that she was being "watched"...
They monitored me for a couple of hours before discharging baby and me, and telling us to take it easy. The nurse handed me some informative handouts and my discharge papers to sign, and said that she hoped to see me back at 39 weeks. I was like, "Why 39 weeks?" She said, "so you don't go over too much"... I thought that was cute. She reminded me to ALWAYS call if I had questions of concerns... better to keep baby safe. And, while I was getting ready to leave, she said the words that will ring in my ears forever...
"How does it feel to know that she is now in control?"
PUNK...
My mom laughed... she's been telling me since I was a little punk myself, that she can't wait until I have a little girl to cause my hair to turn white and my heart to race at all times of the night. Haha!
Anyhoo, we are all doing well. After pretty much having a heart attack in Memphis, Daddy is home, protecting mommy and belly... and dogs too.
Before I go, I do want to send love, hugs and prayers to all of my family during this difficult time. Tiyong Fely was a loving and influential individual in all of our lives, and he will be missed.
This past Wednesday, I woke up, got my normal "good morning" kick from Hollywood around 7:00am, continued to get ready for work, and move on with my day. It was a busy day, but nothing too crazy. I wasn't running around at work, but I was busy at my desk. That evening, my parents and Christopher came overto bring me some sinigang... I had requested some while Cory was gone because I was craving it. :) Had dinner with my family, my mom made some yummy fruit smoothies for dessert, we watched tv, talked a little bit about the baby and the dogs, and called it a night. A couple of hours later, I was sitting on the bed with the dogs, crocheting Hollywood's hot pink & black rock star blankie, and I realized that I hadn't felt her move... in fact, I hadn't felt her move all day. And when my mom was over making dinner, she had actually asked how she was moving, and it didn't dawn on me that it had been pretty calm in my belly. So, of course, in true Annaliza fashion, I started to panic. I text Cory, who was out on a business dinner in Memphis. He called back immediately, I told him what was going on. We decided that it would be best to call the doctor... Better safe than sorry, right? So, I called the on-call physician at Saddleback Memorial. Not a millisecond after I said the words, "I don't think I've felt the baby move since this morning..." did Dr. O'dell instruct me to come to the ER and up to Labor and Delivery. I called my mom to come pick me up, I called Cory to let him know, and I proceeded to ball my eyes out. I was like, "Are you serious? Am I having complications while my husband is out of town? I can't do this again..." I balled and balled and balled, then finally stopped, got myself together to get dressed, and told the baby that I loved her and would not let anything happen to her.
It's amazing how quickly they take you up to Labor and Delivery when you are having potential complications. Typically, my experience in the Emergency Room has included a 2-3 hour wait just to get triaged. As soon as I arrived, I told them my name, the on-call doctor had already told them to expect me, and a wheelchair was there in less than 5 minutes.
In Labor and Delivery, they had me in a room that had about 5 beds in it. I'm guessing this is where they process you before deciding to admit you or make you go home. I had to change into one of those backless gowns (sexxay), and they strapped on a fetal heart rate monitor and some other monitor for contractions, and then the list of questions began. When was the last time you felt her move? What did you do today? What did you eat today? Did you fall? etc etc etc... I started to cry. Before I could literally lose it, the nurse turned on the monitor and turned up the volume, and the sound of a galloping horse came through the speakers. It was the baby's heartbeat at a fluctuating 150-180 bpm, which I'm told is a good sign. And not 5-10 minutes later after I was laying in the hospital bed, Hollywood started to let me know that she was doing just fine... punching and kicking with intention. That's my girl. The nurse and physician continued to check her heart rate and movement and they said that she is an extremely active little one. They asked if her kicks were always THAT strong... I said YES. And the reassured me that it was a good sign to come in. If I wasn't feeling THAT all day long, then it could have been a sign of distress... so better safe than sorry. "She must have been taking a really long nap." They kept giggling at how much she was moving now. As if she knew that she was being "watched"...
They monitored me for a couple of hours before discharging baby and me, and telling us to take it easy. The nurse handed me some informative handouts and my discharge papers to sign, and said that she hoped to see me back at 39 weeks. I was like, "Why 39 weeks?" She said, "so you don't go over too much"... I thought that was cute. She reminded me to ALWAYS call if I had questions of concerns... better to keep baby safe. And, while I was getting ready to leave, she said the words that will ring in my ears forever...
"How does it feel to know that she is now in control?"
PUNK...
My mom laughed... she's been telling me since I was a little punk myself, that she can't wait until I have a little girl to cause my hair to turn white and my heart to race at all times of the night. Haha!
Anyhoo, we are all doing well. After pretty much having a heart attack in Memphis, Daddy is home, protecting mommy and belly... and dogs too.
Before I go, I do want to send love, hugs and prayers to all of my family during this difficult time. Tiyong Fely was a loving and influential individual in all of our lives, and he will be missed.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
First comes love… then comes marriage… then comes a baby in a baby carriage…
HELLO!
It has been WAY too long, I know. And I’m sorry. I’ve been asked by several people to start this blog up again now that the news of our future baby girl is out in the open! I had intended to keep it going, but, you know life… it took over.
A quick update on Cory and I… Marriage has been bliss. I can’t imagine my life without him. He would totally die without me. J We still live in RSM, we have made some home improvements to the condo to get ready for the baby – new hardwood flooring, new living room and dining room furniture to make space for the baby. Right before we found out that we were pregnant, we added a new family member. Her name is Winnie. She is a spunky little Yorkshire Terrier… just like her older brother Gizmo. She is a punk, she terrorizes Gizmo, she ADORES her Daddy, and is just the cutest bundle of 6lb energy that we could have hoped to add to our Smith brood. Other than that, life has been pleasantly the same… still working at Endologix (ok, maybe that is not so pleasant), still loving my ANGELS, I am growing to love the Pittsburgh Steelers, still addicted to snowboarding even though I am unable to participate this season, and loving the life we have created together and looking forward to the life that is about to become.
A quick update on baby girl Smitty… I peed on a stick the day before Cory’s birthday, August 25th. I very faint line popped into the screen, which led to tears of joy, but still some apprehension. We had just miscarried only a few months prior, so getting excited wasn’t really in our wheelhouse quite yet. Still, every day, Cory encouraged me to stay positive. We took it easy. We laid low. Our 8 week ultrasound came along, things looked good, heartbeat was strong. Due date was set for May 7, 2011. But even Dr. Han was a little apprehensive and didn’t want to get too excited. Our 12 week ultrasound came, apparently I was stiff as a board in the room. The technician had to tell me to relax… and there was baby… doing what looked like sit ups and karate kicks on the screen. We finally started to take a deep breath and believe that this pregnancy was going to be just fine. The technician asked if we were going to find out the sex. And before the word “yes” could escape our mouths, she said that it looked like a girl. Which made sense… all the old wives tales about how girls suck the life out of you. The first trimester was taxing on me… I got the morning sickness, the dry heaving, the extreme exhaustion, the mood swings… no crazy cravings, and there was a point where all I wanted to eat were smoothies from Juice It Up. So I guess that’s good that I always wanted fruit. A few weeks into my 2nd trimester, the yucky prego symptoms went away, and the fun part has begun… and here we are.
We just past 22 weeks. I feel great. Cory claims that I am now glowing. I think I’m just sweating profusely. My tummy has popped a little bit, so now I actually look pregnant, and not like I just ate an entire side of beef to myself. We confirmed at 20 weeks that we are in fact having a girl. Well, 90% sure. During the ultrasound, the little brat was practically sitting with her knees into her chest, they couldn’t get a clear read, but were positive that there were no “boy parts”… The technician and obgyn said that we can do another ultrasound at 24 weeks to confirm again, but it’s a girl. And since we had been thinking that it was a girl since 12 weeks, we were happy. I, for one, am petrified of the teenage years… especially remembering what I was like… but hopefully Cory can deal with her then. Haha! And now, walking around Target or the mall, seeing teenage girls in short shorts, mini skirts, hanging all over boys… I’m getting heart palpitations just thinking about it. See, this is what happens when you actually put out into the world “I only want boys”… my bad.
Anyhoo, with only 4 months left til d-day, we have a lot to do. We will start the nursery… moving furniture out, painting, picking out baby furniture (damn that stuff is expensive). We just started on the baby shower plans, so I’m excited for that! The theme for the room is obvious if you know me… in case you don’t… it’s WINNIE THE POOH!
As the next months whiz past us, I want to thank my Baby Daddy for being so patient and so kind… And so adorable. He is so excited at the thought of having a daughter… a Daddy’s Girl. He talks to my belly every morning and every night. Her kicks have reached the point where they are strong enough for him to feel. That is a whole other wonderment to me. Feeling your baby kick… to think that once there was nothing there, and now there is… and it’s kicking you. There are daily soccer matches between 1:30pm and 3:30pm and again between 10:00pm and into the night… sometimes it’s not just a kick, she just stretches those legs, right into my bladder. OH BOY… or should I say GIRL!
Alright, so I got the first blog out… I will def try to keep up on this so you can all enjoy and experience our first lil bundle of Smitty joy.
Love and Miss you all… Happy 2011!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY 2010!!!
So here we are...it's the holiday season... I am finally off of work and TRYING to start packing. We are heading back east for Christmas, to visit Cory's family. I'm a little sad that this will be my first official Christmas away from my family, but it's all good. We had Christmas with my family on Sunday, and I made out like a bandit!! I mean, thank you mom and dad for the wonderful gifts... =)
Beyond being excited to see the the Smith's, I'm horrified by the potential snowstorm that is Northeastern Pennsylvania in the winter time. I come from So Cal, the OC, where it was just in the mid-70 last weekend. I mean, right now, it's in the 60s, yet windy, and my fingers are struggling to type. I'm told that there will be lots of snow waiting for me when we arrive tomorrow night... this should be interesting. Do you think they'll make me shovel the cars out of the snow as some sort of "Smith initiation hazing"... hm.
Speaking of Smith hazing, I made the irreparably stupid mistake of being gullible last night. I don't even remember what I did, I've worked real hard on "forgetting"... but I'm told that gullibility is like blood in the water for the Smith's... so I'm in for some heckling! Can't wait!
All in all... I'm very excited for the holidays! We're excited to head back east to see Cory's family and to hopefully see some of mine in NY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Beyond being excited to see the the Smith's, I'm horrified by the potential snowstorm that is Northeastern Pennsylvania in the winter time. I come from So Cal, the OC, where it was just in the mid-70 last weekend. I mean, right now, it's in the 60s, yet windy, and my fingers are struggling to type. I'm told that there will be lots of snow waiting for me when we arrive tomorrow night... this should be interesting. Do you think they'll make me shovel the cars out of the snow as some sort of "Smith initiation hazing"... hm.
Speaking of Smith hazing, I made the irreparably stupid mistake of being gullible last night. I don't even remember what I did, I've worked real hard on "forgetting"... but I'm told that gullibility is like blood in the water for the Smith's... so I'm in for some heckling! Can't wait!
All in all... I'm very excited for the holidays! We're excited to head back east to see Cory's family and to hopefully see some of mine in NY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Monday, October 19, 2009
It's been a while...
It has been a WHILE since I've been here... I just wanted to stop by and say hi to anybody who is still listening...
Married life is still as wonderful as they say it is! Cory and I just celebrated our one year anniversary of getting ENGAGED! Cory surprised me and set up a dinner and a show to celebrate what was the start of our blissful lives together. We ate at Scott's Seafood (DELISH) and saw Spam-A-Lot at the Orange Country Performing Arts. It was a wonderful evening, we had the BEST time... and then, we saw the end of the Angels game in extra innings... 13 innings, you all saw it... Nuff said.
TODAY is Game 3 of the ALCS... Angels vs. Yankees... It is the first home game of the series. Angels are down 2-0. We have tickets... it's a day game, so Cory and I got into work early so that we could leave at 11:00am and head to Angels Stadium. I'm not gonna lie... I couldn't sleep last night. I'm not sure if it was the bear sawing logs next to me in bed... OR... the fact that I can't get the last 3 or 4 Angels errors out of my mind... OR... some morbid combination of the two. Either way... I did not get good sleep last night. SO, it would be in the Angels best interest, and any Yankee fan in a arms reach of me, that the Angels BLOW the Spankees out of the park for the next FOUR games!
Please Rally Monkey, don't let our boys commit any more RIDONKULOUS errors!!!
Married life is still as wonderful as they say it is! Cory and I just celebrated our one year anniversary of getting ENGAGED! Cory surprised me and set up a dinner and a show to celebrate what was the start of our blissful lives together. We ate at Scott's Seafood (DELISH) and saw Spam-A-Lot at the Orange Country Performing Arts. It was a wonderful evening, we had the BEST time... and then, we saw the end of the Angels game in extra innings... 13 innings, you all saw it... Nuff said.
TODAY is Game 3 of the ALCS... Angels vs. Yankees... It is the first home game of the series. Angels are down 2-0. We have tickets... it's a day game, so Cory and I got into work early so that we could leave at 11:00am and head to Angels Stadium. I'm not gonna lie... I couldn't sleep last night. I'm not sure if it was the bear sawing logs next to me in bed... OR... the fact that I can't get the last 3 or 4 Angels errors out of my mind... OR... some morbid combination of the two. Either way... I did not get good sleep last night. SO, it would be in the Angels best interest, and any Yankee fan in a arms reach of me, that the Angels BLOW the Spankees out of the park for the next FOUR games!
Please Rally Monkey, don't let our boys commit any more RIDONKULOUS errors!!!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Brace Face Lives!
So, I've been trying to hide it for a little while, but am over it, and am just coming out...
Hi, my name is Annaliza, and I am a 32-year-old married woman with braces.
For whatever asinine, juvenile reason, I wanted braces as an adolescent. I saw most of my friends getting them, saw the coordinating colored rubber bands, and thought, "WOW... how cute are my friends with their shiny, silver braces, and HOT PINK rubber bands - I WANT!" BIZARRE - I mean, isn't that the time that we are all struggling with our identity? How would a mouth full of enough metal to pick up magnets help that? What were we thinking???
Obviously, getting older, you start to value the fact that you never had to wear them... that you took care of your teeth, that you were blessed with straight pearly whites, and that you never had to deal with snapping rubber bands and forgetting to take the wax off of your braces before eating. You never imagine that you would hear those words, "Invisalign won't work for you, you have to wear braces." When my dentist referred me to Dr. Carter to talk about my dental implant in the WAY back of my mouth... braces never entered my mind. I never figured that there would be an pre-work that needed to be done... who me?
I remember this day vividly... all of two weeks ago. I was naively walking into an ORTHODONTIST'S office (not sure why that didn't tip me off), thinking that he was gonna take a look at my grill and tell me that I just needed the implant in the way back and I'd be good to go... set up the appointment, maybe try and coax some teeth whitening out of him, and BAM, I'm a new woman! Another tip off, should have been when they made me watch this video on ways to correct your smile and bite. Huh? So, I watched it... somewhat entertaining at best. Whatever, right? So, then Dr. Carter makes me sit in the chair. You know, the one where you feel like you're going to slide down, head first at any moment, and the dentist's tools will somehow jab into the roof of your mouth as your dentist and some dental hygenist try to save you from certain death... of sliding off the chair. I sat in the chair, opened wide... oooh, did you know that they now make bubble gum scented gloves... cuz that makes your positively horrific dental experience so unforgettable. He continued to poke around at my teeth, pushing them around, seeing how my gums would bounce back (I have healthy gums apparently)...all this time, I'm thinking "If the word 'braces' escapes his mouth, so help me!" Sure enough... "well Annaliza, I think we're gonna need to put some braces on your bottom teeth." No joke, first words out of my mouth - "Do I qualify for Invisalign? If not, how much are the clear braces? What are issues if I don't get them at all?" Luckily, he didn't tell me that I needed them on both the bottom and top and that I couldn't at least have clear ones, or I may have used the dental tools as weapons. As we went through "the plan", I began to sweat. Not only do I have to be a 32-year-old nerd with braces, but GEEDEEMIT, they are EXPENSIVE! Again, THANK GOD, I'm not getting both top and bottom! I think Dr. Carter noticed my uneasyness because he later told the coordinator to give me the clear braces for free... then he proceeds to tell me that I only have to have them on for 4 to 8 months (best/worst case)... god bless him.
Cut to 2 weeks ago... I'm in that same chair. Whoopdeedoo! The place the CLEAR brackets on, they start to add the wire, and my orthodontist reminds me that this will be a Love/Hate relationship. Then... he tightened the first wire... ok, not so bad, WHATEVER. Then... he tightens the next set... HOLY CRAPBALLS. It felt like my teeth were crunching in on each other and that they were going to rip themselves out to save themselves! Then the braces were all in and Dr. Carter realized that I would also need a retainer because one of the braces was in such a place that would not allow me to close my mouth all the way. So, after putting the braces on, I had to do another impression so that they could mold my retainer. The cool thing about that was I got to pick the design of the retainer. No surprise... I got Winnie The Pooh on it! Heehee!
For the first few days, I couldn't chew at all and my front teeth were very tender. You really never realize HOW you use your individual teeth (incisors, molars, etc) until you can't use them any more. I basically had to take all food and place it in the VERY back and chew it for a minimal amount then attempt to swallow. And all of this caused lots of pain... but I dealt... a girl's gotta eat, right? A week past, and things weren't too bad. A few more days, and I was ALMOST back to being able to eat normal foods again. But OH, the annoyance of having to floss. I floss religiously. I will never go through root scaling ever again!!! Do you know how to floss when you have braces? It's an irritating, painstakingly, tedious job that HAS to be done. With braces, flossing has gone from a quick and painless 2 minute process, to a 5-10 minute chore that causes soreness for a few hours. Hm! =(
So, this morning... I had my appointment at 8am. I was to get my retainer that would fit the back teeth that couldn't take the braces because of their location. I was excited to see what this retainer would look like, but not excited about having to wear it all day, every day, and only getting to take it out during mealtime. Dr. Carter came out and began the process of fitting the retainer in my tiny mouth. This task proved to be convoluted and agonizing... as with every snap in and snap out, it felt as if he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, all within the small confines of my mouth. When he finally grinded things down and bent things in, the fit seemed to work, but BOY was it excrutiating. He said that it's not supposed to hurt. Pressure yes, pain no.
The more he looked at it, the less he liked the idea... and finally realized that the only thing that would work... would be the original plan. To place the brackets on the back teeth and place a "Power Chain" to pull the worst bent tooth over, then adjust the bracket after that... HOWEVER, in the meantime, because of how the brackets fit, I will not be able to close my mouth all the way to chew. It is LIQUID DIET CITY for yours truly. I mean, I was TRYING to get back to the gym to lose weight... well, at least I've got the "how to" answered. Dr. Carter says that it should only be like this for 3-4 weeks... (sigh)
So, today, I've had a cup of tea, half a cup of soup, and a smoothie from Juice It Up. Cory is on his way to the store as we speak to buy me some broth of any kind, mash potatoes, and stuff to make smoothies... Needless to say, my stomach has been growling all day - if you saw my Facebook status... It sounds like I swallowed Chewbacca and he is now trying to get out!!!
Anyone got any other suggestions of what I can eat?
Hi, my name is Annaliza, and I am a 32-year-old married woman with braces.
For whatever asinine, juvenile reason, I wanted braces as an adolescent. I saw most of my friends getting them, saw the coordinating colored rubber bands, and thought, "WOW... how cute are my friends with their shiny, silver braces, and HOT PINK rubber bands - I WANT!" BIZARRE - I mean, isn't that the time that we are all struggling with our identity? How would a mouth full of enough metal to pick up magnets help that? What were we thinking???
Obviously, getting older, you start to value the fact that you never had to wear them... that you took care of your teeth, that you were blessed with straight pearly whites, and that you never had to deal with snapping rubber bands and forgetting to take the wax off of your braces before eating. You never imagine that you would hear those words, "Invisalign won't work for you, you have to wear braces." When my dentist referred me to Dr. Carter to talk about my dental implant in the WAY back of my mouth... braces never entered my mind. I never figured that there would be an pre-work that needed to be done... who me?
I remember this day vividly... all of two weeks ago. I was naively walking into an ORTHODONTIST'S office (not sure why that didn't tip me off), thinking that he was gonna take a look at my grill and tell me that I just needed the implant in the way back and I'd be good to go... set up the appointment, maybe try and coax some teeth whitening out of him, and BAM, I'm a new woman! Another tip off, should have been when they made me watch this video on ways to correct your smile and bite. Huh? So, I watched it... somewhat entertaining at best. Whatever, right? So, then Dr. Carter makes me sit in the chair. You know, the one where you feel like you're going to slide down, head first at any moment, and the dentist's tools will somehow jab into the roof of your mouth as your dentist and some dental hygenist try to save you from certain death... of sliding off the chair. I sat in the chair, opened wide... oooh, did you know that they now make bubble gum scented gloves... cuz that makes your positively horrific dental experience so unforgettable. He continued to poke around at my teeth, pushing them around, seeing how my gums would bounce back (I have healthy gums apparently)...all this time, I'm thinking "If the word 'braces' escapes his mouth, so help me!" Sure enough... "well Annaliza, I think we're gonna need to put some braces on your bottom teeth." No joke, first words out of my mouth - "Do I qualify for Invisalign? If not, how much are the clear braces? What are issues if I don't get them at all?" Luckily, he didn't tell me that I needed them on both the bottom and top and that I couldn't at least have clear ones, or I may have used the dental tools as weapons. As we went through "the plan", I began to sweat. Not only do I have to be a 32-year-old nerd with braces, but GEEDEEMIT, they are EXPENSIVE! Again, THANK GOD, I'm not getting both top and bottom! I think Dr. Carter noticed my uneasyness because he later told the coordinator to give me the clear braces for free... then he proceeds to tell me that I only have to have them on for 4 to 8 months (best/worst case)... god bless him.
Cut to 2 weeks ago... I'm in that same chair. Whoopdeedoo! The place the CLEAR brackets on, they start to add the wire, and my orthodontist reminds me that this will be a Love/Hate relationship. Then... he tightened the first wire... ok, not so bad, WHATEVER. Then... he tightens the next set... HOLY CRAPBALLS. It felt like my teeth were crunching in on each other and that they were going to rip themselves out to save themselves! Then the braces were all in and Dr. Carter realized that I would also need a retainer because one of the braces was in such a place that would not allow me to close my mouth all the way. So, after putting the braces on, I had to do another impression so that they could mold my retainer. The cool thing about that was I got to pick the design of the retainer. No surprise... I got Winnie The Pooh on it! Heehee!
For the first few days, I couldn't chew at all and my front teeth were very tender. You really never realize HOW you use your individual teeth (incisors, molars, etc) until you can't use them any more. I basically had to take all food and place it in the VERY back and chew it for a minimal amount then attempt to swallow. And all of this caused lots of pain... but I dealt... a girl's gotta eat, right? A week past, and things weren't too bad. A few more days, and I was ALMOST back to being able to eat normal foods again. But OH, the annoyance of having to floss. I floss religiously. I will never go through root scaling ever again!!! Do you know how to floss when you have braces? It's an irritating, painstakingly, tedious job that HAS to be done. With braces, flossing has gone from a quick and painless 2 minute process, to a 5-10 minute chore that causes soreness for a few hours. Hm! =(
So, this morning... I had my appointment at 8am. I was to get my retainer that would fit the back teeth that couldn't take the braces because of their location. I was excited to see what this retainer would look like, but not excited about having to wear it all day, every day, and only getting to take it out during mealtime. Dr. Carter came out and began the process of fitting the retainer in my tiny mouth. This task proved to be convoluted and agonizing... as with every snap in and snap out, it felt as if he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, all within the small confines of my mouth. When he finally grinded things down and bent things in, the fit seemed to work, but BOY was it excrutiating. He said that it's not supposed to hurt. Pressure yes, pain no.
The more he looked at it, the less he liked the idea... and finally realized that the only thing that would work... would be the original plan. To place the brackets on the back teeth and place a "Power Chain" to pull the worst bent tooth over, then adjust the bracket after that... HOWEVER, in the meantime, because of how the brackets fit, I will not be able to close my mouth all the way to chew. It is LIQUID DIET CITY for yours truly. I mean, I was TRYING to get back to the gym to lose weight... well, at least I've got the "how to" answered. Dr. Carter says that it should only be like this for 3-4 weeks... (sigh)
So, today, I've had a cup of tea, half a cup of soup, and a smoothie from Juice It Up. Cory is on his way to the store as we speak to buy me some broth of any kind, mash potatoes, and stuff to make smoothies... Needless to say, my stomach has been growling all day - if you saw my Facebook status... It sounds like I swallowed Chewbacca and he is now trying to get out!!!
Anyone got any other suggestions of what I can eat?
Monday, August 3, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!
Everybody stop and wish my Pops (aka - Dad, Tito Eddie, Mr. Victoria, Mahal) a FANTABULOUS...
My dad is celebrating his 58th birthday this year... doesn't look a day over 40 if you ask me...
LOVE YOU DADDY!!!
My dad is celebrating his 58th birthday this year... doesn't look a day over 40 if you ask me...
LOVE YOU DADDY!!!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
V is for VICTORIA
As a woman... you dream about the day that you will walk down the aisle, in the gorgeous white gown, with the vibrant flowers, people smiling, slowly making your way to the love of you life, and to say "I do"... You never really think about the day that you'll have to endure the lines at the Social Security office and the DMV to change your name. At least, I never did!
But, here we are. It's been almost 3 months since the glorious day where I went from Annaliza Guico Victoria to Annaliza Victoria Smith. The time elapsed has nothing to do with a non-desire to change my name... I really have been busy at work and unable to leave to spend my afternoon in lines.
Alas, yesterday, my husband, Mr. Cory Smith, asked me, "Are you ever gonna change your name?" So, today it is! My boss is traveling on business, I've got most of my projects moving along, my payroll girl keeps asking when she can change my name on my paycheck and buy my new name plate and business cards... and if I don't get this done before our first anniversary, there won't be a first anniversary to celebrate... HAHAHA! Cory is gonna come with me... we're gonna make a lunch date out of it... awwww.
Anyhoo... so this is it folks. The last day you can refer to me as Annaliza Victoria. I mean come on, it's my family name, I've lived with it for the past (almost) 33 years... and, let's face it... it sounds cooler. =) I will always be a Victoria at heart, but now I am a Smith.
Or as Cory likes to call my... Lil Smitty...
But, here we are. It's been almost 3 months since the glorious day where I went from Annaliza Guico Victoria to Annaliza Victoria Smith. The time elapsed has nothing to do with a non-desire to change my name... I really have been busy at work and unable to leave to spend my afternoon in lines.
Alas, yesterday, my husband, Mr. Cory Smith, asked me, "Are you ever gonna change your name?" So, today it is! My boss is traveling on business, I've got most of my projects moving along, my payroll girl keeps asking when she can change my name on my paycheck and buy my new name plate and business cards... and if I don't get this done before our first anniversary, there won't be a first anniversary to celebrate... HAHAHA! Cory is gonna come with me... we're gonna make a lunch date out of it... awwww.
Anyhoo... so this is it folks. The last day you can refer to me as Annaliza Victoria. I mean come on, it's my family name, I've lived with it for the past (almost) 33 years... and, let's face it... it sounds cooler. =) I will always be a Victoria at heart, but now I am a Smith.
Or as Cory likes to call my... Lil Smitty...
Monday, July 20, 2009
CONGRATS TO MR. & MRS. NORRMAN!!!
I just want to give a big shout out to the new Mr. & Mrs. Norrman!
CONGRATS MARCY & ANDERS!
They had a GORGEOUS wedding in San Diego this past weekend. Not only was it heartwarming to see two people so in love tie the knot... it was awesome to see Lily as the officiant (fabulous job Lily!)... and it's always the biggest bonus ever to see my SD ladies!
The end of this month is proving to be yet another doozie! Last weekend was the Norrman wedding. This weekend, Ann & Travis are coming into town... more partying. Plus it's Jocelyn's baby shower on Saturday and Kristin's baby shower on Sunday... where have our weekends gone?
And then of course... Next Weekend...
Can't wait for Gwenny and my girls!!!
CONGRATS MARCY & ANDERS!
They had a GORGEOUS wedding in San Diego this past weekend. Not only was it heartwarming to see two people so in love tie the knot... it was awesome to see Lily as the officiant (fabulous job Lily!)... and it's always the biggest bonus ever to see my SD ladies!
The end of this month is proving to be yet another doozie! Last weekend was the Norrman wedding. This weekend, Ann & Travis are coming into town... more partying. Plus it's Jocelyn's baby shower on Saturday and Kristin's baby shower on Sunday... where have our weekends gone?
And then of course... Next Weekend...
Can't wait for Gwenny and my girls!!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
My first scuba diving injury...
For those of you who haven't seen the picture yet... I have suffered my first scuba injury. No big deal, it looks worse than it really it, but I'm bummed that I can't dive for a few weeks. Even worse, it happend on my first deep dive in Catalina, so I could not continue on to do my wreck dives, and today, I am missing out on diving the Yukon down in San Diego. Cory and Davis went, and I'm super jealous that I had to stay home, BUT... am thankful that mask squeeze is all I got, and nothing worse.
So, how did this happen and what is mask squeeze? Basically mask squeeze is when you don't equalize the pressure in your mask. At deeper depths, and at this case, 98 feet, it turns your mask into a suction cup... pretty much, it's painful, and blood vessels burst in your eye and you're forced to not dive until things clear up. (sadness)
We were in Catalina for our deep and wreck dives. First dive of the day was a deep dive. The plan was to decend to 100ft then to check out how colors change at that depth with less light and then swim up the slight incline, hopefully checking out giant sea bass and bat rays. I was already a little apprehensive about this dive. Just the depth. But I was assured by many other experienced divers, including Cory, that diving at 100ft is no different than diving at 30ft, just the air intake is more at a deeper depth. We geared up and kicked out to the far corner buoy... that was tiring. I was feeling ok, but I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. Our instructor Sean, descended with the first two divers, Davis and another guy in our class, can't remember his name. Cory and I descended with a Dive Master candidate, Daryl.
As we were descending, I was doing alright. I didn't much care for using the large chain to hold onto as a tactile reference for the descent, but that was part of the dive instructions, so that's what we did. The chain was a bit rough since it was slightly choppy up above with all of the boating activity in the harbor (4th of July weekend). A few times, holding the chain made me dizzy, but when I looked up, it would go away. At about 50-60 feet, I start to have trouble equalizing, so we stopped for a second until I was able to equalize my ears. When I felt comfortable, we started to descend again. I noticed at about 70 feet that there was some pressure on my mask, but for whatever reason, it didn't last long. I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, but I wanted to push on because I figured that it was just my nerves. As the Dive Master kept asking me if I was ok, I recall that my "ok" back to him was delayed, mostly because I was uncomfy. And then I looked down, and noticed that the first group was at the bottom and we were about 10 feet above them. Within the last 5-10 feet of our descent, I felt a HUGE surge of pressure on my face and began to get disoriented. When we hit the bottom, the whole ocean started spinning and I thought that I was going to throw up. Sean, my instructor, approached me to begin the skills part of the dive, and I'm told that's when he noticed that I was not right. He flashed me the "ok", and I violently shook my head NO (which made me feel worse). I continued to feel like I was spinning out of control. In all of this disorientation, I had no idea that my wonderful, brave husband had noticed that something was wrong almost immediately when we got to the bottom and grabbed my waist, for fear that I would bolt for the top, as a panicked diver would normally do. THANK GOD for our rescue class!!! It was fresh in our minds, and I knew that the last thing I wanted to do is ascend quickly and risk decompression illness. So, as uncomfortable and in pain as I was, I stayed calm and waited for Sean to assess the situation, and hoped that he would take us up as quickly as safely possible. Plus, I remember saying to myself that Sean would kill me if I panicked underwater and that I better stay calm and not race to the top... hahaha! He got a good laugh when I later told him that.
We began our ascent. Again, for a moment, I had no idea that Cory was holding on to me. The only thing that was alleviating the spinning was crushing Sean's hand during the ascent. In fact, he had to take his hand away for a minute to check his computer, and I quickly grabbed it. It's amazing, the feeling that you get, when you can't cry. It's all I wanted to do. I was in so much pain and spinning out of control. And I couldn't cry into my regulator. I remember starting to shake and "blubber" into my regulator. And I remember feeling like I was in a sky diving freefall, spinning the whole time. Weird. I do remember when we were about half way, feeling someone behind me kick, and then I felt slightly calmer knowing that it was Cory holding me the whole time. It felt like FOREVER to get to the top. We hit our 3 minute safety stop at 15ft. I remember Sean signaling to us after 1 minute that he was going to head back down, and I freaked out thinking that he was saying that I had to go back down, and I started to "cry" and shake my head NO. He assured me, not me, just him.
After the LONGEST 3 minutes of my life, we finally surfaced, I spit my regulator out of my mouth and started to cry. My eyes were in SO MUCH PAIN. I couldn't open them, and I started to think that I injured myself worse than I did! Cory inflated our BCs so we were buoyant, then we were instructed to wait while Sean went and got the rest of the group. Cory calmed me down and just talked me through everything and helped me to relax. He said that my eyes were pretty swollen and that we could go to a doctor if I needed to. I did continue to cry. It was painful, no joke. The group finally surfaced... and Sean and Cory towed me in. I remember crying because I had thought that I had ruined the dive for everyone. And of course, everyone assured me to stop apologizing and that was not the case at all. My dive buddies are so understanding! They assisted me out of the water and helped me take my gear off... and that was the end of my diving for the rest of the trip.
We got some ice to make the swelling go down, I took some Tylenol as well. It took a while for my vision to become clear again. As we all retold the story, Sean commended us for staying so calm. He said that, first of all, in all of his diving, he had never seen that happen... of course, I am the fluke accident. And second, how impressed he was that I didn't start bailing for the top once I started to feel uncomfortable. Davis was already at the bottom once I got there, and he said that he saw me shaking my head NO and he was worried with what was going on. Cory said he saw me go kinda limp at the bottom and he said he was worried when Daryl was asking me if I was "ok" and my responses were delayed. Poor hubby... he said he was really worried about me and thought that I had passed out... and the only thing that offered some relief was that he saw the air bubbles coming from my regulator. Sean said that my poor little face looked all scrunched up in my mask and that my eyes look like a boxer's eyes after a huge fight. Yikes.
Anyhoo, so here I am today. We were supposed to go dive the Yukon (a Canadian destroyer that was sunk off the coast of Mission Bay) today. I'm so bummed. Cory and Davis are there as we speak... (sigh). Oh well... again, I am thankful that it was just mask squeeze and nothing major. I suffered burst blood vessels in both eyes, bruising all over my face... apparently I'm going to look like I was in a fight... and lost... haha!
Here are more "FUN" pics to remember my first and LAST mask squeeze experience:
This is me the next day with an ice pack on my face! (Yeah 4th of July)... and we had an Angels game to go to that night.
This is me at Day 3... the bruising is starting...
On a funnier note... yesterday at the Angels game... which, btw, THEY WON! 11-4 against the Orioles... GO ANGELS! In an attempt to catch some toy baseball that they had tossed into the crowd during the 7th inning stretch, I accidentally spilled a small amount of beer on a boy in front of me. I managed to scare the shit out of him and his mother with my eyes while apologizing... I've probably scarred him for life... HA!!!!
Everyone wish me luck on a speedy recovery... I want to get back to diving, but will be safe about my return and not push it.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Happy Two Months... hahahaha!
Can you believe that it's been TWO MONTHS since the best day EVER?!?!
It has been the most amazing two months ever! Marriage really is all that it is cracked up to be! My husband is such a wonderful, passionate, handsome (heehee), loving and adoring man... I am so lucky to have him, and could only hope that I make him just as happy as he makes me. I love you Cory!
We both want to extend a HUGE HEARTFELT THANK YOU to everyone who came to the party at the Smith's house this past Sunday. We had a GREAT time, it was awesome to see all of you, and we are honored that you would all come out to share in this special occasion with us! THANK YOU to the Smith's for hosting such a grand party!
So, not only were we home for our party, but we also had to make our annual trip to the Elmhurst-Roaring Brook Firemen's Picnic. I'm already going through withdrawals. Wings... Pizza Frita... CLAMS... Sausage and Peppers... POTATO CAKES... Perogis... BEER... More Fried Food... MORE CLAMS... MORE WINGS... WINGS... WINGS... WINGS... PIZZA FRITA... I'm dying. There was also a bit of a "show" the last night of the picnic. Nuttin like some beer, jello shots (Thanks Erin!), and a little cold weather to get the party going!!!
And of course, we had a blast catching up with old friends and Mark, Erin, Meghan... and NATHAN AND KASSIDY! I can't get enough of those two! Oh, and lil Morgie too!!!! I finally got to try my first Old Forge Pizza. We ate at Salernos for lunch, but they said that I HAD to try Arcaro and Genell's pizza too... so we bought a tray of white and red and brought it home. YUMM-OOOOOO!!! Can we have some shipped out here please?????
This weekend is 4th of July weekend... and a busy weekend at that. Can't catch a break, huh? We have Friday off from work, which is just FABULOUS for me... short work weeks are the BESTEST! But, we are going to Catalina to finish my advanced dives. I'm doing my Deep Dive and Wreck Dive. I'm a little apprehensive about the Deep Dive, but I'm told that it's all the same except for my air intake... AHHHHH! Then on Saturday, the 4th, we are going to an ANGELS GAME with Jenn and Brie! Can't wait. They will have fireworks afterwards, so should be fun! And then on Sunday, we drive down to San Diego to do our Wreck Dive Specialty... apparently, there is some battleship off the coast of Mission Bay, called the Yukon, and it's amazing to see. We actually get to go inside. I'm a little scared, but will have Cory with me...
Anyhoo... until next time... same bat channel...
It has been the most amazing two months ever! Marriage really is all that it is cracked up to be! My husband is such a wonderful, passionate, handsome (heehee), loving and adoring man... I am so lucky to have him, and could only hope that I make him just as happy as he makes me. I love you Cory!
We both want to extend a HUGE HEARTFELT THANK YOU to everyone who came to the party at the Smith's house this past Sunday. We had a GREAT time, it was awesome to see all of you, and we are honored that you would all come out to share in this special occasion with us! THANK YOU to the Smith's for hosting such a grand party!
So, not only were we home for our party, but we also had to make our annual trip to the Elmhurst-Roaring Brook Firemen's Picnic. I'm already going through withdrawals. Wings... Pizza Frita... CLAMS... Sausage and Peppers... POTATO CAKES... Perogis... BEER... More Fried Food... MORE CLAMS... MORE WINGS... WINGS... WINGS... WINGS... PIZZA FRITA... I'm dying. There was also a bit of a "show" the last night of the picnic. Nuttin like some beer, jello shots (Thanks Erin!), and a little cold weather to get the party going!!!
And of course, we had a blast catching up with old friends and Mark, Erin, Meghan... and NATHAN AND KASSIDY! I can't get enough of those two! Oh, and lil Morgie too!!!! I finally got to try my first Old Forge Pizza. We ate at Salernos for lunch, but they said that I HAD to try Arcaro and Genell's pizza too... so we bought a tray of white and red and brought it home. YUMM-OOOOOO!!! Can we have some shipped out here please?????
This weekend is 4th of July weekend... and a busy weekend at that. Can't catch a break, huh? We have Friday off from work, which is just FABULOUS for me... short work weeks are the BESTEST! But, we are going to Catalina to finish my advanced dives. I'm doing my Deep Dive and Wreck Dive. I'm a little apprehensive about the Deep Dive, but I'm told that it's all the same except for my air intake... AHHHHH! Then on Saturday, the 4th, we are going to an ANGELS GAME with Jenn and Brie! Can't wait. They will have fireworks afterwards, so should be fun! And then on Sunday, we drive down to San Diego to do our Wreck Dive Specialty... apparently, there is some battleship off the coast of Mission Bay, called the Yukon, and it's amazing to see. We actually get to go inside. I'm a little scared, but will have Cory with me...
Anyhoo... until next time... same bat channel...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY SMITH!!!
We want to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MOMMY SMITH!
She is the best mama-in-law I could have ever asked for and hope she is having a BLAST in Chicago!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
She is the best mama-in-law I could have ever asked for and hope she is having a BLAST in Chicago!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Heading back to the Firemen's Picnic...
We are heading back to the Firemen's Picnic in Elmhurst, PA tonight... can't wait to see everybody! We've been so busy since the wedding that it will be nice to have a few days off from everything, just to sit back, relax, catch up with Cory's family, eat lots of BAD FOR YOU FOOD, drink $1.00 beers... and of course, enjoy the fabulous party that the Smith's are throwing for us...
We got our wedding video the other day and pretty much have it on a loop at home! We LOVE it and we def want to thank our wonderful videographer, Paul Bennett, with Blue Sky Videos. (http://www.blueskyvideos.com/) My only wish is that there was MORE to watch!!! Hahahaha! Eveyrone who came definitely has a cameo (if not more) on the video, so we are so happy about that!
Anyhoo, gotta get packin! See y'all in PA...MUAH!
We got our wedding video the other day and pretty much have it on a loop at home! We LOVE it and we def want to thank our wonderful videographer, Paul Bennett, with Blue Sky Videos. (http://www.blueskyvideos.com/) My only wish is that there was MORE to watch!!! Hahahaha! Eveyrone who came definitely has a cameo (if not more) on the video, so we are so happy about that!
Anyhoo, gotta get packin! See y'all in PA...MUAH!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN!!!
I also want to do a special shout out to my very dear friend in AZ...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN!
Love and miss you... and we can't wait to see you after the heat wave. HAHAHA!
MUAH!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN!
Love and miss you... and we can't wait to see you after the heat wave. HAHAHA!
MUAH!!!
OUR WEDDING PICS ARE HERE!!!
Hey Everybody!
Our wedding pics from Trista Lerit Photography are here! She did a WONDERFUL AMAZING job capturing not only the love between Cory & I that day, but the love that we have for all of our family and friends!
We love you all and hope you enjoy!
http://www.tristalerit.com/annalizacorywedding/
Our wedding pics from Trista Lerit Photography are here! She did a WONDERFUL AMAZING job capturing not only the love between Cory & I that day, but the love that we have for all of our family and friends!
We love you all and hope you enjoy!
http://www.tristalerit.com/annalizacorywedding/
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
... (sigh) ...
You know, you'd think that after the whirlwind that was our engagement and the rollercoaster that was our wedding and honeymoon, that life would hand us a lemon, so that we could take a break and have some lemonade (with vodka in it)... BELIEVE ME, I'm def not complaining, I'm just exhausted... still. Our schedule is JAM PACKED this summer, and I don't know how it got to that. I guess we did it to ourselves though... wanting to really get this scuba thing underway. I am taking my Advanced Certification classes at the same time that Cory and I are taking our Rescue Diver Certification classes. All of this, in the span of about 3 weeks. More classwork and pool sessions after a long day of work, there is even a day after work where we have to do 3 dives (I'm gonna hate life the next day), and a few weekends are already booked up for more ocean dives. I'm exhausted just typing this. Again, not complaining, just remembering how drained I was when I sped through my Open Water Certification...
The good thing is... at the end of this month, we are heading back to PA for the Firemen's Picnic... and equally exciting, if not slightly more... my new in-laws/family (The Smith's) are throwing Cory and I a reception shin-dig to celebrate with the peeps who weren't able to make it to the wedding... and some who did. Hey, another reason to celebrate the best day of my life is FINE WITH ME! It's also a party to show off their newly remodeled house, that we CANNOT wait to see!!! But we are excited to go back and spend some time with everyone. The wedding was such a blur, and we really only got a few good moments of relaxing and catching up. So, it will be nice to hang out with everybody and chit chat over dollar beers and bags of clams... and pizza frita... and sausage and peppers... and potato cakes... and buffalo wings... did I forget anything? Holy crapballs, I'm STARVING already!
Anyhoo, so in addition to SCUBA, which apparently has become our life, we have that vacation coming up at the end of the month. We also have a few Angels games, which I'm excited about because we haven't gone to a game this season yet. The girls and I have the SUMMER OF CONCERTS ahead of us! Whoo hoooo! No Doubt, Pink... some others! Ooh, and of course, Marcy and Anders wedding! I just got back from Marcy's bachelorette party in Palm Springs... we stayed at the Viceroy and had a BLAST! It was my first weekend away from my new hubby, and it was hard, but luckily, I was surrounded by my ladies, and it was only for one night. Of course, as soon as I got back, Cory left for a "sales meeting" in Las Vegas. Right. Like there will be any work going on when you schedule a meeting in VIVA LAS VEGAS. HAHAHAHA! Oh, and he is staying at the Wynn. I thought our company was trying to save money! J/K! He left yesterday (on our ONE MONTH anniversary), and won't be back til late tomorrow night. So, it's just me and the Gizmonster holding the fort down. Does it make you obnoxiously sick that we both were silly sad last night when saying good night to each other? Yeah well, SUCK IT UP, that's just how digusting we are and you're just jealous! =)
Other than that... I've been asked many a times... "How is married life? Do you love it? Is it different?" Without a doubt or any hesitation... Married life is phenomenal, I heart it's face off (thanks Jenn), and yes it is different. It really is. There is this other person that I am now bound to for the rest of my life, and I love it. The flip side of course, is that now you are in a constant state of worry and panic. Not at a level that incapacitates you, but it's always in the back of your mind. Always thinking in the back of your head if he is ok, worried that something will happen to the love of your life. Luckily, Cory and I are no stranger to living our lives, so we don't let this stop us from still doing things, but still... I mean, literally, the moment we said "I do", it all changed, for the better, but it changed. I have a whole new respect for him, whole new level of love, adoration, care for him. And for all of you Sappy McSappers, yes, I would be lost without him.
Alright, so I'm signing off for now...
PS - again, for all of you who have been asking... NO BUN IN THE OVEN... we are, however, debating another dog... any suggestions?
The good thing is... at the end of this month, we are heading back to PA for the Firemen's Picnic... and equally exciting, if not slightly more... my new in-laws/family (The Smith's) are throwing Cory and I a reception shin-dig to celebrate with the peeps who weren't able to make it to the wedding... and some who did. Hey, another reason to celebrate the best day of my life is FINE WITH ME! It's also a party to show off their newly remodeled house, that we CANNOT wait to see!!! But we are excited to go back and spend some time with everyone. The wedding was such a blur, and we really only got a few good moments of relaxing and catching up. So, it will be nice to hang out with everybody and chit chat over dollar beers and bags of clams... and pizza frita... and sausage and peppers... and potato cakes... and buffalo wings... did I forget anything? Holy crapballs, I'm STARVING already!
Anyhoo, so in addition to SCUBA, which apparently has become our life, we have that vacation coming up at the end of the month. We also have a few Angels games, which I'm excited about because we haven't gone to a game this season yet. The girls and I have the SUMMER OF CONCERTS ahead of us! Whoo hoooo! No Doubt, Pink... some others! Ooh, and of course, Marcy and Anders wedding! I just got back from Marcy's bachelorette party in Palm Springs... we stayed at the Viceroy and had a BLAST! It was my first weekend away from my new hubby, and it was hard, but luckily, I was surrounded by my ladies, and it was only for one night. Of course, as soon as I got back, Cory left for a "sales meeting" in Las Vegas. Right. Like there will be any work going on when you schedule a meeting in VIVA LAS VEGAS. HAHAHAHA! Oh, and he is staying at the Wynn. I thought our company was trying to save money! J/K! He left yesterday (on our ONE MONTH anniversary), and won't be back til late tomorrow night. So, it's just me and the Gizmonster holding the fort down. Does it make you obnoxiously sick that we both were silly sad last night when saying good night to each other? Yeah well, SUCK IT UP, that's just how digusting we are and you're just jealous! =)
Other than that... I've been asked many a times... "How is married life? Do you love it? Is it different?" Without a doubt or any hesitation... Married life is phenomenal, I heart it's face off (thanks Jenn), and yes it is different. It really is. There is this other person that I am now bound to for the rest of my life, and I love it. The flip side of course, is that now you are in a constant state of worry and panic. Not at a level that incapacitates you, but it's always in the back of your mind. Always thinking in the back of your head if he is ok, worried that something will happen to the love of your life. Luckily, Cory and I are no stranger to living our lives, so we don't let this stop us from still doing things, but still... I mean, literally, the moment we said "I do", it all changed, for the better, but it changed. I have a whole new respect for him, whole new level of love, adoration, care for him. And for all of you Sappy McSappers, yes, I would be lost without him.
Alright, so I'm signing off for now...
PS - again, for all of you who have been asking... NO BUN IN THE OVEN... we are, however, debating another dog... any suggestions?
Friday, May 15, 2009
We're baaaaaaaacccckkkk...
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are home from St. Lucia... did ya miss us?
We had a FABULOUS time at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. Some of your have seen the pics on Facebook already. And in case you haven't seen our wedding pics teasers on our photographer's blog ... click here:
http://www.tristalerit.com/blog/index.php?link=1238&cat=2
Now we are going to take some time away from the limelight to decompress and come back down to reality. The events leading up to the wedding, the BIG DAY itself, everything after, the honeymoon, opening all the gifts (THANK YOU)... we are BEAT! We are happy to report that we have NOTHING TO DO this weekend... (sigh)
We will be back, so stay tuned...
Oh and PS - I am not pregnant yet for all of you PREGO POLICE out there! SHEESH!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
WE ARE MARRIED!!!
Thank you to ALL of our fabulous friends and family for sharing our special day with us! It really was the most amazing day! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding! The winery was GORGEOUS (thank you Eva for everything!!!), the flowers were insane, everyone was dressed to the nines and looked fantastic (especially our parents and wedding party!!!), the food was yummy (at least the little that I could put down - haha), the wine was endless (Thank You Falkner Reisling), the music was a perfect blend of old & new, the cake (or cupcakes) were insane, the speeches were all tear-jerkers (as expected), my new hubby looked so handsome, I didn't look to shabby if I do say so myself... but most of all, and we were just talking about it... we are so happy and blessed to have the family & friends that we do. Who come from near and far to share such a special occassion with us. Who support and love us unconditionally. And who have all played an important role in who we have become today and will continue to be a significant part in who we become, as individuals, but mainly, as a successful, loving, forever-lasting married couple.
Here are some pics below from everybody's cameras (THANK YOU)... Please send me your pics while we are on our honeymoon! We want to come back to flooded email inboxes filled with pics of the best day ever!
Seriously, one of the most hysterical things was the night of the rehearsal dinner... when our entire group took over at Texas Lils and karaoke'd our lil asses off!
This is when I thought that there was going to be NO SUN for my wedding day... but Cory promised me that it was just resting until the ceremony... and he was right!!!
Aren't we GORGE!!!
Yes, I am double fisting a glass of champagne and a bottled water... Thank You Rachy for keeping me hydrated!!!
You can't tell here, but Cory was teary eyed when I walked down the aisle. For someone who never cries, I almost lost it seeing him cry! It was perfect!
YAY Mr. & Mrs. Smith!!!
Look, we're all Smiths...
One of the most memorable and special parts of the night, was when my new husband sang our wedding song to me. It was so unexpected. And really was the sweetest thing ever!
THANK YOU to everyone who helped put this together! Our parents and families, my bridesmaids, especially my MoH, Jenn! And to my new sis, Meghan for putting all of the programs together! Thank you to the Cord & Veil peeps for being a part of the ceremony... Michelle & Dino and Uncle Colin & Aunt Sue! Thanks again to all of you for coming out to Falkner Winery and sharing in our wonderful day! We love you all!!!
Lastly, thank you to my wonderful, loving new husband... I really do promise to fill our home with peace, love, laughter, and chocolate covered pretzels... In-N-Out, which sounds AMAZING right now... thank you for giving me my dream wedding and being the love of my life. You are my best friend and my one true love. I can't wait for our honeymoon... and eventually for our reality show that blows Jon & Kate out of the water!
Nobody loves you like I do...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)