If you could not tell from my last post. John and I are both thrilled to be an Aunt and Uncle. We are so proud of our BEAUTIFUL and healthy nieces! They got to go home on FRIDAY!!

Just in case you wondered if they are still beautiful




My brother is Stuart. He is 30, he lives in Baltimore, designs video games (the true reason John married me) and is ALWAYS on an adventure. He loves to boulder, travel, do triathlons and is 110% OBSESSED with any "hobby/adventure" he chooses. If you cannot tell from the picture he is way too cool for any of you...and typically is way too cool for me.





His wife is Allison. She rivals Stuart in coolness. She is an architect in Baltimore and is equally adventurous and fun as Stuart.

Allison and Stuarts' latest adventure is PARENTHOOD!! We are thrilled for them, and were ecstatic to learn this week they have a healthy baby BOY due in February. It has been so much fun listening to Stuart as his excitement increases and increases about this baby! I am sure he will know all there is to know about babies, because he is quite the "researcher". Stuart and Allison are minimalist, yet Stuart is a sucker for "gear" it will be fun to see it all collide when they bring home baby!

Last weekend was my first official "I don't work on weekends" weekend and what a wonderful weekend it was!

Saturday morning I slept in, and woke up to my favorite Panera Bread breakfast and latte. I had a perfect slow morning...that turned in to the whole day..spent time with John, talked to mom and argued who loves fall the most and did a few things around the house.

Saturday night John and I went to "Merry Mimics", a ball here in Montgomery. We had so much fun! The concept of these events is still a new one to us being transplants to Montgomery, but it is always a good time to enjoy each others company, dance, AND people watch! John especially enjoys wearing his "James Bond costume" and driving my car very fast in his "costume".




Saturday night I am ashamed to say ended with a late night run to Wendy's...we did still manage to set the alarm for church and planned to make every effort to be on time... In my half awake, half asleep state early Sunday morning I heard a phone buzzing and subconsciously assumed that John's cell phone was dying..which it often does and the delightful buzz was is typically our friendly reminder.

After a few buzz cycles I realized the buzz was coming from my side of the bed. My cell phone is always on my bedside table and makes a much different noise from the "P.S I am dying noise" of John's phone. I opened my eyes just enough to realize that it was my phone buzzing, but it has fallen on to the floor. I opened it to see who called around 7:00 and saw that I had missed a call from my mother in law. For us that is when it all began! I immediately started yelling that "the babies are here!" and "we gotta go!", "get in the shower!" If you had been a fly on our bedroom wall you would have thought I was in labor! When I called John's mom back my hopes were validated..Alyson (my sister in law) went in to labor during the night and delivered our very first nieces early early Sunday morning.

Barley and John were a little confused by their wake up call, but very quickly got in the game. John and I were out of our house and on the road in 30 minutes...which I may boast is EXCELLENT timing for me! We ordered bigger coffees than normal and shot down the road. We could not get to Huntsville fast enough!

Now, I have always known that I married in to a strong family...but this weekend raised the bar a little bit more. My sister in law Alyson is wonderful...she has been blessed first with a dream pregnancy. Now, I know all days were not easy or fun and her continuous optimism absolutely played a part, but all in all she made it look WAY too easy. She was a happy, energetic, glowing pregnant lady. In my opinion she gained less than average weight and truly was all baby...and did I mention she was having TWINS?!?

Her delivery story is one that is impossible to follow. Not only was the blessed with a dream pregnancy, but her birthing experience was one for the record books! Alyson woke up went to the bathroom and her water broke, she calmly woke up Pat, told him he was welcome to shower she was not in pain, but it is time to go to the hospital...they got everything in the car..drove 25-30minutes to Huntsville Hospital. Parked the car, got to the waiting room, filled out paper work..yes she sat and filled out paper work! They put her in her room and started preparing for iv and eventually her epidural. When asked to rank her pain on a scale of 1-10 she gave it a 5..and then after a "little" contraction bumped it up to a 6. The nurse wanted to go ahead and check her to see if she was progressing...she yelled "oh my gosh she has hair!" Alyson said a crew of nurses flew in from every angle and her doctor dashed in to the room...My sister in law had TWO babies...naturally...with NO drugs..in THIRTY MINUTES from the time she started her paper work!!! The craziest thing..she swore she NEVER hurt and just took a few Motrin all day. I made her vow when I weigh 300+ pounds and am in labor for 127 hours with ONE baby she will just feel REALLY sorry for me and will not remind anyone of this day!!

The product of her perfect pregnancy and even more perfect delivery could not be more perfect. John and I both instantly fell in love with our nieces. Savanah Claire and Payton Elizabeth. It is amazing how differently they look. Both perfect and gorgeous but each 100% individual.

Savanah was born first and she honestly looks like her daddy. She has Pat's eye shape and dark hair. She was 4 pounds 13 ounces and 17.5 inches long.





Payton looks like Alyson. She already seems to have her complexion. She weighed 4 pounds 15 ounces and was also 17.5 inches long. She has the most fun strawberry blond head of hair!!






Now, I just cannot wait to go back to Hartselle to love on these two beautiful babies (and of course their amazing mom!) I am thrilled to officially be an AUNT!!! ...let the spoiling begin!

It has been literally one month (and one day) since my last post and I can honestly say that the past month has been one of the craziest times of my life...not the typical "oh ga, we have been so crazy", but full blown crazy..causing me to learn how life can truly change in an instant.

A little while ago I posted and "boasted" about my wonderful transition out of the wedding planning world in to my "new" job. I was thrilled to enter a time that I had my weekends back..my nights...and my sanity..without going in to any details I was VERY wrong in every category. To friends I have met post college I am sure I was starting to look like I am a very wishy washy person who can not find satisfaction in a job. I guess I am okay if people think that, but it is a category I would never personally put myself under. I just think there has been some unusual circumstances and very odd timing.

I heard about two jobs and actually decided to interview with both. I then finally had the problem I had been praying for...I was offered BOTH jobs. Amazing! I decided to take the job with Clay Metal and Stone in Cloverdale. I accepted the job in August and was faced with having to tell yet another employer that I would be leaving.

Despite my environment, putting in my notice was shockingly hard for me. I have decided I am just not good and confrontation..especially confrontation that disappoints..and I guess I am vain enough to believe that my exit was sure to disappoint...oh well. I could write an entire blog about the day I put in my notice at Marquirette's. I am sure I would blush when I read it..so awkward but so relieved and thankful to be done.

I should have given an official two weeks notice...but understanding it is retail..and more importantly that I am worse than chicken it ended up being about "a week and a half notice" I gave my notice at the beginning of the week. Thursday I started not feeling well. Friday I felt terrible but pushed to go to work because I thought it seemed pretty shady to put in a notice and call in sick for the first time. I found myself at Primend on my lunch hour...little did I know that was it for me and Marquirette's. Primed gave me medicine to "get me through the weekend" but made me promise I would go see my doctor Monday. Problem my doctor is in Birmingham.

That weekend was so terrible and most of you have heard WAY to much information about all of it. Monday I was in a wheelchair going to my doctor due to the overwhelming pain. What I thought would be a quick office procedure resulted in the worst pain of my life and a full week in Brookwood Hospital. The crazy thing is I felt so sick and I had the lingering "just about to get to go home" mentality that I never once got cabin fever..just emotional and sick of being sick. That Friday I had to have surgery. My doctor is wonderful...almost as wonderful as my family(husband included) and friends for being so incredibly doting and loving. I can not thank each of you enough for all the goodies and support and most importantly prayers..I believe prayers made all of the difference. I was released from the hospital Saturday and started down the long road to recovery. I conquered or survived so many of my fears. I had never really been sick. NEVER stayed in the hosptial. NEVER had surgery. NEVER had an IV. NEVER really had major blood work done. I did each of these things and so much more. I will never take my health forgranted. What an incredible gift it is to be healthy!

This post should really have been several posts so that it is not so obnoxiously long but unfortunately that is not the case...I was supposed to start my new job Tuesday September 2nd. I was so excited about starting my new job and eager to get things underway. Sadly, I had to push my start date back to rest and recover. Last Thursday I had my post op with my doctor in Birmingham. She was thrilled with my progress and I was thrilled with her good report. Each day I gained more strength, felt better and starting to feel more and more like myself again.

Whew.

That catches us up for the most part. Monday I started my new job. I literally LOVE it. I hope and pray that I will always love it as much as I do. I go to work at 9:00...every day... Monday through Friday. 9:00 is the perfect time to go to work in my opinion. 8:00 seems just a little bit too early...AND I leave at 5:00. I do not work weekends and I do not work nights. I do not have to look at a calendar to know when I work..or wait on an emailed schedule to make plans. I was so giddy as I got in my car each day this week to head home. I really can not describe my gratitude. This job is sales and interior design and I honestly think it is a perfect fit. My coworker is as sweet as she could be and the showroom is beautiful. I could not ask for more. At this point my only problem is wondering how I am going to afford to eat at Nancy's everyday...its just next door..what a wonderful problem to have.

Tonight is my first official official Friday night. I guess I should be a little embarrassed that I am blogging and not doing something crazy! We did go to dinner with some wonderful friends and enjoyed good company and lots of laughs. We got home and what was supposed to be a quick email, facebook, blog check in resulted in the marathon post.

Tomorrow is Saturday. I will sleep until my eyes open. My husband will be home with me...sleeping until his eyes open (or until I wake him up) and we do not have plans until the evening. I honestly do not know what I will do with myself...is this really what life will be like!? ....incredible