Baby Bump

Oh, Hey there world!!! Nearly a year later I remembered I have this little baby! Speaking of babies in case you can't tell in that lovely photo (in which case I'd highly recommend an annual trip to the ophthalmologist) I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant with our very first little baby girl! We are beyond excited, past the point of panic, and totally just ready to meet her! After 2 years of trying and a diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome, about the point when we had finally accepted it just might not happen for us and decided to table trying to avoid the disappointment - it happened! YAY!

So far I've been so blessed to have a very simple pregnancy... not to rub it in or anything but this girl had ZERO sickness! My only curse seems to be gestational diabetes which my doctor assures me is almost a guarantee with polycystic ovarian syndrome so it was probably going to happen no matter what, but I'm sure the craving I had for sweet tarts daily didn't help anything at all! We are scheduled for a c-section on December 2nd and the countdown is on! Our last baby shower is this Sunday and then we will go into full nesting, folding and organizing all of her tiny (yet large!) wardrobe, filling in the gaps of sizes we need and getting her nursery finalized.

If I had been a better blogger this past year (which I'm already regretting because I didn't document much of this process, at all) I would have put up an adorable post of our gender reveal! We found out via a cake made by the same lady who did our wedding cake! We also found out surrounded by most of our family and all of our best friends, that was a very special moment! I was #teampink from the very beginning as far as what I was hoping for but every instinct I had said BOY! Partially, I think, because I refused to get my hopes up about having a little girl. PJ's face when he saw that pink cake was priceless I think it took him a few days to adjust to the fact but now I think he's even more excited to have a girl than he was at the idea of a boy. Knowing a family is an option let alone a reality is enough to send him to the moon. He's been the most supportive, incredible man I could have ever asked for. I always knew I loved that man but once this little girl came about, I never knew I could love him more. I am so looking forward to seeing him with her.

Another excitement - I'm going to get to go extreme part time to stay home with her more! My job has agreed to let me work a mix of at home and in our office which is just fantastic! It'll be a pay cut so I'm definitely stocking up on things and I've become a new coupon maniac but I think the transition of learning to live on less is totally worth staying home with her all but one day a week - and that day daddy will be home with her!

So that's my update... we are HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY and awaiting all the excitement and changes!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Life keeps on movin'!

Last I posted was in July - a bit of a reflection and I just went back to reread it with a lot of pride. It's been a little over 6 months since I say I lost myself and I can honestly say, I'm still good!! As usual, life keeps going and although we can take moments to pause, they have to be quick and back to the now, back to the future - too!

On November 6th PJ and I purchased our first home! A fixer - upper at that! It's been a hot mess an adventure! We bought it knowing we'd need to do some things but once we go in, those things seemed to multiply! Since the 7th when we go in the doors we have ripped up 3 bedrooms, a hall, a living room, dining room, and kitchen flooring. Replaced the bedrooms and hallway with carpet - the kitchen with new tile (took up TERRIBLE ugly wood laminate) and are laying new, nicer wood laminate in the living room and dining room. There are actually wood floors underneath but they are shot which is incredibly sad because I love that natural look. Maybe someday when life isn't so busy we'll restore or replace them but for the next 5-10 years I think I'll really enjoy the laminate without the crazy worry of damaging the hardwood any further. Soon enough 2 levels of our tri level will be functional. After the insane dog odors that had taken over those two levels - I will be really happy to see those two go! We still have the lower level and 2 of the ugliest bathrooms on the planet to remodel but I'll be happy to see the progress at this next checkpoint. I tell ya, my husband has been a TROOPER! For 2 weeks today we have been going to work and going straight home and getting to annoying, tedious, physical exhausting more work and he hasn't complained once. I've had the luxury of taking a few nights off for some girl time with my friends - he hasn't really! I'm super proud of him and really excited that although it's a lot of work we'll be able to sit back and see our own work around us! I'll try to post some before and afters when we get to a stopping point. Lets be real though, my next post just might be around Easter!

Anyone else crazy DIYers that get into a project and scratch their head thinking "what did I just do!?" - That's where this house started the MOMENT went go our keys! It's going to be great though...most importantly it's going to be home and its OURS!

Funny tid bit about the house...it's a trilevel so we have 2 short staircases instead of one big one. Our youngest pup, Romeo, took about a week to conquer the steps at all but still can't do the ones going up to the top level because they are wood. His poor little furry but tries and just tumbles right back down. It's been great carrying him down from bed and back upstairs at bedtime! Hey, at least it's keeping him off of our brand new carpet! :)

Hope everyone is gearing up for the holidays - I know we have a busy one and I'm sure you do too! I love this month because Facebook gets flooded with what people are thankful for and it just makes everyone stop and think about that topic themselves. This year, I can say a HUGE thanks goes to my faith and for happiness - I wouldn't have one without the other!

Have a great day :)

- JD

Note to self... Here you are in July 2013.

I haven't blogged in... 9 MONTHS! (gasp!) Not that I was ever great about keeping up with it regularly in the first place but that's a little much! To be honest, I kind of had forgotten about it entirely. Tossed it up to I didn't have time or there was no point, or my 5 readers wouldn't miss me anyway. Here's the deal though, I think I owe it to myself to document every once in awhile. I think I need that reflection on where I was in October of 2012 or July of 2013. So here's to that!

There have been so many changes in the past 9 months, like everyone else, life gets busier and I feel the constant need to revaluate my priorities and my time. The past 9 months I can say I've probably failed at that miserably though, so I'm going to focus on the last 30 days.

At the end of May I lost myself. 100% whole heartedly didn't feel like I had a connection with who I was anymore. I lost what I thought had been my best friend for 6 years. She and I finally agreed that our friendship wasn't a healthy one, it was based on control and gossip and turned us both into people we didn't want to be. I struggled with that loss nonetheless though. In many ways, I thought I had been a help to her for 6 years. I thought we were on this journey of growing up together when in fact we were probably hindering each other from growing individually. It sent me into a bit of a spiral. It was hitting me that I am 26 years old and haven't accomplished nearly what I wanted to. My attitude towards myself and the people around me suffered, especially my poor husband. I lashed out and convinced myself that my unhappiness with a few things in my life meant I was unhappy with my life in general. Three weeks of faking smiles for strangers and fighting the tears with those closest to me caught up to me in a devastating heart to heart with my husband who sadly really caught the worst of it. I went to bed after that conversation with him and prayed like I had never prayed before. I prayed for some sort of relief, to beat this depression that had taken over my life, and to become who I knew I could be. I woke up the next morning feeling like exactly that, a brand new person.

I'm not saying it's fool proof, things hurt still. I still struggle with keeping myself in check. I've always been one to over react (to put it mildly) and to get so worked up I just couldn't control my emotions. I had become a been a bit of a pessimist. Having seen things go wrong so many times I found myself always assuming they would. And for the worst... I had become a complete control freak! I wanted people to live their lives the way I felt they SHOULD live them. I'm learning now that the word SHOULD in general is just a way of pushing how I feel on my expectations of others. However, I'm learning that although there are so many things I can't control there is one thing I can: myself.

So self control is now my best friend. I recite my uncle's best advice "Let it be." and my new personal motto "choose happy" to myself every few hours. I try to be there for my friends without taking on their stress as I always had before. I try to be an ear but remain detached. Aide in helping them feel better instead of dragging them down to my level or allowing myself to be pulled to theirs. It's a process. It's a struggle but I can honestly say, it is working. I feel stronger. I feel closer to God. I feel like I am finally back on track to who I need to be. I appreciate things in my husband and friends I had began to resent. I lean on him for support and communicate with him in a way I never could communicate with anyone. I use my support system for exactly what they are, a support system. I'm attempting to take on less as my own responsibility to "fix" and focus on things that aren't already broken. I look at the sunshine and take a moment to feel it on my skin, and appreciate that moment. I hold my friends children and just really soak it up. I pay bills with a purpose to hopefully one day not have as many instead of feeling the burden of my debt today. I spend time with people who really make moments feel happy. I count to 10, a lot. Most of all, I'm learning to not live in the past. The future is a beautiful thing and happiness really is the best choice I've ever made.

I live with hope. I live with love. I live with forgiveness. I live with peace...and to me, right now, in July 2013 it means everything to me.

Catchin' up!

It's been forever. Summer has came and gone. The new Jeep is now full of dust and in need of a major detailing.  My puppy is getting big and although he is still adorable, houesbreaking a pup with a bladder the size of a peanut is proving to be more challenging than I ever thought possible.  The leaves are falling, halloween came and went (with a frost and freezing weather to boot!) Time just keeps marching on.  With or without time to blog, time to think, time to process, time to catch your breath, time keeps marching on.

This past few weeks have been a conflict of emotions.  Friendships have come back together while others have provided some distance.  Halloween party brought so much laughter and good memories while the east coast was falling apart at the very same time.  For me, all I can do is sit back and count my blessings.  This time of year always provides that sense of feeling over appreciative for the little things.  My heart breaks for those on the East Coast who are looking around trying to find anything positive to feel blessed about. My thoughts and prayers are with them, and not just in a way that seems to fit that phrase.

I am starting a new job tomorrow, leaving my nurse aide care behind for an adventure with my four legged furry friends instead.  Getting back to my passion, I hope. My love is with pets and my only hope is that I love the job as much as I am hoping to. Prayers for it to go well are so appreciated!

There are so many pictures that I wouldn't know where to begin so I'll try to narrow it down to just a few :)

 My little brother came in town for the weekend. It was AMAZING to have him here. He's back in Montana now and we are hoping he'll get to come home in January.  My sister is looking AMAZING after having gastic bypass less than a year ago. She totally rocked that beetlejuice costume. Loved having her here for the party!

 We made a Jenga set and turned it into a drinking game (each block had things to do). My amazing friend Trenton had never even played the original Jenga so it put him into a full blown anxiety attack, it a hilarious fun way! It was an absolute blast.  How cute is he as a cowboy and PJ as an elephant!!

 

<--- this my friends is my BEAUTIFUL friend Brittany who is due with baby Spencer in about 2-3 weeks. I am STOKED!!! Absolutely can not wait to have another baby running around. She was glowing in her godess costume! :)

We made it to 1 year!!! I was super sick but I wanted to make sure we got a 1 year photo with our doggy family! :) We made it to 1 year and I turned 26 a week later, I am feeling OLD but oddly okay with it too!!

 

My good friend Amanda has been in town from Boston the past two weeks.  She is dating our good friend Lincoln and came to visit for what was supposed to be a week before making her final plans to move down here next month.  Due to the hurricane her flight home was moved not once, but twice. Snagging us an extra week with her.  After being 5 min late for her flight home today...she is now leaving tomorrow!! I keep telling her just to stay butttt she's not ready yet.  Luckily we get one more night with her so I'm going to get to making dinner :)

Thanks for reading, God Bless!

<3 JD

Baby Fever and Puppy Love

After spending the summer with so many babies, my baby fever was OUT OF CONTROL! Everywhere I went I was looking at baby things, I was dreaming about babies, I was wanting to spend time with my friends/family's babies...out of control I told you...so I did the only thing all irrational people do, I bought a puppy!

 

 Blog readers, I want to introduce you to Romeo Alfonz Davis.  Assuming you do not follow me on facebook that is, because if you do you are probably over seeing all of my pictures of my beloved Romeo.  He is a Porky (Pomeranian-Yorky) and is expected to get about 7-10 lbs.  He is currently 10 weeks and at 4.5 so I'm thinking it will be towards the higher end of that, if not closer to 12.  He is a total blast, when he isn't napping between noon and five everyday, which those hours he turns into a total diva.  He prefers not to be disturbed when sleeping and loves to play either alone or with anyone available.  We LOVE having him in the house.  I try to take him as many places as possible so he can get used to things and be that carry around dog I want him to be without worrying about him getting nippy with strangers or running off.  So far, we've been to the airport to pick up Uncle Tanner and Grandpa Perry, boating with the whole family, many many Jeep rides (which he hates because he's not fond of wind), to Daddy's softball game and all over town. Now I shall overload you with baby pictures, and some of his dog family... ha!

 total daddy's boy.

 Love. Him.

Hey Hey, I do exist!

Well, Hello little blog! Long time no post! It's been a BUSY 3 months around the Davis house.  So busy, in fact, that for a few weeks we needed 2 houses.  Since my last post we have bought a new vehicle, moved houses, fixed up new house, got a puppy, had to rehome our other beautiful baby girl (Hayley) and acquired a new roommate (PJ's brother).  We have had house guests or projects going every single day of this summer.  I made some time for reading, for catching up with people, for going to the MOVIES.  It's been busy but it's been nice! Somehow in the midst of being crazy busy I sure have found time to EAT! My diet went out the window as soon as summer started and I have PUT ON 15 lbs! With fall, comes changes, I hope. Things are STARTING to settle down and so it is time to get back to blogging.  I feel like I took a full on summer vacation from my laptop entirely.

My biggest disappointment in all of this chaos? We have redone several rooms in our new house and I've taken next to NO pictures! As a before and after junkie, this is just flat embarrassing.  As we continue to fix it up, that's a big goal of mine...to be more active in actually showing the progress made.

Lets recap my summer...the highlights at least...

 This IS my Christian Grey! I was obsessed with the series and have always loved Gabriel Macht in Suits (on USA if you don't watch it, you should!) but now every time I watch it I find myself literally smiling thinking of him as Christian.  Top fantasy pick changed...love him and loved the book!!

 Bought my dream Jeep...well my dream jeep is burnt orange but I do love the red too!! 4 door (room for expansion if needed ;)) and so much fun!! Thankfully we've had next to no rain this year so it's been taken apart the majority of the time we've had it.  PJ even made some nifty door holders so they don't get scratched up.  I love love love love love it!

 Family...need I say more! This little beauty is growing up so fast I just can't seem to get a grasp. Every time I see her I'm completely stunned with how much she has grown. Ah, too fast...toooo fast.

Perry bought a little boat and we actually got to see water this year! Went to Ceasar's Creek a couple of times and had a total blast on the water. I am not as young as I used to be so this girl stayed away from tubing but watching everyone else flop and flail made me hurt.

Weddings! We said congrats to PJ's good friends and army buddies Chris and his new wife Kim and Mitch and his new wife Jen. Both were absolutely beautiful weddings! It really made me miss wedding planning. Thankfully my very best friend, Rachel, got engaged about a week after my wedding itch started to drive me crazy. Woohoo! Another reason to get this butt in shape!

Tim and Kenny came to town! It was a HOT concert but the storm in the middle really cooled things down. Tim McGraw's show was like going down memory lane...and although I wasn't a huge Kenny fan, I have more respect for him and his music after hearing him live! Loved it!

 Umm...did I mention LITTLE BROTHER CAME HOME?? He's been in town since July 27th and leaves next Monday! It's been so nice having him here!! :)

we got this little guy too...but he's so awesome, he'll be getting a blog all to himself!

Now that you are on photo overload and update on my blogless summer, I fully expect you to read the next on that little fur ball that stole my heart! :)

Thanks for reading!

<3 JD