What a difference a year makes!

This time last year, we were sending out our save the dates for the wedding! We had just taken our engagement photos, and wedding planning was all I could talk about. It was also right about this time that Jay and I really started getting under each other’s skin. Nothing like a wedding to drive people crazy! I have a theory that wedding planning is very similar to AA. There are various stages one must go through before getting to the recovery.

Stage 1: You can’t stop staring at your new bling, saying the word “fiance” never gets old, and you wonder how you could EVER tire of wedding planning!

Stage 2: As guest lists are formed, you realize for the first time that you have TWO families to consider. Things start to get a little sticky.

Stage 3: You are over budget (let’s be honest- I have never met a bride who was UNDER budget!) If you are marrying a “frugile fred” like I did, these conversations usually never end well. “Flowers cost HOW much??” “We registered for HOW many sets of china?” “The total guest list is HOW many??”

Stage 4: From the research I have gathered, most engaged couples usually have at least one knock-out, drag-out kind of fight. Ours happened to be about crab cakes. And ended with me jumping out of the car and walking home. Low point!!

Stage 5: The big day is near, and you can start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! As much fun as wedding planning is, a gal can only take so much before her head explodes. It is now amazingly clear why a honeymoon is crucial to your sanity.

Wow- this really takes me back! I was the girl who started reading bridal magazines in high school, picked out my venues when I was 17, and have seen Father of the Bride probably 1578 times. Even with all of that, wedding planning is stressful, and does not always bring out the best in those involved. Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in flowers, linens and cakes- that you forget what wedding planning is really all about. A marriage!

In honor of this walk down memory lane– a few engagement pics!

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Simba

Ever since we brought Teddy home, Jay has been obsessed with re-enacting the opening scene from Lion King where baby Simba is presented. Teddy is just so tiny and kind of looks like a little lion 🙂 In fact, Jay even re-enacted this for our vet during our visit a few weeks ago. Half embarassing/half awesome. Is Lion King not the greatest movie ever?!? Love it! So many great memories with Kelly acting out scenes from the movie- I am pretty sure I always had to be Simba while she got to be Nala… story of my childhood.

So this is a typical Tuesday night in the Gerber house with Jay’s shenanigans. Here is our version of the Lion King (for the record, this was all Jay’s doing). And yes, that is me snorting in the background.

I am still thankful for this moment for many reasons- I had an INSANE week. Three, two-hour interviews, a trip to the mechanic, and a mind that just won’t stop running. I have some big decisions to make this month, and I am thankful to have not just a supportive hubby at home, but one who makes me smile. Now, looking forward to the weekend and an entire week not working!

Six Months Under the Belt

I cannot believe that we already have six months of marriage under our belt! I believe you are only considered a “newlywed’ for the first year of marriage… so I guess I better soak up these next six months. Then we are just a veteran OLD married couple 🙂 To celebrate our halfway marker, Jay took me to Al Biernats for an incredible dinner. For those of you who do not live in Dallas, Al Biernats is the quintessential Dallas dinner spot. We had sea bass and steak, along with the BEST bottle of wine I have ever had. So yummy!!

On the way home from dinner, Jay and I were reflecting on the easiest/hardest transitions of married life. We both agreed that actually living together has been the easiest part- while I can be uptight at time (I know, hard to beleive, right?), Jay is so laid back that he just rolls with it. Plus, as long as he does not have to do his own laundry, he has no complaints. Jay thought that one of the more difficult sides of marriage is constantly having to factor someone else into your decisions. It is a level of selflessness, and recognizing that it’s not just about you anymore. While Jay is honestly the least selfish person I know, he also is very much a “go with the flow” kind of person and doesnt like to spend a lot of time thinking through things. He always says that I make him “think about things he doesn’t want to think about” (i.e. being considerate of others). He calls it annoying. I call it manners.

I thought that one of the more difficult sides of marraige is making time for date night. When you live together, things can get very routine -VERY fast. Before you know it, I am doing laundry, Jay is playing guitar, and we go to bed without really connecting or discussing our days. You become “roomies” and forget to nurture the relationship. I am lucky to have a husband who happens to love planning date nights. But, if date nights start falling through the cracks now… can you imagine what it will be like with kiddos?

All in all, it’s been a fabulous six months. We have worked out most of the kinks, survived the holidays, and gained a precious addition to our family. While some may judge me for my attachment to a dog, I don’t care. It’s my blog, and I’ll obsess if I want to.

Six Month Check-Up: Here’s what I have learned about marriage (this will probably change in another six months)

1) Don’t be a nag. Men respond much better to being asked rather than being told.

2) Make time for romance. Yes, yes I know- we are still in the blissful newlywed phase. That said, life gets busy and stressful and it’s really easy to get complacent. Romance effects every other part of your relationship- make time for it!

3) Don’t sweat the small stuff. Obviously- this is something I am still learning. At the end of the day, is Jay licking his fingers at dinner really worth a spat? No, it’s not. But- Jay cutting his fingernails over my dining room table is (true story).

 See? Pick your battles.  P.S. Why are boys so gross??

The Poop Scoop

Most people start their morning with a cup of coffee, a nice jog, or watching the news. Today, I had a poop situation that was quite unfortunate. Before you get too grossed out, this is about Teddy. Now- everyone says that a puppy prepares you for motherhood in many ways. All I have to say is– this morning added about six months to our already long timeline! I will forwarn you- this post is not for those with a sensitive stomach.

It all started when I took Teddy out to potty around 7:45am. He is so funny when he is about to poop, and scrunches up in a little ball. Jay and I always laugh because he looks so adorable! Well this morning, I could tell things were not working…ahem… correctly- poor little guy stayed scrunched up for about 10 minutes with nothing to show for it! I called our vet to see what I could do to help T, and while I was on the phone, I noticed Teddy would not sit or lay down. That is because there was a HUGE poop log stuck halfway in/halfway out. You KNOW where I am talking about. The woman on the phone told me the only thing I could do was try and pull it out. (Side bar: I am gagging as I relive this memory.)

After ten very traumatic minutes over the sink, a hearty scrub of Teddy’s lower half, and MANY handwashes later… the situation was under control. I called Jay to vent and could hardly tell the story without crying I was laughing so hard. Who does this happen to?!? Here is Teddy afterwards, looking completely innocent of course. It’s like he is saying “What? You know I am still precious.”

I was thinking on my way to work how I would do everything in my power to help Teddy- and he is just a dog for goodness sake! I can only imagine what it feels like to be a mother, and the longing you must feel to protect, care for and comfort your child. Maternal instincts have always come easy for me- I have known I wanted to be a mom my entire life. Thank you Lord for daily reminders about the blessing of motherhood- even when they come in unconventional ways 🙂

Newlyweds Gone Wild!

Lately, life has been a bit …INSANE! It seems like we have not had time to breathe, or, more importantly, have a date night! Here are a few highlights from the past few weeks:

TEDDY! We took Teddy on his first road trip last week! After just a few days, we drove to Houston for Jon and Erin’s wedding weekend (which by the way, congrats to the newlyweds!). I was mildly stressing about leaving him with my parents, especially since he is NOT potty trained. Lucky for me, my parents are softies and now love Teddy more than they love me. Teddy served as the perfect model for my mom, who was all about trying out her new camera. She even dedicated an entire album to him online…. I can ONLY imagine what she will be like when we have babies! They also gave Teddy a very warm welcome 🙂

Along with our Houston trip, Teddy has been adjusting great to his new home. Since he is still a baby (12 weeks on March 6th), potty training is definitely a LOT of work. Jay and I wake up at least once in the middle of the night to take him out, come home at lunch, and literally clean up pee about 10 times a day. Yesterday, Teddy thought it was a great idea to play in his pee, and leave little pee footprints all over my lovely wood floors. Thanks T. It’s really hard to be annoyed though, especially when he gives you this face:

JAY! So Jay still LOVES his job, but lately he has been working a ton of hours. I know he is under a lot of stress, and has some rough personalities to deal with on his job site. He recently got a raise, and I am so proud of how valuable he has made himself to Brandt. It is clear that the executive team really sees Jay going far- and I am excited for him! He continues to surprise me daily with his amazing work ethic and continued patience with me 🙂

Well, that is our life in a nutshell– busy little bees, but very thankful to have each other (oh- and Teddy). I am going to try something new, and post a “Jay Quote of the Week”. Simply put, the boy is hilarious! Here is his quote this week:

“No, it has to be mushy. It’s stuffing- if it’s not mushy, how are you supposed to stuff it into something?” (Jay’s reaction to my mushy stufffing at dinner- he tries to make me feel better!)

Puppies– not for the faint of heart

 

Yes, the day has finally come!! We adopted a precious baby boy into our family on Wednesday, and he happens to have the cutest name EVER- Teddy!!! We have had a very busy few days trying to make this little guy feel at home (and pee less on our wood floors). We decided that we are going to crate train Teddy, especially since we are gone for long periods during the day. On Wednesday night, we left him in his crate, in the kitchen, and you would have thought we were torturing the guy. Yelping, wheezing, coughing, scratching- he did it all. Jay and I sat in our room and literally had no idea what to do- and it was so painful just listening to him cry! After about 20 minutes of this, we moved his crate into our room… still the same. Finally, when I put the crate as close to me as possible on the floor, he FINALLY went to sleep. Waking up every three hours to go outside and potty leaves a very tired mommy. With not attractive dark circles under her eyes 😦 But how can you say no to this face?!?!

We took him to the vet yesterday and he weighs 2 lbs 6 ounces and is healthy as can be! He is still so little that we have to be really careful and monitor what/how much he eats, where he goes,  and what kind of other animals he is around. The past few days have already been such a huge adjustment – and definitely a teeny tiny glimpse into life with a baby. NOT ready for that yet! So for now, we will enjoy our little furry baby.

Romance with a side of cream cheese

There is something really special about the first time you celebrate a holiday as a married couple. Everything feels more special & romantic, especially on Valentine’s Day. While Jay may love drinking a cold beer and wearing steel toed boots–the boy knows romance. He is so good about making me feel completely loved and special. That said, here are a few recaps of our first V-day:

-a “secret admirer” left beautiful flowers on my desk at work 🙂 

-I came home to a lovely dinner table (complete with roses and our nice chargers), a home-cooked meal and champagne!

-I am taking Jay to see Randy Travis in a few weeks (that was his gift)!

-Jay is cooking/cleaning the rest of the week. I could get used to this!

-we had a slight cheesecake disaster (Unfortunately, Jay did not really read the instructions carefully, and did not blend all ingredients together. My first bite into the cheesecake had clumps of cream cheese… and led me to spit it out immediately. Sad day! It was seriously funny though.)

Not sure if you have listened to Amos Lee’s “Flower”, but it was my V-day anthem. Such a great love song!!