The Next Step

Pregnant. Yup, it's amazing how that one little word can do such a number on your body and life. My first trimester was riddled with the classic pregnancy straight from the textbook symptoms. I was wrought with morning sickness that never quite came in the morning, oh no, it liked to visit around 5:30 pm on my ride home from work. I would promptly pull the car over, puke on the side of the highway, wipe my mouth and continue on. I was exhausted. I felt like I could never get enough sleep, I yawned compulsively and it kind of felt like I had the on set of the flu. You know what I'm talking about, it's like your whole body is a tad achy, your super tired yet you seem to trudge through it. That was the feeling. I also was uber emotional. I found myself crying hysterically and completely freaking out my parents and Justin. Now I will give myself a little bit of leeway here - I mean I was in the middle of leaving a job, searching for a new one, planning a wedding and buying a house.

So yea, I was the quintessential preggo girl. Oh, I should not forget the acne. Now I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world because up until this whole baby situation I have been blessed with fantastic skin. But with my hormones going crazy I broke out like a pizza face, not to mention the trail of bumps on my boobs and back. ICK! Justin playfully called it tit-ne and butt-ne. (My dermatologist giggled when he heard our new vocab) I remember him looking at my poor skin and driving to the mall and buying me some pro-active. Bless his heart. Ah, but it all went away. THANK GOD!

With the 2nd trimester came a renewed sense of self. The acne cleared up (for the most part), I'm not nearly as exhausted as I was and the nausea has subsided. It also helped that Justin and I pulled off a wedding (all planed and paid for by us), bought a new house and office and we decided that I should quit looking for a job and work together and build a firm. There's an amazing peace that came with getting that all off our shoulders.

And now the third trimester is beginning! This week will mark the start of the 7th month! WOWZERS! Time has flown by and I feel like I just need a little more time! But we are going strong and forging ahead. I picked out a crib and baby room stuff for lil Cash this weekend, so the nursery will be done soon enough, Katy is planning the baby shower and almost all of the doctor's bills are paid. AH! It really amazes me how Justin and I make such a good team. I guess it takes sitting down, making a goal, sticking with it and working hard to make it all come together.

I am one lucky girl.

Amy

The BIG 3-0!

So this past Thursday I turned the BIG 3-0! Yes, this lil girl turned thirty years old and did so in stride. Most of my friends didn't take the momentous occasion so well. I don't know why, but I like getting older. I feel more comfortable and centered with myself, happier with my choices and decisions and overall I just feel content. Ah, the big C word. Some people look at being content as something that isn't good- but not this girl.

My whole life I feel like I've been searching for something, something bigger than me and I'm finally at a point where I "get it." It's not that I've achieved everything I want in life, Lord knows I have a hunger for a lot more -- BUT I am truly happy with where I am right now in this very moment. I'm an accomplished attorney who gets to use my education and knowledge to help people in their darkest moments, I found a man that loves me and supports me in all my endeavors- who is my best friend, my partner in crime and in law and he gave me the best and most wonderful gift in the world - the baby I have longed for my whole life and just didn't know it. I get to be a MOM soon and I my heart is humbled that God would bless me with such a big and wonderful responsibility.

You know, growing up I was always pretty good at stuff but never exceptional but deep down in my guts I knew I would be a great mom. I just knew it. And now I have the honor and privilege of being and doing just that.

The years have also brought me an appreciation for my parents that only time and life can give you. I am absolutely in awe of them both. Each so different yet they are the perfect pair working in unison so efficiently and loving that you can't imagine the two as a one. My Mom is the probably the hardest working, most giving, loving, easy to talk to, self-less person I know. My Dad is the more quiet type who is a great listener but also a great teacher. He's always observing everything, soaking up every detail of everything, he's always hungry for knowledge, never too judgmental and always willing and eager to teach us kids a lesson. It takes turning 30 years old to have that kind of insight into the love of a parent. In your teens, you find yourself trying to dis spell every thing they say or want for you and by the time your 20's roll around your too busy trying to live "your life" that you miss out on all the stuff they've been saying for years. So it takes moving into your 3o's to really "get" what they were saying, advising, and giving the whole time. It's your "Ah" moment if you will. I am the luckiest girl in the world because I have two parents who LOVE me, and not just love they ADORE me and they tell me so every day. And the icing on the cake -- they love, love, love, LOVE each other and in a way that very few people will every really get to experience. Having them as a role models for life, for love, for spirituality.....may be the biggest gift of all.

So with that said, turning 30 is a Joy, a Blessing and I'm just so grateful to get to settle in and just sit smack dab in the middle of it.

-A-

Thinkin'.....

I was stalking my regulars on Facebook tonight and it hit me that everyone is taking the bar exam next week! My heart aches and leaps for them- on one hand, the chapter is drawing to a close and it's the end of a long hard journey-- but on the other hand I know the panic that is setting into their heads and hearts. There's a mini-nervous break down happening somewhere with some poor bar taking soul. I'm saying prayers for all of you m'dears. Remember, take a deep breath, keep your nose to the grind and don't panic (too much) because it's all survivable. I look back over this old blog and I see the sheer panic of all of it in my posts and I'm reminded of just how silly all of the worry was, You guys are going to do GREAT!

In other news, we are all moved into our new house.....FINALLY! The new TV and cable was installed and delivered on Monday afternoon and the office is finally moved from Conway. I am sitting at my computer after going through files and organizing everything. I really think this was the best purchase we could have made, with a baby coming it will allow me to work from home and give me an opportunity to not miss too many beats when it comes to my work. I'm telling ya, God has a plan and I am blessed.

Justin is leaving tomorrow for a boys in Atlanta with some of his old fraternity brothers and I am heading to NC to spend a lil QT with my fam and do a lil shopping for the house. My mom and I have already planned out a trip to IKEA followed by a quick stop at South Park Mall in Charlotte and I maybe a little Cheesecake Factory for dinner....I mean if we have time and all!

Happy Girl.

Big Changes

Wow, it amazes me as I go back and look at the content of this blog -- that my life has changed so dramatically! In the past 6 months everything has been flipped upside down, turned all sideways and somehow has put me right back on my feet in the happiest place that I'm not even sure my heart allowed me to imagine! I'm not saying it was easy, heck, if anything it was heartbreaking, soul testing and just plain hard.

Hmm, so much to catch up on..... Well, in March I had a trip planned to Miami with all my girlfriends from Law School for one of my bestest friends, Ashley, for her bachelorette party. The day before I left I wasn't feeling so good. I had been nauseous for the past week and I just knew something was off. Well, a pregnancy test later and VWA-LA I'm preggo. I was so busy with work I took the test in the bathroom, shoved the EPT in my pocket and worked for over an hour until I realized I had forgot to check it! I pulled that little sucker out and the words "Pregnant" were sealed on the tiny screen. OMG! OMG! OMG! That's what kept running through my head! I closed the doors to my office and just sat in shock and disbelief. I wash of emotions and thoughts came over me: What was I going to do? How am I going to tell Justin? What will his reaction be? What will my parents think? OMG! OMG! OMG! I'm not married, this is not the order of how things are supposed to be!

So I called my mom, only my mom could help me in this very emotional moment. So I picked up the phone and called. So through my light crying I tell her. To which she SQUEALS with excitement and joy! I was taken aback, I reminded her of all the stuff that was running through my head and she said...."WHAT? Amy, this is the best news ever! Why are you upset, you're almost 30 years old, you're an attorney with a good job, you love Justin and you guys have been planning on getting married soon anyways. Honey, you're not 16 and this isn't MTV, this is GREAT!" And so, I took a deep breath - evaluated her words and thought....SHE'S RIGHT! So, I left work a little early for lunch and ventured over to Justin's office to tell him the news.

I was beyond nervous and I found myself crying a little and not being able to form the words to tell Justin the news. **Now let me pause and say this: Justin is a kid loving, sweet amazing man but for some reason I was terrified he would be upset. Mainly because we had a plan, a life plan and this wasn't in it, at least not for the next year or two.** So i finally muster up the gumption to tell him, and I say it, "I'm pregnant." A second of earth shattering silence was ended by a huge smile and a, "Really?" I nodded and he couldn't quit grinning. He said the kindest words anyone has ever said to me, he said, Amy, I love you! This is great news! It's going to be okay. This is everything we wanted, maybe not in the order but it's always been our goal to get married, have babies and raise a family. He sat me on his lap, hugged me, kissed me and told me to quit that crying that this was great and everything was going to be okay.

He gave me the engagement ring he had saved forever for and we began the process of planning a wedding, for a baby and narrowing down our house hunting.

In April, I left my job and not on good terms. I had worked for a man that had allowed his demons to get the best of him and it was putting me in a terrible position. I'm not going into any details, but I can say that it's sad to sit on the sidelines and watch someone self destruct. I decided that it was not healthy- physically or professionally for me to continue to work in such a crazy environment. And so I left....

I took the next couple of months to regroup, plan a wedding, look for a new job, do some pro bono work and wrap up the house buying. Justin was wonderful, he supported me taking a break and let me do my thing.

We had a beach wedding on June 19, 2010 at 7:30 and it was absolutely beautiful. It was the most relaxed, easy, uncomplicated day of my life and that was my goal. I was 5 months pregnant: glowing just a little, 14 lbs heavier - mainly in my face and belly. But possibly the happiest I have ever been in my whole life. I got to walk down the isle and marry my best friend and seal the deal and my heart has never been more full or loved. Now I should probably tell you, the week up until this wedding was a bit nuts- but it was all taken with a grain of salt and I nor Justin let the craziness get to us. We found out we were having a baby boy on June 17, closed on our house and had a huge pre-wedding party on June 18 and got married on June 19!

I always tell people: If Justin and I can survive living apart for over a year, 2 bar exams, the surprise of having a baby and the week of our wedding -- WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING!

So, that my dear friends has been our life for the past couple of months, and what a crazy, wonderful time it's been.

I am now 6 months preggo and Jackson Cash Lovely is due to arrive the first of November! God is good and life is sweet.

More to come....

Just Me, Catching Up

Ah! I feel so guilty, I have not blogged in AGES. I apologize for my long hiatus but my new goal is to make this a priority.

So being a new lawyer has had its ups and downs but ultimately it has been great. I have been at my job now for 6 months and I still adore it. How wonderful is that?! I am constantly learning new things, processes, outlooks and strategies and I feel vested in a firm that is vested in me.

Oh! We found out on Friday afternoon 10/23 that Justin M. Lovely passed the SC bar exam! WHOOT WHOOT! My chest is just bowing and beaming with pride! I am amazed by that man.

We moved at the beginning of October to Conway, which is about 20 minutes from MB. Why you may ask: Because I work here in Conway and the courthouse is here. Driving 25 minutes a day became too much and we found an adorable little house right in the heart of downtown. And I love it. Just me, Justin and Coop and we are loving it.

Halloween is just around the corner and I'm excited about traveling to Knoxville, TN for the UT/SC game this weekend and Ashley and Dunkin's engagement party!!! YAY! I get to see all of my fab friend from law school!

My heart is happy.

Amy

My Hectic, Manic LIFE!

The last week or so has been super busy with work, which is ALWAYS a blessing. I am still loving my job, my boss and my sweet lil paralegal! Last weekend I left out on Friday and headed to Columbia and spent the night hanging out with Justin and enjoying a lil QT with my honey :) We went out in 5 points, had dinner, drinks and a lot of fun. On Saturday we headed to Asheville, NC for Thomas and Janet's wedding at the fabulous Bohemian Hotel and it was FABULOUS! It made my heart so happy to see all of my law school friends. We had the very best time! I'll post some pics when I can! Sunday we had lunch at Tupelo Honey, a FANTASTIC restaurant that has the most wonderful gigantic Mimosa's in the world! I got to see my sweet lil Bobby and catch up on all the gossip, fun and life that has been happening.

After brunch, Justin and I headed back to Cola and then I drove back to the beach to meet my parents for dinner and company. I had not seen them in a couple of weeks and I was in need of a lot of MOM and DAD time! We spent hours talking and catching up on the happenings of my life. I love that they are such active parents who genuinely care and love their kids.

Work this week has been great. I've gotten a lot of stuff done, things that I've never done before and I'm excited to be able to cut my teeth on such interesting stuff and to have a boss that's a great teacher.

I went and worked out for the first time in over a YEAR! Wowzers! I woke up feeling yucky and realized I needed to make a change in my life. For right now, I need to just get on a treadmill/elliptical and burn off some steam and stress. I walked out of the gym covered with sweat and out of breath -- OPERATION CRAZY WORKOUT = COMPLETE!!

Off to shower and catch up on Bravo.

~Aimless~

Happy

So it's Friday night and I'm laying in my bed, vegging out, and watching "What Not to Wear" and I am LOVING EVERY SECOND of it! The only thing that could make it any better -- is if Justin were laying beside me. I think that this is the 1st weekend I have spent at home in Myrtle in months. I feel like all I've done is travel like a crazy girl and this weekend is all about just relaxing and getting a lil me back.

My job is going F-A-N-T-A-B-U-L-O-U-S-L-Y! I feel so at home and good about what we are doing and trying to achieve at the firm and it makes my heart happy to know that I have a good person for a boss. His whole family is great: him, his wife and his kids. They are all just great. I'm learning so much and he gives me an opportunity to put my 2 cents in. I've finally found exactly where I need to be.

Justin is studying for the bar exam in Columbia and I am LOVING that he is finally in the same state as I am! He's stressed out and going through all that is the bar exam but he is surviving and doing well. He finally gets why I was such a mess last summer.

Last weekend one of my good friends Johnathan Minga got married in TN! Let me first say this, Minga is one of the best men I know. He is good, kind, thoughtful, sweet and genuine. And he found a girl that is just as lovely and great as he is and it was a true gift to be able to witness their marriage. It was great to see friends from law school too. Gosh, I miss my law school friends. Next weekend is Janet and Thomas' wedding in Asheville and I am BEYOND excited about the upcoming nuptuals!!! I feel like I had a hand in the whole thing --- I mean I did get the 2 of them together! Ah!!!! YAY!!! A ton of our law school friends will be there for the weekend and I my heart leaps at the idea of seeing their lil faces.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to go sit on the beach, read my new Grisham book and just "Being." I think I need a little ME time and I'm excited.

XOXOXO