This roller coaster ride called pregnancy.

For those of you who follow me on Facebook, or have read my blog posts before, you know that I am a pretty open and honest person. I like that about myself. I have been inspired by others who share their stories so openly without fear. Sure, it's not easy to ignore judgments of others, especially when I am being told I "over-share". However, anytime I open up right now about the things I am going through with my pregnancy and someone tells me they have been through that too, I suddenly breathe a little easier and feel a little better. 

We had a scare today, and this post explains what has been going on. As a writer, I find sharing therapeutic. Sure, it's not for everyone, but today I share because I am humbled by the power of prayer and know our little guy could use that more than I need privacy. 

If you would like to leave me a comment, please do so below and refrain from doing so on FB. You can private message me or text me if you prefer not to comment on the actual blog. But if you are reading this, please feel open to comment directly from this page! I promise I won't think you're a creeper! lol ;)

So please be forewarned: This is another one of my famous honest posts. I have read so many stories of pregnant mommies who can laugh, joke and be completely honest about some of the not so wonderful parts of pregnancy. 

When people ask me how I am doing, I know I am supposed to answer in the same way as when someone says, "Hey! How are you?". We are not really supposed to be like, "Well, this and this and this are all crappy!". 

So on a positive note: my mom's sister and sister in law threw me an amazing shower two weeks ago. It was an adorable Fox themed shower, and those two ladies (with help from friends) did such an amazing job! It was a great shower! 

Such amazing forest details! 

I got the "How are you feeling?" question that is typical to ask, and I was honest. I mean, hey, these are my closest family and friends, right? If I can't be honest with them, who can I be honest with? So I said, "Well, my lovely morning sickness came back, I am insanely tired all the time, and I can hardly walk through a grocery store without having pains".

What I didn't tell them was that those said pains feel like my uterus is falling out of my body, and my stomach gets even harder than it normally is. Which, by the way, is always in a state of being as hard as a rock. 

The night after my shower, I started having pretty painful cramps. I called upon (or texted) my favorite small group of new mommies for some advice. I got the overall answer of "I had better let me OB know what was going on". I tried to sleep on it and hope the pain would be gone in the morning after some tylenol and a ton of water. No such luck.

 I was up all night with cramps and finally was instructed to go to  the ER. I had already been there once before for insanely sharp jabbing pains only to find out it was just round ligament pain. I wouldn't have gone but the OB on call at the hospital had me count the pains for two hours and told me if I was still having them that I had to go in. So of course, those nasty jolts that took my breath away and stopped me in my tracks didn't go away, and I had to go in. 

This time around, I was having insane cramps and my OBGYN wanted me to be seen in case I was going into early labor. 

I talked the OB on duty into seeing me and drove my painfully cramping self to the office a half an hour away, which took an hour to to get there while I sat in dead stopped traffic. There was a semi pulled over by two highway state patrolmen, which apparently means all three lanes must stop. Just why people? It's cool, I might be going into early labor, but really - take a half an hour to gawk at a semi pulled over on the side of the road. Sigh. 

The OB did a test to see if I was in early labor, but I would have to wait until the next day to find out the results. Does that make sense? Pretty sure the baby could have been here by then. Oh, and she mentioned that my cervix was soft. No explanation what that meant, just stated it and sent me home for a two day bed rest. I was so bummed! I had just started babysitting for a friend I have known since the 8th grade! 

I have not been working for months now since I have moved back home and was really looking forward to finally being able to contribute a little bit to our family. I applied to an endless amount of jobs, spending hours on cover letters and applications. No one wanted a 6 month pregnant lady who would have to go on maternity leave in four months. grr, and deep sigh of disappointment. 

So let me explain why the whole not working thing really got to me.

I took a safe sitter course at one of the local hospitals at 12 years old. I also took balloon making classes. That's right, I learned how to make balloon animals so I could work for a company to which I paid 5 bucks a week to, to who would then schedule me to work in different restaurants and make balloon animals for children there in the evenings. 

I love this guy with all my heart and soul! <3

I went to school, did some homework, worked a couple of nights a week, and babysat on weekends...at 12. I did that for years until I was 16. Then, I babysat still, worked at the ymca and still made balloon animals at restaurants. I didn't get to go to football games on friday nights, but I learned how to balance my checkbook and manage my bank account. I still was able to participate in drama club and choir, but didn't have time for sports or things like that with my work schedule. 

I have been working since I was 12 years old, until this year (apart from when I had a full schedule while in college). I stopped working at the end of April when my morning sickness was making it impossible to do any kind of normal activity, like get ready for work, or put on a bra without it making me throw up, let alone try and care or the lives of under 20 children (which of course in a great responsibility). I felt so awful, and on top of that, situations arose where I felt the safety of my baby was in jeopardy, and had to quit work much more abruptly than I would have preferred. But we don't always have control over things in our lives. At the time I could only control mine and my baby's safety and wellbeing. Now I know though, God knows what we can't see. He knew what was ahead for me during this pregnancy, and that working was not in the plan for now. 

He thinks he's so funny! ;)

So alas, my most recent visit to the OB had me placed bed rest with a fear of preterm labor. I would go back today to see if I had progressed, and in the meantime, I had to take it super easy. I could shower and make myself food. That's it. No lifting anything, no moving too much. Rest, rest rest. 

Until today. 

I am choosing to share this because life isn't about me anymore. It's about my baby. Who's name I clearly need to choose asap, though I am pretty sure it was chosen for us (story for another day).

When I went in to my check up today, I mentioned the cramps, not mentioning I had been having them for days. My OB had instructed me to go into the ER if I had been getting cramps prior to my apt. to get a shot that would speed up the process of lung development for my little guy, and something to try and knock out or slow down contractions. 

However, the past few days I have been having cramps daily. I have been told by so many people that pains during pregnancy are normal, and so I tried to just suck it up like everyone else. Each time I have been sent off to the ER nothing has happened, so I was tired of staying up until 3am there just to be sent home with a hefty bill and not much else. 

The nurse at the OB office hooked me up to a monitor, and sure enough, I was in labor. 

Mother Trucker. 

I would have to be sent off to the stinkin hospital, again, at 32 weeks. This time, I was told, he could come today. My mom had luckily decided to come with me today, so she drove us to Triage at Akron City Hospital. After one shot for the baby's lungs, one to try and knock out contractions, and the lovely IV poke, I just had to wait to check on my "progress".  

The contractions eased up a bit, and the good ole cervix stayed closed. Thank GOD. Really. I am so grateful today. We thought this was it. I was prepared to have my lil guy today. I had my mom, a dear friend who had been through a similar situation and my another very close friend who is also a mamma to be who will be my son's godmother via text keeping my sane and getting me through. Don't feel bad if I didn't text you, we wanted to keep it super private until we had a better understanding of what was going to happen. It was a day for the moms to be moms.

I am only willing to tell you now because like I said before, my baby is #1 now. I am humbled today, and believe so strongly in the power of prayer. We thought we were having our baby today, or if anything next week. But with the shots, we have a chance to aim for two weeks from now, or even longer. 

The nurse said some women have this happen and go on to deliver a healthy 42 week old baby! So now I turn to you my friends and family. Will you please send me and my baby some positive vibes and/or prayers. I don't like to ask for this sort of thing, and I know it makes my mom uncomfortable for me to share such a private story, but today is not about me. It is about giving my little guy the best chance possible for life. I will gladly accept some positive energy and prayers headed his way. I already love someone so much whom I have never met, but get to feel inside. I feel such a deep nurturing desire to protect his life already. I only want what's best for his safety and health. Sure, this pregnancy has been rough, but so look forward to meeting our miracle boy after he is there for as long as possible! Everyday that he stays in there is for the better. 

p.s. - Since there is a chance I will not make it to my birthing class two weekends from now, anyone who could share some tips with me for pain management, would truly make my day. Please only respond by posting a comment to this blog. I will you adore for it. You can also text my cell or private message me on Fb. 

Thank you for sharing such a personal and serious time with me. 

                                     

So much love,

Ashlie & Ross

A whole new world.

I'm back! I took a hiatus from blogging for a while when I was feeling the need to be just a bit more private. But my mom likes to tell me that "the whole world" doesn't want to be reminded that I'm pregnant with my posts of what vegetable the baby is the size of this week, or whatever other prego talk I like to mention. So, with her advice in mind, I have decided to start blogging again. That way, anyone who doesn't care to hear about the life of a pregnant lady (don't worry, there will only be four more months of that!) can simply not read my blog posts.

My little man at our Anatomy Scan Appointment.

But seeing as this is now what I will consider my "safe sharing space" I will gladly tell you that this week I am 26 weeks along, and still in the 2nd Trimester. 

I use the Ovia Pregnancy App on my iphone and check it almost daily to see how the baby is growing. The app also gives me information about common things that I will be experiencing at this point in my pregnancy and what to expect at upcoming OB appointments. It's something I really look forward to seeing everyday. 

I named this post "A whole new world" because my world is certainly changing. Ross and I have been home for four months now, and I have accepted that I am not going to be able to get hired while I am pregnant, even though I applied for a million jobs. I didn't think about my profile picture showing up when a potential employer searched my name, as many do now. My cover photo and profile pic gave away my pregnancy. So who knows what might have been different if I could have at least landed myself an interview. Oh well, I will just enjoy the time off work.  I have always wanted to write a novel, so now would be the perfect time. 

The things that have changed:

Please keep in mind as your read my posts, that any bits of info that might come off as "pregnancy complaining" are really only meant be funny, if not relatable or informative. Forgive any "over-sharing". Remember, safe space and have a sense of humor.

- I now have Ross help me put my socks on when he is around. Luckily, summer doesn't require socks very often, though I am one of those weird people who likes to sleep in socks unless I get really hot at night (which does tend to happen more often than not these days). 

-I am pretty sure my lady parts and feet are still there, though I cannot see them any longer from standing and looking down. lol 

-I love shopping for baby clothes more than buying clothes for myself. I know whatever clothes I wear now are temporary and therefore do not want to buy more than I have to. But baby clothes however, bring them on! Kohls cash and coupons always goes towards baby stuff already!

-I am tired all the time. The whole second trimester magical energy never made it's way into my life. And yes, I am super jealous of all of those spunky pregnant ladies out there who have the energy to jump around and work out still. I actually miss exercise. My body decided not to be able to handle some simple yoga, and my groin muscle has been pulled for about 4 weeks now. Sigh.

-I  have always noticed that my friends who were mommies seemed to have a special connection to other mommies. I had wished that they could feel just as connected to me still, a childless friend, but now I get it. I reach out to my mommy friends all the time for advice and clarity. It's such a nice support system.

-Non mommy friends are still super important to me, though I can already feel the drift and it makes me sad. Don't worry ladies, pregnancy isn't contagious! ;) I am still me, only now I am about to experience this great next phase in life called being a mommy!

-My hair! I cut off my hair which was about as long as it had been in years! My long hair was driving me nuts and I was tired to taking care of it and having it take forever to style everyday! Oh, I love it shorter btw!

Before

After

What I am looking forward to:

-The 3rd Trimester! Meaning, being further along, and closer to holding my baby boy in my arms!

-Seeing my little guy at our next ultrasound! 

-Having everything we need to set up the nursery.

What I'm afraid of:

-I have already had nightmares about going into labor and not having my hospital bag packed yet. Any suggestions on how soon to pack my bag? 

-Going into labor too early, or being overdue. I have friends and co-workers who have had preemie babies, so it's always in the back of my mind. I have also had friends who were super late, so I know that is a definite possibility and probably more likely.

-Any complications. My OBGYN is having us have another ultrasound on Tuesday due to her concern over the baby's growth. I just hope he is indeed growing just fine, and is as healthy as he should be. 

-You know, getting huge! Stretch-marks, and a postpartum body. I don't even want to think about it yet. 

-Ross not being able to make it to my side in time for the birth. He could be in court, or working hours away. My mom had both my brother and I in about 2 hours. I doubt many women hope for a longer delivery, but I will that day if he can't make it in time. 

I am sure everything will be fine and will go perfectly, but there's always the "What ifs?"

Until next time. 

A Pregnancy Story

If you couldn't tell, I decided to keep mum about my pregnancy until the second trimester. I did this for two reasons:

1. When you tell anyone you are pregnant, horror stories of pregnancies gone wrong start flowing out of people's mouths. So basically, I was scared shitless to have any confidence in my pregnancy until I hit that "safe point" second trimester mark. Though technically, things can go wrong at any point in a pregnancy, so much for optimism, eh? But I also knew of friends and family who experienced tragedies, and was too afraid to get excited yet. 

2. Most pregnancy books and articles I had read, explained that for all of the reasons above, it is safer to wait to announce until the second trimester, though they say it is always up to the couple to decide when it is right for them to share. 

From the beginning my mom told me I read too much, but really, people will fill you in on their own with their own experiences. It wasn't anything I read that gave my anxiety about the "what ifs?". It was the "this is what happened to me" stories that had me on guard the entire first trimester. 

So here is how my pregnancy story starts out. Ross and I had been trying for a couple of months. We made the decision that even though we were still newlyweds, we had taken much more time to move along down the path of life than most people, putting us much further in age of the starting to have children years.  We didn't even meet until we were 24, dated for 5 years while we finished our degrees, and then the guy (finally) pops the question. I know you are just supposed to "live life" and not worry about a ticking clock or anything, but good ole Facebook sure does have a way of being like, hey, look at all of your friends and family who are already married with kids. Wow, you are farrrr behind. Oh, and they have been done with college forever. 

But if I hadn't waited to get into the Dental Hygiene program, and taken the classes I did, I wouldn't have met some of my good friends with whom I met in college, or because I took the path I took. I wouldn't have met Ross at all. So, things happened the way they did and I am glad. But back to the pregnancy story. We decided we were ready, but each month that came and went with a negative result brought us more disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, Facebook didn't pressure me into a child bearing time clock, I have worked with children for many years and have been wanting to have one of my own now for a long time. Ross and I just wanted to wait until the time was right for us. It can be hard not to compare your own journey to others, but you always have to do things in your own time, when it's right for you. Everyone's story and journey is unique. 

We decided to give up trying at the end of March when I took my last negative pregnancy test. I was so bummed again. I set the test down on the bathroom counter, and told Ross the news. He was bummed, but instead got me all pumped up for some time off trying.

I was going to get ripped for my friend's wedding in Siesta Key this summer, I was going to get drunk on fru fru drinks there. It would be a blast! So, I stuck with this high intensity training routine I had started that month. I had heard that working out was actually helpful when trying to conceive, but I was also hoping that if I could start a routine now, I could continue to exercise at full blast into pregnancy. 

My "before" picture as I started High Intensity Training has become my "before pregnancy" picture.

(Oh, and most women's bikini's cover less, so I don't even want to hear about my outfit in this shot, trust me, I was just at the beach!)

Fast forward a couple of hours that day we had decided to take a break...

Ta Da! Surprise!

I have heard many times that the moment you stop trying to achieve something you have been struggling with, like conceiving, it will happen. It did! Though Ross immediately started googling whether or not I was really pregnant because the second lines were so faint. But everything we read basically said, "Suck it up sucker, she's pregnant!" Ha.

The joke was on us, we thought we were done, and really, our journey had just begun. This post is long enough for today, but bump pictures are soon to follow.

Big Move

My husband and I have a big exciting announcement! 

We are moving home!!!!

The story of our move starts from the summer that we met, back in 2009. Ross was just about to start law school and would be moving away at the end of the summer that we spent working together at Camp Y-Noah as Summer Day Camp Director and Assistant Director. (That's how we met, in case you didn't already know) ;)

Ross moved to Ada, Ohio to attend Law School at Ohio Northern University. We had a long distance relationship for a year which was extremely difficult after working together at a place where we lived and saw each other and worked closely together everyday! But we made it through! I was going to school at Kent State's Stark Campus and majoring in English. Luckily, there was an Ohio State Lima Branch 15 min away from Ada, Ohio, so I transferred schools to continue working towards my degree out there. And so began my journey of being away from home for the first time. 

For someone who switched High Schools during the first half of their Junior year, from a school district I had gone to since kindergarden, I knew how hard these kinds of transitions could be. No matter how hard you try, it's not easy to keep your friendships as close when distance comes in b/w you, because you just don't physically have the time to get together. Luckily technology has made staying connected easier with a simple text, and at the time phone calls. But let's be real, people rarely call each other anymore. I have to take this time to say as a person who isn't able to see family and friends as often as I would like because of distance, texting is not the same as actually being able to see that person and interact with them face to face. I know that for some people, that fulfills their connections, but it's just so...lacking for me. 

I would rather sit with a friend or family member, face to face and have a good chat, or do something fun together. But hey, that's just me. But that experience has been a huge dilemma of mine when it comes to the physical distance b/w myself and my close family and friends back home. You would think that fact that living only a couple of hours away wouldn't mean I would hardly get to see my loved ones, but trust me, no one is excited to come out to Ada, Ohio. When I did come home on some weekends, our parents would battle over our time. :* Kisses, we love you. lol But that made it even harder to ever make time for our friends. 

When we lived in Ada, I told Ross that this just wouldn't work if I couldn't have a cat. He was allergic, so we did some research and found that some allergy sufferers can live with Siberian cats who have a low amount of the hormone in cat's saliva that causes allergy sufferers to reach to cats. She is like our child. We spoil her rotten and love her to pieces! 

But things happened along the way, that made us realize their were bigger challenges that came with living even just a couple of hours away from home. On Mother's Day three years ago now, my brother was involved in a fatal car crash that killed the driver of the other vehicle who was at fault, and a friend in the vehicle in the car which he was also a passenger. He and the others survived, but it was a long road to recovery both physically and mentally for our entire family. I can't tell you the emotional downside to feeling so far away and not being able to get home quickly. That makes a two hour drive feel very long. 

It was then that Ross and I always had an end goal of someday moving home in mind. 

During one summer break we moved to Beckley, Wv so Ross could work in Summersville for a summer internship. I took summer classes to work towards my degree. We rented out the basement of a house that had been turned into an apartment. However, the basement didn't have air conditioningand it had what every basement has, finished or not, spiders! I swore we would never again live in West Virginia! Joke's on me! ;)

We lived in Ada, Ohio for two years while we both finished school. 

Ross graduated Law School.

We got engaged! 

I graduated from The Ohio State University of which I am so proud!

Then we moved in with some very dear friends for the summer while Ross took on his first big job as an attorney working for Bob Cupp while he ran for his re-election. 

They let us move in despite the fact that we are Browns fans. ;)

During that time, I did what I knew best and worked as a pre-school teacher at a local church. When the election was over, after long hard hours where our hearts and minds were put through the ringer for this election, our party suffered a defeat, and we had to move on again. 

This time, we went home for the summer and stayed with my mom while we contemplated our next move. I almost forgot the dreaded bar exam, that was a full time job for Ross to study for. He passed on his first attempt! 

Then Ross got his first job out of Law School working as a Disability Attorney in Parkersburg, Wv. So we moved to Belpre, Oh, right on the river. 

We got married on October 5, 2013. Planning away away from home is a huge pain in the ....

We have lived in Belpre for a year and a half now. We have made many friends along the way, and had amazing opportunities. But moving home has as always been an end goal and has always been in the back of our minds.

 We have both lost a grandparent this year, and have had to make multiple trips over the past couple of years for weddings, showers and all kinds of special events. There have been many times when we had to miss events because it becomes too difficult to come home on a regular basis. First of all it's expensive to drive home often and second of all, we have work to keep up with here at home. My grandma has been ill, and I haven't been able to come home to visit her as much as I would like. We have ultimately been reminded of how important it is for us to be back with family. 

We have missed seeing our family and friends and are completely overjoyed that we are now going to be moving back home! We are currently house hunting but are not in a rush and want to take our time to really look. We will be moving home Memorial Day weekend! We will finally have more time to visit with family and friends, and I honestly can't wait to be back home with a support system! We will certainly miss the connections we have made here but will be sure to come back and visit the special friends! :)

I hope everyone has a very Happy Easter! 

February Goals

So it's February 9th, and it's a bit snowy out.

Goodbye Gluten!

Tonight after completing day 4 of the 30 Day "Catching Fire" challenge. I know, those cornballs stole from the Hunger Game Series, but trust me, you will be burning up with this quick (no rest) 12 min workout.

So sure, I am a few days behind. I fell into old habbits where I stop working out for a few days when after a workout leaves me sore and hurting. But in all fairness, my life is not on the line. I just get the benefit of fitting back into most of my pants. ;) It would be nice if the number on the scale would quit climbing as well (Oh the joys of getting older). Sure, I am still younger than many but my metabolism has decided to peace out.

Speaking of pants not fitting, the scale climbing and my body changing....my hubby and I are about to embark on a new "journey". (I am watching the show, The Bachelor, so that word is stuck in my head at the moment). We have decided that my hot air balloon of a stomach does not like when I eat Gluten and we are going to take a Gluten free challenge. Tomorrow we are having our own send off party for Gluten.

This party will involve a glass of Sequin wine, our favorite Little Cesar's deep dish pepperoni pizza (which is heaven, and I just might cry at that the fact that tomorrow night could be the last time I ever eat it!!! Please make a gluten free crust, I beg you!!!) and of course watching our favorite shows on Hulu.

I have already placed my first online order for some Gluten Free oatmeal! Our local Kroger sells this brand, but found a good deal Vitacost.com! They gave me a refer a friend coupon for $10 off an order of $30 or more if anyone is interested.

Are any of you Gluten free? If you are, what stores either online or local do you buy from for your Gluten free products? Since the hubs and I are new to this lifestyle we would love to know some of your favorite places to shop! I have found some yummy looking recipes on Pinterest, so I already have that destination for ideas covered. Any other suggestions would be welcomed!

It's almost Friday! Enjoy your last day of the week!

Wedding Diaries-The Planning & Behind the Scenes Dillemas

So for whatever reason, I realized I hardly blogged during my wedding planning at all. Well, I know some of the reasons. I was extremely busy planning. If planning your wedding was easy, you are one lucky lady. Mine however was far from easy. 

But since my persistent mother suggested that I delete my wedding planning board on Pinterest as to not give away my ideas, and since I deleted my wedding Pinterest boards after the wedding, I thought I would share some of the ideas I loved that I managed to save to my computer. 

So at last, here as some of my favorite finds my Pinterest during my wedding planning days. Oh, how I do not miss them. I can now cross wedding planning off the list of things I might want to be when I grow up. ;)

We did end up doing the signature photo frame, but I nixed the wishing tree because we had enough for people to sign.

I used this photo to have my florist create my bouquet.

What my bouquet turned out like. I was pretty happy with it. 

I had originally wanted to use these adorable bags and throw bird seed, but as I suspected the church preferred not to have bird poop left all over their entrance way.

So we opted for good ole bubbles for our exit from the church. 

I had originally wanted to do an outdoor wedding  and make some kind of amazing outdoor alter like this one.
But then I remembered that we live in Ohio and chances of rain are high. 

 The day of our wedding there was a 0% chance of rain, and Ohio's reputation of crappy rainy weather didn't let me down. It rained. Oh, let me take this time to tell you that if you are an old fashioned bride with old fashioned values and do not want your groom to see you before you walk down the aisle, do not let anyone talk you into taking pictures before the wedding to avoid crappy weather.

Our brilliant idea of taking pictures before the wedding in order to avoid bad weather and have more time was destroyed by bad weather and we didn't get to take my dream pictures at the park like I planned. I am very tempted to get my bridesmaids together and go there on a nice day in the dresses we paid plenty for and take the shots we never got to get. Thank you Ohio. (I'm not bitter or anything). If we had just given ourselves time after the ceremony before the reception, we could have fit in the trip to the park.

Or, if the janitor at the church had unlocked the room at the church where our dresses were locked inside the night before, then the girls could have gotten dressed and made t to the park before the storm hit. My wonderful love of a friend tried to do this for me...

p.s. it didn't work. lol

This is why I stress to anyone who is wedding planning, to keep in mind that anything can go wrong on your wedding day. Have a rain plan, and a back up plan for that, just in case. When we went to look at the church before we decided to have our ceremony there, they had an outdoor gazebo that I was planning to take pictures in if it rained. When we arrived on our wedding day and were looking for places to take pictures around the church while it poured and stormed outside, we discovered the gazebo had been removed. Lovely, isn't it? Rain is not good luck, unless you want green grass. Ok, rant over for now. ;) Back to my past planning - I have to say, it feels sooo good to finally get all of the horrid, behind the scenes details off my chest. 

We did, however, manage to sneak in a few shots right before we entered the reception, as the sun was just starting to set. 

We had talked about having a candy table, but went with a popcorn table instead. If someone took a picture of that please post it on here or send it to me! (Oh the things I wish I would have gotten pictures of. Deep Sigh.)

This is your brain on Pinterest - and the way you hope your uplighting will look.

This is how my uplighting turned out. lol Not quite how I had imagined it. 

 On a much needed positive note, I was very much impressed with how our cake turned out!

The Pinterest Idea...

The real thing. Which I think turned out better. Compliments of  Ann's Cakes. 

 Ok, last one...

This was my favorite idea of the entrance to our reception hall. But those trees are a bit pricey, so I went with a much smaller one, along with some other personalized decor. 

Pinterest Tree

Owl Tree, I mean our tree. Ha. (I know, bad joke)

What do I want you to take away from all of this "real wedding day" tale? That your day is really happening for one reason. You know you have invited the right people to share this special day with you when they tell you that all that really matters are the vows. Only you know if any details go awry. Sure, your guests might judge some of your decor, but hey, we don't all have the same tastes. You can't please over 100 ppl. Don't try. Do what makes YOU happy. I mean, it's your day after all. This day is about a promise you will make to honor and treasure the love of your life, all the days of your life. Does it suck some things went wrong, well sure. BUT, I married my best friend, this amazing, awesome, patient, handsome, smart, genuine, supportive man that I will honor and cherish all the days of my life. The rain can fall, you can lock me away from my dress, but you can't take away the promise we made. Happy planning brides, and happy years ahead till death do you part.