Baby Fever!

I get married in 21 days! Not that I'm counting or anything...and I'm starting to get really excited about the adventures married life will bring.

I never thought I was the baby type, and Steven and I are pretty sure we are either not going to have kids or just have one.  But I'm going to admit it.  I have baby fever.

It happened in the months leading up to and immediately following my engagement.  Nicole got pregnant. Then Heather got pregnant. Then Jessica. Then Kristin. (All sisters/cousins). Then Shannon.

At first I was a little peeved at the little baby bumps.  Baby bumps that would prevent some of my besties from traveling to my destination wedding that had already been booked and paid for.  Then the babies started to come.

First there came Nicole's Broderick and seriously, this ladies man stole everyone's heart the moment we met him.

 

and a few months later, Heather's Quorra (pronounced Cora).

Cousin portraits borrowed from Nicole. 

And just like that, I had baby fever.  I guess I'm spoiled because I haven't had to deal with the late nights and have never seen more than a momentary tantrum from these two cuties.  I've gotten nothing but cute faces and playtime. And I've got more to look forward to with Brody and Quorra's cousins on the way and due in just a few weeks:

How cute are Jess and Kristin as moms-to-be?

And finishing up the sudden baby-boom, my friend Shannon is expecting baby Joshua at the end of March:

And although actual thought of giving birth still makes me cringe, and screaming tantrum throwing two year olds haunt my nightmares, how could I not be starting to think I can't resist being a mommy when I look back at pictures like this?

Help Us Celebrate More Birthdays

I wasn't sure how to start this post, but I took a peak at my teammate Jessica's blog and she took the words out of my mouth blog:


I could start this blog post by telling you that there are 1,638,910 new cases of cancer this year alone or that 1 out of 4 people will be diagnosed sometime in their life. Regardless of how many statistics I throw at you or what I say, it doesn't change the fact that you or someone you know has been affected by cancer. That's almost a guarantee.

This year, my friends and I (so lovingly coined "The RHH or Real Housewives of Harrisonburg") have decided to form a team to walk at our local Relay for Life event where we will help raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society.

Each of us have been touched by cancer in one way or another and this is our way of giving back. Of telling our loved ones how much we care. Of telling the world that there should be more birthdays.

Our Relay Team

(and yes, the babies will be there too!)

So why do I walk?

 

Almost everyone has been touched by cancer, either through their own personal battle or through someone they love, including my family and friends. Last year, Steven's father was diagnosed with colon cancer.  I watched him in pain as he went through surgeries and treatment to fight back.  He was lucky enough that his cancer was caught early, and he is now cancer free and able to walk everyday to regain his strength, metal detect, enjoy beach vacations, attend sporting events and is even flying to Vegas for our upcoming wedding.  But many of my friends have family members that haven't been as lucky, and we are banding together to show our support for those we know that have been affected by cancer, and each other.

There's Greg, cancer free!

 

Every day, the American Cancer Society is helping us stay well by preventing cancer or finding it at its earliest, most treatable stages. They assist families in finding the best resources to help their friend or loved one deal with a diagnosis and their journey to get well. The American Cancer Society is also rallying communities (like ours!) through events like Relay For Life, to fight back and find cures for this disease.

 

Think about the ones you love that have been affected by cancer, and I can only hope you will donate to this amazing cause.  Currently our team goal is $1,500, but we hope to raise even more. But we can't do it alone. Click the link below to see who we walk for and our individual stories.

*Click here to visit our page, join our team, donate $1 or help us spread awareness*

 

 

One Month 'til I Do

So today marks the 31 day countdown until my wedding.  It's really starting to hit me that I will make a vow for better or worse and  from that point on be known as Mrs. Michelle Kramer.  It doesn't look that different from my maiden name, but it still feels weird.  I've tried the name on in the past few weeks when filling out things online and such and I'm not going to lie, I like it.

I know there is at least one person who has asked the rude question, "how does it feel to be the second Mrs. Michelle Kramer?" And I have to admit, I think it will feel pretty freaking awesome.  Even though we've been dating for 3 years and have lived together for 1, after February 17 we will be our own family.  We'll not only share a last name, we'll be legally bound to each other. 

I thought when the day came, I'd be freaking out about losing my freedom.  I couldn't just pack my bags and move to California, or go backpacking through Europe...not without Steven's agreement of course.  Instead, the thought of being married is comforting.  I'm thrilled to be Steven's wife and have him be my husband.  I know it won't always be easy, but I'd say we've already been through more together than the average couple.  We've both had enough life experience to know how lucky we are to have each other.  We can both be our own individuals, but are also great friends and love being together.  I still get excited to see him when he comes home from work, and always rush home when I know he's there.  I know he loves me unconditionally, through my craziness, despite my flaws and I love him just as he is. 

I'm also excited to be part of his family.  While I'm still getting used to my family dynamic changing with my parent's divorce and my dad's upcoming wedding, I'm super grateful to have Steven's family who have loved me like one of their own from day one.  His mother makes the absence of my own mother just a little easier to deal with, and I'm so lucky to have her.

Ok, I know that's a lot of mushy stuff, and those that know me IRL know I'm not like that at all.  But while I was sitting here thinking about how many other things in my life are unsure right now, I couldn't help but share how blessed I feel to have found my soul mate.

New Year/2011 Recap

Since I'm still out of work on disability, I've had a hard time coming up with something to write about.  I've been trying to focus on my health, but really I'm home bored most of the time.  I've done some wedding planning, watched about 293845720372435 episodes of Criminal Minds, spent hours on Pinterest/Etsy, scrapbooked and researched my new diagnosis' for HOURS.  Since the last time I blogged about my mental illness, I was evaluated by a psychiatrist and diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression and OCD.  So, now that we have that figured out, I get to be subject to a nice little cocktail of meds that I'm still getting used to.  They make me feel dizzy, have blurred vision and just, well...numb. Hopefully I'll get back on the right track and I finally have a return to work date set.

But until then, I found this on JeeYoung's blog and thought it would be a nice distraction from the numbness.

2011: In The Beginning
Where did you bring in the New Year? Gold Crown Billiards
Who were you with? Steven, Natasha, Kara, Virginia, Jimmy, Mo, Jaimie...lots of our "bar crew"
Did you make any resolutions? To finally get my life together

2011: Your Love Life
Did you break up with anyone? Nope!
Did you get anything for Valentine’s day? Yes, flowers and a nice dinner at Vito's
Did you meet anyone special? Nope.
Did you fall in love? I stayed in love :)
2011: Friends and Enemies
Did you meet any new friends this year? Yes
Did any of your friendships end? Nope, I think I survived 2011 without one.
Did you dislike anyone? I’m impatient and intolerant of ignorance; so, I’m sure I disliked people in many moments throughout 2011.--I'm keeping JeeYoung's answer, since she summed it up perfectly
Did you make any new enemies? I'm sure
Did you resolve any fights? Of course!
Who was(were) your closest friend(s)? Steven, The RHH&Co, Heather, Anna, Meri, Shae
Who did you grow apart from? Can’t really think of anyone in particular.
Do you have any regrets when it comes to your friendships? Nope
2011: Your BIRTHDAY!!
Did you have a cake? Nope
Did you have a party? Nope
Did you get any presents? Yes a few things from my dad
If so, what was the best thing you got? Steven and I celebrated our birthday weekend watching Reds games, so baseball is always our favorite gift
2011: All about YOU
Did you change at all this year? I finally matured and realized I needed to ask for help
Did you dye your hair? Yes.
Did you get your hair cut? No
Did you change your style? Not really, but I think I have become more consistently fashionable
Were you in school? Nope.
Did you have a job? Yes
Did you drive? About 2 minutes to and from work each day
Did you own a car? Yes, my trusty Civic
Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! Heather and Nicole both had sweet babies, and I have 3 friends expecting in the next few months!
Did you move at all? Nope and don’t plan on it for awhile
Did you go on any vacations? Siesta Key, Florida; Baltimore, MD; Virginia Beach
Did you leave the country at all? Unfortunately not
Would you change anything about yourself now? I need to get back in running shape
2011: Wrap Up.
Is 2011 a good year? I got engaged, but it's been a difficult year
Did 2011 bring any new insights?  I'm learning to try and let things and people in the past go and look toward the future, and also that I need to take care of myself
Do you think 2012 will top 2011? I hope so, I'm getting married!
2012
How old will you turn in 2012? 25
Do you think you’ll be married by then? I'm getting married Feb 17th!
What do you look forward to most in the next 2 months? My wedding, Jessica's baby
Will you be looking for a new job? Possibly
Will you be looking for a new relationship? No.
New house? Nope
New Years resolution? Take care of myself
Any trips planned? Yes, Las Vegas for our wedding!
Wedding plans? Yes, both mine and my BFF Angela!
What’s on your calendar? Nothing but Dr appointments,wedding stuff until I go back to work
What can’t you wait for? I can’t wait to be married
What would you like to see happen different? Have a more positive, healthy year.
What about yourself will you be changing? My outlook on life, letting the hurt go, learning to love myself
What happened in ’11 that you didn’t think would ever happen? I never thought I'd have a breakdown, but I finally realized I had been too strong for too long
What will you do differently in 2012? Get married!

Happy Christmas!

I promise I'm trying to get back in the blog routine.  I've been trying to find things to do since I've had so much time off work and get back to the old me. Dealing with Metlife has been overwhelming, and even though I still have days where I can't get out of bed and cry all day, I've been having some really good days too. Since my last post I've gotten back into my scrapbooking stuff and plan to finish my Australia book (since I was there in 2007 and it's still not done, and then just picking up my new book starting with Steven and I dating until now.  I have organized pretty much every nook in my house and am ALMOST done planning my wedding which is freakishly soon-only 46 more days!

Speaking of wedding things, Steven family threw me my first bridal shower since my last post, which included Steven's mother, aunts, grandmother, sister and cousin; and my grandmother and best friend Angela.

 Me and my bridesmaids: Angela, me, Liz (Steven's cousin) and Kara (Steven's sister)

 My grandma, Steven's Aunt Dorothy (and Benji) and Steven's grandmom

 Me and Steven's mom, Betty

And finally me with all my presents :)

Not pictured were Steven's aunts: Joan, Nancy and Marie who flew in from Key West.  I was super excited to be able to have a shower with all of my future in-laws since most of them won't be able to make the trip to Vegas.  They were awesome and I love that they treat me like I've always been part of their family.

And then there was Christmas.  Steven and I hosted our first family Christmas gathering at our home with my dad, his fiance, my brother and sister and Steven's family.  I even got a great pic of my future in laws:

Me & Steven, Greg and Betty, Kara and her husband, Jimmy.

I think I was most excited because this year is not only mine and my stepsister's weddings, but my dad is getting married too.  To surprise him and his fiance, my brother and our future siblings had pictures taken and I was so excited with how they turned out:

My soon to be stepmother even cried :)

And since it's Jan 2, I'll go ahead and throw in a New Years Eve pic for good measure!

I promise he really loves me :)  Hope everyone had a Happy Holiday!