8 months old already!!

Farrah Ann our first little one is already 8 months old! She has finally discovered her feet and thinks her toes taste good :) We got her an activity cube yesterday at Target after spending New Years at my bff's house (otherwise known as mini Toys R Us). Her living room is filled with every toy you can think of. We picked out a few that Farrah liked best and ran to Target to get them with X-mas gift cards. We don't want our baby to be deprived! Her favorite things are still the shapes inside her shape sorter. (she just likes to chew on them) and the bracelet and comb that go in her musical vanity (she likes to chew on them). Her favorite thing from Christmas was the wrapping paper (of course). She is finally getting the hang of eating puree's and has gotten a few puffs in her mouth on her own! She loves carrots and applesauce. Now to get her napping in her crib again.  The never ending struggle...

Four Months of Marriage

In our 4 months of marriage here is what I have learned:

Car insurance really does get cheaper!! Ours went down about $130 for six months.  Changing your last name really does suck.  The worst part is waiting in line at the social security office.   There were like 5 different lines so you never knew when your number was going to be called.  Once its over you get to do it all again at the Motor Vehicle services office.  Definently not the most fun way to spend your afternoon off of work.  Changing your name with your banks and credit card companies come with varying degrees of difficulty.  I went into one bank branch and sat down with someone and showed him my marriage certificate and my drivers license.  I was told that my name would be changed on my account.  This was 3 months ago and I still have not gotten my new atm card with my new name on it.  On one of my credit cards the customer service person easily changed my name over the phone, while on another card I had to fill out a form and send them a copy of my marriage certificate.  So far I have only recieved one new card with my new name on it.  Ah yes and don't forget to change your passport.  I decided to go get my passport photo taken on a Friday when I had worn a strapless maxi dress to work with a sweater over it.  Of course it is super hot in Atlanta in the summer so I took the sweater off when I went to get my picture done.  So I now have my new passport, but in the lovely photo it looks like I don't have a top on!  I am ready to go though if my husband and I decide to take a trip out of the country.  I married a Delta airlines employee so leaving the county can actually happen on a whim.  We tried to go to Bahamas for the weekend a few weeks ago, but a Tropical Storm got in our way.  We improvised and had a date night in Midtown Atlanta.  We went and had burgers and to a comedy show at The Vortex and then bar hopped. 

The final thing that I have noticed is people who have married for 30 years wonder why you are in such a hurry to get home, ummm because we actually still like being around each other! I mean its only been 4 months ... and the ball and chain chokes the guys give my husband at work...seriously.   Yesterday my husband sent me a text at 11:30 a.m. that simply said "I love you, baby".  When I got home I asked him what the text was for?  He told me he was just happy that I was his wife and that we get along so well.  In his wedding vows he called me his best friend.  How can you not want to rush home when you have a guy like that?

Balancing our finances

My husband and I are trying to be financially responsible. We would like to buy our first home by next summer. In order to accomplish this we are trying to stay on top of our bills and not overspend. The problem is that we have been trying to stay on a healthy diet. If you have ever eaten very healthy, you understand what I mean when I say, it can be very expensive. Buying fresh produce on a regular basis can get very expensive. We try to eat fresh fish once or twice a week. We try to get chicken when its on sale, but we only eat the lean chicken breasts which are costly. Another expensive meat is hamburger.  We have been buying the leanest meat which is always the most expensive. Other expenses to stay healthy are: our gym membership, my race entry fees (the 1/2 marathon cost $75 to enter!) new workout clothes (because if I am going to tortue myself at the gym, I must look cute while doing it!), and the numerous vitamins and protein bars and shakes. It is a constant struggle trying to figure out where we can cut down on spending.

Life after the wedding

I spent the last 3 years of my life obsessing over weddings and when I was going to get married.  I was the girl who bought every single wedding magazine and looked through them each 4 or 5 times to make sure I didn't miss any great tips.  I watched every wedding show out there, but "Say Yes to the Dress" was my hands down favorite. I spent endless hours googling flowers, dresses, rings, honeymoon destinations, and photographers. I had dreamed about my wedding for so long and could not wait for the day to finally get here. The day after the wedding was when I first started feeling sad. My husband and I were on the first day of our honeymoon cruise and had spent the whole day laying out by the pool and having cocktails.  As we made our way back to our room for the first time, I suddenly burst into uncontrollable tears.  I was overcome with the thought that it was all over.  The day I had dreamed about for so long was over! Our wedding had been so much fun and I just thought that I was never going to have that much fun ever again! I recovered from that moment and we had a super fabulous honeymoon.  With stops in Aruba, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, and Grand Cayman how could we not have a great time!

We have been married for 2 months now and I feel like I have to create projects and things to look forward to.  I started a new job one week after we returned from our honeymoon, big change.  We got brand new bedding, new dishes, new silver-wear. So many new and exciting things in our life.  I started training to run a half marathon with my Dad in October.  I stay busy with runs just about everyday after work.  I started writing a book.  A big undertaking that I have always wanted to try.  We have made some great friends here in Atlanta who we can go to dinner with or go on trips with.  This weekend we are taking a road trip down to Panama City Beach. Somehow I still feel incomplete. Like the obsessing wedding planning consumed me and now I have this empty space in my mind.