Monday Mind Dump

I had the most incredible weekend. One of the best in awhile!

Friday evening, our students performed the last comedy show of the year with a fabulous improv mainstage show where our graduating senior guessed all 5 crazy things with nearly two minutes left. They performed their first sketch show, and it went beautifully (minus the awkward part where someone forgot the last line, but they improvised and recovered so I could black them out). We were so proud.

Saturday, we slept in, threw some clothes in a suitcase and ran away to Tulsa for a staycation. We had a delicious lunch at PF Changs (finally using our gift cards from Christmas), peeked at the overpriced adorable things at Pottery Barn Kids and bought gifts for each other at Banana Republic. I had my massage with Elisa, and it was glorious! She remembered me based on "how hot your back is" - apparently, my circulation is very good and because of me and the baby, the blood in my back makes me very hot to touch. Cool?

We walked around the mall, picked up a cute cardigan on sale for the baby, split a pretzel and just held hands as we window shopped. We've been doing this together for six years now. Weird. Then, Bryan got to pick the movie we saw: The Hunger Games in imax. He's read the book; I haven't. It was a great movie, but I'm not sure I love the story (kids killing kids: awful!) or the guy named Gale (what a lame name - not much better than Peeta).

We did our traditional Melting Pot anniversary dinner and they sat us in a corner booth, tucked far away from everyone else and we were hidden. It was so romantic. And for the first time, I wasn't too stuffed by dessert. In fact, I ate some of Bryan's entree! I was so hungry. It was the perfect pregnant dinner. And we ended with chocolate all over rice krispies, strawberries, cheesecake and brownies. We left the restaurant around 11:30 and drove to the aLoft hotel (which we love since staying there 3 years ago in Durham). It was so romantic!

We woke, had breakfast at Panera and then drove home to reality. Where our baby stroller/carseat was waiting for us and our house that needed cleaning.

On Sunday, we spent the evening at a local camp celebrating our improv team's success with awards, food and games. I played volleyball and probably shouldn't have. Where I dove (I know, I know, Bryan wanted to kill me) really hurts and where I hit the ball on my forearms is swollen and painful to the touch. Whoops. I guess I need to start acting pregnant. They had elections, and we're very pleased with the new board.



Today, I felt my first Who-Stole-My-Brain-and-Emotions feeling. I was angry and upset and nauseous and on the verge of tears over a series of things that wouldn't normally upset me. I hated it, and the more I felt like I wasn't myself, the more upset it made me. By the time lunch came, Bryan picked me up and he knew something was wrong with his crazy wife. Instead of doing peanut butter sandwiches at home, he took me to a panini place in town. He likes to remind me that I need to take it easy and remember that I'm pregnant and stop trying to do everything I used to do. After a panini and more than half a slice of cheesecake, I felt a lot better.

This week should be a relaxing week. And next week is my Florida vacation/baby shower which I have highlighted and circled on my calendar at work. I am counting down the days!! Lord knows I need some time with my sisters, my moms and away from Oklahoma. Also, can we talk about the baby nonstop? Then maybe I wouldn't forget that I'm pregnant.

6 Years with Bryan

I've never been in a relationship with someone this long. 6 years is a really long time. I'll prove it.

In 2005, I met Bryan through the improv team at Clemson. Our group really liked to go to parties.

There's Bryan on the left and me on the far right. I barely knew him.
FUN FACT: That's Jason next to me, Bryan's best friend and my other boyfriend.

In the late spring, we both were recently single and Bryan asked me out. We went to Greenville on April 28, 2006 for our first date and when Bryan tried to kiss me at a stop light on the way home, I pulled away and said, "The light's green!"

The second day of being together, April 2006

our first year of dating

We dated that summer and I had no idea that we'd get so serious - so quickly.

6 month anniversary - at Justin & Erin's wedding

one year anniversary at Melting Pot

In our second year, we went on a cruise together, went to Disney World (three times), started our duo show (and performed in three festivals), started the Rapscallion, went to New York City, and got engaged.

bar-hopping in Clemson

Gainesville Improv Festival

New York City, March 2007

In our third year, we celebrated my graduation and my 21st birthday, moved me to Chapel Hill, lived apart that summer - I lived with Zach Ward (what?), made a lot of trips to each other, celebrated our first Christmas with family, went to Disney World (twice), got married, went on a cruise, moved in together, did comedy at DSI together and got ready for Bryan to graduate with his PhD.

my 21st

rocked my first year at DSI

new years 2008

honeymoon

In our fourth (and most crazy fun) year, we did more comedy at DSI, visited Charleston and Orlando, moved to Philly, Bryan got his PhD, went to Del Close Marathon in NYC, spent too many weekends and too much money going to NYC all the time, went to Disney World, celebrated our first married Christmas, joined the N Crowd, and found out that we were trading the big city for a small town in Oklahoma.

 

first meal in Philly: cheesesteak

he's a doctor!

more weekends in NYC

In our fifth (and most scary) year, we clung to each other, spent everything we had on a three month long road trip to see all our friends, performed at the OKC Festival, started performing with OKC improv, started our new jobs, started a new improv community, celebrated Christmas at Disney, did festivals and took the college kids to Chicago for spring break.

moved to our house in Oklahoma

OKC Festival July 2010

OKC improv

started an improv team

daned the waltz in the Nutcracker

Christmas

In our sixth (and most tumultuous) year, we celebrated Brooke's graduation, made a trip to Florida, celebrated my birthday in Philly, I got my new job, fell in love with OKC, found out about Bryan's mom's cancer, celebrated 10 years of MTS, decided to try for a baby, found out that I was pregnant, shared the news with family, made trips to support Bryan's mom, and found out that we'll be in Oklahoma another year.

It's been a really crazy six years.

I can only imagine that this year will be our most crazy yet as we embark on this whole parenthood thing this August. It was really nice to look back through the pictures. We have had a lot of really incredible times, sweet pictures and a lot of love. There's nobody else that I could love this much. I am lucky to be with Bryan. He really is perfect.

Happy anniversary, Bryan. 6 years and we still got it ;)

Lady Gets Scared

Something scary happened. It's over, and it's not scary anymore, and I wouldn't blog about it except that I already blogged about it and said it was nothing to be scared of. In fact, I promoted it, I raved about it, and I loved it.
Let's talk about my IUD. Bryan and I made a formal decision to not have children for awhile. We'd been successful in not having children for four years at the time, and we wanted to use our insurance money for something less of a hassle than a pill, and we knew we didn't want kids anytime soon.

So I got the IUD. A month later, I had to have the doctor adjust it because it fell out of place. And then I got to thinking about moving to Oklahoma, and we had a busy summer of visiting friends and traveling for two months. Then we moved to Oklahoma and all of that happened, and I forgot about my little copper T-shaped baby-preventer.

Well, I shouldn't have. I saw a doctor two weeks ago for a regular check-up, and again, my cervix has expelled the IUD. She asks if I noticed anything different, and I hadn't. She says she can't tell how long it's been out of place, but that it was definitely out of place and definitely not effective. Crap.

So there goes my security in my "awesome" birth control. According to my doctor, my cervix is unusually small (so is my whole body, lady!) and that my lack of birthing children means it is difficult for the IUD to remain in place. Great. There goes that.

Well, my doctor sent me over to the hospital to get an ultrasound and gave me a pregnancy test. I was going back to the doctor the next day to have the IUD removed and to learn the results of the test. What day was this? Oh, the day before my 5 year anniversary with Bryan. So I wake up on our anniversary and spend the day not knowing if I'm pregnant or if we're still just us for a few years. Bryan is calm, and he tells me that no matter what we'll be fine, that we'll be happy. We eat a very serious lunch that day, talking about what we would do if we learned we were about to be parents, what we would do if we weren't.

Two hours before my anniversary dinner, I see my doctor for the last appointment of the day. I'm freaking out. She tells me again that I have a tiny cervix and that I'm not pregnant. Whew! I just felt a huge pressure lifted off of me. I don't remember much of what the doctor said, but she handed me a prescription for The Pill and a free pack to get started now.

Pregnancy avoided. Thank the lordy lord! We will not have a baby Buckley joining us anytime soon. I'm back on The Pill. I expect some mood swings, some weight gain and a libido increase (watch out). But I won't be expecting a child, so I'm okay with all of this.

I felt like I had to share my story with you ladies since I had so positively reviewed it. I really think it's a good idea, but if you have a small cervix or have not had children, it might not be the best form of birth control for you. Again, talk to your doctor, read as much as you can about it. It didn't work for me. Please feel free to email me if you don't feel comfortable asking questions here.

And I Still Love Him

Four years ago today, Bryan went for the kiss. And the rest is history.

Here's some of my favorite pictures of us throughout the years.
Big Bash, April 2006: The night after Bryan first kissed me.

Halloween, 2006

ABC Party, March 2007

Gainesville Improv Festival, January 2008

Our wedding, December 31, 2008

DSI Adventure Trip, June 2009

Disney Vacation, October 2009

Philadelphia Photoshoot, November 2009

South Carolina Visit, January 2010

Winter Snowpocalypse February 2010

Philadelphia Party, March 2010

Last weekend, April 2010

And since we've been together for four years now, I've made a list of four things I love about him.
1.) His face in pictures
2.) His constant desire for adventure
3.) His brilliant economic mind
4.) How devastatingly sexy he is

These four years have been incredible. Here's to many more!

100 Posts

This is my 100th thought from my lady brain.


Let it rain lady quotes!!

Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.
Margaret Thatcher

The more you act like a lady, the more he'll act like a gentleman.
Sydney Biddle Barrows

Dance, dance, dance little lady, Leave tomorrow behind.
Noel Coward

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty lady for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.
Albert Einstein

You may be a princess or the richest woman in the world, but you cannot be more than a lady.
Jennie Churchill

One Year!

Time flies when you're in love. I'm taking this opportunity to wish myself and my husband Bryan a Happy 1 Year Anniversary!


We've had a crazy first year. It began with our awesome wedding in Florida, two week honeymoon in the warm, warm Caribbean, and then we moved into our North Carolina apartment. We rocked out some comedy at DSi for a little while longer, performing on teams together and separately, doing shows every week. Then, we celebrated Bryan's triumph over all high education and watched him get that doctorate degree he'd worked so very hard for. And then, by the wonderfully hard work of Bryan, he landed a great teaching job and we relocated our lives to Philadelphia. This summer, we started from scratch in the friend, work, comedy and family departments - and within six months time, we've landed in a happy place in each of the categories.

We've learned that marriage is better than being engaged and a lot like dating. We've learned that trading chores is the best way for Alyssa to get out of laundry, dishes and the trash (of course, Bryan gets out of cleaning the bathrooms, cooking and organizing healthy meals). We've learned that you can have lots of sex - even if you're married. We've learned you have to share pretty much everything, including your big box of chocolate your boss gave you. We've learned that Bryan enjoys being slightly irritating and Alyssa enjoys popping out and scaring Bryan. We've learned that a kiss before work is the best way to start your day. We've learned that you shouldn't eat ice cream every night. We've learned that shopping on low blood sugar is disastrous for each other and the store clerks. We've learned to share, to love more deeply, to be more honest, to sing in front of each other, to wrestle on the bed without breaking anything, to speak each other's love language, to appreciate the other, and, most importantly, to realize the impact of our vows.

Here's to forever! To infinity and beyond!

My Love

This was before we were dating. He loved me already.


We're dating. We already look different.


Our first Disney trip together. It was the two of us. Bryan says he knew then he wanted to marry me. I knew then I wanted to go to Disney lots more with Bryan.


Look at us. We went on trips. Bryan was the coolest boyfriend.


He invited me into his family. And I loved them.


My family took us on a cruise.


We went to Chicago.


We watched improv together/


We did some improv in NYC together.


We did some improv in Gainesville.


We did some improv in NC.


We couldn't handle dating anymore. We got engaged.


We said some vows.


Legally his.


We took pictures with the talented Erin Scott. This one's hanging up in our hallway.


We danced.


He carried me away. And we lived happily ever after.