Body After Baby

Before I got pregnant with Gabrielle I decided that if I couldn't get pregnant, I'd get fit. I cleaned up my diet and started devoting time to the gym. I wouldn't have considered myself to be a "gym rat" but I was definitely there a lot. I enjoyed it. One of my best friends also went to the same gym. We would chat it up while on the treadmill and them hit the weights. It was fun. Honestly, I think that it was the first steps to getting out of the depression that I had quickly fallen into. Excercise saved my life. 

This was me, the morning after getting a positive pregnancy test. I was proud of how far I had come. Abs were starting to form. My hips were slimming down. I was definitely headed in the right direction. I vowed that I was going to keep going to the gym, and I did, until morning sickness and sciatic pain took me out (22weeks). My excercise came to a halt. By that point, I was willing to take a break. I still had to take care of Jordan and it seemed that with every run on the treadmill came awful pain. 

Throughout my pregnancy I gained 35lbs. I gained 30 with Jordan. I felt pretty good about that number. This was my last pregnancy and I felt like I enjoyed it. 

So...almost 16 weeks after giving birth, where am I at? I'm about 10lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. There are no abs coming through. I have skin that may be loose for the rest of my life. My hips are the widest that they've ever been. Some days it's depressing. Some days I don't notice it. When I get down on myself I look back at that picture. I got my body to look like that. There wasn't a magic pill. I didn't starve myself. I was determined. I did it once, I can do it again! This body has now given birth to two babies. These hips and thighs are strong enough to pace the floors and flights of stairs with a fussy baby. The flabby belly is Jordan's favorite part about his mommy and that makes me feel good. My breasts are flabby because I'm still feeding a baby. The body is an incredible thing. And, for that, I am proud of mine! 

I am going to periodically blog about my weight loss journey. Help keep me accountable! 

Oh! Hey!

Apparently I wrote this back in January and never published it! I was sleep deprived at that time, forgive me! Here are a couple pics highlighting my life from Oct-Dec.!

October:

My 1st baby shower thrown the ladies in my small group. 

Jordan was IronMan for Halloween! 

Last Pumpkin Patch as a family of 3

My 2nd baby shower thrown by my mom and two of my great friends!

November:

We finally finished Jordan and Gabrielle's bedroom. I am very happy with how it turned out! We still have her newborn pictures to hang on the wall above her crib but we are done! 

My 3rd, and final, shower thrown by some of my closest girlfriends! 

I got my maternity pictures taken.

 We took Jordan to see Santa before Gabrielle arrived! 

December:

Last picture as a family of three! There is always someone with their eyes closed.

Headed to have a baby! 

Gabrielle Amara Patel born December 5, 2013 at 9:54am.

 

Life After Baby #2

Hello? Is anyone out there? No? Okay!

I don't really expect to still have many, if any, followers left. I know that I kind of left everyone hanging back in September. Truth is, life got busy. I was showered by my amazing friends and family. The holiday season got into full swing and before you know it, it was Thanksgiving. We were really hoping that Ms. Gabrielle would make her appearance at Thanksgiving but no such luck. Instead, she decided to grace us with her presence on December 5th! My labor and delivery was quick. They started the induction at 7:00am and she was born, epidural free, at 9:54am. She weighed 6lbs 14oz. She is perfect.

 

So, what is life with two children like? Busy! Gabrielle is a diva (that's code for high maintenance). We got off to a rough start with breast feeding. She wanted no part of latching but took a bottle like a champ. Because she wouldn't latch well, and when she did it wasn't for very long, I was exclusively pumping. Breastfeeding alone is difficult. Pumping exclusively is that much harder. There is a schedule. There is a pump to lug around...

Side note: For those of you that are thinking of having children (or more children), breastfeeding does not come naturally to everyone. It wasn't natural with Jordan and it wasn't natural with Gabrielle. Don't beat yourself up over it. Being a mom for the first time, second time, tenth time, is hard enough, don't stress yourself out if you can't get the hang of it initially. If you're the ambassador of the "breast is best" committee, don't leave me any nasty comments. I wish someone would have told me that from the beginning. But, now I know and I'm passing on the information.

Anyway, I exclusively pumped for the first month. We found a groove and we were rolling with it. That was until she decided that she needed more milk than I was producing. We talked to our pediatrician about the best thing to do, given that we were having a latch problem. He suggested that instead of feeding her breast milk for every bottle to supplement every other bottle. We were okay with that. My motto is "happy mommy, happy baby." And that's where we are currently. I'm still pumping but still offering her the breast. Some days she feeds like a pro. Other days, she wants no part of it.

Sleep: Surprisingly, she has been sleeping through the night since about 4 weeks old. It isn't anything that we did. I don't know the secret. What I do know is that I woke up in a panic one night because my breasts were full and I hadn't heard her crying. Well, she was still sleeping. She typically sleeps from 10:00-6:30. Again, I don't know what the secret is but we are rolling with it!

Brotherly Love: I've had a lot of people ask me how Jordan was adjusting to having a sister. Honestly, he loves it. I was very nervous and carried a lot of mommy guilt over bringing a new child into the home. Jordan is a very sweet and caring person but I didn't know how he would react. It's been just the three of us for close to five years. He has all of my attention at home. I have to say though, I am very proud of him. He doesn't show any signs of jealousy. He loves to hold Gabrielle and give her kisses. We are working on him being a bit more "gentle" but overall, I can't complain.


We are so blessed and so excited to see what God has in store for us next. I am going to try and blog at least once a month to keep everything/everyone updated. I'm on Instagram (daniellepatel) if you want to be more up to date on the happenings of my life!

Until next time...

 

Bump Attack: Weeks 26-28

HELLO THIRD TRIMESTER!!!

Weight Gain: 22lbs

Cravings: I've moved on from Twizzlers and now I am loving ice cream sundaes. We went to a ice cream parlor themed party and from that point on, I was hooked. I think I should have stuck with the twizzlers. LOL!

Symptoms: My sciatica is still hanging around. I see the chiropractor weekly and also get massages in hopes of relieving the pain. So far, I don't know whether it's working or not. What I do know if that I am still walking with a limp. It's no unbearable, like it had been, but it's definitely still present.

My ankles and feet have started to swell. Honestly, I knew it was just a matter of time. I am trying to "rest" as much as possible but some days, it just doesn't happen.

Wedding Rings: Still on and still loose.

What's New: I passed my glucose test!!! You know that I was nervous about this test. I knew that not passing wouldn't be the end of the world but I wanted to pass so badly. With the good news came slightly bad news, I'm anemic. This also, isn't the end of the world, but it does explain my exhaustion. I upped my iron supplement dosage and hopefully that will help.

What's Next: Nothing too exciting! I will have my first shower on October 12th. For now, we are just trucking along, counting down the weeks!

I've had a couple of people ask how I am decorating the nursery. Truth be told, there really isn't a "nursery." Jordan and Gabrielle will share a room. Luckily the room is big enough for each of them to have their own space. Here is a glimpse at the baby bedding that we are having made!

My dad is coming to paint in the next couple of weeks and then we will be in Operation "Room Change." I am going to take pictures to document the process so stay tuned!

Counting down the weeks...11 weeks to go!

Our 4th/5th anniversary at The Melting Pot. 27 weeks!

 

Bump Attack: Week 22-26

Weight Gain: 18lbs...again, I'm not surprised.

Cravings: I'm still loving Twizzlers! Oh, and I also found a new love for waffle bowl (not cones...this could mean trouble) and ice cream. 

Symptoms: the morning sickness is completely gone! Wahoo! I am so happy to be over that hurdle. 

The round ligament pain and sciatica hit at the same time and I thought for sure thy I was having a baby. Not only could I not walk without a limp, I then couldn't walk completely upright. It was rough. Several times I cried. But, it's getting better and that's all thy matters! 

Rings: Still on! 

What's Next? I have to take my glucose test again. I passed the first one with flying colors. This time around, it's routine (everyone has to take it at 27/28 weeks) and I'm praying that I pass it again! 

We are steady purging our house to make room for baby girl. My dad is coming to paint in a few weeks then we will put up the crib and the bedding. I'm starting to get a little antsy! Only 13 weeks and counting! 

Bump Attack: Week 20-22

Weight Gain: 16lbs...WHAT! Honestly, I had a feeling that all of the dessert would catch up to me. Time to reel it all back in.

Cravings: sweets...dessert to be exact. Also, Twizzlers, I  never used to like those things but I love them now.

Symptoms/Aches/Pains: No Zofran in 2 weeks!!! I am keeping my fingers crossed that morning sickness is a thing of the past. Fatigue: yeah, I'm still exhausted. I have come to grips with the fact that I may just be tired through this whole pregnancy. My shoulder pain has subsided. I think the pregnancy pillow is helping a lot. The sciatic pain...totally different story. Ms. Thing is sitting right on my sciatic nerve causing me to lose balance if I get up too fast. Sometimes, my leg will just give out on me, for no reason. I have been walking around like a little old lady for the past 4 days. My mom called it "The Pregnant Girl" shuffle today. LOL

Wedding Rings: Still on!

What's New? We decided that we needed to get rid of all of Jordan's clothes before we went crazy buying stuff for baby girl. Know what that means?!? That means 9 tubs of clothes and shoes to sort through. We knew that we wanted to sell as much as we could and then we will donate the rest. I have been sorting, tagging, and pinning clothes for nearly a week. I'm surprised my eyes aren't crossed.

This little guy started school last week! It's bitter sweet.

 

Bump Attack: Week 18-20

Weight Gain: 12lbs

Cravings: Same as before, nothing new! Aversions: none really. Nothing tastes good and everything tastes good, all at the same time!

Symptoms: I haven't taken my Zofran is 4 days! Wahoo! I am hoping and praying that we are at the end of the morning sickness. Fingers crossed!


 Fatigue...goodness. I was telling Ashish that I refuse to believe that I am going to be this tired until this pregnancy is over. I need an IV of caffeine some days. Geesh!

Boy or Girl? GIRL GIRL GIRL!

Maternity Clothes: I'm still able to wear most of my clothes. My jeans are a little too tight toward the end of the day but it's not horrible.

Stretch Marks: no new ones!

Aches and Pains: I feel like I traded one symptom for another because my shoulders have been killing me. At first I thought that I pulled something but just as fast at the pain came, it went, the first time. The second time that I experienced the pain, it was in the other shoulder and there really wasn't any reason for it. The only thing that I can attribute the pain to is trying to sleep on my side. I am a back sleeper and I am beginning to train myself to sleep on my side. Well, my shoulders are all uneven creating pain in each shoulder. I hope that I can get comfortable soon. Not being able to lift my arms up is starting to become annoying.

Wedding Rings: Still on!

We are in nursery prep around here. Jordan and baby girl will share a room so we are trying to get everything sorted out before we buy more furniture.

Thanks to everyone that sent their well wishes about the baby. You ladies are the best!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

We're having a GIRL!!! If you don't follow me on IG or we aren't friends on FB (friend me, I'm nice!), you didn't know but we made the big announcement yesterday! We are so excited to see what God had in store for us! 

Here are a couple pics from our big day! 

 

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and prayers, thus far! We are a couple days shy of being halfway there!!! 

Bump Attack: Week 16-18

Weight Gain: 11lbs

Cravings: Really nothing new. Oh, that's a lie, I like mango now! Who knew? Aversions: Red meat. Ashish had a recent bout of food poisoning or the stomach bug and has decided that he doesn't want to eat red meat. Works for me! we may be turning into the no red meat family.

Symptoms: Good ole morning sickness is still hanging out. It stinks but I won't complain too much. Morning sickness means that the baby is still alive and well. I'll take it! I haven't been sleeping well at night. I don't know if it's pregnancy related or the fact that my mind won't cut off. Either way, I need my sleep back!

We are EXCITED that we will find out the sex of the baby on Friday (today)!!! The gender will get it's own post so you ladies don't have to wait for two more weeks to find out.

Boy or Girl??? I'm thinking boy but a friend showed me a little gender trick that says that I've got a baby girl in there. I hope she's right!

Maternity Clothes: I finally found a pair of maternity shorts at Babies R Us. They started carrying their own brand of maternity clothes and they are really comfortable. I can still wear my shirts and tank tops so I'm good for a while.

Stretch Marks: No new ones!

Aches and Pains: Migraines...OMG! I really would not wish that on my worst enemy. Round Ligament pain...another OMG. It really caught me by surprise. Tylenol didn't even touch it. Luckily that only lasted for one day and then it was gone.

Wedding Rings: Still on!

I don't really have a bump picture from these two weeks. I've got to get better at taking pictures! Sorry ladies! In other news, we had new family pictures taken so I will share those with you along with the gender!

Bump Attack: 14-16 weeks

Weight Gain: 9lbs

Cravings: I craved sushi with Jordan and I'm craving sushi with this baby. Any thing with carbs...pasta, potatoes, cheese, Cheetos! La Croix with lime...almost tastes like a Corona if I close my eyes. Aversions: cooking in general! I don't know if I can really list that as an aversion but I'm going to! Asparagus-blah! Mexican...other than cheese dip. I could swim in cheese dip.

Symptoms: My morning sickness is still hanging around. I really can't believe it. Again, it's not all day but it is everyday which sucks! The headaches aren't as bad lately. Thank God! I don't know how some people deal with migraines. Pain in your head is brutal.

We are excited that my glucose test came back NORMAL! That was a huge relief! We are also excited that we will find out the sex of the baby on July 12th! 

Boy or girl?!? I'm still saying girl! 

What's Next? Well, our next appointment is on July 12th for our anatomy scan. We are headed to Myrtle Beach on Wednesday for a nice family vacation! 

Maternity Clothes: Not yet. I have had the hardest time find maternity shorts. I know that a lot of people love Motherhood Maternity but honestly, their shorts don't fit me right. They are either too short (pregnant hoochie mama) or too long (pregnant grandma mama).

 Target has a limited selection. I found a cute pair of white skinny ankle jeans but let's be realistic, I have a 4yr old, white only stays white for so long, if I have to be seen in the same pair of jeans all the time, I don't want them to be white. 

Macy's...sells Motherhood Maternity and Jessica Simpson. I like Jessica Simpson's shoes, her maternity line...totally different story. I would consider myself to be trendy but her maternity is more "sexy" than trendy. I understand what she was trying to do. When you're pregnant you feel unattractive, at times. She want her clothes to make you feel sexy. I felt naked. That's all. 

Old Navy: should be ashamed of themselves. Their maternity section sucks. I have the largest mall in the southeast 2 miles from my house. The maternity section is smaller than my walk in closet. I was really disappointed.

JCPenny: I had really high hopes for them. I looked online and they really have some cute stuff. There was even a button for "find this item in a store!" I thought I was getting somewhere. That is, until I actually went in the store and was informed that they don't sell maternity  clothes in the store but..."I could buy some online and return it to the store of it doesn't work?!?" Thanks for nothing! 

So, I have yet to buy any maternity clothes. Boo!

Stretch Marks: same ones from Jordan...I think!

Wedding Rings: still ON and still a little bit big. 

 16 weeks! Sorry for the awful picture. I was trying to take it as I was leaving! 

Changing Things Up!

Happy Thursday!. It's the middle of the week (kind of), another day closer to the weekend. Yay! Who am I kidding? Weekends to a stay at home mom are just extra days in the work week. The great thing about this weekend is that Ashish is off. Now that's something to be happy about!

A couple of you have asked why I changed the name of my blog. Well, honestly, there wasn't any one thing that made me change it. I get a lot of questions asking what it's like to be married to an Indian man. What are the cultural differences? How are we raising Jordan? Religious conflicts? Family differences? Trust me, there are tons of questions. That's how "Sari Wife" came along. I will try my best to touch on most of the questions asked and offer some (more) insight into our life!

So, for those that don't know, a sari is a strip of cloth worn by women, over a "choli (blouse)" and a "petticoat (like a skirt or slip)." Hands down, they are beautiful! If I could go back, I would have worn one for at least part of my wedding. The colors and detail are like nothing that you will find on American clothing.

I own 6 saris. I've worn each, once. Saris are like fancy dresses, once you wear one, you don't typically wear it again. At least that's what my mother in law keeps telling me. The cool part is that when Indian women get together for an event, they trade saris. It's like a big clothing swap. Everyone keeps their own choli and petticoat and just swap saris. It's kind of like being in college again only it doesn't matter if you're the fat friend. Saris fit everyone!

So, that's a little insight into the blog name change. So far, I'm enjoying my life as a "Sari" wife!

These are some of the saris that I have pinned on Pinterest...

Bump Attack:12-14 Weeks

 Okay, let's get down to it!

Weight Gain: 5 lbs

Cravings/Aversions: No real cravings. I am successfully able to eat sushi (regularly) again which I am REALLY excited about. I was almost positive that sushi would be ruined for me, forever. Aversions, red meat. I've never been a huge red meat eater, no hamburgers for this girl. But, now I want no part of it at all.  I'm not really sure what that's all about but being close to a vegetarian might be good for weight maintenance purposes...except for the fact that I'm not a huge fan of veggies. Sigh.

Symptoms: Good ole morning sickness is still hanging around. Again, it's not constant but it is definitely present. Headaches...oh my goodness. I had a headache for 3 days straight. There was no rhyme or reason to it but it was not pleasant. Week 14: morning sickness came back with a vengeance. Sigh. "It's all worth it, it's all worth it."

Sidenote: I may be a tempermental pregnant lady but at least I'm not like this...

Yikes! 

We are excited to close out week 14 with a trip to the doctor! Like I said,  I had gestational diabetes with Jordan, very early on, they are being extra cautious and testing me early. I am hoping and praying that they give me an ultrasound and maybe give us a hint of the gender! Also, my appt is on my mom's birthday so I would be cool to find out the gender on her birthday.

Gender Prediction: Girl. In my heart, I think I'm having another boy but a small part of me thinks girl! Fingers crossed!

Stretch Marks: still no new ones. 

Wedding Rings: Still ON and actually getting loose. I never sized down from losing 25lbs so they have been a little big for a couple months. 

What's Next...nothing major! I kind of like it that way. Of course I would love to have more appointments and more ultrasounds but nothing scheduled until 20 weeks for the anatomy scan. 

I can still see my feet so we are doing good! 

Bump Attack: 12 Weeks

Weight Gain: the same 3 lbs. I'll take it! 

Cravings: nothing really! I wouldn't turn down a whole box of McD's French fries! That's nothing new. Cheese and I still have a love affair going on. 

Symptoms: the nausea is still present but not nearly as persistent. I was able to eat sushi for the first time without feeling sick afterward. Zofran has truly been my best friend for the past 6 weeks. I don't need it daily and some days I will break it in quarters and take a quarter to to ward off the icky feeling. Breasts feel normal. My feet and ankles swell much faster and easier now but I knew that would happen. I'm praying for a mild summer instead of a sizzling hot one! My taste buds are out of whack. Nothing really tastes REALLY good. The water and ice in my house even tasted funny to me. 

I was excited, nervous, uneasy, going into this week. I've literally been holding my breath for the past 6 weeks. I had some complications with Jordan up until my 12 week. Of course he was born completely healthy but I still worried. 

Our family and close friends know that we are pregnant now! We haven't made it "FB official" and I don't think we will until we did out what we're having. 

Gender Prediction: several of my friends have done "old wives tale" gender prediction rituals on me. One was with a necklace, girl. One was with baking soda and per (my own...not as gross as it sounds), girl. Chinese Gender Chart, girl. As much as I want to believe it, I'm still betting on boy. Yes, this pregnancy has been so different from my first one but I don't really put any stock into that.

Stretch Marks: I got them with Jordan so if there are any new ones, I haven't noticed them. 

What's Next: Appointment on June 14th. I had gestational diabetes with Jordan so they are going to test me early this time. I'm secretly hoping that I will get an ultrasound and that they can give me a hint of what we're having! 

I think I'll update every two weeks, unless something exciting happens between then. Right now, my outward body isn't really changing.   

As promised, a bump picture! Excuse the pretty hair, this is after a cycle class! 

This post is current! I will be 13 weeks tomorrow! 

Bump Attack: 10 Weeks

Written May 11th

You've read our "coming out" story (here), now it's time to get down to business!

Weight Gain: give or take, 3 lbs. 

Symptoms: the nausea, my goodness! It started at 6 weeks and has not let up. It was morning sickness, then it was mid day, now it's all day. I never had a day of morning sickness with Jordan. I don't really have any "aversions," so to speak but nothing really sounds good to me.

We are excited going into this week! We get our first appointment! We've literally been holding our breath for the past couple weeks. Not thinking anything would happen but, you never know.We just want to see a happy healthy baby on the screen!

Gender Prediction: in my heart of hearts, I think it's a boy. We would love for Jordan to have a little sister but we will take a healthy baby!

What's Next: Appointment on Wednesday, May 15!!!

***UPDATE***

Our first appointment went great! We have a baby with a nice strong heartbeat! 

The Beginning!

Let's be honest, we all know how it happened! God put a baby in my belly and when it's time, the baby will come out of my belly button. That's the story, according to Jordan!

I wrote this post back in April. I didn't want to forget the details! Now that I am out of the pregnancy closet, I can finally share!

We had an appointment with the fertility doctor on March 6th. I loved her! She asked what our goals were and what route we wanted to take and then offered her medical advice. She didn't push us into believing something or trying anything that we weren't comfortable with. I told her my concerns with fertility drugs. I had a cyst rupture in January causing me a lot of pain. I didn't want to take anything that would increase the chance of another cyst coming back. She assured us that if we wanted a baby that we would have a baby. She wanted us to do the preliminary tests, get Ashish tested, make sure my tubes were clear, etc. before doing anything else.

We got Ashish tested, everything was normal. The advice that she gave us was to get the Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor and chart my ovulation for the next three months. She didn't want to do anything in those 3 months. I was a little frustrated, but confident in her plan. We ordered the $60 kit off of Amazon and waited until the right time. Unfortunately, by the time we received the kit, it was too late for us to test in March. That's okay...we'll start in April!

Wednesday, March 27th: We're driving to my parent's house from T-Ball practice. As we come to a 4 way stop, I turn to Ashish and said "I think I'm pregnant." He brushed it off and said "you always think you're pregnant." I knew that he didn't mean anything by it. I do, always think I'm pregnant, and I hadn't been. The amount of money spent on pregnancy tests is a little ridiculous. So, I continued driving, all while thinking "I know I'm pregnant." I didn't bring it up again at my parents house. When we got home, I took the one test that I had left under my bathroom cabinet, hid in the bathroom, and peed on a stick. I came out like nothing was going on and went about my bedtime routine. I didn't tell Ashish that I was taking the test. I already knew what he was going to say..."you're only going to be disappointed. I don't know why you keep doing this to yourself?" He has been nothing but supportive but I know that the negative tests wear on him just as much as they do me. I left the test face down on the bathroom floor, waiting for the 3 minutes to pass. Unfortunately (and fortunately) Ashish beat me to the bathroom. He saw the test and immediately said what I thought he would..."Danielle, why are you getting your hopes up?" At the minute, I turned the test over and it was POSITIVE! We both looked at each other and did the happy dance/hug/jump up and down/hug some more dance. We couldn't believe it. We weren't expecting it.

We immediately told Ashish's mom! When we found out we were pregnant with Jordan, we told my mom first so it was only fair. She was half asleep so she wasn't as excited as we thought she would be. Next, I told some of my closest girlfriends. We've had a lot of prayers for this baby. We even had people praying for us that we didn't even know. It is very sweet and humbling to have someone say "I've been praying for a baby for your family." Of all the things going on in the world; they're praying for us.


On Easter we decided to tell our best friends and my parents. Keisha, my best friend, cried. Another one of our prayer warriors. She and Chris were just as excited about the pregnancy as we were. I love friends like that. The ones that share your excitement with you. My parents were also excited. My dad turned on music, my mom cried. This is how we shared the news!

Our days as a family of 3 are numbered. We couldn't be more excited!

Rejoice with those who rejoice...Romans 12:15

Well Well Well

I've sat down to write this post 20 different times. Sometimes it wakes me up in the middle of the night. I've combed over the details and analyzed it over and over again. I couldn't find the words to put into writing, how this happened. I still don't believe it's true. Our lives will forever be changed. God is moving so many mountains and helping us cross so many bridges. Again, I don't believe it's true.

WE'RE HAVING A BABY! DUE DECEMBER 2013

More details to come soon!

On A Lighter Note

Yesterday's post was a bit heavy. I debated on whether or not to publish it to my blog. I wasn't ashamed but I was vulnerable. The amount of support and love that I received far outweighed my vulnerability. I received several e-mails from women telling me that they have experienced what I was going through. I really didn't know that I had that many people that read my blog! All I can say is "thank you." Thank You for the kind words. Thank You for understanding. But most of all, thank you for continuing to follow my blog. Now...on to the lighter things!

1. Ashish got a promotion! I am so incredibly proud of him. He is such a hard worker and I think he should be recognized for it!
2. My sweet friend, Ashley, had her 3rd baby girl two weeks ago. She is precious. She is perfect.
3. We are headed to the beach in exactly one month! This will be our first "real" vacation of the year!

I hope you ladies have a great day! Yay, it's one day closer to Friday (which means nothing to a stay at home mom)!

There is Power...

This post takes place over the span of 14 months. No, I haven't been working on it for 14 months but it is 14 months of emotions, all in one post.

If you read my blog, you know that Ashish and I have been trying for a second baby. When we first stopped using birth control we weren't worried about it. We thought for sure that it wouldn't be too long before we saw the two pink lines on the pregnancy test. We didn't stress about it, we were taking it one month at a time. Let me be clear...by no means did we think that it was going to be easy. Infertility is such a touchy subject, for myself included. We knew that it wouldn't happen overnight, or the next month, but we were sure that it would happen. Well, January turned to February, February to March, and still no pregnancy. As the months passed by, I was starting to lose faith. So many of my friends were getting pregnant. Most of which weren't really "trying." Ashish and I had been "trying" for several months at this point. With every pregnancy announcement my heart broke a little bit more. I was ecstatic for my friends but sad for myself. I was in a place where I didn't know how to balance being really happy for them (which I truly was) and sad for myself. I didn't know how to protect my feelings. I didn't know how to put how I was feeling into words (without sounding like a grumpy old troll). So, I didn't. I talked to one friend about it. I closed off everyone else. I didn't really bring it up.

January was a year since we started trying. Infertility along with some other minor health issues sent me into a tailspin. I became depressed and very anxious. I didn't want to leave my house. I didn't want to hang out with anyone. It was a dark time for me, for Ashish. Right before his eyes, his wife, who has always been strong, was falling apart. One day, in the midst of my depression, I fell to my knees, in my closet in prayer. Tears pouring out of my eyes, hands high in the air, I prayed that God would just take this feeling from me. I prayed that God not let the devil get to me. I prayed specifically for what I wanted and what I needed. I pleaded with God to heal me.

In that moment, something happened. I was given a strength that I hadn't had before. I picked myself up off of that floor and I decided to proactive and reactive. God gave me strength, what was I going to do with it? I started seeing a therapist once a week, she is amazing. Talking it out definitely helps. It's so much easier to talk to someone that doesn't know you. Along with talking to a complete stranger, I started talking more with  the person that knows more about me than I know about myself, God. Somewhere in the midst of life, I lost sight of the person that gives life. I had a regular prayer life, attended church regular, but had been skipping on my quiet time. I really think God was trying to get my attention. I had to realize that he brought me to this place not to leave me,but to lead me. All I had to do was surrender.

While that was a couple months ago, I still struggle with some anxiety. I am and will continue to be a work in progress. I am surrounded by a ridiculous amount of supportive friends. My family is amazing. I am not ashamed to share my story, this is all apart of my testimony. I know that his plan for me and my family is great. I just can't wait to see what's in store!

"There is power in the name Jesus...to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain."

"Doing" Marriage Alone

Happy Monday! I hope everyone is off to a great week! Ashish, Jordan, and I are headed out of town for a short trip on Wednesday and then back home for his first T-Ball game! Oh, did I mention that he was playing T-Ball? No? Sorry! We signed him up, as a last minute thing. So far, we've only practiced 3 times because of the cold and rain. I'm super excited to see him in his little t-ball uniform!

Let's talk marriage for a few minutes. Over the weekend, I was talking with a friend about husbands and marriage and she said "you and Ashish don't go anywhere alone. You two are always together." To which I replied, "yeah, we don't really "do" life alone." To which I got a blank stare. I didn't think that what I said was that thought provoking. I didn't think that I said anything really profound. The truth is, we don't do life alone. We make a point to spend time together a lot. Whether that time is as a family or just as a couple. We go to birthday parties together. We both go to T-Ball. We go to Target together. We shop together. We visit friends together. We even plan doctor's appts for days when we can both go.  We do these things together because we want to, not because we have to. There is a difference.

We make alone time a priority in our marriage. Both of our parents are nearby and always willing to take Jordan for a couple hours or sometimes the night so that makes it easier. But, even if our parents weren't close, we would find a way to spend time together. It's by far the most important thing in our marriage. 

Don't get me wrong, we both have our own interests and hobbies. We have our own friends. I go out with my girlfriends at least once a month. I meet up with a high school friend for dinner once a month. I purposely plan my nights out with my friends on the nights that Ashish works late. I'm selfish with my family and husband time. If he's home, I want to be with him. I don't feel bad for leaving him if he is home, but I would hangout with him if I had the choice. I don't want to do life without him. 

In small group we talked about praying for a spouse for our children. If I were to pray for a spouse for Jordan, I would pray that he would find someone that he wants to do life with. The good and the bad. Someone that will fight for him and fight with him. I pray that he finds someone that respects him for him but isn't afraid to challenge him. Most of all, I pray that he never has to "do" marriage alone.

So tell me, are Ashish and I in the majority or the minority? How do you and your husband "do" life?

Danielle Lately

I know, I know, it's been a while. I wish I had some grand reason as to why I haven't blogged but I don't. I've been lazy. I've been reading other's blogs and commenting but not really giving much attention to my blog. So, here is a little update on what's going on with me...lately!

Jordan turned four on Feb 5th. I still can't believe it. Yes, the time is going by so fast but at the same time, in my mind, he is still a baby. The other day he said "is that cool with you, mom?" My head almost did a 360. That was such a "big boy" phrase. I can't handle it!

I, along with two other friends, are hosting a triple baby shower on Sunday! Yep-three mamas, three babies! Our small group is awesome.

We are taking a mini vacation next week! Ask me where we're going! We don't know! LOL! We originally planned to head to Pigeon Forge but they have a good amount of snow right now. No thanks! We may head south.




We have an important doctor's appointment coming up on Wednesday! Please keep us in your prayers! I know that God has a great plan for us and everything is in his timing. I also know that I am impatient. Please pray for patience!

Thanks all I've got! Have a great weekend!