Happy Fall Y'All

Because I HATE Halloween we are not celebrating.  However, I do love Fall and it is just starting to look like Fall here in North Carolina so that is what we will be celebrating.  That and my love for candy corn and caramels!
Halloween was awesome when I was little.  My first "real" costume was Cookie Monster.  My Mom made my costume (she had to call in sick to work just to finish it) and it was amazing!  I'm pretty sure I was Cookie Monster until I grew out of the costume!

After the Cookie Monster years I was, in no particular order, a "Hippie", a "50's Girl" with the BEST hot pink poodle skirt, a pumpkin, and Alice from Alice in Wonderland.

Now normally I don't think I would have remembered the year I was Alice, but that year ended up being epic solely based on my Dad's costume.  See, the year I was Alice was also the year the original Batman movie came out.  Now if you've ever seen my Dad you know he has a serious resemblance to Jack Nicholson who played the joker in Batman...put the two together and you have my Dad dressed up as the Joker.  It also just so happened this was the year we were going to a big Halloween party that had a costume contest (the one and only time I think we were ever invited).  Let's just say my Dad won hands down and also scared many of the little kids in attendance (probably the reason we were never invited back!).

Seriously creepy resemblance right????

Also, how cute are Ben the cowboy and I as Alice????

After the fun elementary years of Halloween came the scary years of middle school when it was cool to go to haunted houses and right there is when I was D-O-N-E with Halloween.  I don't do well with things that jump out at me and I HATE being scared.

So tonight Tom and I will be enjoying Fall and all the pictures of cute kids in costumes on facebook.

Happy Fall Y'All!

XO XO,

Molly

 

Funny Crap Found on Groupon

Today at work I had to go through those daily deal sites (living social, amazon local, groupon) to see what fitness deals were currently running.  Well I of course got distracted looking at all of the other great "deals" on the sites.  And lucky for you came across some pretty amazing stuff that is totally worth sharing.  So without further adieu I bring you a new segment I like to call, "Funny Crap Found on Groupon".

First up we have "Silent Snooz" which I was seriously contemplating buying for Tom.  But then I got concerned.  Does "Silent Snooz" make your hair turn green?  I'm not sure there are any research findings correlating hair color to snoring.  I mean if all it took was dying Tom's hair green to get the snoring to stop we would have to have a serious conversation.  But if buying and using "Silent Snooz" turns hair green then I think the FDA or someone needs to step in.  Also, I can pretty much promise you that no one actually sleeps in that position with pleasant sleepy smiles on their faces.

Now at first glance you might think you are looking at the sweet honey bear.  You might think maybe you are looking at clear honey.  But oh no my friends look closer.  You are actually looking at "Nature Lovin' Lubricant"!  Seriously couldn't they have found a more appropriate bottle?  If a kid saw this they might try to put it on their toast.  They are advertising for a Koala type on the red labeled bottle so couldn't they have used a Koala bottle instead.  I feel like my sweet honey bear will never be the same.  Oh also, what if you were actually stupid enough to buy this and in the heat of the moment picked up your honey bottle instead of your lube bottle.  Well lets just say you would be in a very sticky situation.

A pet tent.  First of all if you were trying to sell this product wouldn't you try and get a pet who looked happy to be in your pet tent?  These cats looked pissed.  They're probably thinking, "Where the F is my litter box?  I'm an indoor cat...you're not fooling me I know I'm not inside."  Also if you put a real pet in there like a dog they would probably flip the bitch over and escape within a minute and then you would not be reading peacefully on  your lounger you would be chasing your dog.  Lastly if you're in a fenced area as in this picture do you really need a pet tent?  Does the fence not work well enough?  If you think your pet can escape a rod iron fence I'm pretty sure they are going to escape the stupid pet tent.  Just sayin'.

Now I'm the first to admit that I have absolutely NO artistic abilities, but I'm pretty sure I could have painted this picture.  In fact I'm pretty sure my almost 2 year old nephew could have painted this picture.  Who would spend $69.99 on this?  And that is the groupon deal price.  Originally it was $129.99.  I mean really.  I can splatter paint.  Does anyone want to pay me $50 to splatter paint?  That's better than the groupon deal.  I feel like this painter's mom is to blame.  Maybe if she would have just been honest with her child and told them painting might not be their best skill they wouldn't have to be trying to sell paint splatter on groupon.  I mean you don't see me trying to sell my soccer skills on groupon because my mom told me, "maybe soccer just isn't your thing...let's try something else!"  After she made me go to goalie camp and found out I was scared of the ball.

I feel like I just don't have words for this one.  I mean I get it.  Sometimes you are sitting for a long time but really it's not like you are sitting all day.  It's like a shoe insole for your butt.  Except I get the shoe insole thing because sometimes you are on your feet all day.  One time when I was "sick" I spent a lot of time sitting on the toilet.  I never once remember thinking, "man I wish I had a comfort gel toilet cushion".  I think pretty much people's main objective is to take care of business as quickly as possible and get off the toilet seat.  Am I wrong???

And that my friends is "Funny Crap Found on Groupon!"  I hope you all have a day that does not necessitate a comfort gel toilet cushion.

XO XO,

Molly

Dumb & Dumber & Blonde

Ok guys seriously I think I am getting dumber.  Like for real.  I've already been on webmd to research short term memory loss.  There was a link to take a test to see if you can remember stuff or how smart you are or something and I failed.  I mean I've never thought of myself as super smart or anything, but I tried not to fit the "dumb blonde" stereotype.  But I think it is catching up with me!  I'm worried I think...well I can't remember but I feel like it should be something I am worried about.
An example...the other night I was watching Drugs Inc. on the Natgeo channel and they were talking about the conversion of pesos to dollars and I couldn't figure it out in my head.  My brain literally went blank.  Maybe when you watch shows about Drugs it makes your brain think you are doing drugs, although I don't think so because then a lot of drug dealers would be out their pesos or dollars and more people would just watch the movie blow or the documentary on Snoop Dog Lion when he becomes a Rastafarian in Jamaica.
And now I've sidetracked my brain and can't remember where I was going next with this post.  My brain is literally blank.
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Lets just chill with this cutie for a second while I think.  Also doesn't this look fun?!?!?!

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Another example, when we were packing for the drive down to North Caroline in July I forgot to pack deodorant.  A daily routine item I completely forgot about.  I had to use Tom's deodorant the entire trip.  After two days in a car, 90degrees outside, and very rarely using the air conditioner because "we have to try and get good miles per gallon" I smelled like a man.  Also I was a little turned on by myself because I smelled like Tom but thats a whole other story for a whole other post!
I don't know what it is about deodorant lately but I also just completely forgot to put it on yesterday.  Luckily I work at a Personal Training Studio and there is deodorant in the bathrooms for people to use.
I've never been like this before.  Tom says I just have too much on my mind, but when he says that I think, "That's the problem nothing is on my mind.  I can't even think of anything that should be on my mind."  Basically I'm telling you all this so that if you see me with a weird look on my face you can rest assured I didn't just crap my pants I am just trying to think of something.  Oh, also if you ask me to do something make sure I write it down because otherwise there is a 99% chance it won't get done.  Not because I didn't want to do it or because I was busy but because I forgot.  Tom is going to reserve a spot for me in the memory care nursing home soon and update his e-harmony account...joking (hopefully)!


XO XO,
Forgetful Molly

Overwhelmed...And Part Deux

I'd first like to start off by saying, "Thank You", to all of you.  Your support, encouragement, and love is overwhelming.  Yesterday was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster that I was seriously under-prepared for.  I feel good though.  Getting my story out there.  Which was the point.  I didn't write the post so people would feel sorry for me, or tell me how much having a miscarriage sucks, or write me nice notes to make me feel good.  I wrote it so maybe other people in my situation would know they aren't alone and that we are all here for each other with an unquestioning understanding of how we feel.
The best support I got (outside of Tom and our parents) was from two friends who had gone through this same thing.  They understood my irrational thinking and equalized it with their own stories.  They understood the struggle to go back to the Dr. for the follow up appointment and be the only one not holding a new born or the only one not pregnant in the waiting room.  They got how lost I felt...they just got it.  Without those two checking in on me almost daily, my Mom dropping everything to come to Minnesota for a week (she also helped us pack because oh yeah we were still moving in less than a month), and my "rock" of a husband, I'm not sure I would have gotten out of bed ever again.  I mean maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration...maybe.
But lets move on...yesterday I left off questioning how we were going to figure out what to do next.....

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At this point it was mid-June.  The house was sold.  Some of our stuff was already in storage.  I had given notice to my boss.  We had a two-bedroom apartment waiting for us in Durham, NC.  I had nothing really lined up as far as work went in NC.  And now, the one thing that was dictating these decisions was gone.

We were once again in a position of having to make major life decisions without much time to contemplate them.

Luckily both of our parents are pretty level headed and were able to help us sort things through.  The most important being: Was Molly moving to North Carolina or not???  I answered that question pretty quickly, yes.  I'm really not sure how I initially thought we were going to be ok living separately for a year.  Once it was determined that I was moving everything else pretty much fell in to place.

My parents got us a P.O.D to load all our stuff that was going to NC.

It's funny because the P.O.D. was so organized until we just started throwing shit in at the end.  A quick shout out to Tom's brother, Jeff.  Seriously we couldn't have had a successful move without him!

After the P.O.D. was loaded and gone the house was empty.  Literally.  We were sleeping on an air mattress.  At one point I pulled our patio lounger that was staying in MN inside so we had somewhere to sit.  Luckily for Tom he only had to live this way a few days.  For me?  2 months.  2 months on an air mattress is a looooong time.  Thankfully Tom's parents let me move in with them once I had closed on the house.

See, Tom had to start his fellowship August 1st.  The closing was not until August 12(?).  And my last day of work was August 30.  The best part?  We had to sign papers to make me Tom's power of attorney so he didn't have to be present at the closing.  I told him I get to make all major decisions now since I'm his attorney :)  Needless to say that didn't go over very well!

I ended up staying in MN until the end of August.  I had a few commitments to my job I needed to finish, plus I felt bad leaving them high and dry after accepting the promotion and promising them I wasn't leaving.  Whoops!

The time away from Tom was tough.  Again, not sure how we thought a year away was going to work.  We chatted online for, like, 2 hrs everyday...

...and things got pretty serious :)  I just got a little T.O'd because he never even sent me a full body shot!!  Oh Napoleon how I love you!  ***FYI Mom that was a quote from a movie.  I wasn't doing anything naughty online :)

Finally August 30th came.  I had the truck loaded up the night before, thanks to Tom's parents and brother.  I worked that morning, said goodbye to work, picked up the dogs and headed out!  I drove to Des Moines so I could see my parents before leaving.  Spent the night in Des Moines got up at 2:45am and hit the road.  It was me, the dogs, and the last of our stuff in the truck and the open road.  I had all intentions of staying the night in West Virginia or Kentucky, but was making good time and wasn't tired and ended up driving all the way to North Carolina in one day.  I left Des Moines, Iowa at 3:20am and was in Tom's arms by 11pm that night.

Tom took this picture the next morning with the tag "Got my family back".  Melt my heart.

Yes I pretty much slept for a week straight after arriving in North Carolina.  You would have too if you'd just been through what I had the last 3 months.

So where are we now you ask?  Well, Tom is loving his fellowship.  It's a lot of work and a TON of hours, but it's what he wants to be doing so he is happy.  I came down with the hopes of being able to substitute teach but quickly realized that was not going to be a realistic option.  The unemployment rate in NC is above the national average which does not bode well for me.  I went to a temp agency a few weeks ago and the guy couldn't believe I had left a good job without having one in place.  Obviously that was not my plan douche.

Luckily though I was able to get a job and actually started this week.  I am working at a personal training studio as their office manager / website social media administrator.  It is quite perfect for me.

 It's weird though.  Our current reality is based on decisions we made when I was pregnant.  It's something I've struggled with.  Like the first time we walked into the apartment and I saw that second bedroom that was going to be for the baby.  Or when we were unpacking and I came across the small tub of stuff I had packed for the baby (old books of ours when we were kids and a stuffed animal).  It's those moments that still make it tough, but really overall we are doing pretty well.

Thanks again for all of your support.  I've missed you all and appreciate you sticking with me during my absence.  I promise I'm back now :)

XO XO,

Molly

Now this is a story all about how My life got flipped, turned upside down...

I've started this post in my head a million times.  But to actually write it out, to actually put the words on paper the screen...that I haven't gotten to.  Why?  Well for starters I didn't / don't know how much I want to divulge, I don't know where to begin, I don't know what all to include, and I don't know where to stop.
I've gone back and forth.  Do I just throw it all out there?  Do I continue my cryptic version that some of you understand and some of you don't?  Do I ignore the past months on the blog all together and just start fresh?
I've had to do some serious thinking.
Then one night Tom asked me, again, why I hadn't started blogging again.  I told him that it was going to be a hard post to write.  I asked him, "how do I keep my generally light-hearted, funny tone in a post like this?"  His answer, "Molly you have no idea who all reads your blog.  It's not just the people who comment or send you a text saying they peed their pants laughing at your post.  There might be someone out there who reads your blog who went or is going through the exact same thing as you.  Maybe your story can help them, or show them that what they are feeling is totally normal."
So, here I go.  I'm writing, well typing but you know what I mean.  I'm going to start at the beginning.  That's about all I can promise.  The rest will probably be a mess of word vomit.

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Ok, the beginning.  A quick recap of where we were in March.  Tom was moving to North Carolina and I was staying in Minnesota for the year while he completed his Sports Medicine Fellowship at Duke University.  Tom signed a lease on a one bedroom apartment.  Everything was good to go.  We were trying to enjoy the last months of his residency and last months of being together before he left.
Apparently we were enjoying each other a little too much because on May 10 I turned up pregnant.  We were shocked, excited, nervous, and thrilled (we had tried to get pregnant for a year previous to applying for Fellowships and it didn't happen for us).  But then reality hit.  What the hell were we supposed to do?  Some major decisions were going to have to be made quickly.  We couldn't take the normal 1st trimester and keep the pregnancy to ourselves.  We needed help making decisions and we needed to move fast.  We made the decision to tell our parents right away because we needed them to start thinking about different options.  I also told my boss pretty quickly because I had just taken a promotion and assured him I wasn't moving to North Carolina (funny how God works!).  We then needed to contact Tom's apartment complex and try and get out of his lease.  A one bedroom apartment was just not going to work anymore.  Luckily they were amazing and let Tom out of his lease and helped us get into a 2 bedroom apartment.  This is about where we were when I wrote this post.
We decided to put our house up for sale and luckily sold it within 24hrs.  We then made a million trips to Des Moines to move most of our stuff into storage in the basement of one of my Dad's offices.  Moving from a 3 bedroom house with a basement and a two-car garage to a 2 bedroom apartment really made us evaluate how much crap we could live without.  Did you know you can live without a 12cup food processor and sewing machine?  I know mind blown..... 
Although time was moving super fast, it felt like it took forever to get to our first Dr. appointment.  I was feeling pretty good (a little nausea here and there) and everything seemed to be going well.  Finally the day arrived for our first Dr. appointment.  Tom and I were both so excited.  We had figured I was far enough along that we would be able to at least hear the baby's heartbeat and we couldn't wait.  Our appointment was in the afternoon on a Friday so Tom could be there.  We were planning on driving to Des Moines immediately following our appointment to put the Monte Carlo in storage (again, funny how God works!  You'll understand in a minute just keep reading.)
The appointment went great.  Our Dr. was very excited for us.  He went over all the rules (you know, no hot tubs, no alcohol, no smoking, etc etc).  Right as he was leaving the room he asked, "Hey do you guys want to see your baby?"  We of course said, "YES!"  I may or may not have screamed a little.  So he wheeled in the ultrasound machine....

The is the part I would like to keep private.

This is the part where in a full tearful embrace, at 1am when we finally arrived in Des Moines after the heartbreaking appointment, my Dad said, "Molly sometimes life can be a bitch."

48 hours later I was waking up in a hospital bed sobbing uncontrollably, Tom never once leaving my side. Now what the hell were we supposed to do?  What does anyone do next in a situation like this?  We'd just flipped our life upside down, made MAJOR life decisions based on one very fragile piece of life and now that piece was in heaven.  Well tomorrow I'll catch you up on what we did and where we are now.

XO XO,

Molly

 

"It's Britney Bitch and I'm Back!"

That's right I'm back starting tomorrow!  Hold on to your hats, we've got a lot to catch up on.

I've missed you.

XO XO,

Molly