Time to be a Wild Cat!

I can now officially announce that the Roan family will be moving (yet again) to the bluegrass state! Lookout Lexington, Kentucky here we come!

Tater was accepted as a transfer student to University of Kentucky's law school. We are so proud of him. On top of that he will be able to work with the football team there as well. Needless to say, he is super excited.

Though I am very excited to be making this move and I dreading the actual "moving" part of it. We only have a few weeks to pack up all of our belongings and trek across state lines. Blah! I despise moving. Everything about it. Yet, we do it all the time. Somewhere deep down I must have a goal to live in as many US states as I possibly can. Kentucky will be state #7 for me. We have both sworn that this will be it for us...no more moving! Well, until he's done with school of course. Then its off to the next one!

Meat Purse

So I finally watched the VMA's (I realize I'm a little behind.) I've always considered myself someone "in the know." I try to keep up with the latest trends or at least know about them and I've always thought I was successful at doing this. I like all the latest music and am familiar with all the latest hollywood gossip. However, there is one piece of today's music I truly don't understand and that is Lady Gaga (or GAGA, GaGa, gaga...whatever.)

I don't get Lady Gaga. Anything that comes out of her mouth I always ask "what did she say?" I find her music very catchy but I don't understand what it is about her that people are enthralled with. Am I simply getting old? Or am I now in a different part of my life that things like this fly over my head? It is truly perplexing! While accepting one of her many awards she said something that caught me off gaurd. Did she really just say "Cher is holding my meat purse?" I admit I am famous for misunderstanding people. I am the person in the room who belts out the wrong lyrics to a song constantly. For example:

Me: (singing to a country song) Charlie Daniels t-shirt rodeo!
Tater: Did you just say t-shirt rodeo?
Me: Um, yeah thats what he says...
Tater: Its 'don't let this charlie daniels t-shirt throw ya"
Me: oh
Tater: Didn't you ask yourself what a t-shirt rodeo was?
Me: I figured it was a cool place where people all wore the same t-shirts and rode bulls...

So when Lady Gaga says meat purse I think to myself that I must have misunderstood her. Maybe she said beet purse or my neat purse...After close inspection of what she was wearing I realize that she really did say meat purse because she is wearing a dress that looks like a piece of raw meat. Ew. And there is a chunck of what must be prime rib stuck on her head. Is this whats in style? Will I go to Target next week only to find the latest version of raw meat in the form of a purse for the cheap price of $14.99? Surely not. Please no. I will do alot of things in the name of fashion but raw meat is where I draw the line. Humph. Lady Gaga you crazy girl you... Maybe I'm just not meant to understand this woman they call Lady Gaga.

5 Months Old

Yes, I know that bib is so stylish. You'd wear it too if you spit-up your entire lunch.



She loved the tour. Especially the view of her stroller.





Two words: Daddy's Girl





Gigi- 5 months old

Living Large

I know, I know. It's been about 5 1/2 months since I've last posted about anything current in our lives. I am such a slacker! How could I not post something new everyday about this amazing little girl in our lives? Well, I'll tell you. I'm busy. The past 5months in a nutshell...

1. For the summer we were forced back to our homeland of VA because Tater was offered a paid internship there. That means for the entire summer we went back and forth between our parent's houses with a new baby. We were able to save money and our closest family members were able to spend valuable time with Gigi so all in all it wasn't the worst situation we'd ever been in.

2. Gattlyn has grown like a weed! She just keeps going and going and going and going. Will this girl ever slow down? She is in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. No telling where she gets this from, right? ha! Everyday theres a new outfit I say a silent goodbye to and shed a silent tear for as I put it away in the box labled "clothes Gattlyn wore once because she suddenly grew out of them over night."

3. We've moved back to Dayton for Tater to start his 2nd year of law school. Wahoo! On top of his school work he has taken on 2 jobs (teacher's assistant and law clerk.) He is such a hard worker and everyday we watch him trek off to school with a sadness in our hearts. However, everyday we get to celebrate the minute he arrives home! We officially have a "daddy's home" dance.

4. We upgraded our space to a townhome. This is where you "ooohh" and "aaahhh" for us because our entire married life we have lived in tiny shoebox apartments. Though technically we didn't move up that much in square feet somehow having an upstairs makes it seem that much larger. Also, we are the proud owners of a real bonafide couch. No more hand-me-down for us! And thanks to Craigslist we made some money off of it!

5. Gattlyn's accomplishments: She loves to roll over (until she runs into something, that she doesn't like so much); she has developed the cutest laugh- its loud and obnoxious just like her mom's; she's very happy- she loves to smile, smile, smile; she can almost sit up; she loves baby food in all forms- she hasn't meet a meal she doesn't like (she gets it honestly from daddy); she's recently started screeching which we are hoping is just a phase; she likes to be near you but she doesn't like to cuddle kind of like a cat; she likes to jibber jabber and to sing; she is absolutely gorgeous!! What a great baby she is! We have been so blessed with such a super, amazing, special, precious little girl. Our life has been so enriched the minute she stepped in and we can't imagine our life without her. We love you Gattlyn and are so proud of you!

***I am now making a committment to try and update our blog more often. Maybe it will stick or maybe it wont. Baby steps.

Pictures

Our Little Boxer



Riding in Style



Cousins

The New Addition

My thoughts on childbirth.....



Ew, gross. Ouch, ouch and major ouch.





My thoughts on recovery.....



You have got to be kidding me.






My thoughts on my new baby......





LOVING HER!!!!

The Last Post....(for a little while)

I have decided that I would make my last post since coming soon I will be on a temporary hiatus. I can't believe today is Monday and by Friday of this week I will be a mom. Mom...weird! I would like to say that this pregnancy felt fast, but it hasn't. It honestly felt torturously slow.

Let me start at the beginning. As most of you know it took us lots of time, patience, money, medicine, procedures and tears for us to become pregnant. Once I found out that we were expecting I lived everyday as if I were in a glass bubble. I was so scared to do anything physical because I constantly thought of the worst. Everyday I told myself "If only I can get to week ____" and I would fill in the number. I would like to say that at a certain week it got better and I magically relaxed and became a normal person...yea, that never happened. The first 20 weeks I literally lived on pins and needles.

Finally, we made it to the point where we got to find out who it was living in my belly. That day was stressful and though I wasn't laughing then I actually can laugh about it now. Our little girl decided it would be funny to not show us her "goods" and made us drive down to Cincinnati two days later to a pregnancy spa to find out who she was! The first couple of weeks after knowing she's a she were a lot of fun because I got to shop around, officially pick out her nursery and all kinds of things. Yet, after the newness wore off I went back to being impatient. After you find out the sex theres nothing else to look forward to except the birth and thats still a ways away.

Waiting, waiting, waiting. It felt like all I did was wait. I wanted to be pregnant so badly for so long that the entire experience never felt real and the only way for me to believe what was happening was to see the proof! I know that must seem a little extreme to some of you, but thats just how it was for me. I know this must sound like I'm complaining, but I promise I'm not.

I have truly loved being pregnant. I am so blessed that I got to experience this amazing miracle. I loved hearing the heartbeat of a special person growing inside me. I loved feeling her get stronger and stronger everyday. I never thought the feeling of being kicked would be so comforting. I loved watching my husband rub my belly and talk to our daughter. Those times when she would wake me up felt special because it felt like a moment only the two of us knew about. I loved feeling my own heart swell and fall in love with this little person whom I'd never met. No words will ever be able to describe the experience I had from the moment I saw a plus sign to the moment I walk into the hospital for the final time. I truly cannot wait to meet this little girl.

Tater and I would like to thank all of you who supported us through the trial of "trying," through the experience of pregnancy and most importantly for going to be there for us when she's finally here. We know we could never do this without family or friends who love and support us. I guess this is it for now! I will do my best to not take so long to post about this amazing experience that will be happening on Friday! My love to all!

New JOB!!

Warning: Following Post May Have Some Serious Mushiness To It

Yay for new jobs!! This entire year we have been told how hard it is to get a paid internship as a first year law student. Tater and I both have secretly been freaking out to ourselves because with a baby on the way we NEEDED a paid internship for the summer!! We had no idea what we were going to do if he didn't find a paid job...
However, because of my husband's brains, charming personality, and dashing good looks (ok so I added the last part but I know that helped somehow) he landed the first job he interviewed for. Wahoo!! Our worries have been laid to rest.
Alas, with every good thing comes some bad things too...because of this fabulous new job (did I mention it pays??) I have now noticed that there is a good chance I wont be seeing much of Tater from now until school starts again in the fall. This lawyer lifestyle is a little demanding but I know that the hours he is putting in now are only to his benefit and to ours for the future. I am soooooo proud of him and how hard he has been working and all the sacrificing he does for the family. Oh, did I mention that over the summer I get to go watch him in a real-life court room? How cool is that?? So, here's to you MY LOVE!! I am so proud of you and love you with everything I have!!!!! Big Kiss!!

Patience, Patience, Patience...

Last Friday night I ended up in the hospital due to dehydration. Who knew water was actually good for you? Anyways, while laying on my hospital bed adorned in a beautiful hospital gown and hooked to a bunch of crazy machines it made me realize that I REALLY want to meet my daughter. Like, NOW. Honestly, I was a little disappointed to leave empty handed that night. Is that weird to feel that way? I really don't know. I know, I know I want/need her to cook for as long as she can and that she will come when the time is right BUT thats alot easier said than done. Now that the time is literally right around the corner I want it to happen now. I'm starting to get really impatient. Every little pain or twinge that I feel I'm wondering "Did that mean something?" "Should I stop everyting I'm doing and start sprinting for the hospital?" or my personal favorite "What the crap was that?!" I really hope all of these psycho feelings and worries are normal, because it's all I can think about. Ok, so I will stop freaking out now and just start to breathe a little.....

I'm ok...

I'm ok...


Was that a contraction?! Ha! Just kidding...

Comments!!

So I was playing with my blog today and stumbled upon the strangest thing...comments! I had no idea I had any! I feel like such a dork. Also, I must apologize for never responding or acknowledging these comments. I promise I never knew about them! So thank you everyone for your kind comments!!!! Tater and I are so excited for this new adventure that we are on and it's nice to know that our fmaily and friends get to take a peek on this crazy thing we call our life. So now that I know that these wonderful words exist I will try my best to pay better attention and maybe even respond.

34 Weeks...

34 WEEKS!!!!! It's so strange it say that I am 34 weeks pregnant. As strange as it is to say it I am certainly feeling the effects of it. Most people say that this is when the baby's movement slows down, however my child did not get that memo! It's as if she is on speed. She's getting bigger and stronger which makes her kicks and jabs that much more painful.
I constantly feel as if I cannot breathe. Honestly, it's like I just got done running a marathon when all I did was roll over! Now, I don't want this to sound as if I'm complaining because I'm not (well a little...not much though.) I am very thankful that my pregnancy has been wonderfully uneventful thus far so perhaps this is nature's way of reminding me that yes I am pregnant.
G is weighing in at 6 pounds and seems to be 17 inches long. Thankfully, she is no longer breech which I never thought I would prefer feet in my ribs rather than a head. The doctor at this point is not worried about her growing too big. His estimated guess is that she will be around 8 to 8 1/2 pounds. You never know though!
Sleep? What's that? I've never heard of such a word. You mean that you don't have to sleep with 5 sometimes 6 pillows for support? And you don't wake up every hour on the hour to either pee or to roll over? Huh...thats weird.
All of this is in good fun. I promise I really do love being pregnant no matter the effects/toll it's taking on my body. I do having a sneaking suspicion though that I'm going to love being a mom even more. Her being healthy and strong is all I can ask for at this point, but if she wanted to lay off using me as a punching bag I wouldn't mind that either!

Showered with Love!

My baby shower was beautiful! My mom and Aunt Pam did a fantastic job and I couldn't have asked for it to have been any better. So many friends, family and loved ones came out to support both me and Tater. I felt so special. Gattlyn's a lucky girl to have such a network of people who already love her!

Maternity Photo Shoot

It was so much fun doing this photo shoot. We had the photographer come to our home which I know will be so fun to look back on years from now. It was very relaxed and she did a fantastic job. These are only a few of the pictures as I haven't gotten back the whole gallery yet. I can't wait to see all of them!

30 Weeks

Approx. only 10 weeks left and I'm nervous, excited, anxious...all rolled into one. I love this time right now. Gattlyn moves constantly and I felt my first braxton-hicks contraction. Luckily, after more testing I found out I do not have gestational diabetes. Whew! I simply love being pregnant and I cannot wait for her to come and enrich our lives.

Baby its cold outside!

Hello Third Trimester!!

Icannot believe I am officially in my third trimester. It's such a wierd feeling knowing that there aren't anymore after this. Next stop; baby! Yikes! Had my appointment today and spoke about scheduling my c-section. Now thats weird. It seems like it went super fast on one hand, but on the other it felt super slow. Unfortunately, I failed my gestational diabetes test and now I have to take the 2 hour one. I'm so bummed about that. Ah-well, if it happens it happens I know I will survive. I got my nursery all set up and I love it! I love playing with all of her clothes. I seriously have no idea where I am going to put them all. I haven't even had the shower yet. No one tells you how your house will totally be transformed when your about to have a baby.