H. . . O-M-E-C. . .O. . .M-I-N-G! It's Homecoming yall!

This weekend, Kayla and her daddy experienced their first UNC HomeKOming! I was so excited to be back in Chapel Hill where so many memories were created! Friday night we went to the stepshow where that KnockOut Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta took home 1st place. . .YET AGAIN! William was a bit surprised to be around this rowdy bunch of professional women who talked much trash about any and everyone who graced the stage at the stepshow, including the fraternities! He said I sure hope the Deltas bring it b/c yall are talking a whole bunch of trash. . .WELLLLLL. . .they did! And he had to give us credit! I mean we have a tradition, a reputation which leads to the expectation of putting forth NOTHING but the VERY BEST! We even got the chance to see his cousin Josh "perform" (LOL!!!!!)
Saturday we started off early for a full day! 1st stop. . .KO reunion! Where the ladies of 26 years of Kappa Omicron gather together to say "hey" and remember when, take pictures, and just plain ol' fellowship! After that. . .gotta meet back up with William for the official Black Alumni tailgate! It was at this point that the "cat" (or announcement of Kayla) was truly out of the bag! I hadn't/haven't made an official Facebook announcement about our new baby girl! So for some people it was like Heyyyyyyy.. . OMG I didn't know! But with Kayla in tow I made the rounds! Speaking to everyone from Divann and Dina (from Whitakers), Tamika my counselor at Carolina Summers during '96, to any and everyone from '97-'03. It was great! The BAR reunion festivities get bigger and bigger each year. So it's always exciting to see who decided to come back each year! Then after the tailgate, we got to hang out with Shayla in the fieldhouse using her VIP status until the football game. (Sidenote. . .I don't know if I'll ever be able to take William to a UNC game again w/o some type of perk. . .The Shayla status doesn't come every time). We then went to the football game where UNC was again able to maintain possession of the bell -- thus symbolizing the domination of Dook in Football! It was close game throughout! Lots of fun to watch. . .and even better being there admist that sea of Carolina blue!
Once we arrived back in Cary preparing to return to Gastonia, that's when Kayla decided to show that she'd had too much excitement for one day. I mean she was moving and doing her thing all day long. Not to mention at the football game, after every sip of hot chocolate, she'd jump or wiggle in excitement! She was busy. . .but I guess it was too much for her. . .or me! B/c by the time I finally sat down and laid my head back, exhaustion came over my body! It was crazy! One moment I'm sitting there just fine, and then the next I feel like a total WIPEOUT! I tried taking a 30 min nap but that wasn't enough. So we had to just cop a squat in Cary and head back home on Sunday. Sunday though I was better, I was still dog tired! And to think I didn't go to any of the parties/meet n greets after the step show or game! If I had gone to them I may not have been able to lift my head today!
All in all it was great! I was so happy to be with my friends, my girls, my peeps! I was so appreciative to my honey bunny for hanging with me. I was even more appreciative to William for buying Kayla's first picture outfit ;)!!!! She's got her 1st Carolina outfit! It's soooooooooooo cute! Sooooooooooo perfect! The Bible says to train up the child. . .that includes college! It's important to instill the necessity for a college education from the start. I mean in my family there was no other option. I didn't think otherwise, the natural progression in my mind was always high school, then college. So for me. . . I gotta take it one step further. . .gotta show her all about being a Carolina Girl! They're the best in the world! Of course her dad has another opinion about where she'll go to school. . .but she doesn't have any WSSU gear so far!

Slip Ups. . .

So tonight, I experienced my 1st near slip experience. Now I have to go down a hill every day when I go to work. So I have envisioned myself having to avoid slipping down this hill many times in the upcoming months. . .due to either rain, leaves, or snow/ice. Well tonight as we left the Blake home going down the ramp, I slipped maybe a couple of centimeters and William almost lost his mind. After collecting his thoughts, he helps me to the car, sits down and then starts the lecture. (Oh yeah so now he's given his instructions for getting into my building at work) . . . after he finishes his lecture, he then proceeds to go call anyone he could think of to fuss me out. . .He calls my mother, his mother, his dad, my cousin, and gets a little frustrated b/c they sympathize with me the pregnany women without a center of gravity and extra pounds in the hips and the front and try to make sure that I'm okay. He calls errybody. . and gets mad when they don't stay on topic and lecture!!!! Then he calls Sister Patterson from church b/c she is ALWAYS on me at church to sit down, stay off my feet, don't pick anything/anyone up, etc etc etc. . .and what do I get. . .the lecture. And then she tells Brother Patterson (her husband) who also is gonna get me on Wednesday and Sunday as soon as he sees me!
So I slipped up. . .I understand, probably need to surrender my flats w/ the slick heel and convert to the flat flats with no heel. . .I know next time gotta put my hands on the rails.. .all that stuff. As Sister P also suggested, even though I LOVE taking care of my man, it's time to sit back and let him handle some things right now. . .ie no more lugging laundry up and down the stairs, taking the trash down. . .all that labor intensive stuff! I get it . . . 'nuff said! So as I sit here with my feet up. . .pillows propped behind my head and the remote in my hand. . .I'm gonna chill out! We'll see how long I can sit here. . .

It's 4 weeks to Thanksgiving, 8 weeks to Christmas! Whew where is the time going? It's reminding me of last year. This time last year I was planning a wedding and honestly December just got away from me. I don't think I made a single plan for the wedding in December. So much that my wedding planner thought I was mad or something. Well I had some family stuff going on with my aunt and I was out of the loop for real. This year. . .prayerfully no family issues will pop up. . .but before this year closes out. . .we've got some stuff to do! Gotta get ready for the big Wade-Gardin Thanksgiving shindig, decorate the house for Christmas, decorate the house for Kayla (ie her room, etc), Christmas shop (what little I plan to do). . . all while continuing to work, handle the church obligations with William, go on our "babymoon" before Kayla gets here. . . And this is the 3rd trimester!!! When they say the tiredness is gonna come back. So ummm. . .let's see!

William and I have gone on 3 dates in a week. Right now I'm really excited to spend quality time with just me and him b/c these moments may be few and far between. It's the little things that make it so much fun. After we dropped my mother off at the train station, we rode around Downtown Charlotte, looking/talking and then went to the movies, one night after I got off late we went and had a quick dinner at this nice restaurant that we both love, and Friday night we went to the movies again and saw MJ's This Is It! Nothing major just quality time! But tonight as I sit here on the bed, it's Milley's turn. I think internally she knows something is about to change b/c she's been all over William lately. She'll jump on the bed and just lay on him like please please please let me stay up here with you! She's spoiled and loves that man! So I can only imagine what Ms. Kayla is gonna do!

Oh well bedtime. . . good nite. .

BTW (By the way!!!)

So it's been almost 3 weeks with NO lunchtime car naps! Well today in my tired state of mind. . .what do I think about. . .a nap!!!! In September my lunchtime naps were rather pleasant. Wasn't too hot, not to cold, comfortable, put the windows down and lay it back! So today I go outside with the "thought" of taking a nap. . .guess what happened! It's too chilly! Can I sleep in my jacket and be comfy, should I crank the car and turn on the heat? "Oh No," I thought! What am I going to do during the 3rd trimester? It's gonna be a cold winter and I gotta make it through November, December, January, and some of February! So I'm taking any and all suggestions on how to make it through b/c everyone told me the tiredness, need for lunchtime naps, etc all come back in the end! So ummmmmm. . ..somebody's gotta figure out something!

So my peeps in St Louis have been on my head about pictures. They feel like I'm so far away and that they're not a part of this important time. So last night William took a picture so they could see how me and Kayla are carrying each other! Not the best pic, but. . .

Whew!!!. . .

So my mother was here for about 3 weeks "helping me out." But yesterday afternoon, we dropped her off at the train station for the Midnight Train to Georgia (or the 5:05 train to Cary. . .whichever works for you)! Now for 3 weeks William and I had grown accustomed to this wonderful help. The help with Milley, washing clothes, cooking dinner (or at least having the meat thawed out when I got home from work). . .all of that!
Well this morning, my husband continued his routine of getting up and out before the crack of dawn is even a thought, kissed me on the cheek and departed our humble abode! Then what happens, Miley starts barking. . .uh oh what's that noise! Let me call William to make sure he turned on the alarm. Well I got up finally at my somewhat usual time and got ready for another day at the JOB. Lately all I had to do was let Milley out the front door for a minute and keep it moving. This morning I had to let her out. . . Make sure she handled all her business, make sure she had enough food to make it through the day, put her in her crate and then get out of the house! Whew!!!! At that moment I fast forwarded in my mind a few years from now. When I could possibly have Kayla and Milley to attend to before leaving the house for work! Whew!!!! I was exhausted just thinking about it!
I finally made it to work . . . tired!!!!
Now fast forward to this evening! Got home, William had a jam packed day, so guess what . . .gotta walk Milley. I got that chick out of her crate and you'd think she was running in the Kentucky Derby . . .she took off! Ran around the upstairs, ran downstairs around the couch, through the front room, and then just proceeded to do laps! So I tried to let her outside the door like normal, of course she took off again. This time around the yard! Lord help me find that leash. So I FINALLY was able to put her on the leash and take her on a mini walk. You see she too had become spoiled with my mother here. She had lazy days w/o the crate, going in and out of the house. . .She had it made in the shade! So I finally get all that done. . .but what's next. . . Dinner!!!
Mind you at this point it's 7 pm. Here I am after a 10 hour day, basically being away from home for a total of 12 hours. . .I forgot to defrost SOMETHING ANYTHING in the freezer! What am I to do? All the while, my friend Jenn is having a good ol' time laughing at me, b/c it sounds hilarious on her end! So I piece some stuff together. . mesquite chicken breasts, Jambalya rice, some greens. . .HOPING in the end it will look appetizing/appealing to the eye some our stomachs can handle it! Pop it all on the stove, put the chicken in, let it simmer. . look at it 5 minutes later. . .Forget this. . Dinner's a bust. . .William can you bring us something home! It's just not gonna work! I'll do better tomorrow I promise. . .I just have to write myself a note to remember!

New Developments. . .Literally!

I work 10 hours a day 4 days a week! Lately though, my boss has been scheduling me with Mondays off and I work Tuesday thru Friday. By the time Thursday rolls around I'm already tired. . .and by Friday I am exhausted. So yesterday after a LONG week I still had to go to my hair appt. Previously, when I lived in St Louis, I only did Friday night hair appointments for about a year. I HATE going to the salon on Friday night. . .regardless of how long Shamira takes on my hair, I'm never the only one there on Friday night. But none the less I dragged on over the salon. Thankfully I was able to walk right to the shampoo bowl and pretty much got under the dryer immediately (Which I hated before the pregnancy and now I LOATHE the dryer!. . .I just can't take all that heat!) So I'm sitting under the dryer and somehow my shoes comes off. I mean this happens all the time now (I'm very comfortable being barefoot and pregnant these days. . .shoes get on my nerves) and I look down and what do I see. . .the beginning stages of CANKLES! My feet are swelling. . .not quite Cankles (calves and ankles running together) but they're big these days! Why. . .I'm not standing, I didn't walk alot. . .what's going on!

Then after making it thru my dreadful time under the dryer I finally get called to the stylist chair and sit down! YAY!! I'm gonna get out of here soon. So I'm sitting in the chair and then all of a sudden I start to feel these sudden sporatic urges to use the bathroom. Not hard but just small nudges "to go" b/c my bladder is not completely empty. But it's not the full feeling just a slight kick. . .then it dawns on me. . .She's kicking my bladder! What in the world! Just last week the ultrasound tech had told me that I wouldn't feel her move as much b/c of where my placenta is situated. . .but by the looks of the ultrasounds she's kicking up a storm all the time! Well Friday night and today she let me know that she likes to kick near the bladder! It's the weirdest thing! They don't hurt and it's not a "pressing" urge to go! But I didn't even get mad at her! I just kindly let her daddy know that I might invest in a bedside commode!!!

BTW. . .I was only in the salon for a total of 2 hours and 20 minutes. . . but on a Friday night. . .with all this going on, it felt like forever! I was out of the shop on my way to meet my hunny for dinner at exactly 8:21pm!

The Prenatal Picture!

William does more research on the sly than he'll ever imagine. So when he popped up with the idea to go get a 3D/4D ultrasound I just shook it off like yeah whatever. Quite honestly, the week that he suggested it was a true emotional rollercoaster and I just couldn't wrap my mind around another task. So I simply replied. . .okay baby! Well the next day he calls and informs me that we have a 1pm appt on Saturday. . .to which I replied. . huh? Who knew he'd get on this so soon. At that point in the week and even on Saturday morning I was still a tad bit hesitant and didn't have the energy to get too too excited. But he calls me at about 1150 from church and is like okay I'm on my way. . .to which again I replied. . .huh. . .okay!!! So I rush to get ready (I mean I was actually trying to get some chores done on a Saturday morning like the people on TV versus on a random night during the week). So we leave and head to Ballantyne! Good area in Charlotte so it can't be something too bootleg. We arrive at this building and enter into this sanctuary. . .music low, dim lights, and friendly faces welcoming us into this experiece. We register and are led back into the ultrasound room! Now this is part that I'm familiar with. Hop up on the table, pull your dress up or pants down below your stomach and lay back!
The owner, Mary Lucas (who to this day thinks my husband is hilarious), operates the ultrasound machine and it looks just like the ones at the doctor's office. Well then she flips this button and VOILA. . .we see Kayla's legs in 3D/4D (I'm not sure which one). . . .Now when I tell you those were the cutest legs, feets, and toes that I've ever seen! We were toooooooo excited. By that point of course I was crunk and eager to see her face. Well little Miss Kayla has a bit of me and William in her b/c chick would not move b/c I guess she just didn't feel like it. She was face down and would NOT turn her head so we can see her face. So Mary invited us to return a few days later to see if she'd turned.
Well this time we invited my mother and William's mother. . .b/c you can have up to 10 additional guests for this type of ultrasound. . .On the 2nd try. . . with an audience. . . it was all the way live! They LOVED it!!!!!!!!! Those two new grandmothers to be were to threw with themselves! They have spotted everything on the ultrasound to dimples, a big booty. . .mind you, babies don't have fat on them until later in the pregnancy! So we'll see! None the less we got a few glimpses of her face. .and of course those cute toes again!
Next visit is in December when she's bigger and had a lot more features to view!!!

For those of you pregnant mommies out there. . .we highly recommend The Prenatal Picture in Ballantyne!

It's a Family Affair!!!

So the most AWESOME Devastating Divas of DST got together for Nicole, D'Asia and I! To wish and welcome officially Baby Harrison, Baby Tripp and Baby Kayla into the world! For Kayla and I, it was our FIRST babyshower!!!!! It was great! These ladies have stepped their game up too! Gone are the days of chickens wings and a Harris Teeter cake (LOL). . .but we had baked chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, many desserts! At this KO event (no longer in Great Hall) . . . children were allowed! And they stole the show! Laden and his butter and photography skills(LOL), Koen and his cute biteable cheeks, Ariel and her lady like demeanor, Baby Harrison and his debonnaire ways already,
It was about have of the line that showed up but just like always we were so excited and eager to tell each other that you'd never know that the room wasn't packed with all of us!
They showered each of us with gifts galore! It was so unexpected and overwhelming. The tips that these ladies were able to offer shows how invaluable these relationships are!
To all those "KnockOuts" who weren't able to make it and especially to those who were . . .THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! We can never say that enough! William, Kayla and I enjoyed ourselves and I can't wait until we do it all again!

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