Reactions

After making my big decision less than a week ago, my news has started to leak.  And, for the VAST majority the reaction has been very positive.  Most people we've talked to said, "Yeah, we were wondering how you guys were going to manage a resident working 80 hours a week, a new associate working 60 hours a week, and having a baby without any help in Lubbock."  All I kept thinking was: "Why the heck didn't you guys tell us BEFORE I had a mental breakdown?" Haha.  I want to thank everybody, either on Facebook or on this blog, for their uplifting comments!  To whomever wrote that I was thier SI for Political Science, you have no idea how happy that made me.  Evan was in the shower and I literally ran over there just to tell him.  It was like a sign.  It was someone telling me "You're not crazy!  This is the right decision for you!" I wish I could comment on each individual's kind words because they all meant so much!!  So, THANK YOU for the support!

Everybody has had these amazing tidbits of wisdom that have really had an effect on me.  For instance, I've heard a lot of "You have to do what makes you happy."  And there is so much truth in this statement. I've also heard "You have to make sure to fulfill your wifely ahd household duties."  Now while I agree with this, because I am of course, first and foremost a mother and wife now, I want it to be clear that this was not the main reason why I made this decision.  This is similar to the fact that Evan's main jobs are husband and father as well, but he is still pursuing medicine.  Evan likes medicine and I didn't like law.  It really was as simple as that.  Evan and I are big with balancing.  We don't consider one career more important than the other. For these reasons, I feel that my new decision might require some explanation (that, or I just want to write more about it...my mind is obviously running rampant with thoughts about this).

I want it to be clear that this decision was not solely based on trying to succumb to my husband becoming a doctor.  I am not, nor have I ever been, the type of woman to simply tell my husband it is his duty to provide for us.  Now, obviously I'll make less money than he will, but if it had ended up being the reverse situation for some reason, we would have been ok with that.  Each person must do what they like...that's our #1 rule.  If I had never planned on working outside of the house, I would not have endured 3 difficult and grueling years of law school.  I would not have studied my butt off during college to get a full scholarship to law school.  I am a very independent woman.  Evan knows this and he knows that for me, personally, staying at home never has been an option.  I don't want to offend people with this comment, becuase I realize the staying at home v. working mom debate is incredibly controversial.  Some of the BEST moms I know stay at home: my sister-in-law, my Madrina, my Aunt, and plenty others.  I believe it's a decision for each couple to make together.  Evan knows that staying home isn't what I want and fortunately, he prefers I don't stay home as well, so that's what we've decided.  I think it's silly that people debate this topic because it's so personal...there is no point in arguing it.  Just let each family do what is best for them!! 

Furthermore, many people have said they are proud that I am taking a "break" from working for a while. Again, I want it to be clear that this is not my intention in the slightest.  In fact, the other screens open on this computer are all about taking certification exams to get my teaching certificate.  I have already applied for the programs and as soon as Texas A&M gets their act together, they'll be sending my transcript over. 

Yes, my job as a teacher will be less time consuming than it would have been as a brand new associate, but I am not the type of girl to just do this job haphazardly.  I plan on working my booty off and being the best teacher I can be.  And when Evan is done with his residency, it will be his turn to slow down some so that I can get my masters.  Again, it's a balancing act with us.  But even more than that, I want others to know that it wasn't made solely because I want to spend more time with Liliana (which of course was part of my decision process).  The main reason though, was because I didn't want to practice law!  I didn't like the material.  That was the ultimate factor in my decision. 

I do have a little caveat to make:  to any other lawyers that read my blog...I'm sorry if this recent decision has been offensive to you guys!  I want you guys to know that I will defend this profession to my grave.  I think lawyers do amazing work and I know, personally, that it takes A LOT of hard work to get there.  It just wasn't for me.  Plus think of it this way, this is one less lawyer to compete with for jobs and clients.

So more reactions...my brother told me I surprised the crap out of him (literally, he got food poisoning on a vacation he's on with Annie right now).  But, he also told me he's 100% at peace with my decision.  He, in a very honest manner, told me he was scared he had been losing me under this blanket of stress I had lived under.  Yesterday we saw one of my best friends Ashley.  She told me I looked so ridiculously happy.  Those are the kinds of comments I need to hear.  I've had some of my parents friends call me telling me not to give a 'bleep' about what others think because people change careers all the time and life is too short.  I've had alot of people telling me I was very brave to admit this mistake of going to law school.  This one has probably stuck with me more than anything else.  This decision WAS NOT EASY.  I thought long and hard about it, to the point that I got a horrible headache.  But since I've made the decision, I haven't turned back.  In fact, yesterday while other students were taking their bar exam, we were on our way to Dallas for Liliana to see family...see...it wasn't just a good decision, it was the PERFECT decision.

Today was supposed to be my Losing the Baby Weight day and I completely forgot! So sorry!! My mind has obviously been preoccupied.  I'll do it tomorrow hopefully.  I haven't worked out in a week because my stomach has literally been SO upset with all that was going on.  So I'm not expecting the best results.  But, I'm working out today because there is nothing to be upset about after all...I'm finally happy.  Ah...that sounds nice to say...I'm happy.

A Life Altering Decision

The last few days have been really tough.  I think I cried enough to fill a lake.  You remember how I was going through a crisis last week?  Well I finally decided I don't want to practice law.  I want to use my degree for something non-traditional.  And, I know exactly what I want to do.  I'm terrified because I just flipped my world as I've known it upside down, but I ... in my heart, know it's what's best for me.  I started thinking, "What am I doing?  Do I want this?  Do I want to work at a firm?"

Evan's going to start working 80 hours a week in residency.  I was miserable imagining being essentially a single mother and coming home in a bad mood because I hated my job.  I was reading over the Partnership outline in my bar studying last night, and each line that I read just made me cry harder and harder.  I just couldn't do it anymore.  I finished law school to make everyone else happy.  I stopped caring about myself somewhere in the process.  I think I honestly knew this wasn't right for me from the first semester of school.  Nobody likes studying, I understand that.  But at the same time, I don't think it was normal to HATE it, to hate the material, to hate the thought of being a lawyer.  I see why people do like it.  The material is so challenging and I loved that.  But, it just isn't for me.  Everyone is different right?

There was another couple that was a med/law couple our first year and she quit law school after the first year, and I remember feeling so jealous of her.  I was so jealous that she was confident enough to say "I don't want this."  That being said, I'm happy I graduated from law school.  Nobody can ever take that degree away from me.  I still worked really hard and I'll be able to use my degree for something.  It just won't be practicing law and some how, as ironic as it sounds, that puts a smile on my face.

So here's what I want to do: I want to work towards being a principal of a school.  Crazy huh?  I am going to get my teaching certificate as quickly as possible and teach for a few years and then go back to get my masters.  From everything I've read, my doctorate will only HELP in the job applications processes.  This decision didn't come from out of nowhere.  I taught (tutored a group of 60 students) for a year and a half while I was in college and it was by far the best job I've ever had.  Plus, I think I was really good at it!  I had three people email me and tell me they switched majors just because they enjoyed my tutoring sessions so much.  It was so rewarding.  I got paid for 12 hours a week but ALWAYS did more than that.  I WANTED to do more than what was required because I enjoyed it.  I even noticed that during law school and tutored for contracts as well.  I think I've always known this was what was right for me...it just took too damn long to realize it.

I'm honestly really embarrassed about it all because I'm sure everyone in the world thinks I'm ridiculous and stupid for doing this.  But if for some reason later in life I realize I made a mistake, I'll take the bar then.  But I don't think that's going to happen.  I think, I know, this is what I want for now.  And I'm going to run with it, because at the end of the day what matters is that I'm happy, that Evan is happy with us, and that my Liliana is happy.  And I'm doing my darndest to make sure that happens as soon as possible.

Happy 2 Month Birthday My Precious Lilibear

Liliana:

You are two months old today.  I have a feeling I'll be saying this every month, but wow how time has flown.  Yesterday night when Daddy and I were putting you to sleep I told him I don't know how we lived without you!  You are a part of this family now and it is perfect, absolutely perfect.

Your second month started with what we feared last month...your hair on the top of your head just fell out!  It was the saddest yet cutest little thing I've ever seen!  It's starting to grow back more so your mullet is fortunately going away some. You also developed some cradle cap so we called Uncle Danny, our favorite and free pediatrician, and he told us to put some baby oil on their for 15 minutes.  We did that, but then you got acne!  Oh, we just couldn't figure things out!!  But, eventually within a week, it was all ok and we stressed out needlessly (that's what parents do Lilibear, just get used to it).  Somehow though, through all of this, you stayed as the cutest baby of ALL TIME.

You are a fan of just sitting there hanging out with Daddy!

It was July when you were 2 months and I realize I have you in a jacket, but it wouldn't have fit otherwise...sorry Liliana!  I promise I turned up the air conditioner, but you looked too cute to pass it up.

You had a month of firsts too: you cooed on your Uncle Danny's birthday for the first time, you smiled and continue to smile pretty often (especially when Mommy talks to you), AND had your first laugh today.  Now this topic just breaks my heart, because thanks to the stupid freaking bar exam, I missed your laugh.  You see Mommy has been studying until about 3 in the morning every night because it's when you're quietest so it's the best time to get work done.  And in the morning, you were asleep and Daddy and Grammy heard you laugh.  They said it was just plain adorable.  I can't wait to hear it over and over again.

You adore your mobile.  I'm not surprised...your Daddy chose this mobile just especially for you.  When we put you to bed, you just look at the lights projected on the mobile over and over again.  Whenever the music stops or the lights stop, you immediately start crying, so we've figured out that we just press that button over and over again to ensure you stay entertained.

You were taken care of by so many wonderful people this month while Mommy continued to study for her bar: Tata was here for two weeks and took you out for a 45 minute walk every single day.  Daddy took care of you the next week and you were a complete joy for him.  He adores you more than he ever thought possible.  In fact, you're too good Liliana...Daddy wants us to have a million siblings for you.  Yikes!  Then, this last week you had Grammy come take care of you.  She shows you toys and you just look at them and even try to grab them already!  Everyone has loved spending time with you and Mommy just can't thank them enough for their help.  They have been life savers, but you know what?  I'm pretty darn positive that they love every second of their time with you.  Who wouldn't?

 We got so many sweet packages in the mail from family and this was one of our favorite outfits.

Everyone already adores you...I don't blame them.

As for sleeping, you're becoming a pro slowly but surely.  Of course, we've had some rougher nights, but that's because you're a baby!  Fortunately though, you've gone seven hours between feedings a few times and you're averaging about five and a half to six hours between feedings every night.  Thank you for doing that!  I hope this trend continues and continues. 

You definitely gained weight this month and when you don't get your food you SCREAM.  I mean, SCREAM as loud as you can.  You're like your Daddy...you love your food!  We figure you're probably about 13 pounds now, but since you were born a month early, you're doing more than fine.  You have pretty much outgrown all your newborn clothes and fit in most of your 0 - 3 month outfits.  Today, you're in a 3 - 6 month outfit!! Oops!

Those long beautiful eyelashes are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  I just can't believe how wonderful you are.  Having you is, by far, my greatest accomplishment.  Thank you for being our daughter.  You have enriched our lives more than we ever thought possible.  We can't believe how beautiful and how smart you are!! You are such a smart little baby!  Did you like all these pictures that Mommy put in this post?  I just wanted you to see how cutie you are.  I love you Liliana Rose.

 Look at you doing the Gig 'em sign...

you must have been dreaming about going to games at Kyle Field!  

Every evening when your Daddy puts you to bed (and every evening when I was pregnant), he tells you the same thing:  "I love you more than all the stars in the sky and more than all the fish in the sea.  You're a perfect baby girl."

Love you and I can't wait can't wait can't wait to finally spend every waking moment with you when this bar exam is done!  It'll be just you and me girl (well and EVERYONE else in San Antonio since we'll be there for the month while Daddy does his rotation with Urology). 

I Used to Like the Limbo

My world is full of changes lately.  My world is in a state of limbo.  First off, speaking of changes, do you guys like my new blog?? I got it made over by Bailey and she did SUCH a fantastic job.  If anybody else is considering getting theirs redone, I highly recommend doing it with her, she was perfect.   You see, before our wonderful oops (aka Liliana) Evan and I were going to go on a cruise after my bar exam.  It was going to be our present to ourselves for both sticking through this, for both going to graduate school, and for both making it through the roughest years of school.  But, then our Lilibear decided she didn't want us to go on a cruise, which we were completely fine with...we love her to pieces.  However, I decided I was still due a little present for this studying, so I decided to have my blog redone.  I'm so happy I did.  It matches my personality perfectly and I hope everyone likes it!

But...about limbo...

Back in college, I was the limbo girl.  Get a few drinks in me, and I could limbo like crazy...won quite a few competitions at parties actually, thank you very much.  Back in college, I liked the word limbo.

 

 Limbo Queen!

However, now, our lives never seem set.  That is getting really old.  Evan and I have spent the last week trying to plan out the next few weeks of our lives.  So much of it is..."well IF this happens, then we'll do this, and IF this happens we'll do that."  Ugh.  It's distracting with all my studying and is making me wonder what I really want out of life.

First off, Evan's trying to decide what he wants to do with his life.  Does he want to pursue Urology or Ob/ Gyn.  He keeps going back and forth with his decision and it's weighing down on him.  If he does Urology, our chances of him actually getting accepted are narrowed down to pretty much Lubbock or San Antonio because Urology is the third most competitive residency in the nation.  Who would have thought that penises and prostates were so competitive?  Then, out of the blue, Evan loved his Ob/Gyn rotation throughout this third year.  He has lots of options that he wouldn't mind pursuing afterwards such as Maternal Fetal, Gyn Onc or Uro Gyn (translation: high risk pregnancies, cancer, or woman urological issues).  If Evan pursues an Ob/ Gyn residency, then our options would be much more flexible because it's not nearly as competitive as Urology.  Plus, I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't mind having this handsome chap be my Ob/Gyn!!

                          Hubba hubba!

So recently, we've started wondering if we want to go out of state.  This then brought up the question of whether I want to pursue a "traditional" legal job and get a job with a firm or get a "non-traditional" job and not necessarily practice at a firm.   I know for a fact that I want to be a working Mom, this has never come in to our conversations.  However, I'm not sure if I could handle a firm job that requires so much time when I know my husband will be gone 80 hours a week throughout his four years of residency.  I'd essentially be a single Mom those years.  That being said, I want a job that is worth my degree and worth my time.  I want a job that I would be proud of.  That is very important to me and fortunately my husband understands and encourages that.  

So, we have decisions to make, and they're complicated.

For now, our plans are to see if I pass the bar exam.  If I do, then we'll try to stay in Texas and I'll try go the traditional route because I do like quite a few areas of the law and I loved the work I did at the firm I clerked for throughout my third year.  If I got a job here in Lubbock at a firm, I would stay working there and Evan would do residency here and things would continue just fine!  

If I don't pass the bar however (which, to be completely honest is looking really likely right now), then I think we're going to try to go out of state for residency.  Evan and I have loved being on our own these three years of marriage.  I know that many couples love being close to their families, and eventually we will be too.  But for now, this has suited us well.  It has made us grow as a couple and now with Liliana, as a family. I am a very independent person, so I think the desire to get out of Texas stems from that.  Fortunately, Evan wants to go along for the ride and I can tell he's excited about this possibility.

So, now we're seeing where would we want to live???  Phoenix, St. Louis, and a couple cities in Florida are on our list.  The nice thing about some of these is that the housing market isn't horrendously expensive and it could afford me some time to get a decent job to warrant all my hard work through law school.  We would probably rent a house for a while because the salaries that they give residents are pretty bad. Also, we have pretty strict guidelines.  It can't be too cold (have you noticed these cities are in the South?  We like warm weather.  But the city has to be big enough where I could have plenty of job opportunities.  We need companies big enough to have HR opportunities, consulting jobs, financial planning jobs, etc...basically places where I could use my degree.  I should mention: I can't practice law in other states because I would have to retake the bar and get licensed in that individual state since I wouldn't have practiced in Texas yet.  Taking yet another bar is not an option...call me lazy, but I will not be studying for the bar in another state.  No sir.

Anyway, we'll make it work.  And at the end of the day while this is stressing us out like crazy (can't you tell?) we always go to bed saying the same thing...

As long as we're by each others side, it'll all work out...it'll all work out.

Liliana's Completed Nursery

Hello my viewers from Kelly's Korner!  I did this post nearly 3 months ago when Liliana was only 2 months old.  But, I'm still as in love with her nursery as I was then!  It's bright and neat and calming.  All things I wanted.  ENJOY!

I realize my daughter is almost 2 months old...so...it's probably time to talk about her nursery huh?  I am in love with how her nursery turned out.  I wanted a room that looked girly, but wasn't pastel pink.  I love bright colors and I wanted Liliana's room to be fun, whimsical, and comfortable.

So, here are a few views.  I hope you guys like it!

Entrance to Liliana's nursery.  I think it's pretty fitting...

Here's the main view of the room.  I got the bedding from Target and fell in love with it immediately.  We got the prints on the wall from Etsy and the frames from Walmart.  The shelves were purchased at Target.

The nursery furniture is from Babies R Us and the rocker was from Pier 1.  These prints are also from Etsy.  They're in Spanish, which Mommy loves!

Liliana's closet is FULL of clothes (those boxes are packed).  We get a package in the mail at least a couple times a week with people sending her goodies.  It's so much fun to open them and see what she looks like in those adorable outfits.

The main reason I put this picture up is to show Daddy's great idea: the door hook for the diaper bags!  This is great because I always know where they are and now they're not just sitting around some random place in our house.  Sometimes men do have good ideas ... who woulda thunk it?

So...I gotta give myself some credit here...I painted that toy chest!  You can't really tell in the picture but I put polka dots all over the letters.  The letters are attached with velcro so that when she's old enough she can take them down and play with them.

I wanted to add this picture to show Liliana's favorite blanket.  One of my Mom's great friends made this quilt for her and it's perfect..perfect size, perfect thickness, just perfect all around.

Setting up Liliana's nursery was such a blast.  It took a lot of time, a lot of work, and was a work in progress, but I am so happy with it.  We definetely did it on a budget, but that's always fun.  It takes more time to have to travel to Target, Walmart, and Ross to see what's cheapest, and it obviously takes longer to paint a toy chest than just buy one, but it gives everything more personality.  Whenever I'm inside her room, I just realize how perfectly it fits our little girl.

If I Suck in...THEY FIT!

Well welcome to my third installment of losing the baby weight!  I have to admit, I'm more upbeat about it this time.  Approximately one week ago I decided to do it...do IT (no...not THAT...get your head out of the gutter people).  I decided to try on a pair of my pre-pregnancy pants.  You see, a week after I got home from the hospital I made the huge mistake of doing that.  I went in to my closet and found my period pants: you know, the ones that are a little bigger, but you love when you're on your period because you feel all bloated?  I have done some stupid things in my day, but this has to be at the top of them.  The pants barely got above my knees.  I kid you not.  All I could do was laugh at my stupidity and fatness.  I put them back thinking I'd try them on some other day.

So, last week, I decided it was time again.  I was now 7 weeks postpartum and wanted to see if I was making any progress.  Now mind you, I had to suck in A LOT, my muffin top greatly hangs over, and the seems were being stretched to the max, but the things fit!  It was awesome.  I walked all over the house trying to impress my husband.  He just seemed amused.  The pants obviously didn't fit, but man it felt good to get in something that wasn't a dress or skirt (the only things I've worn lately).  All my skirts and dresses from prepregnancy fit me two weeks after giving birth to Liliana, and I don't have too many, so I'm getting pretty sick of wearing the same things over and over again.

These two weeks I made some startling revelations:  Did you know that if you don't eat out you'll lose more weight?  Uh huh!  See, aren't you glad you read this blog to find out fascinating nutritional advice?  Oh, and another thing: if you don't make any desserts...you won't have any to eat!  And when you don't eat desserts, you lose more weight too!  It's just crazy!

So, 8 weeks postpartum, here's my progress:

Eating Habits:  I kept two pieces of food on my plate (or gave them to my beagle (#3 love of my life after Evan and Liliana)) and we ate here in our house A LOT more.  My mom was here for most of the last two weeks and she cooked nearly every night.  This helped so much.  I told Evan that if I don't get a job immediately and am staying at home for the next few months, I'm cooking every single night and going out will be a thing of the past.  Not only will we save money, but we'll lose weight too! Evan lost a ton of weight the last two weeks too. He hasn't been this weight since before college.  You know what that means right? The abs are looking mighty nice! ; )

 Who could say no to that cute little beagle? : )

Exercise:  I varied up my work outs these two weeks and had fun with it.  We went swimming twice and I did P90X with Evan one afternoon.  Other than that, I did my Jillian Michaels DVDs (30 day shred, No More Trouble Zones, and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism).  I've said this before, but buy all three of these.  They are all excellent workouts.  Even when I was in great shape before the pregnancy, these things kicked my butt.  I had promised on my last post that I was going to increase the intensity, so I did Level 2 of the 30 day shred last night.  I don't think my abs were quite ready for that yet.  Your abs are nonexistent post pregnancy.  It's pathetic and very strange feeling.  But, hopefully, by the end of these two weeks I will feel more comfortable on my level two.

Here we go again, the moment of truth:

Prepregnancy weight: 126 pounds

Weight Day I went into Labor: 163 pounds

Weight Today: 139.2 pounds

I lost 2.2 pounds in the last two weeks.  You're probably thinking "woman, that's not that great," but considering that I'm studying for the bar exam approximately 14 hours a day and taking care of my brand new baby girl, I'm proud of this progress.  I only lost 1.6 pounds last time, so something I did worked better these two weeks.  Plus, I originally thought that my weight would come off more slowly now that my uterus isn't shrinking anymore.  Apparently, my hard work (well, as much as I have time for) is paying off slowly but surely.  Plus, since I didn't ever breastfeed, I'm aware this weight is going to come off more slowly, but I'll get there.  I'm very determined to get my body in shape...it has...after all only been 8 weeks.  I can't wait for August when I'll no longer be studying.  That workout routine is going to get intense and you guys are gonna start seeing major results from me...I hope. ; )

Goal for the Next Two Weeks: I'm not going to give myself a new goal these upcoming two weeks because I have the bar exam in two weeks, so my studying is priority #1.  If I just keep up my 25 minute workouts every other day, I'll be really proud of myself.  I don't foresee any progress in my next update, but as long as I don't gain, I'll be proud.  My main goal for the next two weeks is to stay sane.

Eventual Goal:  13.2 pounds to return to pre-baby weight!

One thing I know for sure..this little girl is SO worth it all. 

She's gorgeous isn't she?  I know I'm her Mommy and all, but wow...

The Story of Us Part IV

If you haven't read Parts I, II, or III of this love story, I recommend you do that first so you can know what the heck I'm talking about.  Just go to the label called "The Story of Us."

Two days after we went tubing, I developed the worst sun burn I've ever had in my entire life.  In fact, I haven't really ever burned since.  I rarely wear sunscreen because I have my skin is naturally a little bit darker (it's the Boricua (translation: Puerto Rican) in me).  But, that time, I burned and I burned bad.  My entire back started peeling.  So when I saw Evan on line, I immediately IM'd him and the conversation went something like this:

Cristina: Evan, you jerk!
Evan: what did I do?
Cristina: because of your invitation to the river, I burned so badly! I'm peeling!  It sucks!
Evan: haha.  Oh Cristina, I love you.  You are the most beautiful woman in the world.  I want you to have my babies!

Ok ok...maybe I exaggerated that a tad bit huh?  In all seriousness, that night Evan and I chatted online for over 3 hours.  Somehow, we managed to talk about everything: politics, religion, our hobbies, and our families.  It was the first serious conversation we had ever managed to have with each other and mid way through I think we both realized "holy crap...why haven't we been dating all this time?"

When we finally had to say good bye for the night Evan typed to me that he thought completely differently of me than before the conversation.  I asked him if this opinion change was for the better or made things worse and he immediately said "much better."  The next night, I got online again hoping and praying Evan would be online too.  Before I could even see if his name appeared on the screen he IM'd me a big "Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!"  It seems like somebody had been waiting to talk with me all day.  Since that first conversation, we have never gone a day without speaking in some way.

A few nights later we went to a pool party at someone's house.  Evan picked Kourtney (one of my best friends ever) and I up and took us to the party.  While at the party, I definitely played hard to get, but wherever I went Evan would be right at my side.  Now mind you, up to this point, we hadn't even held hands.  I was in the pool and Evan came up beside me and ever so gently placed his hand on my lower back.  It was like my entire body went numb.  I had never felt like that when somebody touched me.  I was hooked.  Utterly and completely hooked.

When the party was over, he dropped Kourtney off at her house and then dropped me off.  I was so nervous.  This could be it...the moment of the first kiss!  I prepped my lips by biting on them so they would look nice and red, I ran my tongue over them so they'd look shiny and appealing.  He walked me to the door, said good night, and turned around.   And ... that was that.  Evan told me later that he sat in his car afterwards beating himself up for not having kissed me.  He said he just got too darn nervous.

The next day Evan decided to come visit me at the kitchen store where I used to work over the summer.  I decided he had missed his chance to give the first kiss.  I was going for it!  I was going to kiss him!  When he came in to the store, I took his hand and walked him to the back of the store (there was a little storage room).  As we were walking back, Evan asked me "What are we going back here for?"  Oh man...men are freaking clueless!  I was trying to put some moves on him and he had no earthly idea! 

I quickly turned around and gave him a kiss.  His hands were shaking.  It was a short, sweet, and gentle and amazing first kiss.  When we finished our kiss Evan looked at me and said "oooh...that's why we were coming back here."  HAHA.  Just so you know, I didn't leave the store completely unattended.  There were two of us working and she was watching the front for the two seconds of the kiss.  Looking back on it, I was the worlds worst worker huh?  Fortunately that kiss solidified and molded what would be the most important aspect of my life. On June 7, 2002, I kissed the man I ended up marrying. Probably the best decision I've ever made.

I think Evan finally got some courage after this and leaned in to give me a second kiss.  As we're leaning in, lips puckered, eyes closing we heard a huge knock at the door.  UPS guy!  You have got to be kidding me.  It's ok...we've made up for it with millions of kisses after that. 

And there you have it.  After that kiss, we were always "Cristina and Evan."  He met my family soon thereafter and immediately my family loved him.  I went over to his house really soon too.  His Mom told me the night that we got engaged that Evan told her not too much longer after that first kiss that I was the one for him.  And deep in my heart, I knew it really soon too.  Here is the first picture that anyone ever took of us together.  Evan came to my parents lakehouse on quite a few occasions that summer and my parents loved having such a good helper, eater, and swimmer around the house.  My Mom snapped this shot of us.  I have it in a frame in our house so that we always remember how long our love has lasted and all that it has endured.

When you know, you just know...even when you're 17.

I love you Evan. 

The Story of Us Part III

If you haven't read part I and part II of our love story, I recommend you do that first to keep up...

Now, let's see, where did we leave off?

Ah, yes, one fine day in Economics class (a class I didn't/ don't really care for), it started raining.  No, take that back, it started pouring.  The thunder was loud as could be too.  I DO NOT LIKE THUNDER.  I still to this day get freaked out by it.  So, this one day in March the thunder rang out loud as could be and I let out a little yell.  It was probably the cutest noise that Evan had ever heard, because the next thing he did is what really solidified, in my mind, that this mindless flirting might have actually meant something.

Now, I warn you, before I go on to what happened, you have to promise that you won't make too much fun of me for ending up with this guy. . . this part of the story gets incredibly incredibly  nerdy.  After I yelped because of the thunder, Evan asked me for my calculator.  He was messing with it for a little while and I wondered what the heck he was doing.  When he handed it back to me, I saw that he had set the calculator to read as follows...

Cristina is awesome and really pretty.  Cristina is awesome and really pretty.  Cristina is awesome and really pretty.  Cristina is awesome and really pretty.  Cristina is awesome and really pretty.  

Yep, it was the sweetest most nerdy thing anyone had ever done for me.  I got red as a tomato and looked at him and said thanks.  And he just smiled.  I kept that program on my calculator for weeks and looked at it all the time.  But one day when A-hole (my ex) needed to borrow my calculator, I deleted the program.  This told me I had feelings for Evan too.  If I was trying to hide something from A-hole, that meant there was something TO hide.

Fast forward to April.  A-hole's and I relationship was crappy as ever.  One day, I had a friend come over and tell me that he was cheating on me.  Honestly, I wasn't really surprised.  I called A-hole, called him an A-hole and a million other things, and that was that.  I cried for one day and then really wasn't that upset. 

The evening that we broke up, I was laying down with my Dad having a pity party and he asked me, "Hey, what about that guy that plays water polo?  You never know Cristina!"  Holy crap...how did my dad know?  How did my dad know that would be the guy I would end up marrying?

That weekend my Mom took me shopping (a tradition for whenever I ended a relationship).  You see, my Mom has this theory that you should look great after a relationship ends.  Kinda a "eat your heart out" thing.  So, we went shopping and I was really excited to look good....for EVAN! : )  I went up to him first thing that morning and kneeled down and told him "A-hole and I broke up.  Just so you know."

He seemed completely unphased.  I was so disappointed.  My cute outfits hadn't done the trick!  Darn it!

Two days later, Evan asked me to go tubing with him and some friends.  I knew it!  I invited a friend along that had a crush on Evan, but then again who didn't? Throughout the year, I had quite a few girls ask me if they could date Evan.  Evan was a really sought after guy.  He's smart, looked older (which of course, was really sexy to a highschool girl), had washboard abs, and was the captain of his waterpolo and swim team.  What else could a girl want? ; )

Before we went tubing, I went to Target and bought a new swimsuit.  It was a bikini that ... I gotta admit, looked pretty darn good on me.  I started feeling bad because my friend had a crush on him and here I was trying to look good for him.  But, it was just innocent flirting right?  What did it matter?

We went tubing that weekend and had a great time.  Evan later told me that when he saw me in that bikini, he thought I looked amazing.  HA!  Again, my cute outfits were doing the trick!  Although there were about 15 people there, Evan did a great job and stayed by my side the whole time since I didn't really know anybody else there (the crowd was his swim team.  I was a student council girl myself). 

At the river, I didn't put sun screen on and soaked up the rays.  I thought we had an amazing time and went home content as can be.

BUT, two days later, I was on my computer and saw Evan was online (AIM chat...yeah...remember when people used to do that?).  I immediately wrote him a message "YOU JERK!" 

Why had this guy become a jerk in my eyes?  How in the world did we end up getting together?  You'll have to stay tuned AGAIN for another installment...but tomorrow, I promise, we'll get to a special special moment: the first kiss.

The Story of Us Part II

If you didn't read "The Story of Us Part I," I recommend you read that first so you can follow along with this love story.

Last I left off, I was thinking Evan was a jerk for embarrassing me in front of my classmates and he was thinking I was an airhead for just chatting with my friends instead of paying attention to the ridiculously interesting course that is Chemistry.

When junior year started, Evan and I had a bunch of classes together: Physics, Economics, Lunch Period, and English.  So basically, we were seeing each other over half of the day.  In high school, the way that you sit the first day of class ends up being your assigned seats.  Little did we know, we were about to form our future just by this one simple thought that Evan had to himself as he walked in to Physics class, "hey, I remember that girl, I'll go sit in front of her."

(translation: HEY...there's a girl for me to make fun of even more...let me go sit in front of her)

The rest of that first day, we just kept sitting next to each other.  We didn't really talk to each other much that first day.  I think it was just a pattern we established.  

As the year went on, we became really great friends.  I started realizing that I looked forward to those class periods, even Physics for peets sake!  Now mind you, I was in a relationship with a guy we'll call A-hole (trust me, he deserves that nickname), so Evan and I were just that: friends.  Evan was in a relationship with a girl we'll call Coach (she was also a swimmer and often liked to tell Evan what to do...if you know Evan, you'll realize that this relationship obviously didn't last long). 

BUT, even though we were both in relationships...a little flirting never hurt anyone right?  Throughout the year, we got closer and closer and spoke more and more throughout the day.  Evan was always reading in class.  He never read the textbooks of course.  He just always had his nose in a book and personally, I thought this was cute, nerdy, and hilarious, so I tried my best to tease him whenever he was reading.  I would poke him in the back and ask him "hey, whatcha doin?" or I would take my finger and run over the letters on the back of his shirt just to distract him enough.  Sometimes, I would run my fingers through his hair (yeah yeah...I realize that maybe since I had a boyfriend this wasn't appropriate, oops).  Evan's hair used to feel like straw.  Since he swam 4 hours a day, his hair had no life to it.  So, I thought it was really fun to run my fingers through it.  He later admitted to me that he always liked when I did that...he still does. 

Really though, we were just friends.  On Valentine's of Junior year, I was walking around with flowers that A-hole had given me and I asked Evan what he was going to give Coach.  He looked at me with this bewildered look and said: "Should I get her something?"  Are you serious dude??  So, we walked through how Evan would buy her flowers and give them to her at swim practice.  Evan broke up with Coach shortly after that.  Maybe he realized that something was not quite right if he didn't even think of giving her flowers on Valentine's.  It's hard to believe that this is the same guy that brought me a huge bouquet of flowers after I got my first speeding ticket because I had had a bad day.

Throughout the year, we started slightly, maybe becoming more than just friends.  I even woke up one morning at 8 a.m. on a Saturday just go to watch one of his water polo games.  Mind you, I never told A-hole that I was doing that...he would have been pissed.  You see, A-hole started noticing that something fishy was going on between Evan and I.  He often told me that I shouldn't be with Evan so much or that he heard through the grapevine that we were always talking in class.  A-hole started showing up after every class to walk me down the halls and to establish his territory.  Evan later told me that this always bothered him...that A-hole treated me as though I was his property.  Little did that A-hole know...my heart was starting to wander off towards Evan.

You know how I said I was always teasing him while he read those dorky books?  Well, all that prodding and annoying him seemed to have an effect.  I got really sick my junior year of high school and stayed home for a few days.  Evan said that that's when he started realizing he might like me a little.  He said that by the second day he turned around to see if I was there.  He didn't like that he was reading so many chapters in all his class periods.  He wanted to be interrupted.  He missed my company and while I was sick, I missed annoying him.

Then...one sweet and fine day in Economics...

The Story of Us Part I

One of my best friends in the whole wide world posted something on her blog last week...a story of her and her husband.  As I read through it, I got all teary-eyed.  I've known them pretty much since they met so I had seen all that she spoke of: how they grew more in love every day, how they've never loved each other more, how they've been through so many amazing things together, and how fortunate they feel to have each other.  After reading this, I felt compelled to write our own love story. I could relate to all the sentiments that she described.

Evan and I really are like two peas in a pod.  We have such a great marriage and friendship.  I can be myself around him.  In fact, sometimes I can be myself around him more than I am when I'm all alone (if that makes any sense)!  And now, with Liliana here, our love has increased exponentially.  We have had so much fun being parents, but we're still making sure to have "us" time.  We watch 30 minutes of TV every night before we go to bed.  Liliana gets a feeding around 1:30 in the morning usually, so this means that we're often watching television at 2, but it's worth it.  It's OUR time together and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

I did post about our married life on our 3 year wedding anniversary, so I'll try my best to not be repetitive.  But...let's start from the beginning shall we?  I think I'm going to have to do this post in quite a few parts because it'll be really long, sorry. I'm a long-winded person, what can I say?  But, it's our story together and I'm so excited to write it...so cut me a little slack. : )

It all started in August of 1999.   I had been at Keystone (a small private school in San Antonio) for 9 years.  I begged my parents to let me go to a public school.  I wanted to meet more people, see more things...and yes, when I said "things," I meant boys.  There were about 10 guys in my class at  Keystone.  I, quite frankly, had grown sick of seeing the same ones every day!  So, my parents finally gave in with the condition that I "only enroll in honors courses."  Done and done!  I walked in to my history class, first period, and sat down.  The boy that sat next to me was wearing a red polo and some Sambas and I immediately thanked god because the boys in public school were freakin' hot...the boy's name?  Evan Lacefield.

Soon, I became friends with other people in the classroom and moved to another area, so Evan and I didn't even speak until sophomore year of high school.  Our experiences together weren't really in Evan's favor.  The first time we ever spoke went like this:

We were in Chemistry class and quite frankly, I wasn't paying attention.  See, I had gone to the Science Fair and done rather well.  Our teacher, as a reward, gave me 20 extra points on every exam...soo...why in the world would I pay attention in class?  I had a for sure A in there! Our teacher, Mr. Fuller, started getting annoyed by my chatting with friends (he called the three of us the Bermuda Triangle).

Mr. Fuller: "Hey Cristina, Where's the Bermuda Triangle?"
Cristina: (completely unaware of what the heck he just said): Huh?
Evan: (turns around and seems so sweet and whispers to Cristina): "Carbon Dioxide"
Cristina: (whispers to Evan): "thanks Evan"
Cristina: (out loud and proud to Mr. Fuller): "CARBON DIOXIDE!"
(whole classroom busts out laughing)

Yup, so that was our first conversation together.  How sweetly nerdy huh?  Really...who does that to somebody?  Who would purposefully make fun of sweet, cute, little 'ol me?  As you can imagine, the hot cute boy had suddenly become mean in my eyes...and somehow we ended up being the great couple that we are now?  To learn more about our story, you'll just have to stayed tuned...

Lots of Little Things

I haven't really blogged about life in a few posts, and I have a lot of things that I want to talk about (surprise surprise right?), so I decided to do another post full of lots of little thoughts I've been having...

So You Think You Can Dance

Does anybody else love this show?  It's by far my favorite show of the summer and I look forward to watching some of it every Wednesday.  I always take at least 30 minutes study free to see my favorite dancers.  This year, my favorite is Alex.  He's amazingly talented.  In case you missed his dance last week, it was a hip hop routine with Twitch (a contestant from seasons past) and it was freakin' awesome.  Even Evan enjoyed it.  The guy is a ballet dancer...would have never guessed it when he danced like this. 

Fourth of July

I love this holiday.  This year was different from normal though.  Since I can remember, the fourth of july has been spent at the lakehouse.  Evan and I have been together for 8 fourth of july's now and this was the first year that we didn't spend it at the lake.  Normally, we go to Medina and all of our friends and family join us.  We ride around on the boat, jetski, eat too much brisket and watermelon, and then put on a hell of a fireworks show.  I'm always in charge of getting money out of the guests before we go buy the fireworks.  Usually, I accumulate well over $100, so we get a show that lasts quite a while.

This year though, thanks to the stupid stupid stupid bar exam, we stayed home in Lubbock.  My Dad and Grandpa came up for the weekend and you know what?  We still managed to have a pretty great time!  Evan, my sweetheart of a husband, knew how bummed I was not to be doing fireworks, so he bought this little package of fireworks we could do in the front yard.  None of them involved fire per se (not allowed in city limits), but we all were outside throwing confetti around our front yard with Liliana in our arms and Linda scared as crap because of the noise.

That being said, I can't freakin wait to go to the lake next year.   I missed not chewing out Evan and my brother for not playing safe with fire...it had become somewhat of a tradition. ; ) 

Liliana, of course, was dressed up with her pretty fourth of July outfits! She had to take part in the festivities too after all.

Toy Story 3

As I said, my Dad was in town this last weekend.   My Dad and I have this tradition where I take him to see a Pixar movie as his Father's Day gift.  We've seen Wally (bummer of a movie), Cars (kick ass movie), and both Toy Story's.  So this year, the timing couldn't have been better.  And let me tell you people...this movie was amazing.  Somehow, the Pixar guys did it again.  It's just as funny as the previous two and my Dad, as usual, was laughing harder than anyone else in the movie theater.  We had a great time even though we looked pretty dorky in our 3D glasses (that was his request).  Anyway, highly recommend you watch it.  I guarantee you'll love it. 

Bar Subjects

Last week, I received YET ANOTHER book in the mail for my bar prep.  I was kinda angry at first until I realized it's an ultra-condenced outline of all the subjects.  Do you know how many subjects are on this thing?  26!!!  Yeah, 26 subjects that I have to completely memorize.  Apparently, they want me to be a lawyer that can do it all.  Here's the thing, I don't wanna be!  So, can I opt out of those sections that I'm not particularly interested in?  I wish...

So, for your reading pleasure here are all the subjects one has to master to pass the Texas Bar Exam: Torts, Contracts, MBE & Texas Real Property, Criminal Law, MBE Criminal Procedure, MBE Evidence, Constitutional Law, Oil & Gas, Trusts, Guardianships, Wills, Texas Criminal Procedure, Texas Civil Procedure, Federal Civil Procedure, Texas Evidence, Commercial Paper, Bankruptcy, Agency, Partnership, Corporations, Secured Transactions, Community Property, Family Law, Consumer Law, Federal Income Tax, and last but not least, Federal Estate & Gift Taxation.

No problem right?  Oy...

Haircut

On a happier note, guess what I did today?

That's right, I chopped off my hair finally!  It was so long overdue people...long long overdue.  It had been approximately 5 months since I had been to get it cut.  I want to look respectable during interviews (if I'm lucky enough to land some). 

Personally, I love it!  My brother usually hates when I cut my hair short, but he'll have to understand that I'm going to be a professional woman and I have to look the part!!  So, Danny, if you're reading this blog ever...deal with it! : ) 

"Baby You're Turning Heads"

People, go to Hobby Lobby...now.  My Mom went to Hobby Lobby today and found these things called "baby, you're turning heads."  They're a bunch of bands or hats with separate bows that you can buy and change out.  They are the cutest thing I've ever seen.  My Mom came back with a band, two little hats, and three bows. The bows are each $2, the band is $1, and the hats are $4, which I find really affordable.  It's a heck of a lot cheaper than Etsy. I'm in LOVE!!

Being a Pregnant Law Student

I've noticed that a lot of people have been finding my blog through "pregnant during law school" or "can I do law school while pregnant" searches.  When I was about 5 months along, I did this post about Being Pregnant in Law School.  I thought I would write some more posts expanding on that and giving some more advice because now I can post when I think it's best to have a baby in law school and more so, whether I think it would be possible to be a mother to a newborn during law school.  For today's post, I'll expand more on just being pregnant in law school in general.  In the next few posts, I'll write about being a Mother during law school, and when I think it's best to have a baby in law school (if you have that kind of flexibility). 

As I had posted a few months ago, being pregnant during law school wasn't what I would call easy.  At first, it wasn't too bad, but when the morning sickness sets in, coupled with exhaustion during the first trimester, you're pretty miserable.  You wonder "how can I do this?"  Then, during the second trimester, you think "oh ok, I feel like a normal human being again...I can manage."  And finally, by the third trimester, your mind has gone to lala land and you do have some problems focusing.  There are many things to consider about having a baby in law school, or in my case, 6 days after graduation.  There are, quite honestly, positives and negatives to both.

I do, however, think a few things are essential.  If you are doing this completely on your own (in other words, wanting to be a single mommy), I would recommend you wait until at least the end of your first year.  If I wouldn't have had my wonderful husband around, I honestly would have taken a semester off.  Here's the problem with pregnancy: you can't plan how you'll feel!  Some women are really lucky and they never have anything out of the ordinary happen, or they have no morning sickness.  But, I had horrible morning sickness and I was still throwing up in to my trash can with my husband holding my hair up at nearly 20 weeks.  So don't think it'll be perfect and that you've timed everything your way.  My little precious girl was born nearly 4 weeks early.  I still have no idea how I would have managed if her due date had been June 1st and then she would have come smack dab in the middle of finals.  Yeah...not good.  These are all things I strongly encourage you to consider.

Another thing to consider is how important grades and extracurriculars are in your life. Once the morning sickness really started setting in, it was very hard to focus.  I'll give you an example:  when I was 8 weeks along and my morning sickness was pretty bad, I took my MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam).  I failed it the first time.  This test is not hard...seriously...it's embarrassing that I failed.  I took it the second time in my second trimester when I felt better and passed it with flying colors.  Additionally, you can't be in a million extracurriculars either because you'd be letting down your teammates when not feeling well.  I remained very involved on my journal, because I loved the people that I worked with.  I also worked approximately 20 hours a week at a law firm.  Looking back on it, I should have probably cut out my clerking at the firm.  Working and the journal were ok together, but adding in the school work was too much and that is also why my grades suffered so much.  You will have to learn what works for you and make sure to not over do it. 

Another thing I really noticed through this entire experience is that there isn't ever a perfect time to have a baby.  While my husband and I weren't exactly planning to get pregnant that fine day in September (oops! haha), I'm not sure it would have been any easier in the years following.  This is a decision that you and your partner have to make TOGETHER (that is, if it's planned).  Once Evan and I got to thinking about it, there were many positives about the timing.  Throughout Liliana's first year, Evan will be in his fourth year of medical school which isn't nearly as strenuous as his first year of residency!  So as I said, think about how things would be as a couple.  This is going to be a balancing act.  Get ready to start working together NOW, before you get pregnant, because you'll be a team more than ever once your cute bundle of joy comes along.

Note: if this is the first time you've seen my blog, I also recommend the following posts:

Just a Typical Saturday in the Lacefield House:  This could be the kind of schedule you'd have on a weekend with a newborn if your partner is available to help you 24 hours of the day.  Consider how this would fit in to your schedule during law school.  In some ways, it's perfect because you study on your own time most of the year.  It would obviously be hard during finals.

Pregnancy Doctor Visits:  At my law school, they took attendance during our classes and we could  typically miss between 2 - 6 class periods during each semester.  Consider how this schedule would fit in to all of this.  This is, in my opinion, a big positive for being in law school while pregnant because I don't care so much if I miss one class period, but when you're a brand new associate they will not be happy that you're missing so much work!

What to Expect when You're Done Expecting:  Here is the hardest part about having the baby during law school: the recovery.  If you had a job, you would have a couple weeks to physically recover.  Sure, you'll be exhausted during your hours as an associate, but the recovery while you're sitting in class would be rough.
 This is something to consider...talk with your school and see what their policies are.

Overall,  it's a decision you will have to make!  All I'm doing by writing these posts are giving you things to think about.  There are definitely positives and negatives to both.  That being said, personally, for me, if I didn't have the bar to be studying for this would have been perfect. I am happy I was pregnant during law school.  Even though our pregnancy was not per se planned...it ended up fitting our lives very well, much better than if I had been working as a new associate.  I saw how much the associates worked at the firm I clerked for... and let me tell you, when I left the office at 6 p.m. because I had had enough of the nausea, they had to stick around and keep getting their stuff done.  Like I said, if I had to miss class for an appointment, it wasn't a problem.  Also, yes my grades went down because I felt sick, but in the big scheme of things that sure sounds a lot better than the other option: when you're an associate, if your job performance goes down for months, there might be some more serious consequences.  Hope all this information helped!!  Please note, every pregnancy is different and some people might feel differently about this...I'm just giving my opinion from my experience.

Also...please excuse my subliminal messages ....  ;  ) 

What to Expect When You're Done Expecting

Before I talk about my recovery, I just want to give a shout out to my sweet husband's blog!  Have you seen it??  It looks amazing.  Mine also looks really snazzy too huh? I'm so thankful to him because he gave our blogs makeovers last night instead of studying! haha.

I have been wanting to write for a few weeks now about my recovery after giving birth to Lilibear.  It's really upsetting that the books rarely talk about this stuff.  They talk plenty about the pregnancy and about giving birth, but stop after that! Are you kidding me? Why didn't you warn me that the worst was yet to come?  I should also warn that this post is a little more graphic than some would like...there are definite moments of TMI, so if you don't wanna read about it, then just click the X at the top right hand corner! : )

For me, personally, the worst was yet to come!  I had a really tough time with recovery.  It was painful and didn't seem like the end was in sight.  I thought giving birth was a joke compared to the recovery.  I should probably start by saying I was fortunate and didn't have any kind of tear (other than a labial tear).  I didn't have an episiotomy, but mainly because my epidural wasn't working so my OB decided against it.  Because I was so lucky in all these regards, I thought the recovery would be a breeze...I was wrong.

One thing I wasn't prepared for was the bleeding!  I knew I would bleed, but I didn't know gallons of the stuff would come out!  It was disgusting and frustrating.  The hospital provides you with these huge underwear and I loved them, haha.  In fact, I asked for some extra ones before we headed home.  They also give you these huge pads.  Again, loved them.  One thing I wish the books would have said: the bleeding doesn't go away for a while.  I thought I would be done bleeding after just a week.  Nope.  And just when you think it starts getting better, you bleed heavily again.  As I said, very frustrating and very disgusting.

Another thing you might not expect: contractions.  Yep, that's right, you're not done with those.  Now, these I can't complain about too much because I didn't think contractions were that horrible when I was in labor.  And before you start saying "yeah but she had an epidural," I made it to 6 without complaining.  Really, I didn't think they were that bad, just weird feeling.  If you're breastfeeding, you'll get contractions more by the way.  A good way to help with this is to force yourself to walk around the hospital floor.  This makes you have contractions and makes you bleed more.  It's a way to speed up that recovery.  I wish I could have done more of it the first day but since we hadn't slept in over 24 hours, I was naturally pretty sleepy.

But the hardest thing, by far, for me was the pain in that area.  Every time I peed, it hurt like crazy...I cried and nearly screamed in pain.  That's how bad it was.  As I've said before, my epidural didn't work for the vaginal area, so I know pain...and yes, those last 3 pushes hurt like hell.  But, I didn't cry!  Yeah, that's how bad this stinging was when I peed.  To make matters worse, it lasted for about a week.  That was horrible.  I never wanted to pee and every time I did, I was in pain for at least 30 minutes after.

Now, I must admit, I'm lucky because I neither got hemorrhoids during or after pregnancy, so I can't give advice there.  But, let me tell you...I've heard they're the worst!   The one thing I can talk about is to also get ready for your booty to be sore!  I mean, you just pushed a baby out quite closely from that area.  Also, the hospital will give you stool softener and send you home with a prescription for it...take it.  That helps.

My last symptom was teaching my boobs that I wasn't going to breast feed.  First off, your boobs get huge and hard.  It wasn't super painful (for me at least) but it was uncomfortable.  I just wore two sports bras for three or four days full time.  Then, once I thought I was in the clear, the leaking started.  Just beware.  Don't wear anything without a bra for at least a month after giving birth.  In fact, just wear those pads just in case...I didn't...I should have.  Ewwwwww....I know.  I learned the hard, and embarrassing way.  Also, in case you don't know...you leak when your baby cries.  It's pretty fascinating and gross all at the same time.

Here's my advice for women recovering:  

(1) Walk. around as much as you can (obviously don't over do it.  I did that once and regretted it because then I didn't want to walk around for quite a few hours after).

(2) ICE PACK ICE PACK ICE PACK.  The stupid nurse didn't give me an ice pack the first day and I really wish she would have.  Evan went out and bought ice packs when we got home and I did that a couple times a day to help with the pain.  It really helped.

(3) Numbing Spray.  Oh yeah, this stuff ROCKS.  I used it 4 times a day for nearly two weeks.  While it sounds disgusting, I found it easier for Evan to spray it on there for me because he could get a better angle.  I'll do another post some day about how essential spousal support is through the recovery process.

(4)  Medication Regiment.  When you're at the hospital, they come and give you your medication every 4 to 6 hours (depending on what you're taking).  I wanted as much as possible to be medication free so I only took Ibuprofen.  But, when I got home I did some stupid things: I only took the medications when I started having pain.  Evan quickly changed this and even asked me if I wanted the Lortab.  I caved in...I took it for a week and also took the Ibuprofen.  Every four hours, like clock work, I took some sort of medication.  This was amazing.

OOOK, I think I'm done with recovery updates.  Was that some effective birth control or what? ; )