1 Year and 2 Weeks

It seems I am running even further behind on my posts! I wonder how that could be? ;)

Anyway, it has been just over a year since PJ and I were married! My goodness, how time flies. Things are going very well at work. While hubby and I were vacationing in Tahoe, his other staff pharmacist was also out on leave and the store was completely dependent upon floaters! Some numbers were down, but the technicians did a fantastic job holding up the work flow! PJ was impressed and I was at peace to see his relief when he came home from work his first day back.

Our neighbors are having a little boy! We are so excited because it has given us more opportunity to chat with them; they even came over to talk about newborn stuff when AJ was just a few weeks old. They were so kind! I do hope this will give us another chance to invite them over for dinner. Please pray that we would have the opportunity to invite them to church and to encourage them in faith.

Mommy has been having one heck of a time adjusting to new "normal." That is, every time I think I have her figured out, she switches things up on me! It's okay though. We definitely have our tough days, but she is challenging me and encouraging me more and more each day in godliness. It is quite humbling.

Just a quick update for now, but we are very excited about the Christmas! We will be celebrating on the 20th with my side of the family. Then, for Christmas eve, PJ's family will be joining us for our church's Christmas Eve service before we join the rest for the annual party. I am excited to join them for Midnight Mass for the first time, as well. AJ will have a busy first Christmas!

Happy Christmas, everyone!

Love,

Jessy

One Month Old

                                      

AJ turned 1 month yesterday! What a roller coaster it has been. PJ has been back at work for a week and a half now and it has been somewhat of a tough transition, but we are hanging in there.

When I refer to the roller coaster, I am mainly talking about my emotional state. I never realized how difficult being a mommy was going to be. Nothing comes naturally- feeding, sleeping, schedules, feeding patterns- nothing. 

I'll start off with the fact that I was not (and still have not been able to) produce enough milk to feed or keep up with her. It was really difficult to talk about and there is still some fear and anxiety about the fact that I have to suppliment and bottle feed her. She will not nurse and the screams she cries out when we try do not help my body's stress. (*Please note: I love and appreciate you for wanting to know how we are doing, but please do not advise me in this regard, I have spoken to lots of friends and family who have or are currently experiencing these decisions, and we have already made ours). 

We started to get a somewhat consistent "routine" down and then she began her 3 week growth spurt, so everything was thrown off. When the spurt was over, she decided that she liked the shorted periods between feedings, so she took advantage of the suring the day. I can't complain too much about her sleeping, though, because she does AMAZING in the car/out and about. She also goes for long stretches at night, so PJ and I are both doing well with the amount that we sleep.

We have had our ups and downs, but I cannot say that we are without tons of love and support! I have had a few diffiult days where I don't seem to be myself, even when we're out with friends. Yet, the Lord has been faithful to remind me how much of an incredible blessing my family is. AJ is healthy, we have not had to deal with medical issues, hospital stays, medications, or any other complications. She is a good sleeper, she can't (as a newborn) sleep through the night, but she sleeps well enough to give hubby and I the sleep we need to get through the day and she rests prety well in the morning; this ideally would be a good time for me to do my Bible study and catch up on my chores.

PJ and I have a beutiful, healthy baby girl. We have a huge support around us to give us date nights and encurage us in this new adventure. We really cannot complain about this stage of life we are in. We can only pray and ask God to grant us the patience we need as new parents and the discipline we need to be intentional with our time. 

                                     

Thank you for your love, encouragement and prayers! We would not be able to do this without you!

November is For Thanksgiving

Let me preface this by saying that I do love Christmas. I love winter. I very much enjoy celebrating the first coming of Christ our Savior - which I am grateful for 365(6) days a year.

I will now proceed to note that I am the person who rolls her eyes while walking through stores that play Christmas music and have Christmas sales in October and November. Why do we have to skip over Thanksgiving? Why do we have to jump so quickly to the end of the year? Can we enjoy this month of gratitude instead of feeding into this progressively selfish and materialistic culture by shopping for gifts and making wish lists?

FunFact: Jingle Bells was originally written to be a Thanksgiving song. The Christmas Holiday steals gratitude and songs! 

Rant Over 😊

AJ's Arrival

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've updated everyone! I can't believe how time goes by so fast! 

Well, after I told you all about the tough time I was having with the anticipation, I went in for a NST (non-stress test) on Friday morning. It was non-responsive, the nurses were unable to get a consistent read on AJ's heart rate, so the doctor sent me over to be induced. I was admitted around 10:30am. 

My parents were there soon after, and PJ finally arrived around 11:45. I was not dilated at all, so they started me on Mesoprosal (1 of 3 doses given every 6 hours) at 11:30. Having the moniters on to watch my contractions and her heart rate, it was difficult for me to move around and the nurses had to keep adjusting my position. Needless to say, I wasn't resting very well, and I wasn't progressing very quickly. 

By 1am, I was almost dilated 2cm, they still weren't reading her heart rate very well, and I had already had my third dose of medication. The doctor needed to insert internal monitors, which required him to break my water so he could attach one to her head. She was still really high, and I was determined not to have an epidural... It was a painful procedure, but having my water broke, I was up to 4cm by 3am. At 4, they started the pitossin. 

Now the medications were forcing the start of my contractions, which were consistent, and causing back labor because AJ was facing forward. However, I was stuck at 4cm for quite a while. Until about 10am Saturday morning, to be more precise. Now, I had been up since 5am Friday, not expecting to be induced; I had been in a hospital bed for 24 hours and awake for about 29. 

After the internal monitors were put in and the midwife informing me that AJ was still pretty high, I was able and encouraged to move around. So, I did. From about 2am on, I was moving, repositioning, dancing, doing squats, everything. I was exhausted and in more pain than I could bear, having such little strength left and the inability to eat since I was already on pitossin. I caved. I knew I didn't want IV drugs because AJ would get them, too, and would be lethargic and difficult to bond with once she came out. I had the epidural at 10:30am. 

Now, I thought that I would regret it, but I do not. I was able to take a 2 hour nap, allowing PJ to get some rest, as well; and my labor started speeding up because I was so relaxed. By lunch time, I was starting to feel the contractions a little more, so the nurse checked me so she could try to get the doctor back to set up more medications, as long as I wasn't at 8cm, yet. I was! 

I was so excited to be so much closer to meeting AJ! The nurse checked me again at 2pm and I was fully dilated. She told me that they were going to let my body labor doown for about an hour, then I would start pushing. It all felt so surreal. Just a couple of hours earlier, the doctor told me that I may have ot have a caesarian section, now I was progressing well enough and would be pushing her out within an hour. 

3:00pm hit, 5 contractions and 10 minutes later, AJ was out and I was able to cuddle with my little bundle of joy :) Induced on Friday morning, baby by Saturday 10/03/2015 afternoon, home by late Sunday afternoon. not too shabby! 

Anticipation

I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support through this entire journey. Pregnancy has been quite the experience, especially paired with being a newlywed. I am incredibly blessed with a supportive and encouraging husband who loves me and leads me well. We have been overwhelmed with the wonderful church family God has given us and cannot imagine being anywhere else right now. Our family have been amazing through our marital transition and we are both blown away by their generosity. 

With all that being said, I am still a fleshly human being, and it has been a very difficult week as we wait to meet our little girl. PJ and I both came early, so naturally, our families assumed that I, too, would deliver early. I expected myself to be late, but deep down, I have realized I did want her to come early and I hoped to be holding her in my arms already. When my birthday came and went, when the weekend came and went, when my expected due date came and went... I was pretty disappointed.  

The hormones have been taking over my reactions and I have pretty much been at the brink of tears for the past week. I have been tryng so hard to be grateful for the extra time the Lord has given me to spend alone with my husband; to welcome the pregnancy overtime, thanking Him that we are both healthy and there have been no complications; and still working hard to become a better house-wife, finding a routine for myself that will be completely altered once AJ does arrive. 

I have challenged myself to pray through my discouragement, to smile and accept the love coming from our friends and family when they ask me the same questions, to dive deeper into the Word and distract myself until the contractions come, but it has been a difficult week. I have been filled with discouragement and impatience without allowing the Lord to soften my heart and accept that those who are asking the same questions and sending me the same messages are showing their support and wanting to be encouraging. 

Through each time I've sat down to pray, I have confessed my hardened heart and saught out His grace to give to others and the fruit of His Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Last night, He answered my prayer, and it was as if He flipped a switch. 

PJ and I were reading and I realized that He is granting us more time to prepare, He is giving me people who want to love on us and bless us and do life with us, He is reminding me what we are to be characterized by and what the fellowship of His church is for. I woke up feeling so refreshed. God is so good and I am so grateful to all of you for your prayers! 

I also want to apologize if any of you have felt that I was giving you the cold shoulder or was being rude to you. Thank you for your grace and understanding. 

Love, Jessy :) 

Almost 10 Months

PJ and I have been married for almost 10 months now, and our little one is due in just a day! How incredible the blessings of the Lord and His faithfulness? 

PJ's work is going so well! He is ahead with the schedules for his store, preparing his staff for his vacation/family leave, and he has just been so much more encouraged lately. It has been so nice that he's been able to come home on time most every night and seeing him in a better mood. There are still difficult customers and slow floaters, but the store is in a good place. 

These past 2 weeks have been the longest out of the last 9 months! AJ is due tomorrow, mom has been encouraging me that she thought she would be early, and now I'm just exhausted and uncomfortable. We also found out that our neighbors are expecting, too! She is due around Christmas. In my looney state of mind, I had a dream that she had her baby before me and he was perfectly healthy. 

I felt like Rachel from FRIENDS when she has Emma and she is in labor for hours upon hours and mother after mother keep coming into triage and leaving for delivery, "I've been here longer!" 

Please be praying for a safe delivery, hopefully one without being induced next week, but if that does happen, pray that AJ still comes safely. Thank you all for your love and encouragement and prayers. 

:)

Maternity Session

Hubby and I had a wonderful time on Sunday with our "Family Photographer," Darren. We spent the morning at the park taking maternity pictures and enjoying the wild geese :D

I want to take the time to share my absolute appreciation for Darren. He spent his week camping and drove home late Friday night. He shot a wedding on Saturday. Then he woke up early, so we could all get to church, on Sunday morning to take these photos! This guy is a champ!

Monday night, after his first day of classes, he finished posting our session on his website; having finished posting the wedding photos from Saturday as well, and they were all ready for Facebook Highlight posts when he texted PJ around 10pm!

Darren also shot our wedding, and the amazing thing was that he had his computer ready with a slideshow mid-reception, having never eaten his meal until after we left. His girlfriend, the lovely Ladonna, saved him a plate of food which had to have turned ice cold by the time he got to it.

We are calling him our Family Photographer because he takes beautiful photos, has them done as soon as he possibly can, and alerts us via email and text with the download information as soon as it's ready. In his consideration, he also asks permission before posting to his FB page, even though these are his work. We will continue to support him with our business for all our big moments :)

Thank you, Darren, for all your hard work! We are so grateful for you, friend!

8 Months and Counting

Hello friends! Sorry I have been so sporadic in posting. Schedules and life has been a little hectic. PJ and I have been busy preparing for AJ's arrival. Can you believe that tomorrow is September and she will be here in less than a month, Lord willing?!

PJ's work has still been a little hectic. With his other pharmacist on vacation through next week, they have had a difficult time keeping up the workflow and managing the different floaters who have come in, but my hubby is handling it like a pro, and I am so proud of him. Not too many incidents to speak of, only that it is starting to become second nature for me to encourage him instead of fuel his frustrations and vent with him. It is hard not to be his defender, but there is nothing I can really do besides encourage him in Truth and to cast his cares upon the Lord. It's challenging as a loud, stubborn woman to take a step back and not try to control the difficulties my husband is facing (from 30 miles away), but I'm getting there :)

I want to take this opportunity to thank the amazing women who helped put together both my baby showers to welcome AJ! First, Eileen, I cannot tell you how much it meant that you even wanted to throw one! I felt so loved and encouraged when you told me you really wanted to host one for our church community. Erin, it wouldn't have been possible without all of your hard work on the gorgeous invites and the tasty treats you made for us! And Kathy, I am so amazed at how heavy your desire is to serve, not only me, but the rest of our church community. Thank you all so much for your support.

Second, Mom, there is no way to thank you for all of the ways you have loved and supported me over the years. Your desire to have the friends and family shower be just right was so sweet. Though it had to be so far out to the boonies, it was beautiful and I had so much fun! Pam, your jubilance in helping out and donating your house for us to enjoy our shower was beyond appreciated! Aunt Re, thank you for your help with the cake and sending out invites. Alysha, the games were not as cheesy as they could have been (except the diaper derby :D), good job on picking those out and running them. Love you, cousin!

So many have asked if I have hit my "nesting" period yet. The truth is, mentally, I was waiting for the showers to see what I would even need. On Saturday, when PJ and I finally both arrived home, I was scrubbing down the changing table and prepping AJ's laundry! We went to bed late because I decided that this was the time to get everything ready. Needless to say, we had a long weekend, but it was completely worth it. There is still a mess here to get in order and laundry to finish (my dreaded task), but I'm much more motivated now.

Other ways I have been preparing is just working through my own discipline and consistency. It has been hard for me to keep motivated and keep up with all of the tasks I lay out for myself. Beyond these, I have strong desires to see so many people and have them over for dinner and go out on double dates before our little one arrives, but there doesn't seem to be enough days before that time comes! Please be in prayer for us as we continue to prepare our hearts and minds for the next season. We are both so excited to meet AJ and we cannot wait for you to meet her, too!

With Love,
Jessy

AJ

I wanted to wait. 

If I did not get to wait to find out

I wanted to wait to post 

We all know that I cannot keep my mouth shut

That I am bound to let anyone who asks

know the gender and name of our first child

Originally, I did not even want to know myself

I wanted to learn there in the delivery room

With my husband standing by my side 

Holding my hand 

Tearing up as our little was placed in my arms

I am glad that we did not wait

That I get to plan ahead

That we have the chance to use their name 

when we feel them moving inside my belly

I hoped, though, that we could put this off

Posting everything online

Having everyone know

Insisting that they knew themselves

I guess this is the way it's going to be

My family are too excited 

They can't keep from posting 

and tagging 

and bragging

I love them

But you see why I have such a big mouth! 

This fall, PJ and I are expecting a little girl. 

We are so excited and cannot wait to meet her. 

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. 

Thank you for the ways you want to love on us 

and our growing family. 

As a precaution, I am not going to post her full name anywhere, but I am calling her AJ. I still cannot wait to share pictures with you all! 

Seven Months

I have not been very consistent in keeping up this blog. It has been a long couple of months, but we are still enjoying the Lord's blessings in our marriage and I am so grateful for my husband.

Let's see, in the last two months, I have progressed into my third trimester of pregnancy (yeah, this year is really flying by quickly), PJ's store has been under a difficult construction schedule (under which the store has remained opened), and our little one has acquired more clothing for the first few months of life (0-3) than PJ and I have combined!

It has been such a wonderful blessing to see the love and encouragement God has provided for us through close friends and family. Both Lola (Filipino: Grandma) and Nonna (Italian: Grandma), are so excited for their first grand baby and so are Grandpa and Lolo! All they ever talk about is how much they are looking forward to babysitting for us and spoiling Baby Molina. PJ and I are strategically discussing how to keep Baby's spoiled-ness to a minimum, can't have another me running around!

As for our neighbors, we tried to schedule two or three dinners with them, but it hasn't worked out. They seem disinterested and content with hello's and smiles at the door. We would love to get to know them better, but we can't keep hounding them. Hopefully, when Baby Molina gets here, we can come up with some more ice breakers and try again.

The pharmacy has been a bit of a wreck and it is difficult not to be able to help my hubby destress after a hard day's work and some emotional hardships with his coworkers. My hubby has an amazingly kind heart and it is difficult for him to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes, that is what the manager has to do. He has had to cut his store's payroll hours for the technicians and this is taking many of their benefits away, as the corporate office has changed the policy on the required amount of hours for said benefits. Some of them are coping and others are not taking things so well. Alongside all of this, they are drowning in the scripts because nothing is where it needs to be and the construction has made a mess of the pharmacy. Little by little, things are getting done, but now they have to re-organize and update everything, so please be praying for patience, encouragement, and PJ's continued growth as a manager. I am so proud of him and know he will do well.

We love you all and hope to share some photos and soon after scheduling some time with our photographer next month!

**Imported Post**

Five Months Ago (From 4/29/2015)

Five months ago, PJ and I were married. We have had a blast with one another since and are looking forward to the new adventures that the Lord has in store for us!

We have finally been able to connect with our neighbors a little more and I am looking forward to hopefully having dinner with them this week. It has filled up pretty quick! It is going to be hectic and I am not looking forward to another late shift for PJ this Friday.

The schedule has been rough these last couple of weeks. PJ has had inventory and is having a difficult time with staff emergencies (last minute schedule changes and a tech who had to go on leave). She could sure use some prayer, too, because it was not a good health situation. Lord willing, with some care and medication, she'll be back soon.

One exciting thing for PJ is that his new intern just began. His training has come full circle and now he has the opportunity to be the first boss for a new Pharmacy student. Please pray for patience and encouragement as they adjust. Fortunately, she seems very motivated and ready to learn! He will also be hiring another part time staff member soon. I believe he is just waiting for clearance from "upstairs" and a few more applicants.

I am excited for our ultrasound tomorrow! It is going to be an exciting day. There may or may not be a new due date and they should be able to tell us the gender!!! We will post the reveal once we get our photos taken, until then, I hope to see some guesses here ;D

It has been such a blessing to get to know fellow moms more and more at church and connect even

more with the ones that I have known already. You all are such an encouragement, and I cannot thank you enough for your kind words and constant comfort through this process. I still cannot believe I am already half way through my first pregnancy!

Love you all, and talk soon! <3

Marriage: 4 Months

I missed these last couple of months, and wish I hadn't! So much has happened, though, and I am excited to share it all at once.

The store PJ is managing is still having its ups and downs. It has been challenging to know how to encourage him in his work when I have been struggling with a spirit of complaint. When he comes home and tells me about his day, it was hard for me to help him see a helpful solution instead of join him in or encourage his venting. It was, as they say, like "word vomit." I knew it wasn't necessarily helpful or good, but I couldn't stop! It has been much better, though, and I have seen him change in his demeanor when he is home. Having come from a background of retail/customer service, it was easy for me to empathize with his struggles, but it was a challenge for me to get out of my own way and see things from a more godly perspective, and God is still helping me to work through that. It has been, still, a humbling experience.

I am grateful to report, however, that the store has changed its hours, which means that PJ gets to come home a half hour early (aka, actually leave by 5:00pm). Dealing with the commute still has its growing pains, but it is a little more tolerable when I know there is going to be an extra 30 minutes to an hour with him before we have to turn in.

We have been so blessed with our small group leaders, Jason and Christine. God knew exactly where we would be and how we would be sanctified through one another and who we would need to speak into our marriage. It was encouraging (and humbling) to go have dinner with our friends and at the end of the evening, have them speak such bold truth into our lives. After an entertaining evening with their little ones and some dinner, we had an impromptu marriage counseling session which we were completely unaware we needed... Neither of us have had such accountability and encouragement in the Lord before. If you would pray for us as we continue to grow in our marriage, because apparently, the honeymoon is over (in the best possible way), and we are not perfect beginners like we thought we were (apparently communication is an art which is not to be perfected)!

Great news! In case you missed it, we already have a little one on the way! I am due on September 27, just a few days after my birthday and 2 days before our 10 month anniversary. We're expecting to find out the gender of Baby Molina in just a few more weeks and hope to announce it once we've taken photos. I'm so excited to work with Darren again, his work at our wedding was gorgeous and he had it posted and ready so quickly! PJ and I hope to have him as our family photographer and have already made plans for a maternity and postpartum shoot. We are so excited.

Please pray for a heathy pregnancy and that I would start having more energy and motivation. It has been a tough couple of months, but it is getting much better, lately. PJ is such an encouraging husband and I am so grateful to have him :)

<3 Jessy

One Month

This post is just a tad late, but I will share a snippet of our life together.

PJ manages a store and the job is a bit of an adjustment from his previous position with the company. Late nights are difficult when I (the perfectionist) have dinner ready and the table set, but it is humbling. It helps me remember to be grateful that my wonderful hubby is working hard for the both of us and I know he is trying to get home as soon as possible. The store is doing well, though, and I am definitely a proud wife, knowing that he is helping the improvement and working well with his colleagues.

I had a fun time putting together Christmas cards and chocolate goody bags for his coworkers. It put a smile on my face to know that they enjoyed them! We did the same for our neighbors. It is fun getting to know our friends across the hall, and I pray for more opportunities to connect with them and invite them over for dinner.

They just got a new puppy, and were considerate enough to consider our shared wall as they start training her. They stopped by to give me a number to call in case there are any troubles. They're a lovely couple and I cannot wait to get to know them more.

There have definitely been some challenges with family, friends, and work which have hindered us, but we only grow stronger. Not only as a couple, but with the Lord, seeking guidance praying with one another. We also go through devotions over breakfast every morning. I cannot express how grateful I am for the structure PJ's new position came with!

I also cannot fully express how incredibly supportive my amazing husband is! He has joined me in efforts to eat healthier and exercise. Even though I do my workouts throughout the day, he has taken to joining me on the weekends. It is so great to have such support through this journey. We are both able to keep one another accountable, it's definitely helpful (even if it can be frustrating when I want that extra cookie).

PJ's Birthday

We will see you in a couple of weeks for month 2! hahaha

-Jessy