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

Dinner with Yohan and Jeanee

On Tuesday, PJ and I hosted our first dinner as a married couple. We invited a couple from our small group that we don't often get to connect with. It was truly encouraging to get to know another couple and become that much closer to them. 

Cheating with a pre-marinated salmon from Costco, I didn't have too much to prepare, but I was delighted to know that it tasted good and that my spinach salad concoction was not distasteful. I did go out on a limb with apples, cutiies, and tomatoes, but it was tasty. 

We discovered that, as a couple, PJ and I are very similar to Yohan and Jeanee. PJ and Yohan are both more homebodies who enjoy a night in with board games and salty snacks. Jeanee and I enjoy a yummy, chololaty snack or pastry and tend to lean more on the adventurer side, desiring to travel and are a bit more open to a move than our husbands. 

Their little one, Elaine, is so sweet. Even though she gets a little nervous in new places, she seemed comfortable enough here until she was ready for bedtime. It was so precious to watch mom and dad take turns holding her and eating their own food; instead of laying her in her car seat and rocking her on the floor. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it was just nice to have Elaine in on dinner time. She is quite vocal and ready to socialize. 

Thank you so much for joining us and spending family time with us, you guys! We can't wait to have you over again! Hey, Jeanee, maybe we can humor the guys and play a game next time? If we play "Ticket to Ride," we'll get a little European adventure! 

How Is Married Life?

"How is married life?"

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Molina

This is a question I would often ask my newlywed friends. Quickly, I am realizing that (as a single woman) I was asking the wrong audience if I wanted to learn the real answer to that question. My hubby, PJ, and I returned from our honeymoon last Thursday. After two weeks of our phones in "Do Not Disturb" mode, scarce views of any social media, and only a quick glance on our emails, we came home to this same question from many of our friends and family.

In all honesty, I can say that married life is wonderful! Marriage is amazing, because so far, it includes seclusion from the world and life in our own lovestruck bubble. I could live in this forever. This, however, is not real.

It's Honeymoon Time

Three days home and I have fiercely been struck by the to-do lists, the housework, the organizing, the cleaning, the laundry, the demand of having a husband, the holidays, and the blessing of being a wife.

Yesterday was our first day back at our home church. It was so encouraging to reconnect with our church family and be reminded of how much they love us. So many people stopped us to congratulate us, again, on our marriage and asked about our honeymoon. I know that there are so many people there rooting for us and for our marriage, and I am incredibly grateful for Foothill Bible Church.

Today is our first day of work life. We are establishing a schedule that works for us and finding a rhythm where we are not rushed before PJ has to run out the door for work and I am not without time to work through my to-do list before he gets home.

Today, we are still in set up mode and I am in the process of changing my name, email, and address. This sounds simple, however, it is quite tedious, having tons of websites, blogs, social media sites, and other accounts that I have to update. To top it off, I cannot complete most of these things (i.e. Voter Registration, vehicle registration, etc.) until my name is "officially" changed. We shall see how long it takes the county records department to send our certified copy; we were told about six weeks, so I will be in update mode through Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas! This is not only PJ and I's first holiday season as a married couple, this is our first Christmas together ever! Welcome, Jessy, to 2 sets of parents' schedules and everyone trying to do Christmas their way... Nope, we have lots to figure out in the next week!

It would be easy for me to look at two pages of to-do lists and be overwhelmed. To have several people ask me "What are you doing for Christmas?" with an expectant look and be stressed out at the thought of saying "I don't know." To think of all the things that need to happen around the house in the next 4 hours and scramble about. Even something as small as wanting to just ditch the work that needs to be done and hang out with my family and come to the realization that I am no longer a single woman... Yes, that is a weird thought.

However, I will not be overwhelmed, stressed, scramble about, or run away. I am incredibly blessed with an amazing husband who loves me, encourages me, and challenges me. I wouldn't trade that, because now I am a helper; I have another amazing family to make time for; I have a husband.

I am so excited for this new season of life!