Cory's 10 Year Reunion

Cory's 10 year reunion for Mac Arthur High School Class of 2002 was tonight!  This is something I've been waiting for!  I've always wanted to go to 2002s reunions as Cory's wife!  (Ever since he graduated)  And it actually happened!  Plus I am in charge of my class reunion next year and I need to take some notes!

It was also our very first time to leave Charlie with a babysitter.  Since we have opposite work schedules, we've both been with her at all times.  Either I'm home with her, he's home with her, or both of us.  So this is our first time out without her.  Luckily, her babysitter is her Zaza!  It's a relief to have family around instead of leaving our baby with a stranger.  What better than to leave our baby with Cory's mom.  We're lucky to have her around.  After lots of hugs and kisses for Charlie, we finally walked out the door, as just the two of us.  We haven't done that since the day before she was born.  It was bittersweet.  But it was nice to be going out on a date with my hubby!
We made it to the reunion a little late, but just in time to see SO many people!  It was great seeing so many old friends in person and not on Facebook.  Some people I forgot they existed until tonight because they're not active Facebookers and it was especially great to see them too!  We had so much fun I forgot to take pictures!  At the end of the night Cory and I went to our Alma Mater to take a picture of the two of us in front of the place where we first met... MacArthur High School.  Go Cardinals!  

Cory's new Truck!

Cory has been truck shopping online for some time now.  He's wanted a truck since before we were married, but since we had to pay for the house, the wedding, our honeymoon, and now the baby, he had to hold back and continue driving his squeaky 2000 Hyundai Sonata with no air conditioning to work everyday.  Not that we don't love that car.  We went on our first date in that car, so it holds alot of sentimental value.  But after eleven years of driving the same car, he's been itching for a truck!  Especially since the last time we went to Lowe's we were sticking things out the window and had to tie the trunk down.  We made a deal that he could by his truck once Charlie was born (because she's not aloud to ride in the Sonata) or once he got his new job.  Well  it turns out that both of those things just recently happened so he's been looking at Trucks constantly for the last two months.  Yesterday he finally told me "I think I found my truck!" He's shown me plenty of trucks lately so I wasn't thinking that he was serious and I kind of blew him off.  Since we had no plans on Saturday, after a visit from Uncle Mike and Samantha, Cory asked like he always does if we could go truck shopping.  And being the busy mom that I am I usually blow that off too, but this Saturday we really did have nothing to do during the day so I said why not.  Lets go look at trucks!  :)

We put Charlie in the car and made our way to Plano to find this particular truck that he found online yesterday. We test drove it with Charlie in the back and couldn't seem to find anything wrong with it.  It was a really good deal too, so we thought why not try and see if we qualify to finance this thing.  Cory kept looking at me for approval and I kept reminding him that its his truck and his decision.  We haven't had very good credit this year because of the mortgage and credit card debt from the wedding, so we didn't think we would get approved anyway.   But what do you know Cory was able to get approved on his own and get an even better interest rate with me as a co-signer!  I guess our credit has improved since we have been paying the mortgage on time for a whole year.  I still can't believe its been that long!
So we bought the truck! Cory drove it off the lot that day as happy as can be.  All of his dreams are finally coming true.  He has his dog, his house, his wife, his baby, his dream job lined up and finally his TRUCK.  What more could a man want?

She loves me!

My baby girl!  I cannot explain how much I miss her while I'm at work.  Today I literally wanted to race home to see my little girl!  It is so nice to have someone to come home to!  When Cory's going to work she's here to greet me!  As soon as I see her I just want to cuddle!  And it is SO nice to know that she just wants the same thing!  Cory says she's been waiting for me all day and I know that it's true because I can see the relief in her face when I hold her and I can feel how much she loves me when we cuddle.  Nothing can top this feeling of being a mommy!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Andie!

Today is Andie's 26th birthday and we went to Red Lobster to celebrate! Charlie made Andie an Aunt this year so this is Andie's first birthday as "Aunt Andie!"  And she really has earned the title this year with all she has done for me and Charlie!
Happy Birthday, Aunt Andie!

Angelina & Andie's Birthday Parties!

Today is Angelina's 9th birthday! We went over to Zaza's house to celebrate!  We had a great lunch and played soccer with the family!  We also got to Skype with baby Liam in Utah for the first time!   After Lina's party we made our way over to Andie's party where we watched the Cowboys game and celebrated her 26th birthday.  Charlie had a long day, but we were happy to get to spend equal time with both sides of the family!  :)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Charlie's first Halloween is finally here.  I've been looking forward to this day all year, since I knew it would be my baby's first holiday.
First, I went to school dressed as a jaguar.  BTW takes Halloween seriously.  Even the teachers dress up!  So I had to wear my costume to school even though my other half couldn't go with me.  I carried my phone all day to show everyone what made my costume cute... my baby cub!
After school we went straight to the hospital to visit Grandma! She enjoyed getting to see Charlize in her first Halloween costume!
Then we went to Angie's house to go Trick or Treating with Allie and Ava!  My friend Jessica brought Sophia too!  Jessica and Sophia were mommy panda and baby panda!  Super cute!
We had a great time trick or treating with our babies.
I was very happy that Cory got to spend Halloween with us too!  He lucked out and Halloween fell on one of his late Wednesdays so he didn't have to go in until 10pm!  I'm glad he got to be here for Charlie's first holiday!  Happy Halloween!

Super Trooper!

It's official!  Cory received his letter today from the Texas Department of Public Safety inviting him to Trooper Academy in January!  We have been waiting so long for Cory to finally get his dream job!  He's worked in law enforcement for so long, waiting for his chance to hit "the streets" as they say.  Today he finally got his ticket out of jail and on to the Texas highways!
I am very scared about him having to leave me and Charlie for 4 months of Trooper Academy in Austin, but its a sacrifice I'm willing to make for my husband and his dreams.  I am ready to be strong as I know that I have a wonderful support system here at home to get us through the first four months of 2013.  It will be totally worth it when I see him graduate the academy in his Trooper uniform and Texas Cowboy hat!
Congratulations Trooper Countryman!

Grandma Corina

Last Tuesday, while Cory and I were in Austin, my only Grandmother suffered a stroke.  I was shocked to hear that my superwoman grandmother was now paralyzed on her right side.  She is recovering well in rehab at Irving Baylor and is so lucky to have a big loving family to be around her at all times.  I feel so bad because with Charlie it is hard for me to make it up to the hospital as much as I want to.  But Charlie and I did make it up to the hospital to see her a couple of times!
I am very happy to see that she is making great strides in therapy.  She is doing so well for the kind of stroke that she had.  We are now able to have conversations with her and she still knows how to make us laugh. She is still the same Grandma! She brags to the nurses about her only Great Granddaughter who was born in the same hospital only six weeks ago!

Pumpkin Patch 2012

Today we met the Goff family at the Pumpkin Patch in Grapevine.  What a perfect day to dress Charlize up in her Halloween attire!Charlie looked so cute in her little pumpkin outfit!
Aunt Andie came over to help dress Charlize and help take pictures!
Nicole took some great photos of us!  Wyatt and Charlie looked so cute together!
This will be another Countryman family tradition!

Charlie Meets Great Great Aunt Ciria

My Great Aunt Ciria is the oldest living family memeber on my Cuban side of the family at 94 years old!  Because of her husband's condition she hasn't left her house in months.  We have to go see her.  Since she wasn't able to come to the hospital to see Charlie, we brought Charlie to come see her!
Ciria cried when she saw Charlie!  "I haven't seen one of these in a long time!  She is so beautiful!"
Since my Abuelita Angelica passed away before I was born, Ciria has been like a grandmother to my cousins and I.  For some reason, even though she's never done it before, Ciria had a strong feeling that she needed to talk to my sister and I about my grandmother.  She told us about their relationship as sisters and how close they were as friends.  And she cried because of the strong feeling that she had urging her to talk to us about our Grandmother that we never knew.  I felt my grandmothers presence as we were there talking of her.  It was a great feeling.  I know she is watching over her first Great Grandchild, Charlize Angelica.

Mommy's Doc Appointment

Today was my 6 weeks doctors appointment.  I took Charlie with me to see the Doctor who delivered her!  We dressed her in her hospital Tshirt that says "I made a splash with Dr. Wyatta Freeman" and her cute little skinny jeans that mom got for her!  All the nurses LOVED Charlie's skinny jeans!  It was the talk of the doctors office!

 I was very happy that Dr. Freeman got a chance to see Charlie again after delivery.  She let me know that I was healthy, cleared to exercise and ready to get back to work.  Now that I'm cleared, I go back to work on Monday and I am not looking forward to it.  I haven't left Charlize in six weeks and I don't know how I am going to do it on Monday morning.  I pray that I will be strong and make it through the day with out balling my eyes out.

Leaving the doctors office was bittersweet.  I have come full circle, finally ending the nine month journey that began in this office in January when I found out that I was pregnant.  

"I'm Glad You Came" Charlize Angelica