What makes "Me"..

A couple of the girls in my Babycenter group are starting blogs to explain how they got to where they are in their lives.  They have had far more life experiences than myself, and one post on their blog can sum up a couple of months, while I can sum up my life all in one.  I figured since I already have a blog, I'll just do it here, since nothing too out of the ordinary has ever happened to me.

I was born in Fresno, California on September 8, 1984.  I was the first-born to Gene and Martha Perry.  My dad is a Fresno native, and my mom was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina.  They met in the Army, lived in Washington for a while, and ended up back in Fresno when they decided to "settle".  I have one sister, Eryn, born November 20, 1987.  We grew up in a house in Sunnyside and went to Catholic school for kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Some stuff that made me the way I am from birth to about eighth grade..I made a best friend in kindergarten that I kept throughout high school, and I still talk to occasionally via Facebook.  She was one of the best friends that I could have ever asked for, and I will never forget her.  My Grandpa (my dad's father) passed away in November of 1992.  I was in the second grade, and I loved him very much.  To this day, so incredibly, he is the only grandparent I have lost.  It was a pain I had never known, and as every day passes, and I still have my dad's mom and both of my mom's parents, I fear the day when I have to know that pain again.  In 1994 (or 95..can't remember) I almost lost my life.  I was playing in the backyard with my sister, and I, prepare yourself for laughter, stuck a screwdriver into an electrical outlet.  I don't know why I did it, but I did, and I was thrown ten feet and knocked unconscious.  Apparently I came to and walked into the house, all the way to the back into my parents room, but I don't remember any of it.  I didn't end up having to go to the doctor, they just said to keep me awake and not give me any liquids for a couple of hours in case I still had electricity running through my body.  They think the thing that saved me were those God awful water shoes I was wearing.  You know, the ones with the big plastic sole.  They think that sole stopped the current from running through my body continuously, and brought it to a stop.

In 1995 I had my first boyfriend, who I dated for three years.  We broke up before I started high school because I didn't want to start it with a boyfriend.  Then my freshman year in high school I had a boyfriend that decided to start an awful rumor about me that basically ruined high school for me.  I had always heard that high school would be the "best four years" of my life.  Screw that.  I have been out of high school eight years next month, and the last four years, by far, have been the best of my life.  I did have a couple of good high school memories.  I made a really great best friend that I kept through high school and after, then lost touch with for a bit, but have been in touch with more than ever the past couple of years.  She has shown me true friendship, then and now.  It's amazing to know we have been there for each other for over ten years now.   Nothing else really stands out from high school, other than graduating, and being happy to get the hell on with my life.

I dabbled here and there at city college, but couldn't find what I wanted to do and stopped wasting my parents money.  The day I graduated high school, I had a job interview at Red Robin as a hostess, and started about two weeks after graduation.  I had a great time working there, and it was perfect for that time in my life.  I was promoted to Expo, and eventually to Server.  Life was lovely..and then I met a boy.  I met him at a party at my friends house.  God, I wish I hadn't been there that night.  But life leads us down strange paths to get to where we need to be.  I ended up dating this guy for God knows how long..I think it was about two years.  He wouldn't call me his "girlfriend", wouldn't hold my hand or show me any form of affection in public, and really treated me horribly...apparently I was "in love".  One day things went from bad to worse, and he ended up hitting me.  I'd love to say that was it, and I was gone, but it took a few more months and an amazing talk with a friend from work to get me to stay gone.

About the time all of this happened, a guy came to work at Red Robin.  I guess he had worked there before my time, he was a little older, and there was something about him that caught my eye.  I had just completely cut the other guy out, and was not in any shape, emotionally, to get into something else.  However, there was something about him.  I did a little snooping (he, he, he..) and found out he had just ended a relationship as well.  I figured since we were both single, inviting him out with us every once and a while would be a great way to get to know him.  I don't know how many times I invited him, or how many times he said no, but I gave up.  Obviously, he wasn't interested.  One night we were at a friends house, and with my girlfriends egging me on, I invited him "one last time".  He said yes that night, and honestly, the rest is history.  We ended up staying up all night talking about so many different things, and at the end of the night, he asked me if he could kiss me.  It was the best kiss I have ever had and I felt things in that kiss that I knew I wanted to last forever.  We took things really slow at first, but couldn't deny what was staring us in the face.  We were engaged nine months later and married nine months after that.  It has now been five years since that first kiss.

In between then and now..After we got married, I started working at a law office in the family law department.  It was really hard to deal with divorce all day long when I was at such a happy point in my life.  We decided it wasn't the fit for me, and I started working at a construction company as an administrative assistant.  We were very happy and life was stress-free for sure.  Roland got a job as a correction officer at the juvenile hall and started working the week we got home from our honeymoon, and he was/still is very happy to be working in that field.  We got married in November of 2006, and about May 2007, we decided we wanted to try to have a baby.  I was pregnant by June.  I was very sick in my pregnancy and stopped working in October and started getting ready for baby.  We were expecting a baby boy due on March 24, 2008.  Kaleb decided he didn't want to show up on time, and we went in on the 28th to be induced.  I ended up with a c-section on the 30th after 2 days in labor.

Kaleb had a hard time at first.  The first six months was full of milk allergies, colic and acid reflux.  About his first birthday things started to straighten out.   We moved right before his first birthday.  We had been living in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment.  We did some house hunting while I was pregnant, but lost a house that we had fallen in love with to a higher bidder.  It kind of put a sour note on home ownership for us, and in January of 08, when we really had run out of room, I found an awesome 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo for us to rent.  We are still here and don't plan on moving at least for 2 more years.  Kaleb turned 1 in March 09, and right about that time, I got baby fever again.  Roland, however, didn't catch the bug.  We decided to wait just a little bit longer.  In September 09, we started trying, and on December 22, 2009, I finally got my positive pregnancy test!  I was overcome with joy.  We had an amazing Christmas with our baby boy, and the new year was looking very bright.

That brings us up to a couple of months ago, and I'm pretty sure every one knows what I am up to these days.  There's a baby girl on her way in less than four months.  Roland is still working at the juvenile hall.  His job is in a little bit of jeopardy right now because of the budgets, but were praying hard that we stay okay, and that's all we can do.  I'm extremely happy with my life, and all it took to get me where I am today.  I honestly feel like, with the help of Roland, all of my dreams have come true, and I'm so very thankful for that.  I look forward to all of my years to come, watching my babies grow, and loving my husband and family more every day.