God Gave Me You...

After playing around one night on the computer and checking out some of my favorite blogs, I came across this idea on a friend of my friend's blog.  She had gotten the idea from another blog, so therefore I felt it was okay to borrow the idea from her.  It was a wedding day recap done in ABC order.  I loved this idea and decided to put it on the back burner until my anniversary drew near.  Well, here we are...one day away from Daniel and I's two year anniversary.  My wedding day was the most amazing day of my life, and I often say I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.  The day was magical and who wouldn't want to attend a huge party with all your friends, free cocktails, great music, and party the night away!?  So, sit on down and take a trip down memory lane with me to relive the greatest day of my life.  Enjoy.  Oh, and thank you to http://mrandmrseyecansee.blogspot.com for this blog post idea! :)

A~
All in the Date

 I have always been a person that likes to have things SOUND good.  I love fun addresses (2211 Apple Tree Court), fun town names (Cherryville), you get it.  So there was no exception when it came to our wedding date, we had to have a cool date to tell people.  For us, we knew that September 19, 2009 was our date because it rolled off the tongue perfectly...I loved telling people, "We will see you 09-19-09!"  That was our magical day.  This great wedding gift came from my uncle and aunt, Michael and Cyrie Cunningham.  It now hangs in our bedroom!

B~
Beautiful Bridesmaids

 I was surrounded by six of the funnest women ever that day.  Maid of Honor~Angela Miller; Bridesmaids~Kristen Neeley, Jamie Schooler, Laurel Owens, and Racheal Weisensee; Personal Attendant~Gabby Hunt.  Didn't they look stunning in their dresses?!

C~
Church

We were married at the church I have called home since I was born, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.  This church is the tallest building in town with its steeple reaching high above the other buildings. It has always been a place of comfort and I was honored to have been baptized, received my first Holy Communion, complete Confirmation, and then be married in my hometown of Brookfield, Missouri.

D~
Dress

I purchased my dress at David's Bridal very early in our wedding planning process.  I fell in love with the triple layered lace bottom, the beading at the top, and how it fit.  My veil matched the bottom of my dress and I was so comfortable in this gown.  It was my third gown I tried on...when Mom cried--we knew it was the one!

E~
Engagement

Daniel proposed on December 19, 2008 in front of the Mayor's Christmas tree in Crown Center Plaza.  It was bitterly cold that night and after an evening of appetizers at Brio and a play at the KC Rep Theatre (A Christmas Carol), we headed to "meet friends who were ice skating at Crown Center."  I am sure you can hardly believe the fact that I wasn't LOVING this idea because it was freezing, I was in a dress, and I wanted a cocktail!  But, after forcefully telling me to get out of the car ;) I obliged!  I am so glad I did because as Daniel stopped right in front of the beautifully lit tree, he got down on one knee and asked me the question I had been dying to hear for years.  I screamed yes, and the night continued on with drinks at the Cashew and a hotel stay at Hotel Phillips downtown.  He sure did pull out all the stops, and I love him more and more each day.

F~
First Dance

Our first dance was to Ray Lamontagne's You Are The Best Thing.  That song still makes me grin from ear to ear!

G~
Groomsmen & Ushers

Daniel was also surrounded by some of the best men I have ever had the pleasure to meet.  Best Man~Nick Allegri; Groomsmen~Mark Allegri, Trey Cunningham, Alex Copeland, and Brett Hemeyer.  Ushers~Kyle Weisensee, Bill Rooney, Nicholas Grunauer, and Scott Wiseman.  These boys were a blast to have present on our special day.

H~
Honeymoon

Daniel and I vacationed in the Riviera Maya at a resort called Azul Sensatori & Spa by Karisma.  It was gorgeous and brand new.  Food was pretty darn good (even though I got food poisoning..booo).  It was gorgeous weather in September and we enjoyed the relaxing getaway.

I~
It's Time

I wanted there to be a very special moment between my Daddy and myself before the wedding.  You can see in the first picture and second picture it was worth the wait for him to see my dress and for me to hug him before he gave me away.  My dad and my husband are two of the most important men in my life and I am blessed that they love one another and me so much.

J~
Just Wanted to Say...

We decided our honeymoon was our gift to each other and so on the day, right before we started the wedding, we had our best man and maid of honor bring the other one a card to read before we met at the end of the isle.  The words (I think) were just what each of us needed to have to calm nerves and prepare us to see one another.  I still love to go back and read his over and over!

K~
Kiss Your Bride

And boy he did! :)  We didn't rush that kiss one bit, we enjoyed every second of our first kiss as HUSBAND AND WIFE!

L~
Ladies Night 

We killed it the night of my bachelorette party! Over 25 girls all dressed in little black dresses, me in fuchsia, hit the town for dinner, drinks and dancing and it was a night I will never forget.  Look at all those hot ladies that came out to celebrate with me, I am so blessed!

M~
Macho Mug

I wish I could explain this game, but it just is what it is...and with my group of friends---Macho Mug goes wherever and occurs whenever...INCLUDING OUR BIG DAY! :)

N~
Newlyweds

Best friends since 2001 and now Husband and Wife!

O~
Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

Old~ Grandma Kosman's handkerchief
New~Dress
Borrowed~ Daniel's Dad's car & lucky buckeye
Blue~ Grandma Teresa's blue rosary

P~
Part of the Family

Daniel and I are MORE than lucky to have been welcomed into one another's families with open arms.  We adore our parents and thank Matt, Marcia, Steve, and Karen for giving us that wonderful day!

Q~ 
Quick, Grab the Candy!

The candy bar did not go unnoticed at our party...the kids AND adults cleared it in no time!!!

R~
Rings

All rings were purchased at Meirottos' Jewelry.  They are incredible to work with and we loved the final outcome!  I sure am looking forward to wearing mine after Gia arrives! :)


S~
Snap, Crackle, Pop!

No typical wedding cake here!  Nope, the Allegris did it Rice Krispy Treat style!  We served rice krispy treats to all the guests in lieu of cake, but also offered cheesecake for those that are crazy and don't love RKT! :)

T~
Toasting

Best toasts I have ever heard from Angela and Nick...we laughed and cried! :)

U~
Up Above

We had a full house with well over 300 guests in attendance at the wedding...and plenty more at the reception.  So some guests got the upper balcony seats, but we sure hope they felt our love! :)

V~
Vows

We kept our vows traditional.  They were from the heart and true.

W~
Wild Thing

For those of you that don't know the back story on this...let's just say there aren't too many weddings I have attended that I haven't rapped Tone Loc's Wild Thing to the bride and groom.  So why would my own wedding be any exception?  Notice my backup dancers in full effect!  This was late in the evening...we will just say that!

X~
X-Rated

Okay, not really X-rated, but X is tough!  Here is a leg shot with my garters that matched my wedding theme PERFECTLY, and Daniel going in for the kill! :)  We kept it classy, don't you worry!!!

Y~
YES! We Did It!!!

Z~
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Daniel~ God gave me you...and I'm sure glad he did. 
 I love you more...Happy 2 Year Anniversary babe.

Toilet Paper Bandit

Hi, my name is Reagan----and I am a peeaholic.

I went through an entire roll of toilet paper in 24 hours.

I have no idea how this is humanly possible, nor do I have any idea how my pipes have not backed up and forced me to call a plumber.  I know a good one though, so that's good.

I left school today at 4:20, peed before I left.  Got to my chiropractor appointment at 4:35, had to pee before the adjustment.  I peed after the adjustment, guess he adjusted my bladder too.  I made it to Target ten minutes later where I peed.  I grabbed a big bag of candy for my students (okay whatever some of it was for me, back off)...I had to park the cart outside the bathroom to pee again before checking out.  Calm down cashier, I am not stealing the stuff in the cart, I will come back----but so help me God if you stop me, you will be getting a mop and a Caution sign to mark the spot I just dampened.

Since being home, I have now been caught in our master bathroom and the guest bathroom mid stream, just to look down and see there is no toilet paper on the roll.  Apparently the pregnancy brain allows me to forget to refill.  Damn it.

I wonder if I can put toilet paper on my registry?  Angel Soft is my favorite if you are reading this and feeling the need to donate to my TP for ME fund.

The doctor keeps saying, "Gosh, she is just right on your bladder....I mean she really has her head down squishing the crap out of it."  Yes, thank you doctor, I hadn't noticed that every time my child moves, I nearly piss myself, so I appreciate you confirming that.

Last week a student of mine walked into the classroom (she is a tad spacey).  She stepped on my toe (hurt like hell), which caused me to bend over in pain, then her head ran into my stomach.  Ergo...I peed my pants.  This is a true story.  The little girl responds, "Ah Mrs. Allegri, your belly ran right in my head, dang."

I wanted to respond, "Don't PISS me off."

Pun intended.  Much love and hapPEEness.
~Reagan

Cashing In...

I am going to write this tonight because I want to.  It may not make you laugh but it's real...and I pride myself on having a blog that is real.  I am going to write this and I want all my readers to know some very important things, then I will begin.

I realize that the end of this journey is nearing.  I realize that my beautiful baby girl will be joining us in eight short weeks, or less.  I realize that everything I have gone through and done will be worth every single minute when I lay my eyes on her.  I realize that every woman goes through this.  

However...

It's tough.  Sunday and Monday were rough ones on this lady.  I like to think that I am a very positive person.  A glass MORE than half full type of gal.  Someone who has no problem pumping herself up when she gets down or patting herself on the back when good has been done.  BUT, pregnancy is rough.  

Let me take you back to when I first found out I was pregnant with this miracle.  I made a promise to myself to:

1) be one of the most positive pregnant people out there.  After all, I kind of know what I did to get to this point...I signed up for this gig.

2) hold in my complaints and venting sessions until I truly needed a day when I cashed in. 

Today I cash in.

Again, please know I understand this happens, so no "pumping Reagan up" is necessary...I just want to talk.  

I am ready to feel sexy.  I am ready to wear my Miss Me sparkle butt bedazzled jeans that make my ass look phenomenal...I don't even notice my ass anymore...the stomach takes front row (and the stage) all the time.  I want to accessorize because I got new jewelry, not to take the attention from my face that I think now looks likes a huge basketball.  I want to drop the razor in the shower and not think of who's life I would take if given the opportunity b/c I am so pissed.  I want to catch my reflection in the rear view mirror in the car and not want to vomit.  I want to never see the number on that scale EVER again!  I want to feel sexy.  I want to feel sexy.  I want to feel sexy.  

The past few days...I just feel sad.  Sadness is okay though, it's a part of this process.  It proves to me something I honestly didn't know about myself, I can be totally selfless.  I can give up my body (which I used to beat up daily---boy was I dumb) so it can become a safe and peaceful vessel for my daughter to grow inside.  I can do this, and it's okay to have rough days.  It's okay to be sad.  

Okay, I am done spewing, so now I promise to flush the toilet, wipe my fat face and move on.  

Gia, you are worth me missing my bedazzled ass jeans any day...I promise to be out of my funk real soon.  Just as soon as your mom gets a pedicure, her hair highlighted back to blond (the dark is killing me) and a spray tan.

Counting the days until we meet...

My Happy Place!

Earlier this week I climbed into my rocker and sat in Gia's room for 20 minutes rocking back and forth.  Every thought crossed my mind...


How in the world did I ever let this room remain that God awful pink for 2 years?
How small is she going to look inside that enormous crib?  
How quickly will she grow out of it?!
If she came right now, what would I need to have for her?
Will I see Daniel and myself in her?
Why didn't I purchase a rocker just for comfort prior to pregnancy...this thing rocks!
I hope she can feel how much I already love her.
Her grandparents are going to melt when they meet her.
Am I really going to be a Mom in 10 weeks?


No question left me worried or sad, rather it left me with this incredible feeling of gratitude and pure joy.  I cannot wait to be your mom Gia.  I cannot wait to create a friendship like your Grammy and I have.  I can't wait to see how much you fall in love with both sets of grandparents.  I can't wait to see the exact moment you enter this world and melt your Daddy's heart.  Thank you for being ours, I hope we make you happy!

Until you get here sweet baby girl, here are some photos of the room that will be yours in a few short weeks.  This place was created by your Mom and Dad (with many gifts from amazing people) and it's intended to be a place to feel loved, relaxed, and calm.  We hope you like it.

 Aunt Jodi had this made for you.  She matched your room color and the diamond knobs!

 It's all for you Gia Girl.

 Rocker from Wal-Mart, chandelier from Hobby Lobby--the perfect touch!

 Gia, your friends are waiting!  Bunny, Doll, and Alfonzo.  Daddy loved his mustache!

We love your bedding (Gilt Groupe), crib (WalMart), and the cherry blossom wall decal (Etsy)!  Just perfect! 

 Your nightlight is from Mommy's friend Leah and Aunt Angela framed your 3D photo!  Bracelet from Aunt Jodi!

 Your dresser (Big Lots) with changing pad.  Love the ambiance!

 Old school blocks (Babies R Us) remind Mom and Dad of being kids!

 A shelf (Target) with 3 pink baskets.  You already have lots of books to read when you get here!

Letters (JoAnne) and fabric (Hobby Lobby) from your Godmother and then Gramma covered the letters.

Three Quarters

Three quarters have passed and we now enter the final stretch.  Had my doctor appointment on Tuesday and all looked well.  I am measuring as if I am 31 1/2 weeks and Gia's heart rate was around 130 bpm.  I cannot believe how much it has slowed down since the very beginning when she was in the upper 160's.  She is calming down and getting into her comfy zone!

We now begin seeing our OB every two weeks...this is going to fly by!!!

Noticing her being active in the mornings around 10-11 a.m. (usually after I have a snack...some sort of fruit).  She is always good about kicking for me around 5-6 p.m. as well.  We are getting near the finish line and the anticipation is building about what to expect when you arrive sweet baby girl!

Here I am .... in all my glory at 30 weeks pregnant! Yikes...I am big! :)