Baby's first pics....

So Kevin and I got to see our little Reese's Piece for the first time (together) last Monday, May 18, 2009. It was really a moving moment for Kevin and I. Once again things were put in my perspective for me. I mean there really is a little person growing on the inside of me. I actually got to see it move! That was by far the coolest part. The ultrasound tech was a very nice lady so she really made things great by not making us feel stupid or silly for being all cheesy. The heartbeat was 162 BPM which was about 30 beats higher than on Mother's Day. The baby measured a few days smaller than what my LMP due date is. It was only by a few days so the doctor said he wanted to keep my Christmas due date as my date. He was also quick to say "you know you won't deliver on that day anyway"! Talk about crushing a sister's dreams! LOL!

Another great outcome of the doctor's appointment was we were able to see where the bleeding had come from. It clearly was old blood from implementation and apparently when our baby was growing it hit a capillary and instead of my body reabsorbing the blood, it simply came out. Either way it was very reassuring to me to see on the screen that all was well. The doctor even gave us the green light to go ahead on our cruise in August. He just said be mindful of how much I eat but other than that there were no concerns.

Kevin asked me the other day if I was enjoying being pregnant...well the truth is I don't really feel pregnant just yet. I mean I'm tired and a little sore in my chest area but that's about it. I think when I start feeling flutters and my belly begins to show then perhaps I will have a genuine answer. Don't get me wrong...I'm enjoying it now but I just feel it's way too soon to really be able to give a good honest answer.

I had a dream last night that I had a beautiful little boy. He had my complexion and he also had my eyes. Granted they were slanted or tight as mine are often described, but they had that extra fold of skin underneath them. He was a very happy baby too...just smiling and giggling. I can't help but admit that really got me excited! I am excited about the baby. I find myself talking about it with more ease. Granted, I'm not out of my first trimester however I just feel really good knowing that all is well.

Mother's Day and the ER visit

Well, Mother's Day this year is definitely one that I will remember! The morning started off really great with Kevin presenting me with my very first Mother's Day card. He also got me a cute gift which is really for the baby...teething rings! I know...u gotta love the fact that he tried! Anyway, we ate breakfast and Kevin had to be at work by noon so we were able to eat breakfast together before he left. Well I didn't really have any plans other than attending this dinner with my sister later in the afternoon. Well, I got dressed and was waiting for her to call me so I could leave. Soon as she called I told her I was ready and walking out the door. I decided to use the bathroom before I left because I just hate going out in public. I use the bathroom and noticed that I appeared to be spotting! Of course my mind went straight to the worse possible scenario....a miscarriage! I called Kevin at work and told him. We both decided that I should go to the ER just to be sure. I tried my best top be calm and not freak completely out but all I could think about is how would be able to deal with losing my baby?

We get to the ER and the receptionist tries her best to ease my nerves but all I could think about is really asking her what her medical degree was in and furthermore if she knew so much about this situaton why was she stationed out in the waiting room versus in the back with all the other professionals! Anyway I was able to be seen rather quickly and I have to admit that everyone was very nice and exhibited awesome bedside manner. The doctor completed a pelvic exam as well as an ultrsound and determined that all was well. There were no signs of anything being wrong. The baby's heartbeat was 131 BPM so that as great. I was able to see the baby on the monitor but didn't get any pictures to take home. I was released and s ent home with orders to be on bedrest for the next two days.

The spotting stopped Monday evening so I was really relieved! I didn't go back to work until Wednesday just to be sure. Even though the circumstances surrounding my visit to the ER were not the best, I am still grateful for going because I got to see my baby for the very first time on Mother's Day!

Going on 7 weeks....

Well, I've officially known I am pregnant for almost two weeks. It's interesting how my body is changing this early in the process. I am sooo very tired and on most days can barely keep my mind on things. The funny part is im not necessarily thinking about the baby but I just have a really hard time focusing on stuff. I think one of the biggest changes in my body is the fact I don't have an appetite. I am actually getting a little frustrated at the fact that I don't know what I want to eat and/or don't want to eat anything. I really hope this goes away soon and perhaps I can have a field day with the cravings!

More people are finding out that I'm pregnant at work. As in all other matters of my life some people feel they can offer advice on what I should or shouldn't be doing. It is really getting on my nerves because at the end of the day I am an adult and I will make decisions that will be best for me and my baby. Don't get me wrong I definitely welcome advice and suggestions that will help me along the way I just don't want everything I do to be under scrutiny.

In the end all is great! I really can't wait until our first ultrasound on May 18th. I'm sure it will finally become 100% real to me!

We're having a baby!!!

I've debated over the past week on whether or not I would post this or not. I decided that in the long run blogging is therapeutic for me and at the end of the day, this is GREAT news so why not share!!

I guess I should back up and give some background information on this story. At some point in the month of February I went to my doctor because I was having some "girlie" issues. It was during that doctor's visit that my doctor asked me point blank if my husband and I were trying to get pregnant. I told him yes and he immediately broke out his Netbook (what happened to the old fashion prescription pad) and wrote me a prescription for Clomid. I was diagnosed with poly-cystic ovarian disease several years ago so I always knew that me having a regular ovulation cycle each month would never happen without the use of medication. The prescription of Clomid really took my by surprise because it all happened so quickly. Needless to say, I took the meds and would wait and see how things worked. The doctor checked my levels a week or so later and was not happy with my levels. I didn't ovulate that month however I still had a cycle so all was well in my eyes.

Throughout this process Kevin and I discussed at great length the crossroads that were in front of us. Literally we went from talking about kids in the abstract nature to being a position to actually create one! We decided that we would seriously go back to trying after May because we didn't want to risk me getting pregnant too soon and us not be able to go on our cruise in August. We figured if I got pregnant anytime after May, I definitely wouldn't hit the 24 week mark prior to August and all would be well. Of course we didn't share this with our doctor, so another round of Clomid was prescribed at a higher dose! I took the second round as prescribed and the plan was in place...we would refrain from any activities around the time I was scheduled to be ovulating. The projected ovulation date (as told to my by the nurse) was three days before the day that my Spring Break vacation started. We planned a week long vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC and both were looking forward to it. We carried out our plan and thought we were in the clear.....

I started experiencing tenderness in my breasts however wasn't alarmed because that was a normal PMS symptom for me. I also noticed that I was very tired throughout the day but I simply thought it was because I had slacked off from going to gym. At any rate, I HAD NO IDEA that was pregnant or could be pregnant. On Friday, April 24 at 9:05pm I decided to take a pregnancy test. The irony of this was I was in bed watching the movie, Sex and the City, and decided to take a test only after Charlotte was experiencing "pregnancy symptoms". It was like a voice came to me and said "take a test". So, I paused the movie, went in the bathroom and took the last test (Clearblue Easy Digital). I truly expected to see "NOT PREGNANT" as I had seen so many times before but this time was different! A few minutes later, "PREGNANT" popped up in the window! I immediately started chanting "Oh My God" and grinning. Kevin was still at work but I figured he would be home soon. I couldn't believe my eyes and sat the test on the bathroom sink and ran out of the bathroom. After a few paces in the hallway, I peeped back in the bathroom at the test and "PREGNANT" was still there!

It seemed like forever before Kevin made it home that night. As soon as he got home I told him. I showed him the test and he asked if it were real! I told him it was and he immediately stated he was going out to get more tests! I took the second test (First Response Gold) around 11:15 that night and it too came out positive! Neither one of us could sleep that night. We called his parents around 6:00 am the next morning because we knew his parents would be up. They of course were ecstatic. I didn't tell my parents until later that day and they were excited as well.

On Monday, April 27 I took my confirmation test in the doctor's office. It was determined at that point that I was 5 weeks 2 days. My due date....December 25th!!!!!!

Stay tuned for exciting posts!!

Spring break 2009 and Easter

Wow! Another year has come and gone. I've has this blog for over a year now. Well Spring break came and went this year however we has a blast ! Kevin and I went to Myrtle beach for a week and really enjoyed ourselves . It was almost like our honeymoon seeing as though we didn't go anywhere when we got married 8 months ago. We had a nice suite and we were able to dine in restaurants we don't normally get to. I really had a great time giving my undivided attention as well as receiving his! There were plenty of highlights that won't make it in this blog...come on u know I am a public official in training!


Our week ended with a trip to Virginia to visit the in-laws. That trip was neat because it was a year ago that I went home to meet Kevin's parents for Easter! Who knew that a year later we would be married and very much in love!

I completed this entry with my new phone so I will add photos from our vacation later. BTW, I REALLY LOVE MY MOTO Q phone!!!!!!!!!

Back in business...

Ok..I must apologize to those who have been waiting for me to get back on my grind and post stuff. I don't know what came over me. I think I got caught up in just not doing anything remotely close to the world of academia. Anywho...I've missed blogging because it is quite therapeutic for me. It's funny because at one point Kevin mentioned that I hadn't updated my blog! He reads it from time to time to simply see what else could be going through my mind. Clearly, with Pamie you never ever know! LOL!

I hope to get back in the habit of posting stuff. Please be patient!

Till death do us part....

Over the past month or so I've watched two marriages dissolve right in front of my eyes. As a newlywed ( a little over 7 months) I have to admit I have definitely been affected by this. Don't get me wrong, things are great in my marriage and I wouldn't trade Kevin for anything in world, but the realities of neglecting your spouse have become real for me. It is really disheartening to see people around you who you have grown to love and at one point was an example of marriage for Kevin and I, terminate their marriage.



Kevin periodically makes the statement "till Jesus comes" and that has unofficially become our motto. We will be together "till Jesus comes"! I know in my heart that this will be the case because I have made up in my mind that is going to be the way it is!

I pray for married couples as they fall on my mind because I know that the enemy will seek out to destroy anything that remotely resembles God's way. Marriage represents God's relationship with the church therefore if the enemy can come in and destroy it...he will! We have to keep God first in our relationships. Again, I know I've only been married for a few months but you better believe that if I don't know or believe anything else, I believe this and this to be true!

Adventures in babysitting....

Meet Joel Miller, III.

I had the opportunity to "borrow" this young man for a day in an attempt to see what it is like to be a parent. He is such a wonderful child. He is a little over 2 years old and is full of energy and quite the hand full. I was very nervous going into it because granted I have a niece and nephew, I truly have very little experience with small children. When my nephew was little, I was around 11 or 12 so of course I treated him like baby doll and there was only so much I was allowed to do. My niece came along while I was in college so I really wasn't around her much either. Granted I know how to change diapers and all that good stuff, I'm just really nervous when it comes to little ones. I actually left him home with Kevin for about 2 hours. During that time Kevin allowed Joel to eat a bunch of grapes which resulted in Kevin having to change his very first diaper! I only wish I was there to witness all of this.

Joel and I had a wonderful time hanging out all day. He really kept me busy and I was able to learn a lot about being a parent and all of the responsibilities that come along with it. I think the biggest lesson learned was the effect a child has on your ability to get up and go! It really blew my mind seeing how long it took me to get out of the door with Joel. Having to remember to fill up a sippy cup, pack a diaper bag, make sure he has a fresh diaper, pack his favorite toy and properly secure him in the car seat really takes time! I was also able to see how it could be with Kevin being at work on most weekends and me being home as the primary caregiver. It is challenging but I'm glad that I'm having the opportunity to "test drive" parenthood before we head down the path for real!

** This is an old entry that just got around to finishing! I have actually "borrowed" Joel several times since this date. (March 3, 2009)

Blast from my past....

Today I reconnected with my linesister, Tynesha Lewis. Wow....it has been SEVERAL years since I've spoken to her and even longer since I've seen her. I found her this morning on Facebook. I have to say that through Facebook I have been able to find a lot of my friends. I see why people say it's addicting!

Anyway, I am really excited about reconnecting with her. I think that God purposely allowed our paths to cross at the point in our lives. I'm not sure what all she has going on but I know that I am in a place where I have dealt with a lot of my issues that I had in the past. I can now move forward and be available to do whatever it is He is wanting us to do. I am very much excited about the possibilities with her D.I.V.A.S. I think that her passion to motivate people and share her testimony to help others can and be utilized in D.I.V.A.S.

I hope and pray that we stay in touch.

January 20, 2009....

Today was by a day that will forever be in my mind. There are two topics that I never discuss in an open forum: politics and religion. I've always limited my comments on those topics because everyone is emotionally attached to their personal beliefs. I definitely don't appreciate anyone telling me that I wrong for believing what I believe therefore I refrain from doing the same. With all that being said, I have to say that I am very excited that our 44th President is Barack Obama. I am very hopeful that things are going to be different under this Administration. I believe the difference is going to brought about because everyone came together to make it happen. Long gone are the days of the "ole heads" running stuff...my generation and those who have come after me are speaking up and making a difference. It seems only natural that since we came out together to elect our President, we are going to support him and all that he attempts to do.

I also can't help but think of how my future children's lives will be affected by our new President. Long gone are the days of only having African American athletes for children to aspire to be like or model themselves after. Don't get me wrong, it's ok for kids to want that but it's even better to have a living example to show that it IS possible to be the President if you are a young black male (or female). I am very hopeful!

In other news, Kevin, Bentley, and I had our very first snow day together. That was fun!!! We took some family photos outside and even had a mini snow ball fight. The funny part of all of this is Bentley was not happy we kept her outside so long. She really hates being outside for long periods of time. Enjoy the pics!

Friendship...

My friends have always been important to me. For the most part I have managed to surround myself with a very small circle of individuals who have stood by me through thick and thin. I have clearly transitioned into a phase where I am realizing that the nature of the friendships will change but the friendship can still remain.


On January 14, 2009, Mr. Alexander Thomas lost his battle with leukemia. Mr. Thomas is the father of Jeff Thomas who is my best male friend (outside of my husband of course!). Daddy Thomas was such a wonderful man. He had a great spirit about him and definitely embraced all of Jeff's friends. Kevin and I attended his memorial service on January 18, 2009. This may sound strange but it was a beautiful and uplifting service. A few times I forgot was actually attending a funeral service! Seriously, it was just that uplifting and upbeat. I have no doubt in my mind that Daddy Thomas is resting in Heaven with Jesus. He was truly a wonderful man. This was the first time I've had to support a friend in this way. I am very grateful for my friendship with Jeff. I am even more thankful to God that I was able to support him in his time of sorrow.

On the other side, I recently experienced a very awkward situation with my female best friend. Due to the outcome of the situation I have unfortunately formed a different view of her and our relationship. I wouldn't venture as far to say that it's bad but I will say it's different. We were both hurt and placed in awkward positions however I think at the end of the day some of the actions committed and words spoken by her were not necessary. I still consider her my friend and my best female friend however in the words of Maya Angelou...."When people show you who they really are...you have to believe them".

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Today Kevin turned 33 years old. It was kind of interesting this year thinking of what I would get for him. Last year this time we had just started dating so of course I wanted to make sure I got an appropriate gift but at the same time I didn't know much about him. Anyway, I managed to chose the appropriate gifts last year.

I can honestly say that Christmas was a blessing for the both of us. Kevin and I decided that for birthdays we wouldn't go all out but would simply turn the day into whatever the person wanted. The birthday boy or girl will choose what we eat and what activity they wanted to do. A small gift would be given however that would be the extent of birthday celebrations. So, for Kevin's birthday we had initially decided to go to Red Lobster or Olive Garden because of a recent commercial he had seen. Just as last year, the plans changed and we ended up going to Musashi Japenese Steakhouse. We had a great time and really enjoyed being out for dinner.

For Kevin's gift, I got him a very nice bracelet from the Russell Simmons Jewelry Company. The funny story about this gift is I actually purchased it back in December for his birthday gift however I couldn't wait to to give it to him. I gave it to him early however it was too small!!! We had to go and reorder a larger one and was originally told that it wouldn't be back until the end of February. Well, I received a phone call on January 14th that the bracelet was in. God worked it out for me!

Kevin had a great time at dinner and we finished the evening at Applebee's where we had cocktails. We both agreed that this was a wonderful celebration of Kevin's birthday.

2008 Holidays...

The 2008 Christmas season was one to remember for the Reese's! Kevin and I made plans to do so much over the break and was really looking forward to spending it together. The weeks leading up to Christmas should have been an indication that things were not going to be as we planned however I wasn't that good at reading the signs. Kevin had been sick with a cold and we had tried just about everything over the counter to treat him. It wasn't until he finally went to the doctor on December 22nd that he was diagnosed with PNEUMONIA! By that point he was terribly sick and of course was required to stay home and rest. Well...that was the beginning of the change of plans!

We had planned to go to spend Christmas Eve with my parents and leave for Virginia on Christmas morning. Needless to say, we didn't make it to my parents because I felt it was in Kevin's best interest to rest all days leading up to Christmas so that he would be in the best shape possible to travel on Christmas Day. I had to admit that I was a bit SOUR because I was looking forward to going to my parents to drop off their gifts. All wasn't lost because we were able exchange gifts on Tuesday.

Firsts: Tradition and Whole Chicken

Well, by Christmas Eve Kevin was itching to get up and move around a bit. I pretty much had him confined to the bedroom and would've allow him to go in any other parts of the house. I didn't want to get germs all over the place! Kevin and I decided that we would start a Christmas tradition of building gingerbread houses. The average couple probably would've purchased one of those premade kits however not the Reese's! We ended up building our homes with graham crackers so we really had to use some imagination to get things to work. We had a ball!!! I think I loved the activity so much because we were able to do what we wanted and didn't have to follow any rules. As you can tell by the pictures our personalities were reflected in our work. Kevin's is the mansion on the left and mine is on the right. I have to admit that Kevin's steps were a nice touch. He even put a helicopter pad in the back!

Christmas Eve was also the first time that I baked a whole chicken! Now...for some individuals this isn't all that special however I was proud of myself. Kevin was by my side while I did it so I can't take all the credit but I did all the work! I'm not sure why I have always been afraid of cooking a whole chicken...I think it has something to do with actually seeing the chicken in all it's glory and it becomes real what you are really eating. I always buy boneless skinless chicken breasts so the connection was never really made that I'm actually eating a chicken. I know it sounds weird but I was grossed out at the idea of eating a chicken after I removed it from the plastic. It was good though! Oh yeah, you know we had to use the meat thermometer to make sure the temperature had reached the safe serve levels! Gotta love my husband the Chef!



Christmas Day in Virginia



Kevin and I decided to open our Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve night mainly because he couldn't wait until the next day to open his. We both made out like bandits this year. I finally got my Magic Bullet! I have been wanting one of those for years. I know I could've purchased myself one a long time ago but being the cheap person I am, I simply waited. Kevin got me the one with the extra pieces. It is wonderful! I love it!!!! Kevin did a great job listening to me and figuring out what he should get me. I love practical gifts and everything he got me, I can use! The best part of it all is that everything he got me I WANTED!

We left for Virginia around 10 Christmas morning. I drove and made sure I took my time because I didn't' want a ticket or even worse get in an accident on Christmas. His family was wonderful and they were so happy to see us. We got there and all the food was ready and most of everyone was there. I always love seeing Kevin at home with his family. He always turns back into a little kid who is so happy and giddy. We were able to meet Keith's new lady. She seems really cool and the best part is she appears to be able to put Keith in check. I hope she sticks around for a bit! LOL!

All in all, Christmas 2008 was a blessing. It wasn't how we originally planned but it was what our family needed. Looking back I wouldn't change any aspect of it.