Whoa, I forgot I had a blog!

It has been a long, long time since I posted and a lot has changed....most significantly, this is what I look like now:

22 weeks pregnant (5 1/2 months)

How did this happen?  Well, you know how...but the who is more interesting.  As I read back  through my posts, I could tell I was starting to talk about him more and more, or at least, think about him a lot more, and the "him" was "boy workout and running partner," who I first mentioned back in Oct. 2010.  Turns out he kept track of my whereabouts because he liked me!  We both started in the same hiring class back in June, and after hanging out within a group of friends, we quietly went on our first date for my birthday to go to dinner and rock climbing with some friends, and then we hung out afterwards by ourselves and really hit it off.  This was after I started getting frustrated because I liked him, and he liked me, but we weren't communicating that to each other in the right way. I remember when I KNEW he was the one for me.  We had been hanging out a lot and could talk about anything with each other.  Completely open, no shame, no embarrassment.  I was talking to him in the car one day and realized I had never felt this level of comfort and openness with anyone, and I knew that was it.  So after some initial misfires (he actually first asked me out sometime in October or November of 2010, I said no, I don't know why), we finally made it work by February 2011!  It is now almost May 2012 and we're starting a great adventure together in North Carolina, preparing for our very welcome, surprise little girl, Quinn Elinor.

Updates

Fat Tuesday?  Ash Wednesday? Lent?  No dairy, no meat lasted about a week and a half.  Then I realized I was hungry ALL the time and decided to go back to my normal diet, which was actually healthier....  So another fail on things I try to do.

Also, I mentioned earlier (during my busy season/studying post) that I was trying to get my company to sponsor us for the Gasparilla Distance Classic.  I was able to get the company to sponsor us, there was actually already a gentleman in the office who was organizing it, so I worked with him, and my department and I think we ended up with about 20 people from my department who signed up for the race.  I ended up doing the 15K instead of the 5K, and the corporate team I was on came in 1st place!

Jesse and I at the end of the 15K

We also had an end of busy season bowling event for my department, and my bowling team won highest score and most creative name, which was "I Can't Believe It's Not Gutter." I only have one picture from the bowling event, but there are more, so I'm going to try and get copies of them.

George, Dave, Anthony, Jessica, myself, and Brian

I have continued to work out, and dropped down to minus 9 pounds since I began working out again in December.  I've kind of plateaued at minus 9 pounds and decided I needed to start mixing up my work outs.  Instead of doing classes with the girls from work, I started working out  in the morning with a boy, sometimes boys, from work doing strength training. I've added to that runs during the week with said boy from morning work out and another boy (not from the morning work out) whom I also work with. I am still staying at the same weight, but there is a difference in my body and I can tell I am much stronger.  I also recognize that I have severe body image issues.  I find I obsess way too much over how I look, so I'm trying to work on that issue, but really I think just being healthy will help it.  At least my obsession leads to mostly healthy behavior and not harmful behavior (beyond the fact that I spend too much energy focusing on body image).  I just have to watch what I say in front of my nieces as I don't want them to experience the kind of self doubt and obsession that comes with low self body image.

I received my scores back from the last section of the CPA exam, BEC, and I scored an 87.  I have now completed two sections (I also completed FAR with an 84), and have begun to study for REG.  My strength training/running friend from work is also taking REG next, so for the first time I am studying with someone else.  This both helps me to focus, when we're studying, and distracts me from starting to study.  But we've actually kept up a good pace through the materials and should have plenty of time to final review together before we take the exam. Still no date set for when I am going to sit.

Since the gift of the ring, I've tried to contact Mark just to talk to him.  I do miss him and I wish he hadn't completely shut me out of his life.  Still no reply from him on any of my messages.  *sad face*  So I was just Facebook creeping his page, and really, just old photos that I posted of when we were together and I came across our last picture as a couple.  This picture was taken on New Year's Eve in Mexico City, literally hours before we broke up.  How is that for life documentation, we don't look so happy.