The last two months have completely kicked my butt. First, there was the total shock of finding out that I’m pregnant. Then there was the desperate scramble to find a new place to live and move everything we own in a matter of few weeks. Then there was the hormonal overload of the first trimester–morning sickness, bone-deep exhaustion, alternating fits of tears and rage. Then there was a week-long work trip during which I became so exhausted and dehydrated due to the aforementioned morning... Read Full Story

I know I’ve been totally absent lately, but I promise I’ll be back! Good news: We got our first ultrasound–the baby looks perfectly healthy (and kind of like a gummy bear)! Work is gradually tapering back to a manageable level of activity. The morning sickness is (dare I say it?) finally starting to subside. I’m almost back up to my starting weight. My hair has stopped falling out. (Note: I was so stressed that my hair was falling out. Yes. It was that bad.) We found a place to live (hooray... Read Full Story

 And the icing on the cake of chaos that has been my life of late is this… My husband and I rent a condo from a military guy who’s been stationed in North Carolina. We’ve been there for three years and love it. He just called my husband a few minutes ago to tell him that we have to be out in 30 days because he wants to move in. Ha! So we have until September 30 to find a place, pack, and move. Every weekend in September except for one was booked. I say “was” because we’re going to need to... Read Full Story

The past couple of weeks have been a real whirlwind. My team at work has been simultaneously short-staffed and over-tasked, which has resulted in stress, long hours, stress, frustration, stress, missed workouts, stress, not cleaning the house, and stress. On top of that, I’ve got two websites to write for–Semi-Charmed Wife, which as you all know, has been woefully neglected of late, and the Examiner. My husband and I have obligations/plans for the next four weekends, which gives me little... Read Full Story

I’ve been meaning to post this, but I’ve been drowning in work. I’m talking 14 hour days kind of drowning. Drinking out of a fire hose kind of drowning. Reduce the pregnant lady to tears and tantrums kind of drowning. I’m second-in-command to a team of six at work. My boss’s wife just had her baby on Saturday, so he’s been out all week. Another one of our employees had his last day on Friday and his replacement is still waiting on her security clearance and can’t start for (probably) about... Read Full Story

#30 on my 101 Things list has nearly killed me. Zandria and I (along with my dear friend Amy & her friend) just took a strip aerobics class at The P Spot. I am not at all exaggerating when I say that the 45 minutes I spend rocking my hips and dropping it like it was hot were among the most challenging of my life. Before I found out that I had someone riding shotgun, I was training for a marathon. Three weeks ago tomorrow, I ran 12 miles for my last long run. I’ve been seeing a personal... Read Full Story

Image from http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2577305/ 2/istockphoto_2577305_pour_wine_into_glass.jpg. I and–I feel fairly confident making this assumption–many of my readers tend to take on too much. At any given moment, we’re juggling the demands of our primary job, perhaps an extra or freelance gig or two, our families, our friends and social lives, our marriages or relationships, our health and fitness, our hobbies, and our churches, charities, or volunteer organizations... Read Full Story

Eight weeks after giving birth to her THIRD child, Heidi Klum walked the Victoria’s Secret runway in (and this is not a joke) an electric thong. Five months after having her son, former Bachelorette Trista Sutter appeared on the cover Us Weekly in a bikini with visible ab defintion and nary a stretch mark in sight. A recent article at MSNBC questioned whether the insanely quick return to pre-baby condition by celebrity moms like Heidi and Trista helps or harms us mere mortals. In one camp... Read Full Story

I’m so excited! The fruits of my successful intention-manifestation experiment are finally… um, fruiting. Anyway. Hop on over to Examiner.com/dc and check out my page. Oh, and let me know what you think of my first article! Read Full Story

My husband and I had a plan for the next few years. It was a good plan. It had us paying off all of our debts (including my student loans), aggressively saving for retirement, and setting aside enough cash for a 20% down payment on the home of our dreams, AND it left room for a few dream vacations–New Year’s in Argentina, a trip to the Dominican Republic with my best friend, and a cruise to Alaska. God, I loved that plan. And then… Then… Something unexpected happened* (something wonderful... Read Full Story