I've got the strangest paradigm about aging; I've always wanted to be that next year older, because it somehow seemed more prestigious, as if maybe I'd get more respect if I was 13, 18, or 20. But then I get a little freaked out because hey! You're going to have SO MUCH MORE responsibility if you are that much older. However, the responsibility thing isn't freaking me out as much this year. If all the life milestones that have happened over the last year don't make me infinitely more responsible, then I haven't been paying attention.
So, in chronological order:
May 25th, 2007: I was still at Central. So were Brittney and Charlee and Chris. I had a "Decorate-Your-Own-Bra" Party at our apartment... because it seemed like a good idea at the time. (It still seems like a good idea, to tell you the truth... it was good clean fun!).
June 2007: I was finishing up the school year in fine style. Finals week, I find out I am pregnant. And still got A's on all my finals. This trend didn't last.
July 2007: I realized that all of those little nudges not to sign up for summer school were divine nudges, and I should have taken the hint. With 102 degree weather, no air conditioner, and the most demanding classwork I have ever encountered, all on top of horrible morning sickness, I was going downhill fast. On the upside, however, I was losing tons of weight! At the Family Reunion, I joined in the coup that overthrew the ineffective and tyrannical reign of the Dead and Dying generation (that would be my grandmother and her brothers and sister... *note: they chose that little group moniker for themselves!). My cousin Sam and I are head of the administration. Only the closest of family and Kameron knew about little (tiny!) Elizabeth at this point.
August 2007: Signed up and started classes at Washington State University. I actually enjoyed them much more than I thought. Everyone knew by then.
September 2007: I took my last trip to Central to clear out my apartment. Sad, sad days. I told Dr. Ott that I wouldn't be returning. :-( Very sad. I also joined the PSU Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. More sad days. :-)
October 2007: Juggled. At almost 7 months, I just barely began to show. I was definitely feeling baby kick, and I was also feeling sad nostalgia for Central. But things were progressing.
November 2007: At this point, I decided that juggling all that I was - which included, but was not limited to, full time classes at WSU and playing in two ensembles at PSU, while heavily pregnant - was unwise and not conducive to good mental health. I quit orchestra.
December 2007: I passed my classes, with flying colors, and gained some great rapport with awesome professors (sometimes, that can be even more valuable than the grade). Also, Kam finally asked me to marry him! (Finally... haha! He has always said he would have done it six years ago if he thought he could get away with it). Beautiful day. I also in this month became thoroughly convinced that I was going to have Elizabeth (I think her name then was Grace still, maybe Hannah) early, and began to wake up every day thinking, "Today could be the day!"
Foolish, foolish girl.
January 2008: Still having faith in my early birth, I cancelled my band trip to Eugene on the 26th of this month. Of course, it would be another two weeks before I had her... but I could just imagine the impression I would have made if the tuba blasted a low note and whoop! my water broke. In front of all the college band directors in Oregon. Great. Belinda through me a lovely, lovely baby shower - things started to come home for me a little.
February 2008: My due date came. And went. The first 8 days of February were pure torture. Kam came home to me crying more than once. I tried everything - I spent my due date waking/jogging the two miles around Glendoveer Park. UGH! But, she came! Beautiful Elizabeth came on the 9th, and stole my heart completely. One week after her, I resumed flute lessons, and I think the rest of that month I spent revelling in her and lamenting my poor, flabby stomach.
March 2008: I frantically tried to plan my wedding, something I tried not to stress over too much in the last weeks of my pregnancy. I kept thinking to myself, "Oh, RELAX!! You've got months and months until the date!"
April 2008: "Really, Alli, why all the stress? There's seven weeks to go - you've got plenty of time!
May 1-16, 2008: "OH NO! Get your rear in gear, Cairns, what have you been doing for two months?" Also in the first few weeks of May, I finished my online classes for the term, thereby ending 21 consecutive months of going to school. Sweet relief!
May 17th, 9am - 4:45pm: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
May 17th, 5:07 pm: "Ok, I got myself together, I waiting down here... when is the wedding going to start, it's HOT!"
May 17th, 5:15 pm: "Did they say walk? Are they walking?"
May 17th, 5:16 pm: "I'm walking! There he is! Oh goodness!"
May 17th, 5:30 pm: "Well, that went fast!"
May 18th - May 24th: I have spent the last week or so learning some interesting realities about married life. Like, when are you ever supposed to see your husband? and other things.
May 25th: I spent this birthday baking cookies (good), breaking down on the side of the road (bad), with my baby (double bad), on the I-205 bridge (ok, we get it, Alli!), spending time with newly acquired family (very good).
So, in one year, I have changed schools, moved home, had a baby, got married, moved to another home, staged a coup, and made a bra.
Pretty eventful, wouldn't you say?
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