The Story of Them...

This was about the time it all started...it was a Thursday morning and their dad had just left for work to a job over an hour away.  I was sooo excited because, after almost 9 months, I was finally going to  meet them, face-to-face!  So I got out of bed when I felt the first contractions and excitedly started gathering what I may need for my trip to the hospital.  That's when the contractions got stronger!  But no worries, having given birth once before, I figured what had worked to relieve the pain that time would surely work this time...right??   So, with a self-serving smirk on my face and the grace of an over-sized yoga instructor, I proceeded to gently drop to the floor and press the heel of my foot against my pelvic bone.  Trust me, it's not as hard as it sounds...

With the smirk still on my face, I wait for the pain to subside...  um hmm, it's going to be subsiding any minute now, soon, heehee, ....ok, uh, pain... subside... SUBSIDE!!!!  IT DIDN'T WORK!!!  Ok, ok, don't panic Trena, let's try something else...except....  I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER BACK-UP PLAN FOR THE PAIN!! 

Panic started...  Now ya'll, back then, I still worried about what folks would think so I hesitated in calling the ambulance...  Instead, I called my then-husband, who'd made it to work by now....over an hour away, to say, yeah, you may need to come on back.  He goes, "Ok, do I have time to finish one project?"  Mind you, gauging from the experience of when I'd had my son three years prior, that seemed like a reasonable request and as  I accessed the pain level, I decided to be brave and said, "Yeah, just come immediately afterwards!"

Oh boy..... as soon as I hung the phone up, it felt like a Predator was just beginning to walk up my driveway...  Let me explain this...When I had my son and was in full blown labor pains, in an attempt to "remember" the pain of childbirth to help in my future decision to ever do it again, I had to compare an event to the pain. One comparison was of a giant can of string beans, you know, the extra large cans, dropping on the crease of my big toe and the other comparison was of a Predator, from the Arnold Schwartzenegger movie, pulling my spine, as he did to his victims in the movie, out of my body.  And this mo-fo was at the proverbial door, ringing the doorbell!

What seemed like hours, and it probably was a couple, the hubster walks in the door and we load up to head to the hospital.  Ya'll, bless his heart... it felt like he was driving just slow enough to get fired from driving Ms Daisy!  When we finally reached the hospital, I was greeted by two of everything...two doctors, two nurses, two PAs, etc...they had a team for each of the babies and once again drawing from my previous experience, I immediately asked for the two anesthesiologists!  I wanted my pain meds and I wanted them NOW!!

After taking the needle in the back like a pro, everything was made right again.  *Sidenote:  I do want to interject here to say I imagine I now know what a junkie looking for his next high feels like... When I noticed my pain medicine bag getting empty, I immediately started fidgeting and looking around, inquiring about the whereabouts of my "pusher man" (the anesthesiologist); didn't matter to me, Ms Nurse Lady, that I had about a half hour before I would feel any more pain, I WANTED MY DRUGS AND I WANTED THEM PRONTO! 

When it was time to meet these two little babies and the doctor told me I could start pushing now, I nonchalantly went through the motions (couldn't feel a thing from my waist down and that's exactly the way I wanted it!), out came Baby A...Miss Alexis.  Oh, what a beautiful sight to see...a brave little head with a jet black wrap, aka, her hair was swirled around her scalp like a tiny representation of the galaxy.  The doctor had to tap the bottom of her feet to get the acknowledging cry out of her.

Watching to make sure the PA property tagged her, you know, making sure he put the band they place on patients to identify them (there were stories of baby-swapping going on back then), we started work on Baby B.  Now, here's where Alyssa comes into the picture, causing drama for absolutely NO reason.  This little lady decides she's not going to come out after all and heads back up towards my breastplate!!  The staff is actually watching her do this from the sonogram screens!  My primary doctor was a little Hispanic lady, about 4 feet nothing, but she was handling things like a champ!  She said, "Ok, don't push until I say so but when I do say so, push with all you got!  I'm going to reach up there and get her!"  Alright then....And that's exactly what she proceeded to do...reached right in, grab Ms Alyssa by the ankles and pulled her tail out!  No feet tapping needed for this one, she made her displeasure of being disturbed in her plans quite known!

She came out with a similar wrap to Alexis, except hers was light brown in color.  Another beautiful sight to see...  I know my heart must have burst and re-glued itself back together with all the joy I had in there for my babies.

And 23 years later, to this day, these young ladies continue to bring me so much pride and joy....And I thank God for blessing me and trusting me to raise these two beautiful souls.

Happy birthday Ladies!  I love you with all that I am.  <3   

Trips, Journeys, and Memoirs

Hey ya'll!

Well, I just got back from vacation on Saturday and it was AMAZING!  It was a 6-day cruise to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize, and Mahogany Bay.  The weather was perfect, the company was great and I GOT ENGAGED!!

First, I'll like to tell you how it happened... During our visit to Cozumel, Mexico, we were all going in and out of several stores, checking out the wares in each one and taking advantage of the air conditioning wherever we could find one.  *heehee  While perusing one of the jewelry stores, I begin the process of looking for my birthstone in a ring.  While taking forever to find anything that was unique enough to keep my attention, Baby just casually says, "Why don't you marry me?", I looked up from the display case and say, "Just like that, huh?" he replied, "Yeah" and I replied back with 'Yeah".  Romantic, huh?  lol.. Well, maybe not in the normal sense of the word but this was so... US!  And it was perfect for me.  He later informed me he'd meant to wait until his birthday, a month away, to ask but ....  I guess he was moved.  And I loved that movement!  Next stop, although I'm still partial on getting finger tattoos myself, I guess we'll be shopping for an actual engagement ring instead of a birthstone placeholder.  We'll see....

I've semi-announced it, on Facebook of all places, because I think I've been in a little bit of shock.  I want to scream it out to the world.  Because I love this man and he gets me on a level that still surprises me.  We have a few things to get together before the knots are officially tied and as for the wedding and reception, I, being a certified event planner (and a frugal human being) am planning the majority of it all.  I want to be all hands in, although I know many warn against this, but I'm a seasoned individual and feel at this moment, on June 14th, 2018 at 3:06p, EDT, that I can do it without any major arteries popping. I also have this burning desire to prove a wedding and reception can be quite lovely without being a major expense!

I will be documenting it all along the way too...pictures, mindset, processes, etc!  By the end of all the planning, I want to be able to present YOU with a tangible guide, to be of use to you and/or someone you know!

In the midst of all the excitement, it was suggested I write my memoir...and I absolutely LOVE the idea of it!  So, I will also be starting that endeavor, sharing who I am and how I got to be where I am today.  Telling all about "knowing" things without quite understanding to do so was not normal; to almost getting kidnapped in the deep south (where I was born and raised) by an elderly Caucasian male driving a light blue pickup truck; through time spent oversees in exotic places during the beginning of my military career; through a 23-year marriage, infidelity and forgiveness; dating again after 40 and now, at 51, being an Intuitive Transformation Love Coach, about to jump the broom once again!  Whew....  yeah.

Stay tuned, heck...go ahead and subscribe so I'll know you're here!  It's going to be a trip as I go back to come forward.  But I look forward to the journey.  I'd love it if you came along with me.  <3