5 Years and 34 Weeks

In December of 2010, I got a frantic phone call from my little sister who promised she had found the “perfect” guy for me. Her reasoning as to why we would make such a good match “He put up with me in our awful small group all semester and didn’t kill me.” Celeste was a senior at UGA at the time and I had disturbing visions of a 22 year old athlete whose claim to fame was being the beer pong champion of his fraternity, but she was quick to assure me that the guy she found for me was “old…like he’s almost 30!” She also said “he’s not my type, but you’ll think he’s cute.” She wasn’t exactly selling me on this guy, but for those who know Celeste and her sometimes dominating, always opinionated and often entertaining personality – this is high praise for a classmate. I originally told her no for several reasons – the most obvious of which being the fact that Celeste and I have very little in common other than anatomy and parents. Never one to be deterred, Celeste got my mom in on the fun and she quickly got in touch with me to provide her straightforward reasoning as to why it was a good idea to go on a blind date (the very idea of which caused me anxiety): “Lissa, you’re broke and, at the very least, it’s a free meal. He’s friends with Celeste so he’ll be nice and you could end up with a new friend even if the two of you don’t hit it off romantically.” Ever the optimist my mother…but she was right. At least about being broke – I was working an average of 60 hours a week as an investigator with Child Protective Services at DFCS, an often thankless job that left me overwhelmed emotionally and with little time or interest in dating. Eventually, Celeste wore me down and I agreed for her to give him my number (little did I know she had already given it to him – way to have your sister’s back, C).

The mystery man and I began talking through text message and, by the time we made official plans to meet, I knew it would be an entertaining night with a funny guy if nothing else. So on December 22, 2010 I went on my first and only blind date. Little did I know when I first saw Jason that he would end up quickly becoming my best friend and the love of my life. Fast forward five years and my life is better than even I imagined it could be when watching romantic comedies with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. In the years since our first date, we have lived in 3 states, had a combined 6 jobs, adopted and raised a naughty puppy (who by some miracle is still alive), and celebrated the many ups and downs that come with building a life together. We’ve laughed more than I would have thought, I’ve cried more than Jas is comfortable with, we’ve struggled financially, we’ve succeeded professionally, we’ve mourned the loss of loved ones, celebrated the birth of new family members and enjoyed the ride together. There is no one else I’d rather do life with and today, as I look back on the past five years, I feel forever grateful to call Jason my husband.

This year celebrating the day we met is even more exciting as it also marks my 34^th week of pregnancy with our little lady. Little Peanut is no longer so little, as she is approximately 18 inches long and probably nearing 5 pounds. She is continuing to be very active and I am still enjoying pregnancy, though I’m well aware that I’m quickly losing what little grace I had up to this point (Jas likens me to a “truck driver” at least once a week – what a charmer). We are six weeks from our due date, and as we begin the countdown to D-day, I am also trying to enjoy the last few weeks of quality time as a dynamic duo before officially becoming a family of three. Like most first time mothers, I am a bit anxious and overwhelmed, but I feel better knowing I have Jason by my side and I know that we are ready for this next chapter of our lives together. Cheers to 5 years and here’s to many more!