Diary of a Country Girl

Chapter Twelve:

Dear diary,

The last few weeks have flown by in a blur. There has been no shortage of things vying for our attention. After getting the positive result on my pregnancy test we couldn't wait to share the news with our parents. We were both disappointed we couldn't break the news in person, but video chat is the next best thing. I think they might have been even more excited than we were. It didn't take long for our moms to start organizing a to-do list for us. Part of me wanted to do an eye roll at the way they just took over. A much bigger part of me was so thankful they did. They’ve been through all this before themselves. I admit we’d be lost if we had to do this alone. The idea of making our own to-do list was scary and we had no idea where to start.

I had my first visit with the obstetrician the other day. Dr. Bradshaw was really nice and she put me at ease. This being my first pregnancy I feel lost, scared, happy, and a dozen other emotions. That’s probably the hormones as much as it is the unknowns. This appointment was much more thorough than I expected. It was the most thorough physical ever. There were blood tests. Did I ever mention how much I hate needles?

I had my first ultrasound...

...and a consultation too. The good news, the ultrasound confirmed the pregnancy test. Yay! The bad news…it's more like disappointing news rather than bad, it’s too early to say if it’s a boy or a girl.

 I really hope it’s a girl. If not we’ve got a nursery to redecorate. We’ll know for sure when I go back in a few weeks for the next ultrasound. In the meantime we can start thinking about a gender reveal party. Oh, and a baby shower.

 Tre and I have been spending our evenings going over baby names. It’s a fun way to unwind after a hard day on the ranch. We pick out a movie, snuggle up on the sofa, and talk.

 I bring my tablet along so we can look up meanings for names we find interesting, or cute.

 We’re still debating whether or not to give our child a name that reflects our culture. My family hasn’t been really big on that. Our names are mostly traditional names. My name is the rare exception. But it wasn’t supposed to be. Right up to the night I was born my name was going to be Chloe. The night I was born, according to my parents, there was a rare aurora borealis. They took it as a sign and that’s where my name comes from. Thank God they stuck with Michelle for my middle name. I love Aurora, but a middle name like Borealis would have been so embarrassing.

Tre’s family is the exact opposite. Most of their names are culturally inspired. Tre’s full name is Tre’von Miguel Carter. A reflection of his parent’s individual backgrounds. We’re thinking of combining the two ideas in some way. But there’s still time to discuss it before we decide. 

Tre has been working on the barn at the old ranch. He wants to be ready to start renovating it as soon as we get approval from the county planning commission. They’re dragging their feet, but at least what we’re hearing sounds promising. He’s taken out the stalls, painted, and put down a wood floor. I had been thinking of a stone floor but Tre’s right, wood makes it feel more like an old time general store. He's getting really excited for this project. I think it brings out the kid in him.

That got me thinking about fixing up the little area out back where my garden was. Putting down some pavers, having a few picnic tables and maybe some rocking chairs. But it’s all just a dream until we get the go ahead to start building.

I have a meeting coming up soon with Dani and Marrisa at the new Oak Barrel Steakhouse. There's a really nice story behind the recent changes there. Dani used to be a bartender there. Long story short, she got a business degree in her spare time, and through hard work put herself in a position to buy the Oak Barrel when the original owners decided to sell. It's a labor of love for them and they put their heart and soul into the place. Tre's favorite is Tuesday nights when they have their chicken fried steak dinner special.

Part of the changes they're making is sourcing as much of the food and beverages locally as possible. That's where Tre and I come in. We're taking some of our best nectars to have a little tasting with Dani and Marissa. This is a great chance to put our nectars out there for people to try. Right now my garden is still focused on growing fruit for the nectary, but I have plans beyond that. I have lots of room to expand so maybe we can also arrange a deal to sell some of our produce to the Oak Barrel in the future. Once I start planting some vegetables of course. With any luck this could be another great way to build up our little business. In the meantime I'm getting this incredible craving for peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes.