Sympathy Pains and Hunger Pains

Ever heard of those?....Sympathy Pains??? Well I always thought it to be a load of crap, but here I am 20 weeks (5months to those without the pregnancy math...oh! And did you know that pregnancy is TEN months and not nine!!!?? Yeah they lied to us all. Everyone lied and it all comes out once you get yourself knocked up)........Oh sorry, I digress. Like I was saying, I am 20 weeks pregnant and Evan seems to be about 15 weeks or so. I tell you that man has a ridiculous need to....be like me if you will. Maybe its just finding another excuse to indulge in the things that he would normally try to hide from me.

So on our last trip to JA, I was about 7.5 weeks when I got there. Horribly nauseous the entire time and starving like a raging lioness!! I mean hunger that would make me want to kill somebody if they came between me and my meal. We are on a budget, staying at family's home. So there's no all-inclusive meals to just run and eat, no money to just stop off at this and that restaurant or jerk shack, or anything. I didn't starve to death but it surely felt like it. There was a time that we're walking through the neighborhood down from Tank Hill in Red Ground. I was so hot and hungry and new I only had about 5 mins left in me to keep going before I passed out right there in the road on the broken rock. We quickly made a turn and hit the first shop we saw. It was a Rasta place. Had the best callaloo, ackee, and goat. Yum Yum. With grape soda. That soda was the best and usually you couldn't catch me near a nasty grape soda. What is grape soda anyway. I mean really, what is that flavor, cause I ain't never tasted a grape like that.

After this, I knew where Mr. Rasta man lived and I stopped there by myself on occasion and had a meal under the shady tree. I would be very reluctant to leave my shaded area for dread of walking down the rest of the hill in the hot sun. But most days I pushed through. Carrying my trusty Jamaica umbrella to shield to scorching sun off my withering body. By the time I made my way down to the center of town I sweating like nobody's business. Another new one for me. I do no sweat. I would spend my time at the locals area beach or walk up a bit and chill on a lounger at Sunset on the Beach. The ocean was the only thing that kept me sane through out this JA visit. Have you ever been so nauseous, for so long, that you started to lose all sanity? Well that's where I was. I am not one to throw up either, so I never got to the point to spontaneously let loose. I'd have to improvise and induce it on my own(yeah I know, real lady like). My only problem with the ocean was that the swirling water made the hunger pains come as soon as my belly went under. I'd wait for Evan to come and meet me with a meal in his hand. I was usually there alone or with a friend. I'd sit under the shady mesh umbrellas chomping away at my snack....Saltine Crackers. I went through a whole box of them on the trip...they were my other trusty friend. They didn't help with the sick feeling, but did help with the hunger pains. Evan usually came bearing patties and coco bread. I gained a craving for Cheese Patties. It took me eating them twice to realize they were actually BEEF and cheese. I don't eat beef but apparently these two little scoundrels inside me do. I've never had such a tasty pattie in all my life.

Eventually, the Jamaican diet caught up to me, and I could no longer tolerate all the starches. I limited what I ate because of its damage on my bowels. Sorry TMI, I know. But my body no longer processed this stuff and it just sat there....for like....EVER!!! This did not help with my issue of ravenous hunger pains. I found fruit to be my friend. Pineapple, mango and especially oranges!! Here's a question. For all of you non-Jamaicans who visit family and such, have you ever noticed how some Jamaicans can have a fridge yet hardly ever use it?!! Its plugged in and running, but they don't put the food items in there? Like fruits, and veggies, and cheese and eggs....perishable things you know? That makes me MAD!!! Like crazy in my head!! Cheese sitting on a counter?!! How much bacteria do you want me to consume with that bun and cheese? I think the Jamaican stomach is able to deal with it, but please when you have farrin' company, put the food in the fridge and hol' off on the bacteria for us please!!! We would have a slew of mangoes go bad from just sitting on the counter for days in the hot humid weather. Then a friend buys me oranges and just sits them on the counter and goes on her way. WTH!!! Place them in the fridge! Why would I want a hot orange!!? So I place them in the fridge and EVERYONE in the house thought that they were the best thing ever. Making statements like "oh so refreshing". Of course so refreshing....they're cold!!

Sorry...I was having flash backs. I think I was so upset about the whole fridge issue cause I was miserable and barely had suitable food to comfort me. But, alas, while I leave Jamaica after a month, 11.5 weeks pregnant and 4-5 lbs lighter, Evan leaves having gained almost 10 pounds!! The boy ate as if there was a hole in his stomach and the food went to never never land. He would 'nyam di house dung' if it was made of rice and peas! And his love for eating didn't cease when we got home either. Its still going to this day. To the point where he's calling it pregnancy hunger. Then he has to sleep more...pregnancy exhaustion. Also his body aches in many different ways and he gets headaches all the time....pregnancy pains. What happened to me being the pregnant one carrying two people?!! When can I be the only one hungry and in pain and needing a rub or some sleep? I mean I got two little people inside me who feel like there in there doing the Jerk and throwing around high fives with each other!!

But I guess that's how it goes sometimes. Stay tuned for cute(well not really) belly shots and ultrasounds pics. Wanna make a prediction on what I'm having.....come on, I know you wanna! I already know what they are so......

Oh My Gosh!!!

OK!! So I know I am the biggest loser for not posting in over 4 months! But I was seriously thinking...who is really reading this or waiting for me to write anything? Well I come on here today after many a weeks of debating logging in to be depressed, and what do I see but tons of new shout outs in my little Shout Out box!! Well thanks to all of you for stopping by. I get email alerts when somebody comments on a post but I dont get emails when I get a shout out. So I am sooooo sorry for my super sad post hiatus.

Anyway.....I have LOTS of excuses, so I am not too worried. I am sure once I let you all in on them you'll be sure to forgive me....[please, please].
So I just got back a couple weeks ago from a month stay in Jamaica. Evan and I decided to go back since we both had time off and didn't see a better time to go in the foreseeable future. I know, I know, you all are thinking...Wow!! A month in Jamaica, how wonderful, I would love to visit for that long and just get away from my daily life.HAHA!!! I laugh at you. I am sorry to say that this last trip had me wanting to get the heck out of that place so fast, I couldnt wait to come home. How could this be you ask? Well it was just not nice. We stayed in Negril, but not in a hotel....although we never stay in a hotel so there's no change there. We stayed in a family house in one of the neighborhoods in Negril. It was hot hot hot, and humid of course and that is just not the climate you want to be in when you're nauseas all day from morning sickness. That's right your girl is pregnant! (And I gotta say I have pregnancy brain x10! I cannot focus for more than 15 minutes before I feel all loopy and out of control. So it has taken me 2 weeks just to finish this post. But I have scrounged up the energy to get in her posting.)
So yes I am currently just shy of 16 weeks pregnant and earlier in the pregnancy I was a little too tired to get on and share the great news. Too tired to talk about how Evan threw the tv remote at me and started bolting out the front door when he experienced his first SoCal earthquake (that was a hilarious day!!) Too tired to talk about my latest JA trip that had sweating in my draws like a 300lb man. It was just not an enjoyable trip. I attribute that to being pregnant. This trip really made me reevaluate my stance on living au naturale in Jamaica. I just dont think it possible to be pregnant and eating nothing but starch for a good portion of my life while there. And thats all that I ate while there. It didnt hit me how much starch is in the average Jamaican diet. Lots of potato, rice, breadfruit, fried flour, boiled flour, yam, cassava, bread, bread, and more bread!! I thought I would die!!! I cannot eat that much starch! I hardly ever eat rice. Only eat it now cause Evan wants it, otherwise you'd never find the stuff in my kitchen. And I big chunk of boiled flour....not my cup of tea! Now dont get me wrong, I like this every now and again, but for a weekly occurance, not so much. I eat lots of veggies, and I was pretty hard up on finding veggies in JA at a decent price. Can a girl get some broccli, some green beans, a salad and some tomatoes?!!
Once again, I was made aware of the drastic price gouging in produce and food in this country.
But enough of my food preferences. Lets get to what you really want to hear about....the babies!!! Ooops, did I say babieS. I guess I did, and I guess thats cause I am having two babies. Whooop whoop!! I'm having twins. "Lick two shot a one stone!!" Well I've known I was pregnant since I was only 3 weeks and a couple of days. I had a feeling, took a test, and BAM!...Positive. We had an ultrasound at 7 weeks and saw the 2 seperate sacs, so they are fraternal. The shocker, is that I wasn't shocked. My grandmother who happened to pass away just around my 8th week predicted to me over a year ago that I would have twins. My mother who is a powerful prayer warrior was given a message in one of her prayers about me that I was going to have twins. She wrote it down awhile ago and told me. My aunt told me that she had been having twins on her mind ever since I told her I was pregnant. So when it was time to have that ultrasound, it just confirmed news that I kinda already knew.
The new prediction is what sex they will be. In my head and heart, I am carrying a boy and a girl. I already know which one is the girl and which is the boy. I had that in my head from the moment i saw those little peanut shaped fetal poles. So there will be a couple of new additions to the Evan and Marlita household. Lots to do lots to think about, but me and Evan are truly over joyed and blessed that God has given us these little blessing, and most humbled by the knowledge of His presence in their lives even before they were conceived. It just gives me more and more faith in our marriage and knowing that it was set-up by Him and that He has had a hand in it all from the beginning.

Stay tuned. I PROMISE to start writing an posting pics of the pregnancy progress. If I can figure out how to take low-res videos I can get those up here too.

Its Been a Long Time

Wow! I cannot belive I have not been on here since November! Not only have I not written anything, but I haven't even logged in. I feel so horrible. Truth be told there were many times I contemplated closing down this blog. I was hardly ever on here an i just felt bad that my life was sitting out in cyberland without any real attention. I attempted to close the blog but they make it a bit confusing for you so I just hesitated.

So sorry to all those who check in with me only to find NOTHING. I really feel bad about that. I can lie and say that I've just been really busy and not able to get a line or two in, but that's all it would be....a lie. Actually, I've had some time but just didnt know what to write. Do I write in the present tense about whats been going on lately or tell more fun stories from before. So I just was stuck in a writers block so to speak.

I've been doing some other writings. A book actually and i am very excited about it. So thats taken ALOT of my focus lately. I am writing a fictional story and my characters are always in my head giving me more details of their lives. Sounds crazy, I know, but its how I work. The only way I can make them come alive on paper is if I think if them as real people.

Besides that, I've started a few websites out there. None of which are needed to state on here, cause they're not looking for much publicity yet.
Evan and I are still here. He's been going to school, and working and doing alot of manly construction jobs around the house. OUr goal is to not work for anyone. Currently I am not working for anyone, and I need to figure out how to stay that way and continue getting paid. So we have like 5000 different company ideas. Hoping that one of them will take.

Well. I cannot promise I will be on here too often to write. Unless you all give me some encouragment....(hint hint).

Until then, I'll write cha lata!

~M.

Beach Day

I wake up to a tap on the bedroom window. What is that? Seems the bougainvilleas that are over growing are tap tap tapping on the window. The wind Santa Ana winds must be picking up. I go to the back door to take in the sun. Its supposed to be about 90 degrees today....BEACH DAY!!!! HAHA!! That's right....mid November and I am getting ready to head to Santa Monica an chillax on the beach. Figured its a perfect day for Evan to actually experience the Pacific Ocean and a real California beach day. We've already been to the ocean near the house so he's seen the water...touched the water....which is FREEZING cold by the way. But this time we actually plan on getting in the water and laying out in the sand....just like in Jamaica....minus the freezing cold waters. The thing about the Pacific Ocean is its obviously not as nice as the Caribbean Ocean, and definitely not as warm.

When I step outside I am instantly hit with the smell of burning land. Another Southern Cali firestorm. I knew there was a fire going on the for the last day or 2 but since the winds kicked up the smell has now traveled out to the beach cities. That's when you know its bad. I don't live anywhere near where these yearly fires happen, so if I can smell them that's pretty bad.....and even worse when I can see the sky turn orange and gray and watch floating ash all over the place. This time was a REALLY BAD firestorm. There was literally a layer of ash all over my back deck. All over the table. All over the chairs, the dog house, the patio umbrella. ALL OVER!! In huge chunks no less. I began to freak out and look around me thinking that there was a storm going on in my neighborhood. To no avail. There happened to be about 3 large fires going on in the surrounding So Cal mountains, and the winds were so strong the fires were spreading and with little to no containment. These "storms" as they call them are getting worse and worse every year. I equate this to global warming no doubt. Tony Tone Toni was right, ....it sure doesn't rain in Southern California. So the hills get dry, and some fool lights a match...often times on purpose and the hills go a blazin'.

Well it seems the perfect day to get outta this town and head to the beach. Can't be to much smoke near the ocean right?

It was a really nice day. Not too crowded, but definitely lots of other people with the same idea of going to the beach mid November.

Evan was able to experience muscle beach.

And he even got a boogie board and got in the sub zero freezing water to board for a bit.


I thought he would die at first from all the patois coming outta his mouth. The waster was cold....i cannot express this anymore. There is NO water in Jamaica this cold. Not the cold showers, not the rivers, not the blue lagoon type pools...NOTHING! However, once you get in cold water, your body goes into what I call "Thermal". Now I really don't know if that is even the correct term to call it, but its what I say. I tend to make up words or definitions as I they come to me. So to me, saying your body goes into "thermal" when you adapt to the cold water is completely my meaning and my meaning alone. But....Evan believes the things I say when its something new to him that he's never heard before. (poor guy, I'm gonna have him speaking a hot mess)So, Evan kept talking bout he's going into thermal, or how he never went into thermal before, or how he cant believe he went into thermal.....HAHAHAHAHA.....I cannot laugh any harder!!
He was pretty cold for awhile there after getting out of the water....this is him experiencing "coming down from thermal":


But I think he had fun:


Either way, I was very impressed....even I did not submerge myself into that water. You do go numb from the cold to the point that it actually feels warm, but I was too punk to go under myself....so I just watched from the shallow end as he got his boogie board on.

He's Here!!

Ok yall, this is a sneak post, cause its late Saturday night and I just got done having a BBQ at the house.

Yes, Evan is here! Woo Hoo!! He's been here a little over a week and man....so much has gone on it seems he's been here forever.

Quick run:

He flew into Florida first...processed thru and connected to California. I was completely calm for the most part. Went to work earlier that day.....got NOTHING done, then went home to get ready. When waiting at the airport, it was like I had ants in my pants. I couldn't sit down, couldn't stand up, couldn't decide which part of the baggage claim area I wanted to wait at. Should I stay hidden and surprise him from behind, should I stand dead center out front so he sees me soon as he rounds the corner. Should I stand back, should I lean against the wall all non-chalant, should I run up and flip out and scream and tings! AUGH!! Its just all too much! Where is this man?!!! Finally he came out, and I just smiled and walked up...holding my little US flag. At that moment of the hug emotions became to much and tears came rolling. I held them back for the most part.....didn't want people thinking I was crazy out in the place. I don't even think Evan knew I was crying. It got a bit more intense when I watched him go to pick up his luggage from the turn belt.

Well fast forward a week and a half and here we are. Evan just had his first "Black-American" BBQ. Black-American....that's what he calls me, and everyone from here. I think its HILARIOUS!! Anyway, lots of family from the side of the fam that had all the crazy stuff to say about our relationship in the beginning. Now....they are chillin back, drinking beer, slamming dominoes together.


But we've come along way since that initial reaction from this side of the family so I knew it was gonna be all good. Everyone loved meeting him and LOVED his jerk chicken and special sauce, (oh yeah, and my potato salad ;-)).

Since he's been here, there has been lots going on....Evan's birthday, Halloween and Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights (great stories here), election day and Barack Obama president elect. It has been quite overwhelming for him, and quite a different daily life for me. Something we both will have to get used to.

OMG!!!

OMG!! That's right....Oh My Goodness!!! I'm back from Jamaica and yes...we got the visa!! WooHoo!! Not only did we get to the interview (which was so simple), Evan already has the visa in hand!!!I cannot believe it. I didn't even have enough time to come on here and write about the interview or my second time in Kingston. Its all so fast, and I am freaking out!! I checked the delivery company that had the visa yesterday. Their website has a tracking service and it said that the visa would arrive the next day. My heart started beating cause I assumed the delivery would take like a week or two at least. So I call Evan and tell him and he says that the company is very reputable so he's sure the visa will be ready tomorrow. He's so calm sounding and the whole time my eyes are buggin out of my head. He's just talking about the whole thing so 'matter-of-factly'. I ask if he actually gets the visa tomorrow (Friday) when would he like to come up? He said "Saturday"....!!! AH!!!! My heart felt like it would jump out my chest. OMG!! He is gonna be here waaaay quicker than I thought. Even before I can clean up and unpack. This is the real deal! We are really married! AH!!!

Later he called back and said that he would rather come up on Monday cause he wants to go to church and say goodbye to everyone. That makes more sense and actually helps calm my nerves. At least I have the weekend to get ready. I know, I know. How ridiculous that we have been married over a year, and I am still not "ready" for him to fly here. Its not really like that, its just the fact that I didn't have a ticket, or requested time off from work, or a clean kitchen or bedroom, or living room, cause I was working like a slave for the past couple weeks. I mean, I didn't even have groceries! Lots of condiments, but no real groceries.

So I have been back and forth calling family and letting them know we got thru the interview AND that Evan will be here Monday. They are shocked! But actually not as excited as I would have thought. The thing is, I think I am so overly excited that their excitement looks mundane. They are truly excited though. My dad does not know he will be here yet but knows about the interview. We talked to him right after. Of course he had lots to say about the loud noise in the background,(Gotta love that Jamaican roadside noise).

So anyway, the day before the interview we realize we don't have passport photos. What in the world?!! So I am heartbroken cause I don't think we are gonna be able to get any in time to make the interview. Or we will go to the interview and they will deny us til he comes back with photos and then the interview is rescheduled. I suggest we wake early and head over to the Embassy cause there has to be a photo place near there. Evan doesn't think so and then says that nothing will open til 9am. Our appointment is 9am. How does nothing open til 9am here?! How do people with a day job get anything done if businesses don't open til 9am? Well, its apparent that I am annoyed. We wake and head out to Half Way Tree. Instantly we find a photo lab. I am skeptical. They are open...opened at 7:30a. We get in there and the woman is very non-chalant (this seems to be the attitude of most Jamaicans in customer service, but that's a blog post for another day. Soon come.) She proceeds to do the pics, but lo and behold....the machine that prints the photos doesn't work. Of course it doesn't! Nothing is simple in Jamaica, so I was not even surprised when she said this. I kid you not, I did not even bat an eyelash when she said it. Soooo, she suggests using the other printer which HAS to print out 12 photos instead of the 6 we were ordering before, and of COURSE this machine costs twice as much money. (can you see me rolling my eyes right now?)((kissteet)). I am already in a bad mood and I can feel the American attitude rising up inside me. You know what I mean. That American attitude when it comes to poor customer service or just plan annoyance or arrogance...whatever you wanna call it, it was about to explode on this lady. I tell her to just keep the 6 other photos we don't want and charge us for 6 not 12. She says "Di machine nuh work like dat." And that the paper is too expensive and such. (I am annoyed.) She suggests waiting for someone else to come and to split the print paper and cost with them. I had to leave the place and go walk outside for a bit to calm my nerves, cause I felt a few bad words brewing, and that would not be appropriate. But regardless, my nerves are jumping. I cannot believe we have come this far to get stopped by not having some stupid pictures. People eventually come to the shop and we indeed do split the cost with another patron. As the printer is printing, I notice that its a basic style printer like every other photo printer on the market, and the paper is NOT expensive....at least not here. Its a basic glossy 8x10 sheet. Why does this one piece of paper and print cost like $17US? We get our photos an hightail it outta there. Its only about 8:15 or 8:20, so we have more than enough time. We head to HWT bus/taxi lane. Lots of people all about. Getting their work day started. The bus we are looking to catch is apparently very popular at this hour. Poppy, I think is what they called it. Most of the busses get filled up faster than we can get to them. Here comes another bus, and this time Evan dang near runs to it, as does everyone else. I am a bit behind. He starts to get on and everyone is pushing to get in. He grabs my hand. There are a couple of people between us. They move a bit to let me squeeze in. Evans pulling me in. People are pushing me in. I am about to trip on the stairs, and someone is stepping on my dress. My arm somehow gets hooked up in the strap of another girls handbag. So I am sort of locked in place. She's about 2 people behind me and Evan is about 2 people in front of me pulling the other arm. I am trying to figure out why I am not able to move and why my arm feels locked up. I turn behind me an realize the poor woman was trying to hold on to her purse for dear life cause it was about to get ripped out her hands as I am wrapped in it and being forced into the bus. I start laughing an finally undue my arm. Pure craziness in the busparks as always.

We get to the Embassy stop and exit the bus. Cross the street and instantly the hustlers run up offering their services. A woman and man get into an argument cause the woman hustler offers me the option of holding our cell phone at about the same time as the man offers Evan to hold the same phone. We go with the woman...I liked her hair. I turn to another guy asking me if I need pictures. I stand there in a daze looking at him holding a digital camera offering to take passport photos for a really good deal.......RAHTID((kisstteet)).

Interview Here We Come!!!......

Ok Yall, I am getting ready to get outta here and head to Jamaica for Evans interview next week. I havent had a lick of time to post a thing since I been working major overtime so that I dont have to use vacation time to take this trip. But I am gonna prepare to have lots of fun stories and pics on my return. I stopped by the blog today to print a view posts. Got to reading some old posts and I had myself craking up, haha!

So wish us luck, speak to God and say a prayer and hopefully we'll be back soon.

~M.