Laura Laiti

Yesterday’s Tuesday was a case of the Mondays for me. Patrick and I returned home from our wonderful trip to Orlando Monday. We were completely spoiled by the snow and holiday last week, which meant we barely had one day where we had to go into work before we left Friday morning! Now, staring at this computer screen all day makes my eyes want to fall out….however, it has been quite a productive few days with lots of meetings and playing catch-up!

So, let’s get to the big point of this post. Last Thursday, Patrick and I decided to have a small courthouse marriage ceremony with our families and a few close friends. Don’t worry, friends: we will still have a BIG wedding next year with all of our friends and family! We decided that getting married now was not only the best thing for the baby, but also the best thing for us. We already knew we would be getting married next year and that we want to spend the rest of our lives together, and that we wanted to bring baby Laiti into a loving, happily married family. Also, with things like health insurance and taxes with a little one on the way, it made the most sense to have a marriage ceremony now and save the big wedding party for next year when the baby will be almost 1!

Apparently, we aren’t the only ones in the family to get married after under a year of being together (but we have known each other for 10 years!). Patrick’s aunt and uncle were engaged after one week of meeting each other, and married 4 months later! They have been happily married for over 30 years now, with 4 kids (well, all grown-ups now!). My great-aunt and uncle, whom my parents are incredibly close with, were married after 6 weeks of dating! They have been married over 50 years with children and grandchildren. Also, Patrick’s older brother and wife whom we are close with, were married before their big wedding so their little ones could attend (they are welcoming their 4^th this summer- her due date is just 3 days after mine!). Guess we are following family trends on both sides!

Our wedding day was really the best day we could have asked for. Everything went so smoothly, and there was nothing but love that entire day. We had our small ceremony in the library of the law office of our marriage officiant, and our families and a few close friends were able to be there for us. We all went to Maggiano’s (a family-style Italian restaurant) to celebrate afterwards. There were tons of hugs, beautiful speeches, lots of wine and good food, and an overall amazing time! The speeches of course brought me to tears, just to see everyone so happy for us. We could not have asked for a more perfect wedding day.

After our wedding, we stayed in a beautiful hotel next to the DC airport so we could sleep a little later before our flight. We flew out to Orlando to have a “mini-honeymoon/babymoon” since this will be one of the last times we will be able to travel for a while. Anyone who knows my family knows that Orlando is our favorite spot, and to bring the love of my life there to celebrate such a wonderful time meant the world to me. We had such a great trip, and I got to do most things there since there are very few “rides” and mostly attractions that are not rollercoasters. Patrick was able to hit all the rollercoasters, though, since our room keys worked as fast passes. I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for him to go on a ride!

Besides the theme parks there, we also went to a luau, mini-golfed, and hit CityWalk for the nightlife. The luau was SO much fun, considering there was tons of Hawaiian food and a show. CityWalk is always fun to go to, because they have Margaritaville, mini-golf, and tons of bars and restaurants. The weather was beautiful- just about 75 every day (beats the 6 degree weather in NOVA). We got to hit the parks early and do all the shows/attractions/rides early, and then lay by the pool all afternoon before CityWalk at night.

Patrick and I are so very thankful for all the love and support from all of our friends and family as we begin our lives together. To know that others see us as happier than ever and to be able to point that out, and want to come to our wedding and baby events, means the world to us. We are so excited to be Mr and Mrs, and for the arrival of baby Laiti. Not to mention, we can’t wait to find out if we will have a little football player or a little cheerleader!

Also, I have posted a few of my favorite wedding day pictures and honeymoon/babymoon pictures! And believe me; it was hard to choose my favorites! The rest I’ll upload to facebook later. I put the pictures on a separate page which you can find on the right hand side of the blog since there are quite a few!

Laura Laiti (L²)

2013 Was Not What I Expected: Part 2

Because we are expecting!

Yep, you read that correctly: Patrick and I are expecting a baby Laiti! It came as quite a surprise, but it is a VERY exciting time for us! I am due the first week in July (I’m about 16 weeks today and really hoping for a 4^th of July baby!). We couldn’t be more excited! Our families have been incredibly supportive, and are very excited for us! This will be the first grandchild on my family’s side (my parents are beyond ready to be grandparents!), and the 4^th on Patrick’s family’s side (his older brother, Peter, and his wife, Crystal, have 3 children already- 2 boys and a girl).

We find out if it is a boy or girl on Valentine’s Day! Well, technically that is our next appointment day, but we don’t want to know on that day since we are going to have a gender reveal party and want to find out when everyone else does. I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle waiting…I guess we will see! But everyone knows I am a “planner,” which is why we want to know the sex…so we can plan the nursery and have a gender-specific shower later on!

The outpouring of love and support from our friends, family, coworkers, and my sorority sisters has been incredible. Special shout out to one of the biggest non-blood-related support systems I have had since my first appointment: Sarah Baker. She asks me how my appointments go, gives me advice, and mailed me a book that was given to her about the entire pregnancy and baby development (literally a day-by-day guide! So we have something to read every day. Ex: “You are 15weeks and 3days today! This is what to expect, etc…”), which has been THE BEST for what seems like the longest wait EVER for this baby to get here! Plus it’s fun for Patrick and me to read together.

The doctor we see only does 8 week sonograms and 20 week sonograms (basically, the first appointment you go to is the 8 week sonogram to see how far along you really are, and then the baby’s gender is found out at the 20 week sonogram). The two appointments in between (the 12 week and 16 week) do not involve a sonogram since it is unnecessary then, but they just use a “Fetal Doppler” to listen for the baby’s heart and make sure it sounds normal. So, I can post an 8 week sonogram on here….but it just looks like a little blob! The 20 week where we see if it’s a boy or girl will look like a baby. So for now, I will post the 8 week and a little baby bump picture, as well as some pictures from over the weekend with friends!

Be sure to watch for the next post, as I know it will be another very exciting one!

-LG

8 Week Sonogram! I am now 16 weeks but my next sonogram is at 20 weeks.

Baby Bump!

Little Black Dress Party

With friends in Arlington!

Out in Arlington

La Tolteca with some of the girls

Gender Reveal Party

2013 Was not what I expected: Part 1

It was even better!

So I’m kind of getting sick of facebook, and decided to start a blog for those who actually want to keep up with what’s going on with Patrick and me as we begin our lives together. Plus, I think this is a good way for family and friends who don’t have facebook to keep in touch! So, here we go…

Let me begin by explaining how I came to the title of this blog. When I graduated college, I didn’t want to be in the real world. I absolutely HATED post-grad. I even stayed in my college town until November after graduation. I worked part-time at a bridal store, and full-time at a bank. I knew that being a college graduate with my degree, I wasn’t living up to my potential and that there was more for me out there than the life I was living and the salary I was making, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Knoxville. I especially missed Greek life and my sisters, and I would still go to the bars with them for college specials, frequent the fraternity houses on football game days, and go out to dinners with my sisters and friends still in Knoxville. I didn’t want to grow up.

Then, my 2012 Knoxville life ended, and at the very beginning of my 2013 post-grad, everything changed. My relationship that kept me in Tennessee ended, I left Knoxville and moved back home to Fairfax, and two of my best friends and I parted ways. I had never felt so alone and uncertain for the future. Luckily, I had many friends and family stand by me and guide me along the way. They helped me become the person I am now: the happiest I have ever been with my life and myself. Sure, I made some mistakes (who doesn’t?), but my friends and family stood by me, and I could never thank them enough for that. However, after the terrible beginning to 2013, the rest of the year became even better than I could have ever imagined. God had a plan for me, whether I realized it or not. The heartbreak and sadness I went through in the beginning of the year was all worth it for the way 2013 ended up. I’d go through it again a million times over just to have the ending that it did. I landed an amazing opportunity at my job here (I am a Client Relationship Manager for a commercial payments company), met my other half and got engaged (we had known each other all of high school, but reconnected over the summer), and realized just how bright the future was beginning to look. On top of all that, my fiancé has a great and stable job as a financial controller (accountant), owns his own house that we live in, has wonderful friends and family, and is incredible to my friends, family, dogs, and especially me. When I finally let go of the college dream life I had and embraced my new one, I felt better than ever, and realized that this new life is an even better “dream life” than in college.

Now, I can honestly say I am a post-grad, and LOVING it. I love my job, live with my wonderful fiancé Patrick Laiti (no, not “Lite” like his Facebook says…it is Italian and pronounced “Lighty”), who makes me a better person, and my relationship with God, my family, and my friends is greater than ever. I can tell you all this for sure: no matter how things may seem, it always gets better. Graduating college sucks…I loved college. But, life gets even better after it…if you let it. You begin a new chapter, and you can make it whatever you want.

Now that I’ve gotten 2013 out of the way, I can’t wait to begin this blog with posts about what’s going on in Patrick’s and my life (including the major house renovations we are doing, vacations, etc.!) since those who really want to know will read this blog (I’m so over Facebook and posting about my life there for people I never even talk to anymore.) I hope this will be a way for people to keep up with us and keep in touch.

So, cheers to what will be an incredible 2014 and GOODBYE 2013!

-LG

Company Christmas Party 2013

Best Friends Since Middle School at the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party 2013

Visiting My Knoxville Loves

Visiting My Bestie in Texas!

VEGAS TRIP 2013!

Canaan Valley Ski Resort!