A Long Journey: Part Four

July 2005 Universal Studios

In July 2004, I "met" my husband. We met online and had three long months to get to know each other. He was deployed and returned in October. I rode the train to Ventura to meet him and I was hooked. He was different than the other boys I'd met. I moved down there about 6 weeks later. We also ate out a lot (more crap!) but he had navy standards to stick to so we did go to the gym. I started working and it helped to get out of the house. But I had an obsession with food. I wanted it all the time, even if I wasn't hungry. So the weight gain continued. As my boyfriend (now hubs) was preparing for his next deployment, we decided that I would move home and look for work. Then we could save money and get a nicer place when he got back. About two weeks after he left I was having lunch with my girlfriend and we came to the realization that I was pregnant. I was exhausted, everything hurt and I couldn't stop crying. He found out he was going to be a dad by instant message while he was in Iraq. I did really well during pregnancy. When I actually felt like eating, I ate as much as I could. There were days that all I could eat was crackers and hot tea. I gained 13 pounds with Joshua and at my 6 week follow up appointment I had lost it all.
Continued tomorrow...