October 2024 Peekaboo of Nora's Ovary

🗓️ October 5, 2024– Color Explosion 🍁🌈

While enjoying the colors at Jay Cooke State Park, I was struck by how late they arrived this year—the explosion of color was just beautiful 🌳🍂. No amount of pictures 📸 could truly capture it. It made me appreciate October even more 🍂💛.

While taking photos, I noticed my belly looked unusually big in a couple of them 🤔😂, which made me laugh. Maybe it's a sign of the times—pre-menopause sneaking in 😅. So I ignored it and just enjoyed the view 🏞️, the hike 🚶‍♀️, and the scent of fall leaves 🍃🍁

After enjoying the day 🌞, I called Jacob 📞. He was out DoorDashing 🚗 and feeling hungry 😋, so we decided to meet up at a Korean BBQ place 🥩🔥. Mike stayed home 🏡—it was already too late for him to join us 🌙.

We dug into the BBQ 🍖. I had some kimchi 🥬 and a few bites of grilled pork belly 🍽️. I wasn’t on a diet, but oddly enough, just a spoonful of rice 🍚 made me feel completely stuffed 😅. I hadn’t had anything to drink 🥤, and despite being hungry, I felt full—almost uncomfortably so 🤷‍♀️.

I watched Jacob eat most of our meal 🍴, then he headed back to Door Dashing 🚙 while I went home 🛋️. I crashed on the couch, belly full up to my chest 😮‍💨, completely exhausted 😴—and promptly fell asleep 🌌.

🗓️ October 13, 2024 – A Toast to Mayet’s Birthday

We celebrated Mayet’s birthday at a Korean BBQ spot with a few friends, indulging in a feast of grilled meats. 🥩🔥 After a few bites and some pop, I felt stuffed—and probably ran to the bathroom twice to pee. 🚽😅

After singing Happy Birthday and opening her presents, Mayet shared hugs and kisses with her other friends. 💝 But then, Mayet, Grace, and I made a spontaneous decision: Los Grandes, here we come!

Oh boy, did we celebrate. 🎉 Luke was over the moon—he’s officially a party person now. 🕺 The Mexican band was so loud it nearly blew out our eardrums… and what did we do? We just laughed out loud! 😂

🗓️ October 19–20, 2024 – Golf, Bike & Hike with Mike

When the weekend hits, Mike and I love spending time outdoors—especially with weather this gorgeous 🌞🍁.

🚶‍♀️ Saturday at Frontenac State Park To kick off Saturday, we headed to Frontenac State Park. I remembered how stunning the fall colors were last time I visited—the leaves were golden yellow and absolutely glowing 🍂💛.

Our original plan was for Mike to go golfing while I hiked and biked. But we couldn’t find the golf course we were looking for 😅. The closest one was packed, so we searched again and found a town course in Lake City for just $25, golf cart included ⛳🚗.

We stayed for a few minutes—just enough time for me to record a few clips and snap some pics 📹📸. I gave Mike a kiss 😘 and headed off to the State Park.

When I arrived, I parked and decided to skip biking and just hike instead. The trails were absolutely beautiful 🌳🍁. But as I walked through the shaded path, I started feeling unusually exhausted—gasping for air here and there during what’s normally an easy hike 😮‍💨. By the time I finished, Mike called, and off we went home 🏡.

🚴‍♀️ Sunday Funday on Big Rivers Trail Sunday brought sunshine and crisp air 🌤️🍃—perfect biking weather. We rode out to Big Rivers Regional Trail, one of our favorite spots 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️.

Before crossing the bridge 🌉, Mike got hungry, so we stopped at Lucky’s Pub 13 for a delightful breakfast 🍳☕. I had my usual pancakes 🥞, and Mike went with a ham and cheese omelet paired with hot coffee ☕. We doubled down by enjoying the patio—it felt like the perfect pause.

After breakfast, we rode about 4 miles—a nice hour-long loop. As we biked, I could feel the fullness in my stomach and fell far behind Mike. He waited and slowed down for me, we head home after and wrap our weekend over dinner ❤️

🗓️ October 27, 2024 – Casino Royale: Fil-Am Party 🎲✨

Aerin and I decided to join the party! 🎉 It had been a while since I wore my little black dress (LBD), so I was excited to glam up. 👗 As I was getting ready, Jacob asked where I was going—especially since Mike was already asleep. 😴 I told him it was a themed party, and he asked if he could come along. So off we went together!

The three of us danced the night away! 💃🕺🪩 After the party, we headed to Applebee’s to grab a bite and sip on something refreshing. 🍔🍹

When I got home, I scrolled through the pics and videos. I’m so glad Aerin captured a video of me and Jacob dancing—it was such a sweet Mom and Son moment. 💞🩰

Looking through the photos, I noticed that even in black, my tummy still peeked through a bit. 😅 But I brushed it off as part of this pre-menopause journey. I may not bounce back into shape like I used to, but I’m committed to keep working on it! 💪

my tummy is showing