You Can Call Me Liz?: All about a girl named Liz

Hi. My name is Liz. Elizabeth, actually. I love Elizabeth, but truth be told, I've never been crazy about my nickname. I've also never told anyone that, so there it is. For 33 years I have been going by a nickname I've never really been sure about. It stuck so I have always just gone with it. Honestly, after all these years I wouldn't respond to anything else anyway. And if it was up to my Mom I would have been Augusta. Hmmm, Gusty?
Anyway, here's the introduction. I am (as stated) thirty three years old, I am married to a wonderful man, Brian and we have an absolutely amazing son named Beau. I hope he likes his name. I am a stay at home mom, care taker of two insanely lovable mutts and one crotchety old cat.
I did not intend to be a stay at home mom. I got my first job at 14 and have worked ever since. I enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2008, graduated AIT in 2009 and reported to my unit in July of that year. In August 2009 my Master Sergeant dubbed me the unit's Medical Readiness NCO. Mind you, I was a measly E-2 Private with no idea what the job entailed. By April 2010 I had been promoted to E-4 Specialist, still not an NCO, but I made it work. I built the position from the ground up, with the help of senior NCO's in the unit and the Office of the State Surgeon. I am extremely proud of the work I did. I was the only Medical Readiness NCO in the state who was not actually an NCO. But, through hard work and perseverance I gained the respect and cooperation of my fellow MRNCOs. The job was what the National Guard calls an ADOS position. In short it was a temporary position on full time orders that were extended again and again as long as there was funding. And then there was no funding. In March 2012, due to budget cuts, my orders stopped and I was out of a job, one month after finding out that I was pregnant.
After applying for job after job with not so much as a phone call in return I applied for and received unemployment. I continued to apply for numerous jobs but to no avail. When the unemployment ran out in January 2013, two months after Beau was born we decided that while I would continue to look for work I would be the primary care giver for our son. And now, here I am.
I was naive about being a Mom, as are most first time moms. There are so many things no one tells you, like how much your body truly hurts after you give birth. And the fact that while you are dealing with a squirmy, screeching bundle of baby your hormones-and then by default-your emotions go haywire. Your hair will fall out, you will bleed for weeks, and unless you're one of the lucky few, the baby weight DOES NOT just 'fall off'. Feedings do not occur on the neatly laid out 2-3 hour schedule the nurses told you about. My son's ability to poop up the back of his diaper and all over his clothes when placed in any type of baby chair was also surprising. Trying to dress a small person who does not want to wear clothes is, of itself, deserving of an Olympic medal.
When Beau was born he had a high Bilirubin count so the two of us were in the hospital for an extra day. Meanwhile, Brian was moving all of our earthly possessions from one apartment to another. I can't remember another time when I was so stressed out. We were released late in the afternoon, after stopping to get my prescriptions we got home. I was walking into a brand new apartment with a brand new baby, and despite Brian's best efforts our stuff was everywhere. We were all exhausted and scared and excited. And then I had the next most stressful day when Brian went to work the next morning. It was just me and this little, bitty baby. But it all worked out. I will say that everything came naturally, with the exception of nursing, which is another story all together. The fear and stress melted away by the end of the day and I was comfortable with our little boy.
It has been six months almost to the day since Beau was born, and every day has been an adventure. Good or bad, laughter or tears, I would not trade any of it. It is amazing to watch Brian with Beau, he is an amazing father and Beau adores him. Being home to see Beau grow and develop is wonderful. The first time he rolled over, the first time he sat up, and now he's trying to crawl! Beau loves the dogs and they love him. Crockett, our lab-boxer mix is Beau's constant companion and guardian. Ruby, a true mutt, is right next to Beau when he cries, looking at me, saying 'you're not moving fast enough, he's crying!'.
This is not what I pictured for myself five years ago. It is better and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. It is my family, my love, my life.