All Around Sarail: December 2016

On the Eve of a New Year EOTWP

Week 100

100 crazy weeks of HRT! <3

I'm so happy to be alive. Really. And on the eve of a new year at that. The next four years could be very tumultuous...due to an ignorant half-wit and his socially regressive cronies at the helm of our beloved country...but I'm holding out hope and am ready to fight for progress. Believe it.

I love change. Change is good.

Tonight, Zach and I, along with Ruth and Phillip, will be joining Jenn, Sara, and Matt at their place for New Year festivities. I'm excited. Hopefully there will be some Cards Against, but whatever happens will be fun, I'm sure. I always enjoy going over there as the three hosts are lovely people to be around. Plus...kitties! <3

Zach and I were total, utter lazy nerds yesterday during our day off together. Zachary stayed with me the night before, and we lounged around playing video games all day yesterday while conversing about all things video games and other geek-related topics. It was a blast. I always have a great time spending any amount of time with him, and a full day was extremely blissful.

Even now, he's lying on my bed playing his DS while waiting to leave for tonight's festivities. <3

See? I told you. :P

This past Wednesday, the first of my three days off in a row, Ruth, Phillip, and I headed out once again to her grandparents' place for Christmas in Hot Springs Village. They're such sweet, fun, and kind people, and I always enjoy visiting. I so wish Zach could have gotten to meet them. Maybe next year? :)

Left: Setting the table. Right: The view outside from inside the den area. It's so pretty out there.

So, after tonight, where do we go from here? For me, I'm four weeks away from two full solar calendar years being on hormone replacement therapy. I've never felt more alive. I have a wonderful boyfriend and other half that makes life so much more interesting to experience. The possibility of moving in with Zach is more than likely going to happen in the coming year. Also exciting (and I'm beyond ready for it.) Until then, let's end this blog entry with some boobie development, shall we?? C'mon, I know you like it. Don't whatever me. :P

Growth in the two areas that matter. Hooray!

Coming to form. <3

Be good, do good! Love! <3

31 December
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Christmas Day EOTWP

Anna

Week 99

Hello again, everybody! <3

Can we just take a moment of silence, and say to ourselves how utterly insane it is how much I've changed since this time in 2014?? Seriously. See for yourselves...

This was me — 26 December 2014. It's bewildering. Hormones are rad.

The above photo was also the very first time that I went out into public as myself. Primarily, I just drove my car around town, never getting out, but the experience helped slowly ease me into my current, everyday life. I'll never forget that night. I also really adored that wig. :P

But hey! Christmas has happened! :D <3

The tree is fully decorated with lots and lots of wonderful thoughtfulness neatly placed, resting under the tree. Hehe!

The holidays create so much sparkling jubilation and gleefulness in me during this time of the year. As an atheist, I have so much to celebrate — new family, newfound life, two adorable kitties, and an immensely caring and honest man that I now call my other half. Everyone that attended our Christmas get-together at the apartment became a part of something that, for me, really set into stone why life is worth living.

From left to right: Zachary, me, Ruth, and Phillip (photo courtesy of Ruth B.)

Ruth worked her bloody ass off during the day...toiling cooking and baking to the extreme...until the most delicious Christmas dinner I've ever had was complete. She rocks for that (and yes, Ruth, the kitchen is now clean. LOLs.)

I even got into the Christmas spirit in-game on FFXIV! :)

Jenn, Matt, Sara, and Ayan...thank you for being a part of the day's festive events. I was happy to have all of you lot there. :)

Gigi says thank you for coming, too — despite her hiding in Ruth's bedroom the entire time. Hehe.

And Zachary...where do I even begin? (Warning: this is going to get mushy, and my heart will be poured all the way the hell out.) I love you. I love you so stinking much. You made this Christmas holiday (and the entire holiday season, for that matter) so incredibly noteworthy, so remarkable, and so exceptional to experience. You know me. You know my heart. And it belongs to you. And I know we're both still learning so much about each other as we go. That's one of the many things I enjoy experiencing with you — when I get that "ah ha!" moment with you that just makes me giggle and smile to no end.

And you did that to me again on Christmas day. I honestly don't ask for anything regarding gifts. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, anything I receive is just icing on the cake that I'm already thoroughly enjoying. But you did it. I think my favourite present from you was simply the Christmas card you wrote. You poured out your heart to me, and that created so much felicity and delight within my own. I started to cry. And I kept a good portion of those tears held at bay (though I wanted to let the downpour occur.)

You are most certainly my favourite person in the entire ever-expanding universe. And I found you right here on this planet. Lucky me! I don't ever plan to release you from my grip either. Hehe. So you best be okay with that proclamation, okay? ;)

I love this boy. <3

And on that bombshell (also a new comfy bra that Zachary gifted to me), I'll bring this to a close. There won't be any boobie update with this entry, as I wanted to keep it primarily about Christmas, but I'll be back with that this upcoming weekend...along with stats progression, the monthly photos, and week 100's progression photo. It'll be a loaded blog post, for sure!

Until then, be good, do good! Love! ('Tis the season.)

26 December
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Three Days Off EOTWP

Anna

Week 98

I'm tired. I'm sleep deprived. It's a combination of mental and physical stress from work and hormones at play changing my body. I know it is.

I used to be completely fine getting six hours of sleep every night. But now my body is moving into needing seven...sometimes eight hours. But it never shuts down early enough at night to warrant getting that much. I still end up falling asleep around midnight each night, and then subsequently wake up at 6 a.m. *sigh*

More gains. Yay!

But yes, hormones have internally changed my daily allotment of energy, and I've become more tired and weak in a much easier manner now. I'm happy to have these three days off in a row this week...starting with today. I've needed it badly.

Prisma's a fun app that recreates famous painters' styles onto your photos. I love it. Hehe.

Zach. I love him. Immensely. It sure is nice having him in my life, too. It's more fun that way. <3
And speaking of Zachary, he started playing Final Fantasy XIV Online with me. Yay! Granted he's playing using a free trial (which has expired now...boo), but it's been super fun nonetheless. I've always wanted to know what it'd be like playing an MMO with a significant other, as previous relationships didn't care in the slightest to play something like that with me. I'm happy it's Zach, though, not only because of his complete, utter nerdiness, but because he genuinely likes playing games like these. And he's my boyfriend. That, too. :P

Left: My character, Sarail Clay / Right: Zach's character towers over me. Sheesh. I'm tiny.

He'll have to buy the full game and start playing continuously with me, though. Running dungeons with him was a joy! So much fun.

Christmas is approaching rapidly now, and I'm super excited. Primarily because it's a time of the year specifically geared to showing thanks, fondness, and appreciation toward those that we care about and love. And for me, I like going crazy giving gifts. I sincerely don't expect or ask for anything in return, as I've never been about that, but when people do, it's an extra nicety that I fully appreciate. I'm primarily excited about spending the holiday this year with Zach. That alone makes the entire festive event a special one for me, and I'm sure it will be memorable and filled with lots of pictures. :)

You'll see more on that in the next couple of weeks. <3

With that said, let's bring this to a close, I suppose. Be good, do good! Love!

18 December
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Moving EOTWP

Anna

Week 97

This past summer, Zach's apartment had gotten robbed two times in the span of five months. Terrible, yes, I know. Theft is such a petty, ridiculous crime. And I've felt absolutely awful for Zach each time it's happened. But enough is enough, and his apartment's management is finally moving him out of the specific, secluded location he's in and into a new unit down the hill in a more open area that's definitely more visible.

I was off work on Tuesday and Wednesday with the notion that I'd just be hanging around my apartment all day while Zachary was at work. But that didn't happen. Apartment management told Zach that Wednesday was his move-in day for the other unit, and that he had to be out of his current one on that day. Thanks for the short notice, management. Eck.

So the two of us got together and began deep cleaning and packing up all of his things on Tuesday — Tuesday was also gender clinic appointment day! More on that later, though. Hehe.

Thankfully, Zach doesn't have a megaton of furniture to move into the new unit, so he and I were able to get everything moved over. I think I like the layout of his new apartment better than the old one, too. It's still strange to me that the closets at this apartment complex are all located in the bathrooms. So weird. But one thing is for certain...I feel terrible for the guy moving into Zach's old apartment. It's such a prime hot spot for burglary.

Zach and I taking a break from cleaning.

Yes yes...Tuesday. I had another visit with Dr. Cathey. :)

In the exam room...

The changes are apparent. My facial structure has changed considerably, and I love it. Watching all of that nasty masculinity melt away has been life-saving. (In order: July '15, Sept. '15, April '16, July '16, and Dec. '16)

This time, however, Zachary tagged along beside me and got to meet her. I was greeted with a hug once again upon her entering the room, and it always makes me happy to see her smiling. I know she's thrilled with my results in this progression. I was kinda hoping she would inquire to Zach about certain feelings or thoughts being involved in a relationship with me, but that wasn't the case this time. Oh well. Hehe.

Juno being very suspicious under the tree.(photo courtesy of Ruth J.)

I finally finished my Christmas shopping last night! Woohoo! Online shopping is just the best — no crowds, no wait, no crying children, etc. I love it. LOLs. Hopefully Zachary, Ruth, and Phillip like their gifts...now the waiting game begins. Hehe!

So! Until next week... be good, do good! Love! <3