Welcome to Anniecdotes! I’m Annie Grevers. I have an almost 2-year-old daughter named Skylar Lea, a sky-scraping husband who is too colossal for this world (Matt- he’s 6’8) and two bushy-tailed, sparky goldendoodles, Nala and Gretel.
I met my husband during my collegiate swimming career at the University of Arizona. I was a sophomore and Matt was a recent Northwestern University graduate. He came to train with the Arizona Wildcats in 2007 in hopes of qualifying for the 2008 Olympic team. We started dating five months into his Tucson days.
I competed at the 2008 Olympic Trials in the race right after Matt’s. At big meets, the finalists sit in an isolated box of nerves called a “ready room” prior to their race. In 2008, there was a small TV in the ready room so we could watch what swim history was being made in the event before ours.
Matt was swimming the 100 back– he wasn’t really considered a contender for the Olympic team. But he touched out Ryan Lochte to clench second and earn his Olympic berth. I squealed in the silent ready room and attracted some stares from my competitors, but c’mon! My first real boyfriend had just made his Olympic dream come true! Now it was my turn…to do something. I swam the 100 breaststroke and came in 5th. Only top two make the team, but at age 20, I was delighted to have been in the mix.
Matt took silver in the 100 back in the Beijing Games and helped two relays win golds. Yeah, a decent Olympic debut. I was in Texas with my family during the Olympics. Matt called me after winning the silver and I MISSED THE CALL. I was having a watch party with friends and apparently apple watches didn’t exist yet to prevent me from missing such significant calls. He left a sweet voicemail and didn’t answer when I called him back because he had to go get a huge medal draped around his neck.
I dated Matt for four years. On February 11, 2012, he gave me the shock of my life by dropping to one knee and proposing at a swim meet…atop the podium. I’ll have to devote a post to that story because it’s comical and oh-so romantic. I got to train alongside my fiance for the next five months as we prepared for the 2012 Olympic Trials.
At the 2012 Trials, Matt scared the world record and won the 100 back. I freaked out in the ready room again then regrouped because I had to go swim my forte. I came in 5th (again) and was pretty upset about it this time. I wouldn’t get to be an Olympian alongside my swift fiance.
But I did get to travel to London and learn how fun it could be to be a tourist/spectator. I even got to go to the Opening Ceremonies (Matt’s still never been to one)!
Watching swimming can put a knot in your stomach, unless you were watching Matt Grevers circa 2012. He crushed his 100 back in the Olympic final. He blazed to an Olympic record, handily winning an individual gold medal.
We got married on April 6, 2013 in front of 350 of our closest friends. Special thanks to my parents for throwing the party of our lifetime.
The next noteworthy date is November 9, 2016 (I’m sure some good stuff happened in the three years between). Our daughter Skylar Lea Grevers came rocketing into the world at 10:15 p.m. Here’s Skylar’s birth story, if you want the nitty-gritty.
Here I sit, 21 months later, and I never fathomed how much I would or could love being a mama. Skylar floods our home with joy and we thank God every single day for that peach of a child. I know Lisa-Jo Baker already wrote a book called “Surprised By Motherhood” but I don’t think there’s a better way of encapsulating my momming experience in three words.
I’ve been surprised by every part of it — how miraculous pregnancy feels (and IS), how insane sleep deprivation makes you, how rewarding that first gummy grin is, how challenging breastfeeding can be, how different marriage feels with a new human in the home, how you can fall deeper in love with your spouse and your baby every day.
If I’m being entirely honest, I never recognized how selfish I was and how selfless I could be until Skylar joined the family. I can recognize a piece of the hard work my mom put forth raising four kids now, but really it’s just a whiff of appreciation…because Skylar is not even 2, y’all. I’m sure my gratitude for my parents will continue to unfurl as we continue this wondrous parenthood journey.
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