BFF

A quote from Wade, the smitten Dad, yesterday:
"Is it weird that my best friend in the world sucks a paci?" Guess I've been replaced.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

I am dying a slow death related to cabin fever. Since I'm not yet willing to leave a 5 week old in the gym nursery, it would be nice to at least take a little stroll in the park...

Everett's Birthday

Been meaning to post this for a month! In my eyes, there is no greater experience...
Friday, November 6th. I was 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I had been cold all day so I decided to take a hot bath that night. I sat in the tub, rubbed my belly, and talked to it knowing our days together were numbered. Around 9:45, Wade and I started getting ready for bed. By 9:55, Wade was sacked out and I was right behind him. Right around 10:00, I got a big cramping contraction. It wasn’t out of the ordinary but just a little stronger. I started squirming in bed a little which woke up Wade. I told him I was fine, not to turn on the light. I decided to try to stand up to take away some of the strain of the contraction. At that point, Wade turned on the light as I’d only had to stand up through a contraction one other time. As I stood, I noticed a little drip down my legs. I looked at Wade and shockingly stuttered, “Something is running down my legs!” It’s so cliché but I really thought I was just peeing on myself. Everyone had told me that’s what it felt like. It wasn’t a “big gush” just a constant trickle. Wade immediately started loading up the car while I paced our room talking myself out of the fact that this could be real. I texted Lindsay and Mom (who was staying at Lindsay’s) “Something’s happening?!” Neither called nor texted back. I decided to just wait it out and see what happened. Wade continued to load our bags while I stammered crazy things like, “Maybe this isn’t real. I mean I’d hate to wake everyone up for nothing. Maybe I really did just pee my pants (oops, there’s some more fluid!). Let’s not go to the hospital yet (hang on here comes another contraction—they were 3 minutes apart by this point). I need a shower.” At which point, I jumped in the shower then proceeded to straighten my hair while Wade, frustratingly, watched on. Around 11:00, after talking to Mom and Lindsay and being convinced maybe this was the real thing, I told Wade we should probably head to the hospital. He looked at me and said, “Sara, the car’s loaded and ready in the driveway. You just need to finish packing your bag.”
Upon arrival to OB receiving at 11:23, I got to state those 4 words that I had only dreamt of telling the receptionist, “My water has broken!” Immediately, a door opened and I was ushered inside. Within 30 minutes, Dr. Griffin poked her head around my curtain and told me what was about to happen. She would check my fluid to ensure it wasn’t urine and then check my cervix to see if I had dilated since my Tuesday appointment (in which I was “a good 1 cm.”) As soon as she started checking my fluid, with eyebrows raised, she stated, “Oh yeah, that’s amniotic fluid. Sara, you’re already 4 centimeters!” Wade was holding my hand and we shared an excited smile. We’ll never forget her next statement because it still seemed so surreal. She looked at us and said matter-of-factly, “You guys are having a baby tonight!” She walked back around the curtain and asked the nurse to start our paperwork to be transferred to labor and delivery. Wade and I just sat there, unsure what to do next. By around 12:30 a.m., we were transferred to labor and delivery. One nurse came in to start my IV and draw labs while another, Hope, came in to hook me up to the fetal monitor and get me settled. Hope would be my nurse for the night. Little did we know at the time how perfect of a fit she was for our situation. I told both nurses of my intentions to have a natural, drug-free delivery. The IV nurse looked at me questioningly and stated, “Well, I’m drawing your lab work so if you change your mind and want an epidural, the anesthesiologist will already have everything he needs.” She walked out of the room. I was a little discouraged but then Hope looked at me and gave me her little pep talk. She said, “OK, Sara, you can do this. I’ve been at UMC for 4 years and very few people want this option. Almost every delivery here involves Pitocin, an epidural, et cetera and I never really understood why they had to be like that. Before UMC, I was at Vanderbilt and we did drug-free deliveries there all the time. I believe in you and know you have support already but I will do anything in my power to make your wishes happen. ” That’s all I needed to hear. The word ‘epidural’ was never mentioned in my room again. By around 2:00 a.m., Dr. Griffin came back to check me. Surprised, she looked at us and said, “You are 7 centimeters dilated and 100% effaced. The baby is at -1 station. I’m going to call Dr. Shiflett.” Hope looked at us and told us that we may end up being the fastest first delivery in a while in regards to how quickly things were progressing. By this time I was starting to have severe back labor pains. With Hope’s prompting, Wade took his place behind me on the hospital bed. He straddled my back and I sat at the very end of the bed with my feet almost touching the ground. With every contraction and under my direction, he would put pressure on my spine, hips, and back. I remember him squeezing my hips together so tightly and it made it so much more bearable. Everytime he would lighten up on the pressure, I would tell him, “Harder. Push harder.” He was so scared he was hurting me (turns out, the next morning, as he’d feared I had little bruises marking my back from his touches.) It was so worth it though! By around 3:00, Dr. Shiflett arrived and reassured us that she would not leave until this baby was born. Wade put up both the pink Riley Claire and blue Everett quilt to try and get me focused on something beside the pain. We would learn what our first born was in a matter of hours! At 5:00, Dr. Shiflett came in to check me again and told us that I was 100% effaced and 10 centimeters and the baby was at 0 station. The contractions were really painful at this point but Wade continued to do so good at supporting all the hurt, physically and emotionally. I knew he had to be as exhausted as I. Dr. Shiflett asked if I wanted to start trying to push. At 5:09, we started attempting to push. It took me a solid 40 minutes to push in “the right spot.” Sometime around 7:00 a.m., the day shift nurse came in to relieve Hope. She looked at her and I heard Hope state, “I’ve got too much vested in here to leave now. You can either stay and help or leave and I’ll handle it.” I was so relived that she wasn’t leaving. With each contraction, I would frantically search my room for Hope (who was usually about 2 steps away) and say, “Hope come back over here. I’m about to have another one!” She held my right hand while Wade manned his station on my left. It all seemed like a blur of pushing every 3 minutes for about 2 ½ hours. Then it got really intense. I would have 2 or 3 stacked contractions and then a 1 minute break. Around 8:10, the excitement in the room was palpable. Dr. Shiflett told me that the baby was trying to come out and, with every contraction, she’d see his little head move back and forth like he was trying to burrow his way out. At 8:24 a.m. I heard Dr. Shiflett say, “We’ve got a nuchal cord times two.” I knew that meant the cord was wrapped around his neck but she said it so calmly, I wasn’t worried. Also, I remember being relieved because I knew that meant his head was out. Within seconds, she placed our beautiful baby up on my chest. Wade was crying and looking at me. He said, “It’s our baby.” His legs and arms were so long and moving all around. He didn’t really cry much, just scowled like he was mad about being out. At some point, someone said, “It’s a boy” at which point I lifted up his right leg and confirmed with my own eyes. He cried just a little and someone noticed that there was a lot of blood. His cord clamp had come undone and he was bleeding out of his umbilical vessels. They clamped it again and cut it off closer to his tummy. Wade didn’t get to cut the cord and we were both disappointed but more relieved that he was okay. He started looking really pale and so they took him over to the warmer to get him cleaned and warmed up. His Apgars, I would later find out were 9 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes.

Who Dat???

We can all rest easy knowing that the Saints good luck charm was born this year. Just sayin'

Okay, so he's a growing boy.

Yesterday we had our 2 week doctor's appointment. I now see where all that food is going. He has gained almost 2 pounds since we went home from the hospital (he had dropped to 6 lb 10 oz). We were told he would gain about an ounce a day for the first few months. This would've put him right at 8 lbs. Not our little overachiever though. He's weighing in at a whopping 8 lb. 10 oz. putting him in the 75%. He has grown in length 1 1/2 inches since we went home and is now 22 inches putting him at the 90%. He looks so much bigger than when he came home but he still only fits in about 10 outfits, all being newborn. The 0-3 month stuff still swallows him but it won't be long. We ran out of newborn diapers the other day but have 4 cases of size 1 so we decided to just try those (read: big mistake.) As Wade so fondly put it, "I guess if his hose is pointed to the side at all, it's leaking out." Nice. We went ahead and purchased another case of newborns. Otherwise, we'd have had to purchase new sheets, comforter, carpet, clothes, etc.

Breastfeeding Ain't For Sissies

--I have partied in New Orleans during Mardi Gras until the sun rose.
--I have roller-bladed the halls of my high school at lock-ins, not sleeping for a full day.
--I have worked 12 hour night shifts around Christmas and not slept for days so that I could celebrate with my family during the day.
--A few weeks ago, I stayed up for 40+ hours, laboring a child out of me in the middle of that.

For the last 3 days, our beautiful son has decided he prefers his groceries every 90 minutes, day and night. I have never been so tired in all of my 30 years.

Drab to fab...

Thanks to an old friend Sarah for giving me this easy, crafty idea. Mom and I made these plain white onesies from drab to fab! It took us about an hour to do all 3. Everett said he LOVES them.





This is for his days on the farm when he visits Wade's parents and my Dad. Uncle Cliff has already mentioned tractor rides. Maybe in a few years!




Everett is super fired up about his e shirt! We're working on the model poses. Next week: GQ cover shoot.

Have a great weekend!

Just a few pics

I'm not going to type much, just post some pics over the last few days. I'm not very good at typing with one hand yet and it's just not worth it to put him down!

One last profile shot before leaving the house! My water had just broken and this was between the every 3 minute contractions. So excited...

10 hours later, quite the reward. It's a boy!

Everett's first night in the world was spent watching LSU football. Sorry they couldn't pull out a win for you, Son.

On our way home!

Mastering the pout

If this angelic face doesn't fill your heart, I don't know what will...

On Everett's 5th day, Wade and I celebrated our 4th anniversary. Everett spent a couple hours with his Grammy (my Mom). I was a nervous wreck and just knew he'd get hungry early and have nothing to eat. When I got home, they were in the same position on the couch as when I left. Mom said they only got up a few times to change a diaper. Guess I'm the only one suffering from separation anxiety.

Pacified

So I'm not giving Everett a pacifier because I'm breast feeding and I must say I was a little worried about it. However, our son is the best thumb sucker this side of the Mississippi River (as was I for about 10 years...sad.) Anyway, can we give three cheers for self soothing or what? As for the orthodontics bill, we'll worry about that in about 14 years.

Yes, I'm still pregnant

So here's the thing. Tomorrow I will be 39 weeks pregnant. I feel fine, not ridiculous uncomfortable or anything. I'm mainly just excited to see what we're having and what he/she looks like.
It's funny how people start acting at this point. My family calls or texts about 5 times a day. Do they really think I'm going to forget to call when something happens? Wade's concerned I'll call my Mom BEFORE I call him. I think it's kinda funny. I would compare it to when Wade and I had been dating a while. For those of you who have been around a while, you know Wade's a mighty cautious fella. Here's the short version of the story...
We had been dating about 8 months when I really thought it was real. No, it wasn't love at first sight or anything totally romantic (or unreal) like that. I just started feeling like something was different with him. I was leaving for a week in May to go to New Orleans to prepare for my nursing boards with two friends from school. Wade was coming over to my house to see me off and I suddenly had the urge to tell him that I loved him. Neither one of us had said it yet and I was freaking out. I had lost a friend in a car accident a few years before and didn't feel like I told her I loved her/cherished our friendship enough and I always regretted that. Anyway, telling Wade I loved him felt like it was a huge weight on my shoulders. When he came over, I awkwardly blurted it out. He looked stunned and I'm pretty sure he thanked me or something when my friends knocked on the door to pick me up. I got in the car and told them and they were mortified that he hadn't said it back. I felt such relief though. I didn't care that he had not repeated it because I wasn't telling him to hear it back. I was telling him because I HAD to, that simple. Well, cute and all, right? I didn't say it again. I wasn't going to pressure him but I felt like, if anything happened, he knew how I felt. Fast forward almost a year. Yes, YEAR!!! He still had not said the L word and, no, I had not repeated it. Lindsay lived in California and most of my other friends lived across the country travel nursing. Every single time I called one of those unsupportive bitches, the first thing was, "Did he say it?" Now, at this point we'd been dating a year and a half. Did they really think I would have forgotten to call them? Did they really have to re-remind me everytime we spoke that, "No, he hasn't. I was actually calling to get your chicken salad recipe. However, thanks again, for reminding me on this beautiful Saturday. Gotta go." Well, yes, he finally said it 18 months after our first date and, honestly, I wouldn't change a thing. It seems to have worked out well for us. Anyway, long story to say that this baby waiting feels exactly like that.
I'll call to chit chat with Mom and she's all out of breath, "Yeah????"
To which I reply, "What are you guys doing?"
She's stuttering back like a school girl, "Nothing, what's up? How ya feel? Any contractions?"
"Uh, yeah, but no more than normal and, no, I'm not calling to say get in the car. I was just going to ask what your platelet count was yesterday and what your doctor said about the chemo."

Family and friends: I promise I will let you know the second anything happens. You need not blow up my phone, text, e-mail, etc. I know it's the first grandchild, niece/nephew, yadda yadda yadda, but it will happen and when it does, we have a list of 179 people to notify. I'll need a little help. And a final note...Mom, you know good and well, you will be the first to know. Lindsay, you'll be a mighty close second. As for Wade's "list of people to call first", I have no control.

A little bit of Halloween

Wade and I have had a tradition the last few years of carving pumpkins and drinking champagne. Well, this year we skipped the champagne but did carve our pumpkin. We're not doing too much for Halloween this year for obvious reasons plus the fact that I work Friday and Saturday.

Which is bigger???

Our finished product...

In other news, I had my doctor's appointment today. All measurements, BP, weight, etc. looked fine. She said I was now 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She said it "could be any day" and that she'd be "very surprised if we make it to our due date." She's out of town from Wednesday-mid Saturday so she introduced me to her partner. She also felt the baby and is estimating that he/she is around 6 1/2 pounds but said that since I was tall, it could be a bit bigger. It's still pretty surreal since I feel so normal. I went and did my normal workout before my appointments this morning and don't feel like I'm about to pop. We'll see. I have 7 days of work left in the next two and a half weeks and am actually scheduled until one day after my due date. When I told Dr. Shiflett that, she just laughed and said, "I don't think you'll be on that shift."

Reason # 614,192

So here's one of the reasons I'm in L-O-V-E with my Homet. For all his quirky, wonderful, striving to figure EVERYthing out curiosity, sillyness.

This is what I walked in from work to find last night...

He had gone through some of our still unwrapped baby shower gifts and found the "swaddler". Then, he made himself busy "learnin' how to swaddle." Let's get a close-up.

The sock monkey was being such a willing participant! You think Wade's a bit excited about The Rook?

Dr.'s Appointments, Showers, Dilation, Oh My...

Doctor's appointment went well today. My SBP is still staying good at around 115 (the top # on the blood pressure. We need it below 140, I think?) Rook's heartrate was around 140 and my belly measured well. She also checked to see if I was dilated and we were told that I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Dr. Shiflett said that was good progression for 36 weeks and, hopefully, more indicative that I will not have to have a C-section. I have been noticing that my contractions are lasting longer and getting more....hard. That's the best way I can describe it. It's like my stomach just all the sudden really tightens up and gets so hard. They still aren't at all painful but just more frequent. I told Dr. Shiflett that I'd be OK to go to 41 weeks so that my maternity leave will take me through the Super Bowl (ya know the Saints are 4-0 but I'm not getting cocky. I'm just sayin'). She said it's highly unlikely that I will make it to 41 weeks. It's more likely right at or before my due date. So, sure enough, we will meet our Rook in the next few weeks. SO CRAZY!

Today Lindsay and I are headed down to South Louisiana for my family shower this Saturday. To say I'm fired up about it would be a complete understatement. As some of you know, (almost) my entire family lives in South LA and most of our close friends. We don't get to see all these folks nearly enough and the last time they were all gathered together was probably our wedding shower down there (the day before Katrina!) I'll be sure to post pics next week. Until then, have a great weekend!

Reid-isms

Here are a few words of wisdom from my 6 year old nephew Reid...

Scene: Mom's living room
Setting: Me trying to explain to Reid that the baby could hear everything he was saying to it.

Reid: Yeah, I already knew that.
Me: Oh, well then you have to be careful what you say.
Reid: (eyeing my belly thoughtfully with the almost outie belly button) Is the baby's ear hole, where it hears, through your belly button?
Me: Yeah, Reid, that's the "ear hole."



Scene: Mom's living room
Setting: Me explaining to Reid how big Cooper (Lindsay's dog) is.

Reid: Cooper's almost as tall as me!
Me: Reid, do you realize that Cooper weighs more than you?
Reid: How much?
Me: Almost 100 pounds.
Reid: (with eyes lit up) Oh my gosh. That's so much. You don't weigh 100 pounds do you?
Me: No, Reid, I haven't weighed 100 pounds in a long time.
Reid: Yeah, I didn't think you were that fat but you have gotten fatter since the last time I saw you (turned around on his heel and walked away.)
Me: Alrighty-then.



Here's the tool man himself at our house. He and Wade were trying to "act manly." I do love that boy!

Stretch Marks

I am so determined to not get stretch marks that I diligently apply cocoa butter to my belly and legs at least twice a day. It's become a bit of an obsession, I must say. Wade just nods his head and laughs. The other day he looked at me and said, "Homet, you use so much cocoa butter that The Rook is going to be born with a pina colada in his/her hand." I'm thinking, depending on the type of glass (think Pat O's), that would hurt to push out.

Jackson Baby shower

A couple of weeks ago, my "Jackson family" threw me a baby shower at my favorite restaurant, Biaggi's, in Ridgeland. We got so many nice things. It's a little overwhelming, honestly. Anyway, here are a few pics from the fun night...

Parents to be! Wade loves that belly.

My awesome cake (notice the fleur-de-lis!) Wendi, if you're reading this, I have you to blame for that extra few pounds at my last doctor's appt. I devoured the leftover cake you gave me! I couldn't help myself. DELISH!!! Also, we did a "guess the gender, weight, and length" game. Would you believe that people think I'm having a boy 2:1??? Also, I guessed the biggest weight by half a pound at 8 lbs. 8 oz. People, this is no scrawny baby inside of me! Will Rook be a Riley Claire or a Rhett?

My Mom and MIL. Possibly the Rook's biggest fans (though they have some pretty stiff competition.)

These pics were taken a few nights ago. Wade and I thought they were too funny. The other day, we were outside, noticed my "round" shadow, and couldn't stop laughing. We decided to try to duplicate it by lamp light one night. Strange the things you think of to entertain yourself when

you feel too big to go anywhere!

Also, today celebrates 8 years that Hom and I have been dating. Our first date, October 5, 2001 was to Amerigo's restaurant. We'd known each other for a couple months and pretty much were smitten. However, when you're dating you have to have a "start date", right? This is the one we used. Anyway, when we got married, Wade told me I wasn't allowed to celebrate every little date anymore. I was restricted to our anniversary. Did he not realize he married quite the stubborn girl? So, in honor of this, I'm about to go wake him up and make blueberry pancakes. He should be glad I didn't go out shopping and buy him a big old gift. Then he'd really feel bad. Next up: next month holds the day he said 'I love you' for the first time 7 years ago. My mind is a steel trap...I forget nothing.

God's a Funny Little Man

So here's the thing. I'm almost 8 months preggers and everyone I talk to says, "Oh, Girl, get your sleep now." In theory, sounds like great advice. I get it. The Rook will be up all hours wanting to eat from the only food source I intend to use which is yours truly. The mean people in my life tell me I'll have a colic-ey baby anyway. Well, the problem is...

1. I have been working alot lately which puts me up at 5:30 and, I'm sorry, but I cannot fall asleep before 9 pm or so.



2. When I'm not working, I just wake up spontaneously around 5 am. It's not like I'm uncomfortable and can't sleep and I still haven't had to wake up to pee all through the night. I just wake up ready for the day. I'll lay there for about 30 minutes then get stir crazy and slide out of bed in order to not wake the Prince lost in Dreamland beside me. This puts me exhausted at around 3 pm and walking around in zombie-like fashion.


I'm pretty sure God is looking down giggling softly to himself. Is he getting me ready? If so, why? Can't I just learn to not sleep when Baby gets here or at least in the last few weeks when I'm bound to get too uncomfortable to sleep? My only solution is to try, try again. I don't have to work tomorrow so maybe if I take a warm bath, read a good book, and get snuggled in around 9 pm I'll have better success...the whole "wind down" thing which I inevitably suck at. Or maybe I'll just pop a Benadryl and call it done.

Last 2 week OB appt.

Today Wade and I went to our last 2 week OB appt. It's now every week. I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by. I'm trying to cherish every little movement I feel in there (even if they're pretty uncomfortable at times) because I realize that this will be the last few weeks I get to carry this sweet Baby and feel every little move. Soon, I'll have to share (typed while grimacing.) Anyway, Dr. Shiflett said everything looks good. My BP was perfect, weight was good, etc. Also, Rookie's heartrate was 150 which, if going by the old wives' tales, hints at a girl. Everytime they check the heartrate and it's above 140 (supposedly means girl) Wade just raises his eyebrows as if to say, "Told you so." I still think it's a boy though.
Last week was our first shower. I'm behind on updating pics because Wade and I opted to have an extreme lazy weekend filled with eating, laughing, napping, and FOOTBALL! We were happily unproductive. It's one of the last weekends before we take on the "parent role" that we have free so we took full advantage. Will update pics as soon as I have a day off!

Prayer Request

Dear God,

We don't care if you bring us a sweet little boy or a darling princess but please, oh please, let them like football as much as dear old Mom and Dad. If not, he/she has alot of boring falls in his/her future. And if you have a little extra time up there, please let the Saints win this Sunday.

Thanks,

Sara

Not so tough anymore

Yesterday, at work, I was minding my own business, running around like a chicken with my head cut off (as usual), when I started feeling really dizzy. I usually eat breakfast at 6:00 then need some little snack around 10:00 or so before lunch. Well, yesterday was mass chaos in the PICU and there was no time for a snack (to say the least.) I started losing vision in my right eye and was seeing spots. If you know me, you know that I'm quite the stubborn girl. I kept trying to work and even tried just closing my right eye for a while to refocus. I told one of my co-workers I wasn't feeling real sporty and that I'd be right back. I ran in the break room and downed a little thing of Frosted Flakes which were innocently sitting on the table (if you are reading this and they were your FF, I apologize. I was a little out of my head.) Anyway, I ran back out and was trying to give this wild kid some sedation when almost all my vision left. I was so frustrated because the IV pump kept telling me some message (that I couldn't really read) and wouldn't give him the damn sedation! Finally, I decided maybe I could use a little help. After asking Nikki (our wonderful charge nurse) to just come over for a minute, I walked to the back to sit down for a minute. I kept thinking that if I would just cool off and eat some sugar, I'd be fine to work the rest of the day. Well, ten minutes, one juice, lots of water, and a few graham crackers later, I wasn't feeling too much better. I would have still been fine with that but by the time my head stopped spinning, I realized I hadn't felt the Rookie kick in a while and that DID scare me. I tried all the techniques they say to do to make it start moving, but to no avail. My boss rolled a wheelchair in and stated that we were going down to OB receiving. Can I just tell you how relieved I am that I work in the hospital where I'm going to deliver? My doctor was minutes away. By the time they strapped me to the monitor, Wade was by my side. Hearing that strong heartbeat was such a load off our shoulders. The baby looked fine and they said it must have been napping because the heartbeat indicated it was "very happy in there." They did check a finger stick (my glucose) but assumed it would be falsely high since I'd just ingested all that sugar. It came back at 127 which is not exactly high and we were all a bit morbidly curious what it would have been before my "sugar resusitation." Anyway, I also ended up getting another EKG and had to have my first "exam." I was supposed to have one more free doctor's visit before these started but apparently that's not the way I roll. The only concerning part was that they saw contractions on the monitor. They told me sometimes you have contractions when you don't feel good so they needed to check me further to make sure I wasn't in preterm labor. With the check, they discovered I was "slightly" dilated and 50% effaced (10 cm and 100% means you're about to deliver). They were slightly surprised by this but didn't seem overly panicked. They sent lab work that would further reveal if I was in pre-term labor and it was negative. I told Dr. Shiflett I would prefer waiting another 7 weeks, thank you very much. We were sent home with the instructions to take it easy this weekend and watch myself better while at work. I will do anything they tell me to at this point. I just don't want bed rest. I have just felt so healthy this pregnancy (with the exception of that silly effusion at the beginning) and it's hard to slow down. Enough about that though. Yesterday was chalked up in the Watts' family as a good day. Besides finding out Rook's not coming quite yet, we also got some bigger news....

My Mom has not felt good this past week. She's been short of breath and just tired, in general. After an X-ray with her oncologist revealed more "spots" on the base of her lung, we braced for the worst. If you've followed my Mom's progress, we have received virtually no GOOD medical news since January. She was sent to the pulmonologist in Tupelo to look at her CT and do a bronch (camera down her airway to look at the inside of her lungs.) Anyway, when I got out of OB receiving I got a groggy phone call from Mom. She was told that the spots on the base looked simply like an infection and, here's the biggest part......(drum roll).....Out of the 5 spots that were originally on her lung, only 3 could be appreciated. The chemo could actually be working even after all the problems! Mom informed us that, "We may have to keep her longer than we originally thought!" Our goal when she was diagnosed was to make it to November to hold her first grandchild. Don't want to jinx anything, but we feel like we've got that goal all but sealed up. Now, moving on to the next goal: Rookie's baptism. We're taking baby steps around here!

Rook's First LSU game!

This past Saturday, Wade and I drove down to Baton Rouge for the Rookie's first LSU game. It's probably going to be his/her last game for a few years too as we quietly observed many children tailgating (not so patiently) with their parents. We were glad Rook didn't have much choice in the matter about tailgating all day, staying for the entire game, etc. A friend of Wade's has 3 little girls. He's told each of them that they don't get to go with Daddy to their first LSU game until after they turn 5. This is a big milestone in their family and the girl's apparently ask all year when it will be THEIR turn. Well, it was finally time for the middle daughter's turn this week. She was so excited until she realized it was actually more sitting around than playing and clung to Daddy's leg during the entire tailgating festivities. Wild horses (or cookies) couldn't drag her away from him. I tried. Anyway, their seats ended up being a few rows above ours and we saw them leaving right when the second quarter started. I would have died but he just patiently carried his "big girl" down the bleachers at her first LSU game. Wade and I decided, on the spot, our child's magic LSU game age would have to be closer to 7 or so because neither Momma or Daddy want to leave the game early!

The three of us tailgating pre-game

Rookie didn't have the best seats in the stadium but we didn't hear one complaint from him/her the entire game! What a good baby!

As soon as the Golden Band from Tiger Land got started, Rookie started dancing. I truly don't think Rook sat still the entire game. I was praying that means he/she will love football and was all geared up (instead of mad at me for dragging him/her to the game and showing me his/her disapproval by lots of kicks and flips.)

LSU didn't look great but they pulled out a victory. Maybe the Rook is a good luck charm!

Rook's first LSU game was quite the success even if it did pour down rain for half of the game!

On Saturday, we drove over to my Uncle and Aunt's house to watch the Saints game and eat some fabulous crab and shrimp pasta. The Rookie also kicked during the entire Saints game. I'm taking that as a good sign. Here's a crazy story though about my beloved Saints:

I have been a die-hard Saints fan since I was about 7 years old. It was my Dad and my "thing" to come home from church, eat lunch, and plop in front of the tube to watch the Dome Patrol play. My Dad traveled alot so this was sacred bonding time. I guess that's why I was so crazy about them. Anyway, since that age, I used to swear the Saints were waiting to win the Super Bowl until the best year of my life which would be when my first child was born. Could this possibly be THE YEAR??? I've waited 30 years for my first born and 23 equally long years for the Saints to pull this off. Please be good to me, Drew Brees!

No turning back now!

That's what our Lamaze instructors told us when they "let" us view some graphic pictures in class this week. Can I just say, "EWWWW."

Tomorrow I will officially be 7 months preggers! We cannot believe there will be a new person here in around two months. I say AROUND because in Lamaze they have preached to us that 38 weeks is term but not optimal (against popular belief) so don't hope for that. At UMC, they play a little more conservative and will, indeed, let you go to 42 weeks if everything is stable. I just want whatever works best for the Rook and I REALLY don't want to be induced even if it means hauling around 25 pounds of baby for a few more weeks. I can say that now because I'm still sleeping well and not too uncomfortable. I think I'm in the "fun part of pregnancy" that people refer to in the 2nd trimester. I just didn't feel prego in the 2nd trimester so I couldn't really relate. Now, not only do I feel/look pregnant, but I still feel good enough to enjoy it.

Anyway, we had our maternity photo shoot with Jeanelle Caraway yesterday and I cannot wait to see all of them. She did put a sneak peek on my facebook page. She took between 100-200 pics in 4 different outfits (yep, I made Wade change 4 times too) in lots of different locations. Some were close-up, some far away, some are bare belly, about half with Wade, some casual, some a little more creative. Here are the sneak peek pics she sent me and the rest of the album should be e-mailed to me in 1-2 weeks so that we can order. These are tiny and I don't know if you can get them any bigger so I recommend (if you want to see them) going to my facebook profile page. You can click on them there. Oh and, by the way, the "pregnancy mug shots" (as Wade so fondly calls them) were taken at home prior to the shoot. My make-up looked fabulous thanks to Amy Head studios. Don't think for one second that this tomboy coulda done that on her own!

Just for the record...

Lindsay and Mollie, my two girl besties (not including my Mom), went walking yesterday. We walked....and walked....and walked. We walked from the Reservoir to Renaissance and back. It was a total of around 9 miles. However, don't let us fool you. It took about 3 1/2 hours and we didn't just walk to Ren. We actually walked straight to Maggie Moo's ice cream and I had two scoops of choc with Reese's pieces. Anyway, let me tell you that folks can talk about some random stuff on a 9 mile walk. I would compare it to working night shifts in the PICU (which I haven' t done in about 6 years, but I remember. Oh, do I remember.) You would leave work at 7:30 a.m., go home, eat "dinner", sleep a few hours, and wake up. I remember several times waking up and thinking, "OMG, did I really tell my co-worker (who isn't my best friend or even a close friend) all those things at 2:00 this morning?" Anyway, I digress...

This post is for you Lindsay and Mollie. This should clear a few things up...

--"The linea alba is a fibrous structure that runs down the midline of the abdomen in humans and other vertebrates. The name means white line and the linea alba is indeed white, being composed mostly of collagen connective tissue.
It is formed by the fusion of the aponeuroses of the abdominal muscles, and it separates the left and right rectus abdominis muscles. In muscular individuals its presence can be seen on the skin, forming the depression between the left and right halves of a "six pack.""--Wikipedia

--Linea nigra is that dark (sometimes crooked, and that's okay) line that runs up a prego girl's belly.

--The Bionic Woman, Lindsay Wagner, does spell her name with an A! I googled.

Lindsay, one day you'll realize that I haven't been wrong in 30 years and you should just quit trying to dispute me. Until then, bless your little soul.

The changes of the Home Team

Everyday when I pull into the garage after a long day at work, Wade opens the door and, with a big smile, "helps" with my purse and lunch bag which are on the passenger seat. Before flu season, he used to give me a big hug and kiss (now, I run inside without touching anything and shower first.) Anyway, I started thinking the other day how in a few months, he will be greeting me at the door with our baby in his arms. I think that's pretty cool.

Just gotta laugh...

Every morning I wake up and another article of clothing (or ten) don't fit. I just gotta laugh about it. I like to think that Rookie's laughing a little devilish laugh with me.

...and we keep growing and growing and growing.

We had our doctor's appt. yesterday and everything went great. Again, Rook's heart rate is staying steady at 140 and strong. It sounds like he/she is working so hard in there! I am still measuring exactly right--30 cm. Dr. Shiflett says she expects I'll gain another 15 pounds or so. I told her that I already felt rather large and that 15 pounds just didn't seem possible. She assured me that it was, indeed, possible. I went home and ate ice cream before bed so I guess she knows what she's talking about. Anyway, my diabetic test was fine, blood pressure was fine, and blood level (hematocrit) was fine so I don't have to take iron supplements (thank God!)

We had our first Lamaze class last night too. Can I just say: I heart Lamaze. Not only was it relaxing but extremely informative too. I didn't realize quite how stupid I was with all this labor stuff. I was shocked to learn that I was the only one in the class that is going to even try to labor without an epidural. That makes me sad. I don't know that I won't have to have an epidural. I realize this is like no pain I've ever felt before but I'd like to at least try. Wade is not convinced at this time b/c as I have mentioned, his heart literally breaks if he sees me get a nosebleed. It just kills him to see me "in pain" (though I have assured him that nosebleeds are completely painless!) We'll see though.

I have to work all Labor Day weekend and Monday. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and holiday. I'll be sitting pretty in a climate controlled unit with my only Vitamin D coming through the window. I'll be happy if I'm at least sitting though. Probably wishful thinking...

Room for the Rookie

Yesterday, Wade and I spend about 15 hours rearranging our house to make room for the Rook. We really didn't stop until after 10:00 last night. I must say that about 11:00 that morning when our living room was full of pieces of furniture, trash, and laundry, I was quite pessimistic about what we'd gotten ourselves into. However, by around 5:00pm, it started to look like we were making progress. For those of us that are close, you know how sad we've been to get rid of our desk/computer area in our office. Well, we made it all work by taking the side off of the massive desk we have. Sorry to our future guests but you'll have to share your room with our "work space." Don't worry, you'll have internet so what you desire to Google is up to you. Here's how it all went down in the guest room. It's a bit tight on space, I know, but it's the best we can do for now!

The nursery is finally starting to come together. We have art to add for the walls and a few other final touches but at least there's now room for the Rookie. It's still so strange to walk by that room and see a crib.

Here's the chest/changing table and mirror that we (read: Wade) refinished. We (Wade) still have to hang the mirror but apparently that's going to be a big deal because it's so heavy.

I have a doctor's appt. Tuesday. Everything has been going well so far and I hope my vitals stay stable because I have seen too many preemie babies and know I'd rather not deal with that. Now, that Rook has a room, I hope he/she wards off the desire to come early and "take Mom and Dad by surprise."

Last trimester and more projects...

We finally started (what should be) our final project for the nursery. I'm not sure why we opted to do it this week as Wade has been busy at work and I just finished working 7 days out of 8 but it's done. This chest and mirror have been mine since I was a little girl. I wish I'd gotten a true before shot because it was a strange blue color. Anyway, this was after the primer coat of brown. I know it's not the prettiest brown color but it's a process so just go with it...


Next, you add the "crackle" which is basically glue. It's supposed to make it look distressed a bit once you put on the top coat. Here goes the cracklin'...



I mostly watched but I also took pictures and gave Homet constructive criticism as he went. He appreciated it so much. Here's Hom putting on the top coat. We were so determined to finish this step that day. Notice it's now dark outside and probably about 10:00 (both of us having to work in the morning.) We're a hard-headed bunch in this Watts' home.



This is what the top looks like. This will be our chest/changing table. It's not quite complete yet. Wade sealed it last night and I have to get the pulls for it today. I'll have to take a pic of the completely finished project but I think it's going to look good in the nursery. Regardless, we just keep thinking, "All this work and then all the baby's going to do is poop on it." Oh well, Rook will have the most hard earned pooping station on the block.


Another thing this week that's been fun has been that we've received a few gifts from friends and it's like Christmas but for my belly. We keep showing the Rook (aka my stomach) all the gifts and I'm pretty sure he/she is pretty fired up about getting here to try it all out. These adorable little outfits are from a good friend, Mandy, from my work. We'll always have a story to tell Rookie about Mandy because when I was 5 weeks pregnant and we were not telling a soul (well, except Lindsay but she doesn't count b/c she's basically me but short with lighter hair), I got very sick at work. Hindsight says it was probably the second "flare-up" of the Mexican parasite that came back to haunt several more times. Anyway, I digress, I got real sick and had to be wheeled down to UMC's ER. When they were asking me history questions, Mandy was right by my side (she had worked the night before and offered to take care of me until Wade could get to the hospital.) Well, the nurse asked if there was any chance I could be prego. I just looked up at Mandy and cried, "Oh please don't tell anyone. I haven't even told my Mom yet!" Her mouth hit the floor, she rubbed my back, and quietly said, "My lips are sealed." Y'all she didn't tell a soul and we didn't tell work people until I was about 10-12 weeks. Therefore, sweet, lips sealed Mandy is only the second person in the world to know we were preggers! Here's what she gave me last week. I can't believe we'll have a person that size soon!



A few days later, I get home after a crappy day at work and Wade tells me that there's a surprise in the nursery. I cautiously walked back there to find this...

Yeah, one of my best friends, Mollie (aka Aunt Buff to the Rookie), with Lindsay's help, snuck into our house and left us the stroller that goes with our carseat. Lindsay, Mollie, and I walk alot(and used to run alot 'fore I gained a baby) and she decided I needed something to hold our crap (cell phones, money, sunglasses) in when we go walking post-baby so she got our stroller. Next, came putting it together.

Let me tell you. I was fired up but my Hubs, oh man, was he excited. He "strolled" all over the house and stated (to the invisible baby in the stroller), "Mom's at work and we need to go to the grocery. Let's go get some cream of chicken soup." He then proceeded to walk around and reach up for the invisible c of c soup. I could NOT stop laughing. Here's him just a strollin' with our invisible Rookie...

He's trying to pop it up so that it folds up and is smaller to store. However, don't let this fool you. He wanted it to stay in the corner of the living room. A few minutes later, I was wheeling it back to the nursery to try and fit it in the closet and he shouted, "Hey, where are you going with our stroller? I want it to stay in the living room for a while. You get to look at your stomach all the time and think about a baby but I don't. I want to look at the stroller and get used to the idea." That was 3 days ago and the stroller still sits in the corner of our living room. The invisible baby loves it.

Last pic is the 29 week shot. Y'all an outie belly button is just around the corner for this stomach. I kid you not.