Special Delivery!

About 8:00 on the morning of January 25, I decided I needed to push that baby out. Unfortunately, my nurse informed me the doctor was still in the OR, finishing a C-section. She ran to check on him. He was sewing up and would be there soon. Nurse M offered to bolus my epidural but I refused it. I just wanted to get the baby out and start the rest of my life.

8:10. I felt the huge primal urge to push. Nurse M told me to go ahead and push if I really felt like it. So I did. It was the best feeling EVER. Then she shrieked "Okay! Stop! Don't push anymore! Your doctor will probably kill me if he doesn't get to deliver this baby!" My response was "Then get him in here!!"

She ran to find him.

8:15 she tells me "He'll be here in five minutes. Just hang in there!" I half-heartedly laughed and said "Well that's nice 'cause this baby will be here in ten. The man needs to hurry!" Nurse M told me I could do "little pushes, just little ones" in the meantime. (Sorry M, I pushed as hard as I felt like pushing)

8:25, he comes in the door and as he is suiting up, he tells me "Hey Miss Anna, if you're feeling the need to push, you just go right ahead." I screamed out "Thank God" and pushed once. DocMac said "Whoa! There's a BabyH head! Push again!" I pushed once more and her head was out. Then he told me to stop and breathe while he got her situated. The cord was around her neck, but it wasn't tight or anything like that. Then he said "Okay, push once more and she'll be out." So I pushed hard and at 8:31 AM, January 25, 2013, HHB was born!

I want to tell you the first thing I thought when I saw her face was "Oh what a beautiful baby" but my first thought was "Dang she's got a huge snot rocket on her face." Apparently, when babies are pushed out, they are rather mucous-y. When they're pushed out fast, it doesn't all get juiced out of them. But they put her on my chest and as they did, she started to cry.

In that moment, my heart nearly burst. Hubs cut the cord and we became Mommy and Daddy. HHB proved her lungs were quite strong and she let us all know of her displeasure of being in a cold room. When the nurse was wiping her down, HHB expressed her displeasure by taking her first peepee all over the sweet delivery nurse. Sorry about that!

I told Nurse M to tell our family (who'd all kept vigil in the waiting room) the baby was here and fine, and that I wanted someone to bring me a Rt 44 tea from Son!c. My dad sent the message back that I would get tea when they got to see the baby.

We were in the delivery room for about an hour and a half after HHB's arrival. That time was spent cleaning up her, me, and the room. I was able to nurse her right away, and she ate very well I stayed on the . Then it was time for us to depart the suite. Nurse M told me she was going to get me a wheelchair to take me to my recovery room. I told her I could walk.

Yep. I said I could walk.

After some debate and proving I could indeed feel my feet and was mobile (I was smart to not bolus that epidural), Nurse M held my elbow and allowed me to walk out of L&D. My dad was the first person to meet me in the hallway. He said "What are you DOING?!" I answered "Ain't nothing to it." HHB was behind me on her little hospital bassinet, all wrapped up like a burrito.

The most beautiful face I've ever seen.

I got in my room and settled in bed. No one else was there. Thirty minutes later, my dad came in. He was elated. He said, "Wow! I can't believe how big she is!" I then realized I had no clue how heavy or how long my daughter was. I said, "Seven, seven and a half pounds, right??"

Wrong.

HHB tipped the scales at 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and 21 and 1/2 inches long!!

I am woman, hear me roar.

Dad and I had the room to ourselves for a good while. The rest of the family trickled in and they sat and talked to me about delivery. They still couldn't believe I'd walked to my recovery room. I heard a set of wheels coming down the hallway, and then a baby crying. I told them "Oh, here she comes." Someone asked how I could possibly know that was her and not some other baby on the floor. I said, "I know because she's mine." And of course I was right. The nurse put her in my arms, and all was right in my world.

The Induction and Labor

Do you know what 4:30 AM looks like? Non-college students, sit down. I mean waking up and being somewhere at 4:30.

Cause I know this feeling.

Freaking. Early.

DocMac said to be in the hospital at 4:30 so I could get things started. That's the time I had to be up to get ready and make sure we were there on time. We live in a small down with everything no more than ten minutes away, but I was determined to look cute. I actually straightened my hair and took makeup with me. Hindsight, that was a bit vain. But I stand by my decision to look as fabulous as a land whale possibly can look.

At 4:30 on the dot, we walked in to the ER and I checked in. Then we went up to the Third Floor of our hospital. THEEE floor. The one where babies come from. This mess just got REAL. I was escorted to the Periwinkle Suite (there are three suites, all with some name like that) and promptly told to undress and get comfy in one of those modest, tasteful, flattering hospital gowns. I got to leave my socks on though. 

Both of my nieces were born here, too!

By 5:30, I was hooked up to some monitors and an IV of saline and Pitocin, my precious nurse checked me and I was dilated to 1 cm, just like I had been for almost a month. Now it was time to sit and wait. 

Cue the thumb twiddle music.

At 8:00 I was starting to feel regular contractions. That's a strange feeling. It was right then, my doctor came in to tell me I was being bumped. WHAT?! You gotta be kidding me. Nope, totally serious. Three women came in at just about the same time and since I wasn't in active labor yet, I was going to be moved to what would be my recovery room later. But no worries, I would probably be back in my suite quickly. One lady that was in labor was having her seventh baby. Yeah, that's right. Seventh. She's 26. You do the math. I tried my best not to judge. I figured I would be back in there seriously fast though. I'm told by baby number 4, they basically walk out, so number 7 shouldn't take long. So they took me off the Pitocin and everything got suspended.

9:00... watching t.v., NCIS marathon was on.

10:00...still watching NCIS.

11:00...Gibbs had slapped McGee and DiNozzo twice each. A nurse came in to tell me "Thank you for being so sweet! We should be able to get you in by lunch."
Good. I had people there who'd made a special trip to be there on just that day. My dad even took off work. I was having this kid on the 24th, dangit!

12:00...Gibbs brought Abby her 8th CafPow of the marathon. I was brought some hospital cuisine to enjoy.

1:00... Ok, now I was getting pissy.

2:00... Hormonal Holly was here to play! I was so ill. But there is one cardinal rule I always follow. "There are three people in this world to whom one must always be nice. 1. Your hairdresser. Make her mad and she will color your hair orange or snatch you bald. 2. Your restaurant server. Watch the movie 'Waiting' to see what I mean. 3. Your healthcare providers. They have the pain meds." So I was as nice as I could be to the very sweet nurses and my awesome doctor. The nurses all thought I was just a doll. My doctor knows that I was doing my level best to be nice, but he knew I was so over waiting. Thankfully, he came in to tell me it was time to go back to the delivery room. HALLELUJAH!!

2:30: Hooked back up to everything. Pitocin, monitors, the works. Snacking on ice chips, which were really the ice you can get at Z@xby's or Son!c.

By 5:00, I had dilated to almost 2 cm and was feeling contractions. My doctor decided at this point to go ahead and break my water.

Let's pause for a moment.

That was a totally and completely disgusting event. It felt like I was having a long, continuous "accident." It still makes me shudder. But, yay! Once your water breaks, you're considered to be in "active labor."

Back to the story.
The doctor was still in the room when I literally felt her head hit my pelvis. That was not pleasant. She was not thrilled about having her pool taken away. By this point it was me, Hubs, my parents and grandparents in the room. They all came back in after my water was broken, that was a show no one wanted to see. Well, once she dropped, it started to hurt. I mean it HURT. I wasn't going to take pain meds. Really, I wanted to hold out until I couldn't take it anymore.

HA!

Around 9:30, I'd had enough. I told my sweet nurse to get me the "Epidural Fairy." Sweet relief was on its way! He came in and kicked everyone out, and I sat on the edge of the bed and literally held on to my nurse (Nurse K)  for dear life. The EF was so sweet to tell me everything he was doing. He gave me a little shot to numb the area where he was putting the epi. I barely felt it over the contractions. Then he put the four-foot-long needle in my spine, kidding, it's only five or six inches long, and let the meds do their job. They taped the tiny medicine tube to my back and laid me down. I felt my left leg go numb. My right leg, nothing. I felt most of my stomach numb up, but there was a football-sized area on my lower right side that was still wide awake. Nurse K said "Oh, it's a hot spot. Those happen sometimes, but maybe it will go away."

If you know me at all, you know I'm just not that lucky.

By 2:00 am, yes it's January 25th at this point, I was dilated to 4 cm, and in extreme pain. I was not able to rest. Contractions were literally two minutes apart and it was more than I could handle. The EF came back and was so kind. He kicked everyone out and told me he was going to re-do my epi. He and Nurse K took off the tape, took out the tube, and he moved the epi up one vertebra. I leaned on Nurse K again, and was very literally shaking from head to toe. It was either pain or hormones, but most likely both. By the time they were re-taping everything, I was already feeling relief. At 3:00, I was able to lay down and take a nap. Nurse K put an oxygen mask on me, and kept re-positioning me to make sure the baby was getting enough oxygen. She checked me. I was still only at 4. But I couldn't feel anything from my ribs down, and was relaxed for the first time in 23 hours.

3:30... 7 cm baybay!! Being able to breathe and relax helped me progress quickly. 

I woke up from my nap around 6:30 and was at almost a 9. The same thing was true at 7:30. At 7:45, my doctor came in to tell me I probably wouldn't have this baby before ten. I was at 9 cm and stalled, so he was going to go ahead and do a C-Section and would be back after. 

Great. 

8:00. I felt like I needed to push. I can't describe the feeling. It is something like cramps and having to poo. But not. It's a very primal feeling. My new nurse (thanks, shift change) had taken over. She taught my childbirth classes  and I was so glad to have her there!! Nurse M checked me and I was close, but not quite where I needed to be.

This is where it gets a little pushy, so I'm going to leave you hanging. Next post, "Special Delivery!"

Third Trimester...ugh.

Let me just start by saying I had high hopes for the third trimester. The first two were so great, I felt confident I would love the third.

Did you hear God laugh?

Y'all. It was miserable. The last four weeks were the absolute worst. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat or drink ANYthing without having heartburn. I kept Tums in my purse, my car, my desks at both schools, and on my bedside table. I'm not exaggerating. I was HUGE. Not all over, just my stomach. I was literally ALL belly. But DocMac swore I was not having a big baby. Thank goodness!!

By week 34, I was ready to get her out. Oh, was I ever. I turned 35 weeks pregnant on Christmas Day and was BEGGING for some relief. At my 36 week appointment, DocMac said I wasn't dilated, but if I went into labor he wouldn't try to stop it. HALLELUJAH!

37 weeks... dilated to 1 whole centimeter. Good!!

38 weeks... same thing. Well, alrighty!

39 weeks... no change. Are You Kidding Me?! DocMac was very perceptive to my misery excitement to meet this baby, and set me to be induced on Jan. 24th. Oh thank goodness!! My baby was coming soon!

Here's a glimpse of just how big I was, three days before The Induction.

Big Mama!!!

Second Trimester

Thankfully, the first trimester went beautifully. The second trimester was also a breeze.
I was so glad to be able to  eat normally again. I stopped eating Mexican food, which is a top four cuisine in my book. I couldn't handle the smell of fajitas in my hair. To this day, it is still not my favorite.
We had planned to tell our extended family after my cousin Megan's wedding. I didn't want to detract from her big day. Well, that plan went down in flames thanks so some people who don't know when to hush (no, I'm not still bitter...ok, just a little). Our Scottsvegas family knew, but out of town relatives didn't. We called and told them at the end of July. Then, the pregnancy became "Facebook Official." Once we announced it to the world, January 27th couldn't arrive fast enough!!

September 11, I was 20 weeks pregnant. We went to the doctor for another routine monthly check. But this time, it was for THE ultrasound. You know. THAT one. Where we were hoping to find out if the alien growing inside me was a "he" or a "she." I was SO SICK of calling the baby "it" and was ready to start using his/her name. My students had been pestering asking me when we would find out the sex of the baby. This was the day and there were side bets from the band kids. Half said girl, the other half said boy. My sweet special babies all said I was carrying a little girl. Seriously. All of them. Even the non-conversational child with autism looked at my ever-growing stomach and said "Mrs. B has a baby girl." And that was that.

3:00 could not arrive fast enough. Dr. P was so nice to Hubs and myself. He's a family friend and I really enjoy his dry sense of humor. The first thing we saw on the screen was the grainy outline of a little face, and that little mouth was just a-moving! Doc said "Well I guess we know it's a girl. Look at that mouth. Moves just like the mama." Ha, thanks Doc. After a little more moving the wand thing over my stomach, we saw two thighs, and what looked like an equal sign. You know, "=" that thing. (Let's not divulge how long it took me to find that on the keyboard. I'm obviously not a math teacher." Well, that little = meant only one thing.

BABY GIRL!!

We were thrilled. But let's be real here. We would have been just as thrilled if there had been a little turtle indicating a boy. We left the Doc and went to tell family. Everyone was excited. Hubs' brother, Coach, said he was happy for us, but "y'all gotta try again, we need a boy." I left Hubs at his office and went to band practice. Telling the band kids was quite possibly my favorite. I got more hugs and laughs from them, and it seemed like they were more excited than anyone else. It was precious.

That's basically the highlight of Trimester 2. I'll get on number 3 next.

First Trimester

As you know, we found out a baby was on the way. Hubs and I went through a whole bunch of emotions. My first one was excitement, then immediately followed by gripping fear. I didn't mention it on here before, but we went through two first-trimester miscarriages from October 2011 to March 2012. After those, to say I was scared would have been an understatement. Moving on...

The only people that knew about this pregnancy right away were Hubs and myself. That lasted about two days. I couldn't stand it and told my sister in law, Amber, and my cousin, April. I knew I needed two prayer warriors who would be there to hold my hand (or my hair if the morning sickness got bad) through the whole pregnancy. 

We went for the 8-week scan and when we did, we saw the most beautiful little alien on the ultrasound display.

Of course the baby was upside down and butt-first to the camera...takes after me!

I need to pause a second and mention that my doctor was ah-may-zing throughout the pregnancy, but he was just about as excited as Hubs and myself to see this little one on the screen. Dr. Megehee was with us through the hard six months we had, and he was thrilled when I got pregnant with that jellybean in the photo.

Right after the ultrasound, Hubs and I went to tell our moms. Thankfully, they both work within a block of Dr. Megehee's office. We just pulled them both into their offices and showed them the picture you see up there. We told my mom first, and she cried. When we told Brent's mom, she screamed. It was sweet. We didn't tell my dad at first. After the last miscarriage, he said he didn't want to know until it just couldn't be hidden anymore. So we honored that. 

Fast forward to the end of June/4th of July week. Hubs and I were at the beach and we spent our last evening there with my parents, my Aunt Debra, and Uncle Jack. We went to eat at Doc's in Orange Beach, and thanks to a lovely combination of shrimp, heat, and someone's body odor, my pregnancy nose kicked into overdrive and I got super sick. My dad knew something was up when I turned green, ran to the bathroom, and came back all smiles. But he didn't say anything... (my aunt totally called me out on being pregnant when she and I were in the elevator later that night).

Well, as some of you know, living in a small town where everyone knows everyone can make your secrets get out sooner than you want. That happened to Hubs and I, so I had no choice but to tell my dad before I was ready to. But he was thrilled and very surprised we had waited so long to tell him. The real shock was my mom's ability to keep it a secret from him for almost a month. 

My friend Stephanie and her boyfriend Ryan came to visit, and I knew I couldn't have her in town and not let her in on the secret. Steph and I became best friends in college, and were totally inseparable about 24 hours after we first met. We met up at a cookout in Scottsboro, and afterward she and Ryan came over to our house for a little visit. I told her, "Hey, go look at the pictures on the fridge. There's some new ones." She saw the ultrasound pic and said, "What's this picture of? Wait...WHAT??? OH MY GOSH!!"

Less than an hour before she found out about Baby Benson

So I had someone else in on the secret! Sorry I had to wait to tell you, Steph. Please don't hold that against me...

I mentioned my sensitivity to smells earlier. The only smell I really could not tolerate was body odor. It would make me gag. Band camp with 120 high school kids at the end of the summer was...yeah...

I had some food aversions in the first trimester. I didn't want anything that wasn't a citrus fruit or something sour. I lived off lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, orange juice, orange Gatorade, lemonade, and Warheads candy. Oddly enough, I did NOT want pickles. Or meat. 

Nausea: oh yes, morning sickness is very real. I didn't get sick in the mornings. I felt nauseated all day. Joy.

Weight: I gained seven pounds in the first trimester. Not bad!

Bump: I didn't start showing at all until the second trimester. Pictures of that to come in the next entry.

Okay, I totally suck at this game.

Let's run through the past year, shall we? I'm horrible at this blog thing, but want to update and get current. So we will start at the beginning.

A few days after my last post, actually, Memorial Day, The Hubs and I were jet-skiing with friends and enjoying a day on the lake. I wasn't feeling fantastic after a really fun jet-ski ride with my friend Carrie, and when I got home that night I tore the house up trying to find something spicy to eat. Hubs suggested I take a pregnancy test... So I did...and...

The rest of the story unfolds from there. Stay tuned.

Last day reflections

It's the last day of school and I am sitting at my desk wondering what to do next. I have posted all my grades, desks and tables and chairs are cleaned out, really the only thing I have left to do is a final inventory of all my computers and to create a few online courses for next year. But really, I would much rather leave early today and do all that tomorrow. I mean, I have to be here so I might as well have something to do to be productive, right? Right.

This year has been interesting. I started out the year working as an aide at one of the elementary schools because I couldn't even FIND a certified special ed teaching position within 50 miles of my house. So, I took the aide job. Honestly, I wasn't too thrilled about the MASSIVE pay cut, but I was just glad to have a job.
     Work started on a Monday. On Wednesday, I got a call from my friend that taught in this new program for at-risk students. She was having a meltdown because she was having too much conflict with her coworkers, and was thinking about resigning and retiring. I told her to stick with it for the kids and to hang in there. Then, Friday morning, I was leaving the elementary school to go to a meeting about tutoring services I was providing for a high school student. (Anything to make extra money, right?) As I was sitting down in the meeting, I got a text from my friend that said, "I just resigned." I didn't have time to call her and find out what happened or anything at all. The meeting I was in went just fine, and before I left, the classroom phone rang. It was the superintendent. She wanted me to come meet with her. Insert panic here.
      So I went to the meeting. She and I talked for close to an hour about the program and she told me she wanted me to sub in there until they could find a replacement, but that if I truly liked it and would be willing to take the job, I would most likely get it. She wanted me to go straight to this new program right away, meet the kids, and pretty much start that day. On my way to this program, I had to call my friends at the elementary school and let them know that I wouldn't be able to bring lunch and explained the situation. They were very supportive and happy for me, which was so nice.
     I arrived to pure chaos. The kids were upset that their teacher had just resigned and they didn't know what was going to happen to the program. I talked to them and explained that I would be there for at LEAST a few days. Well, long story short, I fell in love with these kids. When the superintendent called at the end of the day to check on me, I told her right then that I wanted this job and that these kids needed me. She understood and told me to put in a request for a transfer. And the rest, as they say, is history.

This has been a year of ups, downs, laughs, tears, failures, but most importantly, successes. I have 3 students that were labeled dropouts who will be receiving high school diplomas on Friday night at graduation. I could not be more proud of them. I love my students like they are my own kids, and I love knowing that they know what it takes to succeed in school and in life. We've had some do-better talks, but those were few and far between. I loved having kids that would confide in me, come to me for advice, ask me how to resolve a conflict, and would allow me to celebrate each milestone with them. This morning, I got a picture of a beautiful baby boy on my phone. One of my students had her baby. I can't wait to meet him over the summer. I love teaching, even when it's hard and overwhelming, because the rewards are totally awesome.

Starting something new

Menu Plan, Week One

I'm going to attempt this thing I've seen done before, and in an attempt to save money, I am now going to post my meal plan for the week. If I post it here, someone might see it, so I am accountable for it...and have to stick to the plan! This is only going to cover dinners... lunches are for sandwiches.

Yesterday (Sunday): Ginger Apple-Tomato Soup (y'all, I made this one up completely and it was delish!)
Monday: Tortilla Rollups and leftover soup
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Crescents with salad
Wednesday: Red Beans and Rice (we don't eat this with a side dish)
Thursday: Fish Tacos with guacamole
Friday: Date night!!
Saturday: Marlboro Man Sandwiches with red wine braised asparagus

We'll see how this goes. I've tried meal planning before, and it was hard for us to stick to it. Let's hope this time it works!

Domestic Goddess...ish

Came home from work today, and because Brent has been sick, I decided to make a strawberry pie. I'm also in the middle of laundry (my least favorite thing ever), but had to share the picture of the pie!

I swear I'm alive.

I'm just not the best at this blog thing. I mean, I have several that I read every day. I am just terrible at writing what happens in my own life. Granted, that's really not much. I've got a husband, two dogs, and a house to deal with. Not a whole bunch of excitement there. My days consist of work (11 days left!), coming home to watch two hours of "Friends" straighten the house a little, before trying to figure out what's for supper. Then eat supper, go to sleep, rinse and repeat.


Anyway, occasionally things happen and we do stuff outside our house. More on that soon (swear!). Let's do a quick run-through of the Benson updates: Spring Break in NOLA, Danceline tryouts,  Hank Williams Junior concert, Easter, new truck, social events, visit from Pensacola fam, and this weekend we have family coming up from LA--Lower Alabama.


Spring Break in NOLA: well, that's a blog post that requires it's own space.


Danceline tryouts:
Yeah, I'm the new danceline sponsor at my former high school. A full week of after school clinic culminated in one very emotional day of tryouts. I am so proud of every girl that tried out! If you have never tried out for something like this, I gotta tell ya, it takes serious guts. I am really looking forward to next year with these girls. They are all just precious!


Junior concert:
The day before Easter. This was not the most thought-through thing Brent and I have ever done. That Friday, we went to Huntsville for my best friend's birthday party. She was the maid of honor in my wedding, and moved to Louisiana roughly 8 months ago. I was so freaking excited to see her!! We had fun chatting and, truth be told, she was meeting her boyfriend's close friends for the first time and wanted me there to scope out her new man help her play hostess. 

Best friends forever! Because we know too much...

Now, on to the concert. 

We left home in time to make it to Tuscaloosa for lunch. See my previous post to see where we ate. It was heavenly. I gotta say, I love going to Tuscaloosa. Yes, this Auburn girl actually loves T-town. It's because I lived there when I was little, so everything there is perfect. We spent time walking around the UA campus, because I like walking after a HUGE meal of ribs and loaf bread, and also because Brent likes to tell me about his time at UA. Yes, I married a Bama grad.

High-five for the garden gnome Nick Saban

On the Quad, with Denny Chimes in the background.

Funny story about Denny Chimes... my parents took me there when we were trying to sell our house in Tuscaloosa to move to Scottsboro (the first time). I loved it! All that room to run, practice my dance moves, skip, play... it was fabulous.

Well then it became time to head over to the amphitheater. Had to get a seat in time to watch Junior!

Excited!

FLASHBACK:     One of our first "dates," before Brent got over our age difference and I began seriously dating was to a Hank Williams Jr. show at Riverbend in Chattanooga. I had just wrapped up my freshman year at Auburn and was having dinner with two friends. He called and said "Hey, do you like Hank Jr?" I said, "Um, I'm Southern. Duh." I was also hyperventilating because he called (I'd had a crush on him since I was 16). He says, "Well I have an extra ticket to Riverbend tomorrow night and he's playing. Wanna go with me?" I said, "Yeah, I'll be home tomorrow so I'll call you when I hit Scottsboro. Talk to you then." Aaaaand then I almost fell out of the booth. I went home the next day, and that evening Brent's parents picked me up and drove me halfway to Chattanooga, where we met up with Brent and I hopped in his car. After that concert he drove me back to Scottsboro. Our next real date wasn't until almost three years later.

The concert was fantastic!! Junior does not disappoint. Even though there were a few too many "RTR's" for my taste, he put on a great show. He played all my favorites, and of course had something to say about his political stance. 

Oh, did I mention we had AWESOME seats?

Easter:

The next day, we dragged ourselves out of bed and went to Sunday School and church. Brent and I absolutely love our Sunday School class. It was HUGE that day (55 people!), but it is all young married couples. Most couples have young kids, but several don't have children at all. The service was wonderful. Two of Cindy's friends joined the church, and they will be baptized together this week! God is SO. GOOD. After church, we went to Cindy's for our usual Easter meal and screaming child chasing photo shoot.

At this point, a little one was screaming for Anna to hold her.

The Opposite Brothers and their Twin Wives.

The Bensons

Truck:

After 13 months of endless searching, bargaining, and test drives Brent sold his BMW and bought a truck. He loves it, and I gotta say, I do too. And now, presenting the newest addition to our driveway:

Brent named him Gus. 

Pensacola fam:

Last week, Brent and I got to spend some time with my grandfather's brother, my Uncle Pete! It was so great to see him and Aunt Janet. They are the sweet, precious relatives who we just don't get to see nearly enough. Brent and I are going to plan a trip to see them very, very soon.

Stay tuned for the updates from the family coming to visit this weekend. My aunts and uncles, plus my grandmother. It's going to get LOUD. Coffee is going to be consumed en masse. Stories are going to be told. Gossip is going to be shared. Eyes are going to be rolled. Laughter is going to ensue.

My favorite restaurant

Ever.
And I am writing from a table inside that red door.
Pure. Bliss.

Another hint...

Here's another hint as to where I have been this week:

From an undisclosed location

But, here's a hint...

(and yes, it is totally obscure).

Ballpark nights

I married into a baseball family. My brother in law is the head JV baseball coach, and is also the Varsity assistant coach. In the fall our family is all about football and danceline, the spring is devoted to many nights at the ball field watching Wildcat Baseball. I absolutely love it, and I love being able to support Drew in his first year of teaching am coaching.


I sit with my sister in law, (but really she's like a real sister to me) her two girls, the varsity coach's wife (who was just a year ahead of me in school and always a friend), and her little boy. We have a great time snacking (the concession stand sells everything from ring pops to pinto beans with cornbread), talking, laughing, playing with babies, and watching baseball.

This week, I went to several games with Amber and the girls. We had so much fun! Here are a few pictures from the week, as you can see we love to cut up and be silly:

Catching up on Aunt Anna time

Addisyn LOVES her Aunt Anna. It's mutual.

The Techie Tots. Yes, both watching "moobies" on YouTube.

 

Crying toddler? Just hand her a phone and let her watch "Strawberry Shortcake"



We make fun of you if you post a picture like this.
Yes, we really do.
There may also be some judgement being passed.



One sweet moment with Annslie and Uncle BB

On a fun note, Happy Spring Break!! I'm going somewhere very fun... post to come when I get back!

Ellie Mae Clampett in the house!!

Dialogue from a few days ago. To set the scene, it was raining. I was home alone.

Two men come to my front door and ring the bell. My dogs are going berserk. I notice that these two men are carrying spray bottles and rags to wash windows. I ran to the closet and grabbed my shotgun. The following dialogue then took place:

*dingdong*
(door opens five inches, storm door stays locked shut)
Me: Can I help you?
Them: Uh yeah, uh, we can wash yo' windows?
Me: No. Have a nice day.
Them: *irritating lip smack* Man, we jus' tryna make some money.
Me: *irritating lip smack and simultaneous eye roll* (while opening door three more inches) Man, I'm just tryna clean my shotgun.
Them: (exit driveway, stage left, running)

I then called my husband, who was meeting with police, and he sent them out to tour the neighborhood. Other neighbors had already called. :) Then, I called my parents and they came over.

When I told my mother-in-law about it, she said "I bet they thought you looked like Ellie Mae Clampett!!"

She was probably right. I mean, short, blond girl opens the door with this, and all you can do is run!

AU Homecoming aka: The Day of A Thousand Questions

As you may recall, I spent a glorious five years at Auburn University (I came out with a degree, so the extra year was my Victory Lap). Two and a half of those years, I lived at worked for the Athletic Department (under the Office of Student Recruiting) as a Tigerette. Joining Tigerettes and Tiger Hosts was definitely one of the best decisions I made in college. I met some wonderful people and got to know many of them very well. I made memories and friendships that will last my whole life. 

I knew about two months before the game that Dad was going to bring my sweet cousin, Grant, with him and that it was his very first Auburn football game. Well, this is one big cousin that just had to make sure Grant got the royal treatment to his first game. So, because of those great connections, I was able to snag a few passes into Jordan-Hare Stadium the morning of Auburn's Homecoming football game. 

If we look sleepy, that would be because it was 7:30 AM.

So first, we walk into the stadium at Gate 10, and look around the reception area. Not too much to report there, so I took Grant to the very special, hidden room inside Jordan-Hare Stadium: The Heisman Room. Auburn has three Heisman Trophy winners: Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson, and Cam Newton. We have a room in the stadium dedicated to these great athletes. Grant was impressed.

With Uncle Kenneth and the Pat Sullivan jersey.

 I love the Heisman room. Orange, overstuffed Italian leather couches, persian Tiger-patterned rug, and a flat screen TV... Hello? Can we say HEAVENLY?? Well, Grant was ready to move on to the next attraction. To the Locker Room!

Walking in...

 I can't fully explain the "Wow Moment" Grant had when he first walked in the locker room. I hadn't been in it in a year, and it felt so good to go back. But I just loved being able to tell him about how everything is laid out, why velvet ropes are in place around the interlocking AU, and other various trivia. He asked about a zillion questions, and he got to meet a bunch of current Tigerettes, who all think he is just precious. They're right.

"Where's Mike Dyer's locker? Are they really going to wear everything hanging up?"

Me and Grant in front of Clint Moseley's locker. He was my recruit!!

(Yes, he is every bit as nice as you think.)

Grant and Dad in front of Philip Lutzenkirchen's locker. Dad calls him Philip "Lunch-in-the-Kitchen," which, Grant agrees, is easier to say.

Leaving the locker room the way the players do.

Bam! On the field, ready to ask more questions explore!

Taking a tour of the sidelines with Uncle Kenneth

Here, he's standing on the sidelines where the players stand. He wasn't too sure about walking on it at first, but I reassured him that it was just fine. I think this was when he was asking what was in the containers with Gatorade logos on them... 

One of the athletic trainers, my friend Jenna, explaining to Grant what her job is and why it's important.

(Thanks girl!!)

I can't begin to tell you how much my dad loved having this time with Grant. It was really sweet watching them walking around together.

Now, Grant wanted to see the Locker Room again... so back we went!

Looking around...

The Cam Newton Trophy Case

"Hey, that jersey is just like mine!"

Coach Chizik's locker!!

The OFFICIAL Trooper Towel

Wasn't too sure about holding it, but I told him Trooper wouldn't mind.

In the media room for his Pre-Game conference.

Dad's pre-game conference. A reporter asked him a tough question.

But we're Number One, Baby!!

On the way out of the locker room. This one makes me smile.

But before we left, I just HAD to take his picture with The Crystal Ball!

We had leave Tiger's Den so that they could open the gates to the visiting recruits. If you know my family, the next move is obvious.

STARBUCKS!!

Grant and I got hot chocolate, and he kept saying "This is best hot chocolate EVER!" I turned and said, "Of course. It's Auburn Hot Chocolate." He agreed, and the man waiting on his coffee laughed. I have no idea why. From there, it was time to go shopping! Grant had money to spend, and dang it, he was determined to leave it all in Auburn.

Off to the AU Bookstore in Haley Center.

Very, VERY carefully making his hat selection. This took 20 minutes. I went to the youth section and picked up two hat options. I was glad he picked my favorite. 

Dad and I agree that no kid's first trip to Auburn is complete without a jersey. It had to be white, and it HAD to be number five: Michael Dyer. Doesn't he look good? He also is sporting an Auburn arm band, a gameday button that says "Take a Hike, Spike," his new hat, and his nametag from our visit to the Tiger's Den.

Brotherly love. My favorite part about this picture is the Starbucks cup still in his had. We are SO related.

I had to get in a picture with these two precious boys.

This is so typical. To say it best, "Mac and Grant standing there, Grace is like, WTF? and Mags is like, OOOOhhh! In ya face," to quote April. 

At this point, my pictures with sweet babies stops as Brent and I had to walk back to the car for our tickets and a tailgate stop.

Inside Jordan-Hare Stadium!! Ready for gametime!

Moments before kickoff...

He's forcing himself to smile and act happy.

Such a sweet surprise! Kinsley and her mom and dad were sitting a few rows down from us. I loved getting to love on this sweet girl!

Well, the game ended and we fought the crowd at Toomer's Corner. After about 30 minutes, we decided it was time to walk back to the car. We got back to the stadium, and Brent said "Why is there a crowd outside Tiger's Den?" I explained to him that the players leave the stadium from that gate, and there were probably some still signing autographs. I spotted a familiar face, and had to steal a hug.

(Yes I skipped the entire line/crowd)

So proud of you, Clint!!!