Of course.

Because I have an appointment today at the local orthopedic office I woke up feeling better this morning. Not pain free. But definitely better. Not confident enough in the good feeling to cancel said appointment. I will go forward with Plan B and hope my body continues to cooperate with my spirit.

Mr. Macho has taken the week off. We are having a 'stay-cation'. Only he is working like a Trojan. Giving me all kinds of good guilt about not being able to match his work at 100%. I am trying, though. I made it to the gym and did my sloooow one mile on the treadmill. Am about to try to steam mop my kitchen. I did two bathroom floors on Saturday.

Beach Boy has moved all his major stuff to the new diggs. He and his family are hanging out at the In-Law's house this week while they wind up most of the details of the move.

Daughter and I talked via computer/iphone many of times over the weekend. She is dealing with the grueling demands of a 2.5 year old. The Super Carrot knows how to hold out. She has a steely will. Strong. And loud. This weekend she graduated to a 'big girl bed'. She is also in the early stages of potty training. Trying times for Mom. Most assuredly.

Fourth of July plans are = no plans. Beach Boy and his family are coming over the next day to spend day and night with us before they flee to the coast.

More later...peace.

Time and energy.

Grocery store beat out my Bible study this morning. I had to choose. At this juncture I am struggling to keep moving and feel even the slightest bit productive every day. Mornings are by far better than afternoons. This week I have taken over the counter meds morning and night. Yesterday I had my third massage. It hurt. Monday is my first visit to the orthopedic office in town. Okay. Subject change...

We took Lauren home Tuesday evening. She was a little bored at Nanny's house. I had planned to drive her home Wednesday but she asked to go home early. She was missing her family and the comfort of home. She was a sweet house guest...putting up with my lack of motivation, being agreeable and helpful, allowing me to brush her hair and make pigtails and buy her clothes that she wasn't originally excited about. We did do some fun things...

Fairly recently Lauren discovered that she 'loooves' the spinach dip. She constructed some on one of her first days here. She ate some at nearly every meal until it was all gone. She decided that it goes good on pizza! She also made breakfast cookies while she was here. They were a hit!! For breakfast and snack. Thanks Pinterest!

She was a good sport and attended yoga class at the YMCA with me. She liked the pool zumba better.

After running several errands Friday morning we dined at the Chick Fil A. 

After lunch we took in a movie. 

Clean hair picture. Isn't she beautiful!

We worked on a couple of art projects. Got this idea straight from Pinterest, too. Crayons and water color paint. 

Last day here was a state run off election. She went with me and we both got "I voted" stickers. Lauren didn't want hers. I promise, I only voted one time. The glasses she is sporting are a spare pair of reading glasses I use at the computer sometimes. 

Rainy day picnic last day here. Vienna sausages, strawberries, a mini carrot, a sugar snap pea, and a package of Pringle sticks. Oh, and ranch on the side. Always the ranch. 

I miss you, Lauren. It was too quiet Wednesday morning when we woke up and ate breakfast. I didn't have anyone to help get the groceries inside today. There are no little fingers under the bathroom door any longer. (She used to do this when she was very little. She still does it.)

***

Time is marching on. Beach Boy and his family have one foot out of town, already. Tomorrow they will load the big truck for the long haul. Mr. Macho will assist. In a little more than a week their life here will be in the history book. 

My prayer is that the next chapter will be full of love and happy times. God bless them on their journey. 

Dear Third Born.

June 2014

Dear Craig.

The date you were due to be born was June 23. Eight months into my pregnancy the doctor seemed to think I was carrying you very low and he told me, “do not have this baby, yet!” I was so excited thinking you might arrive early – since Audrey and Bob were both born past their due dates.

Ultra sounds or sonograms were still pretty new at the time. In February Dr. Perrin Smith did the first ultra sound. He said something about a daughter. I asked if he could tell and he replied - no but that he could in a minute. I told him, “Don’t tell me even if you can see.”

I thought, since Bob was born by c-section, that the doctor would just schedule a date and I would go to the hospital for another c-section. Late in my pregnancy Dr. Smith said that he thought I could deliver the regular way. I was afraid. I was not assertive enough to say so, though.

While I was pregnant we sold our house on Robinwood Circle in town and moved into a rental house for about eight weeks. On June 9 we moved into our Lakeover house. It was a Thursday. Dad’s friends from work brought their trucks over and loaded our stuff and helped move us.

I wasn’t much help since I was big and pregnant. But we got moved in. I was feeling large and every day marked another day that you weren’t here early enough to suit me.

On your due date – June 23 – a Thursday – I felt some contractions in the evening. They were pretty regular for a couple of hours. But after I got out and walked around the neighborhood they subsided. I had a doctor’s appointment the next morning, Friday, and told the doctor about the contractions. He said that my scar may be an issue and if it happened again to go to the hospital.

And so - Friday night when the contractions started up again, Dad took Audrey and Bob to Grandmother and Granddaddy’s house. Then we drove to the hospital. It was pretty late when we got there and, thank heavens, Dr. Smith was not on call – Dr. Miles was. Dr. Miles said that he would have to have the surgery staff on call anyway because there was, at least, a 50% chance that I would end up having a c-section. He said it was my choice, though. I said to go ahead with the c-section. I wasn’t very brave about delivering you.

Dr. Miles told me later that he was very glad that I had opted for the c-section because when he opened me up my uterine wall was very thin and he could see your head full of dark hair right away.

Dad saw you before I did because I had general anesthesia for the c-section. He was so surprised that you were a boy. He called you his “Sugar Boy” right away. You were so dark headed and right from the start you were not like anyone else. 

The morning after you were born Dr. Smith did the rounds and he came in and asked how our little girl was doing. I told him he was very wrong. We had a big boy. You weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces. Born at 1:36 a.m.

And my world has been sweeter ever since.

You were born on Saturday, June 25, 1983.

Love, Mom

Saturday quickie.

Lauren is here. We are having a good visit with her. I picked her up on Thursday. We have done a little sewing, a little cooking, a little swimming, a lot of movie watching, a little shopping...

She is growing up on me and I am really enjoying having her here. I will post pictures another time. I am hoping we can do a little art project tomorrow. After church. 

***

The back saga continues. I have made an appointment with an orthopedic practice in town. They can't see me until a week from Monday. Hurting for two months on my part does not constitute a hurry up on their part. I will call the chiropractor on Monday and cancel my last two appointments. I guess the chiropractor is a Voodoo doctor, after all. Go ahead. Say it..."I told you so!"

The last three days have been rough. I vacillate between two schools of thought...#1. I am tough and will come back strong. #1. I am tired and want to wave the white flag and lay down. Today I am feeling more #1 than #2. I guess that equals a good day. All things are relative. I mostly feel #1 when I am sitting down. I am rocking the naproxen through the weekend. Whatever gets me through the night. Right? 

Right.

Son-in-town will be living out of town very soon. Did I tell you that? We will now refer to him as 'Beach boy'. 

Speaking of Beach boy...guess who we are going to see in concert next month? The Beach Boys. Yes we are. 

Do you realize that it is Summer Solstice today? Longest day of the year. Go dance naked. In the sunlight. Late. 

Rock on. 

Dear Second Born.

Dear Bob,

Late in my pregnancy I was the epitome of the cliché “heavy with child”. I was so full of baby. I knew you would be a big. I even remember saying that you would be 9, if not 10 lbs.  You were a very stronger kicker.  Your due date was June 9.

The week before you were born our air conditioner went out. I was so big and felt so hot I would almost cry myself to sleep having my own little pity party. Dad knew a Mr. Kitchens who was kind enough to expedite fixing our air conditioner as fast as he could when he saw how big and pregnant I was.

On Friday, June 12 I had a doctor’s appointment. I saw Dr. Smith and he felt my stomach and said he wanted to do an ultrasound - cutting edge technology for that point in time. The ultrasound confirmed that you were breach. Dr. Smith told me to go home and wait to go into labor. He explained that when babies are born breach there is sometimes a little damage and it might result in learning disabilities. I was beyond upset. I called Nana and told her – only asked her not to tell anyone since it was Aunt Amanda’s wedding day on Saturday,  June 13,  and I didn’t want to rain on her parade.

Saturday dawned and I felt sick – emotionally and physically. I was missing the wedding. All day long I was not feeling well. Our friends, Dottie and Gator, called and asked us to come over on Sunday for homemade ice cream. I told her that we would be over if I wasn’t in the hospital.

I think I went to bed around 10:00 Saturday night with low back pains. Dad was watching Saturday Night Live. Once I got in the bed I realized that I was having contractions. I waited and counted. Then I got up and told Dad. We decided to get ready. He got Audrey and her little suitcase loaded up and drove her to Grandmother and Granddaddy’s house. While he was gone I took and shower and washed my hair and packed the last few things for the hospital.

Once we were admitted, Dr. Miles came by to check on me. I told him about the baby being breach and he did not give me a choice of going through labor. I am ever so thankful that he was on call and not Dr. Smith. I was so relieved with his decision.  They gave me a general anesthesia so I was not awake when you were born.

I do remember waking and asking if you were a boy or girl in the recovery room. They told me boy – a big boy – a 10 pound boy! I said I knew it. Not that you were a boy, but that you were going to weigh, at least, 10 pounds.

Dad saw you before I did –just after you were delivered when they were taking you to the nursery to weigh you and clean you up. There was something in the basinet next to you wrapped in gauze and your Dad panicked, thinking you had a clubfoot, or something. It was only a suction bulb wrapped in gauze. I think he asked a nurse and she told him what it was. He was so relieved. Granddaddy had come up to the hospital and waited with Dad while you were being delivered. 

I didn’t get to really see you until they brought you to me early in the morning to feed you. I recognized you immediately. Like I had seen you before, only I hadn’t.

There was a nurse with large hands at the hospital that called you, “Robert Reeves, the movie star!” You looked so large, especially compared to the preemie babies in the nursery.

You were born on Sunday, June 14, 1981.

Love, Mom

Juneteenth. 2014.

The celebration arrived on Saturday. Out-of-Town-Son was the first to get here. Before lunch. Son-in-Town got here after lunch. Daughter rolled in after that. 

Fail. Once again. My children loved the fact that I frequently misspelled something on the homemade birthday cakes. I didn't notice this until just now - but there I go again! They will love this!

Once all were unpacked and had settled for a very few minutes we were off to the goat farm!

Four 97 cent loaves of bread went in a hurry. Hungry goats crowded the fence line and butted one another for bread advantage. Miniature horses queued up for their fair share. Several of us played ball with the blind dog. 

I think it was a hit. Everyone seemed to get into feeding the goats. 

After feeding the goats, Miss Ina showed us her pregnant donkeys, the Sicilian donkey, her geese, the goslings, the chicken sitting on a clutch of eggs (a clutch is 12 - but she said there were actually 13!), a banty rooster, and a squirrel named Jimmy Buffett. Lauren was brave enough to hold one of the chickens. 

Merritt and Lauren sweated and checked out all the critters. 

Lauren is a horse whisperer. She really likes petting the horses. She has grown quite brave about animals. I love the way the curls kiss her face in the photo. She will be eleven years old in a few days. 

More cousins arrived after we got back from the farm. It was most fun getting to know them a little better. 

Lyrics from a song come to mind...

"Cousins, cousins, here come the boys. 

Bedlam, mayhem, noise, noise, noise. 

Blow up the air mattresses! Hide the breakable toys! 

Cousins, cousins, here come the boys!"

After the extra cousins left birthday gifts were opened. Birth story letters were a part of the celebration. We always tell the stories. This time I put it in writing. Lest I forget in my later years. 

The chicken tetrazzini was just right. Best I ever made. Only a tiny bit left over. Cake and ice cream was good. We enjoyed playing games of Left-Right-Center. Lauren kept calling it "Gambling". It is a quick game that requires no thinking. And. Involves someone winning the pot. 

*

Sunday, after church, we gathered again for a meal of barbecue, chicken nuggets, and tater tots. Another hit and not much left over. All good. Slowly our children took their leave. And the house got quiet. Again. 

My brood. 

***

My back was in varying stages of cooperation over the weekend. Saturday, not so much. Sunday was much better. Today has been pretty good, too. I think I am healing. It is just going too slow to suit me. I am missing dancing. That makes me sad and angry. 

At least today I feel like I can get some things done around the house. I am feeling less invalid. 

*****

Be sweet. 

Dear First Born.

Dear Audrey.

You were due the 24^th of May. When that date approached Dad’s softball teammates took bets on when you would be born. The teachers at Millport Elementary, where I was student teaching, took bets on when you would be born. I was so big nobody thought I would go two weeks past the due date. But that is just what I did.

On Monday, June 5 Aunt Steph and Aunt Marsha couldn’t wait any longer and so drove up to Columbus to visit. They had been  trying to wait until you were born. I had a doctor’s appointment that very afternoon.

During the appointment Dr. Smith said that if I didn’t check into the hospital that night to come back in the morning and they would “give me some labor”. After the appointment I went by Aunt Paulette’s house to visit with all the sisters there. Jessica and Vivian were with Aunt Marsha. I am sure Pierre was with Aunt Steph. I really don’t remember which other children of hers were here.

Dad and I woke up Tuesday morning. We showered, finished packing my little suitcase, and drove to McDonald’s for an Egg McMuffin. We had the first doctor appointment of the day. Dr. Smith saw me and said that I might not be able to deliver. Something about my bones structure might be too narrow. (Hogwash.) And sent us to the hospital. He said he would be by later to check on me.

When we got admitted to the hospital they were so busy they had no available labor rooms. We were put into the hallway with a partition around us. Dr. Smith came over around 11:30 and had a ‘man to man’ talk with Dad about a possible C-Section. Dad came back and was as white as a sheet trying to tell me what Dr. Smith had said. At that point I was all “whatever”.

Finally a labor room opened up and they moved us in. I noticed I was having some contractions and we started to time them. They were about 5 minutes apart. We told the nurse. The nurse said great. They let me labor.

Late in the afternoon Aunt Steph came up to visit. I guess Aunt Marsha had the kids in the lobby because she came up later. We had not had any Lamaze classes so Aunt Marsha gave me some quick breathing techniques while she was there, as the contractions were starting to pick up in intensity. They had to go back to Aunt Paulette’s and feed the kids supper and settled for the night.

Around 7:30 Dr. Smith came in and broke my water. Contractions magnified exponentially. Shortly thereafter I got the epidural. It was so effective I could not feel my legs. I remember asking Daddy to pick my legs up. Then put them back down. Then pick them up again. I couldn’t move them. I guess I dozed a little, but not much. Around midnight Dr. Smith came to check me and after examining me said that you were posterior (face up instead of face down). He finally declared me fully dilated and ready. They took me into a delivery room with the stipulation that if he couldn’t turn you around I still might need to have that C-Section. Dad stood right outside the door. The got me all set up in the stirrups and told me to push. The nurse asked if I wanted a mirror and Dr. Smith said no I didn’t.  I pushed once. Then twice. Then Dr. Smith said don’t push any more. He got forceps and turned you. I heard a vacuum-like noise and remember thinking ‘what in the world is that!’ Later I realized that was Dr. Smith pulling you out.

You cried one small cry. I looked over and imprinted your face in my brain. I remember thinking what a round face you had. I was so tired. I worried that I wouldn’t know you the next morning. But I did. When I woke up and they brought you to me I knew you right away. As if I had known you all my life.

You were born on a Wednesday. June 7, 1978.

Love, Mom

Roller coaster.

I spoke too soon on Saturday. I should know better. By Saturday night I was pretty miserable. Sunday was better. Monday started better but got worse.
I had a meltdown after the one lap in the neighborhood yesterday. A real pity party. I had an appointment at 10:15. The chiropractor listened. We eliminated most all of my exercise. No walking laps in the neighborhood. No pool. That leaves the treadmill and the elliptical machine. Zero incline. And. Slow. It urks me. I concede. I accept the limitations my body is putting on me.
Today. 20 minutes of slow with a #1 resistance on the elliptical. And the day has been better.

The good news. Son-in-Town has sold his house and will be moved to the Coast in a month. They are very excited. I am excited for them. I now get to cheer for the Bearcats. Rah!

Oh. Let me tell you about the new restaurant in town. Buffalo Wild Wings. They were so slow preparing our salads today that after one of the friends at my table complained we all got them free. My advice: do not go to restaurant until they have been opened for at least one month. If not longer. Newly opened restaurants = terrible service. Just saying.

Be sweet.