TWO MEN & A LADY

This is Our Life ~ Our Photo Book ~ Our Journal that will never sit on a shelf, be placed in a chest or find its spot in the attic but instead put on display for all of you so you can share in our joy and sorrows that come complete with life. Learn from our mistakes (THERE ARE MANY) or give advice when needed. Welcome!
Clint ~Teri & Dax
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

That SWEET Face!

What I had been waiting to see for 30 long weeks. This is when his measurements were estimating him to weigh over 4 lbs and put him in the 79%. Everyone just knew by the size of me or I should say "the belly" he was going to be small but the computer says otherwise. And that face: everyone says he looks like Clint. ; )


From Dax



From Dax



From Dax



From Dax



From Dax

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Touch my Belly

You know how you hear most pregnant woman don't like for you to touch their belly… I love it. It's really funny – especially the people that say "I know this is rude, but I'm just dying to feel the belly!"

Despite hating it in the first 2-3 months (b/c there was nothing there to feel) I don't mind at all – not even strangers.

Actually I'm likely to grab people's hand (that I know) and say "oh my gosh! You've got to feel this." Especially when I'm having a BH contraction or Dax balls up in front of my stomach and it feels like a bowling ball. That always trips me out!

I have a belly book that has a picture slot for every week. I was so sad b/c really there was nothing there to take a picture of (see week 18 picture). Now that it seems to have really shown up over night, I've got something to take a picture of. I don't even bother w/ Clint taking them anymore; I discovered it's easier to do it myself.

I was wrong when I thought I didn't want the belly – right now the only fun I'm having is the belly. I would say when Dax starts getting active, I love that too – but since his favorite thing to do is stomp on my ribs – not too sure I like that. I get a mental picture in my head of him sitting up right inside my ribs and pushing out and I can't help to think – oh goodness, this kid hates me already… ;)

So I've got 2 months to go and right when I start getting exhausted and nauseated again! And virtually sleepless, crampy legs and a whole mess of other pains (thank goodness no backache – or swelling feet – yet!) I decide that is when it's time to start doing everything. I hate that I didn't do all this when I felt great 2 mos ago.

We put the crib together it is looks great, but now I've decided that I want to add a navy stripe to the other light blue stripes that I painted 4 years ago (trust me, it sounds crazy but it's going to look great - I think). :)

Funny, my fascination with stripes, squares and diamonds has led a friend to make the comment that I'm turning my house into Candyland. Ha! I'll see if I can attach the pictures to this blog and let y'all be the judge – if not I'll put them in Dax's pictures.

Everyone thought it was so perfect when we found out we were having a boy and Clint said – that's great b/c you don't have to repaint his room. (I've got to explain that I love to paint, and though Clint hates it he has in the past offered. I refuse to let him b/c it's one of the few things I can be quite obsessive about. So he's not allowed to even touch a paint roller.

He helped me one time when I lived somewhere else and it was during the summer. A mosquito got in the house and landed on the wet paint and got stuck – Clint just kept ..ing right over the mosquito and that's why he's not allowed to paint; he doesn't have the patience).

Anyways, I agreed – that it's perfect that we were having a boy and I didn't have to repaint the room, but in the back of my mind I just knew something was going to have to be added. So this weekend I started taping down the stripes that I wouldn't need a laser level for (the easy part) and it wore me out. All day of working on it I only got to one wall and a corner – pre prego it would have been completely finished.

This is going to kill me I know it.

Then I've got to alter the bedding. I can't be satisfied w/ anything unless I've done it myself. Why? B/c I've got too many ideas and I'm frugal. I don't have curtains in my house except for like two rooms and that's b/c all the ones I want are way way two expensive for my big windows so I'd rather make them myself. I'm not trying to sound like I've got style or taste b/c I actually don't LOL! I'm just particular w/ my own style. Let me know what you think about adding the Navy stripe… I'm gonna do it anyway b/c I've already got pretty navy curtains, but I'm curious to know if it might look crazy to other people.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Did they have "Newborn Classes" in Biblical Times?

Two weeks ago, they tested my sugar, and I failed – miserably! Man was I shocked; I generally hate sweets. Not to mention I lost a lb again! So, had to go back and take the 3-hour test to make sure I did not have the nasty GD word - Gestational Diabetes – I didn't. That's right - I had to drink several ounces of the grossest orange syrupy drink w/ nothing on my stomach then sit around that spectacular (not really) waiting room for 3 whole hours (w/ an ice pack on my head b/c I had the worst headache) - for nothing! – Why did they [nurses] not get the cruel and unusual punishment comment?? Guess they hear their share of gripes and groans. So good news No. 1 – No GD.

The bad news is, that for the last three (if not longer) weeks have been absolutely miserable! b/c of the tension headaches I've been having (I have the habit of calling them migraines, but they're not – they're tension headaches and in my opinion (or at least the ones I'm having) are worse!!!! Way worse! At one point the doctor thought I might have meningitis b/c the pains in my neck and that it was stiff and they were making me so nauseated and had a fever at one point. Well, it wasn't meningitis – but they do have me going to see a chiropractor so there may be hope for me yet.

Which brings me to my next live and learn situation. I somehow got it in my head that since Clint had never been around babies b/f, it might be a good idea for us to go to newborn classes or new parent classes (whatever they're called) that the hospital offers. I had friends that went to them when they were on the verge of having their 1st child and thought – "well hey, why not take advantage of that??" And even though I've been around newborns, I've never had one w/ me around the clock 24/7 so I was all excited about it. When I asked (okay… told) Clint that we were going to do this, his reply was… "What did they do way back in biblical times!? They didn't have newborn classes!" I just ignored him completely and thought to myself – no matter – "he's going whether he likes it or not. I'll be fun and good for us." That is until I finally get around to calling St.V. today to find out exactly when these classes are, and I thought I might need to go to a b/feeding class myself b/c I really do want to do this or at least put my best foot forward. On top of what all the doctors say and everyone else about it being the best thing for your baby, I can't take one look at me and my brother and there is my whole argument in a nut shell. Brian my brother (b/fed as a child) = super smart, just all around good soul, never got in trouble –okay, just every parents dream…never got sick compared to me (not b/fed b/c she couldn't get me to) = smart enough but nothing in comparison to Brian, good soul when it suits me, ALWAYS in to something = not every parents nightmare, but I had my moments. I catch every cold that comes my way… I really think that our personalities were/are the result of just being the older/younger child. But for now it's enough to motivate me to at lease give b/feeding my best.

So, I'm on the phone w/ Dial-a-nurse at St.V. and she's checking availability (while I think she's just informing me on what they have) – after she explains when the classes will be and when I need to have them completed she says "how will you be paying the $60 fee?" I'm like "oh there's a $60 fee? – can't I just pay when I attend the class?" "she said no, you have to pay now so a spot can be held for you" (which was understandable). Since I wasn't ready to register yet b/c I hadn't checked w/ Clint to make sure those dates and times were okay w/ him I told her I would have to "call her back" Then the woman said "You don't have a credit card?" Me: "Yes I have a credit card, but I'll have to call you back later today or maybe tomorrow." What was going through my mind: Got to check w/ Clint to make sure those dates are okay and that we really want to do this… Her mind: "This young woman doesn't have a credit card" (I clearly do not have a black belt in communication!). So next the woman says to me "do you have a problem with the money?" She asked me in such a way that she might as well have said "Are you too poor to pay the fee?"

Instead of explaining to her that I wanted to check w/ my husband to make sure it was all right. The ever "as a matter of fact" person that I am said... "well YEAH [Duh] I have a problem with the $60" ($120 for both classes I assume), especially since St.V. will get several grand for me having my baby there from my insurance company and "the fact that the La Leche League and Babies R Us has classes of that nature for free." I was like "that's a whole month of diapers." LOL! "The woman very kindly said "okay hun, you call back when you get ready." I hung up the phone so tickled. I could have gone on and on – like "that's week's worth of gasoline – we're in a recession here lady!" I couldn't resist – however it really did make me think. Did I want to pay $60 per class to learn something that's instinct and problem free ¾ of the time? Clint was on to something. I mean did Egyptians have b/feeding classes. Besides, my mother – Clint's mother and plenty others will be there to make sure we don't mess up – too bad anyways. Jennifer is around newborns 24/7. I think I'll just move her in for a couple of weeks. I'd rather do that then go to one of those classes anyways.

I decided if anything, I could bounce my happy prego self over to the Bham public library and pick up DVDs. Which was a lot cooler anyways b/c they had a glass display of what an escalator will do to a toddler's shoe (scary!!). And the guy at the check out counter was so up tight about where I stood when I renewed my library card that I got to mess w/ him a bit. All that info – just a block away and for free.

So I was at the doctor yesterday morning, and everything looks good and I finally put on more weight - 5 lbs. It happened to be in the short period of 2 weeks which really isn't good, but I didn't get in trouble. Then b/c Dax had not been moving NO where near as much in the past several days, Dr. Goolsby wanted me to pay very close attention and do kick counts along w/ several other things and call him back after 5 hours to let him know how many times Dax had moved. So, about 6 hours later I call him back and tell him that he'd kicked three times – maybe four. Dr. Goolsby told me I want you to go to labor and delivery and have them check you out. I was like "right now?" He said "yeah, right now – I'm going to call them and tell them you are coming." Wrong thing for me to hear! Especially after the crazy weekend I had! Several hours of the BH contractions and the fact that I went from having to pee every 5-10 mins to like every 1-2 mins. – now he wasn't moving as much… "go to labor and delivery" translated to "oh crap some thing's wrong!"

So I went there – surprisingly calm and scared to death at the same time. As soon as they put the contraction monitor on him – he kicked it four times – hard (like even Clint saw it bump up and down). There was my four movements right there in a period of not even one minute. I had to stay for two hours, but everything was fine – his heart rate stayed around 120 and went down to 90 at one point but he didn't sit still the whole time. Either he hates having his heart rate amplified, or he likes it. Who knows. But either way he must of come out of the funk he was in b/c this morning he's already moved 10 times in the last 45 minutes. And can I tell you how much I hated being on that floor (Labor and Delivery). It was too soon – I kept thinking I don't like this at all – I'm sooo not supposed to be here yet.