May 27, 2008

A "Me-Me" of Rantings

My friend Melissa tagged me in her MySpace blog. I know that you can’t see her answers, since her blog is set to private, but I haven’t done a “me-me” in a while. (Okay, so maybe this turned into a Me-Me that I ranted about a lot of stuff that is getting on my nerves…..I am a little bit pregnant, forgive me.)

The rules are to post 10 weird or little known facts about you and then tag 10 people. Make sure to leave them a comment so they know they have been tagged!

Here we go:

1. I miss my computer more than I care to admit. Since we have to clear room for the nursery, we moved Birddog’s office to the smallest bedroom. His office has turned into BirddogLand with his computer, work stuff and all of his music equipment. Unfortunately there is no room left for my computer. I miss my pictures and the ability to work/play on the internet as much as I did. The computer in his office is his work computer and I feel weird using it. I don’t want to download anything for fear that I will mess something up and his work computer will be down. Plus, I kind of feel like I don’t have a “place” anymore. My little computer might not be much and the desk wasn’t large, but it was mine and I miss it TERRIBLY! Especially when I have so much baby shopping to do…….and there are so many cute things like this on ETSY. I also don't feel like I can blog as much, which I miss HORRIBLY.

2. I am overwhelmed with the amount of things that need to be done before the baby gets here. I let it build up inside me until I have an anxiety attack and freak out crying……or maybe that is just the hormones.

3. I need to stop being a control freak. (Reference #2) I need to accept help when it is offered even if I know that it will not be done the way that I would have done it. I can delegate things well in a group setting or in a work environment, but I find it so hard to do in my personal life.

4. I took a photo-journalism class several years ago and I loved it. Although I heart my digital camera and I am thrilled to be living in such a tech-y age, I am sad that my children will not have to learn to develop film. They won’t have the need for a dark room. They won’t ever have the opportunity to watch their photographs come to life when put into a chemical bath. Man, just writing about it makes me want to take another class!

5. I hate it when people promise something and don’t follow through on it or don’t even acknowledge it. If you know that you are going to cancel plans, don’t make them in the first place. If you say that you are going to call, call. (Totally guilty of that last one. Just call me the kettle.) I could totally keep going on this subject, but I am stopping out of fear.

6. I have “first time mother syndrome” badly. I am scared to death that I will have no clue what to do. I am not sure that I will be a good mom or even know how to handle being a mother on top of everything else. I know that everything will fall into place, but it is still really scary to me.

7. It gets on my nerves people tell me that my aches and pains are “only going to get worse.” Don’t you think that I know that already??? I don’t think that I am complaining that much now. I have some pulled muscles in my tummy (totally understandable) that are also making my upper back hurt. My feet swell to the size of cantaloupes from sitting at my desk all day. I know that pregnancy isn’t going to be a breeze…….just let me complain a little and don’t remind me that worse things are to come.

8. All I want to eat is the grilled Tilapia from the Mexican restaurant. ALL. I. WANT. TO. EAT. IS. THE. DARN. MEXICAN. FISH. Will somebody please, please, please, please, please go with me? I don’t think I can go another day. The old wives tale is that fish = brain food for the baby. Babybird is going to be a genius……BECAUSE ALL I WANT TO EAT IS THE MEXICAN FISH!

9. Please don’t rub my belly unless you know me. A total stranger attacked me in Wal-mart last week and rubbed my “little bump” as they called it. Stand back! Don’t make me karate chop you!

10. I HATE being so negative lately. I try to be a “silver lining” kind of gal and I usually see the good in every situation. I always look at things from the other side and try not to react to things too quickly. I am usually pretty good about stepping outside of the situation to see the whole picture. Lately, it seems that I am so negative. I am not sure if it is because I am so tired, a little pregnant or it is just my hormones going crazy. I hope it won’t be long until I can turn my frown upside down!

Since I am not a pro-blogger, I only have a couple of friends to tag. I tag: Cosmos Crazy, Shortymom, and Scotch Tape and Matchbox Cars. You have been tagged! You're it!

May 22, 2008

Another Name For Paradise

Benny Goodman and Carmen Miranda singing about a "lucky little town in Kentucky"! Haha! Too Funny!

Cutie-Pa-Tu-Ti!

I am officially a theif. I stole these pictures from the photographer's website, hence the reason that the watermark is over the pictures. (Forgive me Captured Moments Photography!) But how can you resist how cute Addison is??!!! These are her first birthday pictures. It amazes me how she has her mommy's beautiful eyes. It makes it harder to wait to see what Babybird will look like!

Happy First Birthday Addison!
Happy Belated Mother's Day Julie!




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May 20, 2008

Finally A Teenager

Harley turned 13 on Friday. I have been a horrible aunt for not posting this until now. I will have to make it up to her somehow.........like by having a scary movie marathon at my house sometime soon! But I have to have the lights on this time! Harley laughs at me, but ever since watching 28 Days Later, I cannot seem to watch something scary without dreaming about it..........for months! I have turned into a sissy.......and they remind me of it when I cover my eyes.

PS - Sweet Caroline.......you better come up with that list of movies soon. They are still asking me about it.

May 13, 2008

May 12, 2008

It's A.......

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May 8, 2008

Baby Blue or Pretty In Pink???

We Bunko-ed again last night. I love Bunko! I love the game, but more importantly, I love being in camaraderie and competition with such wonderful women.

Betty is one of my favorite ladies to talk with. We talk lots of baby-talk and she always has a really neat Old Wive's Tale to tell me. Last night, we discussed the first time that I felt the baby move. She said that, according to the Old Wives Tale, the baby will be born exactly five months from the date that I first felt the baby move. This would mean that we will welcome Babybird into the world on September 20th. Eight days early, which would be perfectly fine with me!

I love all the Old Wive's Tales and superstitions that I have heard so far. Some of them are totally ridiculous, but funny non-the-less. For example, if a rat runs around a pregnant woman’s feet, this will result in very bad luck. Heck yeah it will be bad luck! It means that I would have rats in my house. Another one states that I shouldn't eat strawberries or the baby will have a red mark on it's skin. My poor child is going to be totally red.

The best tales are the ones concerning the baby’s sex. Since we are finding out the sex in FOUR DAYS, I thought that it would be fun to see if you think that we are having a boy or a girl. Below are a few hints to some Old Wive's Tales that I have heard since I became pregnant:

The fetal heart rate was fast…….above 140 beats per minute.
I am carrying “high” according to my mother.
I was nauseous, but never really had morning sickness in the first trimester.
Penny’s ring test swung in a back and forth.
My birthday is in January and I will be 31 when the baby is born.
We think that conception was in January.
I crave both sweet and salty food.
I mainly crave fresh fruit.
My pillow faces south.
I still hate the heel on a loaf of bread.
The baby mainly kicks on my right side.
I refuse to do anything with Drano.

Now, do you think that we are having a “sugar and spice” baby or a “puppy dog tales” baby? I am anxious to hear what you think! What tall tales have you heard???

May 6, 2008

Oh Deere!!

One of Birddog’s dreams came true late yesterday afternoon. He got a lawnmower. OH NO! Did I call it a lawnmower???……Because that would be WRONG. It is a lawn TRACTOR. (I was corrected about half a dozen times yesterday.)

A lawn tractor has real axles with lug nuts and hydraulics and lots of other stuff that I wouldn’t understand…….because I like to go shopping and have the ability to become pregnant. My sex of the species could never understand what a glorious machine this is!

With that being said…..I say that he got a new lawn mower. This could mean a couple of things:

He will be perfectly good and not do anything with the lawnmower but look at it, because a person that had back surgery 14 DAYS AGO should not do ANYTHING until they go back to the doctor next Monday.

OR

He can not wait until his nagging wife goes to Bunko tomorrow night, so that he can fiddle with his new lawn tractor………bending over and doing stupid stuff that his doctor told him not to do.

I stopped nagging for at least five minutes last night and let him SIT on it for a picture….I threatened his life if he started the engine. I know that it must be excruciating getting a new toy and not being able to ride it…….but someone who still needs help getting dressed does not need to be riding a lawnmower.

Anyway, I am happy that he got the lawn TRACTOR that he always wanted. It is a 1987 model…….and everyone knows that Birddog lives for the ‘80s. ("They just don't build stuff like they used to!") He sold several personal items to raise the money to buy it and I am happy that one of his dreams came true.

Now, if we could only keep the birds from eating the grass seed in our front yard!

May 5, 2008

Future Drummer?

Two weeks ago, after feverishly looking for a set of keys that Birddog has misplaced, I sat down to rest. Just at that moment, my stomach turned over……..and then I realized that wasn’t my stomach! I had been waiting for ‘butterflies’ like everyone had told me, but Babybird felt different…..like a rollie-pollie egg that had flopped over.

It was quick….too quick. I poked and prodded at my tummy for the rest of the afternoon with no luck. Birddog even talked to my tummy for quite a while. No luck. I had almost chalked the feeling up to my imagination. Then that night, as I went to bed, there was a party going on…..apparently my baby is a night owl like its father. I was so concentrated on trying to feel Babybird move, that I had to remind myself to breathe.

Ever since that night, Babybird has been on the move. There is definantly Garton blood in this baby…..Babybird doesn’t sit still for long…….there might be a future drummer in our midst.

The next day, Birddog felt the baby move and his eyes got as big as quarters. He quickly grabbed a guitar and started playing songs to see if Babybird would move to any particular song/artist. Birddog has now determined that Babybird likes Eric Clapton and the Allman Brothers. No matter how much I stress the fact that we need to sing “baby songs”, Birddog continues to play drinking songs to my tummy………because every baby needs to know “Why Georgia.”

I now feel more kicks and jabs than ‘tummy rolls’ and I can tell that the little bones must be getting stronger. How wonderful….and special……and magical……..a constant little reminder that there is life growing inside of me. A baby. A person.

Now, who can teach Birddog some baby songs on the guitar?

May 1, 2008

Wallace Walkers

I love my sister-in-law more than fried chicken and elastic waistbands. As a pudgy pregnant woman, this is a HUGE compliment.

Lauren has been part of our lives for several years. We were so tickled when she and Clay got married in December. She is a perfect fit for Clay and a wonderful addition to our family. They make the cutest couple.

Lauren was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease about 10 years ago and is a super-trooper. I know that she doesn’t feel well all the time, but you never see her without a smile on her face. Nothing stops her! She is almost finished with law school and is on the go constantly.

She and Clay are participating in a walk for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America this weekend at the UT Martin Fitness Trail. Since Birddog still isn’t allowed to take long trips in the car, we will not be able to attend, but I am sure that she will know we will be there in spirit.

If you would like to support Lauren’s efforts, you can make a donation here. You can always drop by Clay’s blog for more information or just to type some words of encouragement.

Go Wallace Walkers!