Sep 21, 2008

He's Finally Here!



...and looking alot like his daddy!
Emory Cole Garton
September 15, 2008
7 lbs 7 3/4 oz, 19 1/2 inches
Posted by Picasa

Sep 12, 2008

I Have Been Tagged

Full of Boys has tagged me! I love to do these things and I rarely get tagged. It took me forever to come up with a list….so forgive me for being so late. It is hard to come up with random things about myself!

Here are the rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 6 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
4. If you’re tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag.

So here we go! Here are six random facts about Ladybird:

1. I don’t like it when people have decorations hanging from their car rear view mirror. I am not sure why this bothers me so badly, but it seems like it would be so distracting to the driver. I never have been a decorate-my-car kind of gal, maybe which is why.

2. My friends laugh at me because I think that some words are fun to say. I have an ever-growing list of fun words. Some of them are chimichanga, onamonapia, buttafucco, oxymoron, undulant and gorgonzola. What is your favorite word to say?

3. I really miss my friends from college and wish that we could all live closer. We are spread out in so many states now. I had such great girl friendships in college. Even though we pick up right where we left off when we see each other or talk on the phone, it would be so wonderful to spend more time with them.

4. I totally have a crush on Craig Ferguson. It must be the accent. I just think that his sense of humor is fabulous. I think that it is wonderful now that he has become an American Citizen and recently said that “If you don’t vote, you’re a moron”. (The last two minutes are really worth listening to!)

5. I tend not to have strong opinions and try to stay open-minded. I love hearing other points of view and enjoy an intellectual debate. I am not afraid to think that I might be wrong about something. I guess that is why it bothers me badly when people try to tell me that THEIR way is the ONLY way. (Maybe this is why I hate politics so much.)

6. I once ate at a dinner party sitting next to Mick Foley, aka Mankind. He was hilarious! I am embarassed to say that I remember being surprised that he was so intelligent……which is not what I had initially expected. I was impressed that he wrote his own books instead of using ghost writers. Maybe I got that first impression because he was wearing a Daffy Duck tie that was way to short.

You can find 100 other things about me here.

Now for the tagging:

Cosmo’s Crazy
Shortymom
Scotchtape and Matchbox Cars
My Life On Fire
My Life As A Nurse
Jenni Catron


Sep 11, 2008

My Story

Every year on this day, my mind drifts back to this post. I have to go read it every year. I guess it is because I can somewhat relate to Deb’s story……even though I am not a New Yorker. I find her words eloquent and heart-felt.

Like her, I did not know anyone personally in the towers, planes or government buildings, but my heart was still broken. I was at work and sat quietly hoping that people could exit the building safely and that not too many people would be hurt. I remember being amazed at how quiet the phones were at work, because the world was staring at the television with me.

I had to fly to Manhattan about a month after. There were only ten people on the airplane, including the two pilots and the stewardess……everyone was still afraid to fly. Unlike planes that I had been on in the past where people were quiet, everyone on the plane talked and shared their story.

Even though I was traveling for business, I had a few moments to sneak in some sightseeing. NYC was always on my list of places to see, even if it was a bittersweet trip. Scotch Tape and Matchbox Cars, who lived in New Jersey at the time, took me on a mini-trip of the city. Although I enjoyed my time, you could feel sadness hanging in the air. She told me that I needed to come back to the city when things were back to normal……..that I wasn’t getting to see the real New York. In the back of my mind, I wondered if things would ever be normal again.

The closest that I got to Ground Zero was at South Street Seaport. I remember the distinct smell in the air. Not far away was a car still covered in dust and there was a store window that had been sealed off as a time capsule…..filled with dust and paperwork. It broke my heart that the owner was not able to come back for that car. That image is seared into my head more than the towers themselves.

I guess, like Deb said, that somewhere along the way I stopped thinking about it. I was tired of feeling sad. But every year on this day, I still get a lump in my throat. I still see that dust covered car.

I still hurt. I guess that I always will.

Sep 9, 2008

Not Fun Anymore

Remember when I said that I wasn’t ready for Babybird to make his appearance? That I wasn’t ready to be finished being pregnant?

Well, that was all crap!

This baby is killing me. He has taken over my body and is inside secretly laughing at the pain that he is putting me through. He likes it in there. The nerve of him!

The only comfortable position that I can find is walking. Not standing or sitting or laying down……but constantly walking. I have easily walked a hundred miles since Saturday. Birddog and I walked around the county fair and I walked the mall and Target on Sunday.

Supposedly walking is supposed to help onset labor. I have come to believe that this is some crappy story that people make up to get you to exercise more before the baby comes. Walking doesn’t help anything…….except maybe I sleep a little better because I have worn myself out walking.

I have resorted to one thing that I know will make Babybird want to be born.…….I have made plans. Like plans IN ADVANCE. Plans that I will have to cancel if I go into labor.

Plan A: Bunko night is always the first Wednesday of every month. This plan totally backfired on me. I was really hoping that laughing really hard and all that table swapping would help to onset labor. No such luck. Although at one point I sat in a chair that had been outside and the cushion was wet. When I stood up, I thought “Can your water break and you not know it???” Apparently, I had the expression written all over my face and the ladies had a really good laugh at me.

Plan B: This plan totally fell through. I signed up for a women’s get together at church for Monday night. Several women were meeting at a pottery place in town to paint ceramics and discuss some of the small groups at church. I signed up a couple of weeks ago because I thought that it would be fun……..and I hoped that by making plans for something exciting, that Babybird would want to ruin it and arrive early. It didn’t work…….but I did meet some wonderful women and painted an elephant bank for the nursery. It hasn’t been fired yet, so I am not sure how it will look……pictures pending on cuteness.

Plan C: This plan should have been made weeks ago. I am scheduled with Penny to “get my hair did” on Saturday morning. No momma wants to have nasty dark roots in the pictures of her and her newborn. I hope that for pictures sake my hair is shampoo-commercial-beautiful by the time Babybird arrives……..but somewhere deep down inside, I really hope that I have to cancel.

Plan D: I finally gave in and purchased a dress for Birddog’s high school reunion that is this upcoming weekend. I have put this off hoping that I would have a legitimate reason not to go to the reunion. While I was walking around the mall on Sunday afternoon, I found a cute dress that doesn’t make me look like a blimp. Pro: it was on clearance. Con: Clearance items cannot be returned. I bought it anyway…….surely non-returnable merchandise will make Babybird want to move toward the light.

Plan E: I know what you are thinking. Don’t even suggest it. He won’t come near me. I freak him out a little right now.

Plan F: F stands for food. I bumped into my doctor at Target last weekend while I was walking myself to death. She laughed at me and said that she has heard that eggplant parmesan or really spicy Mexican food seems to work with some of her patients. I plan on eating at the Mexican restaurant every day next week. I will need volunteers to go with me, since Birddog has sworn off Mexican food.

How do you suggest that I coax Babybird into the world?
Does anybody want to walk?

Do you like Mexican food?

Sep 3, 2008

Shout Out!

After much hounding, my friend MB has started a blog!
Hop on over to My Life On Fire and give her some blog love!

Not Ready Yet

Today, I am officially 36 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Amazingly enough, I don’t feel huge today…….just a little uncomfortable. I have only gained 33 pounds and people tell me that I am small for being so far along. Sometimes I believe them and sometimes I feel like they are being polite. Sometimes I feel really good about the weight that I have gained and sometimes, like when I try to get off the couch, I feel like I can’t possibly gain another ounce without busting at the seams.

While lying on the couch last night (my new favorite past time), I did my favorite thing…..watched my belly move. Babybird was demonstrating his love of Mexican food by doing lots of gymnastics. While watching him roll and tumble and kick, it really hit me that I don’t have that much time left.

I never thought that I would say this, but I think that I am going to miss being pregnant.

I know that I will be thrilled when he is here and I cannot wait to hold him in my arms, but I am going to miss having him be part of me. I am going to miss having him with me all the time. I am going to miss rubbing my belly. I am going to miss when Haley runs up to try to feel Babybird kick her hand. As many days as I have wanted him out of me……now I want to keep him safe inside.

Did any of you other mothers feel this way?