TJ's fantasy land

In TJ's world, everyone yells Roll Tide, and loves to ride Elephants. They hunt all day, and watch football at night. His daughter will be a die hard Alabama fan before she is potty trained, and will be able to wield a 270 twice her size. She will have his sense of fashion (Shirtless, in overall Carharts and Muck Boots), and will be Mini-Me to his Doctor Evil.

Knowing this, I was an innocent bystander while TJ "practiced" dressing his unborn child on little Partner. Here is what was captured.

This is Partner, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And this is when the crime took place.

Please notice the excitement on his face.

And then he peed on himself. "Mean ole TJ. Made me have an accident."

And here is Uncle Evan's response to all the mayhem. "TJ, lets just go to Bud's and see if we can forget this ever happened."

Finally Partner can get some respect he deserves from Aunt Hope.

2 pounds 12 ounces, and presents!

I am posting some of the gifts Avery received on the blog today. Please forgive me that I am not including everything, as that would take forever. Also know that I love everything we received, and I am grateful for your generosity.
This is the precious picture frame Hannah gave us for all of Avery's "firsts"!


Laura gave her some great newborn onezies!


The Cross placard is from Suelin (or Suelander as TJ calls her).


This one is a bad picture, but is Avery's first piece of jewelry, from Aunt Kara, a bracelet engraved with her name!


The Alabama outfit is from Aunt Laryne, and TJ was so excited about this, that he put one of the Alabama onezies on Partner. (Sorry about that for those of you who think that putting your child's clothes on your dog is akin to blasphemy, but remember our dogs are our children, at least until Avery gets here.) Then he mumbled something about a glorious national championship in the year his daughter is born. Pictures of that in another post.


Hope V. gave Avery her very first Brittney Spears outfit.


Jane Ann made sure we had some diapers to get started with, and they have biodegradable inserts. They are cloth exteriors! And they are so cute, and very tiny!



Beers and Lacey made sure Avery had a sleeper dress with a cute little green bunny, and a matching burp cloth, which I adore!

And last but certainly not least, Hannah and Jenny B. gave her the cutest monogrammed bibs! She is going to be one well dressed and well accessorized young lady!

So much to blog about!

On Sunday, my dear Birmingham friends (plus Searcy) gave us a baby shower. It was perfect! I was so excited to see everyone! The food was incredible, Rebecca's home was a dream, and I felt like a celebrity! We received some truly wonderful presents, but the time spent with my girls was my favorite part! I will have pictures of the presents tomorrow, but today, I have other exciting news...4 D ultrasound pictures!!!!

But first, an update before I show you her face. She is healthy, weighing in at 2 pounds 12 ounces, and is growing steadily. She has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and she looks like a perfect combination of TJ and I (Chubby cheeks on both ends)! She still has a long way to grow, but I am just so happy she is healthy! Ok, to the pics...

Happy Friday Thoughts

Avery's room has really come together. The only thing we have left is to hang the paintings and shelf on the walls. Searcy, very kindly, painted her some beautiful abstract art to go over her bed, and I have a watercolor of some Geraniums that needs to be re-matted and framed that Jane Ann gave me a long time ago. The shelf is the one I painted a while back, and I want to hang the green letters that spell out Avery on it! This will happen as soon as TJ and Justin get done hunting, I am sure:).

The kitchen is almost done now too! Here is a fuzzy picture of the long awaited counter tops!

Pardon how messy everything is. My goal is get the entire kitchen organized and clean on Saturday. Searcy and Jane have volunteered to help. (Still not sure why anyone would want to do this dirty work, but I am grateful to both for the offer!)

I am very anxious to get our 4D Ultrasound on Tuesday. It is driving me crazy that I cannot tell how she is positioned in my belly. I swear I have an octopus growing in there. She can kick me in four directions at once. I found her heart beat in the lower right quarter of my abdomen (if you are facing me), but does that mean she is head down or sideways?

My baby shower in Birmingham is on Sunday! I am looking forward to seeing everyone I have neglected since I have been preggo. I am sorry about that gals, I don't know why thinking about driving anywhere exhausts me. Hopefully by this time next year, I will be ready for another incredibly Tacky Christmas Party with redneck baby in tow.

Last, but most certainly, not least, I leave you with a quick quote from the Honorable Judge Tripp Hatchett during a discussion of how large I look and feel: "Don't worry about swallowing a whale. Eat and be merry. You are carrying a baby. If I was you I would be in a rascal with a fleece moo moo. " You, sir, have stolen my heart.

More on this later.

Avery should be right around 3 pounds at this point, and 16 inches long. She is growing steadily, and apparently making me waddle. I have walked funny in the past when she was laying on my sciatic nerve, but now, I am actually waddling because it is the most comfortable way to walk. She is bouncing around in the belly as I type this, and she is getting so rambunctious at night, that it is hard to sleep! I know that it is starting to get cramped in there now, so the movements seem even bigger. It looked like she was turning flips in there last night. My belly was literally bouncing up and down.

A Little Perspective

Of course, the next thing I read after I posted my last blog is a testament to how selfish I am, and right now, God is trying change my attitude. I was just complaining about my 186 days of pregnancy, and then I read Jay Wolf's blog about his wife Katherine, who 200 days ago suffered a stroke and has been struggling to swallow, talk, eat, breath, and walk since that day. She has had more challenges in her 200 days than I will ever face in my entire life. She is making progress everyday. And I will, too. Perhaps, today, I will just be thankful for my healthy baby in my belly, and my cheerful husband, who silently puts up with all of my complaints.

28 weeks and 4 days

Baby Avery hit a developmental milestone over the weekend. Her brain can regulate her body temperature and tell her lungs to begin producing surfectant, which will keep them well lubricated and functional when she is born. That means that if she is born now, she would be fairly well equipped to deal with life outside the womb. She would probably still need some medical assistance, but in a few more weeks, even that would be limited. So, as far as I am concerned, she can go ahead and come out. Isn't 7 months long enough? Maggie had her puppies after 63 days. Avery has been in utero for 186 days. Surely we are close enough.

BTW, Partner went to the vet last week, and he now weighs in at a whopping 18.4 pounds. He is soon to be larger than his mom and Hank who weigh around 23 pounds. I suspect he will be about 40 pounds when it is all said and done. He is such a snuggler. He is turning into a giant lap dog (just like his Aunt Heidi).

We have Childbirth Class again tonight. I am hopeful we will learn some good breathing techniques and that TJ will be as entertained as he was last time. We are supposed to bring pillows tonight, so I think that means we have some Lamaze-like instruction.

Turkey Day Excitement Comes Early in Pregnant Land

At this stage Avery is the size of a large eggplant. She is 15 1/2 inches from head to toe and weighs in at 2 1/4 pounds. She will be 28 weeks on Friday. I moved our 4D ultrasound to November 25th, because of more Jury Duty, but that means that the family will get to see her face at Thanksgiving dinner! Yeah!
Also, I made an appointment with a pediatrician for next Friday. It is a sort of prenatal interview, and hopefully we will like who we chose. My pediatrician, Dr. Bob, is no longer taking new patients, but this is his practice/group.
Thanks to those who commented on my new figure. Beers, you make me laugh. I suppose it is one of those things you just take in stride or you might spontaneously combust.
I am making tortilla soup tonight, thanks to Angela. I am looking forward to it. That statement alone proves I am pregnant. I just ate lunch 30 minutes ago, and already I am excited about dinner. I can't even begin to say how much I am looking forward to Thanksgiving!

I finally look Pregnant not just Fat!!!

Our first childbirth class went well, and although TJ wasn't thrilled to be going, I think he half way enjoyed himself once we got there. We watched two videos and Renee explained the different phases of labor. Two of the preggos had lots of questions about that. They also looked like they could go into labor at any moment. I was thinking how I wouldn't have gotten so far without knowing the facts of labor, at the very least. Then again, I might be a little over prepared. I have read every book, magazine, web site, and medical journal I can get my swollen little hands on. I have asked questions to the doctor as well as anyone who will talk to me about their delivery story. I think I know all the possible outcomes, and as along as Avery and I come out healthy in the end, I am OK with them.

But I digress. So we are sitting in class, watching the second video entitled "Deborah's Birth", and everyone is doing pretty well. Until Deborah goes into the "transition" phase of her labor. She is un-medicated, and therefore quite lucid, and she and her husband start walking the halls of the hospital to encourage more dilation. They proceed to stop and stretch (in strange positions) all over the hospital. The waiting room, the hallway, near the cafeteria, which at this point, TJ loses it. He starts giggling uncontrollably because Deborah and said partner are doing want looks to be a sort of uncomfortable dance down the hall. Then, they cut straight to the crotch shot and show the baby crowning. At which point, the laughter that TJ had brought on is silenced and followed by gasps and an "Oh my Gawd, they should warn you 'fore they show tha-yut."

Deborah gave birth and everyone was relieved. Then we took the tour of the maternity wing at Baptist East, and got to see the little babies in the nursery. They were so tiny and red. I cant believe I have one of them in my belly, and will soon have one in my house.

Lastly, to appease Lauren, here are some belly pics.

27 weeks 4 days

Yeah! I made it through Jury Duty Week 1! I won't bore you with the few details I can share about that experience, but just know that there is a lot more crime than you might think.

I went to the doctor this morning, and all of my numbers look good. Miss Avery is growing right on schedule, but one of the banquet ladies informed me this morning that I am carrying her "in my hips". Whatever that means. I don't think it was a compliment. Anywho, I am not going to get to upset, because she is healthy, and has a good heart rate. Hopefully I will shed the baby pounds quickly and efficiently. Next appointment is two weeks from today, and in three weeks, we get to see her little face! That's right, 4-D Ultrasound! Get excited! (Did that sound like a KD during chapter or what?)

Tonight, TJ and I go to our first child birth class at the hospital. I am a little nervous after hearing how Allison and Michael's went. I am just hoping they pick some other preggo's husband to try on "the belly". As much as I would like to torture TJ with wearing 20 extra pounds around and trying to tie his shoes or even put them on, I would much prefer to laugh at someone I don't know. I have already watched plenty of birthing videos (God love YouTube), and I am plenty comfortable with the concept, but not of it actually happening to me. Too bad they don't drug you to the point of coma anymore. Wouldn't it be nice to just wake up and have a baby in the bassinet next to you? More on that tomorrow.