Thursday, May 31, 2012

Crocodile Rock, walla walla

I have officially been out of school for a week now.  I have not been resting a bit.  I have cleaned the house multiple times even though you can’t tell.  I have cooked and frozen two casseroles, organized my pantry, cleaned out Ford’s closet, washed my car, bathed the dog, run numerous errands, bought Father’s Day gifts, run my washing machine anywhere from 2-5 times a day, packed my bags, John Brantley’s bags, and Ford’s bag, and driven myself nearly crazy anticipating the arrival of JB.  Today I basically said forget this mess and I actually took a nap.  Trey NEVER comes home during the day and the one time I lie down to take a nap he comes home and wakes me up.  At least I tried.

Ford is taking swimming lessons this week.  The child is NOT scared of the water.  He has three other kids in his class.  While I sat out there on day #2 watching and listening to my child I felt compelled to text message his school teachers.  I said, “Ford is taking swimming lessons this week.  He is having a hard time being patient and waiting his turn.  I am having glimpses of what you must have dealt with all year.  I’m sorry.”  He is VERY eager to volunteer his services screaming, “Mrs. Lauren, I’ll do it!”  He loves to jump off the diving board and tells her to back up.  Most kids are begging and pleading for people to come closer.  Now he can’t really swim but a tiny bit on his own, but he is making lots of progress.   



Ford loves Bob the Builder.  He has one video that plays the Elton John song called “Crocodile Rock”.  The other day it came on the radio and he quickly recognized it and said it was his Bob song.  When it went off the radio he wanted to hear it again.  I tried to explain that only certain things come on at certain times.  The concept just wasn’t hitting home with Ford.  Luckily I have graduated to the newest forms of technology and have an IPhone.  I typed in Elton John and found his song.  Today he listened to it for 25 minutes straight in the car on the way home from my doctor appointment.  He was basically screaming, “Crocodile Rock, walla walla.”  He has no clue what any of the words are, but he loves it.
My 37 week appointment was today.  I haven’t progressed since last week.  I was actually a little shocked.  She told me I only gained a 0.5 a pound.  So that puts me at 39.5 pounds.  If I am going to be obese I might as well do it right and say I have gained a good 40, but I am NOT there yet my friends.  I bet next week I will have exceeded it by a long shot!
 
Haircut time… the child has probably had 20 haircuts by now…

 
Ford is obsessed with puzzles.  We have many at our house.  Being that he is obsessed with tractors and farm type stuff his favorite puzzle is a 60 piece “tractor puzzle”.  He can put it together all by himself.  It’s impressive.  I am not a fan of puzzles, but if he enjoys them then we will put the suckers together as much as he wants to. 

Out shopping and trying on new shoes.  No, I did not buy those.  They are more of Ford’s speed than mine!
 
Helping Daddy fill up buckets at the property to water the trees they planted. 
 
Fixing his hair for the day 
Nap time.  Ohhh I do love nap time.  Yes, I still let my child have a paci.  We are down to just ONE, and he can only have it in the bed.  Such a sweet and peaceful looking little guy.    

Last weekend Trey went on a man trip to St Louis with some buddies for a bachelor party.  I told him he was BRAVE for going and if I went into labor I would only call once and if he missed it then he missed it.  He then expressed to me how kind and loving I was.  I thought he had some nerve going 5 hours away with me being as pregnant as I am, but he went.  Lucky for him he didn’t miss anything.  Not to be worried that I was here alone….OH NO!!  I had not one but two babysitters for the weekend.  Gran and BoomPa came down to watch my every move and make sure I didn’t need a lift to the hospital.  I tried to convince everyone that I would be fine, but had no such luck.  As for now we are still waiting.  I decided today (or I think I did) that this whole labor deal is completely out of my hands.  I have got to stop obsessing about it and focus on the present and not what might happen in the middle of the night.  I am trying to be a fun momma to Ford since I know I won’t be much fun for a few weeks after John Brantley gets here.  Pray for me.  I am NOT the patient, sit back and relax type of girl.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Waiting Game

I am completely finished with school and my new job title is professional mommy.  Thursday by 9:45 I think I missed school just a hair.  Ford was wearing me slap out.  He had asked “why” no less than 7,500 times.  I promise I got more rest at school than I do at home.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world though!!!
 
Last Sunday before church…


 
Practicing our tee ball skills in our Elmo pajamas… and boots of course!

 
Cooking isn’t something I have done a lot of in the last 9 months, but Thursday I decided I would feed us something.  Ford and I went to the grocery store and I ran across this watermelon while shopping.  I thought it would be a good idea to get one.  He was so excited.  I don’t know why… they child won’t eat fruit.  I can only get it in him with apple sauce type things. 

 
Yesterday we went to the Memphis Children’s Museum.  Trey panicked when I said I was going.  He promptly told me I needed to stay home and rest.  I argued my case that I would soon be home bound for weeks and Ford and I needed to get out and play as much as we could.  I WON!!!  We met my sister in-law, Ashley, and the cousins there. 

 
Sweet Jack 
 
Ford is getting some practice here…   











 
Today we have done what little boys do best, play in the mud.  Ford has had a FINE time.  He is out cold right now which means I get my “Suzanne time”.     


I went to the doctor on Thursday.  I was really hoping that I had progressed a lot and she might keep me.  WISHFUL THINKING!  I have made little progress and she told me she would see me in a week.  Now I am wondering if John Brantley is going to be stubborn and stay in there until my scheduled date of June 21.  If that is the case I will have to put myself on bed rest.  I am completely limited on the clothes that will fit me.  Extra Large t-shirts are even becoming snug. (Shameful, I know).  But seriously, I have been recycling and wearing the same outfits more than once a week.  Last night when I woke up for one of my MANY bathroom trips I started having sharp contractions.  I thought OH MY GOSH, this is it.  They lasted for about 10 minutes.  I didn’t wake Trey up because I knew that I needed to be completely sure it was the real deal.  It wasn’t.  As for now, we are still playing the waiting game.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

A bitter sweet goodbye


Tomorrow is it, unless you want to count today as it.  What is “it”?  Well, “it” is my last day of work.  No, not my last day for two months until school starts back in August, but my last day for a while.  A while back Trey and I talked about me being a stay at home mom while the boys were young and being around to spend quality time with them.  I told him that was something I wanted to do and a few weeks ago I resigned.
It’s hard to believe that my students left today and tomorrow I will go into work for the last time at Senatobia Middle School to tie up some loose ends.  I have been a teacher in the public school system for seven years now and no two years have been alike.
When I started teaching in the fall of 2005 Trey and I lived in Jackson.  I honestly went into the classroom on day 1 thinking that all kids grew up just like me.  I grew up in a house with a mom and dad.  My mom stayed home while my dad worked.  We sat down to eat supper every night, had family conversations, they helped me with my homework, kissed and tucked me in bed, took me to church, loved and supported me my entire life.  I was soon welcomed into the “real world” that not everyone has a life like I did. 
I have seen kids cry because they don’t have food to eat at home, cry because it’s the anniversary of a death of a parent, cry because they can’t see their Daddy if he doesn’t pay child support.  I have seen kids literally stand up at lunch with their faces buried into their lunch tray on Monday because they didn’t have anything to eat all weekend.  Children have told me they were scared the night before because they heard gun shots outside their window.  Or they were scared because momma never came home last night and daddy is in jail.  I have seen kids steal napkins from the cafeteria to take home to use as toilet paper because they don’t have any at home.  I have watched kids wear the same clothes to school three days in a row because that’s all they had.  I have hugged kids, bandaged boo boos, cheered them on when no one else would, told them I believed in them, and tried to impact their lives in a way that they would always remember Mrs. Lamar.  Did I succeed?  I don’t know.  I hope to God that I changed a few lives along the way and impacted someone positively. 
Teachers don’t teach for the money.  Lord knows I never made much.  I spent a lot of money that Trey doesn’t even know about buying school supplies for kids who never had them.  I love the teaching profession and hope to one day get back in to it in some degree.  In the last seven years I have made some wonderful friends that are near and dear to my heart.  There were many many tough days that I didn’t think I could stand one more second and they encouraged me.  I will truly miss so many of them and the daily conversations and laughs we shared.  For now I am retiring as Mrs. Lamar and going to be momma to my precious Ford and soon to be John Brantley. 

My first class

My last class

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Part Three of “Let’s Get Real”….

Part Three of “Let’s Get Real”….
I went to the doctor yesterday for my 35 week appointment.  My favorite thing to do in the waiting room is to use my camera phone to take pictures of people.  I like to send these pictures to a lady I work with and my sister in law.  Last time I had some interesting characters on there.  You have to do something to pass the time.  It would make for a fabulous blog, but I am afraid someone might know one of the people I photograph so I better restrain from that post just yet.

My second favorite thing to do at the doctor is to get on the scale.  NOT!!!  I have yet to get in trouble for the 38 pounds that I have gained.  The doctor came in a measured my stomach and said, “You’re huge!”  I replied with, “I know.”  Then she said, “You’re really huge!”  I was fully aware of my massive size without her letting me know anymore.  She then asked me how I was feeling.  I asked if she wanted the truth or wanted me to lie.  She laughed and asked for the truth.  I told her I am miserable, the pressure is unbelievable, and the nerve pain hasn’t gone away.  I then promptly told her that going on bed rest wasn’t an option.  She ordered for me to have another ultra sound of the baby to see yet again if I was retaining fluid or if he’s just big. 

I waited another hour and then was called back.  John Brantley is looking good and measuring in at 7 pounds, in the 86th percentile, and 3 weeks ahead of schedule.  So, let’s do some figuring.  I am 35 weeks, but he is measuring 3 weeks ahead.  That puts him at 38 weeks.  I had Ford at 38.5 weeks so in that case I could have this baby just about any day.  The doctor didn’t come out and say that to me because they won’t, but I think she knows he is coming sooner than later too.  And to be quite honest I am in a small amount of panic mode.

I am a planner.  Ohhhh do I like to plan.  I usually have a plan for my plan.  Not being in control of such a major event is not doing me well.  I am more irritable than usual, just ask Trey.  I am worrying to death of my water breaking in the middle of the night and having to go to the hospital.  That happened with Ford and all was well, but the MAIN thing I am worried about this go round is Ford.  If we leave in the middle of the night who will come to our house?  I have had numerous people offer to help in many ways I am truly grateful.  However, not just anyone can be here when he wakes up or he will freak out.  I read that book, Jesus Calling, every night and I promise God is YELLING at me just about daily.  It talks about worry, not being anxious, trusting, having faith etc.  This entire pregnancy here lately is not allowing me to do too well in those categories. 
In an effort to calm my nerves I laid by Puddin and Pop’s pool one afternoon.  (You like those swollen feet don’t you!!??)

Ford and Pops headed to mow…
I have seriously contemplated writing about this, but I feel that it is better to give a warning now than to be a crazy, hormonal, post pregnant woman writing something later (been there… done that already).  This is my view on company AFTER child birth.  I, speaking from personal experience, think it was wonderful when we had company come and visit us in the hospital.  Both Trey and I felt loved and blessed to have friends and family there to share such an exciting and wonderful experience with us.  However, I was not too keen on company when we got home.  Mayberry is a different kind of town from a bigger city, and we do live right in the middle of town, but I don’t think it is appropriate to come and visit people who have just had a baby “because you are driving by.”  When Ford was born we had multiple visitors after we got home for TWENTY-ONE days straight.  I think 8+ people came to see him the day we got home.  I eventually had a breakdown.  Between a screaming baby, hormones, and hurting from a c-section I didn’t feel that company was what anyone needed at the time. 
After experiencing that myself when someone has a baby that I know I do exactly what I liked and wanted people to do.  I call and ask when would be a good night to bring them food.  I then prepare them a meal, put it in disposable containers, and deliver it to their house.  I don’t go in and visit or touch their child.  I simply tell them I will see them in a few weeks.  No one wants all that company.  I just needed to get that off my chest. 
So in conclusion…. Come and visit us in the hospital, but when we get home PLEASE don’t come by the first day.  I will cry on you!!!
And last but NOT least…. This was day #2 that Ford used the potty every time and didn’t ruin a diaper.  I am very excited!!! 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

In jail

You know my doctor told me two weeks ago that I needed to rest and quit doing so much stuff.  I don’t think that would be possible unless she strapped me down to a bed.  Although, as I write this I am having those lovely Braxton Hicks contractions, or at least I hope that’s what I am feeling and not premature labor pain. 
Last weekend Puddin and Pops had a party at their house for one of Trey’s friends who is getting married.  I asked Pops to take our picture.  I feel whale-ish, but Trey said “for better or worse”, and this is some of my worse. 
 
Ford finished up his two year old preschool last week.  Two of the days they enjoyed playing in the sprinkler and a little pool.  It appears my little man had a large time. 
   He even had a bathing suit like a friend. 



 
One of my FAVORITE things to do is to play jokes on people.  So, two weeks ago I decided I would steal the third grade assistant’s car during afternoon car rider duty and cruise through the pickup line like I was coming to get my child.  I told several other teachers about my plan and asked them to be waiting outside and I’d pick them up.  Needless to say it was hilarious and the teacher nearly died when I came around the corner!  Notice me waving….
 
I have gotten a lot of feedback on this next picture….
Last week Ford and I were playing outside.  I needed to go inside and throw something in the dryer and I told him to stay inside the gate on the porch.  Do you think he listened?  Heavens no!  So when I came outside he said, “Momma, I went outside the gate.”  I told him that he didn’t mind so he was getting a spanking.  I spanked him and then walked back on the other side of the gate.  I looked up to see that pitiful face and decided I needed to document the occasion.   I didn’t realize it looked like he was in jail!  Priceless picture!

February recap

Axton and Griff both played on Ford's BPA travel team last year and this year that came to our school!!! "Momma, take my picture!&q...