Mama's Gone Crazy!

Alright, it's official...I'm totally losin' it! I thought I had answered ALL of the questions you'd asked, until I looked at my posts and found a draft...of some questions I have yet to answer! Please bear with me...there are only a few!

My good friend, Deb, wanted to know several things about me. First of all, she asked, "What is your favorite vegetable? Hands down...Yellow SQUASH! I love it fried in cornmeal! It's the only way to go! Also, "What is your favorite fruit?" STRAWBERRIES...sprinkled lightly with sugar! Finally, "What are 3 things you like about your physical appearance?" Wow...now Deb's really pushing it! LOL! If I have to pick something, I guess I'll say I like it that I'm petite (better word than SHORT!), I think I have decent upper arms, and I like my brown eyes. Woah, I'm sweating bullets now! Lastly, "What are 3 things you like about yourself (not physical appearance)? Well, I consider myself to be a very loyal friend. I cherish LIFE and every single day I've been blessed with. Hmm...I think I have a good sense of humor and I have the ability to laugh at myself!

My sweet friend, Jennifer, wanted to know, "Where do you see yourself/your life five years from now? maybe ten (but who can think that far!?!?) Oh, is that ever tough! Five years from now, I'll probably be feeling very relieved that Brittany made it through college...and I survived those 4 years! Of course, by that time, Abby will be heading off to college, and the whole cycle will begin, again! In ten years, I'm sure I'll still be happily married and, just maybe, I'll have some grandbabies to love on and spoil rotten!

OK, that should do it this time! I am so sorry if I've overlooked anyone; it certainly wasn't intentional! My ol' noggin isn't working too well these days!

Thought I'd share a fun outing we went on this past Sunday after church. We got a bucket of chicken and headed for the hills of the north Georgia mountains. The drive was so pretty! We ended up just outside of Dahlonega and went tubing down the Chattahoochee River! We grabbed our tubes and plopped down in the cold, but refreshing water and off we went!

It was so relaxing! There were some small rapids that gave us an added element of excitement...of course, it didn't feel so great when my rumpus dragged across the rocks! I didn't particularly care for it when my tube veered off to the side and landed me in a real yucky area that made me worry that snakes were lurking nearby. Oh, Chris and the girls thought it was hilarious! Not to mention when we got ready to get out of the water to head home and I decided to jump in and walk to shore. Well, when I did, the water nearly went over my head! I turned around and Abby was laughing hysterically at me! I'm so glad my family gets so much humor out of watching me make a bozo out of myself!

Here's a picture of the girls that I snapped with Brittany's camera when we were all done.

And a couple more that Brittany took herself.

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."~Charlie Chaplin

P.S. Pearl is the winner of my follower's giveaway for the month of June! I'll be contacting you soon...congratulations!

And These Are My Final Answers...

Hey, everyone! I had no idea it would take me as long as it has to finish answering all the questions that you asked me, but I believe I'm getting down to the nitty gritty. Sure hope I haven't overlooked anyone!

OK, my sweet friend, Lindsay, wanted to know, "How did you decide on the lovely names Brittany and Abby for your two precious daughters? If my memory serves me correctly, someone else asked me a similar question. With both Brittany and Abby, who's given name is Abigail, they're names I've just always loved...thankfully, Chris did, too!

My good friend, Jeannie, asked, "What have you always wanted to try, but have been too "chicken" to? What would you need to be brave enough to try? Well, not long after Chris completed the Music City Marathon several years ago, I said to myself, "I could do that!" The farthest I've ever run is 6 miles and I keep reminding myself that a marathon is 26.2 miles...which is a LONG way! The distance intimidates me A LOT! Right now, I don't think I have the time or the patience to devote to training for such a big race. I sometimes go running at a local park, which is a 2.2 mile loop and the very thought of having to go round and round many times over is more than I can mentally digest. Hmm....I'd probably have to lose my ever lovin' mind to consider it, but we'll see!

Here's what my good friend, Lorrie, inquired about, "I seem to remember you saying at one point that you will have to be making another move in a year or so's time. Is that correct, and if so, do you know where it will be yet? Yes, that's true. We're going to be transferred to the Gulf Coast region with Chris' job sometime next summer. Right now, we're considering moving to Mobile, Alabama or Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Hot Springs, Arkansas is, also, in the running, which is very exciting to me because that's where I grew up. However, it might make it a bit to far for Chris to travel to his territory. If any of you have any personal knowledge about Mobile or Hattiesburg, please feel free to share it with me!

My sweet friend over at Sit A Spell asked, "Do you prefer GA or AR?" Well, being an Arkansas native, hand's down, I'd have to say I prefer Arkansas. No matter how many different places I end up living, I'll always consider Arkansas HOME. The hustle and bustle of the Atlanta area just isn't for me. I'm more of a country girl at heart. I do have to share a story about something that happened a few weeks ago. Chris and I were at our neighborhood pool with Abby and one of her friends. A lady and her husband sat down in chairs across from us. Another man in the pool commented that they must be Braves fans because they'd draped Atlanta Braves towels over the backs of their chairs. The lady sat straight up and announced that they were from Boston and no way did they want anyone to think they were SOUTHERNERS! I truly had to sit there and bite my tongue!

My good bloggy pal, Rebeckah, wanted to know, "Did you ever think you would love blogging as much as you do? How did you get started? First of all, never in a million trillion years did I think I would love blogging as much as I do now! It caught me totally by surprise! The main reason I do it is to give my girls a tangible account of some of the memories we've made...it's been so worth it! As a lot of you know, Kelly of Kelly's Korner (AKA Harper's mom), is my second cousin. Her dad and I are first cousins. Well, about a year ago, one of my aunts sent me the link to her blog and I was so impressed with it. After some thought, I decided to give blogging a try and have never looked back!

Finally, my dear friend, Rambling Gal, asked me for a little travel advice, "I like to visit places in my state, but sometimes we never hear about those so living up there tell me some neat places to visit that are just a hole in the ground." Well, being that we've lived in Georgia for only 4 years, I'm sure there is still a lot to see and do. However, some of our favorite places to visit are Tallulah Gorge State Park and Anna Ruby Falls...both are in the north Georgia mountains and you'll have the opportunity to see some gorgeous waterfalls! Great places for a picnic lunch! Also, we love visiting Dahlonega and Helen. You can go kayaking or tubing down the Chattahoochee River, pan for gold, do a little shopping...there are endless possibilities!

Alrighty, guess that's a wrap! Thanks, again, for all the great questions you submitted...it's been so much fun!

"Most of us are so busy doing things, regretting things, rushing around and planning for other moments, that it sometimes seems as if we lose sight of the moment we are really in-this one."~Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"

The Answers Continue...

First of all, thank you all so very much for your thoughts and prayers regarding the situation I wrote about last night. I'm still in shock about what happened, as are many others. I pray for the boy and his family, and another other potential victims who've yet to come forth. Abby is handling the news well and I definitely used it as an opportunity to talk with her very openly about what happened and how concerned it makes me feel as a parent. The repercussions of something like this can be devastating. Please continue to keep our church and all involved parties in your prayers. Above all, keep close watch over your children and hold onto them tight!

Well, I think we're, finally, nearing the end of the questions I was asked. All of you have made it so much fun for me and I hope you've enjoyed getting to know me a little better.

My sweet friend, Amy, asked me several questions. Her first one was, "What beauty product do you use that is an absolute MUST HAVE? I'm going to cheat just a tiny bit because I have two. One is Eucerin Facial Moisturizer with an SPF of 30 that I wear under my makeup (or alone!) every single day. The other is John Frieda's Luxurious Volume Root Booster because without it, my hair falls FLAT, especially with all this Deep South humidity we have going on!

Next, she wanted to know, "What do you like to do to make your spouse's day easier? OK, when Chris walks in the door after being gone for 3 or 4 nights, I don't bombard him with all the "issues" I've had to deal with while he's been away. I give him time to sit down and unwind for awhile. Also, I pay all the bills so that's one thing he doesn't have to worry about. Lastly, since he's a runner, he loves for me to massage his feet and his back for him. I think it's the little things that mean the most.

Her last question made me really scratch my head. She asked, "Is there something you used to do as a child/teen that you would NEVER let your children do? At first, I have to admit, I drew a complete blank on this one! However, after much thought, I came up with an answer. When I was a kid, I used to love going exploring in the woods by myself...I'm talking deep into the woods. I loved the solace of being alone...it never bothered me. In fact, I'm still a lot like that to some degree. Maybe it's because my brothers were so much older than me and I had to find different ways to keep myself entertained. Unfortunately, we live in a very scary world anymore. Hardly a day goes by that you don't hear of a child getting abducted, murdered, or sexually assaulted. We live near Atlanta and, as with all metropolitan cities, crime runs rampant. So, I would never consider allowing my girls to venture into wooded areas alone or with friends. Call me old-fashioned or overprotective, but in my mind, it's just too risky. I never want to make a decision that I might live to regret. *Ironically, I wrote this answer last night before I heard the news...I feel stronger about it now more than ever!

These next couple of questions were asked by my sweet friend, Blonde Duck. Isn't that the greatest name? She wanted to know, "What's your favorite pie? Well, my mom was known for her amazing Coconut Cream pies. So, that is definitely my all-time favorite, but Mom's was the BEST! I would give anything if I'd learned how to make it from her!

She, also, wanted to know, "Are you scared of Queen Bitty? Ok, I'm assuming you're referring to Brittany, right? Well, if so, you'd better believe I'm afraid of that girl! No, I'm only kidding! She can definitely have her moments, but deep down inside, she's as good as gold! I wouldn't change one thing about her...except for the endless texting, maybe! :)

CHERISH YOUR CHILDREN!

More Of Me...

I must admit that I blushed a little bit when I read the question that my good friend, Julie, asked me..."How do you keep your skin looking so awesome? Thank you for your kind comment, Julie, but can you not see the Crow's feet and age spots? They're there, I can assure you! Now, I do have a regime that I always follow. Every single night before I go to bed, I remove all of my makeup with Jergen's Cold Creme. Then, I exfoliate with L'oreal Age Perfect Cream Cleanser. After that, I slather my face with L'oreal RevitaLift. Then, in the mornings, I wash my face with a gentle apricot scrub and I use Eucerin Facial Moisturizer in SPF 15 under my makeup. I make certain to always wear sunscreen...skin cancer/melanoma runs in my family. I, also, drink lots of water!


My sweet friend, Jodi, asked, "How do you keep looking so young?" Bless your heart for that, Jodi! Now, I've always been an active person. I was a cheerleader for a number of years in high school. About 9 years ago, I took up running. I run 3-4 miles 5 days a week and I, also, work out with free weights, as well as a weight machine. I just always feel so much better when I exercise. Plus, I think I still act like I'm 18...not in a stuck up kind of way, of course! I just like to be silly and have FUN!


Jodi also asked, "I see you've lived in several different states. How has that affected/changed you and your children/family? Yes, in our almost 20 years of marriage, we've moved 6 times and to 4 different states. My dad used to always say that "people are people wherever you go" and I've found that to be very true. Moving as much as we have has made our girls stronger individuals. They've learned how to acclimate to different situations and to take some chances along the way. So, I'd have to say that our moves have had a positive affect on us, overall, though it's been tough to leave behind friends that we've made. However, we've learned that there's always new friendships to make just around the bend.

The girls and I are beginning to feel a little better; yesterday was a rough day. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers...really means a lot!

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."~Albert Einstein

And So It Continues...

This is, usually, the day I post my Vlogemotions, but I've had a terrible sore throat, so my motivation was lacking. I'll do my best to be back with bells on next week!

Now, I'm going to answer a few more questions that were asked by my sweet friend, Amy. I really appreciate all of you being patient with me!

What is your favorite TV show? Well, I must admit that I'm not a huge TV watcher, but I love "The Locator", "Intervention", and "Wipeout" totally cracks me up! I just discovered a new show that I think I'm going to like a lot called "Glee". Did you see it? It's really pretty funny!

How did you choose your girls' names? With Brittany, I always loved the name, so I knew that if I ever had a daughter, that's what I wanted to name her...thankfully, Chris agreed. Her middle name is Marie. We weren't aware of it at the time we named her, but later found out that both of her great-grandmothers on Chris' side of the family had the same middle name. Now, Abby's actual name is Abigail which means "father of joy". With all that we went through (miscarriages and infertility), we wanted her to have a Biblical name. Her middle name is Grace because we knew that if it weren't for the "grace" of God, we wouldn't have been able to have her.
I saw a glimpse of Bella (your dog) in your Vlogemotion video and would LOVE to have one just like her...where did you get her and why did you choose that particular breed and how is she to have as a pet overall? Bella is my lovey! She's a full-bred Shih-Tzu and nothing less than a walking ball of fluff! She has the sweetest disposition of any dog I've ever been around. We've had her for almost 2 years now. We got her at a local flea market. It's a long story, but Abby was convinced that she needed a hamster or a guinea pig. Chris and I weren't big on the idea, at all. So, one Saturday morning, we decided to drive down the road and go to a flea market we'd seen advertised. It ended up being a "junk trap", for lack of a better description. As we were leaving, I saw a sign above our heads that read, "Animals Outside". So, out the door we went and there were all sorts of animals for sale...chickens, rabbits, cats, reptiles...and DOGS! We happened upon a man who was selling Shih-Tzu puppies. Abby scooped one up in her arms...the rest is history. Though it wasn't our intention, we ended up taking Bella home with us. We didn't realize it until we got her home that she was being eaten alive with FLEAS! It broke our hearts! I bathed her in a flea dip and that helped a lot. The next morning, she was very lethargic, so I took her to see the vet. She ran some tests and found that Bella had the worst case of Coccidia she'd ever seen! In fact, she said that if I hadn't brought her in that morning to be seen, she most likely wouldn't have survived. It develops from poor living conditions. The vet ended up filing a report with the GA. Dept. of Agriculture against the man we bought her from. Bella was put on medication and the next 24-48 hours were critical, but she survived! She hasn't had any problem since. The next time we decide to purchase a dog, we'll only go through a reputable breeder...lesson learned! As far as how she is as a pet...PERFECT! She has such a gentle personality and is so loving! Keep in mind that Shih-Tzu's hair grows long, so you do have to groom them. They, actually, have a coat like a rabbit...it's so soft! They're hypoallergenic, don't shed (BIG plus!), and don't have that typical dog odor. It's definitely the only breed for me!

Have a HAPPY Thursday!

Are You Still With Me?

I warned you it would take awhile to answer all the questions I was asked, but I've really enjoyed it A LOT...hope you have, too! This time around, I'm combining questions I was asked by two of my good bloggy pals. The first question came from Cortney. She asked, "When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?" First and foremost, I wanted to be a mother. I played with dolls all the time and I always had a deep-rooted desire to be a mom one day. Secondly, I wanted to be a nurse, particularly a pediatric nurse. Actually, if I could go back to college right now, I'd probably not choose speech-language pathology as my major, but nursing, instead. Oh, if it were only that easy!

These next questions were asked by my friend, Tim. He really outdid himself! Man, oh, man...was this ever a workout for my brain!

Here's his questions...

What has it been like having a teenage girl when it comes to boys? Absolutely brutal, that's how it's been! Brittany has had some real doozies for boyfriends! It's been tough because you want to grab her by the shoulders and shout, "OPEN YOUR EYES...SMELL THE COFFEE"! I have learned through a lot of trial and error how to direct her path gently without causing her to do the exact opposite of what I'm hoping and praying for. We've, undoubtedly, had our share of drama...enough to put the top-rated soap opera to shame!

How did you meet your hubby? Chris and I met on a blind date that was set up by my brother, Kevin, the one who lost his battle with cancer. He and Chris met at a yacht club in Tennessee when Chris was there with the Knoxville Ski Club for a Christmas party. Kevin told him about me and gave Chris my phone number. The very next day, Kevin told me, "Little sis, you might be getting a phone call from someone real soon." I looked at him and asked, "Kev, what have you done?" He gave me a sheepish grin and walked out of the room. Well, a few days later, Chris took me out on our first date. When I saw him on the other side of the door, my exact thoughts were, "I could marry this guy one day." Just 3 months later, we got engaged and were married 10 months after our first date. We'll celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in October!

Your most embarrassing moment? Oh, I've had my share...trust me! However, I'd probably have to say one that stands out in my mind was when I went in for my annual OB/GYN visit a few years ago and I was wearing one of those flimsy little gowns that opens up in the front. Well, my doctor and the nurse kept telling me to scoot down further on the table. I'd scoot down and they'd say, "A little bit more." Well, the next thing I knew, I slid completely off the end of the examination table and my gown flew open wide! My dignity went right out the door! My doctor and his nurse both laughed! Very humiliating!

Favorite song? I have so many...my mind is swimming! Well, if I'm running or working out, I love to listen to "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman Turner Overdrive or "Roll With the Changes" by REO Speedwagon. I like songs by Boston, too...lots of 80's stuff! Anything to get me pumped up and moving! Now, my current favorite contemporary Christian song is "Revelation" by Third Day, but I love old hymns such as "I'll Fly Away" and "Blessed Assurance", too.
Favorite vacation destination and why? I would have to say Sedona, Arizona because I love being outdoors and exploring. It's the most beautiful place I've ever been to go hiking and to enjoy nature! I've been there twice and I'd love to go back soon!

Fondest memory with each of your girls? Once again, there are more than I could possibly count! I'd have to say that one of my fondest memories OF each of my girls is when they got baptized at our church in Germantown, TN. That is something I will never forget...when they made a public profession of their faith! One of my fondest memories WITH my girls was when the three of us went to a Tim McGraw concert here in Atlanta...it was their first. We went out to dinner before the concert, then we drove by ourselves to downtown Atlanta to go to Phillips Arena. For those of you who've never been to downtown Atlanta, let me just say that it isn't the place you want to be wandering around at night! I was a nervous wreck, needless to say! We found a close parking spot, thank goodness, and ended up having the time of our lives singing and dancing with Tim!

What do you think you will be feeling as hubby walks Britt down the aisle? I think my heart will be swelled up with pride. It will, also, be breaking because I'll realize that she's no longer my little girl, but someone's wife...and things will never be quite the same, again.

What do feel so far about Vlogemotions? I love it, Tim...I REALLY do! At first, I was a little unsure about it, but I'm starting to get into it now and, yes, it is therapeutic for me and I'm not nearly as nervous as I was before.

What is your favorite blog carnival? DUH...Vlogemotions all the way! How's that for a plug, Tim?

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."~Maria Robinson

More Questions and Answers...

Hope you are all enjoying your week! With my girls being out of school since last Wednesday, we've been keeping pretty busy. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been cooperating enough for us to hang out at the pool, but we've been in need of rain, so I'm not going to complain! Today, I've decided to answer some more questions, so let's get started!

OK, the next set of questions I was asked came from my sweet friend, Mommy Mac. She, first, inquired, "Do you think it is important for a mom to stay at home after her children go to school? Now, I'm certain that my answer is going to offend some of you, which is certainly NOT my intention! I'm only sharing with you my own opinion based solely on my own life experiences. Look out hot water...here I come!

Yes, I do think it's important, though not imperative, for a mother to stay at home after her children go to school. Why, you might ask? Well, when I was growing up, I had a mom who stayed at home with all three of her children. For me, there was no greater comfort than coming home from school in the afternoon to find her waiting for me with a huge glass of cold milk and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She'd sit with me in the kitchen and we'd talk about everything that happened during the day. Those were special times because she made raising me (and my brothers) a top priority. She never complained about being a stay-at-home mom or "losing herself" because of it. She knew, we ALL knew, that it was her life calling...and we were very grateful. So, when I had my girls, I knew that I wanted to be at home with them, and for them, through all their growing up years. I've been blessed with the opportunity to go on field trips with them, be room mom, and to pick them up when they've been sick, or had a doctor or dental appointment. I think it's given my girls a sense of security to know that they can always count on me to be there. Now, this isn't to say that I don't feel mothers shouldn't have the chance to chase their own dreams, or that I don't understand that current economic times may not warrant a mother to remain at home. I'm not implying that at all! All I'm saying is that for me and our family...home is where I need, and want to be, until my girls are off on their own.
Do you have a housekeeper? Only in my dreams! LOL! Actually, I think I'm too picky about how I want my house to be kept, so I choose to clean my own house...free of charge! Well...ALMOST!

Do you live close to family or far away? The closest family we have nearby is Chris' mom and brother who live in South Carolina. It's about a 3-hour drive to their house. With my parents both gone, and one brother, I only have one brother left who lives in northwest Arkansas, so it's a long way from Georgia! I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins who live mostly in Arkansas and other parts of the south.
How do you keep your family dinners at the table TOGETHER with all your kids' activities? Well, that is not an easy task with Chris traveling 3-4 nights out of each week. Then, of course, the girls have all sorts of things going on all the time. So, we just do our best to eat an early or late dinner, if need be, so that we can have that time together without infringing on other plans and responsibilities. We do have a "tradition" of going out to dinner together every Friday night as a family. Brittany will even tell her boyfriend or friends that she'll have to meet up with them later because we're going out to eat. It gives us time to reconnect as a family.

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."~Desmond Tutu

Good Cop Bad Cop

Are you ready for Round 2 of our question and answer session? Off we go...

My sweet friend, Shelley asked this question..."Who's more the disciplinarian and who's more the softie between you and your husband when it comes to the girls?

OK, any guesses here? Now, remember, I'm the one who's always shedding crocodile tears about my girls and the things they say or do. Actually, the mere thought of them growing up is enough to turn me into a blubbering mess. Yes, I am definitely the softie when it comes to the girls and my husband is more of the disciplinarian. My girls know that I have a soft heart and they use that to their advantage...A LOT! Take my word, I'm onto their little game! Chris, on the other hand, tends not to budge when he lays the hammer down. Batting their big, brown eyes at him doesn't work, nor does begging and pleading for mercy! LOL! I think we strike a pretty good balance.

I have to admit that I was quite proud of myself the other day, though. Just the week prior, I had warned Brittany that if she came home late from being out with Patrick, her boyfriend, one more time, there would be consequences. She's, usually, very good about coming home on time, but she does like to sit out in the driveway and chat for an eternity! I told her that her curfew is when she should be walking in the door, give or take a few minutes. Well, the other day after school, he picked her up and they went out for an ice cream. I told her to be home by 5:30 PM because that's when we planned to eat. She walked in the door at 5:50 PM. I took one look at her, extended my hand, and said the most devastating words a teenager will ever hear..."Give me your cell phone." Yes, I took it away from her for a full 24 hours...because it's her lifeline and I knew it would make a lasting impression. Boy, did it ever! In a nutshell, she was NOT HAPPY with me! I think I saw steam coming from her ears, but I'm not sure. Chris called me that night from being on the road and he told me how proud he was of me for sticking to my threat. I was pretty proud of myself, I have to say! She tried to get me to give it to her sooner, but I refused! I made her sweat it out till the very end of the 24 hour period...right on the dot! As Chris always says, "Actions and consequences." I guarantee you that she'll think long and hard the next time she's told to be walking in the door! I know, I'm such a meanie...it's so much fun, too! :)

“Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young."~Author Unknown


P.S. I had intended to participate in Vlogemotions today, but my girls' last day of school was yesterday and they were NOT motivated to help me create a video, as I had planned. If I can convince them to try again today, I'll get it posted later on this afternoon or early tomorrow, so we'll see!

My Quest To Become A Mother...

As you might recall, I asked those of you who were interested to pose some questions for me to answer. Well, you came through with some fantastic ones! So, what I'm going to do is start with the first question left for me in my comments and I'll work my way down, one by one. This could take awhile, so please bear with me! If you were nice enough to ask me questions, I definitely want to repay the favor in kind. Alright...here we go!

Now the first question came from my good friend, Annie. She wrote, "I'd love to know how you felt when you knew you were going to have your first baby... how'd you find out, were you trying, was she a surprise?

Well, Chris and I started trying to have a baby about 9 months after we were married; we both wanted to have children. We assumed that things would just "happen"...but, they didn't. We had several "false alarms" where I'd gone past my period 4 or 5 days and I experienced some of the typical symptoms associated with pregnancy. However, when I went in to get confirmation from my OB/GYN, he informed me that I wasn't pregnant, afterall. It was a real roller coaster ride...our hopes would go up, only to be knocked down, again. It took us 10 long months to finally conceive Brittany. In fact, the exact day I found out I was pregnant with her was June 5, 1991. Here's what I wrote in my journal..."Found out today that I'm going to have a BABY!!! I took the Daisy pregnancy test at 6:30 AM because I'm 2 days over my period and it came back POSITIVE! Chris and I got so excited, but we decided to go to Dr. Davis to have it confirmed. The nurse first did a urine test and it came back negative, so she did a blood test. After 10 grueling minutes of waiting anxiously, Dr. Davis called us back. He introduced himself to Chris, extended his hand, then said, "Well...CONGRATULATIONS!" I started jumping up and down and hugging and kissing Chris like crazy! The nurses got so tickled at me! After 10 months of trying to conceive a baby, the news was music to our ears! Wow! I'm going to have a BABY!" So, as you can tell...we were ECSTATIC!

Though I had an uneventful pregnancy, Brittany was born with the umbilical cord wrapped twice around her neck and it took the medical staff a few minutes to get her going because she wasn't breathing. I still recall one nurse pleading, "Breathe, baby, breathe!" When she, finally, let out a cry, Chris and I were both SO relieved and we broke down in tears. She weighed only 5 lbs. at full-term and the placenta was abnormally small. I had a fertility doctor tell me later on that she was probably very lucky to have survived the entire pregnancy.

After the birth of Brittany, I suffered 2 miscarriages in a 9-month period, followed by two years of unexplained infertility. I underwent testing to try and determine why I'd lost two babies and why I was having such a hard time conceiving. Well, the test results revealed that I most likely had a condition known as Antiphospholipid Syndrome. It's a disease of the immune system that's characterized by excessive clotting, which can result in miscarriage. Also, my progesterone levels were very low, so I had to go on progesterone suppositories...FUN, FUN! To further help me conceive, I had shots of HCG and I took Clomid. Thankfully, the first time was a charm because I got pregnant with Abby right away! It was a happy time, but we were almost afraid to allow ourselves to get too excited. To better ensure that things went well, I had to take one baby aspirin everyday for my entire pregnancy. This prevented my blood from clotting, which my doctor thought could have been an underlying factor, not only in my miscarriages, but it might have explained Brittany's low birth weight and small placenta, too.

My pregnancy with Abby progressed beautifully. However, while in the hospital ready to deliver, Chris noted on the fetal heart monitor that her heart rate plummeted rapidly. He called in the nurse and she, immediately, flipped me onto my side and put an oxygen mask on my face. She called the OR for them to prepare for an emergency C-section...STAT! About that time, my doctor darted in and he decided to use vacuum extraction to help Abby get born fast! Though I couldn't see for myself, Chris later told me that it scared him to death because the doctor was pulling on her so hard with the device that the veins in his arms were bulging out! Within minutes, Abby was born! What a blessing it was to finally hold her in my arms and to know that she was alright! Due to the vacuum extraction being used, she was born with a conehead. I even asked my doctor if her head would always look like that, but it went away after a few days. She weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz., but the umbilical cord was remarkably short. My doctor told me it was constricting her oxygen supply, causing her heart rate to drop. As I look back now, I can see God's handprint on everything that transpired, teaching me to hold onto my faith and continue to trust in Him! What a journey it's been...but so worth it!

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body."~Elizabeth Stone


P.S. Sorry, Annie...I think you got more than you bargained for!