The Day of Reese's Birth

Just as I did our wedding day I have put a lot of thought into what the day of Reese’s birth will be like. Probably too much thought! There are several things that I am sure of on that eventful day

• I am sure that I will be a complete wreck until all the needles are over and my lower body is numb.
  
• I am sure that Adam will appear calm, cool, and collected and doing his best to assure me that everything is okay. God bless the man.
  
• I am sure that although he might appear calm, cool, and collected on the inside Adam will just as nervous as I will be.
  
• I am sure that the moment I hear her cry will be the best moment of my life.
  
• I am sure that the moment she cries I will cry right along with her.
  
• I am sure that the moment Adam sees her he will be completely wrapped around her finger.
  
• I am sure that she will fill a place in our lives that we didn’t know was empty
  
• I am sure from that moment forward she will completely consume my thoughts and prayer life.
  
• I am sure that the moment she arrives our lives will be changed forever…in a good way, of course
  
• And I am sure from the moment we see her that we will wonder what in the world we did before her.

After Adam and I had been dating for a while I came to realize one thing about our future and, Lord willing, the family we would have… Adam would hold us together and I would be the crazy mother. He is as calm and assuring as I am spastic and impatient. I have no doubt that he will gracefully step into the role of fatherhood and give this little girl more love and attention than I thought was possible. Odds are she’ll get plenty of attention from me as well. I currently feel calm about this whole birth process….even if a C-section were to be necessary I will be okay with that…WHAT?? Did I just say that?? I can’t believe those words came from my mouth. But honestly I am on the verge of miserable at the present time. I believe that my current state of misery is God at work in my life. If I weren’t so HUGE, hot, and swelled I would be worrying myself to death over the whole birthing process and the needles of course. So anyway, I would be elated for her to come sooner rather than later, but I know I probably will not get that wish:)

P.S. Did I mention that I am sure we will think she is perfect?

"Did you marry Adam Robertson?"

This question has been ask to me on two occasions in particular. The first time I was hit with this question was a couple of months after we had gotten married. Adam and I had wrapped some change that had been sitting around the house and I took it to the bank. Since we still do business at this particular bank I will leave it nameless for fear of what might be done to our saving account on the off chance that this person is reading this. Anyway, when I got to the bank I was handed a marker and informed that my name and phone number had to be on every single roll of coins. Maybe this is common knowledge to some of you, but it never crossed my mind. Adam obviously didn’t know this either since he didn’t mention it before I left home. So I took the marker and, slightly irritated, sat down in a chair and proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes writing my name and phone number on each roll of coins. I realize the smart thing to do would be to print that information out on address labels and stick them to the coins, but I was young and dumb so we'll overlook what I should have done. When I took my basket of rolled coins back to the counter I was hit with the question,
“Did you marry Adam Robertson?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Oh, well if I had known that I wouldn’t have made you write your name and number on all of these.”

WHAT?? You mean to tell me I just sat in the bank for 15 minutes on a Saturday writing my name and number on $75 worth of coins and it wasn’t necessary?? Slightly irritated turned into something much more. But since this person obviously knew my husband well and clearly thought he was a good enough person not to short change the bank on rolled coins I just smiled and walked away with my $75 in small bills.

Yesterday I was ask this question for the second time. I was headed home from what seemed to be the longest week I have ever lived through. I feel certain that the raging pregnancy hormones and extra 30 pounds I am carrying around had something to do with this being the longest week ever, but I could be wrong. And, of course, the fact that I deal with teenagers all day long. So on my way home it is possible that I was going 52 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. Now that’s what the police officer, who will also remain nameless, told me…I cannot confirm or deny these allegations since I had my mind on one thing…getting home and propping up my swelled ankles. So when the blue lights started to flash I pulled the car over and started the search for my insurance card. Which I can never seem to find an up to date copy when I need one. Anyway this is how it went…
“Ma’am what’s your hurry?”
To myself I thought, “Well you see…I am clearly about to pop, my ankles are much larger than necessary, and I have been at a school all day trying to control future prison inmates. My hurry is that I am exhausted and ready to be at home.” But I felt certain that statement would get me a ticket…So I just said,
“Nothing really” as I handed him my drivers license. And that’s when I got the question again…
“Did you marry Adam Robertson?”
“Yes, I did. Is that going to get me out of a ticket today?” At that point I recognized the name on the badge as one of the guys Adam graduated high school and played football with.
“Today it is.”
To say the least I was not at all irritated to be asked this question in this particular scenario. Living in a small town can be very annoying at times. The old saying that if you don’t know what your doing everybody else sure does rings very true in a lovely little place called Clay County Alabama, but on this particular day living in a small town paid off. And I had to laugh to myself when he walked away from the car and said,
“Tell Adam I said hey.”
“I sure will.”

So yes, I did marry Adam Robertson and it seems as though that might be a good thing:)

36 Weeks

At 36 weeks Reese is the size of a crenshaw melon weighing about 6 pounds

How Far Along: 36 weeks. In a way I feel panicked when I think about having only 4 more weeks to prepare for motherhood, but in a much bigger way I don’t know how I can stand all of this pregnancy stuff for 4 more weeks.
Weight Gain: I am no longer looking to see how much I have gained. Since last Friday I have started to swell. My ankles are puffy and my wedding rings won’t even go over my knuckles. So from now on when people ask how much I gained I will inform them of the 31 pounds I gained during the first 35 weeks. The book says, “You are feeling very heavy by now…” Really? Who would have guessed?
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: I don’t think so, but to be honest there are places that I can’t even see anymore. I do not doubt that I have them under my belly button, but how would I know.
Sleep: At least 3 trips to the restroom every night this week which obviously means interrupted sleep.
Baby Movement: Yes
Food Cravings: Nothing in particular since there is no room in there for food. BUT… I LOVE hot fudge cake sundaes from Shoney’s. However in my pre pregnancy life I didn’t indulge in such things due to the enormous amount of guilt I would feel after eating one. Plus I am pretty sure you would have to spend around 48 hours on a treadmill to burn off such a delicious treat. I declared weeks ago to Adam that I would be eating one before this baby comes. And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t keep my word???
What I Miss: Sleeping all night which I understand never happens again once a baby arrives. Good thing I enjoyed my first 25 years of restful nights.
Looking Forward To: Seeing her sweet little face. And I am pretty much ready for this to be over. Staying home all summer and being pregnant was one thing. Going to work everyday and being 9 months pregnant is something completely different.
Milestones: At 36 weeks this is what the book says, “Pack your bag for the hospital. A baby is considered at term three weeks before your due date, so be prepared.” I love this statement. I have just been waiting to pack my bag! Reese’s bag is already packed. We will now be going to the doctor every week which makes me nervous and excited. At 36 weeks Reese weighs almost 6 pounds. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. At this stage the baby is storing as much fat as she can and the cheeks, knees and elbows start dimpling due to fat deposition. Awww how sweet! I love chubby babies.

In other news MeeMaw made the curtain for Reese's room last week.

There are a ton of things that we have been trying to get done before Reese gets here. We decided a couple of weeks ago to put gas logs in our living room. It has been the biggest mess ever! Which under normal conditions would drive me crazy, but I have been too tired to care. In the past I have always helped Adam with any project around the house, but this one was done by Adam alone! I love it! And I can't wait to lay around on the couch and spoil Baby Reese with the gas logs glowing!

35 Weeks

At 35 weeks Reese is the size of a honeydew melon

How Far Along: 35 weeks!!
Weight Gain: Ok, so I was hoping to be the girl that fit the profile in the What To Expect When Your Expecting book. You know the one in the weight gain section…25-35 pounds…I was leaning more toward the 25 pound mark. Well, according to my scales I have officially gained 30 pounds. WHAT! Can I please be in denial about this? Since we found out at the doctor this week that she weighs 5.5 pounds I am going to pretend I have only gained 25 and she is the other 5
Maternity Clothes: Yes
Stretch Marks: No. I ran out of Mothers Friend and I am now using Coco Butter and Bio Oil. I only have one consumer complaint with the Bio Oil…it is a little too oily for my liking. Yes, I know it is called Bio Oil for a reason, but it doesn’t absorb into the skin very quickly leaving me with oily skin for way too long.
Sleep: Other than multiple trips to the restroom every night the sleep is good. Let’s keep this between you and me…but Adam says I snore now… Which I haven’t heard myself snoring so I can’t confirm this accusation.
Baby Movement: Yes. She has her “boney butt”; again those are the words of the nurse practitioner, right under my ribs. Lord knows I am not complaining. I am just glad it’s not her head like it had been. And about the whole “boney butt” thing…those don’t exactly run in my family so I highly doubt she is going to have one either…sad but genetically true. You just can’t fight DNA.
Food Cravings: Food doesn’t have all that much room anymore, but my sweet mother brought me potato soup from Logan’s and it made me very happy.
What I Miss: Being able to paint my toenails...I can not longer get down there. Oh well, that just means I have to treat myself to a pedicure before she comes.
Looking Forward To: I am anxious to see how all of this delivery business goes. I am going to be packing our bags soon and getting the car seat in the car because at the mention of a contraction Adam is going to throw me in the car and speed to Anniston. He has already told me if all that stuff isn’t already in the car it will be left and my parents will have to bring it. But then again this is the same man who wants to move to Anniston around the first of September just to be close to the hospital. This could be the one moment in our lives together that I will be calmer than Adam. Milestones: At 35 weeks it is likely that she will no longer be doing somersaults since her space has become limited….good…she needs to stay right where she is at. Over the next few weeks her lungs will mature and she will put on weight.

Maternity Picture Preview

One of my friends, and now coworkers, Amy Daniels made some maternity pictures for us last weekend, and I think she did fantastic! Once she gets them all edited I will be adding them. But until then here is a little preview:)

Prayer and Old Wives Tales

Never underestimate the power of prayer…and old wives tales. A few weeks ago when Dr. Ballard told me it wasn’t good that Reese had been in the breech position for so long she also made a few recommendations. She said that her first child was breech and a couple of times a night she would prop on her knees and elbows to help the baby turn. She said it was nothing more than an old wives tale, but it couldn’t hurt to try. So….for the past two weeks I have obeyed the doctors orders. Then a few of you gave me more recommendations

• laying with my feet over the back of the couch with my head toward the floor
  
• putting a frozen pack of peas on the top of my stomach because her head would move away from the cold…I used broccoli because we were fresh out of frozen peas
  
• and I have been preparing for my final attempt to turn her…turning on an electric toothbrush and letting it vibrate her head which would cause her to move…

We had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and I, of course, wanted to know if she was still breech. They thought she had turned so to be sure we had a quick sonogram. I could have kissed the nurse practitioner who did the sonogram when she confirmed that Reese is in the correct head-down position!!!! I almost jumped off the table with excitement! Now I realize this doesn’t necessarily mean that a C-section is out of the question, but it sure makes me feel better. My main fear of a C-section is that I would have to go to the hospital in no pain whatsoever and be ready to lean over a table and get an epidural. Look, I may have come to terms with all of this blood taking, but a needle in the spine is something completely different. I feel as though I will be able to openly accept a needle coming at me from behind if I am in pain…as opposed to showing up at the hospital at a designated time to receive my punishment. Adam said she overheard me talking about sticking a toothbrush to her head and she headed south. I have no idea when she turned, but what I have thought was a round head between my ribs was actually a “boney butt”- those are the words of the nurse practitioner. She also appears to have quiet a bit of hair and a “pug nose.” She weighed 5.5 pounds, and the nurse practitioner felt like in another month she would weigh around 6.5 pounds. So for now I would like to thank all of you who have been in prayer with me over this matter. Mostly, I would like to thank God for answering not only the big requests in my life, but the small, insignificant ones such as this. I think He even knows that this could have put me right into some sort of mental institution! Plus Adam was getting really tired of hearing me talk about this all the time. I think he secretly wants a C-section so that he can sit behind a curtain with me while all of the "gross" stuff goes on....refer back to the post "Elena, I have no medical experience..." concerning how Adam feels about labor and delivery:)

Those of you with husbands...

I guess you don’t really have to have a husband in your life for you to understand what I am about to say. A son, boyfriend, male cousin, brother…any of these will do. Or maybe I am wrong. Maybe my sweet, sweet husband is the only man who does this. And did I mention that I love him more than words could ever say? Seriously, I LOVE this man. He has brightened my life from the day he drove up to pick me up in an F150 wearing boots…ya’ll know how I love a man who wears boots. Anyway, why is it that a TV can get their attention so quickly? If Adam walks through the living room and the TV is on, no matter what channel, he ALWAYS stops to watch it. Always. If I have it on a show I like such as A Baby Story (which currently is my most watched program), The Notebook, or Cooking with Paula he stops, sits down, and watches. Then proceeds to complain that I watch the dumbest shows! If I were in the yard screaming for my life and he was running to my rescue I can assure you he would hesitate in front of the TV momentarily before coming to check on me. And I am not just saying this. I have proof. See picture below.

With only weeks left until the delivery of our first child we have decided to put gas logs in our living room. Adam works on this project most afternoons when he comes home from work….but as you can see if the TV is on he can’t seem to pay attention to anything but that! Is it just him?? Are others this impressed with this thing called a TV??

Did I mention that I LOVE him anyway!

The Day We Found Out

I thought I would go back and document the day we got the biggest surprise of our lives and how I told Adam. Like I have said before Adam and I were not planning to have a baby until I finished my masters degree, got tenure at school, and went on a couple of vacations. I was also the first to admit that I had some growing up to do. I tend to have a plan for everything, follow the same exact routine everyday (even eating the same thing for lunch on most days), and come and go as I please. Therefore, you can see how a baby might not fit into that equation.

Around January 20th I got suspicious something was going on. So after I left school the 21st (yes, I know the date…if you had gotten a shock of this magnitude the date would be etched in your mind too) I went through Talladega on my way home and got a test. I have family in Talladega, so I was really careful to cover that item up in the buggy with other stuff. I just knew I would run into some of them, and boy would I have had some explaining to do!! On the way home I had gotten Adam and I Subway, and those of you who know me best know that I ate mine on the way home…I also have a slight issue with being patient when it comes to food and there was no way I could wait to eat until I got home. By the time I got home I could not wait another second to know what was going on. So I left the groceries in the car and ran inside to take the test. My plan was to take the test, go get the groceries, and then check the results. However, the results were pretty much instant…PREGNANT…is the word I recall seeing. I have never felt so light headed before. I sat down in the bathroom and stared for what seemed like days. Us with a baby…what would we do with a baby?? I am the aunt who spoiled her nieces and nephews and then sent them home for their parents to deal with…me with a baby??? My siblings and their spouses were going to ruin my child just to get back at me for all I had done to their children. We weren’t ready for a baby. We were still trying to sell our house in Lineville. I was in the middle of graduate school. We had only been married 2 years! What in the world would we do with a baby?? These are all thoughts that ran through my mind. Then I recalled a statement Adam had made a few weeks prior to this moment. We kept my niece Andi one Saturday and when she left Adam said,

“I’d like to have one.”

“Adam, what would you do with a baby?”

“Play with it and give it back to you.”

And there I was with the word “pregnant” staring back at me. My nephew Brandon had been at our house and when I took him home I came back to find Adam was home from work and so innocently eating his sub. Poor guy, if he only knew what I was about to hit him with. I made the decision that I better wait till he finished his food to tell him. He has quiet the weak stomach and I hated to see that sandwich go to waste. So Adam was eating his sandwich, watching the news while I sat in the chair holding the evidence and waiting for the right moment to change his life. Now that I look back I can’t believe that I waited to tell him! I am usually busting at the seams to tell him any and everything. It took him longer to eat that sandwich than any meal in his entire life. When he finally finished I turned off the TV and said, “I need to talk to you about something. We’re going to have a baby.” He turned very pale, sat up in his chair, and said, “Are you serious?” Instantly, I regretted my decision. I should have let that sandwich settle a little bit longer. I am pretty sure I cried after that and informed him how we were not ready for a baby. He, of course, thought that I should have eased him into that kind of announcement instead of throwing it all at him at once. I’ll keep that in mind next time…if there is a next time. I didn’t want to tell anyone right away so for a week we kept the biggest secret of our lives. I was afraid to talk to anyone because I just knew it would slip out. I decided that it couldn’t be a secret any longer and the next Friday night we made the announcement. It was a couple of weeks after my mom’s birthday and a couple of weeks before Adam’s mom’s birthday. Debbie has wanted a baby since the day we got married, so I knew this would be a huge announcement at their house. We gave her an early birthday gift and gave my mom the same thing as a late birthday present with a picture of the test saying “PREGNANT.”

You probably want to turn the volume down on these videos before you watch it. Adam stood off to the side when each of them opened their gifts with the video camera rolling. I only wish I had had the video camera rolling when I told Adam! If you will notice I had to explain why the camera is on at my parents house because my mom saw Adam had the video camera on…I would also like to go on the record for saying that even though my Mom declares that she had had this on her mind all week and it was not a surprise….her initial reaction proves that she was as shocked as we were!

34 Weeks

At 34 weeks Reese is the size of a cantelope

How Far Along: 34 Weeks and when I noticed on the pregancy countdown that we are 42 days away from her arrival I kinda panicked. I do not think I am going to be ready in 42 days.

Weight Gain: Too scared to look:)

Maternity Clothes: Yes. Anytime that I complain about my feed hurting Adam tells me I should be wearing tennis shoes no matter which outfit I am wearing...Well, tennis shoes and a cotton dress don't exactly go together. I have made a lot of sacrifices over the past few months, but fashion will not be one of them.

Stretch Marks: Not yet.

Sleep: I will say it again...I love those boppy pillows! Sleep is okay, but several trips to the restroom during the night.

Baby Movement: Yes. I can tell she is awake more now than before, which is exactly what is supposed to happen.
Food Cravings: We are going to Olive Garden Saturday night with our Sunday School class, and we all know how Big Momma loves Olive Garden!!!!

What I Miss: Nothing I can think of.

Looking Forward To: Seeing her sweet little face and wearing my pre pregnancy clothes....if that ever happens.

Milestones: At 34 weeks Reese's fat layers are filling out causing her (and her mother) to be rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever before. Her central nervous and her lungs are continuing to maturing.

So the kids came back to school this week and I was prepared for the, "you have gotten big" statements....However, there was one statement that I wasn't expecting. I am changing the name of this student in order to protect the innocent. We'll call him Sam. Sam walked up to me on Wednesday in the hall and these were the intelligent words that came from his mouth,

"Mrs. Robertson, you pregnant?"

First of all, this is an 11th grader who asked this question...by that age don't they know what pregnant women look like? Second, "Mrs. Robertson", to the students I teach, is a two syllable word.

"No Sam I gained a lot of weight over the summer."

"Oh, ok."

Friends, we need to pray for the youth of our nation. If these kids are the future I, for one, am nervous.

Moving on...Adam has declared for weeks that Reese can't sleep in our room. We are ceiling fan people. Adam has a fan on his night stand, I have one on mine, and we have the ceiling fan on high at all times. Clearly, a baby doesn't need to sleep under an electric whirlwind, so Adam says she is going to sleep in her bed...which he follows up with, "Her bed cost more than ours did. She is going to sleep in it." I think she needs to be in our room for the first few weeks. We'll see who wins that battle. Anyway, my parents do not like the thought of her across the house from us. For the record, our house is small....if she moves her toe we would hear it all over the house. But my mom has continued to tell us how we need a cradle. So this is what was deliver to our house this week by PeePaw

Looks like she might spend at least one night in that electric whirlwind afterall:)

33 Weeks

At 33 weeks Baby Reese is the size of a pineapple

How Far Along: 33 Weeks
Weight Gain: I am scared to look…Plus I am not sure I could see over my stomach to read the number anyway.
Maternity Clothes: Yes. Such a sad week since I had to start back to work and actually wear those clothes I’ve bought.
Stretch Marks: No yet, but I am interested in becoming a spokes person for all the different brands of stretch mark creams I have tried…Palmer’s Coco Butter, BioOil, Mother’s Friend… I can give customer reviews on all of these.
Sleep: Sleep is becoming more difficult. I find it hard to turn over in the bed and I am up 3 to 4 times a night going to the restroom….How many more weeks till this baby gets here??????
Baby Movement: Yes. I am sad to report that she is currently and has been in the breach position for some time now. The thought of a C section scares me. I know some of you are reading this and saying, “I have had multiple C sections and love them” however this is just not the method I prefer. I really do not like the idea of having my arms strapped down to an operating table when my baby enters the world. But if that is the way that the good Lord plans on her arriving there is absolutely nothing I can do about it; however until I know that for sure I am in prayer and ask you to join me in praying that she flips around within the next few weeks. Dr. Ballard recommended getting on my elbows and knees a couple of times a day because some people believe that helps babies turn to the head down position. At our appointment when she told me that Adam just laughed because he knew I would be going home to test this method. Which I have. And I use my time on my elbows and knees wisely…praying that it works. All that really matters to us is that she gets here safe and healthy, but can’t her mother get her one request granted????
Food Cravings: Nothing in particular.
What I Miss: Being able to sit around in shorts and t-shirts all day!
Looking Forward To: Seeing her sweet little face
Milestones: At 33 weeks Reese could grow up to a full inch this week alone! Between now and delivery day she could possible double in weight which is very hard for me to believe! How in the world will I get around??? Due to her increasing size my amniotic fluid has maxed out which explains why her kicks become uncomfortable at this point- there is not enough fluid to cushion the blows.
All of these lovely ladies came to our house on Saturday for lunch and they were so sweet to give us the pack-n-play we had picked out!

I thought a comparasion photo would be entertaining...

14 Weeks

33 Weeks