100 Days of School

Good Wednesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from my dinner with my cousins and MamMa Monday night. Every Christmas, MamMa gives her grandchildren and their spouses a nice dinner at a restaurant. We pick a date AFTER the Christmas holidays in January or February, and we all meet and eat together. It isn't hectic. It isn't ONE MORE THING to fit into an already busy Christmas schedule. It is relaxed and nice and fun. (It's a great gift.)

Pictures from Austin's Top of the River celebration last night are forthcoming. (Sorry. That's the old legal secretary in me. I'll post those pics tomorrow.)

Special Guest Hints - Three more hints. Monday morning she will be revealed. I have a really good hint for tomorrow's post!

6. She plays the trombone. (I didn't know that!)

7. She graduated in 1979. (Me, too!)

8. She loves to eat out. (Don't we all!)

Except for the trombone part, this could be me! Don't worry. I'm not the Special Guest. Wouldn't that be a let down?

The Story of Austin - Part Two

Really, the choosing of Austin's name wasn't very difficult. We made lists of all the names we liked. We read several Baby Name books. If I didn't like one of Mike's choices, we crossed it off the list. If he didn't like one of my choices... we put a little star beside it.

But one night we said Austin, and we both agreed we liked it. We said Austin Faulkner. We liked that, too. We had already agreed we wanted him to have a "family" name, and Michael was the obvious choice for that one. Austin Michael Faulkner. Not difficult. No big discussions or fights. No tears. It was very easy to name him. And we immediately began referring to him by name. "Do you think Austin's going to like the teddy bear border we picked out?" "Do you think Austin is going to spit up a lot?" "Do you think the way I'm gaining weight, Austin is going to weigh 14' 2" by the time he gets here?"

Yes, I was still gaining weight at warp speed. Thankfully, I had not started gaining weight until I found out I was pregnant, so when I hit 47 pounds on the scale, I knew by the next visit I was going to be the big 5-0! And we all know what that meant... another talk with the doctor about my "caloric" problem. (I had already received four such "talks/lectures," and I wasn't looking forward to number five.)

One week later, and nine days from my due date of March 2, I did indeed tip the scales at 50. The nurse weighing me said, "The doctor is not going to be happy with you today."

To which I replied, "I am an intelligent 29 year-old woman who at any minute is going to give birth. I am thinking I do not want any more lectures from a man who has NEVER been pregnant!"

She must have delivered the message, because my visit with my doctor was incredibly short wherein he informed me "nothing was happening," and he said he'd see me in a week.

I was a little disappointed about the "nothing was happening" part, but I could hold out a few more days. It was definitely time though. My maternity clothes were tight (caloric), my ankles were starting to swell (caloric), and sleeping had become next to impossible (caloric).

I went to Food World and was buying... you guessed it! MORE FOOD. I was halfway through my shopping trip when I sneezed. Uh, oh. If you are a woman who is 38 1/2 weeks pregnant and has put on 50 pounds, you know sneezing is a no-no. "Well, this is just great," I thought to myself. "I'm 29 years old, and I just wet my pants... in public no less! I put myself between my buggy and the food, and waited for someone I knew to walk by so they could walk behind me to my car (for embarrassment sake). No one. Great.

I decided to wait five more minutes and then I would just walk out by myself. I figured that would be when I saw everyone I knew in Cullman.

About that time, a pregnant lady with a small toddler in her shopping cart came around the turn. I didn't know her, but I knew she'd understand. As she started to pass me, I asked her my special little favor. She was so sweet. Her face just melted into compassion, and she gladly offered to help. She left her buggy at the register... I left mine in the aisle, and we both got empty buggies and with one in front and one right behind, she walked me to my car. "I can never thank you enough," I said, relieved.

"If this is the most embarrassing thing that happens to you while you're pregnant, you'll be very fortunate. Are you having twins?" she asked.

"No. I have a caloric problem," I whispered.

"Don't we all, honey. Don't we all." And with that, my helper and her toddler waddled back into the grocery store.

To make a long story much shorter, at 2:00 the next morning, my water broke. Mike and I got ready to make the hour long drive to Birmingham to finally meet Austin face-to-face. We called our parents and the hospital, and I was getting ready to take a quick shower and do my hair and make-up before we left.

First mistake... I told the nurse I was going to take a quick shower and do my make-up before we left.

"Oh, no. You get down here right away. You do not take a shower when you're an hour away from the hospital."

"Well, I take very quick showers, and I'm not having contractions or anything like that. I'll be just fine."

"No, ma'am. You get in that car right now and get to the hospital." She was so bossy, and I was hoping she was going to be off-duty before Austin was born. I didn't want one of the first people he came in contact with to be so unpleasant.

I told Mike what she had said as I was going to the bathroom to get my shower and do my make-up. "No. We're doing exactly what they said to do," he said. I knew he was nervous about delivering on the side of the road... but my hair was not clean, and at 2:00 a.m. I was the kind of girl who needed a little make-up. (I didn't want Austin to be traumatized when he saw his mother for the first time.) But Mike was already dressed and taking the suitcase down the stairs to the car. He immediately came back up the stairs and hurried me along and into the car. I was not a happy camper.

"Well, I guess I could take a shower this afternoon after Austin gets here," I finally agreed as I went digging for lipstick in my purse.

We arrived at the hospital in record time (no traffic at 2:45 in the morning), and we waited for Austin's arrival. Nothing. Three hours later. Nothing. Five hours later. Nothing. But they did decide to start the "drip," which would hurry my contractions along. Nothing. Finally, the doctor decided an ultrasound was in order to see what the hold-up was. Austin was "oblique lie," which in layman's terms means he was side-to-side instead of head down ready to be born. Hmm. Well, what were we going to do?

"We're going to have to perform a C-Section," the doctor told me. So within 45 minutes of the C-Section decision, I was holding my Austin. He was beautiful. He took my breath away. His name fit him perfectly, and although I had thought he would weigh at least 14 pounds 2 ounces, he came in at 9 pounds 6 ounces.

I could hear my doctor thinking, "And the other 40 pounds you gained were... caloric!" I didn't care.

I would worry about that tomorrow... along with my dirty hair and a few other surprises. None of that mattered at that moment... 1:15 p.m., February 23, 1991. Not one bit.

My Birth Day stories are almost as long as my Mikie and Belinda story. Sorry. We'll finish it up tomorrow. Promise!

Wednesday Wisdom - I feel very Dr. "Suess-y" today. I'm not sure why, but I'm not going to question the feeling. Enjoy some of the Dr.'s more famous words.

"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than You."

"You know you are in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." (This one fits in the LOVE month category.)

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." (Ah. Spoken by a "glass half-full" person!)

100 Days of School

These ideas came straight out of Family Fun Magazine (February 2010). Since the 100th day of school usually falls in late winter, here are six ways to celebrate this event (plus a bonus).

1. Make a paper chain using exactly 100 links.

2. Put together a 100-piece puzzle.

3. Mix up your own 100-piece bag of trail mix. Set out bowls of ingredients and count out 13 raisins, 7 cashews and 80 M&Ms. (I like the way these people think!)

4. On the driveway, pick a starting point and put a piece of tape at the spot you estimate is 100 feet away. Use a measuring tape to figure out how close you got.

5. Link 100 paper clips together and wear the chain to school.

6. Use fabric glue to attach 100 sequins, pom-poms or googly eyes to a T-shirt.

BONUS - Go to Nitty.Gritty under My Blog List. Scroll down to the post labeled Lots of Butterflies dated Sunday, February 21 to see what Jody did to represent 100 days of school on her little girl's cap. It is too cute.

As always, make it your own and have fun.

Have a wonderful Wednesday. Let your kiddos know you love them today. Put some of their favorite candy on their pillow to find when they come home from school or go to bed tonight. (A "little" sugar never hurt anyone. It just makes them sweeter. Can you tell I still don't have a grasp on that "caloric" thing?)

Thursday has some of the sweetest Blog Linkage I've shared yet, as well as a special date. And, of course, the last part of Austin's Birth Day Story. On Friday, I will be re-telling my Engagement to Mikie story. Since it is the LOVE month, I have to get it all in by Friday! I just have to!

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting and "Caloric-ly" Challenged Belinda