Today...

Blake fell off the bed and Ryan found a roly poly in her mouth.







That's all.

What was I doing...

8 months ago??

5:15 AM

Woke up because my back was killing me.

5:30

Couldn't go back to sleep so I took a long hot shower.

5:45

Starving. So I ate some waffles and watched a little tv.

6:00

I decided that maybe this was more than just back pain so maybe I should start timing these back contractions.

6:15

Woke Ryan up to tell him that the back "labor" was happening every 5 minutes so we should probably get a bag packed.

6:45

In the car on the way to the hospital. There was a beautiful full moon! Ryan was much more calm about the situation than I thought he would be. We laughed between contractions and there were several since the hospital was about 20 minutes away.

7:00

Getting close to the hospital and at this point I am doubting that this is actually labor. The contractions aren't hurting very bad and I'm super excited so...this probably isn't it.

7:10

Pulling into the parking lot Ryan and I realize we don't really know where to go since we did not attend the baby class. I decide we should go to the ER but Ryan sees a sign that says "Deliveries" and he thinks we should follow the sign. I am almost laughing too hard to tell him that I think the sign means deliveries to the hospital not baby deliveries.

7:11

As I am getting out of the car a red sports car zooms by and stops in the first parking spot. And my doctor hops out! He sees me and asks what I am doing there. For being a doctor this guy might not be real observant...I told him I was having contractions so I thought I better check it out.

7:30

I get wheeled to a room and checked by the nurse and I am at a 3. She laughs and says that my doctor told them I was down there but that he doubted I would be ready because I was laughing so much.

8:30

My doctor comes and tells me that we are officially having our baby today!! He breaks my water and tells me that I can have my epidural in about an hour.

9:30

Epidural time!! Or so I thought. The contractions are still pretty mild at this point. I am having to breath through them but things are still going great!

9:45

They come in to tell me that the anesthesiologist is assisting in a c-section so it will be awhile. They give me some demarol (sp?) and phenagrin (sp?) for the pain.

10:00

I get a contraction that just about sends me over the back of the bed. From this time on, all contractions could have me climbing the wall and I am only at a five. It is at this point that I think that all people who deliver naturally are completely insane and must be superwoman (no offense, just a personal opinion!). Ryan also tries to do a little recording and quickly realizes that is not the best decision.

10:30

I tell my nurse (and I have already told Ryan several times) that the medicine is not working AT ALL.

11:00

The nurse comes in and says the c-section is over!! So she needs to flush my IV before he comes to give me my epidural. Yippee!

11:00 and 30 seconds

Conversation between me and the nurse:

Me: Wow, did you just put more medicine in my IV?

Nurse: No just saline.

Me: (slurring slightly) Are you sure?

Nurse: Yes, it's just saline.

Me: (Right eye roaming the room, left eye barely open, still slurring) I don't believe you.

Nurse: Hmmm, it seems that maybe all that medicine we gave you before was stuck in your IV and when I flushed it you finally got the dose.

Me: Sounds really good to me.......(eyes closing.....)

11:15 (or so I am told)

The anesthesiologist comes to give me my epidural. The nurse has me lean against her. I am pretty sure that if she would have moved I would have fallen flat on my face on the floor. I don't remember much about this process. Because of my scoliosis it took him about seven tries to get the needle in the right spot but I never felt a thing. At one point, I said "Okay, I am going to try really hard this time."

No clue what time any of this happened:

I slept off an on until about 3:30. During this time my family came in to see me several times, Ryan ran to get him some lunch, I made several drug induced comments such as "That guy's throwing peanuts right at me." and "Lola (our dog) loves cat food. She is eating it right now.", and I got some really good rest.

4:00

They told me I was going to start pushing. So I had to get off the phone.

4:30

Because of the AWESOME epidural I can't really feel ANYTHING so I am having to pretend a lot while I am pushing. As I am pushing I am trying to remember what women look like on tv when they are having a baby and I am trying to look like that because I am afraid that if they realize how strong my epidural is that they will take it away.

4:45

Ryan and the nurse are encouraging me and telling me how great I am doing. I tell them that if I was really doing great then I would already have had the baby.

5:10

My doctor comes in. Uses the salad tongs, twist her head a little and in about three more pushes...

5:12

Blake is here!!!

5:15

My doctor begins the task of sewing 712 stitches. Okay, not really 712 but for those of you who speak "baby" I had a fourth degree tear. Yikes! That doesn't sound good even if you don't speak baby.

5:20

Blake is all cleaned up and we are holding her for the first time. I can't believe how beautiful she is!! And I can't believe she has hair...and that it's dark! We love her instantly!!!

I've got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight...

So tomorrow I'm back to school. I have been looking forward to this year with excitement and some mixed emotions.

First of all, I have to leave Blake. I went over to the house where she will be staying this year to get some things in order and it all sunk in. I had to work not to cry when we we drove away. Tomorrow will be her first day...I think she will love it. She loves to play and loves to be around other kids so I know it will be great.

Second, I have mixed emotions about the fact that I am ready to go back to work. I love Blake more than life but I have a hard time being a stay at home mom and I like to go work. And I hate that I have to justify that I go to work. I think it is great when mom's stay home. But I don't. And I always feel that I have to explain myself. Why do I work? Well, unless my house and car get paid off in the next 12 hours then I have to work. But I also really enjoy it. My ideal situation would be working part time. So if any teaching positions open up where I only have to work Tues, Wed, Thurs, sign me up!!

Third, I am the new 8th grade science department head...by default. My dept. head left and I was the only one with more than two years experience so they chose me. So this year will be COMPLETELY different. Our dept consists of me, two brand new teachers, another teacher who has taught one year but this is his first to teach science and a long term sub (until a teacher returns from maternity leave in Nov.) AND to top it all off, our school had some of the worst TAKS scores in the district. So, some pretty big changes to handle.

Tomorrow is coming whether I am excited or not. So, when your thinking of it, pray for my sanity and for Blake's new friends and for my sanity.

You Say It's Your Birthday...

It's my birthday too!! Today was a great birthday. Even though when you get older your birthday just doesn't feel the same as it use to. I don't know how to explain it but it's just a little different. But today was awesome. And so was last night. I am notorious for trying to make my birthday last as long as possible but this time it wasn't really up to me. My mom was in town and wanted to take us out for my b-day on the 13th since she wouldn't be here today for dinner. So we had supper at Ocean Rock which is my favorite seafood place. It was great but the dinner actually ended up being Jonathan's treat so...thanks mom for the effort and thanks Jonathan for the birthday dinner!!
On to my actual birthday, I woke up a little later than usual because Ryan got up with Blake. Then they brought me my b-day card in bed and Ryan told me my birthday present was picking out a new bag for school this year. Yippee! I love new school bags! And I love shopping!

Then we went to breakfast at Old South, the greatest breakfast spot in Fort Worth! Not healthy...AT ALL... but what really good breakfast is healthy?? Ryan had to go to work (shmurk) so Blake and went to hang with Heather, the kids and my mom. We went to the park for a bit and then mom took me birthday shopping! yippee, again! Thanks, mom! So we all took off to the mall for a couple of hours.

I also really needed a haircut so while we were at the mall I made an appointment with a new guy which is always a little scary but Heather and my mom go to him so I felt pretty good about it. So Heather kept Blake and I got my hair did. He gave me a 25% discout since it was my first time in and 25% because it was my birthday!!! So I got a haircut and some product for $45!! What a great end to a super duper birthday!

When it rains it pours.

This phrase is often given a negative connation but at the Ware house this week it just means we are freakin' busy.

First, the reunion was this past weekend and was much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. I have pictures and more to say about it but I haven't loaded the pics yet and what's a story with no pics to back it up??



This week at our house is really busy. I have no clue why but we are probably doing more this week than we have all summer! For example, here is how my (and Blake's) summer has looked so far:
6:30 am Blake wakes up screaming because she is starving. She scarfs down 6-8 ounces and falls right back to sleep.
8:45: Blake wakes up for real this time and I drag my sleepy head out of bed.
9:30: After some playing and a little Mickey Mouse clubhouse we eat breakfast.
9:45: Hit the road for our walk.
10:20: Come home and play.
11:30: Eat again and time for nap number 1.
12:30: (Yep, only an hour) Blake is up and ready to play.
12:30-3:00: This is where our day can get pretty exciting. We might play, go to the grocery store, paint the hallway, clean the house and if we are feeling really wild and crazy we might go to Target.
3:30-ish: Fight to get Blake to take her second nap.
4:30: Blake wakes up from her nap screaming.
4:35: Blake goes back to sleep.
5:30: Blake is up and the day is almost done. Well, our (mine and Blake's) day is almost done because daddy will be home soon to play with us!



But not this week. This week has been and will be crazy. The good part is that it's packed full of fun stuff for us to do before I have to go back to school. There are a few boring things sprinkled in there too...
Monday: I met two new science teachers up at school for a few hours to help them out a little and give them some things to help start the year. Then, Heather invited us over for dinner because we missed Laine's b-day this weekend due to the reunion and my dad was in town.

Today: Nothing, really. We have Ryan's softball game in a little bit.

Wed: Go up to school around 9:00 to start working on my room. Ryan has to take Blake to the doctor at 9:45 due to a myterious diaper rash. Training from 11-1:00. Pick Blake up at Heather's and go swimming with Heather and the kiddos.


Thursday: Lunch and swimming with Mary Catherine and Sara. Meet new science teachers at school again to talk about curriculum stuff. Meet with ex-department head and new teacher at Starbucks.


Friday: Leave to go out of town, AGAIN! We have been out of town the last four weekends! Yikes! It's been fun. Just crazy, crazy, crazy!

Here are a few pics from our last few weeks:Blake at our favorite pizza place in Ruidoso.

Riding her giraffe in her bedroom.

Going for a (tiny) wagon ride with her Uncle Bart.

One of the bears we saw across the street from our cabin in Ruidoso. I think we saw at least three different bears.