Tales of a Gi-Baby

A Gi-Baby (pronounced Ja Baby) is the term we came up with to combine giant baby after our 28 week ultrasound. It seems as though our little boy is going to be a hoss. He weighed in at 2 lbs 13 oz which is almost a lb more than normal. Eek! I've never expected to have a small baby. I weighed 8 lb 4 oz and Dave weighed 8 lb 6 oz so I've always planned an 8 or 9 pounder. But if Jackson continues as this rate and I go to 40 wks, we're looking at an 11 lb baby. No thank you! I'm scheduled for another ultrasound this Friday so I'm anxious to see how much he's grown.

We also have a comparison measurement at 30 wks thanks to our front ending. What is a front ending you might ask? Well, on New Year's Eve Eve (aka Dec. 30th), we went out to run errands and I just had to have something to eat so into the Wendy's drive thru we pulled. We're sitting there waiting in line with 2 or 3 cars in front of us. All of a sudden, I see the white van in front of us flash on the reverse lights. I yell for Dave to move and he tried but not quick enough. So this guy slams into us. He jumps out saying he didn't see us. If you've seen Dave's car, how do you miss a bright blue FJ Cruiser? Once he sees I'm pregnant, he starts freaking out. Dave tries to calm him down and exchange insurance info. Meanwhile, I call the doctor's office to see what I should do. At first they tell me to just watch for decreased movement, cramping, etc. so I hang up. Not 2 minutes later, they call back and tell me because I'm 30 wks I need to go to labor & delivery in case the seat belt caused a tear in my placenta because I would likely not have symptoms. Whoa horsey! Stop the bus. I was not expecting that. So I calmly tell Dave we need to go to the hospital. He finishes with insurance info and off we go. I was trying to remain calm but on the way it hit me, something could be wrong with my child and I immediately burst into tears. If you know me, you know I'm not a crier so this is pretty unusual. After some deep breaths, I pull it together.

Once we make it to the hospital, I check in and get hooked up to all the monitors. All was looking well or so I thought. After about an hour the nurse comes in with an IV (needles are my phobia because I'm such a hard stick). It took .2 seconds for me to start wigging out again. Apparently I was having contractions and didn't even know it. So in hopes it was just from being dehydrated, they stab me with the IV and run a bag of fluids. Luckily, this takes care of the problem. Boy, did I feel like a moron to not even know I was contracting. While I was waiting for the fluids to go in, they came in to do an ultrasound to check my placenta. Again we were blessed with the all clear. However, we did find out that in less than 2 weeks, my child was now weighing in at 3 lbs 15 oz. That's over a pound more!! I'm telling you peeps, it's a gi-baby in there.

Moral of the story is that simple errands can turn into a nightmare. Always be thankful for what you have in the moment. I've been blessed with a great pregnancy so far. The thought that something as stupid as a front ending might hurt my child made me realize just how much I love him and we haven't even met yet. I never knew I had those kind of feelings in me. Since all worked out okay, I'm now thankful that God showed me I am capable of loving my child more than I could have imagined. Until next time.

Toastingly Yours,

Oh Boy!

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, October 22, 2010 brought us the news that we are expecting a son. I have been saying boy for several weeks now mainly due to the fact everyone we know is having a girl. Dave has said girl from day 1. He has never been so excited to be wrong in his life. And so, Jackson David, will be coming into our lives sometime mid-March 2011. He’s measuring right on target and his anatomy scan showed everything was developing as it should be. I feel very blessed that our tiny miracle is thriving.

Now to the fun stuff. After agreeing we wouldn’t start buying stuff now that we know the gender, we made it all of one day on the embargo. The Target clearance rack was calling our names.

As far as the nursery, I have some fabric picked out but don’t want to share it just yet. I am not a traditional person so I wanted Jack to have something different and that would last longer than the newborn stage. The crib bumper will be made by a lady that lives a couple of hours away but Kelly and I are tackling the crib skirt. Okay, so mainly Kelly is tackling the crib skirt but I will be her eager assistant. I wish I could sew. I can but if you want straight lines, you need to see someone else. I would love to take a class before the baby comes but I don’t see that fitting into my schedule right now. As soon as I’m sure the fabrics I’ve picked will work, I will share with all. And, of course, let you tag along on the sewing journey as we bring Jack’s room to life. But for now, I’m going to prop my feet up and give my son a much needed rest.

Toastingly Yours,

My Actual "First" Baby

Back in December of 1997, I moved into my first apartment with a sorority sister of mine. It was my first taste of freedom on my own but I knew there was something missing. Growing up, I always had cats and that was exactly what I needed to make my first place feel like home. Into my life came my “first” baby, finally my own pet in my own apartment. It was a little male grey/black tabby cat with the biggest ears ever. He was definitely a descendant of Dumbo. I was stumped for a name. After a couple of days of trying out Tiger and the such, it hit me when the Meow Mix commercial came on...Baxter. It was like the circle was closing because Baxter was also the name of my first Cabbage Patch Kid. Stupid, I know, but I love those little symbolic moments such as this. So Baxter became what my stepdad termed “the perfect kitty” and it was really true. He gave me unconditional love when I needed it, made me laugh when I was sad, and was and still is the coolest cat around. My roommate decided she wanted a cat too and by the end of December we had “Precious” a beautiful, grey fluff ball who was part Persian. She was about 6 months older than Baxter but he didn’t care. It was love at first site. From that moment on, they were inseparable. Luckily when my roommate moved, she left Precious with me which was a good thing for my love struck kitty.

Fast forward 13 years and Baxter is still by my side. He has weathered more with me than many of my friends. He’s survived and helped me survive 7 moves, marriage, divorce, remarriage, the death of all my grandparents, the death of his beloved, Precious, and now, he’s by my side as I expect my first child. If you’re not an animal lover like I am, then you will never understand the bond you have with your pets. I’m sure I would have made it through all of these ups and downs my life has thrown me alone but having Baxter with me has made them much more manageable. I truly think the hardest for him was the loss of his Precious. It was a sudden illness that took her from us 2 years ago and his world was thrown into complete despair. Never have I been so sad to hear the distressful meows he made for weeks after, as if calling for her to come back. I couldn’t even mention her name or he would begin looking around for her. It was truly a low point for both of us. But we have weathered the storm and even taken in a new cat, Annabelle. Although she will never replace his Precious, he loves to chase her through the house and you can tell that he’s happier. And today is a special day for him. It’s his birthday. Today, my baby (aka Big Kitty) turns 13 years old. Happy Birthday my sweet boy and thank you for all of the joy you bring to my life! Here are some shots of my beautiful baby.

Baxter getting cozy in Mary's car seat

Fat cat in a little box

Aww...so cute with the rabbit feet

My absolute favorite picture from when it snowed in early 2009

For those of you that may be on the fence about getting a pet, please do. I know it’s a huge responsibility but the rewards make it worth. If you’re still not sure, consider fostering. It will be a great way to find out if a pet is right for your family while you help make room for more rescues from animal shelters to be taken in. The animal shelter in Memphis is still so crowded and although the numbers have dropped, euthanasia is still happening way too often so make sure to adopt from a shelter. These poor pets won’t have a chance if we don’t fight for them. Even if you can’t adopt or foster, you can help by providing dog or cat treats, toys, blankets or volunteering. Whatever you can do will make a difference in the lives of these wonderful animals.

Toastingly Yours,

Hello, My Name is Shanda....and I'm a Worrier

If there was some type of Anonymous group for worrying, I would be a charter member. I can’t help it. It runs in the family. From the minute those 2 pink lines popped up on the home pregancy test, worry absorbed my thoughts. Miscarriage was at the top of my list. The problem is I love to research, especially when it comes to medical stuff, and I know way too much. I can quote you numerous statistics on miscarriage based on what week your pregnancy is in but I won’t. I would say I was around 8 or 9 weeks along when my worrying reached a whole level of insanity. Luckily, my “bestie” gave me a stern lecture at which I dropped into a puddle of hormonal sobs. I was actually on the way to the acupuncture when this phone call occurred and I cried through my entire treatment. I’m sure my acupuncturist thought I had finally flew one over the cuckoo’s nest. But it was the wake-up call that I needed to get a grip.

Now I’m 17 weeks along and I think I’ve felt the little weasel move a few times. Being that I’m on the “fluffy” side, I figured it would take longer for me to feel anything so I’m not panicking that I don’t feel it all the time yet. The first time I was sitting on the side of the bed picking up something off the floor. I felt a quick fluttering on my right side. I think it was saying, ”Sit up, Mom. You’re squishing me.” The other couple of times have felt like it was pushing off the sides of my uterus, kinda like when you do laps in a pool. Very weird. From the beginning, my husband has said this baby is a girl. I agreed with him originally but now I’m not so sure. I haven’t really had any pregnancy symptoms that would sway you one way or the other. No morning sickness, no acne, etc. But since finding out we have 5 friends due between November and March that are having girls, I’ve switched teams to thinking we’re having the lone boy. Hopefully, we will find out on October 22nd when we’re scheduled for our anatomy scan. Like everyone says, I really do just want it to be a healthy bundle no matter the gender. I just hope the little booger is cooperative and opens its legs. Feel free to vote on what you think we're having. I'll have to come up with some prize to give a randomly chosen participant who picks the correct gender. While we’ve picked up a few gender neutral things since finding out we're expecting, we have also made a couple of large purchases. Dave picked out the Pack n’ Play. We had a Babies R’ Us store closing in town so we got a good deal on it. I really love the grey and yellow colors and have even been thinking of doing the nursery in those for a girl but my spouse has obviously opened some type of interior design business because he says no way.
Our other big purchase was the crib and dresser for the nursery. We decided to go with the Kalani set from Million Dollar Baby in Espresso. Although I wanted the chest, too, we decided to wait and see how these pieces fit in the room because I have also got my eye on a fabulous glider that looks like a regular piece of living room furniture.


After all that we’ve been through this past year on our journey to become parents, it’s amazing to me that we are actually buying furniture. I mean, I have a live person in my belly. I guess with all my worrying and excitement, even, about this baby, I had forgotten one thing. I would have to tell a couple of dear friends that have been struggling with fertility issues longer than me that I was pregnant. It was so much harder than I thought it would be. They both took it well but one later confessed that she cried her eyes out after we hung up the phone. That broke my heart. I never in a million years would want to hurt either of these women intentionally but no matter how gently I broke the news, it did hurt them. Just like it hurts them when they run into people who question why they haven’t started a family. Many people are so insensitive with comments and can’t even fathom that infertility is the reason there are no children in a family. My hope is that anyone that reads this will consider what they say to someone before they start asking nosy questions about family. Choose your words carefully and try to consider that someone might be in this situation. Trust me. The person will be forever grateful you did.

Toastingly Yours,

Sur-prise! Sur-prise! Sur-prise!

In the infamous words of Goober from The Andy Griffith Show, we got a huge a surprise on July 5th. We're pregnant!!!



I've been sitting on this secret since which is why I haven't posted much. So here's the story of what happened that day. As you know we had our big July 4th party for family and friends so I was pretty tired. For some reason Monday afternoon, it dawned on me that I should have started that day or the day before. Or at least I thought so. In June, I never got a + ovulation test so I just assumed it was an anovulatory cycle since I've had a couple before. But since I am addicted to peeing on sticks since we've been trying to conceive, I decided to take a home pregnancy test expecting the same results as always. I had a few of the line tests in the cabinet so that's what I took. I did my thing and watched as the sample went across the test strip. To my absolute shock, a second line came up. I picked it up for a closer look. The line was faint but definitely there. I was shaking. I hadn't even told Dave I was taking a test so I came running and found him at the dining room table sorting baseball cards. I shoved the test under his nose and so eloquently stated, "Oh my Lord, I think we're pregnant!" He looked at me as if I had grown an extra head then took the test from my hand to look at it. I asked if he saw a second line. He said yes but it was faint. I told him it didn't matter how faint it was, it's the fact that it's there that matters. He said he needed to see a test that hadn't been peed on to make a definite decision. So back to the bathroom we went. I was a genius and had saved my "sample" on the off chance I needed to retest. I had one more test just like the first and one of another brand. I dipped them both in and sure enough, positive. He was still having trouble believing this was happening because we didn't put in our best effort in June due to the fact we thought I didn't ovulate. Needless to say, it only takes once is a very true statement. In an effort to convince him we were really pregnant, I suggested we go get some digital tests. Off on our field trip to Walgreen's we went. Armed with 2 types of digitals, we returned to our sample cup. Almost immediately, the first popped up YES+, then the second brand popped up Pregnant. I shoved those under his nose and asked if he still didn't believe. At that point, he began saying "OMG, OMG..." over and over again. I told him to knock it off. We looked at each other silently for a while trying to process the fact that the goal we had been trying to achieve for a year was finally happening and that our life was never going to be the same again.

Never in my life have I felt the variety of emotions I was feeling that day. I was shocked, happy, scared, and worried all at the same time. We called our parents who were all elated. I would say we stayed in shock for at least another week before we snapped out of it. Because of all the issues I have had, I called my doctor the next day. They told me I could come in for a blood test to confirm if I wanted to but after 5 + home pregnancy tests, they felt quite confident that I was indeed pregnant. I decided to go for the blood test. The same as the home tests, the blood test is checking for HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin). The difference with the blood test is that it can tell you exactly how much is in your system. Most people do a repeat test 2 days after the first to make sure the numbers are doubling which indicates a progressing pregnancy. My first blood test came back at 90. The second came back at 338, well over the hopeful doubling. Dave immediately started saying we were having twins. I told him to shut his mouth.

I will fill in the blanks in the timeline since the 5th later but I'm now 11 weeks and 4 days with an expected due date of March 16, 2011. Festus, as my friend, Ann, has deemed it until we know the gender, is progressing beautifully. Right now it's around 2" long. Huge! I think we are still in shock to a degree but it's definitely becoming much more real. After my fertility doctor visit in June, I was beginning to lose hope. Then I had my birthday and made my wish when I blew out the candles. Less than 2 weeks later, God made my wish come true. I often wonder what was it in June that made Him decide it was our time. I am so thankful and blessed at the gift we have been given. Never forsake what God can do in your life. Stay tuned for the next installment.

Toastingly Yours,

It's So Hot, You Can.....

That's right people! You can fry an egg on the sidewalk. I generally enjoy living in the South most months of the year but July and August are miserable. Today is a chilly 102 degrees with a heat index of 114 degrees. It's nasty out there. It makes me wonder how our ancestors ever survived this tortuous weather. And they had to grow their own food at the same time. No refrigerators or fans or any air conditioners. So how have we evolved into a society of whiny babies who can't make it without the chill of the A/C? I ask this because I am one of the whiny babies. I think I shot out of my mom sweating because I am as hot natured as they come. I'm only 32 but I've been having hot flashes since I was 20. Absolutely pathetic. So while this post may not be long or thought provoking, it does come with a reminder. Make sure and take care of your pets in this weather and definitely check on any elderly neighbors who might be hesitant to ask for help if they need it during this hot time. Until next time with a hopefully much more exciting post.

Toastingly Yours,

Independence Day is More Than Flags & Fireworks

While I am always thankful for the freedoms and liberty that Independence Day stands for, it's title was never more ironic than for me in 2006. After 3 long years in a marriage that I was less than happy to be in, it just so happened that July 4, 2006 was the day I finally had the courage to walk out the door.

Even though I had been unhappy for almost the entire length of my 3 year marriage, I felt it was my obligation as a child of divorce to do everything I could to make it work. I threatened to leave more than once during that time but he was always able to talk me out of it. My mom and friends tried to tell me that I was beyond unhappy. I knew they were right and I knew my ex-husband was up to no good but my scientific brain would not give me the okay to leave until I had absolute proof of his wrong doings. Crazy, I know but that's how I work. He had always had a drinking problem that I eventually convinced him, or so I thought, to quit. By now it was May of 2006 and jobs were forcing us to move yet again. This time we ended up in Grenada, MS. He worked in retail management at a chain home improvement store in Batesville, MS and I had just taken a Marketing job at a coil production company in Grenada. I had always wondered how God ended up sending us down there but it wasn't long before I found out. He was aligning everything so I would finally be able to get out of the living hell I had fallen into. Before our move to Grenada, we had been doing some extensive marriage counseling. Somehow we ended having an "in-house" separation where we slept in different rooms. Looking back, I see how good his manipulation skills were because when I even think of letting myself be talked into this, I feel like a moron. My mom and friends kept asking when was I going to leave him. My answer was always that I would "know" when the time was right.

That lightning bolt of brilliance landed in my lap on the evening of July 3, 2006. He had gone to bed early since he had to work the next day at 6am. I went to his truck to get our lease for some paperwork I needed to fill out at work. Instead of the lease, I found tons of receipts from paycheck advance places like Check Into Cash. Granted we weren't millionaires but we were making good money, both over $40,000 a year, so why would he need to take out these paycheck advances? At that moment I had my proof that he was definitely doing something he wasn't supposed to be. There was no other explanation for needing that kind of money. At the time I suspected gambling or maybe some marijuana. Never would I guess what it actually was....he was addicted to cocaine. As a person who has never tried drugs or even been around people that were using drugs, I never picked up the signs. I just thought he was weird. I felt like a complete bafoon. I've always considered myself to be pretty smart but I dropped the ball on this one.

When I confronted him about the receipts, he never gave the drug reason. This came later. He said that the paycheck loans were because I was overspending on our monthly bills. Seriously?! After a lot of drama and him threatening to kill his self in front of me, I packed my stuff and left him on July 4, 2006. It has truly been the best decision I've ever made. Too bad the real best decision was to not marry him in the first place. So for anyone out there that might be in a similar situation, I hope you find your Check Into Cash receipts or whatever it takes to give you the courage to leave. Life is too short to be somewhere or with someone you're not happy with. I know it sounds easy for me to say but it's not. It took me 3 long years to be able to say it.

On a happier note, we hosted our first Fourth of July soiree at our house yesterday. We had a ton of family and friends over. It was a blast! And super tiring but so worth it. Here are some pics and finally a video of my husband attempting to break his neck on a Slip N' Slide. Enjoy!

Washtubful O' Banana Pudding

Tons of Good Food

Toastingly Yours,