Surgical Procedure

Yeah, so I finally did it! On November 5th, I went from a size 38L bra to about a 38DD. The inset is the "new me". I'm not all healed, so probably still a bit swollen, etc.

I've had my ups and downs with this healing process. I had my mom here for the first week & a half, so I had to start doing a bit more after she left. Like taking C to school and picking him up. So I have to drive. Not to mention more childcare, food prep, etc. So I've been more sore this week. I have mostly been sore, or uncomfortable, not in pain. That's been very nice. I'm back on antibiotics, and am taking pain medication when I can (not driving, etc.), and tylenol when I can't.

I'm still getting used to how I look in the mirror. :) I have to learn to hold in my stomach. lol

Definitely Fall

You know it's Fall in middle TN, when they start "firing" tobacco. To my understanding: They do this by hanging the large tobacco leaves on a long stick, then hanging the stick inside a barn. Then they start kind of a smouldery fire in the bottom of the barn. This causes smoke to fill the barn, and leak out ALL over the place. There is definitely a particular smell to it, which folks that grew up here enjoy as a herald to Fall. (Makes me think of how my former pastor used to put down the windows when we came into Decatur to smell. I think soybean processing? It stunk to me, but it meant home to him.)

For some reason, my 4 year old decided "tobacco" was just too big of a word. So they've now been labeled "taco barns". I told her that "taco" means something else, but she's very stubborn and insists that "taco" should be an acceptable short version of "tobacco".

Oh, since this seems to be a location specific industry, I had never seen a tobacco barn before I moved here for college. Yes, I thought there was a fire when I saw smoke billowing out of a barn. Yes, hubby got a really good laugh out of my ignorance. To be honest, I sometimes startle a bit when I see barns smoking even now. It's not normal.

Gatlinburg 2008

We just returned from a family trip to Gatlinburg. Our family of 4 went, along with hubby's parents and brother. So 7 people all together. For some reason, my mother-in-law thought it would be sufficient to get a two bedroom, one bath "chalet", which turned out to be more of a basement apartment. It was somewhat challenging. On the plus side, we stayed out as much as we could. And when we were in, there were no exploded bladders from waiting for the bathroom (nor accidents). Between us, we went to Blackwood Breakfast Show, Dixie Stampede, Black Bear Jamboree Dinner Show, Tony Romas, Calhouns, the Old Mill, TGIFridays, Flapjacks Pancake House, Wonder Works, Ripley's Aquarium, Ripley's Mirror Maze, Lost Treasure Golf, go karts, and some outlet stores and souvenir shops. We also did a driving tour in the National Park (Roaring Fork). (I'm sure I missed something.) We were there from Saturday night through Wednesday morning. So, I need a t-shirt that says "I survived..." I'm still winding down, catching up, switching back over, and generally trying to get into the swing of things.

Potty trained!

The moms in my audience will appreciate this: At 4 years and 4+ months, my daughter is now potty trained. She wears pull-ups when she sleeps, but has not had an accident in weeks (and is usually dry overnight). We even went on vacation for a couple days with NO accidents!

As a reward for "dry days" (20 of them, not in a row), she got a trip to the "beauty parlor", where she got a nice little hair cut. It's sort of a bob, but her hair is so thin that it doesn't really look like much. Just more even at the bottom.

I am SO mean.

I was reading a friend's blog and it reminded me of an incident from a while back.

The kids and I were shopping at Wally World. Shane had asked me to pick up a For Sale sign for the lawnmower he had fixed up. We were nearly finished and I remembered, so I said "OH, I forgot to get a For Sale sign for your Dad." B says "You're going to sale Dad??" So of course I say, "Well, I've had him for a long time..." We went back and forth for a bit, when it finally came out from C "If we're going to sell someone, it should be YOU." Huh? "Daddy is teaching me to play chess, and he plays hide and seek with us." Oh, well, sure, that makes him indispensable.

Labor Day

In honor of Labor Day, some questions about MY labors. :)

How long were your labors?

C: 7 AM- 1:45 AM the following day. So... 18:45?

B: is a bit more subjective. I was IN LABOR for sure at about 3 AM, we got to the hospital about 4 AM, and she was born at 7:28 AM. But I was pretty sure she'd be coming that weekend at about noon the previous day. I just wasn't sure how quickly.

How did you know you were in labor?

C: They induced at 7AM, but I wouldn't say I "labored" until early afternoon, 2 PM or so? That's when it got bad enough that I needed an epidural.

B: See previous. We went to bed at midnight, after sending C to grandmother's house. I woke up at 3-ish with contractions that were about 5 minutes apart.

Where did you deliver?

Dr. Shali Scott delivered both of them at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. It was a great experience both times. The delivery nurses were superb, and the genuine caring for the patients was obvious in just about everyone. And I got an upgraded room with B, because they ran out of space in the regular rooms! (My doctor has since left practice, at least for now, to be a stay at home Mom. How cool is that?)

Drugs?

Yes, with both. C, I waited until it hurt too badly for me to do anything but cry. B, I had an epidural right away because we knew she was coming. They bumped a C-section anesthesia to get me first. :)

C-section?

Nope. They both had some heart rate dropping issues, that caused a C-section to be considered, but it was not necessary in either case.

Baby Weights?

C: 9lb 1/2 oz

B: 8lb even.

Cheap Birthday Fun!

The kids and I went to town today for C's birthday. He's 7. :) We went to Sonic (free wacky pack), Chuck E. Cheese (20 birthday tokens and buy 60 get 40 free coupon, also a free ice cream) to play, then Toys R Us (free birthday paper crown, we've gotten a free balloon, but got a sash today, since they were out of balloons. they announce his name & play a song on the intercom, and I had a $3 off card for his birthday), then O'Charley's (split an entree 3 ways, had a coupon for a dessert, and a birthday dessert). Overall, ended up spending under $30, and $5 of birthday money since he wanted a transformer that was $8.

Most of these things I got from being signed up with their online clubs. Also, I have a Coldstone Creamery free ice cream for C, but we didn't make it there.