New Baby-Mobile! (aka Andrew's "Man Truck")

We've been talking about needing to get a "new" car for quite some time. Mine is almost 10 years old and Andrew's Tacoma is not exactly family friendly. We didn't know how un-family friendly it was until we went to go install the car seat in the jump seat in the back (it's just a little access cab, not full double or crew cab). We got the car seat in; however, unless the passenger has no legs, it just wasn't going to work. You had to have the passenger seat all the way forward to make the car seat fit. Well...that just wasn't going to work. Andrew's truck was also a standard, which I didn't mind driving around town or in any familiar places; however, I have definitely had several "anxiety moments" at the sheer thought of getting stuck at a light on a hill. Anxiety. Major anxiety. Pretty much the only anxiety I have ever had. Also, even with the 4-wheel drive pulling the boat was always a little bit of a struggle. Last, when we go anywhere, we were loaded down with all or junk and the two pups... not sure where a baby and all its junk would go.

Long story short, we decided to trade in Andrew's truck for 2 reasons. All the functionality issues mentioned above and the fact that my car was paid for. I don't drive much since I work from home, so I wanted to milk the "free" car for as long as possible. Given the uncertainty of how a baby will affect our budget, the last thing I wanted to go was to get in over our heads and have two car notes. Andrew's truck was almost paid for, so we ended up not having to finance that much and were able to get an awesome rate.

We had been pouring over various dealership websites and Ebay Motors for a couple weeks and then finally stumbled upon this truck below right here in Nederland.

It's amazing how few 4WD, 4-door Tundras are out there. We had a plethora of 2WD Tundras to choose from, but hardly any 4WD. The few that were out there were fancier trim packages that were a little more than we wanted to pay. Or, by the time we found the listing and called, they had already sold the truck. Multiple dealerships said that the 4WD Tundras don't stay on the lot long. We lucked out and found this 2008 truck with a little less than 50,000 miles for what seemed like a very fair price (especially after a little negotiation). Andrew's 2006 Tacoma had 120,000 miles on it and he had never had any issues. From day one, we were pretty confident that Toyota was the way to go. This truck already had a custom grill guard and bumper and a small lift. Definitely made for "man truck" material. I don't know all the specs, but it definitely had the power Andrew wanted. He has always wanted a "man truck" and I am so happy that he finally has it. I can tell how much he loves it already! After we bought it, he took it straight to Discount Tire and got some better tires put on. They currently had street-grade tires that were just about bald. I have to give Edgar at Philpott Toyota/Ford some props because this was definitely a positive car buying experience. We got a great deal on our trade-in and were able to negotiate the price down. We actually ended up spending LESS than what we had targeted as our ideal net price range (truck price less trade-in). The "just walk-away price" that we had in our heads when we walked in was actually a couple thousand higher than what we ended up paying. So... in other words, we were happy!

I'll post some new pics of the truck soon with the new tires. He plans on adding a tool box and spray-in bed liner too. I'm fine with my little Pathfinder for now, but I will definitely be ready for a "new" car in the next couple of years. So far, with my 130,000+ miles, it seems to be doing okay. I've had some AC issues on the really, really hot days, but then it seems to work fine on others. We'll probably have a real Baby Mobile after I get rid of my car... hello Suburban! :-)

Father's Day

I didn't get to see my wonderful dad on Father's Day...tear. I am so blessed to have the most amazing dad! I could not have asked for a better role model, protector, teacher, and friend! I love you!!!

Dad & Me at the HATS Sweetheart Banquet back in February


Dad & Andrew painting the nursery a few weeks back


An added bonus... Dad painted the hall & ceiling



Although we didn't get to spend the day with my dad, we did get to spend it with Andrew's dad and grandfather. We actually went in town that Saturday afternoon to celebrate Keith's 60th birthday, which was a great time. Who doesn't love Mexican food and hanging out in the pool. It was the first and probably only time while I am pregnant that I will get to go swimming... and man, it felt good. It also felt good to pig out on Mexican food and not have to worry about being in a bikini... I think I'm sticking with the one piece or tankini thing even after Tater is born. :-)

Anyways, back to Father's Day. After Mass, we headed back to Wanda & Dan's for fajitas. We also had TWO flavors of Blue Bell, Summer Berries and Century Sundae, along with the most fabulous sugar free cheesecake from Three Brothers Bakery in Houston. I loved the fajitas, but I really loved the dessert.

Three Generations (Four if you count the Tater man in the picture-taker's belly) - PaPa, Dan, and Andrew


PaPa's New Navy Vet Hat


Father and Son


Three Generations again (but with Andrew focused on the World Cup on TV)


We are both so blessed to come from such wonderful families. I know we are both so thankful to have dads that were active in our lives and who always put our best interest above anything else. A father is such an important part of any child's life, and I am so blessed to also have a husband that I know will be that kind of dad our little Tater!

USA! USA! USA!

To put it bluntly, I have NEVER given a crap about soccer. I played one year when I was little for a team called the "Silver Bullets." I'm pretty sure our coach was a big fan of Coors Light and that's where the name came from. He was an overweight, hairy, sloppy-looking guy and his daughter appeared to have similar genes. I'm not sure how I ended up on this team, because I don't think it was anyone from my school. Everyone on my team had already played several years, so I was always completely lost. I should have been good because I was fast, but I just never really caught on. I remember scoring one goal the whole season at a tournament in Austin. I also remember losing a piece of jewelry or something and wanting everyone to stop the game and look for it. I also remember getting nailed in the face by my own teammate (I think her name was Bonnie). I was just a little too close when she planted her left foot and then kicked the ball... BOOM right to my face! I think my dad has it on video... I'm standing there, then there's the kick, then BOOM...I hit the ground. The force of the kick and hit literally knocked me off my feet. Of course, Daddy's camera immediately goes off after the hit because he's running out there to make sure I'm okay. Anyways, I didn't intend to dwell on my lack of soccer glory, but it just all started coming back to me.

My only other soccer memory is when the Dallas Cup opening ceremonies were at the Lake Highlands football stadium. The Highlandettes performed and were responsible for carrying in the flags of the different countries. Rachel Goad and I had Mexico. We were in all spandex. We had to walk in front of the entire Mexican team... in spandex. Let's just say that not all of those teenage boys were gentlemen. I think the highlight of the whole event though was that the guy who played the oldest kid on Home Improvement (not JTT, but the blonde one), was in the tournament. He was all into soccer on the show, and actually was a really good player in real life. We managed to snag a picture with him. That might have been my first interaction with a "celebrity."

Okay, again, here I went off on a tangent.... my reason for the post was that Andrew was the opposite of me. He played soccer. He loves soccer. Not necessarily MLS-type soccer, but he LOVES the World Cup. He told me that when it was in Dallas in the 90's, his cousin Emily drove him and his cousin Taylor up for a game. I don't even remember the World Cup being in Dallas... and I lived there! I didn't realize that the World Cup was only every 4 years. This is bigger than the Olympics to the vast majority of the world. I LOVE the Olympics, so it's not surprising to me that I'm starting to like this World Cup stuff! So, for the first USA game vs. England, we were at the farm. I have never seen Andrew so intense in my life (minus hunting intensity). He sat on the edge of his chair the whole time... with an empty beer. He didn't even want to get up to get another one! He knew there where 2 little American flags somewhere at the farm, and he was determined to have those on hand for when we scored.

Found them!

For the next game, Andrew went and bought me a "prize"... we have matching USA World Cup t-shirts. For this game against Slovenia, we were at home. I've never heard the boy yell so much in my life, seen him jump up on the couch in excitement, or be so involved in any kind of sporting competition. It's crazy. I've totally gotten into it too. I actually enjoy watching any of the games, not just USA games. Granted, I don't really care about the outcome so much in most of the other games (other than the Group C games in Round 1). Don't get either one of us (or Dan) stared about when we were robbed of that goal against Slovenia. I don't know what it is about the World Cup, but the games are so much more interesting. I've seen MLS games on TV and they just didn't do anything for me. I think it must also be the crowd and the vuvuzelas. Plus, the players seem to play with so much more heart and intensity. There is so much more on the line. Heck, some of these guys honestly must fear for their life if they screw up. I remember reading some people's Facebook posts after the English goalie sloppily let our goal go in. They were saying that he and his family better start packing up and that they won't be welcomed back into the country. I don't know the details, but I know players from other countries have been killed over their performance (or lack thereof). Someone made a funny comment that Tony Romo should be very thankful that after a bad game, he doesn't really have to be worried that he might get killed (then again, maybe he'd play better!). This last game against Algeria, I watched the whole thing... until about the 90th minute when I got a work phone call. I go into the kitchen to take the call and then hear screaming from the living room... I FREAKING MISSED Landon Donovan's goal! Are you kidding me?!?! I missed one of the greatest World Cup moments (and maybe even sports moments) ever. Thank goodness for instant replay, but it just wasn't the same.





Andrew is fishing now, but don't worry, he WILL be back in time for today's game. He wouldn't miss it for anything! I do like that now there is no tie business. American's don't like ties. Scoring an "equalizer" is great and all... but we want to WIN!!!

So, finger's crossed.... let's do this USA!!!

USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!!


Shooter is not as enthusiastic...

Hobbit Feet (i.e. Pretty much feeling 35 weeks pregnant)

Everyone always asks, "So how are you feeling?" In general, the answer is "good", but there are definitely a number of things that have escalated in just a few short weeks. So, here's what's going on...

1. Getting comfortable while sleeping is practically impossible. Initially laying on my side, at least for a while, really hurts. Until Tater has repositioned himself to mold with my body on whatever side I'm laying on, I'm pretty much in pain. I just feel like my stomach has morphed into some heavy, hard mass that can't mold to the mattress. Fortunately, either I am so exhausted that I fall asleep anyways or he gets himself situated within 30 minutes or so.

2. Holy crap... could my hands and feet be any more swollen?!? I look down and feel like Frodo Baggins (minus the extra hair). My hands look and feel more like blown up surgical gloves instead of real hands. I can barely get my wedding ring to even touch the top of my knuckle. Even my beautiful green amethyst "push present" ring that Andrew gave me for Christmas that used to be big, doesn't even comfortably go over my knuckle. Aggie ring... nope. So, I'm pretty much sporting the un-wed mother look. I don't own a single ring that I can comfortably wear. I feel like I have arthritis because it's painful. I can barely make a fist, especially in the morning. I'm worried that this is going to be an issue with continuing to work, because typing has gotten much harder. I could barely write some of my last thank-you notes. Holding the pen was uncomfortable, so I apologize to anyone who got a thank you note and it looks like a kid wrote it. I have bad handwriting to begin with, so this is just the icing on the cake. My feet are so swollen too. I was sitting in church on Sunday and the little leather loop on my sandal that goes around my big toe pretty much was cutting off my circulation, so I had to wiggle it out. So, I just sported both sandals without the toe loop (had it under my big toe), opting for the Jesus sandal vibe.

3. I can pretty much feel where Tater is at all times. He's not always moving, but I can feel where his little rump is and feel all the way down his back. He likes being on my right side and has been face down for quite a while now. He's strong, and clearly getting crowded. I just crack up when I look down at my belly and it seriously looks like I have an alien just having a little party in there. He's also stubborn though. He moves all the time at home or when we are anywhere else...except when we go to the doctor. Because of the whole two-vessel cord thing and our "high risk" status, we had to start going in weekly and doing non-stress tests ("NST") at 32 weeks. He NEEDS to move a lot during this test. I'm all hooked up to a fetal heart monitor and I have to click a button every time I feel him move. They monitor how his heart rate changes when he is active. He has to have so many movements within a certain amount of time for them to be able to give a thumbs up. Luckily, we've gotten this accomplished the last couple times, but it usually took a little while for him to get going. I usually have to request to sit all the way up so he's more cramped, versus laying down, to get some action. At our last Level II ultrasound, the doc was checking his movement and he was a still as he could be. They busted out the buzzer thing on my belly 3 or 4 times and he barely budged. Of course, as soon as we leave, he's all over the place....figures.

4. Given his position, he likes to pretend my bladder is a punching bag. Either that, or he just thinks its fun to push down with his head as hard as he can. I have definitely turned into the people on the "Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now!" commercial. It's seriously humorous how many times a day and how frequently I have to go. It's not so humorous when we are in the car and there is nowhere to stop. I'd say on average, I probably get up four times a night, but there have been multiple occasions where that number was much higher.

5. Insomnia... yep. But again, the exhaustion has set back in so this isn't too bad. Even nights when I know I'm not sleeping much, I'm at least not feeling it too bad the next day. With Andrew's early morning work/fishing routine or his late nights banding ducks or counting alligators, I'm constantly getting woken up. I used to sleep right through it all, but not anymore. I think my body has started to adjust, which I know I will be thankful for.

6. Appetite... yep, still have it big time, but unfortunately I don't have room for it. My stomach capacity seems to be shrinking as he gets bigger (makes sense).

7. Leg cramps - My legs tend to hurt from my knees down if I'm sitting or standing for any period of time. I also wake up with tight calves, but luckily flexing my foot takes care of that. I'm trying to drink as much water as possible, and that usually seems to help. Hydration is key.

8. Braxton Hicks - I'm pretty sure I've had Braxton Hicks contractions already, but sometimes they have been just the overall tightening of my belly, while others have been a little painful (period-type cramps). I haven't noticed them too often, so not much to really report here.

9. Nesting... yep. I've already got my Dreft and washed almost everything 0-3 months, the blankets, the burp cloths/spit rags, etc. I've done inventory on the NB and bigger sizes and have it all organized too. I didn't wash everything in the NB sizes since he may just skip that size. Most everything is put up and if he were to come home tomorrow, I think we'd be in pretty good shape. The nursery is still lacking wall decor and all the personal touches, but that is on my agenda for this weekend. I just LOVE going in there and re-folding or re-organizing. Minus the rocker/glider/chair, it really feels like a nursery. We can't decide on what we want to do about the chair, so if anyone has any suggestions, we are all ears!

It's hard to believe that in just two short weeks we will be 37 weeks and considered full-term. It's also hard to believe that he really could make his debut at any time.

I think I forgot the most recent fruit analogy... (it's almost too late and time for MONTH 9!!!)

Weeks 33-36 (Month 8): Honeydew
Yeah, he was teetering on the upper end of that weight range a good week and a half ago at 33 weeks 2 days. :-)

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

Exciting times!!! That little birdie on the ticker is getting SOOOOO close to end! :-)

Well, we survived...

The Proof...

Last week Andrew and I went to our two-night class on "Prepared Childbirth", followed up with a one night class on "Baby Care." I had quite a few people tell me they were traumatized by the childbirth class... and I do admit, there was a brief moment in one video that we all probably could have done without; however, that's what's going to happen, so we better not be too freaked out! Andrew pointed out that the guy across from us stopped eating his M&M's for a while. Most of the guys said they were planning on staying up on the front half... if you catch my drift. :-)

Although there was a lot of information, most of which I probably won't remember, I do feel a little more prepared in terms of what to expect when labor starts and how the whole hospital/labor/delivery/recovery process works. We got a tour of the nursery and rooms. We each will have an individual suite where the whole process takes place, which is pretty nice. I think everyone in the class was 29 weeks and up, and apparently I'm supposed to have my hospital bag packed already. Yeah, not so much. I did start mentally packing though and hope to get that done this week. Since I'm about 35 weeks now, probably a good idea. We've got to get that car seat installed too.

Scooter's Ready...


The baby care class was helpful too. We now know how to swaddle (even though I'm probably going to rely on my SwaddleMe blankets with velcro!) and change a diaper.

Scooter likes to be swaddled


We also learned about caring for the umbilical cord and our little man after his little surgery. I wanted to take a picture of Andrew swaddling the baby doll but I wasn't quick enough. We still have a breastfeeding class and Infant CPR class to go to, but that's it. We'll know EVERYTHING after that, right?!?! :-) YEAH RIGHT!!!

Quite Possibly One of the Best Weekends Ever

This past weekend (June 11-13) at the farm was quite possibly one of the best weekends ever. What did we do you ask?... NOTHING. Usually when we go up there, it's during hunting season, we have grand fishing plans, or it's a big family weekend. All of these things are fabulous and I always enjoy those weekends too... but they are also draining, whether it being from having to get up way before sunrise, having to entertain, or be just be social. It was SO nice to be on no one's clock and have no set plans. Want to sleep in?... go for it. Want to just take a short walk with the pups up to the gate and back?... do it. Want to fish, but not fish seriously?... get the worms and bobber. Want to sit on the porch in the shade and enjoy the nice breeze with a magazine?... no one's stopping you. Want to watch Team USA and England play and then run around the house waving your American flag when they score?... no one's watching! :-) Want to have a s'more for breakfast or eat chips out of the bag?... go for it!


So those are the things we pretty much did. We were able to get up there much earlier than normal because Friday was Impact Day at work. For those Aggies out there, it was Deloitte's version of The Big Event, a community-wide service day. The landscaping crew for Reagan High School got finished around lunch, so we headed out shortly after that. Andrew did mow the jungle that surrounded the farm house, but after that, it was all relax and play... no more work. The Friday night sunset was beautiful, most are at the farm.






We slept in, ate like kings, watched the World Cup, went fishing in the pond, played fetch with the pups in the pond, took the boat out with nightcrawlers and fished like little kids with our corks trying to get the biggest perch. Andrew actually ended up catching the smallest bass we had ever caught on a pole, probably only about 3 inches. If you ever think you are too old or too good to sit and fish with a cork and worm, I pity you. You are truly missing out on one of the simplest and most pleasurable experiences in life. This is where we all started with fishing and should all return to it every now and then.






















It was a weekend spent simply. The pups were in heaven. We know there will be few quiet, relaxing weekends left for quite a while, so we really wanted to take advantage of the few weekends we have left while it's just the two of us. It's hard not to be so excited though thinking that the next time we go up there, there will be three of us!!! I can't wait for Tater's first trip to the farm. I will no doubt be that crazy, picture-taking mom!!!










We were hoping that our wedding photographer was around so that she could take some maternity pictures at the farm, but because this trip was so last minute, she was out of town. So, I hired Andrew to try to take a few. Of course, the wind was blowing like crazy which made this challenging, but he was able to get a few good shots. I wish he could have been in them, so I guess we'll have to enlist a friend or family member to take some of the both of us.










...and, one last parting shot for ya...



Yep... saw three of these suckers (2 alive, 1 dead... now, there are 3 dead).

Be Afraid...Be VERY Afraid...

...if you are a trout anywhere in the waters around Southeast Texas!!!


So Andrew, his dad, our friend Josh, and his dad pretty much cleaned up this weekend on the trout fishing. They ended up with 100 trout on the dot after 3 days of fishing. The caught about 4 limits the first two days and then about 1/2 of 4 limits on Sunday for a grand total of 100 trout! This picture is just of the first day's limit.

I've got a great picture of all 100 trout, but it's stuck on the camera, not an SD card... and we can't find the cord. As soon as we do, I'll be sure to post. It's pretty impressive....Okay, got it off the camera! Here you go! Oh, and let me correct something, this is only of the first 80 (4 people, 2 days' limits). To have 100 in the picture would technically be over the possession limit. We're all about following the rules! :-)






I can't reveal the mystery of where all these fish were caught or what the magic lure was. It wasn't far from here at all though!

Just about every time Dan or Josh and his dad come down, they have a good weekend. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for MY dad or brother. It's pretty much been terrible every time they go fishing. They are often fishing in the same places, with the same lures, the fish just seem to not be there where they are there. Hopefully, some day my dad and brother will get to experience this greatness! Even Andrew admitted that this weekend was special. He usually catches a lot of fish, but not this many!

It's a good thing we're stocking up on fresh fish, just in case this whole oil spill tragedy starts to affect fishing in our area. Hopefully it won't, but if a hurricane did come through, it could move that oil around quite a bit. Let's just say a little prayer that doesn't happen.

So... for all you suckers that pay the big money to have a guide take you out... just come visit us! It's free!!! :-)