The Name Game!

Oh, my! This is why we didn't even think about names before we knew the sex. You all know my wonderful husband. He is a very, um, we'll say,...passionate...person about UT football. I have known that since the day he suggested our wedding day be on UT's off-day. (In hindsight, that would not have been such a bad idea, I admit.) I was not prepared, however, when he verbalized his wish to name our baby boy NEYLAND. Unique, yes, but after a stadium?! Maybe we should just call him FIELD GOAL and forget about it! I'm not saying that I have any bright ideas in the name department, but I sure didn't see that one coming.

Neyland, Neyland, Bo Beyland
Banana Fanna Fo Feyland...
Nah!

I love you, Wesley.

Update: Oh, the irony! We named him Tucker. Can't do the name game with THAT one! Ha!

Sweet Baby Feet!

Wesley and I went Tuesday, October 27th to a high-risk doctor to have a more extensive ultrasound to check on Baby Boy Wyatt's foot and other organs. Two techs and a doctor all three agree that they do NOT think he has a club foot. The even greater news is that all other major organs look normal as well! Yay! Our prayers have been answered. I know that nothing is guaranteed, and we are still cautiously optimistic, but MAN are we relieved! It's amazing how much we love him and care about his well-being already, and we've never even met him. In a few weeks, we have to go back for a fetal echo cardiogram, but that is routine practice for diabetics. We're just gonna keep praying. Many thanks to all of you who are keeping us in your prayers. You don't know how much that means to us, and we certainly can feel them.

IT'S A...

Boy, oh, boy! Watch out, world, there's another Wesley Wyatt on the way! Can you believe it? What a wonderful night. Wesley's mom graciously hosted us at her house for the Gender Jubilee! She set the table with antique baby toys and pink and blue everything. She even wore a pink top with blue pants just to show that she was impartial. When we sat down to eat, she had everyone choose either a pink or blue napkin to show their prediction. Clark, Charlene, Aunt Polly, Bobby, Philip, and Sam chose pink. Wesley, Betty, Clay (who put his order in via Charlene) and I chose blue. Oh, what fun!

The Big One!

On Thursday, October 22nd, we went to have our "big" ultrasound. We were nervous and excited at the same time. We knew we weren't finding out the sex of the baby at the time, but we hoped all the other news we received was good. The tech said the heart, spine, brain, and other major organs looked normal. She also said that our little bundle of joy might have a club foot. This, of course, took our breath away for a moment, but she assured us that this type of birth defect is easily corrected and poses no major obstacles for little ones. We are going back on Tuesday, October 27th to a high-risk doctor for a more in-depth ultrasound, just to take a closer look. Please keep us and baby Wyatt in your prayers. We are thankful for the news we did receive, though. The fact that the other major organs seem normal brings us comfort.

Now, for the fun part! We wanted our families to be able to find out the sex of the baby the same time we did, so we planned to have a gender jubilee. Lora Hammond, the wonderful lady who made our wedding cake and Wesley's wonderful Neyland Stadium groom's cake, agreed to help us make the big announcement. We told her we would have the ultrasound tech put the news in a sealed envelope, which we would deliver to her (without peeking!). She knew to make a pink cake for a girl or a blue cake for a boy. The color, of course, would be the actual cake, but the icing would be nondescript. We wanted to be able to cut into it and be surprised. I don't think I've been this excited about anything in a very long time!

Sweet Dreams?

I must say that sleep has been my friend over the past few months. Nothing will deter me from slinking into a peaceful slumber. I must say that lately snoozing has not been so sweet. I have been having crazy dreams. Last week I dreamt that I had this baby three months early, and it was a boy. My sweet baby boy then turned into a CAT, and I thought to myself, "Man, how disappointing! All this time for a cat." To beat it all, none of that worried me in my dream. My biggest concern was that I didn't have any lesson plans ready. I don't know what part is the most concerning! Where are my priorities?!

CAT-astrophe

As you can tell by now, we are animal lovers. We love our dogs like children, and I love our cat.
Wesley will be the first to tell you that. I have to remind him, though, I had the cat before I had him. Just between me and thee, he loves him, too. Mr. Kitty, or "Fuzz" as Wesley lovingly refers to him, is an inside cat. He has asthma, which prevents long stays outside, and he also has no claws for protection. We have been through a lot with this little fellow. From blood pressure meds to fluid pills to EKG's to asthma attacks, we've dealt with it all. Well, a week ago this past Saturday, he snuck out of the house when I was letting the dogs out. I didn't notice his absence until I realized he had not taken his usual post at the foot of the bed Sunday morning. We searched all over the house, fearing the worst. We looked all over the yard and neighboring properties. It wasn't as cold as it has been lately, but I just knew that my little furball might be suffering or would soon suffer an asthma attack. Rusty and Brutus even got in on the search. Wesley went on to church, and I stayed home with my four-legged foragers to continue looking for our lost loved-one.

About mid-day, I had all but given up hope of ever finding him. He had never stolen away for more than a couple of hours before, so my fears were growing. I let the dogs out one more time, hoping their noses would pick up on his scent, but the only thing that Rusty found was droppings of an unknown creature. I was all the while calling for the cat, as I had been all day. I thought I heard a faint sound, but I honestly thought it was a bird. I put the dogs in their crates and went to the front yard to investigate. I called once more and low and behold, I heard an"meow"! I looked waaaaaay down in the yard and saw this...

















In the corner of our yard, there is a water tile that goes under the road and leads to an overgrown hillside over which Wesley had searched for quite some time, I might add. There is a family of groundhogs that live there. You can imagine my surprise when Mr. Kitty emerged from the hole that is inhabited by rodents! I was inching toward him cautiously, asking if he was OK, like an idiot. He was just sitting there like, "Hey, what's up?" That sneaky little son-of-a-gun had ignored our calls all day! We must have been within feet of him several times. So the question remains...What does it mean when a cat who thinks he is a groundhog emerges in the Fall and doesn't see his shadow? Hmmmm.....








Update:
I came home from class this past Saturday and saw one of the groundhog clan members scurrying around the yard. Perhaps looking for his new friend...

P.S.
Mr. Kitty now has a lovely purple collar, complete with a nametag and bell that jingles with his every step!
I know, I know...we REALLY need kids.

One-Year-Olds and Wedding Showers!

This past weekend I traveled to Nashville to attend the birthday of Mr. Graham Harrell, the son of Kelly and Michael. Wow! That's all I can say. Tiny tots were everywhere, having a blast painting pumpkins, coloring, riding the pony, (yes, I said pony!!) and cruising on the hay wagon. Did I mention this was his first birthday? Parenthood jitters have set in! Oh, my. What have we gotten ourselves into? No, really, it was a great party! Kelly, you are a great mom.

On Sunday, my sister Cari's future mother-in-law's church (did you get all that?) gave Cari and Jason a wedding shower. They had a great turn-out. My hand went numb writing down all of the names!

The News is Out!

We wanted to share our news with our families all at once, but unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, that didn't happen. Both families were going to get together to celebrate the birthdays of Wesley and his brother Clark, but Wesley's Uncle Glen had to be hospitalized, and it just wasn't a time for celebration.

On Sunday, September the 26th, we went to Wesley's parents' house at 11:00 am. Wesley had told them to meet us there because we had to talk to them. He had to tell Betty that so she would come home from the hospital for a moment. She, of course, had worried about what was going on! She collects Hallmark ornaments, so I found one that said, "Mommy-to-Be Angel." It had a pregnant gal holding pickles and ice cream. Anyway, she opened it, and said, "OHHHHHHHHHHH, Bobby!" (Wesley's Dad) She handed it to him, and he couldn't make heads or tails of it. She explained what it said and said to him, "Well, if it's not me, then who is it?" In true Bobby fashion, he proceeded to say, "Well, I guess Rusty's going to have to take a back seat." Priceless!

We had a 1:00 appointment at my dad's house, so we took chicken and said we were celebrating Wesley's birthday. Dad recently went to Alaska, so he said he had something for us. I reciprocated and handed him a wrapped picture frame of the latest ultrasound. He opened it and looked at it. He turned it around and around and around...Clueless! I said, "Dad, are you kidding?" I mean, the frame said "Little Wonder." Anyway, he finally got it and started laughing. We put the magnetic frame on the fridge and called Philip to the kitchen. I asked him to get ice, hoping he would see it. Nope! We had to point it out. He let out a moan/gasp sort of sound and walked away and then back. Funny stuff. He didn't really know what to think.

I couldn't get in touch with my sister Cari all day, but I kept trying. I finally was able to get her and told her there was something she had to see online. After many failed attempts, she was able to pull up this blog and said, "REALLLLLYYYYY?"

Wesley's brother Clark read the annoucement and laughed. It was a really fun day. I just love seeing the reaction people have!

During the next two days, people began getting the annoucements in the mail, and our phones rang and rang! We have never felt so loved in all of our lives. It seems much more real now to us. So, so exciting!

In the Meantime...

We came home from our vacation, and I prepared to begin my EdS program and another school year. Wesley dealt with his emotional wife like a champ, as I had about a week of crying spells that seemed to come out of nowhere. Thankfully, though, that subsided. I began to see the doctor about every two weeks to make sure my blood sugar was under control. The good part about that was the fact that I got to see the little bean a few times on the ultrasound. Still, though, it was a secret shared by only me, Wesley, Rusty, Brutus, and Mr. Kitty (aka Fuzz). Oh, and of course, the seemingly hundreds of people who work at Fort Sanders Obgyn!

We decided to wait until I had the ultrasound and blood test that can detect chromosomal abnormalities to tell everyone our news. As I type, I am 16 weeks, and it is the night before we tell our families. We mailed announcements today to our friends and family who live outside of town. On Monday, I will send announcements to those who live in town. We wanted to be able to share the news with our extended family and friends at the same time, so hopefully, it will work!

I just had a conversation with Jill Reuschel today about us having kids. She said people always ask her if we are ever going to take the plunge. It was all I could do not to tell her. Ironically, I've had that conversation with people a lot lately. It's like they already know!

I created our announcements online and printed them off at Wal-Mart. I went to pick them up yesterday. The photo lab worker asked me the name, and I told her "Wyatt." She said, "Jenny?", which surprised me because I had never seen her before in my life. She then went on to say that another photo lab employee, who I do know, had written me a note and put it with my pictures. I thanked her and went to another aisle.

The note read, "Congrats, Jenny! That's great!" My heart sank to my toes. Don't get me wrong, that was very sweet, but I didn't want anyone, especially our parents, to find out our surprise second-hand!!! I went back to the lady that helped me and asked her if she would see Susie (the employee who knows me) anytime soon. She said she would see her the next day, so I asked her to pleeeeaaaaase tell her it is a secret. She laughed and said that Susie assumed it was and she wouldn't mention it. I hope so!

So, going back to earlier in this post, the only people who know our wonderful news are me, Wesley, Rusty, Brutus, Mr. Kitty (aka Fuzz), the seemingly hundreds of people who work at Fort Sanders Obgyn, and two Wal-Mart photo lab employees (only one of whom has been identified). I'll be so glad when this isn't a secret anymore!

Dominican Dilemma

So, we were off to a wonderful vacation, but it was hard to relax when we couldn't think of anything else but what was going on inside of my body. One of the greatest perks of an all-inclusive resort is the food! Unfortunately for me, though, I had to watch everything I put in my mouth. By mid-week I had finally let my mind ease a bit, and I had gotten pretty good at passing up the huge dessert, pasta, and bread sections. Wesley and I walked the pool that meandered around the resort every day and had underwater swimming races. (Don't ask. It was Wesley's idea. I must admit, though, we did laugh a lot.) We then flew into Atlanta and stayed a couple more days with Tammy and Wendy, which is always a good time.

Each day on our vacation we let our news sink in a little more, but we were too scared to talk about our future too much. We have so many friends who have had trouble conceiving and carrying babies, so we were cautiously optimistic that we would actually become parents. Goodness knows that anything could happen, so we still are proceeding with guarded hearts.

Worry, Worry, Worry!

On Monday, I called the doctor almost in tears because I had worried all weekend about my sugar levels. I then found out that my gynecologist, who I adored (as much as one can adore her gyno) had developed Lou Gehrig's disease and had recently retired. The receptionist assured me that there were other great doctors in that practice and that Dr. Hays recommended them all. I told her that date of my last, well, you know, and she said I was about 5 weeks. She also said that the doctors usually don't want to see patients until something like six or eight weeks. Trying to hold back sobs, I told her I had high blood sugar, was taking medications that I didn't know were safe for pregnancy, and oh, yeah, that I was leaving the country in three days!

She said to come in on Thursday morning. That worked out well because Wesley and I were scheduled to drive to Atlanta at noon to stay with Tammy and Wendy before we flew off to the Dominican Republic. I saw the Nurse Practitioner, and she did an ultrasound. Seeing that little bean was really crazy, but so very exciting. She told me to keep taking my meds and to come back as soon we returned from vacation. She also said to keep my blood sugar under tight control. I explained that it hadn't been recently, but she basically said that we can only look to the future now. March 12th, to be exact.

Complete Shock

Wesley and I have been married now for nine years, so naturally, everyone always asks us when we're going to have kids. We always smile and reply that our kids have four legs, and that's enough for now. And we truly believed that, as there has always been something going on in our lives that keeps us from saying, "Yes, the time is right for a baby." You see, because of health issues, we didn't think we could have kids without "help", and we just hadn't set aside time in our lives for the time and possible heartache that could entail.

Long story short, in July I was "off", if you get my drift. I thought, "Oh, here we go, more problems!" It didn't even occur to me at first that there may be something a brewin'. I had a pregnancy test that was 2 years out-of-date, and after a few days I just thought I would give it a try. I truly didn't believe that it would deliver the news that it did. I was in COMPLETE SHOCK! Then I thought, "OK, it's out-of-date and probably not right, anyway." Mind you, Wesley is working on a roof somewhere with Lance, so I am completely alone with this news. I went to Wal-Greens and purchased another test, and yep, it gave me the same results. It was still a couple of hours before Wesley was due to be home, so I paced and worried, paced and worried. I knew that my blood sugar levels had not been where they should, so I was freaking out, knowing that could mean major complications. So, what's the best cure for worrying? The Internet. Everything I read demanded that diabetics get blood sugars well under control months before trying to conceive. My mind was racing, and hormones were rampant, so you can imagine what an emotional mess I was. The worst part was that it was a Saturday, so I couldn't call my doctor or talk to anyone else about it.

Wesley finally came home, and was going on and on about his day. We were on the deck, and I had the test that actually said "pregnant" in my pocket. I managed to slip it onto the railing, and as he was talking, he glanced down. He said, and this is a direct quote, "Holy, Sh*%!" He looked at me in disbelief and then amazement and then a grin spilled over his face. He grabbed me in hug, and I don't think he said anything else for at least a whole minute. And so it began...