Happy Birthday Professor Grumpy Pants

In our townhouse wearing daddy's shirt-2001


Riding JP's 4 wheeler in the backyard-March 2007


Asleep on the stairs with pants on backwards-March 2003

For those of you who may not have read my post about nicknames, that was Bubba's when he was a baby. He had colic for the first year of life and that seemed very fitting. Sun. was his 10th birthday. I can't believe I have a 10 yr. old. B asked the other night, "Does it really seem like that long ago?" I normally answer that it doesn't, but then at the same time I realized it does seem like a long time ago that I gave birth to that little guy. That was his nickname in the womb-even before we knew it was a boy. My in-laws started calling him that and it stuck. I was on bed rest for a month before he was born because I was fully effaced. So for awhile I could sit up and watch tv all day and could get in the shower, go to the bathroom, or get myself food. I went in to the hospital one night because I was feeling contractions. When I got there they said they were 3-5 min. apart! That was scary. They put me on a magnesium drip and got them stopped and had me stay overnight. I had to go back in the next day to get shots for his lungs to develop. They do them in the hip. Avoid these at all costs! Very painful. Then it became full lying down and sit in the shower and no getting up at all. What a great husband I had who came in from the farm often to check on me. My MIL came up a lot too and brought me crossword puzzles and other stuff to keep me from going insane. Well at 36 weeks I had contractions all day so finally in the evening went in. They made me lie on my side and so the belt thingy wasn't registering contractions, so they sent me home and my doctor said he wouldn't stop me at this point if I did go into labor. I took that as license to get up. So we went to Pizza Hut that night and to a movie. Holy cow was I uncomfortable. That weekend we drove up here where we now live to see if we could find a house because we were planning on moving in July to finish college. We found a place and met the owners, and by the end of the night everything was set in motion. It was a cute little townhouse and we were all set to move in 4th of July weekend. We were going to head back to the farm that night, but I was in so much pain. I couldn't walk. My feet were so incredibly swollen that I couldn't put weight on them. I had a warm bath that night in a hotel and tried to relax as much as possible. I had to lie the front seat down all the way home. That day was actually Mother's Day and my sweet husband gave me a pound of See's candy. I stayed in bed all the next day eating it! I finished it. We joke that that's what made him come the next day. I was watching a game show called "Supermarket Sweep" on Tues. afternoon and my water broke. It was the strangest feeling. I never thought it would happen that way. Of course I started to freak out because I didn't have any idea what to do. I ran to the bathroom and stood in the shower to take off my shorts. I trying calling everyone on the walkie talkies and then called out back to his dad's trailer. No answer. I finally thought to call grandma who lived next door, however I had no idea what her number was and actually had to look it up in the phone book! She came over to tell me she had sent his cousin out back to get him. I was so embarassed because I still didn't have pants on, just towels. She helped me get dressed and settled. B called at that point and said, "I hear you're trying to have a baby." I could've shot him right then. I had already started having major contractions. He told me he just needed to finish loading the feedtruck and pull a cow around and then he'd be up. We were both under the assumption that I'd take awhile like my mom. She was in labor for 36 hours with me. He finally came up to the trailer and showered really quick. By the time we got to the hospital at least 45 min. had gone by. He dropped me at the door and went to park. I was trying to walk down the hallway, but that wasn't going well. I had to keep stopping to grab the wall. Luckily someone had seen me and got me a wheelchair. I was in the maternity ward when B came in. They got me all settled in a room and the doctor came and checked me and said I was already at 3-4cm. That seemed good. So B called my mom and left a message because they were at a ward skating activity. About 15 min. later the doctor came in and told me I was at a 6. Now I'm thinking, wow this is awesome I'm going so fast. So then B went back out again to call his mom. On his way back in he talked to the doctor in the hallway and he said I was already 9cm. I was alone in the room at that point-not even a nurse in there! B came in the room and I told him I really felt like I needed to push. He told me I wasn't 10 yet, but I told him to get the doctor because I was gonna push whether he liked it or not. Bubba had a big head. Well, I was really small too. So it took 45 min. (and an incredibly painful episiotomy that I felt) to push him out. It had been exactly 3 hours from the time my water broke. (My mom was really annoyed about this). He came out mad and flailing and ripping all the tubes out that they tried to put in him. He was 3 1/2 weeks early so they wanted to make sure everything was alright. We knew by the sound of that screaming that he was just fine. He weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz.! Just about 7 lbs. that early. I wouldn't have been able to have him if he had gone full term. I did it without an epidural which had been my goal. It was great.

Before church with baby Peanut-Jan. 2006


Baptism day-May 2008

And here it is-10 yrs. later. I sure love this big guy. He's a great big brother. He's very responsible, very smart, super fun. He has a contagious giggle. A few words I think of when I think of him-funny, handsome, pokey hair (from when he was little), determined, independent, loves to shoot, fish, ride his motorcycle, anything outdoors; baseball, football, looks up to dad, stubborn, and very loving. I love that he still says he loves me when I drop him off for school. He's not too old for his mama yet and it makes me so happy. What a wonderful, accomplished young man you already are. My sweet baby boy, I love you so much.



We celbrated by taking him, a friend, and JP to lunch and to see a movie. Grandma Susan and Papa came up too. Then we came home to have his giant cookie that he requested instead of a cake. We opened presents-a shotgun from mom and dad. He can't wait to go to hunter's safety this summer and then start hunting birds. Then they played for awhile and then on our way out to dinner we dropped his friend off. He told us that it was the best day of his life. I'm so glad to know we can still make his dreams come true.