Barnette Blog

Knoxville Zoo

2010-03-05T09:14:00.001-05:00

We went to the Knoxville Zoo yesterday since we are members at Chattanooga Zoo, we got in free. Unfortunately, they are changing that rule and after this trip we only get half price admission. Fallon really enjoyed seeing all the animals like she does at the Chattanooga Zoo.

She got to see some elephants, tigers, lions, monkeys, owls, and touch some goats. She didn't know what to think of touching the goats as they have different hair then Indigo, our cat does. The day was so cold, a lot colder then they had predicted weather wise. So yes, David's actually warming up on this rock and not posing for the picture. I just happened to be able to snap the photo.

We really enjoyed the Knoxville Zoo except for many of the exhibits were closed due to the cold. I imagine that they zoo is packed during the summer but we enjoyed being able to go through the zoo with no crowd.

Welcoming 2010

2010-01-02T12:47:00.001-05:00

Well it's 2010.....

These are some things that I am thankful for from 2009:

My beautiful daughter arriving March 20th
My grandparents being able to come down and spend time with us after Fallon was born, and them getting a chance to visit Uncle Bud in Texas.
My wonderful husband and him becoming a fantastic dad.
My mom getting her life back on track
Being able to drive to Maine and visit my parents and letting Fallon meet her grandparents in Maine.
A wonderful support system from David's Parents
The love of a great family
Being healthy and happy!

I don't know what 2010 will hold for us but I am looking forward to more great surprises and experiences. I don't have any current resolutions except to be the best mom that I know I can be and to love and support my family.

Baby's First Christmas!

2009-12-27T16:22:00.004-05:00

Christmas time already! Can you believe that? I sure can't especially because this marks the 9 month mark for my baby girl. Fallon has been in the outside world as long as she was in my womb. It doesn't seem possible that this time has come and it has sure flown by.

Billie came and visited before Christmas and we had a lot of fun. Fallon took to her instantly and enjoyed playing with her and being around her. David and I enjoyed her being here to. We made some funfetti cookies with her cookie press. They came out sooo good. Then we had to see Billie off because she had to get up to their parent's house before the rest of the snow came down in the Tri-Cities area. They got a lot of snow that week.

We headed up north for Christmas on Christmas eve. There wasn't as much traffic as we expected. Fallon didn't enjoy the drive at all. She stayed up and fought sleep the whole way. When we got to David's parents house, Fallon was wide awake and ready to play. She played with everyone for a few hours and then we were able to get her to take a nap. A short one but a nap just the same.

Christmas was exciting. Fallon made out like a bandit with Christmas gifts. It was enjoyable to see the entire family this year. Elizabeth looked fantastic being into her third trimester. She is due at the end of March with their first daughter. So the first round of kids are all girls. Very exciting that they will all be able to grow up together. Here she is all tuckered out from her first Christmas!

Parenting.com Photo Contest

2009-12-07T13:44:00.002-05:00

I have entered a photo into the Parenting.com model search. It would be great to win this and show the world how beautiful our baby girl is.

Vote for me in this contest!

Contest details

Snow and Christmas Lights

2009-12-05T21:31:00.004-05:00

We had a snow fall today and David and I woke up in time this morning to capture the Christmas lights under the beautiful blanket of white. Cleveland, Tennessee is one of those places that could get snow 5 minutes away but never get snow in the city itself. I guess it's mainly how the mountain ranges are around us.

David was able to also gather up some fresh white snow to make the southern favorite, Snow Creme. I'm hoping for more snow this year so that Fallon can really get into a white Christmas. Watching it snow today made me miss living in Maine. I don't miss the cold so much as I miss the snow. The feet upon feet of snow making everything so brilliant white. Our light show would kick butt up there but we'd have to wait for a foot or two of snow on the ground to be able to put lights on the top of it so that passerby's could actually see the Christmas lights.

Here's some photos of the snow and the Christmas lights.

Our first Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T21:19:00.003-05:00

This Thanksgiving feels completely different then any one of them that I have ever had and that's because this Thanksgiving...I'm a mom. I couldn't have asked for a better feeling then knowing that I get to start holiday traditions with my family. I may never cook a Thanksgiving meal for quite a few years with this family but hopefully sometime I'll be able to participate more in cooking of the turkey and throw my own Thanksgiving get together in MY house.

This year like all our holidays, we went to David's parent's house in Blountville, Tennessee. It was good to see the family and let Fallon play with her grandparents, aunts, and uncles. She really enjoyed being able to crawl around on a carpeted floor and make distance where our wood floor she has to try that much harder to get anywhere because they are a little slick for her tiny feet.

Fallon got to join us and have her own little Thanksgiving feast. We let her have green beans, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce. The sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce were by far her favorites. She has started to eat chunky "mom and dad" foods rather than just her baby stuff and she's really taking to eating that rather then the smooth consistency of Gerber or Beechnut baby food. So we are starting to move on to another milestone and that would be to let her explore her food with her fingers and start to feed herself. I sort of shudder at this thought because I know of the mess that will ensue. But a mess with babies just comes with the territory.

Sleep or the lack there of.

2009-11-02T08:58:00.002-05:00

What is sleep? Where did it go? When did my baby become the baby that never sleeps through the night. We were so lucky the first three months of Fallon's life, she spoiled us by sleeping through the night. She has now gotten to the point where she wakes up multiple times a night to eat and to just whine. It has created two zombies in this household. We can't swaddle her like she wants in her crib because she rolls over and doesn't have her arms available to roll herself off of her stomach. Her amby bed is getting too small for her so we're at a crossroads. It's time to teach her to self soothe so that she can put herself back to sleep at night and to be able to sleep unswaddled. We'll try taking the white noise away at a different point when we get everything else fixed. So we have decided to try the Dr. Ferber "Cry it out" method because it teaches self soothing and we've tried all the other methods. She will not sleep in our bed even when we try to let her now so that's out of the running too.

It's so hard to sit and listen to your little one cry. It tears my heart out but she won't even try to crawl without crying because she gets frustrated and knows that if she whines or cries that mommy or daddy will come and pick her up or get the toy that's just out of reach. I feel that this "cry it out" method is what she needs to start gaining some self confidence that she can take that next step and try something new that her body has never done like crawling to the toy that is just out of reach or finding her pacifier in the crib and rolling back over to sleep. (dreaming on that note!)

Fallon did soothe herself to sleep yesterday while she was in her crib and slept for about a half hour. The rest of the day was a nightmare though. We kept trying to put her down for a nap unswaddled and she would cry her little heart out. So we are trying it again today. The drawback of this method is it starts to make me feel like a cold heartless mother to be able to sit here and listen to her cry but I know that she's okay. She's been fed and changed and is completely safe in her crib. If I get really unsure, I turn on the video monitor and know that she's doing just fine. Just to convince my mind and my heart that.

I have a huge support system of other mothers that had babies in March and they are all seeing the same symptoms with the sleep patterns as Fallon and it seems to be revolving around the first teeth! I hope that I can seriously fix this sleeping situation for Fallon's, David's, and my sanity.

Halloween

2009-11-01T14:15:00.002-05:00

Halloween in Cleveland is an interesting thing in itself. This being the first year to pay attention to Halloween events in this city made it even more interesting. Fallon got to enjoy her first Halloween as a monkey. We chose this outfit because all through the pregnancy David would feel her kick or move and call her his little monkey. So we thought that it'd be fitting for her to go as his little monkey.

We went to Westwood's event at the Bradley Square mall. They turn the entire mall into a mini carnival with games and candy for the kids. It definitely wasn't the place for Fallon to enjoy. She did enjoy people watching though.

Then we decided to head to Cleveland's annual and huge Halloween block party. We walked around there and then found "treat street" which is hosted by our in town candy factory, M&M Mars. We figured that you'd get a couple handfuls of candy at most but they hand you a 1lb bag of candy for each person in your group plus a handful of candy. It was great. They supplied us with enough candy that we really didn't have to go to Wal-Mart for their Halloween mark downs. The rain started moving in so we came home after hitting treat street. While at the block party we saw this most amazing double rainbow. The base of the brightest rainbow was the widest I have ever seen. It was so beautiful. Really made the evening memorable.

Second Tooth Already

2009-10-25T21:08:00.002-04:00

Fallon had a really bad night last night. She wouldn't take a bottle and only wanted to nurse. I didn't think she even got a full meal because we've been trying to wean her from breastfeeding and onto the bottle so I can get back to normal. So we just sort of shrugged it off as a bad night. This morning, Jonathan, David and I took Fallon and we all went out to breakfast. I just happened to check Fallon's mouth and we found her second tooth had popped through. So she has her two bottom chompers in and ready to start chewing her little butt off. Now if we can get her to the point that she can start handling faster flowing liquids she'll really be ready to start eating big people's foods.

She had found a new favorite food but it makes her diapers gag worthy. She loves apple paired with blackberries. When you taste it, it's so good!

First Tooth and the Journey of the Season

2009-10-24T17:12:00.000-04:00

On Friday, (10-16-09) we started our 1500 mile journey to Cambridge, Maine to see my parents. We were very worried about this journey and how Fallon would handle it and how we would handle Fallon. Friday we got in the car and started north. Along the journey we stopped at David's parents house and ate lunch and then headed on our way. Fallon took the first part of the trip very well and laughed and giggled the entire time. We weren't entirely sure how far we would get Friday night because of leaving when David got out of work at noon. We made it to Carlisle Pennsylvania around 10:30 that evening.

Saturday morning we got up around 7 and started repacking the car. It's amazing how much stuff you need when it comes to traveling with a baby. Fortunately I did very well packing just the essentials. Saturday we expected to have a very hard time traveling because we did so much the day before. Fallon was fantastic though. We got out every 3 or 4 hours and stretched and changed drivers. We saw about 2-3 inches of snow in Northern Pennsylvania. We got pictures of Fallon in her first snow fall. The roads got pretty slick too but we were very careful and took our time through it. The snow stopped when we reached Connecticut so that was all the snow that we did get to see. We reached my mother's house later that evening. My parents were so excited to see Fallon and my grandparents were there too. Fallon was equally excited to be out of the car.

Sunday, we all packed in the cars once again and went to L.L. Bean and explored Freeport. It was enjoyable going around the stores with my parents and grandparents and my family. Mom was so excited about being around us and Fallon that nothing really seemed to phase her. It was so COLD!! If I would have had Fallon's snowsuit with us in Freeport, I would have bundled Fallon up in it. We were all so cold. Sunday night was a very interesting night with Fallon. She woke up frequently and was very fussy. Come Monday evening we noticed that she had her FIRST tooth! My little girl is growing up so fast. She has her first chomper! She didn't show any of the tell tale signs that she was teething like the fever or the drooling. She just was a little more fussier than usual.

Tuesday, we started our trip home since mom had to return to work. We took the long way across New Hampshire and Vermont then down through New York. We made it to Wilkes-Barre, PA that evening and stayed at Holiday Inn Express. Tiny little rooms with huge furniture. They really need to downscale the furniture in those rooms. They are trying to do the modern chic thing but it really doesn't work. You don't have any room to move around the room.

Wednesday, we had a very long but uneventful trip down to David's parent's house. Fallon was more then ready to be home but we couldn't travel anymore that evening. We did make it home Thursday afternoon and Fallon's little eyes just lit up when we laid her on her changing table.

We are very glad to be home but we so glad that we got the opportunity to make the trip so that Fallon could meet her other grandparents. I do miss my family and the state of Maine but am glad that I have the chances that I have down here.

Jibber Jabber

2009-10-15T11:43:00.003-04:00

Fallon is finding out that her voice can get her many different things such as attention, food, and laughter. It can get her a hug or a kiss which she gets constantly anyways. I got a video of her playing in her play yard and not thinking that anyone was paying attention to her until she her the chime of the video camera, then she just ate the attention up.

Everyday is like a new day even though we really have the same routine but being able to sit back and watch how she discovers the world is amazing. I think it's my favorite thing to be able to do besides love on and care for my baby. Pregnancy was hard and I wish that there was a fast forward button through that part but the end result is amazing.

Here's the video of her jibbering

Baby Babbles and the Splits! from Jessica Barnette on Vimeo.

The Zoo

2009-10-05T14:33:00.003-04:00

We went to the zoo over the weekend. We took in this nice weather that we got and they were having a fee free weekend. So that makes it even more worth it. Fallon really enjoyed it or so it seemed. For the way that the parking lot looked it seemed like we were going into a crowded place. Surprisingly, the place was spaced out enough that you really didn't get into any crowds. They had a bunch of vendors there that were giving out free stuff and information. Fallon really enjoyed watching the gorillas and monkey's.

I am really glad that she was able to be able to enjoy the zoo with us. I was a little worried that she would get upset or too cold but everything worked out really well for us.

Sleep Monsters

2009-09-30T21:16:00.003-04:00

I have learned one thing about babies and that's they are creatures of habit. So whatever routines you start with them you need to continue or it's real hell to try to break those traditions, such as swaddling and white noise. We started white noise when Fallon started getting colicky at night. The white noise would help her calm down and put her right to sleep. It works absolutely beautifully but getting her off the white noise is another story. Fallon also prefers to be swaddled still because it's a comfort thing to her and when she doesn't get swaddled she wants to play all the time. We don't swaddle her the "right" way. We just pull her arms in tight to her sides and wrap her up all good and tight.

So trying to change all these things so we can just lay her in her crib and let her go to sleep is a nightmare. We did get her to start sleeping in her crib instead of her swing and I am very thankful for that. I was very worried that because she was so comfortable in her swing that we wouldn't be able to transition back from the swinging motion to the non-motion of the crib. But she has adjusted very well in going back to her crib.

I have learned though that those few little things that you do to get your child ready for bed makes a lasting impression. Hopefully sometime in the future she won't want the white noise and I think that when she's comfortable enough she won't want to be swaddled either. I don't want to rush things because I don't want to rush her growing up. She's growing fast enough as it is.

Half Year of Fallon

2009-09-21T17:37:00.005-04:00

David and I are truly blessed when it comes to our daughter. Yes, she has her little issues like the milk protein allergy but that just makes her unique in her own way and we are all hopeful that she will grow out of this. It seems like there are new things that she learns sometimes almost every hour. It's amazing to sit back and watch her.

I still think "how can I be a mother?". I never thought that it would be possible or that God would provide me with these small little hands to wash, tiny little feet to kiss, and a beautiful set of baby blue eyes. She has been the love and highlight of my life since March 20, 2009. I look forward to the next 6 months to next 30 plus years because she'll always be my little girl.

New tricks

2009-09-17T20:37:00.003-04:00

Rolling Rolling Rolling from Jessica Barnette on Vimeo.

There certainly has been a lot going on in the past few months with here in Cleveland. We are starting to get ready to put up our Christmas Lights for our huge Christmas lights show. We are having doctor's appointments for Fallon and trying to resume on this diet.

Fallon is coming up to her being 6 months old. I can't believe that it's been 6 months already but on the other hand it feels like it should be a little bit longer though too. I am now having to chase after her as you can see from the video above. Of course she doesn't choose to move until you sit down in your seat. Last night she just rolled from her back to her belly once and we praised her for it and I saw her do it once this morning so I got down on the rug with her and praised her. That's all it took from there on out she's a rolling machine!

First Foods

2009-09-13T17:13:00.004-04:00

Now that Fallon is coming on to her 6 months or 1/2 year birthday. We decided to go ahead and start her on some solid foods. I didn't start her on rice cereal but have slaved over a hot stove and steamed some apples to make applesauce. I steamed the apples until the were soft, then I put them in a food processor to blend them and mixed some of the water from the steam bath into the apple mixture to thin the sauce out some. Then I filled a couple ice cube trays and froze the sauce into 1 ounce ice cubes. It makes it very easy to take a cube out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave for 45 seconds and I have baby food. I mix a little bit of the rice cereal in with it sometimes too.

I believe in making baby food for her because of the allergies that she might possibly have. Well the apples were the green apples, granny smith I believe so the applesauce came out a little tart. Fallon seems to enjoy it after her first tasting of the apples. Hopefully she'll take after her pappaw and enjoy apples as much as he does.

First Foods from Jessica Barnette on Vimeo.

Nashville

2009-08-17T15:01:00.004-04:00

We went to Nashville this past weekend to see our neice Elizabeth graduate from Belmont University with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. It was great to see the family up there supporting her. We got up there Friday night and ate dinner then went to the graduation. Fallon did really well for not having a whole lot of sleep before it. We did have to leave the graduation early because Fallon started to get upset every time that the crowd cheered because she was extremely tired. So we grabbed a little more to eat and headed to Jonathan and Denise's house. Fallon didn't sleep well at all that night. On Saturday, we took Jonathan and Denise out to breakfast at this awesome little restaurant in Dixson. It was good. Then Saturday we all went to Benjamin's and spent time with them. Heather decided that she wanted to take out all the balloons out of the storage chest and Fallon learned that balloons can be a whole lot of fun too. Heather and Fallon played so well together. Studying each other and trying to figure each other out. It was so cute. We came home Sunday and got Fallon a walker. She started to enjoy it when she decided to eat everything that was in front of her.

She is really growing up so fast. She now reaches out to different people to be held. She likes to play with balloons and she likes to talk. The grow up right before your eyes.

Problems

2009-08-05T14:49:00.001-04:00

It has been awhile since I updated my blog. A lot of things have been going on around here. Fallon has had some bowel issues and have had a lot of tests done to see why she has blood in her stool. She doesn't seem to be in pain but they are still finding blood in her stool. It's a very scary situation. So I am on a diet of no milk products, no eggs, no soy, and no nut products. It's a very hard diet to keep track of. Soy and milk are in EVERYTHING. I feel that I have let down Fallon because according to the GI doctor, her diapers are never supposed to look like what they have been looking like and that her diapers are the result of GI stress from an allergy to one of the foods that I have been eating.

I have to stay on this diet for atleast a month until her next GI appointment. We have some tests to do without taking her to the doctor. I hope that the tests start to show some new improvements in her health and well being.

The eve of 4 months

2009-07-19T18:56:00.005-04:00

What a ride this has been. Tomorrow Fallon is 4 months old. It doesn't seem possible but everyday goes by so fast. This month has been filled with fun, sickness, new beginnings, and lots of new discoveries. Fallon is now easily grabbing things and holding on for dear life and everything that she grabs heads for her mouth. She is starting to get the hang of eating from a spoon but the reflex is still there to push stuff out of her mouth so it's an interesting journey of rice cereal on her and on me.

Fallon tried some yellow watermelon. We just let her gum and suck up the juice. She really seemed to enjoy the flavor after the first try. Here is a photo of her:

Today, we took a ride up the Cherohala Skyway. Fallon enjoyed a little bit of it but got tired really quickly. So we only went up a little ways and then decided to come home. It's been such a beautiful day and weekend this weekend. I really hate to see it get hotter this week.

July 4th, 2009 - Independance Day

2009-07-05T13:37:00.003-04:00

We decided that even with my knee and Fallon and I being sick that we were going up to East Tennessee to spend the holiday with family. The trip up was very unbearable. My knee hurt so badly. We took a break at Bass Pro Shops and I got escorted in a wheel chair. It was much needed and Fallon really enjoyed the break with her aunt and uncle. We got up there Thursday night and got to see Billie, Ricky, and David's Parents. Fallon started giggling and talking to Billie. It was the cutest thing. She really liked her aunt. She got to spend some time with my mammaw and pappaw as well. We spend the holiday over at the lake with almost the entire family. Benjamin, Elizabeth, and Sarah were missing. They had work and distance restrictions on being able to be here. Fallon slept most of the day while Heather played around the lake house. We came home last night because of wanting to get stuff done around the house before David had to get back to work.

Fallon was having a hard time getting to sleep so we drove around a little bit as it was getting dark and ended up going through Bradley Counties Drive thru Fireworks show. They had their fireworks along Waterlevel Highway that heads up to Ocoee. It was the worst possible spot because there wasn't a lot of parking available, it was the only show in Cleveland, and it's a major thru-way for travelers. It was bumper to bumper traffic going through there with cars in the median, on the road, and everywhere else that was a hassle. The fireworks were cool and we got some pretty neat pictures of them with our new camera. By the end of it, Fallon was so exhausted that the sound of them didn't phase her.

We are glad to be home. I'm hurting today because my darling cat decided to land on top of my knee in the middle of the night. How sweet of him huh?! Fallon's doing well, she's a little grumpy but pretty tired today. We gave her a bath this afternoon to get the sunscreen off of her and now we are relaxing.

Broke Knee, Sickness, and Horseback Riding

2009-06-30T17:10:00.002-04:00

I went horseback riding last night and it felt sooo good to be back in the saddle. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. I started back to the car, so excited because I could prove to David that horses weren't that bad and I was okay, I slipped getting into the car and wrenched my knee. I fell and hit my head on the door frame of the car and really bruised my ego. When Sara helped me up, my knee really made itself known. I had such a pain that I could barely walk on it. I got into the car and doubled footed it to Wal-Mart in Ooltewah to still pick up the motorcycle battery that David requested. I was a hurting unit but I thought that I would still go get it so that the injury didn't seem all that bad.

I got home and the injury was all that real. I could barely move my leg after walking through Wal-Mart and driving home. So David and I made an appointment to go to the doctor today. He said that it seemed to act like a lateral tibular fracture. I am to be on crutches and a knee brace for two weeks. Luckily, the doctor doesn't think I did any real damage to it but when I go back for the follow up x-rays, I may have to get a MRI if no injury is found evident on the x-rays. If there is damage to the cartiledge or ligaments then it could result in surgery. Not fun idea at all.

Then to top it all off, I am starting to get sick and so is Fallon. She's got a real congested cough and runny nose. I feel so helpless because I can't help her like she's used to and she really needs her momma now.

Air Conditioning Madness

2009-06-19T20:05:00.003-04:00

You never realize how important something is until your without it. When I was growing up, living in Maine you didn't really come across any homes that had air conditioning except for the few "rich" people that had the window units. Business's carried air conditioning but that was it. You got used to the heat and it wasn't as hot up there like it is in the south. So when I moved to Texas and met David, I learned how convenient air conditioning was and how needed it was.

When we bought the house in Cleveland, it came with a 24 year old Carrier air conditioner. The problem with it was that it wasn't big enough for the house. We also worried that some day it would just quit working. So October of last year, we had a brand new 2.5 ton Trane Unit. We decided on the Trane because it was the only air conditioner that had high ratings and was still completely built in the United States. The technicians came and installed it and had to replace a part on it the day that it was installed. That should have been our first clue right there, but the unit continued to work beautifully up until this week.

I had noticed earlier this week that the unit was starting to have trouble keeping the house cool but I thought that it could be a number of things other than the unit itself. I considered it to be that it was 100 degrees plus outside for the past week. Well come Thursday night, the unit was really having problems. The house got up to 80 degrees by 9 that night. David started checking things out and the unit was blowing 82 degree air inside the house. So instantly we were worried about Fallon and how she would handle the heat. By midnight, when we had exhausted all our ideas on what could be happening, I tried to find a certified technician that could fix it as soon as possible and honor our warrenty. We didn't find any last night so we stayed in a hotel for the night.

Finally, a technician called us today at 11 am to meet us at the house to work on the system. He found out that there were two cooper pipes that have rubbed together so much that they fused together. When he opened up the system, the pipes released and created a large leak, of course that wasn't really noticed until the guy went through 5 pounds of Freon. The next thing that he noticed was that the orphis (don't think I spelled it right) valve was damaged so that needed to be replaced. This air conditioner is only 8 months old. It's awful. So we are in a hotel for the weekend. How great is that?! RIGHT!!! I am sorry that we didn't believe the 24 year old Carrier wouldn't make it because it sure as heck proved that American made isn't always the best.

My Birthday and Our Anniversary Weekend

2009-06-14T10:38:00.007-04:00

Since David and I have been celebrating our anniversary David has surprised me with trips to Gatlinburg, Lexington, and this year...Stone Mountain and Atlanta. We couldn't decide this year on where to go especially since we had Fallon. So we decided to go to Atlanta area. It was somewhere close and had some things that we would want to do.

Thursday, June 11

Today is officially my birthday and our anniversary. We are celebrating 4 wonderful years together. David has to work until noon and then we are heading south for the start of his mini vacation. We are going to Stone Mountain and staying in the park at the Stone Mountain Inn which is right across from the Confederate carving. The room is huge but the air conditioner had a hard time keeping up with it. The bed is comfortable and Fallon seems to be comfortable in the surroundings. We went and walked around to look at the carving since the last time I saw it was at night. It is amazing, all the work that has gone into that. Then we went and got dinner at the authentic German Restaurant right outside of the park. It was really good food. We went back to the hotel and we decided to try to go to the Laser light show but Fallon got scared with the noise and fireworks so we had to go back to the hotel.

Friday, June 12

Today we got up and ate breakfast and then headed to the aquarium. It's supposed to be the World's Largest and has some Whale Sharks in it. The traffic heading into Atlanta wasn't bad at all. We got to the aquarium and found out that Fallon really enjoys watching jellyfish and fish in general. Maybe we should keep fish in the house instead cats and dogs. Less to clean up every day. Fallon started getting really tired and the noise was really overwhelming so she cried and cried. So we left. I was very disappointed because I felt like I should have known better and David kept telling me that it was probably a bad idea. So he was right and Fallon suffered for it. David located a Cheesecake Factory and we ate, boy did we eat. It was so good! We got two slices of cheesecake each to bring back to the hotel. It was well worth getting lost over. Later that day we investigated and found the train that goes around Stone Mountain. We decided not to push that so we went on the tram instead. It takes you to the top of the mountain. You can see Atlanta and some other cities too. The trip up was crowded and hot. The tram's were was overloaded and of course no air flow. Fallon cried a little on the way up there.

The top of the mountain was beautiful. It had a wonderful breeze. You couldn't really see the outline of the city through the smog but it was still beautiful up there. The trip down in the tram was horrible. Fallon screamed the entire 3 minute trip down the mountain but as soon as we got off of the tram, she fell asleep. After that, we went back to the hotel room and rested for awhile. We started to go to the laser light show and watch it in the car but some thunder storms rolled in on us and they don't have the light show during that but they did set off the fireworks. It was pretty cool. Poor Fallon kept getting loaded in her car seat as we kept thinking that they were going to be having the show. She stayed asleep though.

Saturday, June 12

We got ourselves packed up and ready for the day and to come home later that day. We went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens after searching for a Dunkin Donuts. We finally did find one. The botanical gardens was beautiful and a gem inside the city center. It had a garden geared for kids too. They didn't have many roses though. But I have roses at home so I can enjoy those.

We made it home with no problems and are enjoying the rest of the weekend to relax.

David's Birthday Weekend

2009-05-31T19:58:00.003-04:00

Ahh...what a mess!

I had the entire birthday planned out and it went horrible. Saturday went well, we stayed home and did a lot of stuff around the house. We worked on concreting around the pool, pulling weeds, and working on the pool itself. It was enjoyable. We rearranged the furniture in the living room after a major cleaning. Fallon enjoyed being outside with us in the afternoon as well. Then I tried cooking dinner. I was making my version of chicken fried steak. My first egg ended up on the floor, the second attempt egg ended up in the drain, and finally the third egg ended being the egg bath for the cube steak. Then I ended up burning myself from the oil in the pan. I wasn't supposed to cook, that's for sure.

Today's David's 38th birthday and I had two ideas for his birthday. The first one was to have a picnic on the Cherohaula Skyway, a place that we love to ride the motorcycles. Then I checked the weather and it was going to be in the 90's so I scrapped that because of it being to hot for Fallon. So I decided that we would go to Lynchburg to the Jack Daniel's distillary and get some bottles that David doesn't have. Well we loaded up and got there to find out that they don't sell the collector's bottles on Sunday. So we went into Lynchburg and ate. Fallon then decided that she wasn't happy so David didn't get a chance to eat in the restaurant. He opted to go to the air conditioned car with her. So I packaged his lunch, ate mine and went out and joined him. She was getting extremely hot and tired so we started home.

Once we got the terrifying exciment started...

I headed to DQ for an ice cream cake for David. I got to the intersection of Paul Huff and Peerless and there was an old man in a pick up truck in the turn right lane. His was followed by a little car and then a white ford F250 then me. The young guy, i'll call him BOB and I'll call the old man, BUD. BOB (young guy) was getting very upset that BUD (old guy at the red light) wasn't pulling out. By law, he doesn't have to. So BOB is honking his horn and then the guy behind me honked and I guess that put BOB over the edge because he got out of his truck and went at BUD. I thought that he was going up to help until he looked back at the line of cars building up and the look of his face was murder. BUD (old guy) got out of his truck and grabbed his iron pipe out of his truck bed to protect himself. BOB took it from him and hit him on the side of the head. I was already on the phone with 911 at this point. BOB continued to get in BUDS face while some other guys came up and broke them up. A woman was out of her car and informed them that she called the police and the guys that arrived and broke the fight up moved thier cars so that BOB could get away before the cops arrived. If I would have had my gun on me and knew that BOB struck BUD (old guy) with the pipe, I would have moved the CR-V up to the bumper of the truck so that he couldn't have backed out to get away from the police coming. I would have wanted something to protect myself with though. In the end, I gave the police my statement, the old man refused the ambulance after they checked him out, and I don't know if they caught BOB. I did finally get the ice cream cake though. WHAT A DAY!

Sleeping

2009-05-18T22:05:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how lucky that David and I are. We have created and fell in love with this beautiful baby girl that the Lord gave us. She has been sleeping from 8:30 or 9:30 at night until about 5:00 am without waking. When she wakes up, she's smiling, cooing, and laughing on her changing table. It absolutely makes the night worth getting up for just to see that smile.

Tonight, she fell asleep around 7 and so we tried to wake her up to feed her and change her, but she was just so tired. She did stay awake for a few minutes but we ended up finally giving up and putting her back in bed for the night. She'll probably be up before her normal time frame but that's still okay.

I have heard of mother's having so many problems getting their baby to sleep for more than a couple hours during the night and it makes me feel so proud of being able to get some sleep during the night. I know that I can be a great mother because I am not sleep deprived (most days) and that she's healthy as a mule. :) Any lack of sleep that I suffer now is of my own doing. Just can't skip those addictive Grey's Anatomy episodes.

Playing with the camera

2009-05-14T14:38:00.003-04:00

I have a beautiful rose garden and we were out in it when David got the idea to use the rose petals to make photos. So we put them all around and took some pictures of Fallon. She had a lot of fun playing on her changing table with the rose petals and then she loved the feeling of the sheepskin all of her back and body. She's becoming pretty photogenic.

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-11T11:59:00.003-04:00

David came home on Friday afternoon and started busily doing stuff on the computer. I couldn't know what it was but he was searching and typing and busy. So come later that afternoon, he surprised me with a trip to the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina. It is about 3 hours from home and we were going to stay at the inn on the Estate. So we loaded up and I was so excited. The trip to the inn was uneventful and Fallon did wonderful. We got to the inn and the valet opened our doors and unloaded our vehicle. I was impressed. I felt out of place because it's a 4 star hotel. Very fancy but it was an experience for all of us.

We toured the grounds of the estate and saw a turkey, goats, and horses. We saw some amazing Bamboo that was over 80 feet tall on the other side of the river. I couldn't believe that it was actual bamboo. They used bamboo next to the road for privacy and it was so thick that you couldn't see through it at all. We need some of that at the house.

Saturday, we got Fallon ready and had an amazing breakfast at the inn. Then we proceeded around the grounds and headed up to the house. It started out as a beautiful but very hot day. We were going to tour the gardens first but because it was so warm, we decided to tour the house. The house was beautiful on the outside and inside. We saw many rooms and points of interest. The tour was long and the house was very warm but it's an experience that I won't forget. I enjoyed it immensely. Fallon slept on David through the entire tour. After the tour of the house we went down to the gardens to tour it but then it started to rain. We thought that we could just take our umbrella and deal with it but the wind picked up and the rain hit your sideways. So we took cover in the greenhouse and then decided to leave. I feel really bad because as we were heading out, it stopped raining. I should have told David to turn around and go back but I didn't.

This was a Mothers Day that I won't forget and really thoroughly enjoyed. David really finds some great things to do for special events. The photo below is her mother's day breakfast outfit that David dressed her up in. Ain't she cute!!

Updates Finally!!

2009-04-27T12:52:00.004-04:00

Well it's been a while since I have written. Probably because looking after a little one takes up 100% of your time. Fallon is now 1 month 1 week old and she's been incredible. She holds her head up most of the time, coo's at us, and smiles so lovely. We got into a routine with her and with a growth spurt that really threw us out of our comfortable routine.

Motherhood, I can't stress how much of a journey it is. Your head and heart runs through so many emotions and you just need to take your time and deal with each one. You have a whole new outlook on life, people, and the world. You worry about nothing but your loved one.

We have made some outings with Fallon and are getting the hang of packing for the baby for traveling. She doesn't care for getting loaded into her carseat but she's slowly getting used to it. She has her first round of shots starting Friday. Thankfully, she was good with her first shot and David will be home to help me soothe her. She's getting so big now weighing in at 10 lbs 3 oz.

Baby's First Easter

2009-04-13T15:17:00.002-04:00

Today is Fallon's First Easter!!! I am so excited for her. We don't have any plans for her but have this cute onesie that says "Babies First Easter". It is really cute. Benjamin and Elizabeth came down to visit and we ate and enjoyed the visit. Benjamin, Elizabeth, and David went out for a motorcycle ride and I stayed home and enjoyed the sunshine with Fallon. When Benjamin and Elizabeth left, I went out on my motorcycle and it felt so great to be back out there on it. I didn't have any pains and I just really enjoyed it.

David, I and Fallon just relaxed the rest of our Easter and enjoyed each other's company really. Next year she should be able to enjoy an Easter egg hunt. Those will be memories made and shared.

2 Weeks into Motherhood

2009-04-03T17:12:00.003-04:00

Fallon is officially 2 weeks old today and it's been a rollercoaster ride for emotions. They say that you get the "baby blues" and second guess about having your child. I got the "blues" but not from second guessing Fallon's arrival. I am more in love with her than I can say I have been with anyone in my life but my blues come from not wanting to let anyone else share her with me.

I am having the hardest time with letting her go to other family members and it's killing me because I feel that it's wrong but at the same time I can't let it go. I don't know what to do about this. I try to explain it and people say that they understand but I really don't think that they do. I can't put words with how I am really feeling because it's such an intense feeling of emotion and not wanting to let her go.

She's still having some good nights of sleeping. A couple nights she slept for 4+ hours and the other night it was around 6 hours. David's been great with her and getting up at night to do diaper duty and help out with her. I try not to press him too much for help at night because I know he needs his sleep to be able to go to work the next day.

Motherhood is definitely challenging that's for sure but I wouldn't trade the last two weeks for anything. I would go through everything that I have again for her. I just hope that I can continue to be everything that she needs and wants.

First Few Days with Fallon

2009-03-25T21:25:00.002-04:00

I don't know how you can love someone so much that every time you look at them, you want to cry out with happiness. Fallon is that for me. She is my beautiful baby girl that I would die for and do everything in my power to make happy. She has been great with sleeping and being on a mild schedule. She eats and needs a diaper change every 3 hours, just like clockwork.

We bought an Amby Swing and I could kiss the man or woman that designed it. For the past few nights that we've had Fallon home, she has only gotten up once or twice through the night and slept for 3-4 hours at a time. We haven't had any problems with her taking to the swing either. I don't know how hard it will be to get her to take to the crib when she outgrows the amby swing. Fallon is taking to breastfeeding well too. I am a little behind the learning curve on this topic though. I sort of trudge through it and deal with the pain when it occurs.

I have had problems with hormones and not wanting to let go of Fallon. It's been hard watching other people holding her and really hard when she cries. It kills me to hear her cry even for the shortest time. I guess I will get through this as well. David's been doing really well with Fallon and she's got him wrapped around her little pinky, well me too though.

I can't put into words how I feel with my emotions and love for Fallon. I am sure that a lot of mothers can agree with how I feel. I would do anything for her and she takes my breath away everytime that I lay my eyes upon her. God really gave me a blessing when he brought this beautiful baby girl into our world. My life is really complete and I couldn't ask for a more perfect and beautiful family.

Fallon Zora Lee Barnette

2009-03-21T15:06:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the world...

Fallon Zora Lee Barnette

I went to my Dr's appointment on Friday and my blood pressure was elevated so they admitted me to start the induction process. It was quite a shock to the system because I wasn't expecting it to happen like that. I was so scared and really didn't know what to think or how to react. I thought that I was ready for it but when reality struck I wasn't so ready. So I went home and got my bags, some vanilla ice cream down since I wouldn't be eating the rest of the day till she came, and we headed to the hospital. They started the pitocin about 11 am. Supposedly I had been having contractions on a regular basis but I felt nothing. I had started to feel them a little bit as I was able compare what I was feeling with what the monitor was saying. They broke my water at around 1230-100, that was very painful because Dr. Wolf doesn't have the smallest hands either. I would not really want to go through that again if I didn't absolutely possible. Then I begged for my epidural. The contractions became so painful that I was crying. I couldn't manage breathing or focusing on anything else in the room to help with the pain and it kept intensifying. It felt like someones ripping your lower stomach out with a dull knife to be perfectly honest. I know whoever created an epidural needs a Nobel prize. They are the best thing ever!!!! I didn't progress very fast at all but as soon as I reached 6 cm dilated within a half hour I was 10 cm and complete. So around 8:30 Friday evening I started the pushing process. It was very rough because I had to push 3 times every time a contraction was coming on. The epidural was starting to wear off as well. She was face up and needed to be face down and was at the -1 position (higher up in the canal, +3 is crowning). So come 11:30 that evening, my Dr and I made the decision that a c-section was required. Fallon was wedged into my pelvic bones. Fallon arrived Friday evening at 11:53:58 PM at 8lbs 2 oz and 20.5 inches long.

I am doing pretty good. Not really having a lot of problems with the c-section. We came home yesterday afternoon and settled in. The hospital was great and has spectacular food. The nursing staff in the women's center are extremely helpful and knowledgeable for breastfeeding and such.

39 Weeks and Still No Fallon

2009-03-19T17:03:00.002-04:00

We are at 39 weeks tomorrow and are all sitting on pins and needles waiting for Fallon to show. David and I are very anxious about her getting here and really are waiting for some answers as to when we can do an induction or whatnot. I haven't felt like she is going to make a showing anytime soon. It's not very fun being pregnant this last few weeks.

David's mother came down this week and has been a great blessing into helping around the house and being here just in case something does start. My mother arrived home on Wednesday from jail and it's so good to be able to talk to her again.

I went to Habitat today and they gave me a going away present and it brought tears to my eyes. I didn't expect it and it was very sweet of them. I am really going to miss being there in the office but maybe I'll be able to go back when I get Fallon situated or be able to do stuff from home for them. I don't plan on my relationship with the girls in the office or with the organization to have ended, just postponed.

Sick with 2 weeks to go

2009-03-12T12:39:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I got sick with only 2 weeks left to this pregnancy. I was doing great with David being sick and not catching whatever he had gotten into but somehow this past weekend, I got the bug. I slept all day yesterday and had a doctor's appointment today. I am very ready to have this child. Fallon is not making any attempt at wanting to be part of this world anytime soon. We were hoping that the full moon last night would be a little push that she needed but I guess it's a good thing that it didn't because David's got a huge work project that he needs to complete on Sunday.

We are going to pick his mother up tomorrow so that she can keep me company for the week. It will be really nice to have the company around the house.

Beautiful Weather

2009-03-09T11:31:00.003-04:00

March came in like a lion and now it's settled into being a lamb. Friday started out as a beautiful day in the upper sixties then the rest of the weekend just got more and more beautiful. The mornings started out grim and on Sunday it led to having to take another nap of course. Today it's supposed to be around 77-80 degrees. I hope that it stays like this and Fallon decides to come soon enough.

My roses are budding out and I have a lilac bush that is getting ready to bloom. I am very excited about the beautiful weather and Spring finally being here. The pear trees are blooming and everything else is starting to leaf out. The world shall be beautiful for Fallon's arrival.

I am very excited to have my grandparents joining us around the 20th of this month until Fallon's arrival then they shall go see my Uncle Bud in Texas. I pray that their trip is uneventful and that they get down here safe and sound. I do worry about them being their age and traveling this great distance. I hope that this weather holds out for them as well because all they are dealing with up there is cold and snow. I sure do miss the snow sometimes though.

This weekend

2009-03-02T15:53:00.003-05:00

This weekend, David and I traveled north to Nashville to visit with your neices and nephews. It was a very enjoyable weekend. We got to play with my great niece Heather. She really took to David on Saturday and they played and became really good friends. She is getting so big. Saturday, we got to see Benjamin and did some shopping. Then we went downtown to Demo's Steak House and had a great meal there. Heather really enjoyed the rolls, soup, and her cheese sandwich. We didn't realize that our meal was taken so long but the manager came over and offered us a free appetizer. We had the chicken nachos and my word were they so good. So by the time our meal came, we were all pretty full.

We were worried about the possible snow storm that they were calling for in that area. Saturday night it did snow in Burns and Sunday we woke up to 2-3 inches of the white stuff on the ground. David stepped out Sunday on the driveway and slide half way down it. So he brought the car up to the garage so there wasn't an issue with the ice and me falling. I was worried about getting over Monteagle Mountain but they only got 2-3 inches as well where Murfreesboro got over a foot of snow. It was so beautiful coming down the road.

March definitely came in like a lion with the snow around the state and the freezing cold temperatures. I know that I am ready for warmer weather and for Fallon to join us. I really enjoyed seeing David interact with Heather because it made me excited for him to be able to interact with our own child.

Tired of course

2009-02-24T18:52:00.003-05:00

I can really say and mean it when I say that I am so tired of being pregnant that I am looking forward to labor and delivery. I am ready for Fallon to be here and in our arms. I am ready to close the chapter on pregnancy and open the chapter on becoming first time parents. Pregnancy is a long hard process that I feel is torture on a women's body and emotions. I love the process of bringing in a new life into this world, a new life that is mine but I don't like the physical pain and emotional highs and lows that you have to deal with through the entire 9 months.

Fallon is going to be a blessing for David and I and I only have 5 weeks left until I know that she'll be here for us. This week, I go in for my strep b test and that will be my last test for this pregnancy. I hope that everything goes smoothly that's for sure.

Contractions and Pain

2009-02-18T10:09:00.002-05:00

I am so ready to have Fallon in the world with us. Monday in the late afternoon, I had my first random set of contractions. My uterus area all day felt like someone had used me as a punching bag but it started to get worse so I decided that I would go ahead and take a warm bath to see if that would relieve some of the tension. It only seemed to have made it worse. So I went and laid down in bed and read a book. I paid attention when the contractions came and how far apart they were but they weren't getting close to each other or staying regular. They hurt though. My word did they hurt. If they are a prelude to what's to come, I'm in trouble because I don't deal well with pain at all.

Last night, I started to have the same like symptoms when we started to head to bed. I didn't have the contractions but boy my stomach hurt every time I moved and it was from the inside out. Fallon moved a couple times and it felt like there were razor blades attached to her when she moved. Luckily David came and saved the day and helped make me feel better. I have a great husband that's for sure!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

Our Valentine's day was a very simple day and I enjoyed every minute of it. David was going to do the Riverboat like we did a couple years ago but decided against that because they really pack that boat and I don't think that my belly would agree trying to weave through people that close. So he didn't do that. We went to Chattanooga and did some shopping. We went to Coolidge Park and looked at the famous Delta Queen Riverboat that has come to dock in Chattanooga. Then he got me 3 rose plants from the nursery. They are going to be beautiful. We had a Valentine's Day lunch at PF Changs and it was so good. We absolutely love that place. We didn't do a whole lot more the rest of the day but I was spending time with David and I really enjoyed not having a specific thing that we had to do. I know that it's hard to plan for special stuff like that when your wife's 8 1/2 months pregnant!

Baby Shower 2/7/09

2009-02-10T10:15:00.003-05:00

It has taken me a few days to recover from this weekend of family and friends and late nights/early mornings. So I am finally getting around to posting about my baby shower that was put on by Dana and Teresa this past Saturday. It was really beautiful and enjoyable! I had a bunch of David's family there and Jaime, Dana, and Teresa were there for my friends. Heather, my great neice was the source of entertainment for the most part. She really enjoyed running around and exploring someplace new. Dana and Teresa put together food for it and they got a cake. It was beautiful and tasty too! David and I are still eating on it even after the men attacked it when we got home from the baby shower. I got a lot of clothes and blankets and really appriciated the practical gifts from the girls. Now I have an inventory of what I have and what I need so now I can freely go baby shopping without David saying...you need to wait to see what others get you.

Been Awhile

2009-02-05T18:55:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how busy your life can get and you not even really notice it except for the handfuls of hair that you are pulling out in stress of trying to get it all done. Last Friday, I entered my 32nd week of pregnancy and the start of my 8th month. Fallon is still really good at scaring me with different scenarios that takes me into my dr's office to say..."what's going on now". Our most recent dr's trip was Wednesday when I noticed some blood appearing. So I freaked out within and kept my composure, called David and then called the dr's office.

At first the dr's office and I agreed that it was nothing since it went away and I wasn't having any pains. Then Dr. Mullin's nurse called back and said that if I wanted to come in for an ultrasound and a visit with Dr. Mullin that I could. So taking advantage of the chance for an ultrasound, I agreed. So David and I went in and saw Fallon and her FULL head of hair. I guess the old wives tale about morning sickness and heartburn is true. Fallon had her little feet tucked up to her face. The ultrasound tech tried to give us a 4d image of her face so that the medical student could see it as well but Fallon wouldn't cooperate and move her foot. Dr. Mullin checked me over and said that everything is working fine and that there are no signs that she was thinking of coming out or what not. He's so giving in information.

Other than her scaring us at least once a week, things are going well. David and I are preparing to have company for the weekend. Teresa and Dana are throwing me a baby shower this weekend. I'm pretty excited because David's mom, sister and her husband are coming down and staying for the weekend and our neice's and nephews are coming down on Saturday for the shower and then heading back to Nashville. I've never had shower before wedding or baby shower and have never attended one so I don't know what to really expect.

Our Local Healthcare System

2009-01-30T09:18:00.002-05:00

When I sit back and this about this issue that arised this week, I don't know whose more brain dead...the hospital or the people behind our insurance. Let me explain...I had a couple calls into the hospital to get a base price for what they charge for labor and delivery so that David and I could get ready and budget a little bit for what might be coming up. Well no one had called me back. So I drive by the hospital everytime that I go to Habitat so Tuesday, I decided that someone had to have the answer when I confronted them face to face. So I got shuffled around and finally ended up with the ladies in Patient Accounts. Well Doris in accounts called all over that hospital and kept either getting the run around herself or people weren't at their desks. One lady named Gail, told her that she didn't do that and wasn't responsible for it. So I left my name and number for Christy in accounts to call me on Wednesday with an answer. I left there and sat in the CRV and called my insurance company to get an answer. Low and Behold they didn't have one either. The girl was at their Chattanooga branch and didn't know that Skyridge was "in network" and made the comment that she didn't know that they delivered babies there either. That made me a lot more comfortable about delivering here in Cleveland.

So Tuesday night we had our childbirth education classes. I was talking to Christine, the educator about it and not really putting up a fuss about it but just really talking about how stupid this situation had become. She said that she was going to talk to the doctor's and the people in the office because they had a big meeting scheduled for Wednesday up at the hospital. Christy at the hospital had mentioned that as well and said that she would check about it on her end at the meeting too. Wednesday came and went without a phone call from the hospital. That didn't surprise me much though.

Thursday, I had a scheduled doctor's appointment at Life Circle and Christine pulled me into her office with the office manager. She was a really nice lady and said that she couldn't believe the situation and the problems that have occured. She took it upon herself and went above everyone and called the Chief Finance Officer and left him a curt message about the situation. By the end of my doctor's appointment, he had called her back and given her an answer about what he was told that they billed $5300 for a regular labor and delivery. He told her that I was to go back and speak with Christy about the account and that everything should be straightened out and taken care of. HA YEAH RIGHT! After Habitat Thursday afternoon, I went in and spoke with Christy. She called Gail (the one that didn't handle that stuff), and gail said that my amount responsible for was $385. Well if Skyridge bills $5300 and I'm responsible for 30%, where the hell did they get $385? I mean it would be nice if it was that low but I mean come on nothing is that cheap and our insurance isn't that grand. So supposedly Christy is going to look a little further into this and call me back. Am I holding my breath for a return phone call....NO.

Girlfriends and Damaged Roads

2009-01-22T20:07:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted for a while because I really haven't had a whole lot to say and really don't have a whole lot to write in this post but I thought it would be better to post a little something than not at all. This week has been pretty uneventful besides a scary situation on the baby front. Tuesday Morning I called into the dr's office because I hadn't really felt the baby move on Sunday or Monday and even Tuesday morning. So the dr told me that I needed to come in there right then. So I went in and got hooked to some monitors and it took the dr twice to "buzz" the baby with a vibrating tool to wake her up and get her heart rate to jump to what the dr was looking for. Everything turned out okay. She kicked me not stop yesterday as payback I believe but I rather feel her kick all day then be quiet for a couple days. The dr said that she rather me be in every day and err on the side of caution then her deliver a still born. I would rather that as well of course!!!

Today I got together with a couple of my girlfriends at Applebee's. We ate and laughed and planned the baby shower. I won't give up any of the details because they are going to send out invitations. :) I also went and helped out at the habitat office and got to see everyone there. It's great to catch up with them and see them. I don't mind the work either.

David called me on my way home from Applebee's and said that it looked like the water mane had busted in front of the house and that there was a hole in the road. He said that when he got home there was a back hoe in the road digging it up. I got home and checked the mail and there are spray paint lines all over our driveway, grass, and David said that they continue to our water mane. I hope that they aren't going to continue to dig up where the spray painted lines are because they will be digging up two of my rose bushes and I don't appriciate that thought. I guess I will have to see what tomorrow brings. I did say that I was going to habitat tomorrow but not if there's a threat of them digging up my rose bushes that's for sure!

January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T18:30:00.003-05:00

There isn't a whole lot going on in this homefront. We are getting snow an actual accumulation of snow. It probably won't be there in the morning unless it continues all night like the weather channel says it should. There shouldn't be bread and milk in this city with weather like this. This weekend was pretty quiet around here. Saturday, we did some things around Chattanooga and then came home and that night we worked on the sports room and got the closet and room cleaned so we are slowly getting ready for visitors and having a new member of the family arrive. Sunday, we slept until about noon and then we noticed that the sun was out and decided to take the millions of boxes of Christmas lights and finally got them under the house. Today was a pretty uneventful day for me because everytime I got up to do something, even take shower I got so tired and my legs would get really hot and weak. So I didn't do a whole lot today except just a couple loads of laundry and a load of dishes. I'm pretty excited about tomorrow evening and going to our Childbirth class. It's going to cover interventions during birth and breastfeeding. I've heard how hard that breastfeeding can be so I want to learn as much as I can about it and get as much support that I can receive as well. I know one thing that if the baby doesn't get a whole lot more active by tomorrow then I'm going to call the doctor's office and just give them a head's up and see what they have to say about it this late in the game. She moved once or twice today and moved for 10-15 minutes yesterday but usually she's just rolling and moving all over the place especially in the morning and afternoon but since Sunday, she really hasn't moved except for once or twice and just a really faint kick here and there. So I'll call the doctor's office tomorrow and just see what they have to say. Probably, not to worry about it and that it's normal with her having dropped into the pelvic region already.

The countdown really starts now!

2009-01-15T16:23:00.003-05:00

My doctor's appointment went well today. I am 30 weeks tomorrow and the baby already has it's head down and she's readying herself to appear and be part of this world. I passed my gluclose test with flying colors. I can feel her and see her really move in my belly. She moves my entire belly and it looks like an alien coming out of my stomach. It freaked me out a lot yesterday.

Childbirth Class #1

2009-01-13T21:28:00.003-05:00

Our first childbirth class was this evening because last week was cancelled because of the horrible rain that we had last week. I really enjoyed our class tonight because it was small. There was 1 other couple in there besides us. We discussed what we hoped that the class would get us and what kind of birth plan we had worked out with if we wanted medication or so on. The instructor is a "doula" or a certified birth partner. She wasn't like most of the doula's that I have read about but she also works there at Life Circle. She was very personable and very knowledgeable. She has attended just shy of 300 live births in 10 years. We learned about labor and delivery of course, and comfort techniques to help you during l&d. Next week we are covering interventions during labor and breastfeeding. What I liked the most about the instructor is that she is unbiased when it comes to whether you want to have a natural birth or a medicated birth. She approached the subject of l&d from both views/aspects of it. I really felt like I was getting the whole aspect of the birth process and not a one sided view. The other couple that was there is on their second child but our instructor said that your body resets itself after 7 years of not having kids so this is like them having number 1 all over again. We also had something in common, neither one of us likes Dr. Mullin as a Labor and delivery doctor. We both chuckled at that!

Ghosts in the House

2009-01-13T21:16:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a scare that's for sure. It started Sunday night, about the middle of the night, I had gotten up to use the bathroom (surprising thought with being pregnant!) and when I laid back down I heard a giggling coming from the babies closet. I knew that it was a certain toy that was bought for her and it normally goes off when someone walks by the closet or is playing with it. So it got me worried because the cat and David were in the bed with me. So I stayed still and listened but didn't continue to hear anything so I fell asleep.

Well last night, it was much the same thing except that the toy kept going off constantly. Nothing near it and it kept giggling and this was after 1 am. I got up and turned all the lights on that I could. I found it at the bottom of the closet with nothing pressing on it to cause it to giggle. I took it out of the closet and tried to get it to giggle and it wouldn't without a good beating to it. So I'm skeptical about it. I did put it past my mind and fall back asleep but it was a very scary situation for me.

Weekend Activities

2009-01-12T16:41:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in a while so I thought that I would post about our ever uneventful weekend activities. Friday, we collected all of the Christmas lights and inventoried them, and put them into storage boxes so that they can be taken and stored under the house. We inventoried them so that we know what we'll have to work with for the light display next year. So now I have boxes in my dining room waiting to be transferred under the house. Saturday, we went to Chattanooga to some consignment stores and checked out the sears essential store that's there just at the 75/24 split. It's like a Sears and K-Mart together. I had never been to one before. It was interesting to say the least. After that I was really tired so David and I went to lunch at Ryan's and then came home and worked on the lights more. Sunday, we didn't get a whole lot of stuff done just a little bit here and there. We went to Babies R Us because they had a coupon for three free onesies if you added 20 items to your baby registry so we went and did that. Then we came home and did stuff around the house. When I sit here and think about what we did each day, the days just blend together. I definitely feel like time has slowed down especially waiting for the little one to come. She did scare me on Sunday because she didn't really move or wasn't really active at all. Even after eating ice cream which she really reacts to. I think she was taking a day of rest. It scared me though and I told David that if she didn't start really moving and getting active today that I was going to call the doctor. Well she has been kicking and moving all day today. There's no second guessing that's she's doing okay today.

First Full Week of 09

2009-01-09T08:25:00.002-05:00

2009 came in with a blast...a blast of rain that is. We have had 4.87" of rain from Monday to Wednesday. That's the official totals from the state for this area. Besides the rain this week has been kind of 'blah'. I had terrible pains in my belly area on Wednesday night, it just turned out to be those wonderful Braxton Hicks contractions. Pregnancy in this late stage isn't really fun. You get so worn down and tired just doing regular things around the house and then sleep...haha what's that?! I sleep for a few hours a night then I'm awake. I guess my body is trying to get myself into a functioning habit so that I can take care of Fallon when she arrives.

That's the next thing, I'm so intent on concentrating on the fact that she could come at any time. I didn't really focus on this before now, besides dreaming about it almost every night but other than that I didn't really worry about it and now I am almost panicked over it. There are some woman that are part of a message board that I frequent that were due the same month that I am and were just a week or a couple of weeks ahead of me and they had their babies either right after Christmas or right after the New Year. They posted pictures and the babies were so tiny. It scares me and I think the thing that panicks me the most is when I think of "do I have everything that I need if she came tomorrow?"

I have a good start I believe. I have a ton of receiving blankets, bib, and sleepers for Fallon. I don't have the little things like burp clothes and don't have a clue how to do the feeding process until my milk would come in (TMI). It really worries me about all this coming together once she does come. I guess they will enlighten us in child birth classes and if it's God's will that she come early then I will cope now won't I? After all the worry, I am very excited about her arrival. I am really ready to be a mother and be as great as my mother is.

Cleveland's Under Water

2009-01-06T21:08:00.002-05:00

David and I were supposed to go to our first Childbirth class tonight but the instructor cancelled it because they have cancelled schools because of the flooding. We have a creek that runs along the greenway/greenbelt that has crested it's banks by a couple feet spilling into fields, yards, and streets around it. David and I went snooping to see what the fuss was about and the neighborhood in back of Logan's Roadhouse has water surrounding the houses and roads closed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing as we were driving. We checked our backyard and it's flooded too. The storm drains at the back of our property are full so it's back flooding into our yard.

Bzz Agent

2009-01-05T18:54:00.000-05:00

Looking for new and exciting websites: Well check this out

End of Christmas Lights

2009-01-04T21:41:00.002-05:00

David and I worked on the Christmas lights and taking them down today. We got a lot of the extension cords taken care of and some of the lights. It doesn't seem possible that we can put most of the lights up in a day and it takes us a month or more to get stuff taken down and put away. I got really tired and felt like collapsing in the middle of the driveway all of a sudden. We had been working steadily on the lights for a couple of hours and I hadn't had lunch yet but I wasn't really hungry yet either. So David had me come in and sit down. I made myself a sandwich and started to feel better so I worked on laundry a little bit and then he came in and we relaxed for the rest of the day. This day really did crawl though and by 6-7 pm tonight we were really looking for something to go out and do. Unfortunately, we didn't find anything for us to go and do. But now is the time to wrap up and head to bed. The babies been kicking all afternoon so I'll help her settle down and settle down myself.

We've Picked a Name

2009-01-04T09:00:00.004-05:00

David and I went to Barnes and Noble Yesterday and went through their baby name books while we were waiting for some of the other stores to open up. David looked at some meanings of the names that we had been toying around with and came up with the name of Fallon Zora Lee Barnette which means Courageous woman born at dawn in a meadow. :) We didn't plan on it coming together in the meaning that way but Fallon was a name that we had found on the lists and really liked. Zora was David's grandmother, everyone called her Zode and Lee is after my middle name which has no real significance to it at all but I like the name. So We have done it, aren't you proud of us.

The New Year

2009-01-01T18:02:00.002-05:00

Well it's 2009. There are so many things to already look forward to for this new year. We have a new little one coming into this world and to share our life with. We have a lot of learning to do about ourselves becoming parents and how we are going to work together and clash in our parenting styles. I think that we will be great parents. I am very ready to be a mother and to share my life with this little being inside of me. I don't know what else is going to take place this coming year. I am sure there will be surprises around each and every corner. New challenges, oppurtunities, and chances to make our mark on this year.

Glucose Test

2008-12-31T11:43:00.002-05:00

I should be so excited, today I get to go into the doctor for my glucose test for gestational diabetes. I don't know how it will turn out because my blood sugar is usually really low but pregnancy does some funny things to your body. I had breakfast but everyone else says that you should fast the rest of the day. My appointments in the afternoon. Can you imagine, telling a pregnant woman to fast. YEA that's going to work. I will have a 1 hour test where I have to take the syrup and then wait an hour. If I fail that one I have to take a 3 hour test the same way. I hope that I pass the first one. Three hours in the doctors office will be ridiculous. I guess I'll have to find some stuff to do to take with me.

End of the Season

2008-12-30T10:22:00.003-05:00

Well Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is fast approaching. I can't believe how fast this year has flown by. It doesn't seem that I have been pregnant since July, well June technically. We have really been through a lot this year with learning what we can and can't do with the soon to be baby coming, with our new love for our Christmas lights display, and dealing with my mother being away but situations like these have always brought us closer and that's no different here. I am ready to tackle the new year to become a mom and a larger family and what ever else may come this year.

Merry Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T07:30:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope that everyone has a good day today and enjoys all that Santa has brought them. David and I keep discussing how much next Christmas is going to be different with our little one coming. David and I got everything that we asked for this Christmas. Now we can concentrate on getting the nursery together and taking care of our Christmas lights when we get home. Deborah and Erwin played a joke on David. His family has a tradition of REALLY wrapping presents whether it be with duct tape or whatever they have on hand. They wrapped a box with clear tape and inside the box was a throw pillow wrapped with chicken wire. I thought the pillow was the gift but David knew better. He found where they sewed it shut. So he got that open and there was a duct taped box inside the pillow. Inside the box was a "Polaris" key chain and there is an inside joke behind that but it just shows how much kidders his family is. We really had a great day all topped off with a nap. :) I'm enjoying all the food that's around.

Official 1st OB appointment

2008-08-27T13:36:00.002-04:00

Today was my first official OB appointment. All the appointments before this time didn't count really. So today I got to fill out all the paperwork and family history. David got to attend this appointment as well and got to fill in on his side of the family. Then came a huge amount of bloodwork that I needed to complete. This is the official start to all the upcoming appointments to our due date. I don't think that it has really sunk in for David and I that we are going to be having a baby. Us as parents, who would have ever imagined.

Outer Banks Vacation

2008-08-25T14:24:00.003-04:00

David and I departed Cleveland, Tn on August 15th to head up north to join everyone in a convoy to the Outer Banks, NC. I hadn't been to the Outer Banks since 2004 when I was working up there in Duck, NC which is on the northern part of the islands. David's sister, Deborah made reservations at a house just north of Cape Hatteras Light House. Sarah, our neice is working with the parks department doing tours of the light house. So the family got together and went to the Outer Banks.

The vacation was great. The house was big but the stairs really took a toll on all of us. The trip to the islands was good, Tom Tom got fired from his position as GPS because he took us entirely the wrong way and it took us a lot longer than it should have. We went to the beach since we were surrounded by it. Sarah had lined up some activities that the parks department was putting on like surf fishing and snorkeling. David and I took a day and went to Kitty Hawk and continued up to Duck. I showed him where I worked and where I used to live. Another part of my past to share with him. I haven't had a problem with morning sickness as long as I made sure that I ate before I got up in the morning. I did have a problem with getting really tired. The treck to the beach was a little rough going over sand dunes and then the half mile treck to the water. LOL.

Towards the end of the trip, we all went and climbed the Cape Hatteras Light House. David stayed down below and watched Heather while the rest of us climbed to the top. On our last Day, David and I went to the beach in Kitty Hawk and watched the sun rise while eating Dunkin Donuts.

NE Tennessee

2008-07-27T02:16:00.001-04:00

We traveled up to David's parents today and went to Babies R Us because I forgot the bibs that I had gotten down here and David didn't really make a decision that he wanted to tell them about it or not. So we found a really sarcastic bib at the store that says "If mom says no, ask grandma". Which is perfect for my relationship with David's mother. David found a benefiber box that had a free sample in it at thier house and opened it. He stuck the bib in there and sealed it back up. David's mom opened it and just thought that it was her free sample. It took her a long time to really get clued in even with all the hints that we had dropped. She was really excited once they first found out. I am extremely tired and slept for most of the rest of the day. David had to continuously wake me up for meals and such. Everyone is really excited about this and David's sister says she's praying for twins. David said that he would up his life insurance and then off himself if it was twins. That would be a lot of work for the both of us if we were going to have twins and not living that close to family I don't know if I could really handle it.

Coming Home

2008-07-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

We came home from David's parents and I slept the entire way except for the many emergency bathroom breaks that I made David pull off for. I hope that this tiredness goes away because I can't imagine sleeping these 9 months away. My body is also coming off of the ADD medicine and the sleep medication that I was on so this could be it's way of fighting it as well.

Doctor's Appointment

2008-07-25T13:25:00.000-04:00

David has really handled the news well. He made me take a bunch more at home tests to prove that I was because we have had a lot of false positives. I told my mother yesterday and she's so excited. We haven't told his parents yet but we are planning on going to thier house this weekend to possibly tell them. I got a couple bibs that says I love Grandma and I love Grandpa to surprise them with if David agrees to tell them. The doctor's appointment went well and the confirmed our tests. I am classified as a high risk so the doctor is measuring my HCG levels to make sure that they stay within the normal levels. This makes it really scary time for all of us. By March 2009 we should have a new addition to the family.

We're Expecting

2008-07-24T03:53:00.000-04:00

After many years of hoping and praying. We have found out that we are going to have a little one. I have called the doctor and have a follow up visit scheduled for tomorrow to check on everything. It doesn't classify as my first OB visit but I'm excited just the same.

Third Wedding Anniversary/Birthday Weekend

2008-06-16T14:12:00.003-04:00

David and I have been doing all this fertility testing and the birthday get away was a much needed vacation. David took Wednesday off (the 11th) to spend my birthday with me. I had a blood draw this morning at my OBGYN for more of the fertility testing and then David said that we are going to his parents. I couldn't imagine that's where we were going to end up at. David surprised me with reservations to travel to Lexington, Ky. The horse capital of the USA. I was so excited. We dropped the dogs and cat off at his mom's house and continued on to Lexington. We stayed just outside of Lexington Wednesday night. Then Thursday we continued into Lexington and explored the area. David had printed out a map of different locations where the movie "Dreamer" was filmed. We got to see the castle that's built outside of Lexington.

We came across Woodford Reserve, a Kentucky Bourbon distillery in Lexington. We took a tour and it was really enjoyable. They had samples at the end of the tour and that stuff is nasty. Especially for being the "official bourbon" of the Kentucky Derby. David asked the women in the gift shop about any Thoroughbred Farms in the area that might do tours. We had called a lot of the larger ones and they didn't have any openings. The girls in the gift shop recommended Pin Oak Stud just down the road. So we checked into our hotel and David called Pin Oak and scheduled a tour for the next morning. We relaxed the rest of the day and toured more of the city. We went to Keenland Race Track and watched them practice Friday morning.

Friday morning we toured Pin Oak Stud and I was really impressed. It was a private tour and the lady that owns the farm is really in it for the quality not the money. The rest of Friday we did things around Lexington and Saturday we headed back to David's parents house to pick up the dogs and head home so David had some time to relax. I really enjoyed the time in Lexington but it isn't one of those places that you really need to spend a week or so touring because there isn't a lot of stuff to do without prior planning.

David's Birthday

2008-06-02T19:04:00.002-04:00

March 31st was David's 37th birthday. So I booked us a weekend in Maggie Valley with the motorcycles. We went and stayed at the Microtel Inn in a hot tub room. It was very enjoyable. We rode over the Blue Ridge Parkway to Cades Cove and made the mistake of going around Cades Cove on the motorcycles. It is not motorcycle friendly, that's for sure. There were just cars everywhere on a one way road going 5 mph. We had a real hard time managing that speed on the motorcycles plus all the pot holes through there. They really need to warn motorcycles about the road conditions and about the stupid drivers on that route.

We road back to the hotel and stuck around Maggie Valley for the rest of the weekend. We did enjoy it alot and would consider going back again.