Five Reasons I Should Not Be a Football Coach

1) I love the fake or going for it on 4th down. I would do one of these about 90% of the time. The other team would probably figure this out & it would not be very successful.

2) I hate 3, go for 7. If 10 yards or less from the end zone, always go for 7. Nothing annoys me more than getting 3 points when you're that close. You should get 7. If you can't get a measly 10 yards, you deserve 0. A field goal is ok when you're further out. Yes, sometimes the game can be won by an extra 3 points but I want 7, dang it! Go big or go home.

3) Uniforms are VERY important. Much time should be spent on picking colors & coordinating the entire look.

4) I have a temper. I would throw chairs or anything nearby when things didn't go my way. I would call the ref "son of a motherless goat" & other choice words if they made an objectionable call. And I don't know all the rules so pretty much every call against my team would be objectionable.

5) I'm not a man & I'm not 40. (Love you, Gundy!)

Actually after further review, these aren't THAT bad. Oklahoma State, feel free to call me if any coaching positions open up!

Throwback Thursday

This is not my favorite memory from my pregnancy days, but I'm going to share it anyway.

October 17^th – 32 weeks

Tried to get motivated to clean the house since our friends are coming next weekend.  Wasn’t as successful as I hoped.  I just didn’t want to clean (but I was really bothered by the mess).  I think my nesting instincts may be kicking in – all I see is dirt everywhere!  But it just overwhelms me & I wish it would just be clean.  I don’t have the energy.  I did mop the kitchen & bathroom floors (a task I hate).  The mop sponge started to tear & it wouldn’t wring out properly.  This resulted in standing water all over the floor (and me being very frustrated).  I didn’t have time to get a new mop sponge before yoga.  Michael came home from golf & I was in a very bad mood.  He went to Wal-Mart to get stuff for dinner & brought home a new mop (I really just needed the mop sponge but it was a really nice thought & now I have a backup).  I went to yoga & felt much better afterward.  When I got home, Michael was cooking & realized he was running behind.  I told him I had to take a shower anyway before my sister came over for Dexter.  I had JUST stepped out of the shower when I heard Michael yell & cuss.  I knew something bad had happened – I just hoped he had dropped dinner on the floor or something.  Then he yelled – I need some help here.  I barely got my towel wrapped around me & ran into the kitchen.  He had cut his finger on a knife.  I got the story a little later.  He had put the knife on the cutting board & it started to fall.  He was going to let it fall to the ground but then he realized Sadie was right under the knife eating her food.  So, he grabbed for the knife & it sliced his finger in a V shape.  He sacrificed his finger for our dog.  Aww…  He realized later she probably would have been fine since she has fur but he just reacted.  Anyway, when I came into the kitchen, he had his finger wrapped in a paper towel.  I ran & grabbed a washcloth & turned off the stove.  He told me I needed to get his insurance card to find out where he should go because he thought it was deep enough for stitches.  He took off the washcloth to clean the wound under the sink & it was a little too much for him.  He staggered across the kitchen & went to his knees on the carpet.  I told him to lay down & breathe (while trying to keep Sadie from trying to lick his face).  He told me later he started to black out & doesn’t even remember me being right there.  I frantically put on some clothes since my sister was due to show up any minute.  Then I got on the computer & the phone & tried to find out if there was an urgent care center still open.  By the way, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s website sucks!  So does their provider number.  The lady told me about an urgent care center (which I don’t think even existed) but said I’d have to call customer service to verify Michael’s coverage would apply.  Customer service was closed!  Ugh.  Amanda came over while I was on the phone & put a bandaid on the wound (the bleeding had slowed down).  She didn’t think it looked that bad.  His insurance card actually had a 24/7 nurseline, so Michael called that to see if they recommended that he go in for treatment.  She said to wash the wound out, apply pressure & hold it above his heart for 20 minutes, then put a bandaid on it.  Amanda went outside to grill the fish while I washed the wound.  As soon as Michael put his finger under the water, he was in major pain.  He handles pain pretty well (better than me – I’m much more vocal) & he was cussing & shaking – I knew it was hurting him bad.  It really bothered me.  I hated seeing him in so much pain.  We got it washed out as quickly as possible, then he laid down.  20 minutes later, it was still bleeding.  I found an urgent care center that was open until 10:00 on Sundays & called & confirmed they accepted his insurance.  Michael said we could watch Dexter & deal with it later but there was no way I could enjoy the show!  We got there about 8:45 & actually were in & out in about an hour.  The intern thought it may need stitches but may be ok with skin glue or butterfly bandaids.  The next lady said they could stitch it but it wasn’t necessary.  Michael opted not to get stitches – he hates needles like me!  They just cleaned it out & put a bandaid on it (and gave him a tetanus shot).  They also gave him a splint to keep from bending the finger & re-opening the wound.  It was all pretty stressful but thank goodness it wasn’t worse.  The whole situation gave me a lot of anxiety about having a kid, though.  I was pretty much sick to my stomach the whole evening & hated seeing him go through that.  I can’t imagine what it will be like with my child.  Plus, I know now that Michael seriously can’t handle blood.  What have we done??  I don’t know how I’m going to handle seeing my child in pain & help calm them down.  It’s too hard!  But I know I’ll just have to deal with it.  Such is life.  I just really don’t look forward to it…

Blech, that was a yucky night.  I'm not a big fan of blood (I could never be a doctor or nurse) & I knew Michael wasn't either, but I don't think I realized how it affected him.  Seeing blood or a wound grosses me out but I don't have a physical reaction to it.  Michael almost passed out, so it's not just a dislike thing for him.  Maybe Alex will never have an injury worse than a simple scrape (hey, I can always hope!)  This incident stayed with me for days.  It really gave me anxiety about dealing with an emergency.  How will I comfort Alex when he gets hurt & I can't make it immediately better?  I hate the thought.

A positive thing that came out of this was I felt more sympathy for Michael with the whole childbirth stuff.  He had admitted to me that he had a lot of anxiety about it because of his aversion to blood, etc.  It annoyed me a little because all he has to do is stand by my side & maybe hold a leg.  I mean, it's not like HE has to birth a child!  But the knife ordeal showed me two things.  1) He's not just being a wimp - he has a physical reaction to medical stuff.  And 2) It really, really sucks to watch someone you love be in pain & not be able to do much about it.  In fact, it's almost easier to be the one in pain than the one watching someone in pain.  I realized that it must be hard for guys to watch their women go through so much without being able to take some of the burden.

But if Michael found a way to carry & deliver our next child, I wouldn't object...   J

Ten Months

Let's just overlook the fact that this post is over two weeks late, ok?  Good.

Our little guy is less than two months away from his first birthday - how can that be??  Every month I think Alex gets more & more fun.  Will this eventually stop & I'll realize there's a certain age that's my favorite?  I guess we'll see...

Alex is busy as usual.  He's pretty much done with crawling - he walks everywhere these days.  He babbles a lot but nothing specific.  One recent change I love is he now enjoys books!  He's never had much patience for sitting around reading books, but he's very into board books lately (especially the touch & feel kind or the ones with extra tabs).  He likes to turn the pages & feel different textures.  He'll even bring the book to you to read!  It makes me happy.  Now he'll mimic us with an action like putting a ball down a ramp or through a hoop.  He also loves to chase the dog around (Sadie is not a big fan, though).  She tolerates it well, but looks at us like - help!

The monthly pictures get trickier & trickier (and I even had Michael there to help me this time!)  Here are a few of the "good" ones.

 I know I've said it before but boy, do I love that munchkin!

Throwback Thursday

Wow, it's been awhile...  Lately we've been busy, busy!  I have several posts I want to write - eventually I'll get around to them!  But for now, here's another look back at my pregnancy days.

October 7^th

Downloaded a new ringtone for my phone – “That’s just my baby daddy” - & to use when Michael calls.  I crack up every time!! 

October 8^th

We went to Beavers Bend this weekend with friends.  Michael & I took off work a little early to get on the road.  Then we watched the OSU game on TV.  OSU played like crap the first half but came back in the second half to beat LA Lafayette with a nice margin.  Thank goodness!  We’ve been going to the same cabins for three or four years now & haven’t had problems but this time the place was infested by roaches.  So sick!!  I found a dead one on the floor of our room & a huge (live) one on the bathroom wall.  We kept seeing them all weekend (Justin saw one crawl out of the drainage hole in the sick & they had one on their ceiling when they took a nap).  It was awful.  We will not be staying there again.  I didn’t have as much fun as I usually do – no mimosas or hot tub & it was a little too warm to even hike.  Boo.  Last year we went for my 30^th birthday, so this was definitely no comparison.  Oh & while I was reading on the couch, I felt a tickle on my hand.  I kind of shook my hand & thought I saw something move.  Christine was like – get up!  It was a daddy long legs spider & it had been crawling on me!!  It was on the pillow of the couch when Christine saw it.  Enough with the bugs!!!  It was not the most enjoyable trip…  But at least we got away for a few days.

October 10^th – 31 weeks

On our way home, Michael & I stopped at Pete’s Place in Krebs for lunch.  So good!  We ate a ton of food.  I didn’t go to yoga – I took a nap instead.  I think I needed the rest but I vowed to make it to the class next week.  I can tell a difference from skipping one week!

October 12^th

Went to the dentist for a check up.  The last time I went (six months ago), I had just found out I was probably pregnant – it was the day after I took the pregnancy test.  Weird it’s been six months since then!  They didn’t have to ask if I had been pregnant – it was pretty obvious.  Ha!  No cavities, thank goodness.  I’ve been good about flossing every day since I know pregnancy can take a toll on teeth.

October 13^th

Had another appointment with my OBGYN.  Everything looks good (except seeing that horrifying number on the scale – ouch!)  My doctor doesn’t seem to be concerned but I can’t help but be grossed out.  Oh & the nugget seems to be a little big!  Based on the ultrasound measurements, she said he weighs about 4 pounds, 3 ounces (or 4 pounds, 6 ounces – I can’t remember for sure now).  The books/websites say he should be around 3 & a half pounds.  Eek!  I hope I’m not on my way to having a 10 pound baby!  Michael & I think my due date might be off by a week or two.  Or the measurements could be off.  I still think I’ll go into labor before the 14^th.  Not sure why, but just a feeling (or maybe wishful thinking so I don’t get too uncomfortable!)  After work, Michael & I went to see two in-home daycares in our neighborhood.  Both ladies seemed nice.  It’s just such an overwhelming decision.  But we need to get on it & get a spot fast!

October 16^th

My parents & my sister came over to help paint the baby’s room.  Michael spent some time taping the room off on Friday & Saturday morning, so it really didn’t take them long.  The color was a little more peachy than anticipated but it looks good with the natural wood furniture & I think will go with the baby bedding.  While they finished up painting, I made lunch.  Then we watched OSU play Texas Tech.  We played well & won!  Apparently, we haven’t won in Lubbock since WWII (according to Michael).  I made rotel at half time – yum…  Then Michael & I took it easy that evening.

Ick, I'm so glad our cabin didn't have a bug issue this year (we stayed in a different cabin, though).  My skin crawls just thinking about it...  This year's trip was much more enjoyable!  By the way, that song is still my ringtone for Michael & it still cracks me up!

Happy Thursday!

Beavers Bend

As I mentioned in one of my last posts, we went to Beavers Bend recently to celebrate my dad's birthday.  Michael & I have been going there for about five years (actually he's been going even longer than that).  First he started going with his friends to camp, fish, etc.  Then Michael & I went for our first wedding anniversary & stayed in a bed & breakfast.  The following year, we planned a trip with friends & stayed in a cabin.  We've been going about once a year ever since!  It's a great little weekend getaway.  I'm not much into fishing, but the cabins are really nice so it's my kind of camping!  This time we stayed at the Sundown Cabins - I'd definitely recommend them.

It's a three & a half hour drive, but Alex did really well (thank goodness) - it was his longest car ride to date.  The guys played some golf & fished, we took several walks, spent some time in the hot tub, watched the exciting OSU game & just relaxed.  It was great!  Here are a few pics.

Fun with Aunt Amanda

 Hiking

Taking a break

Alex got to put his feet in the hot tub! 

 So relaxing...

Alex & Sadie sharing a blanket

My dad, my mom & Michael really were on the trip, too.  It's just that pictures tend to center around Alex.  J

We had so much fun & are ready to go back - a weekend is never enough!