tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92138326485285552092024-03-05T02:23:47.371-08:00Learning...Loving...Laughing...Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-61712010351170675022016-11-09T09:30:00.002-08:002016-11-09T11:47:27.816-08:00Just my OPINION.<div class="MsoNormal">
Take a moment before you press Enter and spew hatred
through social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a moment
PLEASE and look at the numbers here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>HALF OF AMERICA is devastated, the other half is gloating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you really think HALF of our great nation
is “stupid” or “naïve” or “deplorable” or any number of things Donald Trump has
called people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can we please just take a freaking moment and
look at OURSELVES?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have inherent
biases that make us SO SURE that our ideas, our opinions, our beliefs, or our
candidate are what’s RIGHT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But FIFTY
PERCENT OF THE POPULATION DISAGREES WITH YOU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No matter what side you’re on, please let that soak in for a moment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A gigantic chunk of our population believes that Barack Obama has
been an amazing President, one of the best; another gigantic chunk thinks he’s the absolute worst thing
that’s ever happened to America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based
on last night’s numbers, HALF wanted a change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other 50% wanted Clinton to continue with policies similar to
Obama’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That popular vote was almost
split perfectly down the middle!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
says something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what it doesn’t mean
is this…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It doesn’t mean everyone who voted for Trump is racist; it
doesn’t mean everyone who voted for Clinton is dishonest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean that anyone who voted for
Clinton must not care about or understand economics; it doesn’t mean that anyone
who voted for Trump must not care about or understand the significance of
prevalent social issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean
that anyone who voted for Trump doesn’t acknowledge that he has said and done
some horrible things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean
that anyone who voted for Clinton doesn’t acknowledge that she has said and
done some horrible things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It doesn't mean that all of those millions who voted Clinton don't care about the lives of unborn children. It doesn't mean that all of those millions who voted Trump don't care about foreign people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. </span>It doesn’t
mean that Trump supporters don’t care about Black Lives Matter or single women
struggling with abortion/adoption/raising a child on their own in our broken system. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean that Clinton supporters don’t
care about rights guaranteed by our Constitution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn't mean that people who voted Trump don't think there are bad apples in the police force and that the unprovoked killing of innocent people of color isn't a problem. It doesn't mean that people who voted Clinton don't see that retaliation by killing innocent cops isn't a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean that those who voted Clinton
voted for her to break the glass ceiling and push a feminist agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean that those who voted for
Trump voted for him to set us back to a segregated America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean that everyone who voted for
Hillary is corrupt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean
everyone who voted for Donald is an embarrassment.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eight years ago much of America said President Obama won because the
black people came out and voted like never before. Today much of America is saying Trump won
because the white people came out and voted like never before. This is the unfortunate reality of our
country. Racism exists. Corruption exists. Sexism exists. Hypocritical Christians and Evangelicals are everywhere. Bigotry is prevalent. There are really BAD people of all races. <b>Acknowledge it and let's work to fix it. </b>Because there are also so many people who love unconditionally, who are good and working daily to be better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eight years ago half of America got the
change they wanted. Last night half of
America got the change they wanted. But why does it keep coming to this? A complete divide? Because we’ve
put ourselves in a position that we are completely split in our beliefs because
of the absurd amount of intolerance we show one another and the inability to
consider the views of others as just as significant as our own. <b> Acknowledge it and let's work to fix it.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is
worth it.” – Hillary Clinton just said this and her supporters ROARED, but I would put money on the fact
that the 50% of the population who voted for Trump truly, TRULY believe, too, that they
were fighting for what's right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all have opinions.
We all have beliefs. We all have
biases. I really feel like the sooner we
acknowledge that half of the population of this great nation disagrees with us, and for their
own reasons that they so passionately believe, the sooner we can get to work on coming back together. If we all continue to act like intolerant and
persecuted peoples we will never get anywhere. <b>Acknowledge it and let's work to fix it.</b> Don’t put all of this on the President or the President-Elect. Take some responsibility to be better. Show grace.
Be like Christ. Love like Christ. Be tolerant. Don't spew hate and spread lies. Work to make
tomorrow a better day for our kids. For Tate, y'all. Come on.<br />
<br />
I'm so imperfect. Lord help me. But I truly want to learn from opposing views, I want to educate myself and continue growing in my own beliefs while raising a child to think for himself. Admittedly, I am biased. Hell yes. I believe certain things will make this a better place to live and want things to be a certain way...just like everyone else. But I will not be hateful. I will not be intolerant and cruel. I will listen, I will learn, and I will love. Because that's what Jesus called us to do when he died so that we could live. Because too many people have died for our rights and our freedoms to take that for granted. Something's gotta give. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
PLEASE
TAKE A MOMENT before making that post on social media and really ask yourself
if you want what’s best for this country, or if you just want what YOU think is
best. Are you part of what is causing this massive divide? We can change. We are all flawed. We are all sinners. But by the grace of God, we will be forgiven
and we CAN move forward.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
This is not me saying that I don't think we should all stand for our beliefs and work to protect our rights and our freedoms and elect officials who most closely align with our ideals. This is America for crying out loud, of course we need to do that. But we suck at doing it with grace. If your candidate won, by all means, BE EXCITED! BE HOPEFUL! BE RELIEVED! But why be mean? You've already won, and in all my MANY dealings with competition in this lifetime, nobody likes a mouthy winner. If your candidate lost, you can still be hopeful. The sun came up today, and by the grace of God, it will again tomorrow. Be graceful. Were you one of the ones that was telling people to get out and vote? Well, they did. And so it was decided. <br />
<br />
Campaigns are divisive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But today, this nightmare of an election is over. <b>Acknowledge the problems and let's work to fix them. </b><br />
<br />
I realize with 100% certainty that I will be called naive or unrealistic because of this post. But I don't care. You call it naive, I call it hope. I have witnessed God's great miracles firsthand and I refuse to believe that He can't fix this. There's absolutely nothing He can't do! But for that to happen, we must work on ourselves and work on
this country. It’s time to PRAY like we
never have before. Don't just say it. DO IT. Talk to God. Tell Him your fears. Ask for His help! It’s time to put God
before man. Put others before ourselves. If we can do that, there is
hope for all of us, no matter our OPINION of the outcome of last night’s
election. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Two of my favorite verses perfectly sum up where to go from here.</div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #731773; font-family: "droid sans" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #731773; font-family: "droid sans" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #731773; font-family: "droid sans" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:6-8</span><br />
<br />
Don't let Satan get the best of this great nation.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-47954204431385620082015-05-10T18:36:00.004-07:002015-05-10T18:48:09.355-07:00Mom.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mom,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On August 12, 2014 at 11:12 pm, for the first time in almost 32 years, I experienced the slightest notion of what it's like to be you. Slight because I was heavily drugged and my uterus was sitting on my stomach, but nonetheless, I experienced "that feeling" for the very first time. :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"That feeling" was only the beginning. From that moment, I have a newfound appreciation for you, and a desire to SOME DAY show you the gratitude and thanks that you truly deserve.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up your financial freedom for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up your free time for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up your sanity for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up sleep for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up your schedule for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up the last piece of cake for us, thank you. In fact, you gave up the entire cake for us, THANK YOU.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up worry free days and nights for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up your youth for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up "working" for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up your sense of self for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You gave up YOUR LIFE for us, thank you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"That feeling," although so slight in the beginning, grows into something so much greater than any love I could've ever imagined. I have always been thankful for you, Mom. I have always known that you were a wonderful mother, a great example, and the most selfless person on the planet. What I didn't know was HOW you were all of those things. How could you manage to devote your entire life so selflessly to your kids and your husband? How could you never think twice about putting us before yourself? How could you have made ends meet during the times we had so little? How could you spend every free second at the ballpark or the gym or coming to school to sign the paper I had forgotten the night before? How could you have been the epitome of a Godly woman even when we were so undeserving? How could you strictly be our parent as children then become our best friend as adults? All of these questions have gone unanswered for so long...until now. And it's so simple.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because God. That's how.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because God made you a MOTHER. Because God shows His love through YOU. Because God blessed Ryan, Chelsea and me when he allowed us to be YOURS. Because God wanted to prepare us to be parents ourselves, first to our pups, and then to our babies. He worked through you, and you showed Him to us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you, God, for our mom.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you, God, for showing us the way through her.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mom - You are my angel on earth. You have always been my role model, my rock, my go-to. You are my PERSON. I am so thankful for all that you've done for me and for all you continue to do for me and for my family. Tate is so lucky to have you for a grandmother, and I'm pretty sure he already knows that. He loves that Lulu. I PRAY that I am half the mother you ARE, because a fraction of you is better than than the whole of even some of the greatest moms.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love you so much, and I hope you had a wonderful day. You deserve only the best!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;">To my mother-in-law, my grandmothers, my aunts, my sister and sisters-in-law, my cousins, and all my mama friends out there - I pray that each of you have had a wonderful day and that you were celebrated as you should be. You are doing a tremendous job, and I'm so grateful for your love and influence in my life and in Tate's. Thank you for being the role models and inspirations I've looked up to for many many years prior to becoming a mama myself! God bless you all, and Happy Mother's Day!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></span>
Love - Jen<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
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Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-52938430115694729592015-05-05T20:32:00.005-07:002015-05-20T13:31:47.600-07:00Learning to love the wrinkles...Lately I've been feeling down and out about my age. It seems like the past decade flew by and sometimes I wonder where on earth the time went? I look at pictures of myself and think WHOA where the Botox at??? These lines around my eyes are out of control. I've got cellulite, a saggy bottom, a belly pooch, freckles that didn't exist before, thinning hair, and all kinds of other glorious age-telling issues that seem to have sprung up overnight. <br />
<br />
The other night I was reading a blog about how we unintentionally influence our daughters' body image(s) by being so critical of ourselves. Obviously I don't have a daughter - but I do have nieces, and the point is the same for all children, whether male or female, so I made a decision. This is a big deal for me because I have always suffered from confidence issues - and PS - that is in NO PART due to my own parents' self-critical behaviors. They desperately tried to teach me to be confident, but for some people it's more difficult than others. That being said, self-esteem and confidence don't come naturally for some kids, so why should I make it even worse for Tate because of my own insecurities?<br />
<br />
The decision I made is to be happy with me. I'm going to be as confident as Fat Amy. I will never look like Megan Fox (sorry, Milesy), and you know what? I'm okay with that. She's beautiful, yes, but does she get to live the life that I do? No. Granted, I have no idea what her life is like, but based on how fantastic mine is, it'd be hard to beat. <br />
<br />
Here's the deal. Miles and I love each other unconditionally. We are happily married. We have faith in each other and in God, and we have trust in our relationship. We faced some struggles to have a child (and aged a bit in the process), but oh my gosh, Tate is worth every single bit of pain and heartache we went through, and I'd do it again a billion times. We have a great house in the suburbs of Houston. We are financially stable. We are surrounded by fantastic friends. We are beyond blessed with amazing families. I have 4 living grandparents, and both sets are still married after 60+ years. Our precious parents are our role models, Tate's grandparents, and they're still together as well. We are very close to our brothers and sisters and our brothers- and sisters-in-law, and we have 2 beautiful nieces and a handsome nephew to love now, too. We have cousins and cousins-in-law and extended cousins and cousins' babies. We have aunts and uncles that treat us as they do their own. We have Hambone. We have our <i>health</i>, which is way too often taken for granted. We watch Tate as he does something new every single day, and we get to see the world as we continue to travel every summer. We love to listen to music, and Tate and I dance around the house and I quiz Miles over who sings this and who sang that. Tate's laugh is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard! We smell the honeysuckles outside and the chocolate brownies in the oven and unfortunately Hambone's farts as well. We have tasted food all over the globe and are currently able to enjoy the diverse cuisine that Houston has to offer. We are able to hold and touch our child; we give him hugs and kisses and we love on him and squeeze his cheeks and poke his nose and pinch his toes. <br />
<br />
I suppose I'll get to the point now. Clearly, I love my life. I know that God has blessed me in ways that I don't deserve, and for that I owe Him <i>constant</i> appreciation. Not "things are going my way at the moment" semi-appreciation, but <i>complete</i> appreciation. Not "my tan diminishes the look of my cellulite, so I'll be happy" short-lived appreciation, but <i>full on, 100% total and unconditional </i>appreciation. I will appreciate this body that He gave me because it carried Tate inside and out. I will look at the poochy belly as a constant reminder of the fact that I lived 31 years and 11 months without my child and about 31 years and 2 months without the pooch (ehh, minus those college years, but that was a whole different kind of pooch), and that's a pretty fair trade off. My saggy backside and the cellulite are because I love food. Chocolate, peanut butter and anything Mexican to be specific. I work out and I'm healthy, but I love good food and I refuse to give that up. So cellulite it is, and that's okay because Miles still thinks I'm beautiful and I'm pretty sure Tate is going love me with or without the dimples. We tell him all the time how adorable his dimples are, so before I tarnish his perception of my "displaced dimples," I'll let him think those are cute, too! :) And for Pete's sake, my legs are completely functional, allowing me to walk with Tate or run with Hambone or dance with Milesy. How can I not be thankful for that?! <br />
<br />
Then there are the wrinkles around my eyes. Oh, the wrinkles. They seem to become more and more prominent with each picture I take. BUT - here's something new: If the wrinkles are a representation of all the smiles, the laughter and the love I've experienced in this life, then damnit, I don't want Botox to take those reminders away. I should feel lucky that the wrinkles are so dramatic at just 32! ;) Now come on, in the future I might fix a bit here or there...but for now, I'm learning to love the wrinkles.<br />
<br />
So far, God has given me 32 years and 7 1/2 months on this beautiful earth...how fabulous is that? Instead of whining about how old I am, I want to start basking in the blessings I continue to experience. The last decade of my life has been my favorite, although the 2+ decades before that weren't too shabby either. If trading in my youth a little at a time means getting to experience the smile of our baby, the hugs of my aging grandparents, the taste of a foreign delicacy (or, let's be honest, a Reese's egg or any other chocolate peanut butter treat), the delight on the faces of Tate's grandparents, or the celebration of another anniversary with my husband, then so be it. This is not to say that there won't be times that I complain about feeling older or that I won't always aspire to be a better me. It's not that simple, and this will be an ongoing struggle, but I'm inspired by a new goal. Instead of wishing for "self-perfection," I will instead focus on the positives that stem from these perceived negatives, and I will thank God every day for the reminders that I have lived well, loved hard and laughed a LOT in this lifetime.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hefty.co/love-your-body/" target="_blank">LOVE YOUR BODY CAMPAIGN</a><br />
I love this campaign. Take the time to watch this quick video and focus on ways that you, too, can love your body. Let's make this a non-issue for our own children! <br />
<br />
<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-55069316948145767212015-04-21T09:21:00.002-07:002015-04-21T11:04:55.647-07:00to my babies.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A series of events that have pretty much spanned my lifetime have led me to write this blog. This is certainly not what I've envisioned as a highlight of my posts, but, after a personal experience in our family so many years ago, a devastating story I recently read about on Facebook, and after seeing completely avoidable incidents running rampant in local, state, and national headlines, it's something that I suddenly feel compelled to write about and something I think needs to be said. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you to my parents who were and still are always there for me.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is a letter to Tate and any other baby I may have in the future, and to any of the babies that are in my family or that I've come across in my past as a coach, teacher, mentor or friend:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">YOU ARE IMPORTANT. YOU ARE LOVED. YOU ARE HERE FOR A PURPOSE.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sometimes life sucks. No, seriously, sometimes life isn't fair. Sometimes good things happen to bad people, and sometimes bad things happen to good people. It's all part of a much greater plan that I hope, when the time is right and HE calls you home, that God will sit down and tell you all about.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">During this blessing we call life, God is going provide for you in ways that are unimaginable. But you will face struggles. Every day will not be great, but if you focus on the things that are important, you will find immense blessings even in the worst of times.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You have a family that loves you more than anything. I dedicate my life to your happiness, and I promise to do everything in my power to always protect you and to always be here for you. There is nothing you can't come to me about. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I will give you my best...always. No matter how big or small, God blessed me when He allowed me to be in your life, and I owe it to Him to do everything I can to guide you to Him and keep you safe while on earth. If God calls me home, I will watch over you from above. I will be your Guardian Angel, and, thus, I will still forever be there when you need me. And the same goes for your dad.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At only 8 months old, Tate, you've already had an amazing impact on the lives of so many people. The prayers of many were answered the day you came into this world. You are truly loved, and that will never change.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">[For my non-biological babies, I LOVE YOU. I AM HERE FOR YOU if you have a family that is not. If you need a friend, or advice, or someone to listen, call on me. Although I've moved, I am but a phone call away. A Facebook message away. An email away. I am still here. Come to me! Even when things are good, I love to hear from you. I want to be here for the good and the bad.]</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tate, as you get older, there will be times that you don't understand the decisions that your dad and I make. You won't always agree with us. Some days, you'll probably "hate" us. I am sorry for that, but please know that since the day you were born, EVERYTHING we have done and continue to do is what we feel is in your best interest. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Right now, when we tell you "NO!" every five seconds, we are trying to keep you from danger. When you are 3 and in "time-out" constantly (because, let's face it, you are your dad's son), it's because we are trying to teach you right from wrong. When you are 9 and we don't allow you to have a social media page, even though all of your friends do, it's because we are trying to protect you. When you are 11 and you sit the bench in your little league game and want to quit, we won't let you because you need learn about commitment and how to be a good teammate. When you are 13 and all of your friends have the latest and greatest technology and you don't, it's because we are trying to teach you the value of money. At 15 or 16, when you think you are mature enough to date, we will hound you and we will hover because you must learn to respect women. When you are 17 and we don't let you spend every weekend at "that guy's" house, it's because we know what goes on there and it's not in your best interest. When you head off to college and want to move back home after a couple of weeks and we don't allow it, it's because we are trying to teach you independence. When you graduate college and struggle to find a job or rent an apartment, we will allow you to move back in, but you will pay rent so that you understand what the real world is really like. When you date we will give you our honest opinion, because that's what our parents did for us, and it helped us make the decision to marry the right person.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We will do all of these things BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU. Not because we are mean, but because, again, life is hard, and these are lessons that need to be learned. We will be strict, but fair. We will love you no matter what, but we will have high expectations. We will direct you to God, but know that at times you will fail. We will be there to pick you up even when you don't want us around. We will forgive the unforgivable and NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL will be too much for us to handle. God chose us for you, and we will honor Him by our commitment to helping you become the best you. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Please know that nothing is too big for us. There will be times that seem so difficult, unbearable even. But it will get better. IT WILL GET BETTER. Know that you have meaning, you have purpose, you have LIFE...and that is a blessing; Make it your goal in this lifetime to not take that for granted. Do not ever feel like you are alone, even if you are lonely. There is a difference, and I pray that you know and understand that difference, no matter what situation you are in. We pray for the people that will surround you in this life, that they are good influences, that they make you better, that they love you as we love you. That those people direct you TO God, not away from Him. That those people do not pressure you to make bad choices. That those people do not take advantage of you. That those people celebrate you and rejoice with you and laugh and cry with you. Choose these people wisely, my baby. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If ever you feel as though you've lost control, come to us. If you feel that you're empty or lost or misguided, come to us. If you're unsure or wavering or discontent, come to us. If you feel scared or threatened or anxious, come to us. If you are happy and fulfilled and thriving, share it with us. If you are in love and hopeful and looking to the future, share it with us. We are here for you. ALWAYS. And so is God. Kneel and He is with you. There is no shame in needing help. We all need help.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your dad and I are far from perfect, but we are doing our best. We love you completely and wholly and unconditionally. Let it be known now, before social media and the internet and the world are able to get to you, whatever path you take in life, we will support you. You be you. Don't let the cruel people in this world have an ill effect on your self worth. The ones who truly love you and care about you will always be in your corner. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To my babies I did not birth: Know your self worth. Be true to who you are and embrace this life without regret. You have made a great impact in my life, and for that I am truly thankful. Never forget, there is always someone who cares just a quick message away. I'm always here.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To my Tate and, God-willing, any future babies we have: You are our everything. Come to us.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We love you.</span></span><br />
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Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-27265662938620345442015-01-08T22:19:00.001-08:002015-01-09T08:38:18.527-08:00what comes after baby?You know the old rhyme, say it with me - "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage..." and to my knowledge, that's it. Haha - I'm certainly no expert when it comes to elementary school rhymes, and just ask Tate, I don't know squat for nursery rhymes either (he laughs when I attempt singing anyway). But I have to ask - what about all the time between being the baby in the baby carriage and the age that you fall in love? A lot of stuff goes down in those 18 to 25 or so years! Where's the song about that? Taylor Swift, anyone?<br />
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I write this as I sit in Tate's room with him screaming his head off. Night number two of yet another attempt to let him "cry it out." This BLOWS. He's that baby we've been pining for the last 3.5 years and now I'm sitting here, knowing that I could just pick him up and stop the tears, and yet, I'm allowing it to continue. Hey hey, don't judge me, this is supposedly a tried and true method that'll help him sleep and allow us to get some sleep, too. I even went to the doctor today to make sure there's nothing wrong with him before this torture ensued. He's fine, perfect really - health-wise and in every other way...well apart from the not sleeping thing. A work in progress, we'll say.</div>
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Before the holidays we had a routine. We had just added rice cereal and were given the green light to start slowly giving him other foods as well. Unfortunately, all it took was 2 weeks of non-routine and him being away from home to totally screw this kid up, and mom and dad haven't slept all week. He hasn't slept more than 2 hours at a time for a couple weeks now. We traveled to Longview for a week, then back to Houston for a few days, then to Rio for 5 days. Before the holidays, if he'd wake up, we just had to put his paci in his mouth and he'd fall back to sleep. Now? He screams bloody murder and takes 20, 30, 45 minutes to go back to sleep and that's only been once I gave in and rocked him back to sleep! Miles took nighttime duty last night, and I woke up at 7:15 this morning - when Miles usually leaves for work - went to the living room and he was zonked on the couch. Tate woke up every hour all night, and then cried for an hour before going back to sleep. When I called Miles at work a little later, he said "I got zero hours of sleep last night." Sucks for you, I slept great. Wink wink! </div>
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Ok ok, before you judge, that was me singing the zero hours of sleep tune from Sunday to Wednesday!</div>
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So I took Tate to the doc. He checked out just fine, and doc said it can take some babies an hour and a half to 2 hours to fall asleep...BUT IT GETS BETTER. She said give it 5 days. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...</div>
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But it sucks.</div>
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And I don't want to.</div>
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But oh how I miss sleep.</div>
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But he's crying.</div>
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TORTURE.</div>
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ANYWAY - totally not what this blog was going to be about, but there ya go. The wandering mind that awaits you post-partum. Some days I feel like I've totally lost my mind. I forget everything. Twice I've gone to the store without my wallet. Who does that??? </div>
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So the point of the blog - what comes once baby is here? So far, you can see that a lost mind (and wallet if you're me) is the negative. Oh but the positive! We'll get to that in a bit... </div>
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Everybody out there has a billion opinions about how you should do everything - and most of them don't hesitate to tell you even though you don't remember asking...but then again, you don't remember shit, so who knows, maybe you did. Nope, you didn't. But the "experts" want to tell you anyway. So just let them. And take the advice that you want and ignore the rest.</div>
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So much easier said than done, right? And people have virtually zero filter when it comes to raising babies. What's up with that?</div>
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So many days I feel like such a freaking failure. Other days I feel like "I got this." The feeling like a failure days seem much more common than the others, but I think that's normal. What I do know is that I love this kid more than I ever could have imagined. I can be so pissed, so aggravated, so badly wanting to pull my hair out and he smiles and I MELT. I give. I lose. That mother f'ing dimple. He kills me! But that's the beauty of unconditional love. And I'm so happy for that.</div>
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Although I know there's no set "right way" to raise a baby, I still crave knowing what other people do, even if I totally disagree with their methods. When it comes down to it, we all just want healthy babies that we are doing our very best job to raise (although some days, I can't lie, I think of it in more of a "I'm just trying to keep this nugget alive" kind of way than anything else). </div>
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The big hot button issue right now is breastfeeding v. the alternative (dum dum DUMMMMMMMM). Honestly, as much as I love social media and how wonderful I think it is in so many ways, I absolutely hate it in other ways. I know I've written about this before, but here I go again. Seriously, it gives people an outlet to say whatever they want with absolutely no repercussions and a screen to hide behind. People like my Mimi, who says whatever she wants whenever she wants, used to not be so commonplace. But holy crap, social media comes along and there are Patricia Behanicks EVERYWHERE! The thing about Mimi is that she's so cute and funny that no one really gets offended by anything she says. She's Mimi, she's almost 80 years old, so back off. :) People on the internet aren't cute. They're smug and pompous and so staunchly opinionated (wait, am I one of those people right now? Ah...the irony). I think social media is causing a much greater divide in our population, whether it's race, politics or the like. People cannot accept that there are differing opinions and ideas out there and will fight DIRTY to get attention and they'll have no respect for alternate viewpoints. SIDE NOTE: I must note a positive here...social media has allowed me to stay in touch with friends from Australia that we met on a cruise in 2008, and for that I will be forever grateful! My sister from across the world is even coming to stay with us next week! Tate can't wait to meet you, Pete! So thank you for that, Facebook! :) I'm getting off track here, but the negatives of social media apply to baby-raising, just as they do race and politics.</div>
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My point is, as great as it is to have the ability to go online and seek help, you're often going to be made to feel like crap if you hit on a touchy subject - such as the breast v. bottle debacle. Unfortunately I am all too familiar with this debate, and as much as I hated reading those stupid comments that made me feel worthless, I. just. couldn't. stop. Self-deprecation much? New moms torture themselves enough as it is, so if you're reading this and not yet a mother, here's my un-sought after advice: DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS IS BEST. YOU ARE THE MOM. YOUR OPINION IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS. Again, waaaaaay easier said than done.</div>
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Not that it's really anyone's business, but I slowly quit pumping around 3.5 months and totally stopped at about 4.5 months, right before Christmas. There are so many reasons I stopped, but the fact that I feel like I had to justify my reasons to people has about killed me. I felt guilty and horrible and selfish. But WHY??? I never breast-fed after about 3 weeks. Tate was never satisfied, and I'm too much of a control freak to not know what he was getting. So I went to the pump. And we continued supplementing, just as they had at the hospital (NICU baby, remember?). I was "happy" to be able to supply Tate with what is "natural," but let me just tell you, I was MISERABLE. I am so jealous of people who love breastfeeding. Of those who feel it's a great bond with their little ones. Of people that don't feel that it's sucking the life out of them. I so badly wish I was one of those people. But I'm not. And I'm finally okay with that. Every time I pumped, I felt depressed. Now, I'm a generally happy person, but I could literally feel a wave of massive sadness come over my body EVERY SINGLE TIME. It was horrible. It was far from normal. From natural. I wasn't being the mom I wanted to be because I felt like that was taking over my entire being. It's all I thought about, and I dreaded it. I was tense and easily angered and just felt lost to be honest. But...I worried what other people would think. I let that control me, and that wasn't best for Tate.</div>
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Now, you go online and get caught up reading comments on the breast v. bottle debate and it'll make you feel like absolute ass to be a "bottle-feeder." Not only that, but you'll get comments from people you know as well, and it's hurtful. I don't want to feel like I'm not doing the best I can for my baby. I don't want to be villainized because something that is supposed to be so natural just wasn't feeling natural to me. So many are quick to judge and say "you gave up too easily" or "you are just being selfish." Well, maybe that's true (although is it really their business? Um. No.). But me being selfish about that has helped me be much less selfish about other things. I'm happier and I'm a better mom since I stopped, and whether you believe that or not is your own opinion...and I'm not asking your opinion nor am I seeking anyone's approval. Booyah.</div>
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Plus, let's be honest. Tate loves to eat, so he could not care less what I feed him. And he's the product of Jennifer Comfort and Miles Cobb, so the kid is going to be a freaking genius anyway. HAHAHAHA. I kid, I kid.</div>
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By the way, if you haven't read this satirical story, do yourself a favor and read it now. Breast or bottle feeder, it's FUN-NY.</div>
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<a href="http://www.babble.com/baby/formula-fed-baby-enters-medical-school-satire/">Formula Fed Baby Enters Med School</a></div>
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Now I'm just staring at my Tot on the monitor, sleeping soundly in his now sweat-soaked Superman outfit. Gonna be a looooooong 18+ years if I don't toughen up a bit! Doc said let him sweat, let him scream, let him spit up...it's all part of the crying it out process. I'm WEAK. But he's asleep, so. There ya go. Yes, y'all, I was in the room with him and checked on him constantly, and no, I'm not a horrible person.</div>
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He's been an amazing baby, and this has been the craziest 4 months and 27 days of my entire life. WARNING: BRAGGING ABOUT TO COMMENCE, CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK.</div>
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This kid is so awesome. He is so cute it makes me want to cry. He's so strong and typically happy and boy does he love his mama. :) He's super skittish, but I'm glad to know his hearing is great. He loves Hambone, now that he's noticed him. He's even started petting Hambone, which is frickin adorable. He loves daddy too, especially the beard. He unfortunately loves TV and reaches for phones and iPads and anything with a screen (while it keeps him occupied now, I'll be paying for it later). But it's okay because he also loves being outside, so that gives me hope. :) He has held his own bottle since he was 3 months old, he can (basically) sit up on his own and he's already trying to crawl. But he hasn't rolled over. Who cares, just more for me to worry about when he does! Doc said it's fine, so I can rest easy. Rest. HA! By the way, don't research delayed milestones - pretty sure Sir Google told me it's an early sign of autism. Puh-leeze. Anywho, Tate loves to jump, which excites the heck out of me because this kid has no choice but to be around sports. His Johnny Jumper gets lots of use! He will literally sit and watch football with his daddy. Also adorable. He thinks my Maw Maw and my Aunt Christy are hilarious. They can make him giggle like no other. He has his 4 grandparents Pop and Dini (Miles's parents) and Lulu and Poppa (my parents) wrapped around his pudgy little finger. It's hilarious when we FaceTime our parents. There's literally no adult conversation but we will spend 20+ minutes googoo and gaga'ing trying to get him to smile for whoever is on the other end. He grabs my hair, my necklace, my shirt, my scarf - basically whatever he can get his hands on at this point - and pulls relentlessly. I am constantly pulling my detached hair out of his hands, his mouth, his toes... He wears size 6 months or 9 months in clothes, but still fits in shoes designated "6 weeks." His feet are so tiny but so awesomely fat! And his new thing is putting them in his mouth. Priceless. He decided he did not like to sleep while I shopped just in time for Christmas shopping. Needless to say, I still haven't gotten around to getting everyones' gifts... oops. He's got the most delicious dimples, one much more prominent than the other, which he already uses against me. Watch out girls, he's going to be a lady-killer! Everyone is obsessed with his ridiculous eyebrows. Never heard so many people talk about a baby's eyebrows before, but I guess his are just that awesome. Y'all. He has a mustache! NOT JOKING. NOT EXAGGERATING. He's got like a peach fuzz trash 'stache. It's one of my favorite things about that perfect face. Everyone joked about all Miles's facial hair saying "Oh your baby is gonna have a beard" and such...well, so far no beard, but one hell of a 'stache. Yeah, he's a baby Tom Selleck. "Tot" Selleck, if you will. ;)</div>
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So what happens after baby? Well, you actually do fall in love. Only this time, it's with a tiny version of a human being. A tiny, perfect, completely-dependent-upon-you precious angel that you will love so freely and so unconditionally and so genuinely and cannot imagine your life without. You are responsible for molding that young innocent being into something great, and although it's not always easy, it's one of the greatest gifts God gives us. The long, long nights and longer days, the unending cry-fests (both you and baby), the diaper explosions, the inability to have a social life, the never-ending research (damn you, Google.)...it's all so easily forgettable when that baby grins. It's hard to believe Tater is almost 5 months old. Time is flying by already, and according to everyone I never asked, before I know it he'll be leaving for college! :) So in the mean time, I will savor the moments, both good and bad (because any new parent who is being truly honest can tell you, there are times when IT. GETS. BAD.), and I will thank God every day for choosing me to be that little boy's mama!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Mommy's angel!</span></b></div>
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Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-33815575621410761572014-08-08T11:47:00.000-07:002014-08-08T11:54:38.993-07:00thoughts of a crazy pregnant lady.I've had a mad case of "pregnancy brain" for pretty much the duration of this pregnancy (sorry Miles...and anyone else who has to deal with me on an ordinary basis), but now it seems as though the wheels in my brain can't (or just won't) stop spinning. Last night was the first night I've truly felt anxious (obviously since the beginning...that was one panic attack after another) about having a baby, or about giving birth, or about being a parent. Sure I've thought about it, but last night was different. Right now I don't even know what I'm worried about because there are a slew of emotions running through my veins. But I can't turn off my brain, and it's currently working in overdrive making me feel all kinds of crap that normally I could NOT care less about. For instance.........<br />
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Ladies...I gotta know if I'm completely crazy or made of steel or if all these other gals are bigger babies than the ones they are birthing. My apologies up front for any crude language in this post, but sometimes, damnit, it's just necessary.<br />
Guys...I'd probably stay as far from this post as you possibly can. Ain't nothin' you're gonna want to read in here.<br />
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I have read multiple books about pregnancy, and I now feel guilty. Yes, guilty. Why guilty, you ask? Because clearly I've had the easiest pregnancy in all of human history. Either that, or these other women are full of shit. And yes, literally they are, because apparently constipation is a huge issue for most women. Something I can't relate to. No more details about that. Moving on. <br />
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So I was told to read Jenny McCarthy's "Belly Laughs" for a humorous and honest depiction of pregnancy (now that I'm basically done being pregnant), so I went to Barnes and Noble this week and bought it. It's funny, I'll admit there were some definite LOLs while I read, but the whole book is about her pregnancy with her son and the atrocious things that happened to her throughout the nine months. Um. First let me say, I realize she's trying to sell books, so I assume exaggeration is present in the text, but if only HALF of what she writes is SOMEWHAT true, I cannot imagine. There's no way I would've survived! Here are a few of the many examples.<br />
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1. Morning sickness. Never had it. Probably would've killed me. Now I know this one is legit because most of my friends and family that have had babies can vouch for it. My sister pretty much threw up daily...for 9 months. Can you imagine???? Well, some of you probably don't have to imagine because you dealt with it yourselves, so before you punch me in the face, I'll move on.<br />
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2. Cravings. Miles would probably say that I craved chips and hot sauce in the beginning (or maybe that was all that was in the pantry), and I'd say that I've craved sweet tarts and peanut butter and ice cream and maybe even strawberries since then. But those are all things that I love anyway, so it's really not been anything over the top. I've not been awakened from my (perfectly comfortable and normal) sleep with an overwhelming desire for pickles or hot dogs or something else I'd normally hate. I've not forced Miles to unwillingly go to the store at odd hours because I just HAD to have something. Now, I would love to eat sushi, but I'd say that's only because I've been told I can't have it. Which, as we all know, crap like that plays tricks on your brain.<br />
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3. Constipation, hemorrhoids, gas, etc. I'm lumping all of these disgusting issues into one so that we can quickly move forward from this topic. Do people seriously get all of these for 9 months?????<br />
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4. Hot flashes. Alright people...I moved to freaking HOUSTON and I'm still not seeing the big deal about heat. Don't get me wrong, it's humid and disgusting here about 99% of the time, but it hasn't caused me to sweat uncontrollably or strip naked and sit in front of a fan for hours at a time. <br />
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5. Acne/rashes. Considering the fact that after I got off birth control several years ago I had to see a dermatologist and was diagnosed with "adult acne" (yeah, that was fun at 28 years old), I'd say my face looks freaking amazing now. I guess maybe those of you who have had perfect skin your whole life have had to experience the horror that is face and body breakouts during pregnancy, and you know what? It's 9 months, not 31 years. So I don't feel bad for you. Nope, not on this one. :)<br />
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6. Stretch marks and cellulite. Ok, I've had both for as long as I can remember, so the onset of these was to be expected. I've used Bio-oil on my stomach in an effort to prevent the stretch marks from creeping up off my thighs and ass to my belly, and so far, so good. Cellulite blows, and yes mine has gotten significantly worse during pregnancy, but for those of you that only had/have it while you are pregnant, well you suck. And again, no sympathy here. Yours will go away, whereas I'm stuck with mine FOR-E-VER. So bite me.<br />
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7. Pain. Considering that I'm growing a mini-Miles Cobb in my uterus, I've been incredibly lucky when it comes to pain and discomfort. Sure, I'm having a massive man-child baby. But somehow he's kept it tight in there and not caused me much more than occasional rib aches and maybe a hint of back pain here or there. I can live with that.<br />
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8. Loss of sleep. Not even a little bit. Next.<br />
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9. Peeing every 5 minutes. Basically I've been able to relate to this one since I started my obsession with Route 44 waters from Sonic many many years ago. I drink tons of water all day every day, so I pee all the time anyway, and this is nothing new for me. As far as waking up multiple times in the middle of the night, see #8 to determine that this has not been an issue for me.<br />
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10. Hormonal outbursts. I've had like 3. Maybe 5 tops. I haven't cried or broken things though, so I feel like that is an accomplishment in and of itself since I'm incredibly temperamental and an emotional wreck about 95% of the time anyway. It takes a lot to get a compliment out of Miles when it comes to my derangedness (I know, not a word, but it works), but he's even said on multiple occasions that I'm waaaaay better pregnant than he ever thought I'd be. And yes, ladies, that to me is a compliment. <br />
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Now...all of that being said, yes I've had a few symptoms of pregnancy. Like the aforementioned "pregnancy brain," for instance. Just the other day I asked what part of Africa that Cambodia was in. REALLY???? And I used to TEACH CHILDREN??? Yikes. Then there's the horrid indigestion. That for me has by far been the worst part of pregnancy. Probably because it's the only real symptom I've had, suckers. :) But seriously, it's disgusting, and I cannot wait for it to go away! Also, I'm tired all the time, but what you all have to understand is that I have loved sleep my entire life. Mom says when I was a baby my dad would call at lunch to check on me and I'd still be asleep from the night before! And I can't lie, since I'm not working right now, sleeping in and daily naps are at the top of my priority list and your judgment and jealousy regarding my lifestyle does not phase me. Kidding, kidding. And yes, I know that's going to end soon, so I'll just live it and love it while I can!<br />
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But seriously, am I crazy or do women over-exaggerate pregnancy symptoms and pains and discomfort because it's the one time in life you can get away with it? I'm not judging. In fact, sometimes I think I should've milked this thing a lot more (especially when Miles pisses me off about something stupid...i.e. the ice cream incident of the 35th week, it was a doozie!). Maybe next pregnancy! Actually, next pregnancy will probably be payback for this post and I'll feel awful and cry every day for 9 months. Don't lie, some of you are wishing that upon me right now.<br />
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Anywho, I warned y'all in the title that these were the thoughts of a crazy pregnant lady, so if you're still reading and asking yourself "why am I still reading this?" you can't say you weren't warned...<br />
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So this, <a href="http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Baby-Boom-Hits-North-Texas-9-Months-After-Ice-Storm-270427851.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_DFWBrand">BABY BOOM HITS NORTH TEXAS 9 MONTHS AFTER ICE STORM</a>, is actually really funny, because it totally happened to Miles and me...<br />
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I remember school being canceled and still having to drive to the doctor's office in the snow and ice. My guess is that perhaps that's not the same way other people were making babies during that huge winter storm...but so that Tater doesn't feel like a petri-dish outcast baby, we'll let him think he was part of that winter storm baby boom of 2014!<br />
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Random thought (as most of them are)...What's up with it being cloudy and/or raining in Houston pretty much every day? I'm over here living a VERY TEMPORARY life of luxury in this huge house with a massive pool in the backyard, and all I want to do is rosy up my puffy cheeks for all the pics I'll be taking soon, but a girl can't catch a break with the dang weather. <br />
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Anyway, I think I've been nervous and full of strange and anxiety-induced thoughts because I have a feeling that this baby is coming sooner than his due date. I'm 37 weeks now, and we go back to the doctor on Monday. Last week I measured smaller than I had the previous week (perhaps a few less bowls of ice cream??), so we are doing another ultrasound on Monday to make sure Tate is growing like he should be. Not that I want him to come out before he is ready, but if he's going to be a 10 pound baby by his due date, I won't be mad at doc for taking him sooner. They're going to use the ultrasound to check fluid levels and his size, and if it's not what they think it should be, I may be having a baby early next week. HOLY CRAP. Perhaps I should stop wasting time blog-rambling and instead continue doing my research on how to be a mom! Seriously, last doctor's appointment the nurse was all "So what did y'all do this weekend?" and we answered, "It was pretty mellow, just hung out and tried to figure out this whole parenting thing," to which she replied, "Um guys it takes more than a weekend!" So procrastination in this event wasn't the best of ideas? Man it usually works out so well for me! :)<br />
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Hambone wanted a piece of the 37 week chalkboard action on his bday, so I had to oblige...</div>
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Well, even though I'm filled with anxiety-ridden thoughts of the whole public breastfeeding debate and judgment of being a stay-at-home mom who pumps, not having a clue what to do when Tate won't stop crying, trying to move into a house and create a nursery with a newborn, not have a heart attack when my mom leaves me after Tate is born, Hambone's jealousy of his baby brother getting all the attention, how I'm so glad it took me so long to write this blog that I didn't get in the pool because it's now pouring down rain, and so many other things, ultimately I look forward to Tate's long-awaited arrival and all of the joy that he will bring to Miles and I, to our families, our friends and so many loved ones. <br />
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One thought, above anything else, that is constant, is how grateful we are to God that in His perfect timing, we have been blessed with this easy pregnancy and this precious baby boy. Knowing that He is ultimately in charge, I can rest easy (and y'all know I do!) knowing that my earthly concerns are unnecessary and unwarranted because He will take care of us. He always does!<br />
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And now it's sunny outside. Go figure. I'm gonna go beached-whale style in my bikini that totally doesn't fit since I'm home alone. I know y'all are loving that mental image!<br />
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-10087493187206273702014-07-30T12:16:00.002-07:002014-07-30T12:16:43.639-07:00Change.What is the point of life if not to take risks and embrace change?? Miles and I probably took that philosophy a little too literally when we decided, at 26 weeks pregnant with our first child, to pick up and move to Houston, taking on a life with only one income and a baby on the way that will significantly change everything we've always known. Don't get me wrong, we are so excited about this opportunity, and we are fully confident that this move is for the best. That being said, it doesn't take away the fear and uncertainty we are faced with as we put a contract on a house and enter the last month of my pregnancy! <br />
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So, to lay it all out there, here is a summary of what's been going on with us:<br />
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Miles started his job down here on June 2nd. We listed our house in Benbrook on June 4th, and by June 6th we had 3 full or above-asking price offers on our precious abode. Thank you, Lord! Things were going about as great as we could've asked, until the house appraised for SIGNIFICANTLY less than our asking price (and what the buyers had offered). That was pretty heartbreaking because the buyers had no additional money to put toward the house. That meant a huge hit to the amount we were going to be able to put down on our house here. Such a bummer. And that house was worth so much more, stupid appraiser. After lots of back and forth, and considering all options, in the end we decided to drop the price of the house to the appraisal value, and we prayed that this blessing would be paid forward. I know how much I loved that house, and I wanted the same for the young couple that bought the house. I just hope they appreciate it and love it like we did. We closed on the house, moved our stuff to storage in Tomball, and had a shower in Rio Vista all in one weekend, and to say that it was rushed and chaotic is putting it mildly! But hey, at least pregnancy provided me with an excuse not to lift boxes and to take frequent breaks while packing...and Miles can't say anything about it. Not that he would because he's totally over-the-top and crazy about everything I do, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms!<br />
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Anyway, I moved to Houston around the middle of June, switched doctors at 28 weeks pregnant, and found a great hospital only about 5 minutes from where we are staying for Tate's delivery. I'm sure the new doc took one look at my file and was like GREAT, here comes a needy one! :) <br />
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Since then we've had baby showers in both Longview and Rio Vista. I can't even begin to detail the kindness and generosity of our friends and families. This child has absolutely no idea how much he's been prayed for, loved and showered with blessings before he's even arrived! Since we don't have a house yet, the majority of the stuff Tate was given at these showers is currently sitting at my parents' house and at Miles's parents' house. Lucky for us they are kind of obsessed with this baby so housing all of his stuff is so far not a problem! :)<br />
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We had to miss the cruise this year because by then I was 31 weeks pregnant. Carnival doesn't allow you to cruise if you are more than 24 weeks pregnant, so we knew all along we weren't going. Call me spoiled, I'm well aware, but missing our annual family vacation was TERRIBLE! The worst part of missing one trip in ten years was that it was Chance's first cruise, and I hated missing that experience with my sister and our family! The good news is that we are already planning the trip for next year, so it looks like Tate's first big adventure will be ALASKA for Mimi and Big Daddy's 60th anniversary!<br />
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Currently, we are bunked up with family in Houston, and I can't tell you how blessed we are to have such kind-hearted and generous people willing to go above and beyond to make sure we are taken care of. It's been fun having "roomies" to go to dinner with and binge watch HGTV, Fox News, and "Orange is the New Black" with all the time! For those of you unfamiliar with that show, it's quite provocative and scandalous and can make one terribly uncomfortable watching with other people if you're the least bit modest. But it's addicting nonetheless. Just saying. Either way, we are living the posh life in the midst of our homelessness, so we really can't complain much!<br />
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We are set to close on our house here on September 5th, and little man Tate will make his long-awaited debut sometime in August. We had already discussed inducing labor (as long as everything is going as it should) with the doctor so that we can be out of the hospital by the time September rolls around and our insurance changes drastically. That is if and only if the Tater is totally cooked and ready for the world! Just one more thing to worry about - the stress of insurance changes when looking for pediatricians in an unfamiliar area. Lord help me!<br />
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After our doctor's appointment this week, where we were told that Tate, at 35 1/2 weeks, weighs about 6 pounds 10 ounces, and that (without giving too much detail here) my body is already starting the whole labor process, we are thinking he's going to make an early exit. And he's going to be freaking huge. To quote my sister, "he's running out of womb!" Thanks a lot, Miles! Things can change quickly, or take forever to progress during pregnancy, so who knows what this little guy will end up doing?! Needless to say, Miles and I decided it's fine time we get in gear and start doing all of the last minute shopping and prepping for baby. As anxious and, well, let's be honest, PSYCHOTIC as I can be about stuff, I've really been okay for the most part throughout all of this chaos. This week I've come to realize that has only been because I was just ignoring everything and delaying the inevitable! Since our appointment, we've been shopping for last minute items and I've put Miles to work getting some of this baby stuff set up in our temporary home! It's all become very real very quickly this week, and I may be starting to freak out JUST a bit. :) Not having the ability to set up a nursery as you buy things and as you receive gifts, and to truly get a sense of everything that you have is quite stressful to say the least. Being homeless is for the birds.<br />
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Hambone is still confused about what's going on in his life, and I feel so sorry for him because it's only about to get worse! Judge all you want, but he's my first baby, and that dog has gotten me through years of despair dealing with infertility, so it just kills me when he's sad! He's totally spoiled, don't get me wrong, but I can't help but feel incredibly bad for him. Miles doesn't get it. Just last night he told me "that dog is spoiled rotten and he's perfectly fine!" I just hope he can adjust easily as soon as we get into the new house with a new baby. He's going to be a great big brother!<br />
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As I read back over this post, I see that it's pretty much all over the place. But basically that's my life right now, so if you're reading this, welcome to my world! :) <br />
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Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for our family and Baby Tate. He'll be here before we know it and life will never be the same. I can't wait! <br />
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-17579852583290367122014-06-06T17:49:00.004-07:002014-06-06T17:49:59.655-07:00abundant blessings.<div style="text-align: center;">
This week has been a festival of tears. I am officially finished at Aledo Middle School (waaaaahhhh!), and our house is officially on the market. We have received excellent feedback on the house so far, which made my last day at AMS much easier, but still a bit devastating nonetheless...</div>
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The three girls coaches and the "Sunshine Committee" threw Tate a baby shower on Wednesday, and I have to say, nothing makes leaving more difficult than seeing firsthand once again how amazing all of your co-workers are. Tate was showered with so many wonderful gifts by such kind and generous people. We are truly blessed.</div>
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Thank you to Virginia, Keegan, Amber and Paula! I love you all!</div>
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And thank you to everyone who was a part of the baby shower and to all of the amazing people that made my run at Aledo ISD so special. </div>
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Saying the final goodbyes to the girls I coached this year did not make Wednesday and Thursday any easier! These kiddos are amazing, and no matter where I go or where I end up, it's going to be incredibly difficult for any kids to compete with the ones from Aledo. And I don't mean literally compete in sports (although that'd be quite the task as well), I mean as a whole, Aledo kids are indescribably awesome and I have been SPOILED rotten by these kids for the past 6 years.</div>
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I'm completely and totally bummed out to leave this 7th grade group before their time at AMS is over. I was so looking forward to coaching them next year and being able to see the great strides that I know they will make because of all their hard work and dedication. Guess I'll just have to watch from afar! And, make some special trips north toting Tater to watch them kick butt! </div>
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These girls "flash mobbed" us and did the wobble out of nowhere. It was freaking awesome!</div>
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Have I bragged on the Aledo Softball girls winning state yet??? I could not be more proud of this amazing group!! </div>
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Ahh the seniors...seems like yesterday they were just babies, and now they're winning championships and heading off to college. This group means so much to me because they were my first group of 7th graders when I started at Aledo. They have made me SO proud of all their accomplishments over the years. And this one takes the cake!</div>
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Congratulations to Rhylie for winning MVP for 4A. What. an. accomplishment! And so well-deserved. This kid is a beast. And just a junior...watch out 2015.</div>
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And last, but certainly not least, my baby Haybo. I never understood how coaches and kids developed those "friendships" because I felt like it would stand in the way of me doing my job to the best of my ability. Haylee helped me see that I can be a confidante, a mentor, and a friend without jeopardizing my position as her coach. I love this girl, and I'm so proud of all she has already accomplished so early in life. She is going to do amazing things, and I'm blessed beyond measure that our paths crossed 6 years ago.</div>
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And then there's this.</div>
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To top off the week, Lemons dropped by Tate's shower to shower me with an amazing gift. Sorry to steal the spotlight from my Tater, but this is big. </div>
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I consider this my "honorary" gold medal from the softball teams' state championship. Although I am completely undeserving of it, I am truly honored that Coach Lemons would even think to include me. I love those girls so much and I'm so grateful to have played a small part (several years ago) in their well-deserved success. I will truly cherish this medal forever, and it will serve as a constant reminder of my amazing time at Aledo, working with amazing kids and amazing coaches. It's funny. Once I quit coaching softball 2 years ago, they went to state back to back years. I feel like maybe Lemons gave this to me as a thanks for getting the hell out so they could do bigger and better things... :) Honestly though, our family has been cursed for years, unable to bring home that coveted state championship. Since I had technically already resigned from Aledo, and obviously was no longer coaching softball before they won, I guess the "Comfort Curse" may still be in existence...</div>
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To sum up the kids at Aledo, just this year - the boys won state in football, the girls won state in softball, and tonight the baseball team plays for the state title. THESE KIDS ARE AMAZING I TELL YA. And they're smart (over 11 million earned in scholarships for this 2014 class). And multi-talented. And have I mentioned awesome?</div>
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I leave my job here with a heavy heart, but I know that this is what's best for Miles, myself, and baby Tate (and of course Hambone). I love that God allowed me the opportunity to make the memories I've made in a job that I have loved. Coaching runs deep in my veins, and I hope to someday be able to continue doing what I love. But for right now, this little Tater tot coming in just a couple of months is going to be my priority, and I couldn't be more excited about the adventure Miles and I are about to embark upon together!</div>
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-70697962354909307052014-06-03T17:57:00.000-07:002014-06-03T17:57:03.575-07:00empty nest...I still think reality hasn't quite set in as far as the move to Houston goes. Although, now that Miles is gone, it's getting really real really fast! Hambone and I are still in Fort Worth until I finish school and get this house sold. Milesy had his first day at his new job yesterday, and so far, so good.<br />
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We went "neighborhood hunting" last weekend while I was in Houston. We are trying to decide what area of the suburbs we want to live in - although we won't be able to get serious about buying anything until we get this house sold in Benbrook. It officially goes on the market tomorrow, so we're hoping for a quick and easy sell. I love this house so much, so I hope that someone else can fall in love with it just like we did 5 years ago.<br />
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Hambone is pretty much totally confused, and thus, acting a tad psychotic. He went bonkers last weekend in Houston, and the whole drive back to Fort Worth he paced my back seat. I feel terrible for him because he's so uncertain of what's happening! I've posted pictures before of him climbing in our suitcases and our laps when we pack for a weekend away, so just imagine his bewilderment and anxiety as we packed up our entire house! I wish I could warn him that it's only going to get worse before it gets better... but I just have to remember (as Miles tells me ALLLLL the time) - he is a dog. He will be fine. :)<br />
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Our house is almost completely empty, with the exception of our big furniture and some suitcases that I'm living out of for now. Talk about barren. The pantry is empty. No big deal, not like I'm 7 months pregnant or anything. OHHHH WAIT. Yes, yes I am. I see me gaining an exceptional amount of weight as long as I'm living here because I want ice cream every night and I want fried food every day. So basically, frequent trips to Sonic and Braums are quickly emptying my wallet. I may need help.<br />
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Speaking of food, none of my clothes fit. So that's awesome. Nike shorts or tights and t-shirts have completely taken over my wardrobe. I'm one of those bitches with the "I refuse to buy maternity clothes for 3 months" mantra. I'm sorry, but maternity clothes are expensive, and I'm cheap. Especially now that I'm unemployed and we are essentially homeless. Seriously though, every time I walk through the maternity section at the store, I pick up one or two things, mosey down the aisle, and put them back up. No idea why. I've never even tried anything on! I hear GREAT things about maternity pants, so I'm not sure why I keep holding out. I can't hold out much longer though, what with baby showers coming up and people expecting me to show up in something other than gym shorts...<br />
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Speaking of baby showers, my co-workers are throwing me a shower tomorrow, so pics will be uploaded soon. I've been so blessed to work with such amazing people at Aledo Middle School, and I'm going to miss them TERRIBLY. And the kids. Such awesome kiddos at Aledo. This sucks.<br />
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Ahhh, okay - I apologize for the sadness. I really am looking forward to the adventure of moving south. It's just that sometimes I have gloomy moments, which I believe is to be expected. It's a lot, especially considering the additional hormones I'm rocking these days. Lemme tell ya, those have made the past couple of weeks tons of FUN. :)<br />
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Although it's easy to get stressed out, we have lots and lots to be thankful for these days, so a little bit of a hectic schedule is really nothing to complain about. It makes life very interesting, to say the least! Above all, we are fortunate, we are blessed, and life is good! Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-79584267889107591152014-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:002014-05-22T18:15:10.272-07:00Just a little announcement...Well...life has turned a bit hectic around the Cobb household the last 2.5 weeks! Quite unexpectedly...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Milesy starts his new job June 2nd! AHHH! Thank GOD for my mother, who has been here since Monday, packing up our entire house and our lives on very short notice. Our house should be on the market next week, once it's "show ready." Lord knows it was nowhere NEAR pristine in the first place...now it's filled with boxes and junk! Garage/moving sale this weekend, Houston next weekend! My my, how life changes at the drop of a hat! </div>
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I'll finish out the school year here in Fort Worth and sell our house, then head to Houston. We are staying with family until our house sells and we buy our new home (probably around the Tomball area)...so basically Tater will be homeless when he arrives, but it's all good. All you need is love, right? :)</div>
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We are thrilled and excited for this new adventure, and we look forward to making Houston home to Hambone and our little Tot! </div>
Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-32873319939747550502014-05-14T10:05:00.000-07:002014-05-14T10:18:02.179-07:00Chance's 1st Birthday!Over the weekend we celebrated Chance's 1st birthday! I can't believe that kid is already a year old...unbelievable! He was absolutely adorable all day long, sporting his bare chest with his red and white polka-dotted tie and teal shorts. <br />
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Chelsea did a PHENOMENAL job planning the "Red Wagon" themed birthday party. She's really starting to get the hang of this creativity thing! :) Since they take Chance all over Kate Street in his precious Radio Flyer red wagon, it only made sense to make that the theme of his first birthday! <br />
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A little advertising session here: Need a cake?? Mimi's Confections is the real deal! Jamesa Jones is absolutely incredible. Not only are the cakes freaking adorable, but they taste AH-mazing as well!</div>
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Lulu and Poppa hooked Chance (and his buddy Grey!) up with a sweet sandbox/water box that the boys just loved!</div>
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Ryan and Wendy gave him a new Radio Flyer to stroll around on!</div>
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Chance loved all of his gifts, but his attention span didn't last long with the plethora of toys Chelsea kept opening up! </div>
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He did, however, find time to enjoy his new big-wheeled ride once Uncle Ryan finished putting it together (with a little help from Chance's friend, Gage and Aunt Kim)!</div>
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That face!!!</div>
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Jamesa made Chance his own little birthday cake, which we were all waiting in extreme anticipation for him to smash his face into, but... I guess the little guy isn't quite the chocoholic his mom and Aunt Jen are. That being said, he seemed to enjoy handful after handful of sugar!</div>
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And apparently Chance's mama was enjoying the sugar as well...</div>
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Beautiful family photo!</div>
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It was a perfect day. Without realizing it, Chelsea planned the party on Mother's Day, but what better way to celebrate all of the moms in our lives than to celebrate baby Chance with his own mom, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers!? Thanking God every day for all of our blessings!</div>
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Here are just a few more pics from the party!</div>
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Chance and his beautiful mama</div>
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Chance's friend Gage saying "Cheese!"</div>
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Poppa, Paw Paw and Uncle Matt</div>
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Chance's daddy, Grandma, Grandpa and Poppa</div>
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Maw Maw feeding the birthday boy some hot dog bun with Mom and Aunt Erin!</div>
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Chance and his Aunt Christy :)</div>
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Maw Maw, Aunt Wendy, Mom, birthday boy, Aunt Jen (and cousin Tater making her look like she has a massive fat roll - LOL), Lulu and Mimi! What a ladies' man!</div>
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Doesn't get much more precious than this...</div>
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and this!</div>
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Hey Maw Maw, share that bun with me!</div>
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Chance and his later-in-life girlfriend Jensen! I mean, look at her staring and smiling at him already! :)</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate my precious nephew. Chelsea and Michael are so blessed and that baby boy is so very loved!</b></span></div>
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-77910828651711469272014-04-28T18:06:00.001-07:002014-08-06T15:25:18.014-07:00The Infamous "Bump" Progression<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Well, I guess the time has come to show the progression of "bump pics" that I've taken. Although there was nothing showing as early as 7 weeks, I wanted to document where I started and where I'll end up! Also, for those people who continue to say I'm not "showing," I think this pic progression will prove you quite wrong!</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Also, after going to the doc today and seeing the number on the devil scale, I'm definitely "showing..." even if the majority of him is showing in my freaking thighs.</b></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7 weeks pregnant (and looking so good, I know)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9 weeks pregnant (SERIOUSLY. take off the damn glasses and put on some makeup for goodness sakes!)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">11 weeks pregnant (thank you.)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">13 weeks pregnant (lol, and we're back.)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">14 weeks pregnant</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">16 weeks pregnant</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was 18 weeks pregnant at our gender reveal, but never actually took a bump pic with the board! Oops.</span></b></div>
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<b>Introducing Mr. Tate Callen Cobb!</b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This says 20 weeks...but technically I had made the board, forgot to take a pic with it, and ended up taking this picture at 21 weeks 1 day. Again, oops. </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hopefully I remember to feed my child better than I remember to document timelines...</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And yeah...about that orange shirt. That won't be happening anymore from here on out. Took me like 30 minutes to get it off last time.</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As of today I am 22 weeks 4 days, but Miles is out of town, so the latest bump pic/chalkboard will have to wait!</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We decided on the name Tate Callen Cobb for our little angel. Well actually, Hambone made the decision for us. Yes, we're that couple, and here is proof.</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Miles's cousin and best friend passed away 3 years ago, and we have said since then that when we had a son, his middle name would honor him. His name was Cody Allen, and Allen happens to be a family name down the Cobb lineage (including Miles's middle name). Thus, we came up with the middle name "Callen" in honor of Cody and as a representation of the Allen name. </span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've already started calling him my Tater, Tater Tot, Tater Bug...and the like. Miles is over my nicknames, and the other day said "you know his name is TATE, right? I don't want him coming out and being called Tater the rest of his life!" Hey, it's cute for a baby. Although I've said if he's that pudgy kid in middle school being called "Tater" he's going to hate our guts...</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll continue to update this blog with my bump progress as it continues! I swear I'm growing by the minute at this point, so lots of pics to come in the near future!</span></b></div>
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26 weeks</div>
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29 weeks</div>
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32 weeks</div>
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35 1/2 weeks<br />
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36 1/2 weeks</div>
<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-47123535541605429142014-03-30T20:11:00.001-07:002014-04-02T16:50:18.537-07:00Baby Cobb Gender Reveal!I cannot believe the day finally came. It still hasn't totally set in, although my emotional breakdown definitely already happened. Saw that coming for about 3 days now...<br />
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Anyway. Our families are amazing. We sent invitations to our reveal to Miles's parents, his Nana and Joel, his sister and his brother and sister-in-law, to my parents, my Mimi and Big Daddy, Maw Maw and Paw Paw, brother and sister-in-law, and my sister and brother-in-law. Every single person showed up on a Sunday, and not one of them lives in Fort Worth. We had cousins and aunts and uncles and best friends on FaceTime to enjoy the moment with us as well. It was perfect. A long awaited moment, the first of many, just PERFECT.<br />
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The chocolate chocolate chip cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes helped make today even greater. Freaking DELICIOUS.</div>
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Chelsea and Wendy - you two are amazing. Thank you Joy for the peek-a-boo bear! And thank you Courtney Goswick for monogramming the precious onesie!</div>
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Highlighting our shoe theme. Nice Pinteresting Wendy! So cute.</div>
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This neutral guy didn't care...boy or girl...just get him a cousin! And maybe a chunk of hair while we're at it.</div>
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FAMILY.IS.EVERYTHING.</div>
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Of course amidst all the chaos I failed to get pictures of Byron, Katy and Ty. I'll blame them because they were late. :) I love my Cobb family!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">HE or SHE? What will Baby Cobb be???</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTbUzNWBBA0j8lofCKNMwok_6A41HZwZTRrgH0DQiwhh5paItPmrtRGhZWsWG2rO_DLLP4ETGQ-K7SetwvGDqxOEJr9k3QN8Qe5CQtKTgW1wcUOKTcWKaq0nWgaBt0x02uHOiQQVJWFM/s1600/IMG_3985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTbUzNWBBA0j8lofCKNMwok_6A41HZwZTRrgH0DQiwhh5paItPmrtRGhZWsWG2rO_DLLP4ETGQ-K7SetwvGDqxOEJr9k3QN8Qe5CQtKTgW1wcUOKTcWKaq0nWgaBt0x02uHOiQQVJWFM/s1600/IMG_3985.JPG" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!</u></b></span><br />
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We have always discussed wanting a boy, and look at how God continues to show His love to us. We sat on our couch after everyone left today and rehashed how grateful we are and how blessed we are and how life is just everything we hoped it would be. Throughout our struggles we remained steadfast in our faith that God would provide for us in His own time. And just look at what He is doing for us! Today was, without a doubt, one of the best days of my life. We were surrounded by our closest of kin and our house was filled with an undeniable love. <br />
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We are forever indebted to all of the people who have prayed for this child. Thank you all so much. You helped make today possible, and you helped make today perfect! I can hardly contain my excitement right now. In fact, why am I still blogging??? Goodbye blog...HELLOOOOOO PINTEREST!<br />
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<i>Next step - NURSERY!</i></div>
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I tried to download the video of the reveal, but haven't been able to make it work yet! I'll keep trying!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakZYA7QJt46JuFbLP6bp-DPvbGRL21WRDuTUPYT5Xz2HLcsA22yBr2PTxusnpMPVp63mAMscDtrxu8b7EwOTfZeFdUJyI7a9S_jiUQLyg9Xo5_KNCz2nDY9LNuAxj5dUxRkn0LVbeHW4/s1600/IMG_4000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a>
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There are so many people that have had a huge impact on Miles and me throughout the past 3 years. Ultimately, we thank the Lord for all of the blessings in our lives. Not just our recent fertility success, but everything we have is because of Him. Next to Him, our families have been nothing but constant rocks to lean on, and for that we are forever grateful. Although, for the most part, no one in our families could relate to our struggles (my mother, who I'm pretty sure was the original "fertile myrtle," least of all.), they were our backbone and strength. With both last minute ectopic surgeries, my family left work and was in Fort Worth as soon as they could get here. Miles's mother left work and came to be with him at the hospital while I was in surgery (my first surgery was the first day back to school after Christmas break, so for my dad, the AD, and Miles's mom, the Principal, it was pretty inconvenient timing). It's these things and these people that, without knowing their impact, helped us through the bad times. <br />
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My original desire to post our story stemmed from the idea that I could be as helpful to others as those in my support system were to me. It's definitely not something Miles and I frequently discussed sharing with the world (Facebook, the world... same difference), so there was a lot of back and forth before I ultimately decided to post the link to my blog. A lot of the back and forth was in my own head - I mean, seriously, it took me 3 days of adding the pic, typing and deleting it all before I finally posted the picture of Hambone just announcing the pregnancy! Yes, 3 days. And that didn't even touch on the personal aspects that would be discussed in the blog. Now, <i>clearly</i>, not many people read my blog normally, so I knew if anyone was going to read it, I'd have to post the link on Facebook. I get annoyed on a daily basis at the things that some people feel are necessary to share with EVERYONE on Facebook, so normally I don't get real personal with my posts. And I know what y'all are thinking, the incessant pictures of us at Rangers games all summer are annoying too, but give me a break people I had to find some way to pass the time between all the damn doctors' visits! And I wanted to do something with pants on okay!? :) Alright, so I seem to have moved off topic, so let me hope back on track...<br />
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Apart from family and a few friends, once we started with the fertility doctor, we kept our struggle relatively private. However, once you know of people who have been through the fertility process, you inevitably have to talk about it. We owe a lifetime of thanks to the close friends and confidantes that had previously been through a similar ordeal and, thus, served as my go-to gals. <br />
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Although Miles and I decided we were okay with going public, those who helped me through this time weren't/aren't so open with their struggles, so I won't name them specifically, but you ladies know who you are! Without you girls, I would've been straight-jacketed and thrown in the crazy house a long time ago. Having people in your life who can relate to your struggles is essential when you are dealing with something that is completely out of your hands. Whether it's to put you back on the straight and narrow when you've fallen off track emotionally, or if it's their success story that keeps you going, or even when they are just there for you on the many days you just need a good laugh, these friends are vital to your sanity. Laughing is key. Laughing is necessary. Laughing can actually come very easy when you have billions of humiliating doctor's office stories to share. Oh the stories. The MANY, MANY stories. But that's for another day, another blog. :)<br />
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And just so anyone reading this knows, of the 3 main girls that helped me through all of this, Miles and my road to pregnancy has been the EASIEST. I feel so guilty reading all of your kind comments and messages, because I know so many others go through so much more than what Miles and I did. Not that infertility is a competition, but knowing couples personally who have dealt with years of issues and years of sadness, and continue to deal with that during our time of happiness, I realize that our success story came much easier than others. Someday, I'm gonna throw a celebratory bash for all my infertile friends. Someday when we all have success stories to share! Stay tuned.<br />
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My friends/co-workers at AMS have been unbelievable for the past two years. There were 3 new girls coaches that started last year, and I was the only one left who had been there before. They picked me up every time I fell, and they covered for me more times than I can count when I had to miss practices, games, and multiples days of work. I am so grateful that God put these gals in my life and that they have been so kind and compassionate in my time of need.<br />
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Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my Milesy. Without Miles's support, his positivity, his confidence and his kindness, I would've lost hope many times. I also would probably be in rehab (me likey the wine a little too much for infertility), but only if Miles dropped me off since I can hardly do anything without his help. I give him such a hard time, but he truly is my other half. He takes the brunt of my over-stimulated wrath, especially since 2011, and he still loves me unconditionally. Many men would not want their wives discussing their "reproductive issues" so openly, which is completely understandable. Trust me folks, ain't nothin wrong with his swimmers, it was all me that just refused to cooperate. :) Miles saw how important it was to me to share our story in hopes of helping others deal with this mess, so he never hesitated to be on board. I love him, I love him, I LOVE him. This experience, although excruciatingly painful in many ways, has brought Miles and I so much closer, and our relationship has benefitted in unimaginable ways. God sure knew what He was doing April 7, 2006, and I'll be forever grateful that day panned out the way it did!<br />
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I have lived on cloud 9 since we posted our news and received all of the overwhelming positive feedback. I am grateful and humbled and so blessed, and I will continue to pray for the same blessings and success that we are currently experiencing for all of my friends dealing with this bitch we call infertility.<br />
<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-84261753402198708752014-03-13T20:42:00.003-07:002014-03-13T20:50:03.606-07:00Random hormone-driven thoughts...Well...here we are - Week 16 and still going strong! This is all so crazy. We struggled for so long to get pregnant, then with the miscarriages and failed attempts with fertility, we never actually looked past the whole "getting pregnant" part. Now we are well past that, and it's finally hit me - I'm going to be a MOM! Go ahead and insert multiple cuss words here that I'm currently trying to eliminate from my vocabulary. No mommy needs a mouth like this sailor! Crap, one more thing I gotta work on. <br />
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If there's one thing I know, it's this: Some of you were born to be moms. Some people just have that natural knack for taking care of others and becoming a mother is just a natural next step for you. Well, I've never been like that. I never played with barbies, pretty sure I was never the mom when we played house, and remembering to feed my dog often proves difficult for me. Of course I thought many times that maybe God didn't think I'd be able to handle being a mom, which would explain the obstacles we faced to get pregnant. Who knows what His reasoning was, but I can say with full confidence that Miles and I truly believe that God has had a plan for us all along, and His plan is perfect. I do, after all, appreciate the ridiculous excess amount of sleep I've gotten over the past few years. I can only hope and pray that all the reading and studying I'm doing will help kick me into turbo mom-gear once this baby arrives. Of course Chels tries to give me some on-the-job-training with Chance, and for the most part, I'm okay. But give me that kid with a poopy diaper and I just about vomit. How long can I blame the gag reflexes and strong smells on the pregnancy? :) Let's just hope the whole "it'll be different when it's your own" holds true for us, or Miles will be changing a few million dirty diapers over the next several years! I wonder if we could teach Hambone to help out??<br />
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Speaking of Hambone, I'm TERRIFIED that he's going to go deep into doggie depression when the baby gets here. I know, I sound ridiculous, but I don't think many people realize how unbelievably spoiled our dog is. And JEALOUS. Wow. He's so sweet, and I have zero fear that his jealousy is or ever will be dangerous in any way, well except to his own health. It's been 4 1/2 years that he's been our sole focus, and all I hear is how your dog becomes fifth tier and you don't even pay attention to him anymore, and how we'll probably want to get rid of him, and blah blah blah. What the heck!? We love him so much, and as THRILLED as we are about finally having a baby, I can't help but be sad about our little Boner. Guess we'll spoil him even more rotten for the next 5 months (yeah, that'll help, right?) Am I alone on this? Did anyone else feel this way about their pet?<br />
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As far as pregnancy symptoms, I've been so lucky. No morning sickness, very few headaches or issues with heartburn (and when it does happen, you can bet I'm a huuuuuge baby about it). I was incredibly tired at first, but that's been better for the past month or so. I can sleep all the time anyway, so that was nothing new (I know I know, enjoy it while you can). Surprisingly I'm really enjoying being pregnant. Not gonna lie, I could definitely go for a margarita or a glass of Moscato, but overall, I feel great and I'm eating more than I've eaten in years and I don't even feel bad about it! The cravings haven't been out of control, but the appetite has totally taken over. I mean TOTALLY taken over. As in I could eat 24 hours a day. I don't, but I could. Moving on. I'm starting to show, but it's that early "is she getting fat or is she pregnant?" stage. And considering how much I've eaten, both are actually true. I wonder if Weight Watchers will pay me $3 million to lose all this weight once I'm done? I mean, I'd pull a Kate Hudson-first pregnancy-90 pound weight gain for that kind of money. Damn you, Jessica Simpson....err..I mean, Dang you! Hey, I'm a work in progress.<br />
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Ok, I believe I've over-shared enough for tonight. PLEASE pray for the health and growth of this precious baby, and also that mom and dad will get it together before his/her arrival in August! Lord help us! Oh! And we find out - <i>his</i> or <i>her</i> - on March 30th! Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-47311164314395362092014-02-17T19:10:00.001-08:002014-03-12T15:22:02.714-07:00Fertility updateAs of my last post, back in October, our first round of IVF resulted in a negative pregnancy test. We decided after that first round of failure (just being honest, haha) that the next time we decided to do an embryo transfer we'd keep it to ourselves. It's just easier not to involve other people. The less anyone else knows, the easier it is to deal with disappointing results.<br />
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In November we went ahead and did an additional test, the "scratch test." Basically this was another painful procedure to biopsy the lining of the uterus to be sure there were no infections or other reasons I may not be able to carry a child. It also creates scar tissue that helps the lining grow back thicker and thus, hopefully enables a better chance for embryos to attach after transfer (I know...dude. So much information. At this point, I'm literally in awe of how teens get knocked up after a night of binge drinking and bad decisions.). Anyway. Procedure went great, all seemed great. Time to try again.</div>
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The only people who knew we were doing another transfer on December 10th were my mom, and apparently my sister and sister-in-law, neither of which ever mentioned it because I didn't ever bring it up. So we were kind of on our own, which was actually just fine. This is all such an emotional roller-coaster not just for us, but for those who care so much about us as well.</div>
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Beginning in November, I started back on medications, and by early December I began the awful task of nightly progesterone shots...right in the ass. This is a 1.5 inch needle, thick as hell, that must be administered "intra-muscularly" every night...for TEN WEEKS. I mean, if I get knocked up, it's totally worth it, but otherwise, it's just another form of infertile lady torture. Anywho.</div>
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December 10th and time for another transfer. Things went smoothly, no anesthesia or any other discomfort this time, so that was nice. We have to wait 9 days to take a pregnancy test. Nine days seems like nothing in the grand scheme of life, but when you're talking about something you've been working toward for YEARS...9 days is like a lifetime. For nine days I waited for "pregnancy symptoms" that never came. I was not optimistic. I warned Miles and my mother not to get their hopes up because I felt nothing. On December 19th, I went in for a pregnancy test that morning, and this time, I asked that I NOT be called until after 4 pm. I'd be finished with work, so either way, I wouldn't have to deal with my emotions in front of anyone else apart from Miles.</div>
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FINALLY the call comes from our dear nurse. When I answered, she asked how I was. My reaction? "I'm okay, but I'm assuming you're calling with bad news, so..." It was clear that she was completely baffled, as I'm sure most of the women she calls aren't quite as outspoken as me, so when she replied "WHY?" I was the one who was taken aback. I told her I didn't feel any symptoms and that I just had a bad feeling...but also that she wasn't arguing with me, so I asked if it was good news??? "YES!" she replied, "You're pregnant!" </div>
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Here's how the next minute or so went.</div>
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Me: WHAT!?</div>
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Her: Yes, you're pregnant!</div>
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Me: ARE YOU SURE?</div>
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Her: Yeah, I'm definitely sure. In fact you're REALLY pregnant, your beta is 243!</div>
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Me: What!?! What's normal?</div>
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Her: 5-50.</div>
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Me: WHAT!?!? OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH!!! </div>
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(the freaking out ensues...)</div>
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I had her on speakerphone, so needless to say when we hung up, Miles and I were FREAKING OUT!!! We finally were able to take a breath and enjoy some good news. Again, it is very early and we have a long road ahead, but that wasn't going to stop us from basking in our excitement. Since I don't have any tubes left, we knew it couldn't be ectopic, so that was a bonus at this point!</div>
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After a few blood draws over the next couple of weeks, my numbers continued to rise at a rapid pace, leading us and all of the people in Dr. K's office to believe I was pregnant with multiples. At 6 weeks 4 days, we went in for our first ultrasound. No multiples, but one perfect little baby with an outstanding heartbeat!!! I believe God knows there is only so much I can handle...and perhaps twins was just too much. :)</div>
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It hasn't been an easy road leading up to now. We've had multiple scares throughout the first trimester, but with each scare, the support of the doctors and their willingness to help us has been unreal. We are so blessed. As of today, I'm 12.5 weeks along, and we are finally getting to the point where we can be excited and start looking ahead. <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">(Side note: I am now 16 weeks!)</span></i></div>
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The last few years have produced trials and tribulations that we could've never anticipated, but all of the hardships, frustrations, and devastating events have led us to where we are today, and for that we are grateful. This baby is going to be spoiled completely rotten, needless to say! </div>
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Our struggles are far from over, but with each passing day we pray for strength and for the health and happiness of this little Cobb, and somehow it helps us to get through. We have the most amazing support group of family and friends, and we thank the Lord for putting these people in our lives! We would not have made it through this mess without them.</div>
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I will keep you updated through my blog if you are interested. We welcome prayers for strength and guidance, for ourselves and for our bundle of joy on the way. Now that we are getting past the "miscarriage" window, it's all becoming very real. In fact, at our last appointment with the fertility doctor, I had a minor freak out when I realized...HOLY SHIT NOW WE ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS!!! WHAT NOW!?!?! :)</div>
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Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-41288162814905403542013-10-23T10:39:00.001-07:002014-03-12T15:17:25.729-07:00The Road to TodayThis blog is going to be especially difficult for me to write for many reasons, but I feel it is empowering and that it provides a sort-of "outlet" to write about your struggles and your strengths, so here goes nothing.<br />
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The freshness of our latest struggle will likely make this post more emotional than it might otherwise be, but we will continue to persevere and to serve the Lord and to hope for our future.<br />
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For the majority of you who do not know (and why would you?), Miles and I have been trying to start a family since the summer of 2011. When it didn't happen early, we chalked it up to the idea that maybe the birth control that I had been on since 22 was not out of my system after so many years, or maybe that our timing was off, or maybe, just maybe, we weren't ready yet. We were both 28 at the time, and enjoying what was left of our youth, and not thinking too diligently about the future. It just wasn't meant to be. <br />
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After about eight or nine months, bringing us to early spring of 2012, I visited my doctor and asked about the possible causes of our inability to get pregnant. Was it me? Was there something wrong with Miles? Why wasn't this happening for us? At that point I was so uneducated in reproduction that I would've had trouble labeling a poster of the female anatomy (yes, seriously). So the doc did some preliminary hormone testing on me, and Miles was tested as well, and according to the results, we were both healthy and able to reproduce. "Just give it time, sometimes it just takes a while." Right, ok. Keep on trying. Lucky Miles.<br />
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By this point in our marriage (going on 3 years), the persistent questions: When are y'all having kids? Why don't you have babies yet? Aren't you ready for children? began plaguing our every day lives. At first, it was easy to say "Yeah, we're just not ready yet!" so as to not provide every single inquirer of our reproductive status the intimate details of our lives. But after a certain amount of time, and after several different horrific situations, you literally get to the point that you want to scream BACK OFF IT'S NONE OF YOUR FRICKIN BUSINESS to every. single. nosy. probing. clueless. person that continues to make your situation worse with the constant interrogation. Side note: some of this is fresh. Forgive my random outbursts. <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Second side note - February 2014 - wow, sorry for being so rude!</span></i><br />
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In October 2012, I got some of the best news I've ever received in my life. My little sister was pregnant! Now, most families are not nearly as close as ours and so many people live a life plagued with jealously and contempt. I was THRILLED to hear my sister's news, but knowing of our struggles, she was hesitant to share her amazing news with me. This saddens me even now, a year later, to think about. But, now we have the most precious nephew of all time, and I love him so very very much, and I miss him all the time!<br />
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Moving on...<br />
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By November of 2012 we decided to give it a rest for a while. Now when I say "give it a rest," some of you might not understand what I mean by that. Simply speaking, when you are trying to have a child and struggling, that is LITERALLY all you think about. Every month, every "cycle," it's the constant tests and checking this and checking that, and before you realize it, it all becomes an obsession. So, we knew we had our big European extravaganza coming in the summer of 2013, so we thought it best to quit "trying" for the time being so we could go and enjoy our long-awaited vacation. <b>BAM. </b> Pregnant. Say whattttt? Literally, at the risk of providing too much information, we did not think it was physically possible for me to get pregnant the month that I did. God's plan, not ours.<br />
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So obviously we are THRILLED. It was mid-December when we found out, and we used Christmas as the perfect time to tell our families the great news. They were all aware of our struggles, and it was such a genuine and exciting moment when we told them this amazing miracle of a story. Since Chelsea was already pregnant, we basked in our happiness for each other and the excitement of having cousins so close in age, and of course became Pinterest and "My Baby Center" freaks. Baby photo ideas, baby quotes, nurseries, names, clothes, and the list goes on...<br />
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Call it intuition or whatever, but I knew something was wrong. It's very hard, though, to accept that something may not be right when you are that excited. The day after Christmas, December 26, 2012, we went to see my doctor (couldn't get in to my doctor on such late notice, so they stuck us with Dr. NoPersonalityorBedsideManner) and found out I was in the midst of a miscarriage. Talk about devastating. When the doctor said those words, we both lost it. He was very matter-of-fact about it, which, for me, made it much worse. After all this time, all the trying and the not trying, and the constant questions, and the ever-growing desire to have a family, a miscarriage? You gotta be kidding me, Doc! <br />
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The next day we were leaving for Park City, Utah to spend a week long vacation with Miles's parents, my parents, my sis and Mikey, my aunt and uncle and cousins. The doctor said it was fine to go, and that if I began to feel pain I could get a prescription filled in Utah. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, so I figured it was unnecessary, but I'd take it with us just in case. If there is one thing that can always cheer me up, it's my family (did you think I was going to say pain pills??? :). But since everyone in Utah knew, they were almost walking on eggshells around us because of the growing sadness of our situation. We've been praying for God's plan for our family for years now, knowing all the while that His plan may not match our own, so we also pray for our trust in His plan. That's the hardest part. It does, however, help us to accept each situation for what it is, and it enables us to move forward.<br />
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We spent 5 days in Utah, me taking it easy, Miles hitting the slopes with his family and Mikey. We had as good of a time as possible, considering the circumstances, and celebrated a Tuesday night New Years Eve with everyone. That night things got ugly. I couldn't sleep because of the pain; Miles couldn't sleep because I was hysterical. It was a long night to say the least. I've never felt such pain in all my life. He kept offering to take me to the hospital; I kept declining because I assumed it would get better. Eventually it did, by the next morning, but only for a couple of days. I was so glad I had the prescription because I started popping pills like an addict. Thursday night, after we had flown back home, the pain came back. Friday morning we were back at the doctor. This time they did an ultrasound and realized the pregnancy never made it out of my tube. It was ectopic, and it was on the verge of rupturing. A second doctor, again, not my own, gave me my options: check in to the hospital (without explaining why that might be necessary), or go home and hope that it "heals itself." We went home, not knowing the possible damage my body could face. More pain meds prescribed, more pain to come. Again, the pain went away for a couple of days, but returned with a vengeance on Monday morning, January 7th. We had to get to the doctor's office as soon as it opened. I was doubled over in pain, couldn't stand, couldn't function. Another day and another doctor (that makes 3 - none of which were my own). He did another ultrasound. This time it wasn't "let's hope it heals itself." This time it was immediately wheeling me into the hospital for emergency surgery to remove my left tube. Which to us also meant cutting our chances even more of being able to get pregnant.<br />
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Two weeks later at my follow-up visit, the doctor who performed the surgery discussed our situation with us. Knowing we'd been trying for 18 months at that point to get pregnant, he referred us to a fertility doctor. Fertility doctor? Shit. Now we are really infertile??? Lord help us. Here we go.<br />
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We had to wait two months after my surgery to see the fertility doctor. We discussed our options, and after my first exam, we were both in love with this doctor and his staff. Dr. K said we would try IUI first. Basically it's the first step in fertility treatments. Because I only had one tube at this point, I had to get it checked through another procedure with <i>another</i> doctor. That test showed that my remaining tube was supposedly functioning properly. To continue with IUI, through each cycle we had to make sure I was ovulating out of the proper ovary attached to the remaining tube to achieve the results we wanted. As long as that was the case, "This should definitely work for you."<br />
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So the hormone shots begin. First month and things went perfectly. The day came, we did the procedure, then we were sent home to wait for TWO WEEKS to take a pregnancy test. Unfortunately before the two weeks was up, my monthly friend visited. SLAP.IN.THE.FACE. So it didn't work. Moving on. God's plan, not ours. Try again next month. More shots, more hormones. Time for the ultrasound: ovulating on the side with the missing tube. SLAP.IN.THE.FACE. TAKE TWO. No chance to get pregnant. Stop the shots, have sex and hope for a miracle. Again, lucky Miles, but no miracle. Next month, more shots, more hormones...but, ovulation will take place on the good side, 3 eggs and an increased possibility for multiples...BRING IT ON. Two weeks later, pregnancy test: POSITIVE!<br />
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Because of our past situation, we decided to be excited, but super cautious because it was very early. I went back in for more blood tests a few days later. Numbers were going up just as they were supposed to, and all seemed very well! It was now June 2013, and I decided to go home to see my new nephew for the week after good test results. I spent five wonderful days at home with Chance and my family before the "something's not right" feeling came back. Great. Here we go again.<br />
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Of course this happened on a Saturday, and the fertility office wouldn't be open until Monday. I packed my stuff up and headed back to Fort Worth, and straight to the doctor on Monday morning. They told me they likely wouldn't be able to see anything so early on ultrasound, but that we'd try it anyway. I just needed some peace of mind.<br />
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<i>Another</i> ectopic. <br />
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ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? <br />
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We knew it was a possibility, obviously, but never in a million years thought it would happen AGAIN. What happened to "your other tube looks great, nothing wrong, fully functioning, blah blah blah." At this point we had to decide if we wanted to remove the remaining tube or try a medication designed to "eliminate" the pregnancy. We knew we couldn't keep doing the tubal pregnancy thing (there is no way for the embryo to survive after it has been stuck in your tube - just fyi), and this would inevitably leave scar tissue in the tube, thus increasing our chances GREATLY of another tubal. So here we go again. Another surgery, no tubes left. Last option for pregnancy: in-vitro fertilization (IVF). But hey, there's no reason THIS won't work for you. <br />
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Two weeks of recovery post surgery, and it was time for our summer vacation. Ahhh, two weeks in Europe. Just what I needed! It was amazing. The trip of a lifetime, and something I would not have been able to experience had I been pregnant back in December. A two week vacation certainly does not take the place of a child, but it was a great outlet and an unbelievable experience. God's plan, not ours.<br />
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So this brings us to the latest. It's now August 2013, school has started back, volleyball season is upon us. New year, new team, new trials and expectations. Great group of girls. I felt it was necessary to share my situation with this group of girls because there would be times that I could not be at work, and I wanted them to know how important they were to me, and that my missing time with them was due to my personal circumstances. I am completely and totally dedicated to my job, but at this point, our desire to have a family comes first.<br />
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Throughout September I was on medication, Miles was on medication, and our house was beginning to look like a pharmacy. I started a massive amount of hormones, injections and patches and pills. We are so lucky to have great insurance, but there is only so much fertility that insurance will cover, and it's <i><b>very</b></i> expensive. The way we see it, when it works, it'll be so worth the money, the pain, the amped up mood swings, the weight gain, the break outs and the freak outs. God's plan, not ours. <br />
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We went through the process from September to early October. The procedure to remove my eggs, the anesthesia (3rd time in 2013), the bloating, the pain...and on to the procedure to transfer our "two perfect embryos" to the uterus and again wait the two weeks for a pregnancy test. The anxiety is unbelievable. The weeks leading up to these procedures and tests seem like months. So finally it's here. October 18, the day of the pregnancy test. We just know we're having twins. Pretty sure that everyone who was aware of our situation has named these precious twins. <br />
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I went in that morning, bright-eyed and excited, ready to get my blood drawn. I asked the nurse to please call me first with the results, and she agreed. The people at the fertility office have fallen in love with Miles and I, and the feeling is mutual. That place is so freaking depressing, so we always try to be happy and laugh at all of our billions of office visits, and the people that work there love that. They've told my mom (yes, my mom has gone with me to the fertility doctor! haha) how they adore our attitudes and how much they like us. We feel the same about everyone there. They're so helpful and kind. Unfortunately by mid-afternoon my gut feeling was telling me that it was not going to be good news. I know how difficult the phone call must've been for the nurse who called with the results. I could sense it in her voice when she said my name. I knew it was not good. She told me my test was negative, expressed her condolences, I tried to get off the phone immediately, more condolences, and our goodbyes. As much as we've tried to convince ourselves not to get overly excited, it's impossible not to. Especially knowing that "there's no reason THIS won't work for you." It's heartbreaking. Gut-wrenching. Disappointing. Sad. Infuriating. Expensive. Sad. Depressing. Overwhelming. Sad. Ok, I seem to keep repeating myself, but I assume you get the point. You re-live everything you've been through over the past few months (years, really) and realize it was all for nothing. Miles and I spent the majority of that afternoon and evening crying and questioning and consoling each other. <br />
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Everyone in our families knew, several friends and colleagues knew, so to have to continue to answer the inevitable questions is difficult but completely unavoidable. I'm so thankful to my mom who did the bulk of the answering questions so that Miles and I didn't have to, but that put her in a heart-breaking situation as well. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.<br />
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Yesterday (October 22, 2013) we went in for a consultation with the doctor. Everyone who worked there was as shocked as we were to see the negative pregnancy test. Dr. K apologized for giving us false hope, but stood firm in his belief that this will work for us. We have decided to do some additional testing before we head down the road to another IVF transfer. The initial shock and disappointment are beginning to fade, and it's time to move forward and take all available routes to ensure a future positive test and a precious perfect baby to follow.<br />
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We don't know when we'll do another transfer, but we have four frozen embryos that we hope will someday become little Cobb kiddos running around, acting crazy and causing chaos while mommy screams "DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE WENT THROUGH TO HAVE YOU??? :) <br />
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God's plan, not ours. Time to move on and pray for His will to be done through us!<br />
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-17854680281688834482013-10-19T13:06:00.003-07:002013-10-19T13:06:29.074-07:00Abortion, Filibusters and Texas's Hatred of Women, OH MY!Because I refuse to use Facebook as a means of promoting my personal opinions and forcing people who could care less or those who disagree with my opinions to have their news feed bogged down with my political and personal viewpoints, I will use this blog as a means to do so instead. That way, if you care about my opinion, you can read it. If not, no one forced you to click on the link!<br />
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I'd like to start by saying that this is one of those days where I'm having trouble controlling my emotions because I feel so passionately about the topic on which I'm blogging. That's not to say that I refuse to look at all viewpoints and opinions on this particular topic, but, just as everyone does, I've based my opinions on personal experiences and ultimately, on the way that I was raised. <br />
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Ok. Now that I have you wondering what on earth I am talking about, I'll dive right in. My Facebook newsfeed was filled with "#standwithwendy" hashtags and stories yesterday and this morning. If I'm being perfectly honest, at first I had to do a little research on the topic, because I've paid too little attention to what is going on politically these days. I was curious. I googled the event and saw that Democratic Texas Senator Wendy Davis was filibustering a (GOP) proposed bill that would (basically, and I'm shortening it here) make getting an abortion more difficult than just finding a clinic to do so. It would place restrictions on where and at what point (none after 20 weeks) an abortion would be legal. <br />
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Now, the fact that this woman was able to stand (she could not sit, go to the bathroom, or go off topic) and talk about her personal experiences and her opinions on this particular topic for more than 10 hours is astounding in itself. She used her inherent right to filibuster something that she was opposed to, and for that I commend her. <br />
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That being said, I have a very difficult time with the fact that she's being called a "hero" and that she's being heralded for pushing the idea of "equality for women." National critics are suggesting the idea that "Texas hates women" because of the proposed legislation. If Texas hates women because we are opposed to aborting 20 week old fetuses, then I guess I hate women, too. To me, the subject of abortion is not about a woman having the "right to choose," but rather, it's about when a fetus is considered a living being. If we really want to talk about "equality for all," you can make the argument that aborting an innocent fetus is not equal treatment for that growing baby, who, by 20 weeks is certainly a living being with a heartbeat and the beginning stages of growth and development. <br />
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I get the arguments about when a woman "should be able" to have an abortion. "She's too young," or "she was raped" being the main topics that come to mind. Of course, I feel for these women who have already been through hell and cannot imagine the devastation it would cause for them to carry a baby that was created by someone who hurt them so badly. Mentally, physically and most of all emotionally, that would be beyond excruciating. Now, to me, the "she's too young, it'll ruin her life" argument is a lot less simple, and plainly speaking, it's for the birds. A female knows the possible "consequences" of having sex and made the choice to do it at a time in her life when she wouldn't be able to handle the possible outcome. Now, I'm no saint. We have all done things we are not proud of, and looking back, there are several decisions I made when I was younger that could have come with devastating consequences, and for whatever reason, they did not. But, if we stop holding people responsible for their actions, where will we end up? As a (semi-retired) teacher and coach, I see all too often the "it's not fair" situations that ultimately end up costing teachers their jobs, and creating an education system that is controlled by the parents who would rather be friends with their kids than role models to growing, easily influenced future members of society. <br />
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Okay, slightly off-topic tangent there, but let's get back to what this is really about.<br />
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As for the idea that a woman should have the right to choose, and what a woman does with her body is her own business and no one else's, to that I have to ask, where does it become okay to step in? When a woman is on drugs and shooting herself up with illegal substances, is this her right to choose? When a woman is caught contemplating suicide and we try to put her in a rehab center, is this her choice? When a woman gets pregnant and decides a week before her third trimester that she is not ready to have a child, thus killing an innocent, very much living being, how is this okay?? We cannot live in a world where we seek pure equality for all because that is not feasible and would create more harm than good. In theory, it sounds like a great thing. But history shows us that all too often things that seem too good to be true probably are.<br />
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I'm also confused about the liberal stance on abortion and the polar opposite stance on the death penalty. How is it fair to murder a pure, unprotected, unbiased fetus when they have done nothing except become a creation from God, but it's not okay to kill a grown man or woman who has inflicted harm, pain, and death on other living beings? I see how one could make the same argument on the opposite side of the spectrum and say why do you think it's okay to say you shouldn't abort a fetus that is not a member of society, but that it's okay to kill a grown individual who has made poor choices? I get it. To me, it's <i>again</i> about being held responsible for our actions. Why does a baby have to suffer from the poor choices of his/her mother? Once again we all have our opinions. We live in a democratic society that gives us the right to have these opinions and to put people in office to make our laws on the way our country should be run. For that I am so thankful.<br />
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To the thousands of women who suffer from infertility, those who have the overwhelming desire to have a child but for whatever reason they cannot, this issue is especially heart-wrenching. And to the thousands of children who were adopted by parents that so desperately wanted a child, but couldn't or wouldn't have one on their own, they got that second chance that so many fetuses will not have.<br />
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-21043719811922983942013-10-19T12:46:00.004-07:002013-10-19T12:46:53.097-07:00Opinions, beliefs, and a few facts...<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Apparently, I wrote this little tidbit a while back and never posted it. Probably felt the critics would feast on my carcass or something, but at this point in life, who cares?</span></i></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><u>What I believe:</u></span></b><br />
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As a member of a society that thrives on expressing every thought and opinion we have through Facebook or Twitter, I've decided that I want to write down my beliefs on certain political issues for my benefit and anyone else who cares. So here goes nothing. </div>
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1. When you make money, you should reap the benefits of the money you earned. It should not be taken from you and used to support those who refuse to get a job and would rather overuse government funding originally meant for those who came upon hard times (in which case I am completely okay with welfare/unemployment compensation - for a limited amount of time). Also, if the government is going to give my money to those "in need," it's only fair for them to take a drug test to make sure that our money is not being used to fuel an addiction. I do not wish to be an enabler. If we must take drug tests before we work, welfare recipients should be drug tested before they receive a handout. I truly do not understand an argument against that. I also do not understand how those on welfare or other forms of government funding are able to afford the finer things in life, i.e. iPhones, manicures/pedicures, fancy cars, etc. </div>
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2. If I want a gun, or more reasonably, if my husband wants a gun, he should be allowed to have one. Do I believe he should have to take a course to carry it? Absolutely. Would I like for him to be able to protect us and use it if necessary? Yes. Do I feel the government should have the authority to take that right away from able-bodied and educated Americans? No. If we keep law-breakers and criminals off the streets and behind bars without giving them 30 chances to squirm their way around the system, we would have to worry less about gun control. See #7 for more of my opinion on consequences.</div>
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3. I believe that God had a plan when he created each and every one of us. Do I always understand why people love the ones they do? No. Do I judge them for that? No. Do I believe the government that allows so many freedoms should be allowed to place restrictions on who can marry whom? No.</div>
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4. I believe that I lived through my parents' struggles to keep our family afloat during good times and bad. My dad worked hard for his money and a huge chunk of that money was taken out to afford health insurance for my parents and their three kids. It was expensive but necessary. As a teacher myself, I've seen the unbelievable premiums removed from my checks each month for health insurance. Expensive but necessary. Now, how is it that we pay those premiums each paycheck and others sit back and are provided with free health care? <b><i>I am all for sick citizens being afforded insurance post-diagnosis</i></b>, but I am not okay with hearing horror stories from nursing friends about patients that come in talking about how "they ain't paying for shit" and "Obama is taking care of it." This is beyond frustrating knowing the struggles my parents went through and of the struggles many of my friends and their families are currently going through to make sure they can ration their earnings properly.</div>
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5. I believe the government is responsible for providing structure and order in a chaotic world. It is responsible for protecting its citizens. This country was based on the idea of Federalism, affording extensive power to the states in an effort to ensure the federal government did not abuse it's power. Do I feel like the national government is abusing it's power? Please see previous beliefs for this answer.</div>
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6. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing, but social networks make it very easy to express your ideas, beliefs and opinions through text with little repercussion. People exhaust their opinions endlessly and have developed a very low tolerance for anyone that disagrees. Our country is becoming more and more divided and I believe social networks (while excellent for keeping in touch and developing relationships) are fostering a platform for further divisive material. </div>
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7. This brings me to another point: I believe there should be consequences for our actions. Actions without consequence promote reckless behavior. Without repercussions, it becomes an endless cycle. I believe shows like "Teen Mom" promote inexcusable and reckless behavior and that our country was a lot better off before such shows dominated our TV channels. Take that for what it is; whether it has to do with government or not is irrelevant. </div>
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If these beliefs and ideas make me "conservative" or "Republican," then I am proud to be just that. I think if more of us discussed WHY we are affiliated with the political party of our choice instead of bashing the opposing side, it'd be easier for others to be tolerant of our opinions. It's very simple, but our apathy is out of control. </div>
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Some of my favorite <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">tolerance</span></b> quotes:</div>
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1. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others. <b><i>-John F. Kennedy</i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">2. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher. <b><i>-Dalai Lama</i></b></span></div>
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When referencing the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">government</span>, several of my favorite quotes come from the great <b><i>Thomas Jefferson.</i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1. "<span class="huge bqQuoteLink" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasjeff136410.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="view quote">I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.</a>"</span></b></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">2. "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government..."</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">3. "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="grand" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty."</span> </span></b></div>
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Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-8951259642153368382012-06-28T13:55:00.001-07:002012-10-06T09:23:42.215-07:00Life.SIDE BAR: This was written 3 or 4 months ago, and since writing this, I have begun my first year working part time for Aledo as solely a coach at the middle school, and I devote the rest of my time to crafting and selling items on Etsy. Unpredictably - I'm happy as a lark right now and things worked out this way for a reason!<br />
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Ahh...life. It's interesting, isn't it? When you're a kid, you think you have it all figured out. Then, time flies by, and suddenly you're almost 30 and life isn't quite what you imagined it to be when dreaming of being an actress or a lawyer at 7 years old. This is by no means me saying that I don't love my life, because I do. I've been blessed beyond measure in my 29 years, and I'm grateful for everything that I have and for the people in my life. But for someone who used to be completely independent and career-driven, I have lost a part of myself somewhere along the way.<br />
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After college, I went to grad school. During grad school, I met the man who would become my husband. I worked for about a year after grad school before beginning my teaching certification, and after my first year as a teacher, Miles and I got married. Did I go to school to teach and coach? Um...no. How did I end up here? I ask myself that question all the time, and I can't come up with a better answer than "instant gratification." I HATED my first job after grad school. The hours were horrible, and I answered phone calls from angry, confused, and hostile customers every day for squat as far as pay. What I didn't think about at the time was the fact that it was simply a stepping stone. You have to start somewhere. I became impatient. I grew up with the best coach of all time in my house, and I saw my sister going into the same business. Was that what I was meant to do as well? Online teaching certification course? BINGO. I figured I'd give it a shot. Summers off? Sounds like a plan.<br />
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What I didn't know was the unfortunate situation that public schools currently face. I didn't realize I'd disagree with the way that the schools are being run by the government, how state testing is the be-all-end-all for students (and they now create tests fully expecting half the students to fail!), how technology is a blessing but also a curse for adolescents, and how so many teachers feel trapped and unhappy with their current positions. Do I really want to do this for the rest of my life?<br />
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That brings me to where I am today. Four years later and I'm wondering why on earth I'm not working in the communications sector. I once saw myself becoming Samantha Jones, PR extraordinaire. I don't know what happened to that dream, but I am ready to rediscover that passion I once had for writing...for communicating. I'm so lost without it that I've devoted a huge amount of energy creating a website for Texas Rangers female fans. It brings me joy to write about and apply my focus to something I love. It just so happens that sports are what I love, and the Texas Rangers have stolen the #1 sports spot in my heart from my beloved LSU Tigers.<br />
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Apart from the site, I'm actively applying for jobs, but it's tough to find an entry-level PR/communications position coming off a four year teaching stint. If only employers knew the extreme tactics of communicating I had to take on when it came to angry parents, and how I used PR every single day in an effort to convince 13 year old kids that history IS important. If only employers knew how adept I've become at coping with stressful situations and dealing with co-workers, parents and students. I'm confident enough to know that I am going to be good at whatever it is that I do, and I'm always going to give 100%, no matter what. The problem with job searching these days is that you blindly send in a resume online, then companies have people that scan the resumes looking for certain buzz words, and the likelihood that your resume will contain precisely what they want to see is seemingly one in a million. So what's a girl to do?<br />
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I'll pray about it, and I'll continue working hard at everything I do. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and this slight bump in the road will eventually work itself out. I will focus on the great things in my life, and I'll be thankful for the life I live. And, I'll keep hope that one of these millions of resumes I send out will have that perfect buzz word that someone, somewhere is seeking!<br />
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<br />Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-62275085792448735732011-11-04T16:17:00.000-07:002011-11-04T17:25:58.784-07:00Life of a Sports Lover.<div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVH9fwzxIe4WJiuQ3AfqLy39FSwryV95j2Kikvv-I3GAc27u-_fbEqa1H46D9ZpBu_Ujg_2rqfjNEXgxgp2-wP8gDs5jXbwZxRaYFsLckikpWCrfHVDIQXNjK9DY0AarCVHH6PsIudqu4/s1600/Tigers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 242px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671300170689184658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVH9fwzxIe4WJiuQ3AfqLy39FSwryV95j2Kikvv-I3GAc27u-_fbEqa1H46D9ZpBu_Ujg_2rqfjNEXgxgp2-wP8gDs5jXbwZxRaYFsLckikpWCrfHVDIQXNjK9DY0AarCVHH6PsIudqu4/s320/Tigers.jpg" /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeUFEKanFiDn8yVPugQnZquQ8ne6OeaS31WwEnl_TN7IC1z5mvVzDwphO6NeWJlSn-86Y8UFKKoLCD6sm1XmPtmPPJVA0ugAa36W_M-OBdpITxCVUllUAtSvPRJqMF84SSbLN1VnbkBs/s1600/rangers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 264px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671300168897451794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeUFEKanFiDn8yVPugQnZquQ8ne6OeaS31WwEnl_TN7IC1z5mvVzDwphO6NeWJlSn-86Y8UFKKoLCD6sm1XmPtmPPJVA0ugAa36W_M-OBdpITxCVUllUAtSvPRJqMF84SSbLN1VnbkBs/s320/rangers.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfjZ9GTPlmY6rbx4J8-97IA4Kon6tThM-DLt4rAZw8oQzzG3vxEB2asf0RLCQGd3L9plqd-AKdR0IE8qIDmHJez-vbGXAEjTTKge8zf13CC86Xn79z9T6fIvWW_rhlP9JuzPHlDnU3W8/s1600/Tigers.jpg"></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCoqQcfE3_NS1pK1W0RM124hssTrz5pz2fnfECNBOwFyUCO8PJTOZlGAu0-1rvQWSEovELhADbqi4kfsJGF2VsKb2_xW5ZEEBAfNP3HJdTWXlOduLLNN3Gs_k_Md1c1G5VcFbcXmrPGk/s1600/rangers.jpg"></a><div> </div><div>Well, at this point we all know<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oXU3xvTq-_wf_0lSvhqG57hyZFccTvkh8PLs7iqBXr7SPXfG_XZh_mxoBg8aRqCH9RIyrgl_7RX-AyYZBXSFRVKBsZweg2quxnpT6s0AGMpRBITTOnBW9dA_tpQ2c7TLNCcKRSSpV5U/s1600/rangers.jpg"></a> how the World Series ended up. For the Rangers, it was another unhappy ending. It's so unfortunate too, because (insert obvious bias here) it just seemed like it was fate, that this team was the most deserving and that THIS was definitely our year. But, if there's one thing I've learned in my 29 years, it's that things don't always pan out the way we expect them to, especially when it comes to sports. </div><div> </div><div>Sadly, for my family, it seems that there is a certain <em>Comfort Curse</em> that we've been dealing with for almost 15 years when it comes to the "big game." To some it may seem to be just one of those sports superstitions, but it definitely has some merit. It all started with my dad's undefeated Lobos losing the 5A football state championship game in '97. Then in 2000, after going undefeated in volleyball, my ridiculously amazing high school team lost in the 4A state finals as well. Freakin 40-0. It still hurts. The next year, my sister Chelsea's volleyball team lost at state. Three years ago, while Chelsea was Dad's assistant softball coach at Spring Hill, they too lost at state. Coincidence? Dumb luck? Hmm. At this point, I don't know.</div><div> </div><div>So I blame my brother. He's the biggest Rangers fan I know, and he's the one whose best friend Kyle Tittle BROUGHT UP the <em>Comfort Curse</em> after Game 6 of the World Series. It was Ryan's turn for this curse to bite. Two years in a row. Now, apparently, it's not only the teams we are directly involved with, but the teams we support too??? Yikes. In that case, there is only one team that has persevered through the<em> Comfort Curse</em>. My LSU Tigers have won the national championship TWICE since I attended the great university, and once I was even there to see it! So, that makes me feel at least a little bit better. A little bit.</div><div> </div><div>Speaking of my Tigers, today was the first Friday of the school year that I didn't wear a Rangers shirt with my jeans (ah, sad face.). I did, however, sport maximum LSU gear for the big #1 v. #2 game tomorrow. My kids were impressed. They feel that I have moved on from the Rangers loss amazingly well, considering that they had to hear me talk about the Rangers on a daily basis during the first two and a half months of school. So when I show up in full LSU mode today, they wondered exactly how I'd be able to handle a loss to Bama this weekend. My obvious response "not gonna happen" was followed by the question, "But what if it does?" Dang kids. My response to this? "You may see your teacher on the news while someone tries to talk me off a ledge." Bad joke to tell to 7th graders. They don't understand sports-obsessed females nor do they get adult humor. My bad. I had to go on record saying "PLEASE DO NOT GO HOME AND TELL YOUR PARENTS THAT YOUR HISTORY TEACHER IS ON A SPORTS-INDUCED SUICIDE WATCH!" eh. it happens.</div><div> </div><div>It may not be the best idea for me to be putting this information about the <em>Curse</em> out in the universe. Sure will not help me find another coaching job should I decide to leave Aledo...or should Aledo fire me after reading this. However, I feel it is time that the Internet world is made aware of our unfortunate family's success-sucking curse so that maybe, just maybe, the curse can move on and haunt some other poor poor family. We just want to win damnit!</div><div> </div><div>So there it is people, the big family secret. The sad world where our teams just can't seem to win when it really counts. It's up to you, LSU, to make sure that this bloody curse does not hold true for all teams that my family cares about. Especially coming on the heels of the World Series. This chick can't take two trips to the L column in a week's time! We've also decided to take a proactive approach and we got season tickets for the Rangers games next year. If it takes us being even more psycho-supportive than ever to try to break this curse, well then that's precisely what we're going to do. Everyone say a little prayer that it doesn't backfire. I'd never forgive myself! ;)</div><div> </div><div>It's hard for me to imagine people who don't like sports. What do they blog about??</div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-31993006483460240822011-10-25T17:01:00.000-07:002011-10-25T18:34:53.543-07:00Live.Laugh.Rangers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnGX-ld-uGRk5bq-BUeJOs_a6-1VuGxYfsB_IRvMEleZ0BUlxQwSEMQBI4YGK1NGAB7FlPZG_3jIpvf5NnU-w3KVO5qRqRrlYPXXJtejMAUFKFrRgUQOe9NhAmllyaqn36X9uKN5zQlo/s1600/images-1.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnGX-ld-uGRk5bq-BUeJOs_a6-1VuGxYfsB_IRvMEleZ0BUlxQwSEMQBI4YGK1NGAB7FlPZG_3jIpvf5NnU-w3KVO5qRqRrlYPXXJtejMAUFKFrRgUQOe9NhAmllyaqn36X9uKN5zQlo/s320/images-1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667603647288482066" /></a>You guys knew it was coming. Like I could go this entire World Series without blogging about my beloved Rangers! Life has been beyond crazy lately, so blogging hasn't been on the top of my priority list. I could not, however, let this amazing season come to an end without putting my two cents in a blog. So here goes!<div><br /></div><div>I love my Rangers. They have made my life better since moving to Fort Worth. Once I graduated from LSU and moved back to Texas, there was a gaping hole in my life. It was a void that I dealt with due to the lack of being able to watch my precious Tigers on Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium. There's not much like college football, but the Rangers have given me something to get excited about again. Something to look forward to every weekend (or weekday) that they're in town from April to October. I've been a Rangers fan since I was little. That was part of our summer "vacations" (come on guys, a coach's salary doesn't take three kids on worldly vacations every year!), and we loved it. Six Flags and the Rangers games. My family is so sports-obsessed that I don't even know if we realized that it was abnormal to choose the Ballpark over the beach. The past couple of years have put an exclamation mark on my childhood...to be able to see Rangers make history has been nothing short of phenomenal. I love true TEAM sports. I chalk it up to my up-bringing. More specifically, my dad that has worked so hard his entire career trying to show kids that being a selfless, committed athlete is second to nothing else. He showed me how sports that involve multiple people working together for a common goal is so special. The Rangers have shown the somewhat uptight and high-strung baseball world that you don't need ONE standout player, that having FUN and playing like you're just kids at a little league ballpark is actually okay. The hand signs and the pre-game laughs, the post game shaving cream pie-faces, and the enthusiastic energy of Ron Washington illustrate the bond that this team has that is unlike any other. Simply put, it's just fun to be a fan. Some call me obsessed, and that's probably true, but I don't care. I love it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now down to some serious baseball talk, how about Derek Holland? Wait, I said serious. There's not a lot about that guy that I can take seriously. The pre-pubescent trash stache is about the most amazing thing I've ever seen. His voices and impersonations are hilarious. He's got Harry Caray down PAT, and his Arnold Schwartzenegger is classic. But when it's time to get down to baseball, his performance on Sunday was freaking perfection, and we were there to see every pitch. People are bashing him today for not being serious enough during the game last night, but oh my geez people give the guy a break! It's his personality to behave the way he did on air last night, and it's been the mantra for the Rangers the past several years to NOT take everything so seriously and to just play ball. They feed off the personality of their manager. They are passionate and fun-loving and that's why the DFW metroplex and the rest of Texas have fallen in love with this team. Get off Holland's back; he was giving the people what they want! And just to reiterate my point about the awesomeness that is his stache...</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSC4q7tgapngQj3jKjoysKK37D8_-QXen4UBYChND5mvcEw3_b7_SY-Uxu8cHuH7aJYzPhUbYFOKA-twVK1v13B5vQe92F5oXIF8wThz00RhD4dm7Pd9DM9V0qlu8pxBgBcbt-T2-Nr0/s200/Unknown" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667595388766896306" /><div>I mean seriously, how could you not love that guy? It's taken him like 3 months to grow that unfortunate caterpillar on his top lip. I dig it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Few more things about Ron Washington. 1.) So glad he accepts responsibility for his mistakes and holds himself and his team accountable. 2.) His excitement is contagious and his moves are to die for. If you don't understand my love for Ron Washington, the most animated manager of all time...you've gotta watch this video. Enjoy!</div><div><a href="http://youtu.be/tkcJOBxqfec">The Ron Washington DANCE.</a></div><div>And PS, I miss the Ron Washington kid from last year! BEST COSTUME EVER.</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFeCp5EXdTzSM5xYGNQlRRc31MoLm3HRFlmgScdkTZRmaqz0zE6o4TXmuZrGythxMoSxaM3IqkHes2ub6DmnJ_8RQoy1PfcfwMoooI_D6LUr5jgU3OKUAiKXbb14WDL4qgrRyU6WoUDE/s200/lil-ron-washington.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667599901857733698" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 156px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div>Moving on. Some things to note before the end of this blog.</div><div>1. Andrus & Kinsler are an awesome combo up the middle.</div><div>2. Nelly Cruz in the ALCS was one of the most clutch performances by an athlete I've ever seen.</div><div>3. I love Josh Hamilton. Yes, still. </div><div>4. Beltre was totally worth the money.</div><div>5. Can't go wrong with our outfield no matter who is out there defensively...but Murphy is a key to this team...offensively and defensively.</div><div>6. Mitch Moreland's homerun last night was WOW.</div><div>7. Bullpen. Nuff said.</div><div>8. Feliz...6-0.</div><div>9. I.like.Mike. Best.Leader.EVER.</div><div>10. It truly is Naptober. The year of the Napoli. NAP-O-LI M-V-P!!!</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pEWuBNYjXEG0W7-IEFKt90hFHdBeTt-jxhfgXRkbXpzR6KLreRtqh3LsC09d-7ksgJK2E0TK4bxgMlisG0DQovmaiOrq6u6oUqEbUzhwdPw_eDq-bLmlTsgZGReWjcSKk-S7y93t3VQ/s200/130214473_crop_650x440.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667602600229982770" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 136px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">I know I'm all over the place with this blog. And I know that my brother will surely come at me with his superior baseball knowledge and tell me that some of this stuff is wrong and blah blah...but I'm a girl and I don't keep up with stats. I have, however, watched more MLB network the past two weeks than I ever imagined possible, but I still call 'em like I see 'em. That being said, boys will continue to inform me of every answer to every sports question I could ever have, and the girls can just read my blog and enjoy a laugh! :)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">BRING THE CHAMPIONSHIP HOME TO US BOYS!!!!!!!!!</span></div><div><br /></div></div>Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-18515798738033841922011-03-14T14:49:00.000-07:002011-03-16T18:28:52.668-07:00Finding Strength<div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 174px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584854567666046226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbGByeS1diawNHY5dSHc0x1aTU1B9sloKcobqDdQc7fPgyTmhpESMhDy8ApEfGRjVlOoMhfftIYZTJGRC6qn6qvKw0fcdTQDBP_eLZpeYcMjHFvWLmaSQ6jplyGS8SL5JEAJHKDXkbgc/s200/miles+and+cody.jpg" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbXQ7MS_FCRUIb4KRWxn47GTXjpVuv7yZAvU5vxXELcZTy36VLo-dj175al_YuJf4f9_Nlkfs-CXQjeWCVqsFiCa3Zp9V1Pp_-APp6h3QILTWmtU1EYdPVyEvp_vepqybUwftuz8Yrm4/s1600/me+and+cody.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 131px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584078932912882338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbXQ7MS_FCRUIb4KRWxn47GTXjpVuv7yZAvU5vxXELcZTy36VLo-dj175al_YuJf4f9_Nlkfs-CXQjeWCVqsFiCa3Zp9V1Pp_-APp6h3QILTWmtU1EYdPVyEvp_vepqybUwftuz8Yrm4/s320/me+and+cody.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>When life takes an unexpected turn, moments of pure normalcy soon find themselves few and far between. In many of my previous blogs, it almost seems as if I am complaining because our lives have been somewhat monotonous and unexciting lately. Even more than me, I know Milesy would love to go back to a completely normal day last week, where it was a typical day at work, maybe an evening softball game, and a call from his best friend. Unfortunately in life, things happen that we have no control over, and things can change in an instant.<br /><br />For those of you who don't know my Milesy very well, one thing about him (apart from the obvious fact that he is amazing) is that he is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. I have been on his ass on more than one occassion about not being a passionate person, but I didn't stop to think about the fact that maybe he was just passionate about something that I didn't quite understand. It has taken a horrific tragedy to make me realize that I have all but completely ignored an enormous part of his life because it's not something I cared about, understood, or had a place in. He had someone else for that.<br /><br />Miles lost his best friend this weekend. Cody Allen Burns wasn't just his best friend, he was his cousin, his confidante, his hunting partner. They shared a middle name and a common bond. They were like brothers. They had such an amazing friendship that at times I found myself acting like a jealous outsider because it seemed as if Cody was a better wife than I am (I know he's laughing at this from Heaven). They talked on the phone for endless amounts of time several times throughout the week. They were supposed to be on a quail hunt on Saturday. They were supposed to go on their first big elk hunt in September. They were planning Cody's goat-roasting birthday party that isn't even until August. They had so many plans.<br /><br />Why did this happen? I keep asking that question over and over again. It can't be explained, I can't process it. I'll never be able to tell Cody how thankful I am that he is a part of our lives. That he was a brother to Miles. That he helped Miles find a passion for something in life that I never would've been able to do. That I did truly love him even though he thought that I was mad at him at times for taking Miles away from me. Cody, I know that God wanted you and Miles to have as much time together as possible over the past several years. He wanted you two to make up for lost time, and He wanted you two to enjoy to the fullest the last years you had together here on Earth. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I do have several more things to tell him, so Cody, as you read this from Heaven, please know what a special person I think you are, what a wonderful friend that I know you are, and how much we all miss you and look forward to seeing you again.<br /><br /><em>Cody,</em><br /><em>There aren't words to express the sorrow we all feel in your absence. You have clearly made an impact on so many lives, as has been obvious from the number of visitors, phone calls, emails, facebook messages, news articles, pictures, etc. that we have seen and heard here and at your parents' house over the past two days. You were a one-of-a-kind cowboy. I want to thank you for always being there for Miles. He trusted you with his life. He loves you so much, Cody. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>As I struggle to find words through the tears, I trust that the Lord is taking care of you and you are a lot better off than all of us down here. Please look down on and take care of your family. I know you are my Milesy's Guardian Angel...he trusted you with his life and now I will trust you with his life. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Cody please forgive me for being less than understanding about all the hunting and fishing trips, the gun collections, the amount of time and energy it takes to work cows, or the incessant need to go to Cabela's or Academy to buy camo or look at guns. If there really is any good that is coming from this awful loss, it is this: I promise to be a better wife to Miles. I promise to be more understanding of his many loves in life...even the ones that I'm not a part of. I promise to be supportive, nurturing, and understanding. I promise that if he ever finds another friend like you that that friend will know how much he means to me because I never got the chance to tell you. Please send him that friend, Cody. No one will ever replace you, but I pray that he finds someone like you.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>You and Miles are the storytellers. I can't even begin to count the number of Cody stories I've heard from him the past two days. I love that we can keep you with us always through stories. I've always known Miles loved to tell a story...I guess when you weren't around he was basking in being the best of the storytellers. Perhaps when you do send a friend, send someone who won't constantly compete with Miles for the storytelling spotlight. :) </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Believe it or not I got your dad to crack a teeny tiny smile yesterday. We all know I wasn't cut from the same cloth as you country boys. I told Miles I need cowboy hat etiquette training because of</em><em> course I was the one to knock Beau's cowboy hat off the table...then I was the one that tried for what felt like forever to put it back on the table with very little room to work with. And naturally I was the idiot that set it down on the brim with everyone staring at me like what is wrong with this girl??? Butch said "I wouldn't set it down like that if I was you" and I looked up to see everyone staring at me and shaking their heads. He said "you obviously aren't from around here!" and cracked a small, much needed smile. Your mom and dad need you watching over them, Cody, as do Robin and Joel and the whole family. Everyone is hurting so much right now; we all just wish you'd come walking through the door and this whole disaster would just be written off as a dream.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Of course none of us will ever understand why you were taken from us so soon. It's unfathomable that we will go on the rest of our lives without you here on Earth. It just doesn't make sense, and it's so hard to accept the reality of it all. Although we know that you won't be here in person with us in the future, it's heart-warming to know that you'll forever be with us in spirit and in our memories. We love you, we miss you, and we look forward to the day that we will see you again.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Give God a gigantic cowboy-sized hug for me.</em><br /><em>Love you always,<br />Jen</em> </div><br /><div><br /><em></em><br />God, I pray for strength for myself, for Miles, and for all of Cody's family and friends. Please be with us to navigate through the long road ahead of us. Watch over us, Lord, and help us in our time of need. Help us to understand. Help us to believe that Cody will always be with us. We survive knowing that faith will help us through this. Please be with me as I commit to being a better wife, friend, and life-long partner to Miles. Your guidance is crucial to our acceptance of this tragedy, Lord, and I pray that our faith, our hope, and our love will carry us now and always. In Your name, Amen.</div></div>Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-66175859692977623992011-03-07T18:24:00.000-08:002011-03-07T19:55:06.638-08:00sweet beer and baseball dreams...I've been asked multiple times lately about why I haven't blogged in a while...I really suck at this whole routine blogging thing, especially considering how busy I stay during softball season. Believe it or not, I've been gone so often that my kids in class are tired of having a sub! I didn't know that was possible. But now I figure that the Rangers' season is about to start up again, so at least I have something to talk about other than me, Miles, and our Hambone! :) Oh I do love my life, but there's only so many times that I can tell y'all how adorable my dog is before you get sick of reading.<br /><br />Anyway - for those of you wondering what's been going on with us lately, here is the short version. First things first...CHELSEA AND MIKEY ARE FINALLY ENGAGED!!! We are thrilled, excited, and busy planning the wedding! This summer at Tom & Janet's gorgeous home in Magnolia. Congratulations to my beautiful sister and my soon-to-be brother in law!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5AESw0ZGTIAPE-Bt9uMb5aPGTFnUucufj3K74Cmzh2mZzBXKVFOjpTaSj2SoXClCUrNGZtVZX4imnEAUb95f3CXimwIP1219nakFiSBJbs8lzPaaoZlYvlqJl2IvI-EmxWxHDStDF1E/s1600/chels+mikey.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581532595132671394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5AESw0ZGTIAPE-Bt9uMb5aPGTFnUucufj3K74Cmzh2mZzBXKVFOjpTaSj2SoXClCUrNGZtVZX4imnEAUb95f3CXimwIP1219nakFiSBJbs8lzPaaoZlYvlqJl2IvI-EmxWxHDStDF1E/s200/chels+mikey.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Second, I can't believe we're already in the 5th six weeks of school. That means that summer is just around the corner! Spring Break is next week, then it's downhill from there! Ahh. So heart-warming to think about.<br /><br />Third, my big brother is about to turn THIRTY. Where the hell did time go? I cannot believe that he's about to hit that milestone, and that I'm a mere 18 months behind him! We have so much to be thankful for in this life. God has truly blessed our family. We have had such amazing experiences and our lives have been filled with love and laughter. That being said...I DON'T WANNA TURN 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)<br /><br />If this qualifies as fourth, here goes it: For all you prying peeps wondering when Miles and I are gonna have kids...let me get through this summer then we'll talk. Is that good enough? :)<br /><br />Ok - moving right along - and right back to the Rangers...I'm thrilled that Michael Young is still a Ranger, and he will always be an inspiring leader that I look up to in the profession. I am STOKED to see how well the one and only Christopher Davis is doing at spring training. I still have an undying love (totally platonic) for Josh Hamilton. I dream about baseball and beers. I can't wait to see what surprises this season brings. I see that the line up has changed, and I dig it. We've already bought tickets for April 2nd since OF COURSE I have softball and can't go on Opening Day. Day 2 isn't so bad either. Plus - check this out: <a href="http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/rangers-plan-on-field-ring-cer.html">http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/rangers-plan-on-field-ring-cer.html</a><br />What's not to be excited about?!?! I heart baseball season. And...just so you know...WE WON'T BE MISSING DOG DAY AT THE BALLPARK THIS YEAR. Count on seeing my Hambone all over the TV that day.<br /><br />Alrighty folks, that's all I've got in me for tonight. I'll try to be a better blogger...promise! For now I'll leave you with my first of many...<br /><br />C&A baby.Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9213832648528555209.post-6381829874812999832010-11-08T14:58:00.000-08:002010-11-08T15:29:29.810-08:00Tis the SEASON! :)Well, now that the Rangers season is over, I have to find something to fill my time with and to obsess over (yes, apparently I have an addictive personality where I get overly obsessed with things and spend all my time focused on that thing until it's over or I give up on it). Lucky for me, TIS THE SEASON!!! This is certainly one obsession that is a yearly re-occurence (thank GOODNESS!)................... Christmas time!!! I love love LOVE the holidays. I was so overly eager this year that I've already put up my tree (with very little resistance from Miles) and I spent Saturday afternoon listening to the Hip-Hop Christmas Channel on Dish! I have to say, as much as I love Christmas time, I will not be purchasing the Destiny's Child Christmas album anytime soon and I offer up the advice for none of you to run out and get it either...<br /><br />Before I get ahead of myself, I must remember...Thanksgiving comes before Christmas! So Miles and I bought our house over a year ago (crazy how fast it's gone by), and this will be our second Thanksgiving in a row to host at our house! I LOVE having everyone here because it means many different things...namely that I don't have to travel nor do I have to do much of anything because my mom, grandmas and aunt do everything for me! :) It's like I don't even live here at all! But having everyone here also means just that...EVERYONE IS HERE! Miles's family fortunately lives close enough that they can swing by once they've celebrated in Cleburne, and it means my family will be here for a couple of days at the least! <br /><br />The holidays also mean a break from the monotony of school. I love my kids at school, but the newness has worn off and they're starting to wear me out! Volleyball is over (all three teams took first place, ah-thank you) which means we now move on to basketball season. Nothing against those who love basketball (Krystal:) but it's just not my cup of tea. It's the never-ending season. We start at the beginning of November and go all the way into February. Blah. Volleyball is two months, basketball is four!?!?!? Why God, WHY!?!?!<br />OK - SO I'M BEING A LITTLE DRAMATIC...<br /><br />Back to what I was saying about the holidays, it's always nice to get a couple of days off work at Thanksgiving and that nice two week break at Christmas. Wanna know what's not nice? Coming back from Christmas break to a bunch of sugar-infested kids that want to talk about the thousands of dollars worth of crap they got for Christmas...it's CRAZY I tell ya. Oh, but I love those kids... :)<br /><br />So as I sit out on my back patio in the chilly November air trying desperately to teach Hambone that in order to play fetch he has to give up the freakin ball (whereas he thinks that nearly biting my fingers off everytime he comes back is a much more fun game), I get really giddy and excited about the coming holiday season. I'm one of those people that LOVES the time change. I think it's great that it gets dark so early because it tricks me into thinking it's a lot later than it actually is...plus I know it means cold weather, UGGs, holidays, FaMiLy, and LOTS of delicious food! We are so blessed!<br /><br />To finish, I can only imagine what memories may be made this holiday season. Last year was the Girls' and Guys' trips to NYC and Vegas...this year we are going on a ski trip for New Years. Last year we had the CUTEST Christmas card displaying our love for Josh Hamilton, this year...wait and see! Last year dad got so hopped up on wine that he went on a hike around the neighborhood and he didn't recognize his own son...this year... Stay tuned! Many memories and stories to come!Jen Co.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06054614374815577393noreply@blogger.com0