He needed my attention

Wow! Been awhile!
We have a LOT to go over.  I's been one month since our sweet Annie joined the world.  She is growing and thriving and just now hitting the 7 pound mark!  Lets back up...

On May 8th I went in for my 37 week check up.  I expressed to the doctor that I was having major anxiety & fears that something was wrong.  Although Annie was kicking ALL of the time, I just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.  The doctor offered to send me down for a non-stress test to ease my mind until I could see my OB the next week when he was back in town.

I had a very easy pregnancy with Scarlet and had a easy time with Annie as well so this was all foreign to me.  After the NST the doctor said that the babies heart wasn't reacting the way they like to see it to the contractions I was having so they wanted me to go drink a coke and have another NST as well as a growth scan.  I took all of this very lightly because surely nothing was wrong, right?  When I finally went down for the growth scan I could see the screen as the tech measured.  This wasn't in the baby section of the hospital so the tech wasn't talking to me like a normal ultrasound.  This was in Radiology and all she was doing was clicking and measuring on the screen.  I started paying attention and saw that the measurements were all reading small, between 30-34 weeks.  I started to feel a little nervous but shook it off, choosing to believe that everything was fine, she was just small, and she still had 3 whole weeks to grow.

After a good 6+ hours of being hooked up to monitors checking the babies heart rate the doctor came in and told me I wasn't leaving.  She explained that the baby had stopped growing and I would be induced in the morning.  I begged (with tears) for them to let me go get my bag packed and go put my girl to bed before admitting me.  She reluctantly agreed and told me to be back at the hospital at 9pm.

So John and I got to the hospital, got checked in, ate snacks, and really just believed our girl was small, but FINE.  After little sleep and a lot of flipping and flopping over to keep her heart rate up, they started Pitocin & broke my water at 5am.  The labor part went by quickly.  Mostly because they would not let me be still but also because well, it was just quick.  I had a fantastic nurse named Jada that talked me through my worries.  Finally at about 10:30 am I told Jada I was going to shit the bed.  She offered to check me again & I begged her not to, I was over it.  Another nurse came in and checked me and quickly said it was go time...so that is where the shit the bed part comes in... Ha!

Within minutes the bed was broken down, the nurses were preparing, I was telling them I wanted the baby on my chest asap, I didn't want her to have a bath, etc, and shit was getting real.  I had a contraction and the doctor told me to push through it, within 2 pushes the baby was born and the doctor calmly unwrapped the cord from her neck and handed her off.  This is where it gets blurry and really clear all at once, does that make sense?  I remember saying "I want to hear her cry", I remember hearing "you aren't going to hear her cry," I remember a herd of people coming into the room, I remember seeing a woman forcing my mom and sister to leave, I remember seeing my sisters eyes well up with tears and that moment is when I realized that my baby either wasn't alive, or wasn't going to live.

I looked over at the team of people huddled around her and I saw them doing CPR.  I had NO idea what was going on.  I started screaming, crying, losing my mind, and as quickly as that all happened, I heard a cry.  The team of people started cheering, I felt immediate relief & was overcome with happiness to just hear her.  After a few minutes they brought her over to me, I held her for a moment and they said she was going to the NICU.  They took her from me and took John and left.  So here I am alone with the doctor and nurse, with out my mom, my sister, my husband, or my baby.

The next few hours are a blur, so much that all I remember was a nurse bringing her cell phone in my room and showing me pictures of Annie on the scale.  She was 4.7 lbs and 18 inches long.  Her APGAR score at 1 minute was a 2.  Do you know what the APGAR is?  I didn't until I read it in her chart much later, google it if you don't.  The only reason she even got a 2 was because she had a bit of a heart beat, and she finally let out a cry.  Her 5 minute score was a 7.   6 hours later the neonatologist called to tell us that she had no brain bleeds, no apnea, and no seizures.  All things caused by being with out oxygen, all things that had not even crossed my mind.

After a very long day, I finally got to go see her.  She was absolutely perfect, and I was absolutely heart broken that she was on the other side of the hospital, hooked up to countless machines, naked, in a warming bed.  All that I could think was that none of this was part of my plan.  We should be in our room, with our families and our baby.  We should be laughing and having champagne.  Why is it happening this way?

Thankfully my sweet nurse Jada was by our sides the entire time.  She kept on and on talking about God, and miracles, and all of it just kind of rolled off of my back.  But then she looked at me, with the most fierce look and said "Sarah! God breathed life into your baby! She was not breathing Sarah! Do you understand that?! She is here for a reason!"  I broke down right then.  Literally broke down.  How blind could I be! How was I not hearing what God was saying?!  How is it that this adorable, country, L&D nurse basically just slapped me in the face with realization!  A few hours later she was telling me about her husband, telling me how sweet, good looking, and awesome he is.  She told me that she asked God what he was thinking when he created him and she said "Sarah, seriously, find yourself a quiet spot and ask him what he was thinking when he made Annie, Sarah he will answer, I promise, just do it."

The next day, I was sitting in the NICU rocking my baby, I had the curtain pulled around her "pod."  I asked God what he was thinking when he made her.  And clear as day, he answered.  He told me that he needed my attention. I have never been so sure of anything as I am of that.  I heard him loud and clear.  And ya'll.  It was amazing.

So here we are.  Annie beat ALL of the odds and was out of the NICU in a week.  We have adjusted with ease into being a family of 4.  I can't stop looking around and seeing and experiencing all of the miracles and blessings God is giving.  It is like a cover has been lifted off of my eyes and a weight off of my shoulders.  My baby is healthy, and strong, and very much alive.  When the NICU doctor explained to me that the reason Annie had stopped growing was because I had a viral infection in my placenta I knew.  When he explained that it could only be one of 3 infections, all which cause fetal death, I knew.  When he told me that he just didn't understand how this infection hadn't passed onto her, I knew.  God wanted this little girl here for a reason, and he wanted my attention, and he got both.

Now! without further adieu...

AWOL

Wow.  So, uh hi.  Yeah been a while! Let's play catch up!  

Since I last posted we found out that Macon #2 is a little lady!  Scarlet was quite sure it was a boy named Leopard but alas, she was proven wrong!  Baby will be named after my sweet Grandmother (& mom), Anne McCary (Annie).

We had a fantastic, LONG Christmas break.  John & I both took over a week off of work and were able to do a whole lot of nothing, being back at work is proving to be very hard.

New Years.  Yay.  We ate junk food and I was in bed by 10.

Babies nursery - can't wait to get some work done in here.  We have been hunting and gathering lots of little supplies.  I have been buying all of the baby things used (or borrowing) b/c my brain actually works this time around & I realize she will shit in, puke on, or just plain hate at least one of the devices we buy to entertain her.

(source)

I bought this wooden sign in the color poppy for the new ones room.  That will be about the brightest thing in there.  Everything else will be light & neutral. I'm so excited for her room to come together! 

I'll catch ya up with some pics!

I ordered this crazy looking pregnancy pillow off of Amazon in hopes that I would get some better sleep, not a minute later a girlfriend tweeted me and said I could have hers so I cancelled my order.  I got this joker yesterday and ya'll.  It is magical. I don't know that I will quit using it once I am done being pregnant!

This is baby 2 at 19 weeks.  Cute as pie! Hope she looks like her sister, Scarlet made a pretty newborn!

Scarlet at Christmas in her new dress up wedding dress made by "Sweetie" (a great aunt).

She is so proud of this dress ya'll, it is hilarious.  

Getting ready to cut her babies cake to find out the sex.  We did this Christmas eve!

Me at 20 weeks preg in the work bathroom (creep factory).  I am done with all sickness. I love to eat, sleep, hot baths, & lemonade.  I have gained 4 lbs so far, pretty sure that is all in my boobs.  

Me at 9 or so.  In a ONE PIECE jumpsuit with turtle neck. And hair sprayed hair. 

Scarlet playing ponies before bed.  I can't wait to find a jump suit that will fit her at 9. 

That's all I got.  Maybe I'll blog again soon, maybe not.  Either way, hope your 2014 is doing ya well!

Bits & bits & BITS

So busy these days.
So tired these days.
So glad to have the fall season rolling in.
We are enjoying the cold weather, we are enjoying our cold weather staples like sweatshirts, soups, and socks at bedtime!  John is enjoying hunting season, I am enjoying hot bath & book season.  Speaking of books, Gone Girl.  DUB-TEE-EFFFF.  That book.  That was something.  I loved it. Got any good book recs for me?

What is your fall looking like?  Ours seems to have just gotten a whole lot more laid back....

Because this little sweetie - 

Has some BIG news!

That's right.  We had a big ole 

and went and made another kid...

So here is to lots of ...

A growing one of these...

and a lot more messes.  

Baby Macon numero dos should be making his/her appearance around May 24, 2014.  Wish us luck! 

Signazon!

Have you guys heard of Signazon?  

It's a pretty neat company!  I was asked to give my thoughts and here they are!

"Signazon.com was founded with the mission of providing our customers with the very best in printing. It’s one thing to print fast and cheap – it’s another thing to do that and do it well."  

I don't know about you guys but I work for a small company, and we do a good bit of printing things.  Not just paper things either, all kinds of things.  We print a good bit of these yard signs for golf tournaments and everyone knows all business type folks must have a good looking business card!  

As I was nosy-ing around their site I was noticing how their particular services would be great for bloggers!  From business cards (not just any business cards either, custom cards to suit you!), to marketing materials, to stationary.   I don't think you have to be a "business" to use their services!

Signazon also has political yard signs and magnetic signs for cars.  Trust me, I bet I won't be the only one ordering some of these this year... cough, nobama.   

I think this in my yard would be sure to win the neighbors over....

                              (link)

So.  If you guys need some biz cards, stationary, or a big fat "STOP HERE SANTA" sign, I think these are the people for the job.  Go check out the customer reviews!  Those have to be true!

Quick, go now, I found a 10% off coupon on their site :)

I was really excited to work with my FIRST sponsor, Signazon, to share their products with you!

Lately

I suck at blogging.

Scarlet is hilarious.  Last night we stopped by a friends house after school for a cocktail.  (My friend, my cocktail, she was just along for the ride.)  After making friends with a big pit bull named Duke, Scarlet decided that she wanted her own "Big Black Duke."  Ya'll, the words came out of her mouth, "I want my very own BIG BLACK DUKE."  I died laughing.

So friends mom happens to be a musician, which is awesome.  She handed Scarlet her mandolin and held the cords for her and let Scarlet strum.  She now wants a mandolin, and to take lessons.  I will so give into that want.  She also asked me how you say mandolin in Spanish, when I responded with Mandolina, she said ok well that is what I want to be called then.  Mandolina Hinton Macon, please mom.

I stayed in a sweet ass bed & breakfast for work in Jackson, MS last week.  Pretty sure it was haunted.  But man was it gawgeous.  Check it out, the Fairview Inn,  I was in the Hayloft Suite.  I can't wait to go back, I want to try all of the rooms, except the Roman, no thanks to a bed on a marble slab.

That's a view of the front, from the side. 

Haven't done Funnies in a while,  Lets see some...

Got to love a good Family car sticker.... If you don't think that's funny, you're a dick.

^^^^^^ This kid! HA!

(source)

(source)

Ahahaha, ha, ha, oh shit.  OK, I can't breathe.  Who has time to do this?  I need to know so I can thank them.  Now.

Hope you guys are having a Great Wednesday! :)

One note

(not one to typically write the kid notes here, like never actually, but she has me thinking these days and I wanted to share.)

Scarlet,

You are 3 years old, if I was a "normal" mom blogger I would say 40 or something months but I'm not that great at math, so we will say 3.  This has been the most challenging, yet rewarding, part of being a mom so far.  All of the little words and stories and fun things coming out of your mouth, I feel like i can see the explosions happening in your head when you try to tell me something.  You are the most fun.  You shower me with "colimplents" (compliments) daily, you say you love my beautiful hair, my perfume smells like candy + princesses, my "jungle cat" (leopard) print shoes are your favorite.  And it makes my heart swell.  You are so kind and caring.  You always check on people, make sure they are ok.  You are mischievous right now, curious, learning how to "embellish" certain things.  You told two lies just this week.  You loathe timeout.  You pretty much loathe being alone period unless you're sleeping.  You're quite lazy, which surprises me.  I am always pulling for outside play but like your dad, you'd much rather be on the couch, cuddled up and watching a movie.  You want to quit soccer because you said it makes you tired.  30 minutes of exercise ONCE A WEEK, makes you tired.  This is a tough age too, it must be terribly hard to be three.  You find yourself in trouble at school about once every couple of weeks, and when I come to get you, you burst into tears trying to tell me why you got in trouble.  You don't love taking naps but you will lay there and let me rub your hair until you fall asleep, and baby, I will do that forever if you will let me.

You will eat anything.  Or try it at least.  You take your time eating, unlike me.  Matter of fact, you take your time doing everything.  Down right slow! You aren't one for nicknames, even if I call you princess you correct me, it's "Plain old Scarlet."  You are anything but plain & I love you just the way you are.

Alright, back to my old self, I've reached my emotional exposure limit for the year.  Maybe I can get back to my regular antics and maybe I should consider locking all other posts I have ever written if I plan on Scarlet ever seeing this.... hmmm.

 Happy Friday Eve!

So What Wednesday on a Friday!

Linking up for another So What Wednesday (on a Friday - God I am a SLACKER)!  Shannon is out for the day due to the fact that she had another kid and all, but ya'll come link up and tell us what you are saying So What to this week!

• SO what if I kinda forgot I had a blog the past couple of weeks for no reason other than I'm lazy.
• So what if I get to go to the beach KID FREE next Friday to have a relaxing Labor day with my inlaws and friends to celebrate a 40th birthday!  (Kerry, tell Toby I outed his age on the blog).
• So what if we still have 4 roommates family members living with us and my sis and I secretly love it...The guys are going bald though.
• So what if I just realized I haven't blogged in 21 days... oops.
• So what if I look forward to Fridays simply for the fact that it is the only day that I eat fast food.  (and by only I mean usually).
• So what if my google search keywords this month are Only Child Syndrome, Bare Booty, Dirty Linen Pants, & pictures of really cute babies.
• So what if I really want my sis to get this house they put an offer on, not so she will move out but because I can't wait to hang out in it!

Silly face pics to send to Daddy when he had to work out of town!

Riding the train with Dad

 Scarlet and Harrison (aka Harriet...) driving the gator!

1st time at the dentist and she was a rockstar!

That's it for me this week! Have a swell weekend.

So What!

Linking up with Shannon this week to say so what to a few things!

• So what if my MIL texted me this morning to see if the little could come stay Thursday & Friday night with them and I couldn't respond YES fast enough!  Let's face it, 3 year olds are jerks and this Momma needs a little break!

• So what if my sister and her family are MOVING into our basement while they search for a house... Re-read that.   Yeah that means 4 adults and 3 children in a 4 bedroom house.  Oh god.  Good thing we are B.F.F.'s.

• So what is our husbands are probably going to divorce us for being so annoying when we are together and we will get to live the sister wife life we have secretly talked about :).

• So what if my kid all of a sudden decided sleep is not her strong suit & it is making me BALD.  No hair don't care.

• So what if I bought 15 Disney movies on VHS from goodwill last weekend and have been playing them on loop for myself Scarlet.

• So what if so many people I know are pregnant or have just had squishy babies and I want to squeeze them all!

• So what if I have accepted the fact that I am a pinterest addict.  The only thing I don't like is when shit I want to buy doesn't link back to a site OR I finally find it and it's $2,483,567.69 for a maxi dress.

• So what if sister and I got ROBBED by an Indian lady at her garage sale this past weekend when she took a gas oven the tried to steal a pair of flip flops.  When I busted her and told her the shit was five dollars, she threw a handful of nickels totaling a DOLLAR and me and hopped in the car and left. People that come to garage sales are so damn cheap ya'll!

That's it for me this week.  What are you saying So What to?  Link up!

No News

Nothing new going on here. In my world quiet equals awesome.

•  I could not give less of a shit about a royal baby, although I find the whole succession line crazy and interesting!

•  This is the rainiest summer we have ever had. It makes for a lot of time stuck indoors... which makes me twitch.

•  Last weekend the outlaws came up to assist in building the playhouse S got for her birthday. Wow, about 24 man hours later we had this!

I went to Hobby Lobby during a nap and scored all of the summer decor for 70% off!  I mean I just think this house is the cutest thing.  And I'm pretty sure either she hates us or she doesn't think her very own house is cool because she's not playing in it.  WTF guys?  She will not play alone and hello, we don't FIT IN IT...

We had to get mulch to go around the playhouse so if a kid falls from the top they don't break their face, we may have gone a little overboard.  Do you guys know what 10 cubic yards of mulch look like?  Google it.  It's a lot of freaking mulch.

After a full days work Saturday we took the night off to go see Widespread Panic, one of my top 2 favorite bands!  We were blessed with an absolutely amazing show and cannot wait to see them again!

• We had great seats as usual but I failed to take any pictures because I was too busy rockin' my face off.  Dancing that leaves you sore the next day is the good kind of dancing!
• Sunday was spent in the hurt locker, no I wasn't hung over, I had an awesome sinus infection moving in...just what I needed to start my week off right!

She calls that thing John is on her Jungle Cheetah.  

Oh ya know, just feeding my baby.

Posing with a birthday invite from her friend!

Riding her Jungle cat.

Sweetest things ever, even if he is wearing crocs...

This is a little magic I whipped up last week.  Cauliflower pancakes.  Money right there I tell ya.  Serve them up with a little bit of sour cream on top!

And another goooood one! Spaghetti Squash Mac & Cheese! It was delish.

I will be making both of these again!

So yeah, not a whole lot of excitement here but we like it that way!

So there's that

Oh yeah hey. We are going to the beach this weekend.  There is a 70% chance of heavy rainfall the entire time we are there.  Ya know, except when we leave on Sunday.  Awesome.  I live for driving a 3 yr old 4 hours, which turns into 5.5 hours, to sit in a condo... Nice.

Also, really glad tomorrow is my Friday.  I know, rub it in more right?

I'm pretty sure I had the best birthday ever this year.  Pretty low key, but the best.  We celebrated with my in laws last week and loved it, Scarlet especially!

We took her to her first baseball game (my request) with a couple of friends and she loved it! I did too! The new Regions Field is a great addition to our city!  

I also got a little friendly with a horse cop.  The horse, not the cop, no worries.

Saturday night (my actual 31st anniversary of exiting the womb) we got a baby sitter and went out to dinner then met some friends... The hubby took me to a great restaurant (really like my favorite ever) then we went and had a Moscow Mule from here.  It was special and made me feel all Harry Potter-ish.  Vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. 

John took S earlier that day to choose a toy to take to Nonnie's... She said she wanted to be just like her Parpa (my dad) who LOVES to cut the grass...

(ohhhhhh that smile)

Now onto the serious biz.  Folks Google Reader is NO MAS as of yesterday (that means no more for you non spanish speaking folk).  What this means is that if you want to continue to follow my fantastically exciting life you will have to subscribe by clicking here or follow me via Bloglovin!  Don't miss out!!

Also, remember you can click any of the social media icons up on the top left to keep up with the Macon Shenanigans! 

.And by left, I clearly meant right.

Have a fantastic and SAFE Independence Day!!!

MERICA.

Painting a picture

I want to attempt to paint a picture for you, I fully believe that for as long as I live, I will never be able to describe the awesomeness that was Sunday. You may not get what's to come and why it was so great, but good god, what a day.

So me, my mom, and my sis went to the beach for our annual bday girls trip. No kids, no men, just us. We planned a giant boat trip for our last day. 8 people, one being a dude. ONE. So day starts, I pack a badass cooler, like I wish I had a pic. Beer, water, conecuh, bacon, hummus, veggies, sandwiches, the whole nine.

Before we even get to the boat, we get informed by one dude (E) that it wouldn't crank....

We deal, boat cranks, we go to sand dollar land (Ono Island) because its too early to drink and stay alive.

An hour later.

We try to leave, shocker, boat won't crank. Five attempts later and B having to pump some ball to keep the boat running we make it to the island. We drink, we eat, we drink. We make lots of magic vines. E looks towards the coast and says the perfect storm is brewing. We all laugh it off, totally forgetting about the whole BOAT NOT CRANKING THING.

Drink, drink, eat, drink.

Oh yeah, it really is going to storm. Lots of sideways rain, lots more vines, no working motor.... Sea tow gets called. They will be an hour. Well that's fine, we can just play in the rain.... Except there was lighting. So yeah. 8 people on a boat, in a typhoon, beer supply dwindling.. Klassy with a K.

^^^^^ what we call a whirly gig.

3 guys with a battery box, trying to brave the storm, jumped us off 3 times but we just couldn't keep it running.

Side note here: people in OB are like a different breed, well, locals and owners are. There is the fair share of tourist trash but the locals all just kinda go with it. Shit happens, and they all know that it could happen to them. So everyone help. We dig boats out of the sand, you jump off strangers boats, you share beer, you just take care of you fellow island friends.

So battery box guy gets out of his boat, in a typhoon, and ties our boat to his.  He then proceeds to DRAG us to our dock, get out ohs boat again and swim us into the lift.  I can't make this shit up guys.  I slung all of the cash we had on the boat at him, then unloaded the boat.

What a day.  Just what a day.  It was awesome.
Also, follow us on Vine for adventures like Gouda.... (turn up your volume)



and shrimp...

Funnies

Another week has come and gone.  Again.
I feel like all week long I wish away the week, then it goes by, then I'm sad that the little keeps getting bigger, I keep getting older, and time keeps passing.  Such is life I guess.
We have family in town for the nephew's 2nd birthday party.  3 kids, under 4, under one roof.  The roof is mine.  I'll let you guess how awesome that is.
My sis went to get her hair done on Wednesday at 5pm, leaving me with all 3 of them.  For 2 hours.
But really, it was great.  They were good and I managed to keep them ALL alive (and feed them dinner!)! Damn.

Proof.

(also, I still havent gotten and help on the pic squish sitch. so can someone tell me what the eff please).

This little girl is quite happy to have her daddy home.  I think he feels the same :)

She's diggin the swing too! 

And my funnies for the week.  They are all taken from Pinterest Humor.  Go look now.   

 ^^^^No explanation needed here.

^^^^I can just hear it now, "Hey kid, wanna buy some drugs?" I mean, what the fuck.  What would your reaction be if you saw this guy?  

^^^^I can relate to this pink guy...

But not the one below. 

I can't even grasp how this picture happened.  Who's idea was it?  Did this guy go to a photographer and ask to become a pink unicorn or was it suggested?  I don't need an answer.  I love it.

That's it for today folks.  Have a happy weekend!