Cell Phones....Good or Bad?

Cell phones.... How did we ever live without them?! I admit, mine is always wherever I am. If I leave it at my desk to run to another part of the office, or if I leave it downstairs and run upstairs for something, I check it upon returning. Not that there is something incredibly impending going on in my life or that of my close family and friends that would require my immediate availability, it's habit. The habit of not missing out, the habit of being there whenever anyone calls. And I have to say, it's really sad! There are days when I wish I didn't have a cell phone. Having a cell phone makes others think you should be easily accessible. Believe me, my dad is the worse! Don't answer your phone, and he will leave a message with clear frustration in his voice, "Tiff...just trying to get a hold of you. Call me when you get this. Love you. Bye." THEN, he'll call Wes's phone and ask him why I'm not answering my phone. (And, I LOVE him for this!) If he has tried calling one of my sister's phones and they don't answer, he'll call me and ask where they are. (Yes, I do talk to both my sisters daily, but at 11:00 in the morning, I don't exactly know why they are not answering his call.) I openly joke with my dad about this and we laugh together, so he wouldn't mind me using him as an example. (My dad is quite accustomed to laughing at himself with us....just ask Wes! LOL!)

Then, there are times like today... Wes and I have had a pretty enjoyable Saturday thus far. We had our first "prepared labor class" for 3 hours this morning (later post to follow), stopped at Target for some shopping, went out for lunch, came home and took a LONG nap, gave the dogs a bath, and sat on the deck for a while talking about Tucker. Great day! However, I had several phone calls through out the day on my cell phone. Now these were from friends and family who I LOVE, don't get me wrong! I love that I have those people in my life who love and care about me and who are interested in what I'm doing during the day, who just want to catch up, who want to make plans, and who just want to say "hey". But today, I was just enjoying the day with my husband and found myself (briefly) wishing I didn't have a cell phone....

Can anyone relate?

Baby Shower!!! :)

Saturday, Tucker and I were loved on by lots of family and some friends from my hometown! My mom and sisters threw me a baby shower full of great food, silly games, and most importantly, some of the most important people in our lives! It always amazes me how generous people are! My little man is already loved by so many! :)


Here are some pictures, but before you look at them, let me explain why I have on a yellow top in some and a black top with a white lab coat in others....

In taking a picture while holding my cake, I managed to slide the cake into my ever-growing belly....(can I claim pregnancy clumsiness???). So, I had blue and white icing all over my yellow top... Luckily, I had a black tank top on underneath, but if you remember, it was kinda cool on Saturday and the shower was outside at the park. So, my sister Holli who is a dental hygienist had one of her lab coats in her car (luckily, it was clean! LOL!). On top of that, my sandal broke as well! I'm not sure what was going on with me! Good thing I had so much fun at the shower or I would have given up right there! :)

Anyway, here are some pics from the shower! :)

Me & Jasmine (my sister-in-love)

Me & Mom

Me with my mom, sisters, nieces, and my aunt who drove down from PA for my shower!

Post cake-fiascle! (But a good pic of how Tucker is growing!)

Tucker's piggy bank!

Me & Barbie (one of my BFF's from high school)

Tatum :)

Holli & Bridgette taking care of the games--y'all did a great job!

Another one of my BFF's from high school, Beth, had to get Tucker this shirt because it says "Tuckerman's" :)

Thanks so much to everyone! Tucker and I love y'all and are very blessed to have you in our lives! :)

Patience, Frustration, Anxiety, & Victory!

Patience is taping and re-taping a hundred times in hopes of getting straight lines.

Frustration is when you realize it's not that darn level that's uneven, it's your stripes you just spent HOURS taping off!

Anxiety is peeling off that tape after painting horizontal stripes on a wall and PRAYING that they're level and no paint managed to leak behind the tape...


Victory is a finished product of a 2-week project that you should have never began in the first place, and that looks decent enough to get-away-with.

Final results to follow.... Stay tuned! :)

Little UK Fan in the Making!

Here's what Daddy brought home for Tucker the other day.

Needless to say, Tucker has no choice when it comes to UK! He'll be born into a home that bleeds BLUE!

Guess Who's Thirty!!!

WES, that's who!!!! Yes, my husband has reached a new decade! But, my love for him doesn't waiver! I LOVE my husband, every 30 years of him! :)

Here Wes is with his HOMEMADE cheesecake. Yes, yours truly baked him a cheesecake, it's kind of a tradition. Wes LOVES cheesecake! So, on his birthday, he gets a homemade cheesecake baked by his wife. Doesn't it look yummy? :)

Even Lacy helped to sing Happy Birthday to Daddy!
And here is Wes's sad "I'm really 30!" face....

But, the sadness didn't last long. Once he opened his Rockband, he forgot about how "old" he is and was a kid again! LOL! (Look at the concentration!)

And this is a pic of me, Wes, and Tucker before we went out for Wes's birthday dinner Saturday night. (This is the very last picture that was taken of Wes before he turned 30....so sad! Sorry, Baby, you know I have to rub it in since I'm just a young thing!!! LOL!)

Happy Birthday, BABY! Tucker and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you! (Even if you are 30!!!) MUAH!!!! :)

Tucker's First Shower

Tonight, Tucker was showered with love by a group of girls that I LOVE! Some of my friends from Frost, Brown, Todd (the law firm I worked for while in college) had a shower/dinner for me and Tucker. It brought back so many memories of all the good times we had at FBT! I think that was the funnest job I've ever had (though I probably didn't realize it at the time!). These girls are AWESOME! And they were more than generous, showering Tucker with gifts of love. He got everything from a bathtub, including an adorable robe with doggie paws, to a bouncy seat, to some of the most adorable outfits you've ever seen, and more! What a lucky boy!!! :) Oh, and even the girls got some treats!

Mommy got to catch up with great friends who I don't get to see nearly often enough! We had so much fun!!! I cannot thank you all enough!!! I LOVE y'all and cannot wait for Tucker to meet such a fabulous group of ladies!!!!

Here are a few pics:

Kristin, pictured here on the right, has a blog full of hilarious stories of her adorable 3-year old. If for no other reason than to see pictures of her sweet daughter, Sarah Kate, check it out!

Tucker's First Wedding

On Saturday, the Keene's attended the beautiful wedding of my "little" cousin. I remember when I used to babysit her! Okay, now I'm making myself sound old....

It's hard to believe that it's been this far into the summer and we have not been to a wedding before this. (Another sign I'm getting old -- all my friends are already married! LOL!)

Even though Tucker is still in Mommy's belly, he was a "BIG" part of the celebration..... Mommy and Tucker were the "announcer/organizer" at the reception. We got to welcome the guests, announce the wedding party, and direct the guests attention to all the reception "activities" (toasts, cutting of the cake, father-daughter dance, throwing of the bouquet, etc.). We spent our share of time in the spotlight, and Tucker got lots of compliments (or maybe those compliments were for me?)!

I also showed Tucker that his Mommy can cut a rug on the dance floor, even at 7 months pregnant! I had some embarrassing pictures that I had planned to post for your entertainment, but Wes accidently deleted all the pictures on our camera's memory card. (Yes, Honey, I'm still you're friend! LOL!) If I come across any from anyone else, I'll be sure to add them.

Anyway, the wedding was in Pennsylvania, which means we had a very busy weekend, mainly consisting of being confined to a car. We made the 8 hour drive Friday after work and came back Sunday. A quick trip, but it was worth it to see Heidi look so beautiful and happy! A bonus of driving up interstate 71 was that I convinced Wes to stop by the Potterybarn Outlet for a "break from the car ride" and was able to pick up a few things for Tucker's nursery -- score! :)

Heidi and Will, we wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin this new chapter in your lives! You all are an amazing couple and there's no doubt God has awesome things in store for the two of you! We love y'all! :)

"You're Fired!"

Tomorrow, I'm firing my maid! That's right, she is history! It might sound cruel, especially with the current economy; however, she has slacked off tremendously ever since I've been pregnant! I mean, what's up with that?! Doesn't she realize that I need her more now than ever before?! The dust mites are taking up residency, the laundry is piling up, the vacuum goes days unemployed, and the bathrooms could use some cleaning! Gosh! What does it take to find some decent help these days?!


(p.s. I don't have, nor have I ever had a "maid". But, if I did, she or he would be fired based on the appearance of my house tonight!)

Hello Third Trimester

Friday, I reached 28 weeks, which means I've reached my third and FINAL trimester!

I can absolutely not believe I'm entering my last trimester! Where did the first and second one go?!? Has it really been 28 weeks?!

People ask me if I'm "ready" or say things like, "I bet you're ready to have that baby." I don't think I have that "DANG! She's HUGE!" look going on just yet (though I could be wrong...maybe I do and nobody's told me yet....and if I don't, I'm sure it's right around the corner), so I think I get asked those questions because by this time some women are "tired" of being pregnant and are "ready" to have the baby already. Not me. I LOVE being pregnant! Sure, there are many things that I do not like. (Think constant running to the bathroom, LEG CRAMPS, back pain, lack of energy, carrying around what feels like an extra 100 pounds.........) However, the things that I love about being pregnant totally outweigh all those! Not to mention that as long as I'm pregnant, I get to sleep all night (well, except when I wake up running to the bathroom), and take uninterrupted Sunday naps! ;)

Now, don't hear me say I'm not ready to meet Tucker! I just enjoy the time that I have with him 24/7 right now. I enjoy knowing he depends fully on me, knowing he is with me all the time, knowing that he is completely safe, being able to talk to him at any time, feeling him move around and play and "explore" (that's what I think he does in there!), and just enjoying every part of knowing my precious son is inside of me!

With all that said, I do still very much look forward to meeting the most precious gift that God has made especially for me and Wes!

Leg Cramps and Labor

A "lovely" (quotes = sarcasm) symptom of pregnancy is leg cramps. I don't remember ('forgetfulness' = another "lovely" symptom) why that is and if I had enough energy ('lack of energy = yet another "lovely" symptom), I would look it up to include on this post so that I would appear extremely knowledgeable about my "condition," however, I don't have that energy today so just take my word for it.

Anyway, for whatever reason (again, I used to know the answer, but don't remember), the chances of getting these leg cramps increases at night while sleeping. Every once in a while, I will feel one coming on, but am able to flex my feet towards my head in time to stop it. Well, that is except for last Sunday. Wes and I were taking a Sunday nap after church, and the sudden overwhelming "here-I-come" of a leg cramp threw me out of a dead sleep. I inadvertently pointed my toes instead of flexing my feet towards my face. BIG MISTAKE! That caused the cramp to come full force. I screamed, waking Wes up, and tried, unsuccessfully, to jump up. (Now, as you picture this scene, make sure you add the basketball-sized belly that I've managed to "grow" over the pass 7 months.) I fell back on the couch, screaming "My calf! My calf!" Wes, now wide awake, frantically began to massage my calf, which didn't work. I "somehow" managed to get myself to my feet and applied pressure, trying to "walk it out."

Okay, now for where I'm trying to go with this re-enactment.... In the midst of all this pain (yes, P.A.I.N.), I was thinking, "Oh my gosh! Being in labor is going to hurt even more than this!" I'd like to say that I'm not sure what caused me to think that in the middle of a leg cramp, but these days, it's all pregnancy-related, and the closer and closer we get to Tucker's "birth"day, the more those thoughts go to the actual labor process. It's all relative.

As with all muscle cramps, once I stretched it out, it went away; however, the pain remained in my calf for the next few days, like a constant reminder of the pain I'm inevitably going to endure in order to bring my sweet, sweet son into this world.

Okay, before all you Mommies out there scold me for putting "leg cramp" and "labor" in the same sentence, I do acknowledge that a leg cramp probably does not even come close to the pain that us super-women go through/will go through in order to welcome healthy bambinos into this world. It's where my mind went on that occasion, and I just had to share! It also represents the anxiety that goes along with the unexpected process of giving birth. I already know that whatever my delivery has in store for me, it will all be worth it. HOWEVER, I still pray that I have an "easy" delivery (does that actually exist?) and most importantly above all else, that Tucker is healthy.

Thank you to those of you that are also praying for me, Tucker, and Wes! Those prayers are very much appreciated!

A Little Love Note

Tucker,

Right now, right this very minute, you are moving all around in my tummy.
I. LOVE. IT. Every single minute of it! Every single kick, punch, elbow, tumble, hiccup! I LOVE IT! While I am so excited to be able to kiss you on the cheek, the neck, the belly, and even on the bottom of your sweet, sweet feet, I am going to REALLY miss these days! I cherish them, every single moment of each day!

Mommy loves you!
xoxoxo

"Tucker!"

The name "Tucker" came from Wesley's dad, who passed away when Wes was 13 years old. It was actually his dad's last name. We don't know anyone with Tucker as their first name. Surprisingly, I have not heard it among the thousands and thousands of names I've come in contact with working in the schools. (Which is probably a really good thing, because there is definitely a whole list of names that I could NEVER name my children as a result of a child I worked with who has that name -- good or bad, you decide!)

Anyway, while on our "Babymoon", there was a boy who was approximately 8 or 9 years old whose name was Tucker. It appeared that he was on vacation with his family and a few other families that also had younger children. Their beach chairs were located close to ours and we ran into them at the pool on occasion. This means that we could hear the other kids yell, "Tucker! Look at this!" "Tucker, try this!" "Where are you going, Tucker?" etc.... It was neat to hear these young kids call out to "Tucker".

We talk to our Tucker all the time, calling him by his name, but it's different to hear kiddos say it! And let me just say, we think it sounded just as good coming from the mouth of an 8 year old as it does coming from Mommy and Daddy! :)

Happy 27 Weeks, Tucker!

Tucker,

Yesterday you turned 27 weeks gestation. Wow, more than 6 1/2 months now! Time has went by SO fast! With only a few more months left, you will be here before Mommy and Daddy know it! But, please don't rush! We are very patient and want you to take ALL the time you need to get big and strong! In the past 27 weeks, Daddy and Mommy have really loved getting to know you! You are so much a part of us!

Here is what we know about you:

*You weigh almost 2 pounds and are about 14 1/2 inches long (what a big boy!).

*You're starting to sleep and wake a regular intervals (and I think you've got your days and nights mixed up....).

*You're opening and closing your {beautiful} eyes.

*You're brain tissue continues to develop and your brain is very active (and we know what a smart, smart boy you are!).

*You occasionally get hiccups.

*You love to kick and remind Mommy that you're in this tummy of mine (and Mommy loves it!)

*You love music! When Daddy turns the radio up, we can be sure it'll only be a matter of time before you start moving and kicking!

*You're not shy and you like to show off! If someone else wants to feel you kick, you'll give them a show!

*You like to hear other kids. When Mommy is working in a classroom of young kiddos, you perk up a little!

*You're the best baby ever!!!! (Yeah, we're a little bias, but that's okay! :)

Mommy and Daddy love you very, very, VERY much!!!!