It's Finally Happening

Tomorrow at about 1 pm, I will officially be (almost) birdless. L put them on the auction 2 weeks ago, and they sold last Sunday. The buyer is coming to pick them up in person. He lives about 5 hours from here just over the OK border. So I am sitting in my chair, pouring over pedigrees and copying the ones belonging to the birds we sold so we have a record of their lineage, and proof of one-time ownership. Fortunately, there aren't too many to do that with. The rest are birds we raised and all I have to do is print them from the database program.

I am not sure yet how I really feel about this. I am at present very glad to know I don't have to feed, water, watch for illness/injury, etc., on an ongoing basis. I will still have 4 birds after tomorrow, ones that L just didn't want to part with. He is supposedly making arrangements to place them somewhere else so I will be completely free of them at some point in the future. Still, 4 birds is even better than a cake-walk considering that at the height of our business, when we were raising and racing in earnest, we had about 350 birds. That was just 3+ years ago. I am SO glad we don't have that many now!

Knowing the rather unexpected reaction I had the last time I mailed birds out, I'm thinking maybe having an otherwise also kinda busy day planned may be a good thing. No time to dwell on things. Just have to wait and see, I guess.

And for all of you who have heard the tale...

...I really wasn't exaggerating!

As Promised

Very tired, very proud parents. They are still trying to figure out what to do with her now that she's here. A said he couldn't take his eyes off her for the first 3-4 hours after she was born.

Grandma and Grandpa had to have their turns as well.

Miss Rylee gave Mama a rough night last night, then curled up on the couch and slept for 4 hours.

Oh My...

I feel stretched in a hundred different directions. It was a long trip there, and a long trip back, and worth every inch of it! She is beautiful. She is peacful. Mama is really tired. So is Daddy. They are so cute to watch as they take in this new little life. I had to keep telling myself, "This one is ours." I have worked in L&D and nursery for so long, holding so many other newborns that it was kind of surreal, especially while they were still in the hospital room. It was just like I've done hundreds of times before. But this time, I could kiss her. I could cuddle her just because I wanted to and not because I was trying to get her to be quiet so she wouldn't wake the other babies in the nursery.

When I began to handle her after we got home, it finally snapped into place. I got to give the first at-home bath. Having Suzanne (Cliff's wife-3rd grandma) watch me and help hold her was pretty neat. It's been a couple of years since I have bathed a newborn, but it is still so ingrained that I had her done in about 6-7 minutes, hair and all. And like every other newborn I've ever bathed, she was NOT appreciatve! At least not until I reswaddled her and snuggled her up close. Then she went to sleep.

I will post pics later tonight, hopefully. I am going to try to make evening service, so have to get moving. See you all in a bit!

Oh well...

Today has been a tail-kicker day, and I didn't leave work until about 7:20. I am sooo tired. I called and asked if they would hang me if I waited until the morning. They won't, so I will leave around 6:30 and drive in the daylight. Pictures will be forthcoming.

It's Official!!

She's here! She arrived at 8:50 pm, screaming and "with attitude" according to A. T. was induced this morning and has had a day of it. A. said he was going to go get fries from Burger King and Sweet Tea from McDonalds "because that's what the woman wanted, and that's what I'm gonna get her!" My granddaughter's name is Rylee.

Yes, indeed! I am headed up the road tomorrow evening as soon as I leave work!

She's Almost Here!

I got a phone call from A on Saturday saying that their OB had offered T an induction on Thursday. She will be 39 weeks on that date. She of course jumped at the chance. So...labor starts Thursday morning. Don't know exactly how long this will take, but if she arrives while it is still Thursday, I will be thanking my Lord.

And I will be headed to Granbury on Saturday! (Or maybe Friday night!)

Faces From the Past

After reading about how Dewey Hafta joined facebook and was finding folks from her past and renewing acquaintances, I decided to see what all the excitement was about. So last week I set up an account. Invite friends? Well, most of the people I have in my address book are current contacts, so why would I want to add them to a facebook account? Made no sense to me. But the account is now there, and last night I received an email from Facebook stating that someone had requested to be my friend. This person is someone I knew in Iceland about 20 years ago. (My gosh, has it really been that long?!) After answering that email and adding that friend, they have started to come out of the woodwork! I now have 6 friends (and counting, apparently, since I have been informed that there are many folks from Iceland, both native and military on Facebook.) I'm hooked! It will be fun to see where life has taken these people.