Southern Ramblings

We brought our baby home.  An infant swing, bassinet, baby rocker and changing table took over my small home. Anna was a normal baby. She was a NICU baby, so she wasn't used to being held. She liked sitting in her rocker or swing and lounging the day away. We were told not to expect anything as far as milestones go, and to let her move and grow at her own pace.  We started physical and occupational therapy at about 3 months old. She was scared to death of her therapists for months, but we went twice a week, every week. Their main goal was stretching out her super tight muscles and working on her balance and coordination. And she was a rockstar. Everyone knew Anna. To this day, I can't take her anywhere in our hometown without someone recognizing her and wanting to catch up on her accomplishments. My older daughter is known as "Anna's sister" and it drives her nuts.  My rockstar baby met milestones left and right. She could sit up and reach for her toys and eat rea...

Why I love coming from a large family I came from a big family. I have a lot of aunts and uncles and cousins. These are people I love and hold dear to my heart, but that's not what we'll discuss today. My parents have been married for 36 years and I have four sisters. We are close. REALLY close. I have laughed with these people, loved with these people. We have endured heartbreak together, and reached milestones together. My parents have done their due diligence raising us. It couldn't have been easy.  There are eighteen years between my oldest and youngest sisters. The age difference fades as we all enter adulthood. The playing field levels and our bonds grow closer. These are my people. My tribe. Never more than a phone call away. Most of us even live on the same property in rural Mississippi.  Growing up with a house full of girls was hard. Our personalities are different, we handle life, love and sadness differently. Our words could be reckless, and we even resorted to ...

Homesteading! We'll switch gears a little here, but Anna's story does and will continue! My father owns land in south central Mississippi. My husband, children and I live on his property. It's considered a pine tree farm and the trees are about 7-10 years from being harvested. In the mean time, we are "homesteading." But not really. We are trying, and learning more and more every day.  As of now we have chickens and a huge garden. I love raising chickens. Chicken math can get very complicated but I have 11 chicks. I'll only keep the hens, the cockerels will be sold as soon as I can tell who is what. Two years ago I had to sell all my chickens and reset my mindset. I'm ready for these little babies to grow up and lay me some eggs!  http://finallyafarmer.blogspot.com/ You can see a little of my first journey here. I got busy and lost focus for a while, but I was trying to keep my memories on that blog.  I'm enjoying the gardening process and am hoping to...

Research 1 in 25,000 live births Can affect the spine, lower limbs, genitourinary tract, kidneys or intestines. Some babies are born with missing kidneys or abnormally shaped kidneys Pieces of the spine are missing or not properly formed Spinal cord is incomplete, this affects movement, feeling, toileting. Legs can be "stuck" in a variety of positions. "Buddha, or frog-like," sticking straight out, or ninety degree angles Some are born with clubfoot. Babies born with SA/CRS are typically small, with narrow hips and loads of issues that can't be diagnosed until after birth.  The baby I met after I recovered from my Cesarean was yet to be diagnosed. She was chubby, with light brown hair. Her left leg was stuck in a "Buddha" position (bent at the knee) but she was healthy. She ate properly, peed, pooped and cried like any baby you ever met. NICU has strict rules on visiting hours, so we spent a lot of time hanging out at the Children's hospital betwee...

"Ok, I need to go get the doctor now. No worries I'll be right back."  This ultrasound technician was a liar. She worked in a high-risk fetal maternal medicine office. Her lies should've been more convincing.  One umbilical artery. Feet that aren't quite right. Left leg doesn't move. More tests. More ultrasounds. More doctors. Amniocentesis. More questions. No answers. And finally, her brain is "smooth"... "Ma'am, this pregnancy isn't viable. This fetus will not survive outside the womb. You need to consider termination, before it's too far along to do so." "NEW DOCTOR!" I demanded. And a different doctor told me the same thing. And after him, another doctor with the same opinion.  Another baby girl. I have four sisters and a daughter. This family only makes girl babies. And THIS girl baby is mine. This baby girl belongs to my sweet daughter. HER baby.  We prayed together. We researched, we cr...

The stories from our lives, a little at a time. Three miscarriages in four years. Desperation and despair creeped into our lives. There were so many sad thoughts hiding behind our smiles. I quickly learned why the average pregnant woman waited twelve weeks to share her good news. My daughter was asking for a baby sister. There is no real way to explain these grownup situations to a toddler. "A new baby will come when it's time. It's not time yet." And that was the best explanation I could give her. Her brown curls bounced when she twirled for me, happy with the same response she'd gotten a hundred times. That toddler was always under my feet. A cuddler. On the special occasions when she slept in my bed, her little fingers would burrow under my arms or waist. Momma's baby girl. Daddy's girl, too. Mawmaw's girl. Granny's girl. She loved being the center of our world. She never fully embraced childhood, she wanted to be an adult. She wa...