Join Me in Welcoming a Special Lady into the World

I honestly believe that everyone needs a little hope in their lives. Tammie and I have now received ours in the most beautiful 9lb package. Please join me in welcoming Bailey Hope Acuff (yes, she finally has a middle name) to the world. I took her all of 5 minutes in this world to open her eyes and start trying to figure things out.

Meet Bailey Hope just a few minutes after she was born. They let me carry her out of the delivery room and place her in a crib to go to the nursery, and this is the beautiful picture she took. It is also my favorite!

Bailey was born on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 7:30 pm. She weighed in at 9lbs and 3oz and measured a whopping 21 inches long! We have already tried to get her into some of her new born clothes and, as feared, they don't fit. She is not too chubby for them at all, just way too long! Tammie said that a newborn one piece she tried to fit her into only came up under her arms. (So if you were one of the generous people who sent her a newborn one piece, I'm sorry to say, but there probably won't be any pictures of her in it...)

Bailey has been very alert (when awake) and has a very calm personality (she gets that from her furry "sister," Rosie the dachshund). My favorite time is sitting with her in the chair when she is awake because she will watch you intently, furrowing her brow in desperate attempts to figure out just who you are and what you are saying. She loves being held (especially by Tammie...just look at the picture) and LOVES to sleep (just trying to wake her up to eat after 4 hours is enough to exhaust me and Tammie. Don't worry, the doctors and nurses SWEAR that is normal). One thing she does not like is getting her diaper changed. Oh she loves it when you take off the diaper and clean her up, but just try to put that diaper back on... Now the kicking and screaming starts (since when were Tammie and I diaperless hippies?).

Bailey has long fingers and long toes, a trait that she definitely gets from her dad. It looks like pianos and bassoons are in her future (I've already contacted a great bassoon teacher and I'm pretty sure I could con Julie Boltz into piano lessons. What do you say, Julie?). She has beautiful blue-gray eyes that watch you constantly when she's awake. The color is similar to my own and I hope that they stay that way (but of coarse I'll love her no matter the color of her eyes). Pediatrician saw her today and the nurses gave her a hearing test which she passed with flying colors (and I do mean colors. Whenever I get more of the pictures off the camera I post the one with her blue and red headphones...Rock On Austin!).

I know that I'm rambling just a bit (and who wouldn't...just look at those cheeks!) so I'll end with a couple of links. Here is the link to pictures of Bailey, and here are some movies. More to come (I've got a camera and a camcorder and I intend to use them!). Wish us luck; now the REAL work begins...

7:30: Holy Smokes!

There's a baby here...

No, seriously. There is a baby here! Bailey ??? Acuff was born at 7:30 pm, Thursday, February 7, 2008. Weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs 3 oz (oops, that should be 3 oz. NOT 8 oz. She's big, but not THAT big), measuring 21 inches. Big, and long, baby.

Baby and Tammie are doing well. Dad stayed on his feet (yeah, Dad) and took lots of pictures and videos. And just like the goober that everyone knows he is, left the cables at home. So until sometime on Friday (actually today. I'm typing this at 12:42 in the morning...yeah team...). I'll get pictures out to everyone just as soon as I can. Until then, keep us in your thoughts.

Get Ready, Get Set...WAIT!

Today has truly been a day of, well, annoyances. After getting everything ready, the car packed, and driving ourselves to the hospital for the delivery of Little Baby Acuff, we have had nothing but frustration after frustration.



12pm: Check in...no hellos, no how ya doin', just "You'll be in Triage Room 1..." Thanks for the warm welcome.



12:15pm: nurse arrives. She is very nice and extremely helpful. Starts Tammie's prep; lots of needles, razors, goo, and machines (I am terrified beyond belief!)



1pm: listening to the heartbeat and the different bells and beeps in the room. Over and over I think to myself (and sometimes outloud), "Does anyone else feel like we are in a submarine?"



1:15pm: the nurse rattles off question after question for Tammie to answer. Everything from what she did last night and this morning, what medication she is, was, and will be on in the future, any disease or proceedure that has even been slightly suggested. I've learned more about Tammie than I think a husband should know (and I don't think Tammie answered them all truthfully...I mean the one about "any mental or phsycological conditions?" Come on...)



2pm: lets get this show on the road. WAIT! "Oh, we're sorry. Dr. Shashoua is in emergency surgery. You'll have to wait. It should only be delayed about 30 minutes."



2:30pm: lets get this show on the road. WAIT! "Oh, we're sorry. It is going to be delayed until 5pm. Sorry." Not to mention that our wonderful and friendly nurse will be leaving soon. Shift change...great...



3-5pm: no nurse, no doctor, and did I mention no food for Tammie since 5am this morning? (Someone is getting a bit testy...)



5pm: lets get this show...on the road! Still...no...doctor...



5:20pm: while sitting in the waiting room with my and Tammie's dads, my mom comes out from Tammie's room. "The doctor's here. They are looking for a nurse to get things going."



5:25pm: LETS GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD! wait... More pregnant women have just come in to the hospital in labor. Doctor says it'll be another hour...


6:11pm: still waiting...

Grab the Carving Set, It's Time to Slice

Well, for all of you who DON'T know, tomorrow is the big day. And how do I know? Why we scheduled it, of course.

Apparently from one doctor's visit to the next, Tammie has not been progressing as expected (she has always been a procrastinator...). So the doctor (sha-sha-Shashoua) thought that it might be wise to discuss the birth of a caesar. Oops! I meant a C-section... The doctor is worried that Bailey may be big (over 9 lbs) and he does not want to ''torture" Tammie any more than normal (I don't know why...I torture her all the time...).

So tomorrow around 2 o'clock, Tammie and I (mainly Tammie...they BETTER NOT come at me with any knives!) will head into the operating room to usher in a new direction in our lives...PARENTHOOD! (good god, what were we thinking?)

I'm sure that we are not the only couple to ever face this feeling (at least I hope not), but Tammie and I find ourselves struck by the realization, "By this time tomorrow we are going to be parents. What were we thinking?" While we are extremely excited and proud at this soon to be life-changing experience, we are at the same time overwhelmed and just a bit terrified. We know that these feelings of uncertainty will fly from our hearts and minds the moment that we set eyes upon our newest addition to this ever-growing and loving family of ours, but until that time, the feelings of nervousness are ever present.

Tammie and I can never express how much we appreciate all of the well wishes and support that everyone has given to us. We know that no matter what may come, we have had some of the greatest role models in our lives. Thank you, everyone! We can't wait to introduce you to our daughter, Bailey!

We're ALL Big Losers

No baby yet (heck, not even a contraction to speak of) which means that everyone participating in the "baby pool" is a LOSER! Well, except for Tammie of coarse. She is still expecting her original due date of Feb. 6th, but who knows. I mean, really. We are basing everything on a baby who can't even speak, let alone make decisions on her own. What is this world coming too?!

Doctor's visit this past Thursday. Everything is fine, but according to the doctor the baby is getting big. Just how big, no one really knows, but truth be told she can only get so big before we have to look into "other" options (usually involving lots of screaming, mostly at me but occasionally at the doctor, pain, and trauma on a scale I pray as a man I never have to go through). Yes, the term C-section was batted around, but the doctor wants to wait a little longer before we decide to take that route.

We head back to the doctor again on Monday, hopefully to find out more information, but what is there to really find out. Once again we are at the whim of an unborn baby who (if you ask me) is already showing that she is a handful. Tammie says that I'm impatient (and she's probably right...usually is) and keeps reminding me that the actual due date is not until this coming Wednesday. Well, we will just have to see what happens...

Ooo...quick thought! Looking at the blog title, if you think about it, Tammie will (even if she wins the pool) be the biggest loser of all! Eight-and-a-half POUNDS of losing, according to the doctor. Hahahaha!!!