I have decided I am going to write a book that is a really short and to the point version of what women should expect when they are pregnant. The other books are helpful, but I really have found it unnecessary to read why I have all the ailments that I do. The point is that most women will have these symptoms and there is really nothing you can do about it. So, do you really need to know why your head hurts for 3 weeks or is it ok just to know that it is normal?
Here is my book up to the beginning of the 3rd trimester:
First trimester
- You will be so tired that you wonder what is wrong with you. Then one day you realize that something might be happening. Oh, I might be pregnant.
- You feel nauseated, some women actually vomit, some don't.
- You are so hungry all the time, especially in the middle of the night. Of course you are so tired that it takes the pain of hunger to actually get you out of bed to get anything to eat.
- You are irritable from being hungry and tired. You also might not feel like yourself and wonder if you will ever feel like yourself again. You will, on occasion.
- Your husband or partner will want to tell everyone you know that the two of you are having a baby. They will most likely want to tell everyone separately in a special way and you are way to irritable to do that. Then you are more irritated.
- You begin to outgrow your clothes and wonder if it is really time to move on to maternity clothes. You should eventually just break down and buy some, you'll feel much better in them.
- Did I already mention that you will be tired, you will, so tired.
- The first ultrasound is exciting, but it will be uncomfortable and painful. Especially for husbands. However, you do get to see your little peanut, sweet pea, or whatever you choose to refer to it by the way it looks.
Second Trimester:
- You will slowly begin to feel better and more like yourself. You might actually be in good enough of a mood to be excited when people want to talk about you having a baby.
- Heartburn begins, even if you have never had heartburn before, you will most likely have heartburn now. It is very easy to know when you have heartburn. Tums are wonderful and they have calcium.
- You might experience very painful headaches for a long period of constant time. Tylenol doesn't seem to help, but a little caffeine goes a long way. Sure, you might not be drinking caffeine, but after 4 days of having a headache, it will be very helpful.
- Other people's opinions. That is a big one. They will tell you what you should and shouldn't do and they will tell you if they think you are "too big" or "too small" for you stage in your pregnancy. Your doctor is the one you should trust and listen to. People should really mind their own business and think about whether they are too small or too big and whether or not they are eating healthy.
- Your baby is growing and so is your ass, thighs, stomach, and chin. It's going to happen even if you workout, watch what you eat, or are "thin". It is a part of the process of the miracle of birth.
- Back ache, feet ache, leg ache, and so forth are normal. As well as a little bit of swelling at the end of the day. There might also be parts of your body that have a tingly sensation, known to my doctor as a "hot spot". I don't know what it is, but it is annoying. I think it has something to do with nerves and your baby pushing on them.
- You get to find out the sex of the baby. It is very special to see your baby again and how much he or she has grown. Hearing the heartbeat is also very special. These things really help to outweigh the annoying symptoms.
- You start thinking about all the things you have to do to prepare for a baby. It can seem overwhelming, but take it one step at a time and it will be fine.
So, that is my book thus far. I know that it will probably change women's lives all around the World. I have finally found my purpose!!!! Thank goodness, I am exhausted.
I am feeling a little sentimental today so try not to gag too much on this entry. It might be from my first yoga class that I took last night. Yoga is a little too "hippy" for me, but it is a nice change. The quiet time, concentrating on your body, listening to soft, instrumental music, the voice of the instructor so monotone and sweet. Who knows if that stuff really helps, but it did make me relax and think about how uncomfortable I am in quiet situations.
The point is nice surprises in life. We go through our days so routine and so numb to a lot of things, but there are some situations that really make you smile and get you all warm and fuzzy inside. I think a lot about people that I really loved and enjoyed at certain parts of my life and now for whatever reason we are out of touch. Sometimes I get sad to think that there are certain people that I might never see again or hear their voice, but there are others that pop up and give you a sense of a happy time in your life. I wouldn't say that I have had a lot of friends, but the friends that I have had were very high in quality. I am more of a quality versus quantity person. I was lucky to have friends that had quality and that I will always feel so close too whether we are in touch or not. They will always have a special place in my heart.
Other nice surprises are cards or calls from people that come for no reason other than they were thinking about you. I wish I did that more for other people, because I know how good it makes me feel. A couple of weeks ago I received a box from my dad and Patty and it had things from Grandma Rosa's house. That was a nice surprise, sad, but nice. It had all sorts of things in it that smelt like my Grandma, but the most touching one was a letter that they had found from me to Grandma. Grandma has been gone since November and the pain goes away a little everyday, but I never go a day without thinking about her. Seeing the letter from me to her was so emotional and made me realize that she is always with me. She taught me so much and gave me so much that she can never not be a part of me. I do have her red hair too, so that is one thing she gave me that always makes me think of her.
This particular letter was from 1996. We had moved to Amarillo when I was in 6th grade (which isn't far from Spearman where she lived, but it was huge considering I saw here everyday up until that time) so I would write her letters in order to tell her how much I missed her and how special she was to me. This particular letter did all that. It told her how much she meant to me and how much I appreciated everything she did for me and for everyone else. She was an amazing person and not just to her own family, but to everyone that she came in contact with. By her keeping this letter all this time of course made me feel very good and made me realize that even people like Grandma Rosa liked to receive letters about how much she meant to other people.
We all need to know that we are doing good for others and that we are loved. We shouldn't do things in order to receive the credit, but it is ok to get some positive reinforcement in our lives. We all have more good qualities than bad and each of us should look for the good and not the bad in others. And we should try and tell the people we love how great they are while we still have them. I was lucky enough to tell Grandma that, but I am not sure I do that for everyone in my life. That is my new goal in life, well for today it is. Tomorrow I might wake up in a bad mood and I will change my mind.
Everyone in my life has made some kind of impact on me. They have all helped me become who I am and I have taken pieces of them with me and I thank them all for that. They have all had something to give that is great.
Well me and my lil baby girl took a trip last week. We went to Dallas and Fort Worth to see a whole group of very important people. We had a lot of fun, but it was tiring. Plus, when you have a large man sitting next to you on the plane it can sometimes get very uncomfortable. Usually I wouldn't mind being pushed up against the window, but when you are hotter than usual and a little bigger than usual, it can be very unsettling. Plus, he liked to pick his nose, that made it worse. Nasty habit!
So, we went to Dallas first and saw Daddy, Patty, Tara, Kam, Terri, Jaime, Mat, and the new Vincent (my newborn nephew). At the airport I had to make sure and tell my Dad is was me, since he probably didn't recognize me, being preggers and all. Not really, but I like to pretend that I am unrecognizeable. So, we did a lot of eating and some shopping, but mainly we drove a lot. Dallas is a big city and you spend a lot of time in your car. We had a great time and it was great to see my family. I really miss them! I didn't get to see all my family, but seeing a few of them is still really nice. It is good for Baby Girl Beckwith to hear their voices and know ahead of time who curses more and who is nicest to mommy.
For the weekend we met up with my bestest friends from High School. There are 4 of us girls who have started a trend of trying to meet up once a year and take a short vacay. This year we chose Ft. Worth because Kendal lives there and it was inexpensive since we didn't have to get a hotel room. It is always nice to save money. This year we had a 5th girl with us. Miss Betty Beatrice. Betty is Grace's (my cousin) 10 month old adorable daughter. It was a lot of fun having her with us. Plus, if I needed a nap I could suggest that Betty was tired and we could both get a nap. Us girls just shopped, ate, and went to a Rangers game. And of course after Betty went to sleep we stayed up late and gossiped about all the people we went to high school with. Or we told secrets about ourselves that we were too embarassed to share when we were younger. It was a lot of fun and it is great to see my girls.
BabyVincent in Aunt Tara's arm. Isn't he cute. He is so tiny.
Betty Beatrice with her pink bow. Betty was named after her Great Grandmother, Betty Jean, who is my Grandma Rosa's sister. Maybe one day there will be a little Rosie with red hair and her and Betty together can be saints just like their great-grandmas.
Grace and Makell at the Rangers game. We got beer spilt on us thanks to the guy behind us. It was nice! The game was fun and free!
Kendal and me at the Rangers game. Not so great of an angle for me.
That is a view of her face from the front
This is her profile
Her feet and one of her hands
Well, this calls for changing my blue text to pink. We are having a girl! We are so happy and excited! She is healthy and has all her wonderfully, small parts. Thank you God for our healthy baby girl.
Well tomorrow is the day we find out the gender of our lil baby. It is pretty exciting. I really don't care either way, but it will be nice to be able to call the baby a he or a she. It is funny all the things you think about before you know. For instance; I know Kevin was quite the typical little boy when he was young. He did all the bad things you think of when you think of boys. He still has a few of those bad habits today, but those are typical male characteristics, I believe.
I have always thought I wanted boys, but now that I really think about it, it is really scary. I grew up with 3 older sisters and now two of those sisters have little girls. My nieces are both very sweet, loving, and sensitive girly girls. If a boy comes into the family, is he going to urinate all over the house, run around naked, cuss at age 2, smoke at age 5, or flip everyone off behind my back? Girls don't do any of that until they are in high school and by that time parents are done being concerned with what their kids are up to.
I sit in church every Sunday and picture what our child is going to look like walking down the aisle to children's sermon, in front of the whole church. Scenario 1: A precious little red-headed little girl, wearing a beautiful, fluffy, yellow dress, with her hair perfectly brushed with a giant bow on top. Scenario 2: A red headed little boy wearing nice pants a nice shirt that is buttoned wrong and half untucked, cowboy boots that he wouldn't leave the house without, and kool-aid stained moustache. And of course he screams profanities all the way down the aisle. Of course everyone in the church laughs, but in the back of their minds they are thinking "his mother needs to get him under control."
So, that is what I have been thinking about for the last 4.5 months. Ok, I have been thinking about how great it will be to have either one too, but there are more concerns about a boy than a girl. I have to realize though that having a boy is the unknown and the unexplored for my family.
Those are my deep thoughts from Momma Cass. All my scenarios will be answered tomorrow.
Wow, how do I describe my Dad, Terry "Tipper" Butt? I wouldn't say he is a complicated man, but he is definitely hard to put into words. However, today is his birthday and I want to honor him on this day. It might be hard to describe him in words, but he is definitely worth honoring.
When I was little I wanted to be just like my Dad. I wore the tiny little wrangler jeans, red cowgirl boots, and a belt (with my name on the back) that held up a gigantic belt buckle that my Dad had won at one of his many rodeos. I wanted to ride horses, herd cattle, and chew tobacco just like him. Things changed of course as I got older. I finally realized that I didn't really want to be a cowgirl, but instead a cowgirl at heart. Oh, and chewing tobacco isn't that ladylike. That didn't mean that I didn't want to be like my Dad, I just didn't have to look just like him.
I love telling people that my Dad is a true cowboy. People think that is the neatest thing in the World. And it is. How many people have ever seen their Dad, or anyone for that matter, "break" a horse, rope a cow, doctor a cow, or ride a tractor? Not many people work with their hands or the land like my Daddy does. Sure he is the boss now and has people do most of the work for him, but believe me, he put in his long, hard days of work. Farmers and ranchers don't get a lot of respect or money for that matter. My dad and other cowboys are very overlooked for their dedication and hard work.
My dad is more than a cowboy though. He is a tough love, no bullshit, generous, loving man. He might look tough, but he still tells his daughters that he loves them and kisses them hello and goodbye. Although he has never had the chance (and hopefully never will), I know he would step in front of a bus for us or hurt anyone that hurts us. I'll never forget the way he held me and my sister the day our Grandma died. He knew how much pain we were in and he wanted nothing other than to let us know he was there for us and we could cry in his arms. There is nothing better than having your strong daddy embrace you and make you feel like you are protected from the World.
He was my basketball coach as a young kid; he came to almost every track meet, basketball game, softball game, spelling bee, or operation I had. We might not be two peas in a pod (I am a little bit more like my Mom than Dad), but I embrace every piece of me that is essentially him and am thankful for all the traits that I got from him. I hope that every year we will only grow closer and that I will learn from him all the aspects that make him who he is.
Happy Birthday Daddy! I hope it is a great one and that you know how much you mean to me!
