The Independent Woman

    The independent woman. She is loved, she is feared, she is misunderstood. She can hook up the 5th wheel, saddle and load her horse, and take off to move some cows. Yes, she has a sense of direction. Yes, she can drive a truck and not wreck it. She is not small minded. She is not an airhead. She has more common sense than most men.

She doesn't need your help, or anyone's help, and when she bites off more than she can chew, she may have a hard time admitting she needs a little support.

She is strong. She is opinionated. She is not everyone's cup of tea, but she doesn't mind. She is fiercely, unapologetically herself. She knows it's none of her business what you think of her.
Many admire her, and some want to be just like her.

Every man knows she is a great woman, but it takes a special kind of man to understand her. She is not easy. She is not a "yes girl". She can be frustrating at times, and nobody but a strong, kind man can handle her.

She is often told she should be less independent, or she'll scare off all the boys, but she doesn't want a boy who expects her to laugh at all his jokes and go along with whatever he says.

She is not frivolous or silly. She wants a man who supports her ambitions and her strengths. A man whose ego isn't bruised when she is as handy or as strong as he is. She wants a man who admires her strength and pushes her to better herself. She wants someone who understands she needs her alone time and doesn't want to be treated like an invalid.

Cheers to all you independent women out there, whether you're going it alone and loving it, or you've found the person who understands you and loves you all the more for your fierce independence.

If you're still looking for that one, never settle. Never change just because an old lady told you to be more lady like. A real man will come along one day, and he will realize you don't actually need him. He will feel lucky you chose him anyway.
Keep on trucking, like you always do. You have admirers in this world.
XO, The Cowboy's Wife 

How Tell Came Into The World

Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely ladies out there. I'm sure blessed to call myself a mama to the cutest, wildest little guy. He's the best little boy in the world. How he got here, though? My goodness.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was both elated and terrified. Heck, we'd only been married a month! This definitely wasn't what I had expected. My husband didn't even believe me, regardless of many positive pregnancy tests. He didn't believe me until we went to the doctor! I guess neither of us quite knew how we felt about it. Of course we were happy, but were we ready for this? It didn't matter now!

Right when I hit 7 weeks, I got so horribly sick. Couldn't even keep down water for 5 minutes. #HGsurvivor. After about a week of this nonsense, I was admitted to the hospital to receive an IV. My doctor prescribed me Zofran, which helped some. At least I could eat, but I was still guaranteed to puke at least 5 times a day. I lost 15 pounds my first trimester, and I looked like the walking dead. Couldn't even stand up in the shower.

Time marches on though, and pretty soon I had a little more energy, even if I was still puking all the day long. I just got used to it and carried a bag with me. We made it through the whole pregnancy that way.

June came around and I was about 8 months along. We moved up to the summer range, thank you Lord, and I felt a lot better. 80 degrees compared to 105 out on the desert? I'd take that any day! I wasn't AS swollen.

When I hit about 35 weeks, I started having high blood pressure problems. I had been having swollen feet since April, but at this point I almost couldn't put on flip flops. I had to sit. ALL. DAY. I about went crazy. I went to a few rodeos with the husband to watch him ride some broncs, but man it was miserable.

At 37 weeks, they sent me to the hospital because they were worried I was pre eclamptic. They said they may have to induce me that same day! I sure was mad when they sent me home instead. I just wanted this wild, kicking, feet-in-ribs, no sleeping critter out of me!

At 38 weeks, my doctor told me to come to the hospital the next day. They were going to induce me for hypertension. Well, they did just that, and I'll tell you what gals, don't ever be induced if you have a choice!!

Baby boy had a bad reaction to the pitocin and his heart rate just plummeted. (60ish BPM I think) The nurse hit the button on the wall and suddenly, there were about 20 people in my room and a doctor I didn't know, talking about emergency c-section. I was strangely calm through this. Somehow I knew he was fine. I had prayed day in and day out for God to keep my baby safe during this part, so when everyone else was in a panic, He whispered to my mama heart that all was well.

Lo and behold, a few seconds later, his heart rate was back up. They turned off the pitocin to let me progress on my own.

A couple hours later, I finally got an epidural, after 13 long hours. The doctor broke my water and put in internal heart rate monitors. I got a couple hours of blessed sleep, after maybe 2 hours of sleep the night before on account of my contractions coming about every 2 minutes.

When he broke my water I was only at a 4, and two hours later, still a 4. Suddenly baby was struggling again, and my doctor said he'd have to do an emergency c-section. Again, I felt strangely calm. Excited, even. I was finally going to meet my baby boy, and not even have to push him out a 10 cm hole?? Yes please! Turned out, he was struggling on account of umbilical cord prolapse. Thank goodness for a great doctor. 🙏

They started cutting, I felt a shove around my ribcage, and a strange sensation of little guy exiting. The first thing I said was, "Oh, I can breathe!" Then, I heard him cry. His little voice somehow sounded familiar to me. The respiratory therapist checked him out and then they brought him to me. He stopped hollering the instant they laid him on me...his little bottom lip was just a quivering. Cutest thing I ever saw. He was so perfect.

I marveled at this tiny human with a head of black hair, perfect skin, and the sweetest dimples you've ever seen. Nothing mattered but that he was finally here.

So happy mother's day to all you mamas, and mamas to be, whatever your story, however you got here. Or, however you plan to get there. God and angels are hearing your prayers, whether they be for your little wild tikes running around, for your babies in heaven, or the babe you're constantly praying for. God hears you, and he will bless your life accordingly. So hang on, and don't ever lose faith!

XO, The Cowboy's Wife