Roll Tide!

Well this has certainly been a Cinderella season here in Tuscaloosa! We knew our team would be good, but we had no idea that we would be sitting here at the end of the normal season undefeated and ranked #1 in the country! When I had Lydia this summer I really didn't expect to get to go to all the games, but it worked out week after week and here we are at the end of the season, and I haven't missed a home game!

This past weekend was the best! Beating Auburn, no wait....annihilating Auburn in a 36-0 shut-out was definitely the highlight! The weather was horrible...foggy, cold, damp, but that wasn't going to stop me (or the other 92,000 crazy fans) from being there to watch the Auburn curse come to an end in our home stadium!!

Mom agreed to keep both kids for us. That was Lydia's first night away from me and from home. It was tough, but Jeff and I were really looking forward to our time away from the kids. We wanted to be able to soak up the atmosphere on campus without worrying about how much we were going to owe the babysitter. Pumping while away from Lydia was not fun or easy. This football season I have pumped in a parked car, Stadium restrooms and the Stadium House bedroom (Thank You Ezells!). This last game brought about my funniest nursing story. I was in the restroom pumping right before the game started. It was almost completely empty, so there was no line for stalls. Well through the door hinge I can see this woman trying to look in. I said "This stall is occupied". She quickly said "Oh, that's Ok...I'll just wait." Then I'm thinking-Great!! So I said "I'm going to be a while". She then proceeds to tell me that she has used the same stall every game and wants to use it this time too. Now that is a weird pre-game superstition. So I just keep pumping thinking surely she will move on soon. Then a minute or so later she starts peeping through the door hinge. I was like - Excuse me?? She asked if I was almost done...and I am thinking are you serious? There are at least 13 other stalls for your immediate use. I finally had to scream over the stall door and say "M'am I am pumping my br****s for milk for my daughter. I am going to be here for at least 15 more minutes. Please use another stall!" There were a couple of women laughing because I had to be so direct with her, but I have no doubt that she would have stood there until the cows came home if I hadn't said it!

Right after that as I was rinsing some of the pump parts at the sink this other woman leered over at me and said "Ya'll just sneak it in anyway, don't you!" It took me a minute to realize that she thought it was a flask. So for the second time in a 20 minute span of time I had to announce to the entire restroom that I was nursing and that it was a pump. She was such an old biddy, but that shut her up VERY quickly! She was mortified. I thought it served her right for not minding her own business in the first place!

Anyway, a few highlights from the game, other than the score, included Sara Evans singing the National Anthem. She is married to former Tide quarterback Jay Barker. She was so stinking cute in his jersey and her thigh high leather boots. If you haven't heard the video of her rendition of the N. A. you need to click here and listen. It gave me CHILLS!

Another sweet moment was when Siran Stacy was announced as honorary Captain. He is a former Tide player who lost his wife and 4 of his 5 children in a horrific wreck last year. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as he walked on to the field with his lone surviving daughter. He, however, did a run down the sidelines jumping up and down and pumping his fists to get all the fans fired up. It was an incredible site!! Click here to see that. I love that Alabama fans have donated thousands of dollars to him just because he is one of our own. I also love that the night it happened Nick Saban was at the hospital almost immediately even though Stacy wasn't one of his players. Wow!

My personal high point of the evening was getting my pic taken with "Big Andre" (Andre Smith) at the stadium house. He usually comes by the house to say hello to the Ezells and grab some food after leaving the stadium. I happened to be there at the same time that night, so Kat and I grabbed him for a pic. It will most likely be his last game since he will surely be going pro. He is huge, but a sweet big old teddy bear of a guy!

And lastly I leave you with the loudest Rammer Jammer I have ever heard! Music to my ears!!

Now for the Gators...Please, please, please Tim Tebow...I love you, but could you just get the flu right about NOW???