It's a...

BOY!!!! The Clampett's invaded the ultrasound room today and found out that our precious little bundle is a he! It was really quite amusing. I think it was the first time in my life that I have had an entourage. Literally. Mom, Dad, Mom, Sissy, Joe, Aunt Patsy & Uncle Dave. Plus me, Trey & the Ultrasound tech all crammed in that tiny room staring at that tiny screen to see that tiny you know what. (I'll probably get scolded by Daddy for calling it tiny!)

I think I had the best vantage point in the whole room. To lay on that table surrounded by the people in this world that I love the most and watching the sheer joy, excitement and emotion on all their faces was awesome.

After the ultrasound, Dr. Sams came into the exam room and asked if I was "the one with 26 people"... It sure is great to be that loved, huh?

Creating a Monster

Alabama Football has been awesome this year. Our Crimson Tide is 11-0 going into the off week before the Iron Bowl.

Over the course of the season, Daddy has taught our daughter what it means to truly love the Tide and to eat, sleep and breathe it for 4 months of the year.

She knows that Coach Saban is the coach. She can even pick him out on Sports Center. Ask her who her favorite player is and you will hear "Julio! Number 8!" She can even point him out on the TV screen. Big Al is her best friend. And just last week she finally understood that you don't just say "Roll Tide" during kick-off... It is "RRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLL!"

I have visions of that little girl in the movie "Remember the Titans". She is going to be 8 years old calling penalties and questioning play calls.

Now, if we can just teach her the "Rammer Jammer" song, I think our season will be considered a huge success!

Text from the Teacher

Text from Miss Paula to Mommy: U should be very proud of MAE... We were sayin our morning prayers and today I asked them each to tell God thanks for something he has given them... After all the other kids went and thanked Him for toys and baby dolls... She looked at me and said... Thank you God for my mommy and daddy... AMEN! I was so happy to hear that.

Text from Mommy to Miss Paula: I am crying.

Text from Miss Paula to Mommy: I was about to... I’m glad a kid sees there is more than material things to be thankful for

Text from Mommy to Miss Paula: She is a good baby.

Text from Miss Paula to Mommy: She really is... Ya’ll are so blessed!

Text from the Teacher

So today I forgot to turn my phone off before work and my sister called.... her ring tone is all summer long by kid rock.... Mae heard it and started freakin out! She was screamin... its my Alabama song... its my Alabama song... She was jumpin and screamin she was so excited I had to let her hear the whole ring tone...

Text from the Teacher

I’m playin Halloween songs for them to dance to and I start hearin this noise that sounds like wind blowin through the door... I get up and shut it to make sure it completely closed but I still hear the noise I look over at mae and she is smiling real big suckin and blowin air out of her toothe hole while chasing Maison k around the room... I would have never thought she could make such a noise... lol

Little Daddy

Last night after bath time, I planned to relax on the couch, maybe even cuddle with Maison until bed time. She had different plans. She wanted to fix my hair...

Maison: Mommy I fix you hair.
Mommy: OK. (Laid my head on the sofa arm because I was so tired!)
Maison: Not like that, Mommy! Like this! (as she jerks my head up off the sofa arm)
Daddy: Yea, Mommy! Not like that!

Repeat this 4 or 5 more times. Daddy finally intervenes sensing that Mommy's nausea medicine induced grogginess is keeping it from being physically possible to keep my head off the sofa arm...

Daddy: Maison, why don't you come fix my hair?
Maison: Daddy, you don't have a lot of hair like my mommy! (I mean, duh?)
Daddy: I don't?
Maison: No, but when you get bigger and bigger, you will. You're little. (Goes back to torturing Mommy's head)

I appreciated the effort, honey. When you get big like me, maybe you will get some more hair!

Guess what?

Maison Ann is going to be a BIG SISTER!!!!!!!!!!! Trey and I went to the doctor today and saw the baby's heartbeat. Doc Sams says everything looks great. The official due date for our new bundle of joy is June 5, 2009. Seems so far away, but I remember time flying when I was pregnant with Maison.

This pregnancy has been extremely different than the last. I have been sick, sick, sick... Everyone seems to think it is a stinky ol' boy this time.

A Girl and Her Daddy...

Fall is in the air and the sunsets behind our house are so pretty...

Text from the Teacher

"So we are sittin talkin about Adam and Eve... Goin through the whole story of God tellin them not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge... After we finish our mini lesson i asked the class what did we learn from this story... Maison ann in the most serious voice i ever heard from her says... We don't eat apples. And I just ate one for a snack.... I laughed so hard at her... So now I had to explain that it is ok to eat apples... lol"

Snaggle-Toothed Princess

Back in late June, maybe early July, Maison fell off our bed and whacked her front teeth on the corner of the nightstand. As I picked her up, I saw a perfect imprint of her 4 front teeth in the brand spankin' new furniture. When I got her calmed down enough to inspect her little mouth, her front tooth had a chip in it. Ugh... I was devastated. Took her to Dr. Jason and after x-rays, he told me what to watch for and pretty much said time would tell us the fate of the tooth.

As we were getting ready to leave the beach house yesterday, something about Maison's smile looked odd to me. I pushed her little lip up and touched the chipped tooth. It wiggled. I knew then that she was going to have to lose it. I called Dr. Jason after we got home and we went in this morning to see what was up. Another x-ray showed that the trauma from the previous fall had killed the roots, severed the blood supply and caused the tooth to separate from the root. It did, in fact have to come out. So, my poor little angel, had to put on the gas mask (which I could not see any calming affects whatsoever), get a shot in her tee tiny little gums and have that tooth snatched out of her head. And my job through all of this... hold her down while Dr. Jason used those big scary pliers to yank the tooth out. I remember crying the first time I got a shot at the dentist. I think I was 19 years old. So as my two year old lay on the table with the big shiny light in her face and the mask that blocked her from seeing the person in this world she trusts the most, I held her little arms and laid across her legs listening to her scream and cried right along with her. Maybe it was a good thing she could not see my face because I could not control the tears that were running down it. She quit crying about 36 seconds after it was over. All it took was a trip to Dr. Jason's prize box and she completely forgot what just happened. Mommy, though, cried for the next hour. The phone calls to Daddy, Bella, BeBe, my office and the daycare only prolonged the tears.

I might be a little biased, but even though she lost a tooth (and will not see a permanent one until about age 6), I think she gained some cutie patootie points...

2nd Annual Family Beach Trip

September 5-10, 2008

Seagrove Beach, Florida


Mel, Trey, Maison, BeBe, Poppa J, Bella, Wiz, Andrea, Allie, Bubbie, Auntie Rach, Sissy, Joe Joe, Scott, Andy, Unk and Aunt Passy all headed to the beach for the 2nd Annual Family Beach trip. Good times, great weather, an awesome house... Can't wait until next year!

Maison and Allie building sandcastles... actually, Allie is building and Maison is supervising... someone does not like to get their hands dirty!

When Andrea and I were little, there was this doll called a "My Buddy" and the commercial had this song... "My Buddy, My Buddy, My Buddy and me like to climb up a tree, My Buddy and me we're the best friends there could be!" This pictures reminds me of that...

Cutie patootie strawberry swimsuit from Aunt Patsy...

Two Toddlers + One Beach House + Sharing toys for 5 days = Lots of time with noses in corners

The Things Kids Say

Over the weekend:

Sunday lunch at Sassy's with Maw Maw, BeBe, Uncle Doug, Aunt Linda, Griffin, Mommy & Daddy.

Maw Maw: "Maison, would you like some of my baked beans?"
Maison: "Yaa-ya" (Yea has two syllables in Maisonese)
Maw Maw dips her out some beans onto a little plate and passes them over to Maison.
Maison: "Thanks, Maw Maw. Dat is so sweet."
I almost spit my tea across the table. And Maw Maw laughed so hard I was afraid she would fall out of her chair. Every time Maison shares anything, I tell her that is so sweet. I guess sometimes she is listening to me.

Sunday afternoon I was in the flowerbeds pulling weeds. Maison decided she was hungry and wanted a biscuit, so Daddy took her in to cook them. After supervising him putting them in the oven, she came back out side with me and very matter of factly started the following conversation:

Maison: "I gonna have sauce on my biscuit."
Mommy: "Butter?"
Maison: "No, Mommy! Sauce!" (stated in a tone that actually made me feel unintelligent)
Mommy: "Jelly?"
Maison: (lets out a an exasperated sigh) "No, Mommy! Panny-cake sauce on my biscuit!!!!"
Mommy stifling laughter: "That is called syrup baby!"

After a ride in the pasture to check on the cows Maison comes running back in the house.

Maison: "A cow is a gwirl, bull's a boy!"
Daddy stands behind her beaming with pride. Paw Paw is smiling down from heaven. All is right in Vancleave today.

Happy Birthday, Joe Joe!

Today is Uncle Joey's birthday. 29 years ago, this world became a much more "special" place...

Happy Birthday, Joe Joe! We love you!

Some Days...

All I want to do is kiss her sweet little face!!!

Sweet Home Alabama Day 2

My grandparents have had the same kitchen table for over 40 years. It is a pretty large oval shaped table that has a pedestal base. There is a platform on the pedestal that, according to my grandmother, became a play place for children starting with my oldest cousin, David. The 6 of us that followed him sat under this table eating snacks, hiding, giggling with each other. My cousin closest in age is Andrea. I have memories of sitting under the table with her as a child. Andrea has a daughter named Allie that is about 3 and a half months older than Maison. Let's just say that the next generation of our family has discovered the kitchen table and all the fun involved in crawling under it.

Maison was all about Paw Paw on this trip. She did not want to be anywhere but upstairs with him. She helped him read the paper and showed him every little trick she could think of to get his attention all weekend. That was one happy little old man!

When it came time to get in the car to leave, Maison threw a fit. She cried and screamed that she did not want to go home. "I stay in Bir-min-ham with Nana PawPaw!" Next thing I knew, I had a crying toddler and a crying 88 year old lady on my hands. I sure felt like the bad guy strapping her in that car seat and pulling out of the driveway.

We got to have a quick lunch with Chuck, Kari, Lucy and Charley before leaving town. It warms my heart to see my child loving the children of someone I love beyond words.

Sweet Home Alabama Day 1

Maison and I traveled to the Ham this weekend since Daddy is in the Big Easy for a bachelor party. I was a little nervous about the trip because this was the first one with a fully potty trained toddler. Plus, it was just us girls. MAE did great. We made two pit stops on the way up and she stayed awake the entire trip never getting cranky.

We got a chance to go see some cousins we have not spent time with in a while. Maison met Bunny and Harry at Sissy and Joe's wedding, but it was quick, she was only one and there were about a gazillion other people around. After our visit this weekend, I think they will be BFF. Not only did they buy her a new Disney Princess cell phone, but Bunny loaded her up with sugar while we were there. I think Maison ate her weight in donut holes! Bunny and Harry's son is named Tres and he is married to a sweet, sweet lady named Lisa. I remember as a "tween" thinking my cousin Tres was the coolest thing since sliced bread. He was a big bad football stud and I thought he was what every high school boy should be! Then when he went off to college and met Lisa, I thought she was the coolest girl I had ever met and I wanted to be just like her when I got to college. She even let me borrow a dress for a middle school dance. I made sure everyone there knew I was wearing a dress that belonged to a "college girl". Now, Big Bad Tres and Super Cool Lisa have two sons. Brent, is a sophomore in high school and Brandon is about to start college. Brandon and Brent came by to see us on Saturday and I was just amazed at how awesome they were. Two teenage boys should have no interest in spending time with long lost cousins, but those two were so nice and polite, you would have never thought they would have rather been somewhere else. I almost fainted when Brent called me "Ma'am" and then realized that to a 15 year old boy, I was a "Ma'am". I've got to give my cuz some credit... he raised two mighty fine boys... which says a lot for teenagers in this day and age. It gives me hope that, if parents do their job, kids can grow up to be good and decent. So, Tres and Lisa, you might be getting some phone calls for parenting tips from me in the future...

Bunny had a special surprise for me too. My Paw Paw passed away about 6 months before Trey and I got married. He was awesome. And I miss him a lot. It makes me sad that Maison won't know him except for stories she hears from me or my sister. And I wish he would have lived to have been able to see where I ended up. He might have moved in with us if he had ever seen the cabin. There was one item of his I always wanted, but never got my hands on. Turns out, Bunny had a copy and gave me this:


That is Pat Dye, my Paw Paw and The Bear on a hunting trip. I know that most of you reading this blog did not need me to tell you that. I don't know what year it was taken but it was at Paw Paw's hunting lodge. The first place I went upon leaving Bunny and Harry's was Target to get a frame for the picture. It now sits in it's place of honor on top of the armoire in our living room and has been added to the list of things that must be grabbed as we run out of our house should it ever catch fire.

Thank you, Bunny. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have no idea...

The Night the Lights Went Out in Vancleave

We had a pretty intense thunderstorm last night and the power went out. This was the first storm that I can recall the power going out since Maison has become keenly aware of "unner" (thunder). Usually if we hear thunder, I can just pump up the volume on the TV or turn on the radio and she forgets about it. Without electricity though, there was no distracting her from the thunder and with no lights, she really noticed the lightening.

We lit candles and sat in the living room hoping the power would come on soon. Trey was most fearful that we would sweat to death in our sleep with no air conditioning. I was not finished packing for our trip to Birmingham this afternoon, so I was hoping it would come on soon so I could finish up.

In an attempt to distract Maison and keep her from getting scared, we called just about everyone we know. She talked to Grant and Miss Tommie, G-Daddy Dave and Passy. She tried to call Bella but did not get an answer.

The first thing she said to me this morning was "The lights out and unner coming and I bow out da cannel!" Miss Cindy got the same earful as soon as I got the door open to the daycare.

On another subject, school started back this week and Maison has been extremely excited to see the school buses on the road in the mornings. The last two days, Miss Cindy has been letting her go with when she walks the "big kids gowin to big scoo" to the bus stop. The look on Maison's face when she goes out there with Cindy makes me think the thoughts in her little head are something like this: "I da mos portant ittle kid in dis daycare cause I getta to walk da big kids to the scoo bus. I gonna be a big kid on the scoo bus before my mommy can blink her eye."

I have also been amazed lately at how much her language is developing and we are actually able to carry on conversations with her. Last night we were watching TV and there was a make-up commercial or something and she looked at the woman on the TV and said "Her gots blue eyes like me mommy." Trey and I just looked at each other and then I asked her when she got so smart. Then she crawled up in Trey's lap and said, "Your eyes hazel, Daddy!" Trey's jaw about hit the floor. We have told her his eyes are hazel in the past, but it has been weeks if not months since that conversation.

We have also been working on her "listening" and "minding". This is one child that cannot stand to be told no. And shame on us for not telling her more often. But she is finally starting to get it. I have put my foot down about her sitting in my lap while I eat dinner. She sits in the chair right next to me and stares the entire time I eat. As soon as I push my plate away, she smiles that smile and says "You food awl gone, Mommy. I sit in your whap now?" When the crying fits do happen, we have found that most of the time we can send her to her room and when she calms down, she'll come out saying, "I done cryin' now" and then it is over. Sometimes she will test the waters and yell back "You not tell me no, Mommy/Daddy!" Recently I responded "Oh yes I will because I am the boss!" Screaming, she responds "No you not! I DA BOSS!" As much as it pains me to say it and I sure would never tell her this, but she sure is right...

Pumping Iron... Part II

Seth stood me up. First he tries to kill me and then he stands me up. I am not feeling the love from him. Turns out he had to head back to USM a day early because he got a phone call from a friend that someone stole his bed out of his dorm room. I have fond memories of those times that the most stressful thing on my mind was something similar to figuring out how to steal a bed from a dorm room. Back in those days I did not need a Seth. I could eat pizza at midnight and still look halfway decent in a bikini the next day.

I think I did him proud. I made it through the workout and even tacked on 5 extra minutes of cardio.

Trey made sure he asked me if I needed help getting out of the bed before he left for work this morning. Such a thoughtful husband I have.

Looks like my relationship with Seth was short and I definitely would not call it sweet. He did leave me the name of another trainer to continue my sessions with... such a thoughtful young man, huh?

Oh, and by the way, I made it out of the bed unassisted... barely. Climbing the stairs to my office felt like what I imagine climbing Mt. Everest would be like though.

Pumping Iron

I've always wanted to be a real runner. You know, one of those people that LOVE to run and feel like their day was not complete if they didn't. I do enjoy it for the most part, but even after all these years of making myself do it, it is still a chore. I have good months and bad months with it and seem to jump on and off the wagon. I have found myself slowly sliding off the wagon lately for one reason and one reason only:

South Mississippi+August+Running=Death from Heat Exhaustion

So, rather than kill myself every day after work at the track, I decided to go back to the gym I belonged to prior to getting pregnant to get some good exercise IN THE AIR CONDITIONING! Now that my MIL (mother-in-law) is retired, she has been picking Maison up from school almost every day and this allows me those extra few minutes I need to justify the expense of a gym membership.

Being that it had been 3+ years since I went, I was no longer in the gym's computer system and was therefore considered a "new member". New members are entitled to 3 free personal training sessions. Sweet. I had decided I needed to incorporate some weight training into my exercise regimen, because whether I want to admit it or not, I am getting older and things just aren't the way they used to be...

Monday was Day #1 with Seth. Seth is an early 20's former college football player at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has long hair (think Fabio) and is built like a brick-poop-house. The dude is a competitive body builder. On our first day together, we worked arms. After we finished, Seth asked how I felt about the workout and I said, "Good. I think I could have handled more for sure." He explained to me that mommies usually do fine with arm workouts because they are always lifting their children. Makes sense to me. Being the nice guy that he is, Seth assured me that this workout did not have to count toward my 3 free sessions since he was just showing me around. I thought "What a nice guy. Awesome. I will really get 4 sessions!"

Yesterday was day #2 with Seth... official training session #1. When I got there, he asked me what I wanted to work and I said legs. We started with leg extensions. OK. The last few reps of each set burned, but I made it. Then we moved on to what Seth jokingly referred to as the "Yes/No Machine". You basically sit on the machine and push the weights open and closed with your thigh muscles... I am glad I wore capri length pants for this workout instead of shorts. This was not the most lady like machine in the joint! After finishing 4 sets, I felt good. Seth assured me it wasn't over yet. We moved on to this contraption that had my hind parts straight up in the air doing donkey kicks... I seriously doubt the other patrons appreciated the view, but whatever it takes to get those buns of steel, right? Then we did what Seth called a "Super Set" where I jumped off the donkey kick machine and onto the leg press with no rest and repeat this cycle 4 times. About halfway through the 3rd "Super Set", I noticed what looked like little devil horns sprouting out of that long mane of hair on Seth's head. But I endured, completed the sets and even did a couple of extra reps on the last set for good measure. I thought we were done. Nope. Still have to do lunges. Seth casually strolls next to me chit chatting as I lunge my way the length of the gym and back. About halfway back on the 4th set of lunges, I wobbled a little and Seth asked if I was OK. "What makes you think I'm tired? Did see that little wobble? I'm tired, but I'll make it." I mean, I am not the most coordinated person when it comes to balance in the first place. Seth tells me he was just checking because last week he had a lady lose her balance and fall over on the floor. I told him that if that happened, I promised that while I was laying on the floor unable to get up, I would be the first person in the gym to laugh hysterically and that I would not be mad at him for making me embarrass myself in front of all the meatheads lifting 6 times their body weight. I made it through the 4 sets of lunges without kissing the carpet, but I am telling you that walk to the cooler for my bottle of water felt about as stable as the first few steps to the bathroom when my epidural finally started wearing off after 22 hours of labor. Lucky me, I still had cardio to do!

I have always heard the second day after a work out is when the soreness really sets in. Judging by the effort it has taken for me to stand up and sit down today, I think I might have a problem tomorrow.

Signing off now... My next date with Seth starts in 20 minutes. Hopefully my fingers won't be too sore to update tomorrow.

Pop Go The Wiggles!

Took Maison over to Mobile last night to see the Wiggles with Mary & Molly, Mo & Lucy and Emily & John... She had a great time. We stopped at Target and got a bone for Wags the Dog. I fully expected MAE to jump up and down and dance the entire concert, but she proved me wrong. She sat in my lap and stared at the stage in an almost scary trance... The only time she showed some excitement was when Wags came out. She looked at me frantically and said, "BONE!!!!!" Then started grabbing for the bag. Once she got it, she held it up in the air hoping Wags would spot her in the crowd and come get it. No such luck. I thought she had forgotten about it until we were leaving and she looked at my like her little heart was crushed and said, "Mommy, Wags no get my bone for him." I quickly responded that he called me on my cell phone and said we should take it home to Bama. She smiled and said "OK." Man, I am good!

Here are a couple of pictures. She has been sick for the last week or so and was pretty worn out toward the end of the show. Not to mention that I think they forgot to turn the air conditioner on in the Mobile Civic Center. It was about 90 degrees in there. Our child takes after her father in that she is extremely hot natured. I think she must have felt it was way too hot to dance!

Text from the Teacher

"So mrs cindy picked me up a simple polo dress today and when i tried it on i went to show jennifer for her opinion... Mae looks at me and puts her little hands over her chest and says 'oh my goodness i love it... i have to have me one of those...' it was so flippin' cute!"

Bed Bugs

Aunt Sissy frequently has stories about Joe Joe and the "entertainment" he sometimes provides while he is sleeping. She has been awoken to him freaking out that there were bugs in the bed or people trying to come in the window. He talks nonsense and has even snatched all her covers and demanded that she get up. I think the most humorous stories involve what Joe refers to as his "Jimmy Legs"... Once Michelle not-so-calmly-or-politely explains to him that he is dreaming, his response kind of goes like this: "Oh. There are not bugs in the bed. Ok, Michelle." Then his head hits the pillow and he is back out. Michelle, on the other hand, has to spend 30 minutes waiting for her blood pressure to return to normal before going back to sleep.

I know that is biologically impossible for Maison to have inherited what I call Joe's "Jimmy Leg Gene", but somehow, through the miracle of the universe, she did... The other day, she was crying that there was a seal in her bedroom. It was actually a black shirt wadded up on the floor next to her closet. If you look back to this post you will notice that Maison's sheets are white with little black polka dots. On more than one occasion, the "Jimmy Leg Gene" has caused her to wake up in the middle of the night screaming "Ladybugs in my bed, Mommy!" And I am not talking about just loudly explaining to me that her bed is infested with ladybugs. I am talking about blood-curdling-hysterical-my-hair-is-on-fire screaming. It startles me awake so fiercely that I literally make it from my bed to her bedside without my feet ever touching the floor. Once I gently explain to her that the "ladybugs" are actually polka dots, she looks at me and says "Oh. Polka dots on my sheets. Okay, Mommy." Then her head hits the pillow and she is back out. Mommy, on the other hand, has to spend 30 minutes waiting for her blood pressure to return to normal before going back to sleep.

I spent my lunch hour at Belk purchasing new sheets... without polka dots... Joe, you owe me $42.79 since your gene caused this problem.

Are you there, God? It's me, Maison...

Yesterday, Maison was the only child at church. So she had 100% of Brother Robbie's attention when it came time for the Children's Moment. Robbie began telling her the story of two brothers named Esau and Jacob. She responded by looking around the church and asking him "Where are dey?"

Later in the service, during the sermon, she crawled up in my lap, opened the Bible like she was reading it and said "Dear God..." I was not too sure how loud she had said it until after the service, the lady that plays the piano came up to me and said, "I heard her sweet little voice say 'Dear God' and I sure wish I could have recorded it!"

Rollin' on the River

Maison and I had our first outing to the river yesterday. Miss Tommie and her husband "Gant" invited us up to their camp for a day of swimming at the sand bar. Mommy being a transplanted, albeit well-adapted city girl, was a little apprehensive. I have a phobia of being in water that does not allow me to see my feet. And south Mississippi has alligators. However, I must admit that the vision of swampy banks and gators lurking all around, were way off from actuality! We had a great time. Maison was so worn out that she fell asleep in the car before we even really got out of the driveway. I checked the clock and noted the time as 5:24 because I did not want her to sleep too long and keep us up all night. I put her in her bed when we got home and at 7:30 I thought I would see if I could wake her and occupy her until about ten-ish. She very crankily said "Lee me lone, Mommy!" So I walked out and when Trey and I went to bed at ten, I had visions of her waking up for the next day at 4 AM. Not so much... she slept until 7:45 this morning!!!! 14 hours. Play hard, sleep harder!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Wiz!

Today is Aunt Liz's, or as Maison calls her "Wiz", birthday. Happy Birthday to you! We love you tons and wish we could be there to celebrate with you.

4th of July

CHAOS!!!! We had a crazy, crowded, but super fun 4th of July weekend. I am just now recovering. BeBe and Poppa J held their "sort of kind of annual only when the 4th falls on a weekend" pool party and we had a house full of people. Sissy & Joe Joe, Lynch and Aaron, Uncle Andy, Christie, Bubbie & Rach, Aunt Patsy and Uncle Dave...

Maison woke up the morning of the 4th a little before 7 o'clock. She stayed in the pool ALL DAY, refused her nap and made it until 8:30 that night before crashing! Thanks to Miss Alice for all the fun paints and colors and Miss Connie for all of the nifty toys. I think you guys kept her from becoming the "No Nap Monster"!

Here's a few pics. The cutie patootie dress MAE is wearing is an Aunt Patsy original.

May the lobster float rest in peace. It was not made for a man of Bubbie's stature... I bought a whale to replace it... Daddy was not a fan of Maison's "kini"... thought she was showing too much skin!

Bella's Birmingham

We took a trip to Birmingham (or Bella's Birmingham as Maison refers to it) over the weekend to see the daughter of Maison's godparents get married. It was Maison's first wedding and she loved it. Mommy loved it once the ceremony was over. About 36 seconds after the usher seated us, Maison declared she had to go potty. It did not matter that we made a special trip to the restroom immediately prior to being seated. Once we returned, it was time for the ceremony to begin. She had to stand up in my lap to see what was going on when G-Daddy Dave walked his mom down the aisle. She kind of whispered his name like she was unsure if she was supposed to be the center of his attention at that moment... because normally when he is in the same room as she is, the center of his attention is exactly where she would be. I think it confused her a bit that his attention was focused elsewhere. Then came time for the mother of the bride to make her entrance. As soon as she saw G-Daddy Dave with a stunning Aunt Passy on his arm she raised her voice a little and said "Passy!" and waved wildly in an attempt to get her attention. Passy did not hear her, but the few rows in front of and behind us got a good chuckle out of it. As the bride walked the aisle, Maison looked at me and said "Her Cinnerella, Mommy!" And I do have to say, that wedding dress was fit for a princess.

Then, it happened... Just before the bride was given away Maison declared, " Mommy! I have to go pot-" My hand went over her mouth before she got the last syllable out. To me, it sounded like she was shouting at the top of her lungs. Our friends seated in the row behind us assured me they did not hear anything. I'm just hoping the videographer's microphone did not pick it up! Montie, if it did, I AM SO SORRY!

We made it through the rest of the ceremony without incident... thanks to Mr. Maurice and the tee tiny little flashlight he pulled out of his pocket and gave to MAE. She forgot about the potty and Mommy got to enjoy the rest of the wedding.

Note to self: Future children should not be taken to weddings during the most intense phase of potty training unless Mommy wants to spend more time in the restroom than at the reception.

Happy Birthday, Maw Maw!

The family went to lunch on Sunday to celebrate Maw Maw's birthday, however, she and Maison still had their own little party after school today. By the time I got to Maw Maw's to pick her up, she had downed 3 donuts. But that is what grandmothers are supposed to do... feed them lots of sugar and then send them home to Mommy & Daddy, right?

Happy Birthday, Maw Maw! We sure hope this year is as good as those donuts...

Pedicure Party

Last night after our return from "Dolphin Island" we had a pedicure party for the girls.

It was Maison's first time to polish her toes and fingernails. She loved it. Thank goodness for "dry in 60 seconds" nail polish!

Today at the family lunch outing to celebrate Maw Maw's upcoming birthday, she proudly showed of her "so pretty" fingers and toes.

Life's a Beach!

Took a trip to Dauphin Island today. It was the first time at the beach for Charley and the first time this year for Maison. We looked like the Clampett's because we were packed into the Expedition like sardines. Three car seats, an almost teenager, 4 adults, 4 beach chairs, countless towels, two coolers, plastic shovels, buckets, sand castle molds and dry clothes for all 8 of us. With gas being so outrageous these days, we decided we would just cram everything in and prop our feet up on the assorted junk instead of spending the extra cash to take two vehicles!

Lucy was so ready to get to "Dolphin Island"... I think she had visions of some magical place where dolphins jumped from the water and ate cheese puffs out of your hand. As you can see from the pictures below, Maison was more interested in the popsicles we had stashed in the cooler. I lost count after she ate the fifth one. And before anyone jumps my case about feeding her 47 popsicles, please note that they were sugar free!

Happy Summer!

Two Mommy's with a Bloody Mary

This morning, I snuck into the guest room while everyone was asleep and told Kari to get up and get dressed. She looked at me with a puzzled look, but did as I said. We left her kids watching cartoons or sleeping and dropped MAE off at school... which was not easy! She did not want to go to school because she knew Charley, Lucy and Molly were still at our house. With Kari still unaware of what we were doing, I drove us to the Hard Rock in Biloxi. As we pulled in to the valet area, Kari looked at me and said, "I know we aren't going gambling!" I laughed and said, "Not at 8:30 in the morning!" After we got inside I told her we were going to the spa for massages. Kari is more than a friend to me, she is a sister and we NEVER get to spend time together that does not also involve wiping noses, changing diapers or filling sippy cups. Since her birthday is coming up in July, I thought this would be a great chance to treat her (and me!) to some much needed, very deserved pampering.

After massages, we headed over to a little restaurant where we sat outside on the deck and enjoyed the sunshine, each other's company, great food and a few Bloody Mary's. Before we knew it, we realized we had been there for over 2 hours and that it was past the time we told the youngun's we'd be back to take them swimming.

We got home and took the rug rats to the pool for a while. Then just hung out at home that night. We've got a big day at the beach planned tomorrow! Look out Dauphin Island, here we come!!!!!

P.S. Kari... this day was my favorite day of your visit. I loved everything we did the entire weekend, but I will cherish the few hours we got to get away from all the chaos! I love you.

Soakin' Fun at Gulf Islands Waterpark!!!!

Our BFF's from the Ham, Chuck and Kari and their 3 girls, checked into the Evans Inn last night. Molly is 12 and Trey almost fainted when she got out of the car. He has not seen her in 2 years and was shocked at how she has grown! Miss Lucy is 5 and getting ready to start kindergarten in the Fall. Mom Kari is so not ready for that. And Sweet Little Charley just turned 2 last month. I took today and tomorrow off to spend some quality time with some of my most favorite peeps...

Our first adventure of the weekend was to head over to the Gulf Islands Waterpark. A HUGE thank you to Uncle Scott for hooking us up with the VIP treatment for the day. We stayed 6 hours... yes, you read that right... 6 hours with two toddlers! They were in heaven. By the end of the day MAE was walking up the steps to the water slide in slow motion, but don't think she didn't fight me kicking and screaming when we decided it was time to head home!

Needless to say, the only one's still awake when we pulled out of the parking lot were Chuck, Kari, Molly and me!

Some Potty Training Humor

WARNING: This post discusses poop. If you can't handle it, quit reading now... Joey...

Potty Training took a turn for the better about two weeks ago. I have hesitated to write about it for fear that I will jinx it! Tee tee accidents are few and far between, but we are still working on mastering #2... Last night, I thought she had to go and took her to the bathroom. I encouraged her to poo poo in the potty because we did not want to make a mess in her pretty Cinderella panties. She looked in the toilet I guess to see if she had accomplished the task. Nothing. She said, "I not see the poo poo, Mommy." I replied, "Where is it?" Very matter-of-factly she explained, "It hidin', Mommy." All I could do was laugh. I mean, what do you say to that?

A special shout out to Miss Paula and the daycare for bringing us this far... I owe you guys one!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Patsy!

We love you so much and are thankful for the special lady that you are. Maison is truly blessed to have such a wonderful godmother and Trey and I are so thankful for the love you have for her.

Ever since she talked to you on the phone when you guys were at the beach, she walks around the house with her little toy cell phone babbling all kinds of things about her day to you. When I ask her who she is talking to, the answer is "I talka Passy!"... and she give me this look like "Duh, Mommy! Who else would it be?" Then she goes back to babbling to you about baby dolls or swinging or whatever is occupying her little mind at the moment.

So, always know that even though quite a few miles separate you and Miss Priss, you are never far from her thoughts!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Poppa J - Thanks for being THE ABSOLUTE BEST grandfather in the entire world. Maison loves you so much and Trey and I are so thankful for all that you do for the three of us.

Grandpa - We are so glad you were able to spend the weekend with us. You have always taught us so much and we look up to you more than you will ever know.

G-Daddy Dave - Trey and I could not have chosen a better godfather for our daughter. Thanks for loving her (and us) like you do.

Paw Paw - We miss you every day, but we know that you are looking down smiling every time Maison points out a bulldozer or goes for a ride in Daddy's truck to check on your cows.

Chad, Scott and Joe - Maison has some rockin' uncles and adores all 3 of you. Hurry up and make her some cousins!!!!

And last, but most certainly not least... Trey - You amaze me when I watch you with our daughter. The loving bond the two of you share is so awesome. Her little face lights up when you take her for truck rides in the pasture or come to tuck her in at night. Maison and I love you forever.

Fun Weekend

We have a fun weekend planned. Bella, Aunt Wiz, Nana and Paw Paw drove down from Birmingham last night. Maison is beside herself with all of the attention she is getting. I still can't decide if Nana and Grandpa were the most excited or Maison. All three were just giddy to see each other. Nana brought Maison a Cinderella ball gown and I have a feeling I will be thinking of creative ways to convince her not to wear it 24/7!

Daddy left Thursday morning to go to Destin for a Bachelor Party weekend. Maison and I are missing him lots already. Good thing we have company to occupy our time!

5th Annual Beach-Pa-Looza

I left town Thursday to go on the 5th Annual Beach-Pa-Looza trip with my girls. I was worried about the trip this year because I felt like Maison was really going to grasp the fact that I was gone. I dropped her off at school that morning and headed east to the gorgeous white beaches of Orange Beach, Alabama (white beaches in "Orange" Beach... that is kind of funny!). That evening, Trey asked if I wanted to talk to her on the phone. After I said, "Hey, punkin'!" She shouted, "Mommy come home!" and started crying. Ugh. That tore at my heartstrings big time and I thought "This may be my last beach trip because if she acts like this for 3 more days, Daddy won't make it!" Thankfully, though, that was her only crying spell. The next afternoon, I talked to her and she was having an ice cream party at Maw Maw's and the day after that, Daddy took her to work with him. She was so excited about the dirt pit, track hoes and bulldozers that she did not have time to realize I was even on the planet!

The beach trip was awesome. Good times with great friends. Relaxing on the beach... I even read an entire book (Marley & Me... fabulous read for a dog lover!). I can't remember the last time I read an entire book in two days. I ate dinner in a restaurant without a little spider monkey clinging to my neck. I slept at night without having to get up to adjust blankets or fetch more cold water. I slept one morning until 9:30! I took a shower without having a rubber duck shoved in unmentionable places. I actually sat on the beach and did not spend my time chasing, watching, wiping or cleaning anyone or anything. And you know what? I missed all those things so much! I missed the butterfly kisses and nightly prayers. The chocolate pudding face and even the trips to the potty. I guess the whole trip was bittersweet for me. There was nothing like the smile that spread across her face when I walked in the door.

Thanks to my girls... Christie, Kelli, Clara, Jen L, Sissy, Mary, Kelly and even Ash was there in spirit... for an awesome weekend. I'm already counting down the days to the 6th annual trip! Thanks to BeBe, Maw Maw and Miss Paula for helping entertain her while I was gone. And a very special thanks to Daddy for being so great that she did not even miss me!

Crayola Crisis Update

I was telling my friend Tommie (she's an artist, you can check her out here) about the white crayon and how it did not work. Tommie came to work yesterday with a gift for Miss Maison... her very own pad of colored construction paper. When I got home, I gave it to her and she was amazed at how well the white crayon worked on her new pad. I explained to her that the pad was a gift from Miss Tommie. She replied, "I wike Miss Tommie. Her nice." Miss Tommie has a new friend for life!

Text from the Teacher

"Mae jus went to the bathroom came back and said i didnt pee on myself... But i fell in the toilet and she repeats this 4 0r 5 times then says did u hear me i fell in the toilet amber....It was so funny bec the entire class was quiet and she was standin at the door announcin she fell in lol."

Side note: Amber is a friend in her class.

Thanks to Miss Paula for keeping mommy in the loop about MAE's daily antics. Makes me feel like I am not missing out on her day! I don't know what I am going to do when Paula graduates and goes to the real world!

Crayola Crisis

Tonight, I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Maison was quietly coloring in the living room. She ran into the kitchen with a troubled look on her face. In her little hand, she had a white crayon. She held it up and matter-of-factly said, "Mommy this one not work. It broke!"

Text from the Teacher

Just got a text from Miss Paula:

"mae is walkin around with a chicken leg on a plate singin happy birthday to u"

I confirmed that it was plastic toy fried chicken leg from the play kitchen. I guess with all the grandparent birthdays this month, she has birthdays on her mind.

Happy Birthday, Poppa J!

Today is my father-in-law's birthday.

So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPPA J!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!

For those of you that are observant... Yes, all three grandparents were born in May. Between Mother's Day and grandparent birthdays, we bought stock in Hallmark this month.

The grandmother's might get on to me for these pictures since they did not get pics posted on their birthdays, but I loved these shots of MAE and Poppa J in action... If there ever were two perfect play partners, it is surely these two! She loves to play "Ride a little horsey..."

Memorial Day Weekend

Our house turned into the Evans' Inn Bed & Breakfast over the weekend. Aunt Sissy, Uncle Joe Joe, Bella and Uncle "Annie" (Andy) all came for a visit. Maison was loving the attention. It always makes me smile to see her with the members of our family that she does not get to see as frequently as others. It amazes me how she realizes how important they all are in her life and how much she loves them and is excited to see them. I always had a fear that living 4 hours from some of the most important members of our family would not allow her to be as close to them as I would like, but that is not the case.

Sissy and Joe Joe... formerly pronounced Pissy and Doe Doe... and I think they are the only ones that do not miss Maison's pronunciation... Anyway, Sissy and Joe Joe brought along their Yorkie, Porter. Saturday morning, Maison and I were awake before everyone else and as I was cooking breakfast, she drug Porter's doggie crate out of the mudroom and into the kitchen. Then she climbed in it and happily played there for quite a while. I tried to get her out because it reminded me of one of those horrible stories you hear about a foster parent caging kids and collecting the benefit money. I have been told that on Monday when I went to work, she climbed back in... with Porter this time... and that Sissy took pictures. I have not seen these pics and will not be posting them here once I do... I may share with those of you that I know will not report me to child welfare... but that is still to be determined as are my feelings about my sister taking photographs of my child in a cage! ;-)

Sissy caught a bass in the pond next to our house. I think it was her second cast and she hooked the fish we lovingly named Big Bass Bertha. She caught it Friday afternoon about an hour after they arrived. Joe Joe got up the next morning at the crack of dawn and spent HOURS at the pond trying to catch a Big Bass of his own... It did not quite work out. Saturday afternoon, Sissy went back with him and caught Bertha's honey, Big Bass Buford. Score: Sissy 2, Joe Joe 0.

Overall, it was an awesome weekend. Nothing beats a good time with your family.

Happy Birthday, BeBe!

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday.

So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEBE!!!!

We Love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is my 3rd Mother's Day... 4th if you count the one when Miss Maison was still the bun in my oven... It is hard for me to believe I have been a mommy this long. Time has truly flown by. Who ever knew it was possible to fall more in love each day?!?!? Maison has brought a joy to my life unlike any other and I feel truly blessed to have been chosen as the mother to such a sweet, loving, intelligent and beautiful child. Being her mom is the most important "job" I will ever have. Each day when I look at her sweet face, I realize what my mom meant all those times she told me I would not understand her love for me until I had a child of my own. I get it now, Mom. Thanks for being such an awesome mom to me for the past 32 years. My hope is that I can be at least half the mother to Maison that you have been to me and Michelle.

Mother's Day holds a new meaning for me now. Because being a mom is not just about being a mom. As we get older and things in life change, being a mom is also being a daughter... I have watched my mom and especially Trey's mom lately go into a role reversal of sorts with their own mother's. I have always thought of my mom as my nurturer, my caregiver and as I grew older, my friend. Every day, I watch my mother-in-law nurture and care for her mother and I realize that her role as a daughter has changed tremendously over the last few months. I have such a tremendous amount of respect for the patient and loving manner in which she tends to Maw Maw each day. I have learned a lot about being a daughter from her...

To all my mom friends out there... Thank you! Each of you teach me something or challenge me in some way to not just be a better mom, but a better friend, daughter and wife... I wish you a happy day today and send out lots of love.

And the biggest thanks goes to my sweet angel... Thank you my little doodlebug for those sloppy wet kisses, making me take time out to chase the butterflies and sharing your sweet bedtime prayers... each and every day you show me what life is all about. I love you forever!

Happy Birthday, Bella!

Today is my mom's birthday. So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA!!!!
We love you!

'Do by Daddy

Last night after I went jogging, I got a shower and overheard this conversation going on in the bathroom:
Maison: Daddy, I want a ponytail.
Trey: OK. I can do that.
A couple of very quiet minutes pass.
Maison: Daddy, I so pretty!
Trey: I should quit my job and be a hairdresser.
This is what I saw when I got out of the shower...

Daily giggle...

Just got a text message from Maison's teacher, Paula.

"Ms janae asked what that smell was in the class and mae smiled real big and giggled then said ms anae i got gas"

I swear she is her father's child!

A visit to B'ham...

We made a quick trip to Birmingham over the weekend. One of my BFF's, Ashley, has a precious little addition to her perfect family. I was curious to see how Maison would react to an itty-bitty newborn. I was cuddled up with sweet Amelia and Maison climbed in my lap to inspect the little bundle that had her mommy so captivated. She looked at Amelia and looked up at me with wonder in her eyes. I said, "This is your new friend, Amelia." She leaned in and gave her a soft kiss and whispered, "I wuv you, Meal-ya." The picture below makes me want to get pregnant again...

Maison also got the chance to play with her buddy, Lawson, who is Amelia's proud big brother. If Aunt Ashely and Mommy have any say so in the matter, these two will be going to the senior prom together.

Mommy Brain

Thursday night has turned into our regular "go out to eat" night. Two weeks ago, on the way home from dinner, Maison said something that generated the response "That is SOOOO going on the blog tomorrow!" from me. I specifically remember Trey making fun of me for saying that it was "SOOOO going on the blog" and then something about being a computer nerd.

I just wish I could remember what it was she said that I SOOOO wanted to post. This is reason #17 I have added to the list of why I want a Crackberry...

Cinderella Dress

On a daily basis, Maison does things that show me how much she is growing up. Brushing her own teeth, putting on her own shoes, being able to reach things that were once too high up for her... She has also grown quite particular about her wardrobe. She always wants to wear a "Cinnnerella Dess"... Mommy is not a dress person. Therefore, when Mommy purchased a lot of Maison's summer clothes, Mommy tended to gravitate toward capri pants and shorts with cute little tops. Some mornings, I have to lift her out of bed, change her pull-up and dress her while she is still in a state of semi-consciousness. These semi-conscious mornings are a cake walk. I put on her shorts or capris and her shirt and we are out the door before she even has a chance to realize I took her pj's off. Some mornings, she is out of the bed and under my feet while I am still drying my hair. Wide awake mornings, like this one, have become quite challenging.

As I was filling her sippy cup with milk, she appeared out of her room. I looked at her in her cute little penguin pj's with her crazy bed head of hair and admired how precious she was. Then I said, "OK let's go get you dressed!" "I want a pretty Cinnnerella Dess Mommy!" Ugh! I am already running late because I had to bake a tomato pie for a potluck at work today and now we have to go through picking out clothes. I sit her up on the changing table and go open her closet. Pull out dress #1 and hold it up for her inspection. "Not dat one, Mommy!" "How about this one? Mommy likes this one!" "No, no, not dat one Mommy!" Count to ten. Take 2 deep breaths. Pull out Dress #3. Hold it up and look at her pleadingly to agree. Huge smile spreads across her face. "Dat one Mommy. It so pretty!" I hurry and put it on her, comb the bed head, put in the bow, get her shoes on before we go through the same scenario for those and lift her off the changing table and onto the floor. As I start to go out of the room, that little voice stops me. I turn around and my angel is standing there holding the skirt of her dress out like she is going to curtsy, spins around, looks at me says "I beautibull, Mommy!" With misty eyes, I replied, "Yes, baby, more beautibull than Cinnnerella..." I squatted down and when those little arms wrapped around my neck and she looked at me with that smile that said thank you for dressing me in a beautibull Cinnerella dress, all I could think was "Who cares if I am 15 minutes late today? This is what being a Mommy is all about..."

This would be a lot easier...

... if Daddy would just buy us a swimming pool!

Bama... The Wonder Dog... Part II

A little over a week ago now, I came home to see Bama over in the side of the yard crouched down looking like she was eating something. I figured it was yet another tennis ball that she managed to tear apart and honked the horn at her. She jumped up and no, it was not a tennis ball. Out of the side of her mouth, I saw a tail. And not just any tail, a rat tail... I happened to be on the phone with Nana and said, "Nana, Bama is eating a rat! I'll call you back!". Not the smartest thing I could have said to her, but I panicked. I drove my vehicle straight at her thinking she might drop it as she ran from me. No such luck. I threw it in park, jumped out and just as I lunged to try to grab her, she swallowed the dang thing whole! I could have died. I immediately flipped out my phone and called Trey. "Your dog just swallowed a bleepity-bleep rat!" He just laughed and said something about living in the country. That night, she stayed outside and we made sure Maison did not get any Bama kisses. I thought it was over... but oh how wrong I was.

Over the next few days, I thought she seemed sluggish and not herself. I told Trey, but he thought I was crazy. I told myself it was just the medicine we were still giving her for her ears. Then, Wednesday night, we had another night of her wanting to go outside numerous times in the middle of the night. Thursday night, same thing, plus Maison was on her 2nd night in a row having screaming nightmares. I finally got her settled and laid in my bed right before 5:00 to catch about 45 minutes sleep before I had to get up for work. Trey was already up and in the bathroom when I heard this odd noise and then smelled an awful, awful stinch. I turned on the lamp and Bama was crouched by the door standing over a pile of doggie puke. I got up and there was another, even bigger pile at the foot of our bed. I just burst into tears. I was so tired from two nights of toddler nightmares and a barking dog, that the last thing I needed right then was to be cleaning my carpet at 5 am. Trey helped me get the mess cleaned up and left for work as I was spot cleaning the floor. That was when Maison woke up again screaming for me to lay down with her. It was definitely a Calgon moment.

I got to work and could not shake the feeling that the odd behavior and vomitting were not from the ear medicine, but had something to with that dang rat. My thought was that the nasty vermin was carrying some disease and infected my sweet puppy. I called the vet and they said to bring her in because she may have an obstruction. I got Bama to the vet and the vet predicted a few different scenarios:

1. There was an undigested rat in Bama's stomach. (Eww...) Would need surgery to remove rat. ($$$$)
2. Her digestive system was irritated from digesting the rat or it still being there and she had pancreatitis and might need to be hospitalized and put on IV fluids. ($$$$)
3. The rat had ingested poison and therefore, Bama had ingested poison.

I noticed the vet did not say what we would have to do for Option #3 and when I asked, she said "We'll talk about that later if need be." So, I burst into tears. They said the $230 worth of tests they need to run would take a couple of hours and they would call me when they were finished. I proceed to go to Wal-Mart for my weekly grocery trip and cried my way through produce and the meat department. By the time I got to dairy, I had finally stopped crying. Which was good, because my fellow Wal-Mart shoppers were beginning to stare...

When the phone rang as I was unloading my groceries, my heart sank... Please don't be Option #3, PLEASE!!!! The x-rays showed that she had actually digested the rat (again, eww...), but the toll it took on her digestive tract caused pancreatitis. And her blood work showed she had some signs of poisoning, but it seemed mild. So, I could go get her and as long as she did not throw up again, I would not have to put her in the puppy hospital. They sent us home with three prescriptions and some special "easy on the tummy" dog food. I gave them $398.55... that's a fair trade, right?

She did pretty good that night. Went out a couple of times. I thought we were in the clear. Saturday afternoon, Maison and I were playing on the front porch and I noticed a pile in the flower bed. I gave her the anti-nausea medicine because I did not want to have to take her to the after hours emergency vet ($$$$). Sunday, she seemed a lot more like herself. She still rested a lot, but I saw some spunk coming back. Last night was the first night in almost a week that my entire family slept through the night! Of course, my internal mommy clock woke me up at hour to hour and a half intervals, but at least I did not have to get up to console a screaming child or clean-up a nasty mess!

I have learned a lot over the last couple of weeks:

1. If the dog is acting weird, take her to the vet.
2. I should have gone to vet school... $$$$!

Happy Easter Bunny...

I think I can officially declare this Easter as the first holiday that Maison had truly "gotten it". Sparky & I explained to her the night before that the Easter Bunny would come while she was asleep and bring her a basket of goodies. The next morning she came in our room and we told her the Easter Bunny had come in the middle of the night. Her eyes grew wide and she said "Easa Bunny bing me a bassett!", jumped off the bed and ran toward the living room. She was very excited to see the basket and laughed hysterically as she pulled each item out. It was a much different reaction than we had at Christmas. She was thrilled to see what Santa brought her, but I never felt like she realized the gifts under the tree were from Santa Claus. Not to mention that she was thoroughly confused over BeBe, Poppa J, Bubbie, Rach and Maw Maw all in their PJ's sitting in a semi-circle watching her first thing in the morning...



Now, the Easter Bunny is my new favorite friend. I want her to eat, I tell her the Easter Bunny wants her to eat her food. I want her to sleep, she goes night night for the Easter Bunny. She acts up, I tell her I am going to call the Easter Bunny. That rabbit is my new hero. Last night, she was in a foul mood and kept throwing things in the house. So I broke out the big guns and threatened to call the Easter Bunny while he was vacationing with Santa Claus... As she was drifting off to sleep, she said, "Easa Bunny no come tonight!" I replied, "That's right baby, he and Santa are sitting on the beach in Mexico resting up for next year!" She shook her head yes in reply and faded off to Dreamland... Sorry, Cinderella, but you have been knocked off your pedestal for the time being!


On a more serious note regarding the true meaning of Easter, she seemed to "get" that too. We went to church that morning. Scott and his mother, Martha, sat in front of us and BeBe and Poppa J were right behind us. Maison went to the front for children's church and although I went with her and we sat in the front pew, she did not cry and listened intently to the preacher. When he finished reading this book (which I thought was awesome and will make sure my fave rabbit remembers to put it in next year's basket) she even went to the front to accept the coloring page he offered her. After we went back to our seats, the sermon started and I must admit, I was not listening intently because I was too busy making sure she did not spill the baggie of Cheerios we brought with us to appease her during the service. The preacher's voice was kind of like Charlie Brown's teacher to me... "waaa waa wa John the Baptist wa waa wa waa"... and Maison looks at me and says "John, Mommy!" So that snapped my attention back to the sermon because I realized if she could eat Cheerios and hear the minister at 2 years old, I should be able to keep her from spilling them and listen as well. The sermon went on to describe the scene when Peter found Mary Magdalene weeping at the empty tomb of Jesus. When Robbie said Peter's name, that innocent little child said "Peter, Mommy!" I was amazed. Then he started talking about Mary Magdalene weeping at the tomb and she looked at me and said "Her crying." At this point Uncle Scott turned around a looked at me with a look that said "Maw Maw is right, she really is a genius!" Later that morning, we called Bella (my mom) to wish her a Happy Easter and Maison told her all about church and even said, "Shesus (Jesus) coming." I guess she really did understand the minister saying He came back from the dead for us. Sometimes it truly amazes me at what she picks up on.

The Monkey and the Hippopotamus...

Dinner table conversation after Daddy and Maison's play time while Mommy prepares dinner ~
Maison: Mommy's a monkey!
Daddy laughs.
Mommy: I'm not a monkey! I'm a mommy! Did you teach her that?
Daddy snickers, looks appalled that I would even suggest such a thing and shoves a bite of dinner in his mouth to avoid further conversation.
Maison: You're not a monkey!
Mommy: That's right baby... But Daddy is a hippopotamus!
Maison: You're a pot-a-pot-a-puss, Daddy!
Mommy laughs.
Daddy looks appalled again.
Mommy laughs more.
Daddy: Mommy's a monkey!
Maison: Nuh-uh, Daddy! You're a pot-a-pot-a-puss!
Mommy: A hairy pot-a-pot-a-puss!
Maison: Yeah, Daddy!
Maison and Mommy give each other "knuckles".
Score one for Mommy!

Bama... The Wonder Dog

So, for about the last month (actually probably a lot longer, but it makes me feel like a bad pet parent to admit it) Bama has been shaking her head and scratching behind her ear. It is loud... those floppy lab ears and her dog tags rattling when she shakes her head at 3 am will bring us out of a dead sleep. Monday night, she does it repeatedly to the point that I thought Trey was going to beat her when he shot up out of the bed. He let her outside and we listened to her bark for another 2 hours until it was time to get up. I get to work tired and needing a coffee IV and tell my co-workers about the head shaking/ear scratching loudness that kept us awake all night. My boss looks at me and says "Umm, Melissa, you need to take her to the vet. She probably has ear mites!" Naturally my next step was to Google "dog ear mites" and self-diagnose this is what she has... I am horrible... She is in pain and I am yelling at her to stop shaking her dang head. I go home that night and check her ears. I won't go into detail about the grossness that it involved. Called the vet yesterday morning and explained said grossness... Vet said it sounded more like a yeast infection in the ear. Trey took her yesterday and $182.30 later, we were diagnosed with a canine yeast infection of the ear canal. Which, according to the vet, Google and my coworkers is quite common in dogs with floppy ears... Who knew? Trey comes home with the credit card slip to pay for the vet visit, cytology, three prescription pills, ointment and an ear irrigation system. We have a 12 day regimen (2 times a day) to get rid of this infection and then we will have to irrigate her ears at least every other week in an attempt to prevent recurrence.
It gets better: 2 o'clock this morning, Bama is whimpering in our room. Trey does not hear her over his snoring and I am ignoring her because I think she is just whimpering because her ears ache and I don't want to yell at her to be quiet since I already feel like a bad doggie mom... Then I hear her peeing on my flipping bedroom floor. I punch a snoring Trey and jump out of the bed saying "She's peeing on the floor!" The Snore King says "The vet said the medicine would make her have to pee a lot!" You have got to be kidding me! He could have told me this before bed so I would have let her out instead of thinking she was just whining. Trey lets her out then he climbs back in the bed and is snoring again before I ever even get the first spray of carpet cleaner on the carpet...
So, the moral of this story is two-fold:
If your dog starts shaking his/her head and scratching at the ears excessively, call me and I will explain the grossness so you can see if you need to pay a visit to the vet.
If you ever get yeast infection medicine for your dog, make sure you let them out as soon as they start whining!

Big Girl Bed

Over the weekend, Maison got a big girl bed. It is a full size mattress and box spring. We just have it sitting on the floor for now because the conversion kit for her crib has not come in yet. On Sunday, she was visiting with Maw Maw, so I set the bed up with her sheets, comforter and, as Trey puts it, all those gazillion pillows you don't really need. BeBe brought her home from Maw Maw's and Trey and I took her in her room to see her new Big Girl Bed. It was hysterical. She was in awe! She looked at me and said, "Mommy, it's my big girl bed!" I said, "Yes, baby, it is!" Then she said, "Mommy, it pretty!" It brought tears to my eyes. My little baby is no longer a baby... and she appreciated the gazillion unnecessary pillows...

Nights 1 & 2 in the bed went great. She fussed once the first night after getting tangled up in the blanket, but that was pretty much it. And she has been going down without a fight at all. Last night was night 3... I woke up at 2:52 am and realized I had not heard her all night. So I went to check on her and almost stepped on the child. Somehow she had gotten out of the bed and was sleeping on the floor in the doorway to her room. I scooped her up and put her back in the bed. I think we are going to have to start closing the gate from the hall to the living room so that she is not wandering the house in the middle of the night!

Throw me something, Mister!

On Saturday, Maison experienced about 5 minutes of her very first Mardi Gras parade. It was freezing cold, so we did not stand on the street for the parade, but we did have lunch at a restaurant on the parade route. We were lucky and got a seat in front at the window, so we could watch the parade going down the street. After lunch, we stood on the street for a couple of minutes to let her get a small taste of bead catching and also to appease the inner child in my mother. Who ever saw a grown woman get so excited about moon pies, little plastic beads and the slight chance you might get a cheap stuffed animal? Maison was a champ for about 2 floats. She was waving her little hands and picking the beads up from the ground and putting them around her neck. I decided gathering the beads up from the street was unsanitary so I picked her up. I am sure the drunk dude that threw them to her washed his hands after he used the float's Porta-Potty, right? I was holding her when a float with some very enthusiastic (translation: drunk) float riders came by and beamed Maison and I both right in the face with a wad of about twenty beads. That was the end of that for the baby girl! Hysterics commenced and it was time to head to the house. My poor Mom... she had to leave without her stuffed bear.

That night, Maison reenacted the parade for Uncle Scott in our living room. She forced him to sit on the living room floor while she gathered her beads and threw them up in the air. He was a great sport about it and now I think she loves him even more.