Happy New Year

MC has been enjoying her new wheels lately. She's tearing up the floors behind me after I attempt to clean them!

We are having the best New Year's Eve...MC was asleep by 7:15 pm and I am watching one of my favorite movies 'Pride & Prejudice' but unfortunately Matt has to work. He was off during Christmas so it's okay. I must ring in New Year's Day as my last day at Kroger, but plan to spend the entire weekend cleaning up Christmas.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year! 2008 will be hard to beat for us. Looking back we watched MC grow from a 6 month old to a very talkative and funny 18 month old. First steps, first words, and emerging personality! Matt and I had memorable visits to Chicago, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Tennessee...and waged war over the Tahoe. We celebrated MC's sweet first birthday that we will never forget. Looking forward to see what's in store for 2009.

Growing up

MC is growing up overnight it seems. She is learning to stack and build blocks and she even put a puzzle together all by herself! We are making SLOW progress with food, but at least it's progress. She gave me the best Christmas gift ever by letting me sleep late and then eating my breakfast casserole! We even started planning her "big girl" room upstairs. I was reminded yesterday that the guest bed was a DOUBLE bed...so MC will inherit that one even though she's nowhere close to getting in it. And she is experimenting with her new potty seat!

~

We had a great Christmas! MC loves all her toys (even though all of them are not out of their boxes yet...we're taking it one day at a time). A tornado hit my house sometime this week and I have been cooking and cleaning ever since. Seriously, I can't find the floor of my living room or the bottom of my kitchen sink. Matt and I did manage to sneak away for a minute to go see the movie 4 Christmases. I saw an interview with Reese Witherspoon and she said "Escape from your Christmas chaos to our Christmas chaos and just have fun!" Very cute movie. We took a trip to Bay Springs today to visit the Miley extended family. It was great to visit with Matt's cousins and their kids (MC's 2nd or 3rd cousins???).

~

Quitting my job was weird. My boss took it WAY better than I expected. I ended up having to work with him for 2 straight days after Monday. He kept smiling and telling me I was doing it for the right reasons and he understood. After about the 10th joke, I realized...'he doesn't take me seriously!' The other pharmacist on duty told me he was in denial. Possibly. He's leaving me on staff as "active" so I can help out if I want to. But his response made it much easier for me. I can make jokes and not cry when I see him now. Again, the best boss ever.

~

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Townsend family. I can't imagine what they are going through. I got to visit with them last night and baby Cole is adorable. They are under so much stress with a new house, new baby, holidays, and the death of his brother. Keep them in your prayers please.

~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOY!

G is for:

G is for Gigi:

It's amazing how no one else exists to Mati Claire when Gigi is in the room. MC was stuck to mom's hip the entire week! She sleeps better, eats better, and acts better when Gigi is around. I have to brag just for a second: MC was a perfect traveler! She did great! MC tried my dad's famous pancakes for the first time (only because Kennedy was eating them) and so we decided we were going to kidnap Kennedy for a few weeks to teach MC how to eat. Or lease her. Or borrow her - whatever my sister will allow. ;) MC even wanted to sit on the potty because that's what Kennedy does! Mom and Dad sold their house FINALLY! They close on it in a few weeks.

G is for GanGan:

We took a side trip to visit my aunt, uncle, and grandmother (Gan-Gan) in North Carolina. Yes, we are the only family in America I think that has a Gan Gan. I haven't seen or spoken to her in almost 10 years for reasons that are too long to post. I put aside my differences to introduce her to her youngest great-granchild. We had a great time visiting and catching up with extended family.

G is for Goodbye:

Goodbye to Kroger. I'm giving my 2 weeks notice tomorrow (provided I don't chicken out). All signs have been pointing to stay at home with Mati Claire. Our regular sitter just wasn't working out, Mother's Day Out didn't work out, and daycare is not an option. We are out of options so I'm going to stay home more and help Matt's dad out when I can (aiming for 1 day a week). I will truly miss my co-workers and I absolutely love the job - but I love being a mom more and that job comes first. I told Matt it was a bit of a delayed reaction on my part but it's better late than never.

G is for George:

George W. Vanderbilt that is. Mom kept MC for us while Matt and I took a trip to Biltmore in NC. Wintertime is not the best time to see the gardens, but they makeup for it in Christmas decorations. I am not a history buff but it's amazing to see how the Vanderbilt family lived in 1895. Definitely worth the trip. My family saw it back when I was in 3rd grade or something and things have changed since then. I forgot my camera that day so I had to borrow my sister's. When I get those pics I'll post a few.

G is for Glad:

Glad to be home. Glad we got to spend quality time with family. Glad Christmas is here! We are also grateful for the gifts we received. And Mati Claire is glad that she saw Santa (I think) hahahaha ;) Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Parties!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENDALL!

Kendall turns 2 this weekend! We had a great time at her party. She got so many great gifts. I think Mati Claire enjoyed bonding with Uncle Sam the most. He made sure they all played hard enough to sleep good. Finally, we found someone that can match their energy! This is the best picture I could get of Kendall because she wouldn't stay in one spot long enough to take a picture. There was somewhat of a cupcake eating contest but they would kill me if I posted the pictures. Jennifer T., we all give your husband Daniel credit! He brought Payton to the party (we all commented on how our husbands would have never done that).

And the Cookie Party! All the cookies are delicious. I had 1 bite of each and saving the rest for Matt. We stuffed Christmas stockings for children who had interesting wish lists. I'm glad we could provide them with necessities as well as a few extras. The Sunday School's "Jr. members" enjoyed themselves too.

Unfortunately Mati Claire was tuckered out when we left the birthday party and couldn't make the Christmas party. I even bought the Dirty Santa gift and it was a really good one! Too much socializing for MC wore her out.

I will post again when we get back. There's alot going on here. Traveling, visiting a certain grandmother, etc. Alot of stress.

Whew!

What a week! And it's not even over yet. Sorry no new pics to post. I will post some tomorrow though after another busy Saturday! We have the Sunday School Cookie Swap, Kendall's Birthday Party, then a Christmas Party! Then off to Tennessee (and a side-trip to North Carolina).

I worked more than usual this week. And the third day was a killer...plus the weather. At 10 am, while my co-workers were scrambling to find secondary sitters after the schools and daycares closed, my sitter bailed on me. Luckily, my MIL and SIL were able to cover the rest of the day. Sara, I need a Mrs. Leila! ;) Why are GOOD sitters SO hard to find????

Anyway, we're off to the post office to mail our Christmas cards!

I Two

While changing MC's diaper first thing this morning, she said "I Too!" At first, I thought she was saying maybe "I tooted" but she didn't...then it dawned on me the way she said it. "I Two!!!" She was completely copying Kennedy from last week. It only took her a week after they left but she was so enthusiastic about it. "I two! I two!"

So to get some sanity this morning, I called upon Rachel to babysit for a few hours. I'm driving around town, just laughing at the thought of "I two!" If only I was that enthusiastic about turning 30 next month. You don't hear me screaming "I thirty! I thirty!" I feel every bit of 30 and look more like my 40's. I've been having dreams of my teeth falling out. I researched this online, and every site I found agreed that it meant I had a fear of getting older and/or I was reaching a milestone birthday! How weird is that? True though.

Commenting on Sara's blog, "I too" am saying NO tonight. We had planned all week on going to the Clinton Christmas parade tonight...the cold outside won. I HATE the cold. And I figured MC would wind up sick then we would miss out on next Saturday's events and our trip to Tennessee. We have been SO busy the last few weeks and MC is either teething or hitting a growth spurt - therefore sleeping alot! But who's complaining?

So I plan to stay in tonight and get the last of the gifts wrapped and I made a trial-run of the cookies for next week's Cookie Swap: Chocolate Mint Sugar Cookie Drops! Delicious - the ER staff will love these tonight since they aren't on my diet!

Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup veg. oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups of mint-flavored morsels (I used Andes mint baking chips).

Preheat oven to 350. In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs (one at a time mixing after each). Blend in vanilla, and gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in choc/mint morsels. Shape spoonfuls into rounded balls. Roll in colored sugar or regular sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes and cool.

I'm Santa?

Last Christmas is a blur. Mati Claire was only 5 and 1/2 months old JUST starting to sleep through the night and we really didn't buy her alot of stuff simply because of her age. Not that we didn't want to. My point? This Christmas is different! As a parent.

Today, I went to the lovely local Walmart to look for some gold ribbon (Fads-N-Frames was out). I've mentioned that I have a paper fetish. Browsing through the Christmas wrapping paper, I come across my worst nightmare. Oh my goodness I'm a MOM and I have to buy WHAT????? Character paper?????? Really? Yes, character paper. I realized then and there that I don't own a single roll of character wrapping paper. I also realize that as a mom, I have to put my wants aside, and take one for the team.

One of my most favorite things to do at Christmas time is WRAP GIFTS! I remember back when I was a little girl (like 8 or 9 maybe) watching the ladies wrap gifts behind the counter at McRaes and I was in awe. My grandmother attempted to show us how they professionally wrap gifts there. Ahhhh...but it boils down to good paper. I am not a master of bows but I try.

Back to the character paper. Can anyone tell me how to make character paper look good? I remember when I was young, that I would separate my gifts out according to which paper it had. Like ALF or the Smurfs or Mickey Mouse. My OCD-ness is taking a beating today! ;) I know my nieces would prefer to see Princess paper vs. polka dots. I am looking forward to my gorgeous macaroni-string necklaces and 'i made it myself, mommy' dinners!

I hope everyone is reminded that Christmas is about the best gift of all...and He was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Bah Humbug

Note to self: don't ever try to change or upgrade your blog while your 17 month old is awake. If I forgot anyone on my blog list, I sincerely apologize and hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me (for I have no brain cells left) and remind me. In the midst of changing diapers, checking temperatures, and dealing with a fussy teething baby, I accidentally deleted a few things from my blog (specifically the blog list).

Note to self: don't ever go on vacation right before a major holiday. Obviously we didn't learn our lesson 2 years ago when we went to Hawaii 2 weeks before Christmas. BIG mistake. Being gone for 4 days before Thanksgiving then returning to a house FULL of company for a week then working 2 days in a row...BIG mistake. And leaving again in 2 weeks. Too much stress.

Matt and I are starting our diet tomorrow. That's probably another "note to self" - don't ever start a diet in the holiday season. Ha! I probably wouldn't be doing it if he wasn't helping me. Before when I dieted after having MC, I would have to prepare 3 separate meals: 1 for me, 1 for Matt, and 1 for MC. That's ridiculous!

Posted a pic of Santa's little helper! Note to self: don't even bother putting up a tree when you have 17 month old. Bah-humbug!!!!!!! ;)

Thank you Mom, Dad, and Heather for helping me clean and decorate the house! Although neighbors, just look the other way as you drive by because the outside is only half-way done...and I don't see it finished in the next few days. Can anyone tell how tired I am???

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! (Days til Christmas: 28)

This was an unplanned event, but we all dressed in orange. Go Vols!

There's No Place Like Home

Truly, no place like home. Vegas was awesome, but we are so exhausted and we're glad to be back. We missed MC terribly and she's grown in 4 days! But I don't think she even knew we were gone because she has so much company here for the holiday!

Matt and I walked a VERY long way to get this picture. We could have easily had our heads super-imposed beside the sign in the Stratosphere, but NOOOOOOOooooo, I wanted to see the real thing! So after about 15 miles of walking, we finally found it out of civilization and a scary part of town! :) Matt is still not speaking to me because his legs are "broken". ;)


Ah! The fountains of Bellagio! I thought it would be more romantic, but with all the crazy people standing around - begging for someone to take your picture - it's pretty, but not necessarily romantic.


Overall, Vegas is an interesting town and the shows are amazing. Looking forward to Turkey Day!!!!!!

2 Peas in a Pod

Mom brought Kennedy home with her a couple of days ago, so MC has had a friend to play with! They are 2 peas in a pod! They are being so nice to each other and SHARING! Unbelievable! I'm so glad they will be here to keep MC while we're gone and I don't have to worry about the house either. Heather and Kerigan are on their way!




I have an addiction to the Coke drinks. After my 4th cavity in the last 3 months, I am going to attempt once again to cut them out. I've never had a cavity until I turned old! My dentist really lectured me (again) today. I quit while I was pregnant - only to substitute it with sweet tea (with Splenda). So here goes!


Talk to everyone when we get back! This is our first real vacation - that has nothing to do with business or conferences! With no baby! Yeah! I'm so excited! I hate that it falls so close to Thanksgiving (I've had to work almost every day for a week to make up for it). So we're ready for a vacation!

No, No, and No

MC, Maddie, Chad, and Jack


Such a "big girl"


I feel like every word out my mouth today has been "no" "stop" and "no-mam." It's so sad that I can't think of one positive thing I've said towards MC today. She is into EVERYTHING! She even gets into things that I've baby-proofed. She's taller now so she can reach the counter and pull stuff off. I was trying to clean since I really haven't been home since last Wednesday...and she literally followed behind me making a bigger mess than before. What's the sense in cleaning???

She has a new attitude and "no" is in her vocabulary! She will back-talk me and pinch me when I get onto her. She tests me on purpose! AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Needless to say she spent most of her time in the playpen today screaming. SO glad my family will be here later this week! Hurry up and get here! I haven't had much sleep since last Wed...hoping this week will be better but I doubt it.

I've added some blogs to my list over there on the left. Check them out! I also started Facebook yesterday --- it's a little addictive (as is blogging).

Here are a few pics from tonight. We had a nice get-together dinner over at James and Laura's! Their house is so nice (from the last time I saw it!) You wouldn't even know it's the same house!
I thank them for allowing all the kids to come too. They love socializing as much as we do. Although I do think it was good birth control for Laura.

New words of the week so far: Gigi, grrrr (bear sound), and OK!

The Big Mooooove

I am busy helping out at work this weekend for the big move. Vicksburg and Clinton are moving to their new locations (opening Sat). Tonight, we have to spend the night in the pharmacy in Vicksburg. Should be interesting. We have SO much fun together and I LOVE the people I work with. When there are people who can make you laugh, it makes the day go by so much better. When I am getting cussed out by a mean old man, I just think of MC and everyone else goes away. Then there are my great co-workers who make me laugh when I want to cry. When you can joke with your boss and say just about anything, I WANT to do a better job and volunteer in days like today.

The bad news is I don't get to see MC much this weekend. I left at 7 the other morning and didn't come home until almost 10 that night. Then I leave today at 2 and won't be back until tomorrow. Sorry no new pics to post.

I frequently get asked about the old Clinton Kroger. They are keeping the fuel tanks open (plus the new ones on Hwy 80). They are building bathrooms for the employees who will run the fuel center (hence the horrible construction going on in an already horrible parking lot). I heard yesterday that there are bids on the old building from Lowe's, Office Depot, and Target. YES, you heard it - TARGET! Although they said Target didn't like the idea of bathrooms in front of the building. So no one knows for sure yet. The suits said they thought Office Depot would win the battle. Who knows! (gossip gossip gossip)

Anyway, I'm working in Vicksburg this weekend, but I'll be at the Clinton store all day Monday and Tuesday...so come by and say hello while you're checking things out! We're "mooooo"ving!

Pj's and Ponytails

It's 2:00 pm and we're still in our pajamas! I like those days. Since we're staying in, I decided to take some advice and try giving MC eggs...for lunch! I sprinkled a small bit of shredded cheese on top - added some waffles (we'll try the blueberry ones later)...Breakfast for Lunch!!!! She attempted the eggs and then spit them out. I wasn't expecting her to even put them in her mouth, however she did pick out the cheese. I had tried shredded cheese before with NO luck. So it wasn't a total waste of time and food.

Someone asked me the other day why I never put her hair in a ponytail. Why would I??? This is how it turns out:

Not the prettiest ponytail in the world...lets just give it some time. But putting her first ponytail up was fun for me and she loved it!

Ok, I have called every church in town (Baptist, Pres, AND Methodist) and there are no Mother's Day Out openings for her age. Can you believe that? God is telling me that she needs to stay home and drive me crazy. So I went to check out the SchoolAids store and I was in heaven! It ALMOST inspired me to home school. I have a bit of a paper fetish though...I love OfficeMax, stationary stores (online or not), and my favorite part of planning a birthday party is the invitation! Call me crazy. Anyway, the store was a bit too old for MC's age but it did give me hope for later. There are SO many things that can help with homework and such. It's not just for teachers, but parents as well. I did find a puzzle and (my sister's idea) a ROLL of big paper to cover her kid's table. She loves to play with the colors.

From eggs to Uggs! I found a pair of baby Uggs at Mistletoe and they are too cute! Couldn't help myself. Our Christmas card photo session with Jeanelle got cancelled today due to the rain! Here's hoping it will stop raining and we can get out of our pj's!

What a day!

We woke up this morning to a breakthrough! Her LAST molar has FINALLY broken the skin! Yeah! So she was a bit fussy today. It didn't help matters when the DirecTV guy showed up...and the cleaning crew, the lawn guys, the painters, Rob - the stain guy, and Bobby - the fence guy all showed up at the SAME time - all before 10 am! MC was actually taking a nap during all this and they finally woke her up with all the noise. So after lunch, I decided: lets go to Mistletoe Marketplace! I thought I could handle taking her (couldn't find a babysitter). While driving, Candice tells me that there are NO strollers allowed. What????????? No strollers??????? Okay, I can handle it. I have a leash! She has this little stuffed dog that is a backpack with a leash type thing. Thought about turning around...no I can handle this. I'm still trying to beat the supposed rain that was on its way. We get there! I have to park in the VERY back - as far from the front door as I can get. I find out they have baby carriers available to rent/borrow. I'm PRETTY SURE MC is too big for that. I try it. . . yep. . . too big. So I carried her on my left hip for 3 hours! Tried putting her down to let her walk with the leash - not without SCREAMING bloody murder! Understandable since there are SO many people around who don't even acknowledge the fact that I drop everything I buy because I can't hold it all in my right hand and sign the receipts with my left. I'm determined to buy an actual Christmas gift for someone other than myself if I'm going to all this trouble. FINALLY! I found something for my niece that I know she wants! I couldn't feel my left arm by the time I left. MC was inconsolable. No Tylenol. What was I thinking???????

We're driving home and I'm dying of thirst since the Trademart was steaming hot (not because I'm toting a toddler and 2 bags of stuff though). I decided to stop at McDonalds for a drink...realizing MC has NEVER been to Mickey-D's! I knew she liked french fries. She ate 1 whole chicken nugget (lesson learned - McDonalds does NOT have the best nuggets but too late now) and HALF of a Jr. Hamburger and about 3 fries! ~WOW~ For someone who can't even eat diced apples or carrots she sure chowed down saying "MMMMMMMM!" Pulled out my phone and snapped a few pics of her FIRST trip to Mickey-D's! She also found a few bites of an Oreo cookie...I have come to the conclusion that she'll eat anything that is not healthy!

Then I'm putting all my purchases upstairs and as I come back down the stairs I find MC STANDING ON TOP OF THE COFFEE TABLE! Mind you - she's not a climber. Another first. She has never attempted to climb on ANYTHING BEFORE. I couldn't get down the stairs fast enough and over the kiddie-gate. I had a heart attack thinking 'what if she falls before I can get to her?' Matt saw a small child in the ER once who broke his neck after falling off the coffee table. He was lucky and is fine (as far as I know) but he still broke his neck. What are the chances of surviving a freak accident?

I'm going to bed in hopes that the feeling in my left arm returns sometime in the night.

What in the world?

What in the world is going on? I woke up this morning to find out not only is Obama our new President, Phillip Fulmer resigned, and A.I. got traded??? ;) Completely ignoring news channels, I filled our time last night letting MC eat SPAGHETTI! Yes, I know I'm a little late in letting her try this. She loves it (me feeding her with a fork) but I've never let her eat it by herself! If this child is OCD, it will totally be our fault. Why clean up a mess if you can prevent it? So I don't let her eat stuff like that normally - so Mom told me that might be part of our problem. I held my breath the whole time thinking "Please don't throw it....please don't throw it...please don't wipe it in your hair...please don't throw it..." and somehow i found spaghetti noodles in her diaper while giving her a bath! Picture speaks for itself. Not too bad for a 16 month old. She looked at me with the "what in the world" look on her face: she was like REALLY???

Gold Glitter

As we were driving this morning, MC yelled out and pointed out the window. Not sure if it was a bird or the wind, but something had disturbed a tree. Hundreds of little gold leaves were falling like snow and glistening...it looked like it was raining gold glitter! Very pretty. Started our day off right.

Y

MC had her first career day this morning. Its in the genes I guess. Work hard to play hard. She helped me out at work until her Daddy could pick her up. She made all the mean sick people smile and laugh. So now she's playing after a morning's work!

Y

Just wanted to post a cute picture of my nieces at Halloween. Kerigan and Kennedy went as Alice in Wonderland and the White Rabbitt (Kerigan's friend Larkin in the middle was Supergirl).

Too cute. Can't wait for those turkeys to visit for Thanksgiving!

Little Miss Ladybug

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH! Sarah celebrated the big 1 this weekend. She really enjoyed her ladybug cake and got lots of good gifts! There's Sam on the right in the next picture - or as I like to call him mini-Bill. I was going to post a picture of baby Jack but I decided not to for fear that Carly might kill me ;) Jack had an unfortunate accident but seriously I am relieved. I am relieved in the fact that I am not alone in our struggles with food. (I know Carly is not relieved by this but you know what I mean?) MC throws up in restaurants all the time. I broke down in tears because MC and I fought for an hour over APPLESAUCE! She still gags on things she eats everyday and don't even think about trying something new (like real bits of apple or a grilled-cheese sandwich). I thought I would press the issue again since it's been awhile...and we're still right where we were 4 months ago. With so many parties lately, it has really frustrated me. I feel like I can't have a good time because I'm worried she may gag or throw up in front of everyone. And if she doesn't do that, she'll scream and make a scene if you attempt to feed her.

I found perfect birth control this morning! I have a new respect for Jon-N-Kate + 8. Keeping the 3 year olds at church this morning was an eye-opener for Matt and me. SEVEN 3 yr olds! I could never be an elementary teacher or day-care worker. I bow down to those who are!

Looking forward to Mistletoe Marketplace this weekend! Work has been a little crazy lately with flu shot clinics and moving 2 stores (Vicksburg and Clinton are both getting new stores on Nov. 15). I have to help move the Vicksburg Kroger next week which will be interesting. We will actually spend the night in the pharmacy! We can't move the drugs until midnight with police escorts and such. Yes, the pharmacy will have a drive-thru and same hours. It's very similar to the I-55 store: sushi bar, big organic/nature section, and just bigger and better departments. Anyway, enough promo. Ya'll have a good week.

Daisy the Cow

We're working on our animal sounds and MC knows the cow by heart. She also likes the horse and the duck, but the cow is her favorite. The Chick-Fil-A commercial came on TV and pointing she said "says mooooo." Then she picks up her book and points to all the different animals and to each one she says "says moooo" (whether its a dog or cat, etc). Then she points at me and "says mooooo!" So I guess I should go to our Halloween party as a cow! Just call me Daisy.

I was just looking at the blog title: Miley Minutes. I've had alot of precious minutes lately. And they only last a minute it seems. "I'd rather have 10 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special" - Steel Magnolias. Matt and I were walking out of church Sunday, and we decided to let MC walk by herself (holding her hands of course). If I could have taken a picture of Matt holding one of her hands and me holding the other...walking out of church together. Swinging her while she laughs is the best medicine I can recommend!

Then we were driving to Vicksburg the other day and there I was sitting in the passenger side watching her have a lovely, full, and funny conversation with herself and her stuffed animal. The entire way. I wish I would have had my video camera. I wish I could have frozen time so I'll always remember those wonderful minutes. (Not that the others aren't great too, but you understand). The little things that we love seem to only last a minute.

On a lighter note, here's a few pics remembering last year's Halloween...and this year.

What a difference a year makes! Look at the similarities between the group photos...there's a ladybug on the end of each, MC on the other end, a Batman, and a green reptile in the middle. Does anyone else find that interesting? Not planned by any means! Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Touched by an angel

The Winborne's annual Halloween Party!

"Somebody better call God...because He's missing an angel!"

Jordan Ann, Mati Claire, Jack, Carson (holding Shelby), Chad, Maddie, Brayden, Sam, Tyanne, and Sarah. Minus Kate!

"Are you lost ma'am? Because heaven is a long way from here!"

"Just like a prayer" - Madonna. I thought she went as an angel?

Thank you to all the Winborne's for letting us join in the fall festivities! Mati Claire enjoyed it even though her Daddy wasn't able to make it. We had a great time! Excuse the cheesy pick-up lines (couldn't help myself).

Happy Fall Yall

Happy Fall if I haven't told anyone yet. MC was dressed up for her appointment with Jeanelle but she screamed and cried through the ENTIRE session! So we came home and snapped a few in the new stained driveway. I will be so glad when we're allowed to drive on it again...and i'm sure the neighbors will be glad too.

happy birthday, mom! (a few days late)

Mom and Dad left this morning and I'm sad already! MC learned how to say Gigi at 1:30 in the morning! This last molar coming in is the absolute worst tooth yet! She has not slept in days. I finally broke down and got her some Tylenol with Codeine. I hope she's in a better mood by this weekend! Mati Claire can say MANY new words this week! She's turned into quite a little copy-cat lately.

A "Mickey Day-Day"

My niece, Kerigan, turned 4 this year. At her 3 year old birthday party last year, we were all coming home from the hospital after I had MC. She wanted a Mickey Mouse birthday party. Being 3, she called it her "Mickey Day-Day." And the name has stuck. We had sort of a Mickey Day-Day this weekend. Just a fun-filled day visiting with friends and family!

We missed our planned trip to the Nichols-Boyd Pumpkin Patch Friday morning due to the rain and MC still not feeling well. Hopefully we will get to go sometime this week. My parents are still here helping me out around the house. Gotta love parents.

Little miracle Landry man celebrated his 1st birthday Saturday! He is precious and had a great time eating his cake! MC loves to socialize so despite no nap, she still had a great time. Everyone was surprised when Elmo and MickeyMouse showed up! Most of the kids were terrified, but MC admired them from a distance. Up close you can see her reaction in the pictures!

Off to Vicksburg! Mom went with MC and I to Jena's wedding. I LOVE fall weddings. The colors and flowers are serene and gorgeous. MC wanted to clap through the entire ceremony, so Mom took her "ah-side" for awhile. I got to catch up with one of my best friends in the world, JOY, and I got to meet her 3 beautiful girls! If I had to do my wedding over, I think I would have had it in October. The weather couldn't have been more pleasing as well.

I hope everyone is having a Mickey Day-Day sort of day!

Cleavage already?

MC had her 15 month checkup today. On whatever scale they rate "baby breast sizes" she rates a 2. He said he would be worried if she was a 3 or higher. So in other words, she has big boobs! At 15 months old! He said she would most likely be wearing a bra at 8 or 9 years old (before other girls) but it doesn't necessarily mean she will hit puberty early. Oh my goodness...my little girl...wearing a bra? Big boobs??? Puberty??? He said she was "estrogen-rich"...so baby boys WATCH OUT! hahahaha :) It normally goes away by this time in most kids, but obviously she still has "baby cleavage." I couldn't believe I was even having that conversation!!!

She weighed 24 lbs. 10 oz. Then we had a long discussion about her eating habits. The Dr did say it was odd that she did not like table food still, but the fact that she was still gaining weight and growing meant he was not concerned at this point. She is "slow and extremely picky on top of that" in that department.

MC has had a REALLY rough day today: vomiting, diarrhea, 2 vaccine shots, and still teething! I'll post a pic of the new driveway later. Sorry nothing new to post today! Hope everyone is having a good week. Oh, I posted some new songs. I can't be from Mississippi and not put Elvis and Faith Hill on there!

Just joking

I am by no means Mother of the Year. After posting that, I realized how it sounded. I was just joking and stating what an ordeal it was this afternoon. :) Please don't take me seriously! :)

Nominations:

Taking nominations for REAL moms! Mati Claire just inducted me into the Hall of Fame! We went to church this morning, and we came straight home so she could take a nap. She slept for 2 hours and normally I leave her in the crib so she can chat with herself. For some reason, I decided to go get her as soon as I heard her wake up. From the door, I could smell something bad. I thought well, its time for a dirty diaper today. Without turning the light on, I went over to her crib and she VERY POLITELY stuck her hand out (she was obviously holding something in it). She normally hands me pieces of lent or dirt or leaves or whatever. This time she handed me a handful of POOP!!!! OH Mati Claire! It had exploded out of her diaper and she had been rolling around in it! In 15 months, I have never had to clean up poop like this! :) It's great being a mother! I love it! :) If anyone else has ever been in this position, bless you and you get my vote for Mother of the Year!

Busy Bees

Happy Birthday, Nana!

Who would've thought that when parents come to visit and you have extra help around, you find yourself even busier than usual? Mom is so great at helping me clean, cook, and watch MC. I was thinking the other day about how my Mom is still teaching me things...I'm almost 30 years old and she's still teaches me something new every time I see her. Usually it has something to do with cooking or MC. I hope when MC is 30 years old, I'm still teaching her how to do things and hopefully how to be a good mom.

Mom (aka Gigi) and I took a trip to the Canton Flea Market Thursday. It was great! Here's a pic of MC in one of her new dresses. It seemed every stand that we passed, I heard someone say "I could make that" or "I could do that." Honestly...I don't have the time. Yes, I would love to make that dress myself, but I'm struggling to get my dishes clean and the laundry done...and maybe get some sleep. MC has not been sleeping well this past week due to her molars still coming in.

We're staining our driveway this week. I had a neighbor ask if we were having a party because of all the vehicles parked outside. Then we took a trip to visit my grandparents in Louisiana - also another reason to take a side trip to Monroe. I bought out Paul Michael's for Christmas decorations! Then my parents go out of their way yesterday to help me sand, paint, finish baby-proofing parts of the house, dry-walling, hanging pictures, covering patio furniture, and plugging outside holes up (trying to keep the rodents out). Thank you Mom and Dad!

I have to add to my list of "creatures." At 10:30 the other night, I was trying to clean up before my parents arrived. I came across the second gigantor "millipede" thing. After seeing the one Carly ran over, I decided not to squash it in my living room floor. These things are enormous so I could not step on it either. So I get it onto a paper plate, and I decide to take it out to the road hoping someone else will run over it. As I open the front door, I see another one. No big deal, I get that one onto the plate as well. So I take it out to the road in my pajamas. As I get back to the front porch, I see a little green snake slither off into the bushes. Again, no big deal, because it was running away from the house. But then I put my hand on the doorknob, and I look down to see this red/white/black snake looking back at me!!! His head was cocked back and he was not happy. HEART ATTACK! Seriously, I don't think I breathed for the 5 minutes after that.

Matt blames me for having all the pumpkins and haystacks on the porch...that obviously "attracted them."

Then it was also my fault for the babysitter not showing up Tuesday. She came and went while I was in the shower that morning. If anyone knows of an in-home sitter, please let me know! :)

We have alot going on so forgive me if I don't post as often this week. Jena is getting married in Vicksburg on Saturday! Congratulations! Oh, MC would sign off by saying "tank u...good girl"

My Fair Lady

Mati Claire's First Trip to the State Fair!!!
We have a tradition to go to the Fair every year for part of Nana's birthday celebration! She has instilled in us the love of kettle corn, candy apples, funnel cakes, free biscuits, and corn-on-the-cob! We live for it. And since I missed MC's first haircut, I wasn't about to miss her first taste of the fair! She tried everything in sight...even fried catfish. Jerry's here we come!!! She loved every minute today especially the petting zoo. It was so good to see her so excited about everything! We are all exhausted now. Lucky for us Gigi will be here Tuesday for 2 whole weeks! Yay!

Mum's the Word

Happy Birthday Carly!

It's still a work in progress, but it got me started. We bought mums yesterday! They are a little cheaper at Fads-N-Frames than at the Farmer's Market. But hay stacks were cheaper at the Farmer's Mkt. I just love the croton plant too! It's so pretty! Someone tell me how to keep all this stuff alive now! I usually don't decorate for Fall/Halloween because I'm already planning Christmas decorations! :) F&F and Hobby Lobby have all their Christmas stuff out already! This year has flown by!

Here's my other latest project: framing the dozens of pictures I've got laying around the house! I took this one to Neblett's yesterday and I thought it turned out great! It's sitting in the play-pen for now so someone won't knock it over and break it! Vanessa Diel took this pic.

These are the Beaux & Belles' outfits I ordered a few weeks ago. Just adorable! If anyone wants to order from them, let me know! I can give you the website for the lady my sister knows (B&B doesn't have an official website so you have to order through trunk shows). Clothes get me in a good mood! Shopping is the best therapy!