EARLY Morning Run

Okay, I'll set the stage: I got up this morning at 4:30 am (yes, that's right, it hurt me too - I go to work at 7:00, so in order to get in any excercise, that's what has to be done). I pumped (b/c I dare not go running without:) and I was on the road with my precious Weimeraner dog Daisy by 5:00. I live in an area where there are 4-5 fairly large neighborhoods all within a 3 mile radius connected by 2 fairly busy roads (not highways by any means, but busy during school time traffic). Well, in my neck of the woods it is still pitch black dark at 5:00 am. Daisy is all bark no bite - but she is my security, b/c a kidnapper (womannapper) might not know the difference =). I am armed with my cell phone - ready to dial 911 at any approach of a stranger (or so I think). Well, I am about 10 minutes into my run, on a dark street (with houses, but these houses sit about 100 yards away from the street - they are on "Estate" lots as some call them) when all of a sudden my worst nightmare comes true. From behind me I hear a car coming and SLOWING down!!!!!!! My heart was racing so fast (from being scared, not the run), I had my cell phone ready, but I just froze, then the car came to a crawl - I looked over and do you know what I saw???



It was a POLICE CAR

Do you know how happy this made me???

He said, "I was just making sure you were working out and not up to something."

Do you know how happy this made me???

This police man was just canvasing our "nice" neighborhoods at 5:00 in the morning to make sure no one was "up to no good". All I could say was "no" - yes, that's what I said, if I had not been nervous to the point of near hysterics I would have said "oh thank you Mr. Police Man for making our streets safer and for really making sure that I was "legit". Thank you for actually doing your job and not just sitting in some Krispy Kreme eating away your shift." Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!

My run was a bit faster and better from that point on - no more looking over my shoulder waiting for the boogie man to get me!

And did Daisy bark or growl even once? Notta!!!!! So much for my "guard dog"!!

Just thought I would share this fun event with you all.


***Just a side note, don't think that I get up at 4:30 every morning - I am aiming for 1-2 times a week at this point - maybe more later, but you've got to start somewhere and with 3 children now 4 and under, and a 32 hour a week job, it's the only time I have!!!!

Tailgating on the Quad

We had a great, yet busy time tailgating on the Quad Saturday for the Alabama game! It was humid but not too hot, thanks to the cloud cover! We had good food, good fellowship with great friends, and lots of fun! Emma Claire had a great time with one of her best friends Mary Alice, whom she went to the game with and had a fabulous time - thanks William and Ashley!!!!

She also had a great time on the bouncy things - but she was disappointed that you could only go on them one time per ticket - we're used to having "unlimited" time on them at birthday parties/church functions, etc. Maybe we can bypass the "dollar drainer" as I like to call it next time :).

Fearless Wilson was terrified of Big Al - he clung so tight to Will and buried his head in his neck - only when Big Al was driving off in his golf cart did Wilson finally look up and cheerfully say "Bye Bye Big Al!!" Emma Claire loved him of course!

We didn't lose Wilson, but it was tough keeping up with him - I'm sure I was a sight over at the bouncy things with Henderson asleep on my chest in the baby bjorn (thank God for that thing) chasing Wilson through the 10,000 some odd people out there - he can weave in and out of people much better than I could with a sleeping baby attached to me!!!! Next time I will do like a brilliant friend of mine did and write with a Sharpie on his bicep my cell phone number - or better yet, I will just keep him strapped in a stroller and listen to him scream the whole time =)

Henderson was wonderful - doesn't it look like he's doing a cheer??? Roll Tide Roll!!!!

Why do they do the things they do?

Wilson does the funniest thing EVERYTIME I pick him up from preschool, he says
"mommy!!!!!" with the biggest smile on his face and runs to give me a hug, and THEN immediately starts bawling crying (and I mean can't catch a breath crying) EVERYTIME????? It is quite hilarious and all the teachers just look at him stupified b/c he's not cried all morning long!!!???


I guess he's just so overwhelmed with emotion that he just doesn't know what to do with it all!!! =)





Emma Claire:


Will had to work late last night (until 3:00 am), so Emma Claire slept with me and when he came home he slept in Emma Claire's bed so he wouldn't be woken up in the morning -- yeah right!!!! While I was in the shower, Emma Claire woke up (out of my bed) and immediately went down to give her daddy the picture she had drawn him last night (that I specifically told her to just hang on the door - tied with a beautiful stain ribbon nonetheless -that's my girl!) and then came back upstairs and while she was pottying I looked out of the shower and this is how it went:


Me: good morning pretty girl


EC: good morning - daddy's sleeping, but i gave him the picture I drew for him


Me: You did what? EC, why did you wake your daddy up?


EC: But I was afraid he wouldn't see it and I wanted him to see what a good job I did!! (with the saddest face you ever did see)


Me: Okay (what do you say?), but don't wake him up again!





5 minutes later:


EC: Mommy! I hear Wilson on the monitor, can I go get him?


Me: He can come out, I already opened the door this morning, so he'll come up when he wakes up.


EC: Ughh, mommy? I closed that door when I went downstairs.


Me: fine, EC, go down and open the door, but do not wake your brother up, unless he's already awake





2 minutes later:


Wilson: mommy! daddy night night!!!


Me: EC, did you go in your room again and wake up daddy?


EC: Wilson did!


Me: But how did Wilson know that daddy was in your room?


EC: I showed him!








AAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! Sorry Will!





30 minutes later as we are loading up the car to leave:


EC: (Frantic!) Mommy it's share day - I need to find something to take to school to share!


Me: Okay, EC, go find something really quick, but be very quiet! (in other words, don't wake up your daddy again)





2 minutes later, still no EC in the car, I go to find her - where is she???? Her ROOM!!!!! Sorry again Will! We settle on a Ballerina Barbie Doll (not in her room by the way).





On another note, for the last 2 days, I've been putting Rice Cereal in Henderson's bottles and he WILL NOT drink them - I've widened the nipple and it flows out fine, but he will only take maybe 2 ounces intead of 5-6. So I'm stopping the cereal in bottles, he seems to like it fine from the spoon (what stays in his mouth), but not so much from the bottle - I guess it taints the perfect bre*** milk!!! =) He's still such a joy and smiles so much and sleeps so good!
We are tailgating tomorrow on the quad - with ALL 3 children - so pray for me - (mainly that we don't lose Wilson) - he's so stinkin' fast!!! ROLL TIDE!!!!

P*tite B*ys???

Well, Henderson had his 4 month check up yesterday. It went well, he was a sweetie - never cried until the Dr. held his head down to look in his ears - he does have a slight ear infection in one ear and is now on Amoxicillin - what is it with my boys??? Wilson had many ear infections and finally tubes at 9 months. None since then thank goodness. Emma Claire has never had an ear infection. Henderson got 4 shots and the rotavirus vaccine and slept much of the afternoon. He woke up with a fever (the first one he's ever had) and he was so pitiful - all he would do was lay on my chest - never even picked his head up. He would whimper if I tried to move him. He finally went to sleep after some Tylenol and did wake up at 3:30 am to eat (which is not usual).

Here are his stats:

Height: 24 inches (20%)

Head: 16 1/2 (40%)

Weight: 12 lb 7 oz (10%)

Here's why I am concerned - his height and head have remained at the same %. His weight has gone from 25% to 10% - you ask, so what?? Well, it was about this time that Wilson began dropping off the chart - Wilson dropped off in everything (not just weight), so maybe we have hope. Wilson weighed 11 lb 12 oz at 4 months. Emma Claire weighed 12 lb 7 oz also, (but remember, she was born 8 weeks premature). So, where do we go from here? If his weight continues to drop off, do we go through the dozens of procedures and tests that we went through with Wilson, only to find nothing, or do we just accept that I have very petite boys and an average girl??? Oh, why can't it be reversed - girls are cute and "dainty" when they're skinny and petite - but I bet no one looks at a 5 ft tall 100# man and says "oh, he's so dainty and cute" Seriously.... But Henderson is a good eater - he drinks 24-30 ounces of milk a day and we have now begun the dreaded RICE CEREAL!!!! He seemed to like it last night (what stayed in his mouth). He still has the tongue thrust that causes most of it to come back out, but he was begging for more, so he must have liked the taste. We are putting Rice Cereal in his bottles also, to help with the spitting up (which has gotten right crazy) and to add extra calories. I absolutely love my pediatrician and gladly put my childrens' lives in his hands, but I am open to any suggestions you experienced moms out there might have. Yes, I am a registered dietitian, but when it's your own children and you're in the thick of it, sometimes you just need others' advice.!!!! Wilson has gotten OKAY with eating, but he will eat something one day and flat out refuse it the next - I think we've wasted enough food on him to feed all the children in Ethiopia. I hate wasting food, and it's so frustrating to not know what he likes. I just don't want Henderson to go down that same road.

All in all my children are doing great. God has blessed us with happy, healthy children who are growing bigger everyday (although a little slower than the world thinks they should be). God is so good to us and I am thankful for every day I have with these precious gifts. I love being a mom above all else and they bring such joy to my life!

Emma Claire started ballet yesterday and loved it - she is so sweet and such a big help at home. We are getting excited for the first home football game Saturday - we'll be out at the Quad tailgating in the hot September sun!

ROLL TIDE ROLL

ROLL TIDE everyone! We've had a great day at my parents' house so far - the children have played outside, rode bikes, skated, played in the little pool, washed my car, and then my dad took my car to get the oil changed - it's been good for me folks! Lots of extra hands. My sister and her boyfriend came out last night and we had dinner and cake for her birthday. They brought their cute little boxer named Tyson and Emma Claire and Wilson had a blast with him - he did tackle Wilson once though, and that was the end of that. After getting eaten alive by mosquitos, we had to come inside and play. Emma Claire whispered to Katie -"can I take him home"? It was so cute! Now, it's rest time and then we'll get ready to watch the Tide! I hope everyone is having a super weekend!

There's a Hur'cane a'comin folks!

Just in case you don't have a television or radio or Internet (though you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't have Internet, now would you?) There's a hurricane a comin!!! My prayer is that it will just die down and do minimal damage, but it sure doesn't look that way!

Enjoy the hot sunshiny weather this weekend, b/c I'm sure it will rain ALL next week. My flowers sure do look good though - thanks to Fay.

Can New Orleans take any more? How sad to have to go through this again. I'm thankful I don't live there, but I have lots of friends in Dothan and I know how bad it can get there during a hurricane and it's 90 miles north of the ocean (gulf). I do have family in Florida, so I hope they're prepared.

It's bad enough here with all the rain and tornadoes - we sure do get a lot of tornadoes here. Don't plan on watching any tv next week, b/c all that will be on is weather. That's okay with me - I've always been fascinated with severe weather (no I'm not sick, it's just something that amazes me!)

The children and the dog will be going crazy before too long again - just gazing outside wanting to know when they can go "sing" (swing in Wilson's language) I can't tell you how many times he asked me to swing last week - and all I could say was it's raining honey - all wet!!! He doesn't understand - he would have loved to swing in the rain - me, not so much!

I'm really not pessimistic at all, actually I'm very much an optimist! I love a rainy day, I just hope there's not much damage from Gustav - that just breaks my heart! Enjoy this hot summer weather for the next 3 days, because he's a comin! Go away Gustav, and don't even think about it Hannah! Let's start prayin!

Roll Tide!

Happy Birthday Emma Claire - officially!!!

The date on this post should be August 27th, 2008 - I began a draft yesterday, so I guess that's when it dated it - sorry Emma Claire!

Happy 4th Birthday to my first born. After a months' worth of birthday parties and celebrations - it is now your official birthday - I know you are confused, I could tell by the look of astonishment on your face when I told you you were FINALLY 4!!! Happy Birthday to my one daughter whom I love with all my life. You have come so far from that incubator you stayed in for a full month! God knew what he was doing when he brought you here 2 months early - what great godly friends you will be surrounded with the rest of your life, simply b/c you were born before Sept. 1st. You are what drives me to be a better mom - you make me laugh, make me smile, make me strive harder to be a better person, because you are a sweet sweet soul who loves life! You are my compliant one who wants to please, who loves scary movies just like her daddy and nana, who is neat and hates to be dirty like her mommy, who loves her brothers and has never complained that I often have to spend more time focusing on them because you just tend to "take care of yourself". I love you sweetie and one day very soon, when you can read this I want you to know how much I love you. You are the predictable one, the independent one who can play for hours by yourself and be so happy doing it. You love others and are sensitive to their needs - you and your "bestest" friend and cousin Patton will forever be best buddies, is my prayer. I pray that God will continue to grow you up with a love for Him and His Word, with a love for others and with a love for life! I love you!



Now, I need everyone's help. Of course everyone has their opinion about who Henderson looks like and I, as his mother, cannot tell. From first look, I would say he resembles Emma Claire's baby pictures, but I think it's just because their heads (hair) are exactly alike. What do you think - please tell me!

The next 2 pictures are of Henderson

The next 2 pictures are of Emma Claire

This next one is Emma Claire and Wilson

They are all between 3 1/2 and 5 months (Emma Claire is older in all of them, but she was born 2 months early, so it should make it even.)