Easter rocked!

Easter was great this year. Gracie and Katie's mom allowed them to stay with my brother and parents, even though it was her weekend. The girls wanted to go to church, and her family didn't have anything planned, so it worked out. I wanted to get the three girls together in a good pic with their Easter dresses, but it wasn't happening. Oh well, we managed to get some good shots.



I'm glad we got a decent one of the three of us, since those are few and far between. And then we have the rest of the family...



I have a better one of them, where Mom is not ducking under a leaf, but I'm too lazy to download it right now. Actually, I'm sick, so that's my excuse. Note the green camouflage cast on Gracie's arm from the trampoline debacle. She'd planned on getting a blue one, but she got this one to annoy her mother, who wanted something more feminine. Tee hee.

We went to church with my parents, which was a huge deal for Mom because we don't usually go to that church. I haven't been there with any regularity since I was about 16 or so. Needless to say, it made Mom's day that she was able to show off her youngest granddaughter. Audrey did pretty well in the nursery, remarkably, since she usually cries when left with strangers. She did end up sitting in the same lady's lap the entire time, bless her heart.

After church, and picture time, we went to my aunt's for lunch. Katie and I hid eggs for Gracie and Audrey, which was kind of strange since Gracie's older than Katie. Then Katie got really irritable when Gracie helped Audrey find eggs, since it really wasn't a competition. Sigh. As if a 16-month-old could find eggs in a huge yard with so many flowers and plants it looks like a formal garden. Yeah, their yard is outrageous.

The most amazing (and frustrating) thing about this day was that Audrey did not take a nap. ALL DAY. Now, there have been some days lately when she's only taken one, but she's never gone a whole day without a nap. At least she didn't get upset or irritable. She acted as if she'd had two long naps and was in a great mood.



And I can't believe I haven't blogged about Audrey's first haircut. Isn't she adorable? I'll have to write about that later; it was interesting, to say the least. She doesn't look like a baby anymore, though:(

I'm a petty thief

What a day, and it's not even close to being over. I had a chiropractic appointment this morning, so I decided to go to Target on the way home. Audrey needed some shoes for Easter, and I need some for an upcoming wedding.

Anyhoo, I hardly ever take her out by myself because of my pain, but I thought I could handle it for a little while. Everything went well, and we checked out just in time to get Audrey home for a much-needed nap.

So we get out to the car, and I realize I've locked my keys in there. Crap. And did I mention that it was raining? Yeah. It was.

My mind was spinning, trying to figure out what to do. We had extra keys at home, but David, my parents, and my in-laws are all at least 30 minutes away during the day. I called David, and he said he'd try his brother, who apparently has moved closer to us recently (obviously, I haven't been paying attention, since I didn't know that).

I was thinking, great. He's not the most reliable guy in the world, but he's young, so it comes with the territory. I also taught him when he was in 8th grade (another story for another time), and I guess I sometimes still think of him as a thirteen-year-old. David got him on the phone, though, and he agreed to come.

So all I had to do was wait. I consoled myself with a Starbucks, and Audrey happily used a straw as a teether, since I had (of course) left the diaper bag in the car.

Audrey started to cry and I couldn't get her to stop, so we strolled around the store again. I took her back to the toy section and let her play with this Leap Frog laptop.



I knew she'd probably like it, since she's fascinated with our laptops and keyboard.



Yeah, I know, she looks so lady-like in that picture. Well, she grabbed that toy and wouldn't let go. I wasn't about to take it from her, either. No way.

My brother-in-law showed up (my hero today) and we went to the checkout line again. I said to the cashier, "I've already checked out once. Do you want to see the receipt?" She said no, so I put my other purchases up there.

When I got out to the parking lot, I was like OH NO!!! I just stole that laptop, leaptop, whatever the heck it's called. I tried to remember if the cashier scanned it, but nope, that didn't happen, because Audrey was holding on tight.

I know I should have, but I didn't go back in the store. I just couldn't. Audrey had been awake for over 5 hours, and my muscles could barely get me home. But relax...I'm going to pay for it tomorrow. Or just return it, since it's for ages 2+ anyway.

Technically, though, Audrey stole it, so I'm off the hook, right? I better take her with me when I return it, because who could resist this sweet little girl?

Aliases

Okay, so I'm tired of using fake names in my blog. It requires effort, and there are slip-ups all the time, even though I usually catch them. I'd rather put my limited energy to use somewhere else.

I've not shared my blog address with many people I know...I'm not sure why, except that I wanted somewhere I could vent about my sister-in-law. Turns out, though, she's become a non-issue in my life, thank God. And if I decide to tell people I know about my blog, they're going to be extremely confused by the names! So here we go.

Audrey = Audrey (I think her name's so beautiful, I couldn't change it:)
Matt = David
Elizabeth (oldest niece) = Gracie
Nichole (youngest niece) = Katie
and Noah, my brother = Owen. That was the boy name I liked when I was pregnant.

Oh yeah, and I'm Heather, not Emily. I'm going to have to figure out how to change that. Whew...I feel much better now. I could never be in the CIA, obviously. I'd squeal before they shoved the first bamboo shoot under my fingernails.

TLC, here we come!

One of Audrey's favorite games lately is to bring as many of her toys to me qs she can and pile them in my lap. So, if I'm sitting somewhere for 5 minutes, if she's in the mood to play, I'll soon find ladybugs, butterflies, cars, balls, and stuffed animals on my lap. Apparently, she likes to be covered with these things, too.



When she brings me something, I always say "Thank you", since I'm trying to teach her manners, doncha' know. So I guess that's the phrase I repeat most during the day. That's better than when I was teaching, when it was, "Sit down, you idiot!" (I kid).

If I don't take whatever she's offering me, she'll try to push it in my lap, or she'll simply stare at me until I take it. I don't care what anyone says, that toddler stare can be scary.

Other games she's enjoying now:
1) putting something on her head, such as her pants, and repeatedly calling it a "hat",
2) getting every single one of the books out of her "book basket" and scattering them all over the house,
3) climbing up on the furniture, and
4) walking around with a wipe, pretending like she's blowing her nose (this comes from having a mommy with terrible allergies).

See, I don't need to watch movies or TV comedies. I've got the best entertainment right here.

Soap Quote #1

First, let me just say that I don't let Audrey watch TV, just an occasional video. (I'm not judging you if you do, promise). But frequently, her lunchtime happens to coincide with a soap opera I've "watched" since I was about 13, Days of Our Lives. I put "watched" in quotes, since you can basically watch one show every six months and be caught up. If you're a soap fan, you know what I mean.

So sometimes, while Audrey and I are eating lunch, I listen to the show. I am perfectly aware of how ludicrous the plots are, so I decided to add a few crazy quotes from it to my blog from time to time for amusement. So, here we go...

Man who's just been paid to break into a house to scope it out: I got in.
Vivian, who paid him to do it: Well? What did you find?
Man: I can tell you this. They have a jail cell in their basement.
Vivian: Doesn't everyone?

Getting rid of Cousin It

The current debate in our house is whether or not Audrey should get bangs. I've been toying with this idea for a while, but lately, it's gotten to the critical point. See for yourself.



(By the way, I did not purchase that bib. I don't want my child to become a self-fulfilling prophecy). The above pic shows how her hair is most of the day, when we're at home. It's ridiculous. I can't even see her face because of all that hair. She's starting to look like Cousin It. And every time she eats or drinks milk, it inevitably ends up in her hair. Of course, I don't let her go out in public that way.



But here's how it goes. As soon as we get somewhere, say Target, I have to get in the backseat and put on her shoes and socks (since she takes them off in the car); then, I slip a barrette in her hair. Generally, when we're out in public, she'll put up with it, but that's mainly because she's so distracted by what's going on. Such as the signs hanging from the ceiling at Target...those are a big hit.

As soon as we put her back in the car seat, though, the barrette comes out. She's going to take it out eventually, anyway, and I don't want her swallowing it. But her hair is driving me mad! Matt doesn't really want to cut it, although he admitted on Saturday that it was driving him a little crazy, too.

So this week, I proposed a daily vote on the issue. Of course, my vote has been bangs every day, but Matt's vote wavers. That's because he doesn't have to put up with it all day!

So, it looks like our little precious will be getting a haircut soon, because we all know that if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Now we just have to figure out how to keep her from freaking out during the process. She doesn't do too well with strangers, and a stranger coming at her with scissors could equal a major meltdown. I don't know...maybe we should take her to one of those kid salons, where they have all the distractions and toys to keep them occupied. It might cost an arm and leg, but it could be a good initiation haircut for her.

Craziness

I had my physical yesterday...yuck. Matt and Audrey both came with me, since the doctor's office is midway between our house and Matt's school. The whole time we were there, all Matt could talk about was having another baby. And let me tell you, that is VERY strange.

I mean, up until a couple of days ago, if someone asked us if we were going to have a second baby, he would immediately say, "Oh no. One is just perfect for us", or something to that effect. Then suddenly, he just changes his mind. He starts talking about the gender-neutral things we have for a baby, where the baby would sleep...well, you get the picture. This was obviously not a passing thought for him.

All I can think is, my health. How in the world would I take care of two children? I'm not too worried about how the pregnancy would go, since I had no fibro symptoms when I was pregnant with Audrey. But seriously? I can barely take Audrey anywhere by myself, and what would happened if I had another?

We talked to the doctor about it, and he said it would be fine, but we should decide soon, since I'm quickly approaching the dreaded 40 in December. He spoke of birth defects, trouble getting pregnant, etc. Which of course I already knew, having researched all that last time.

Ah...but the more Matt talked about it, the more I could picture it. He's even decided when we should get pregnant. It's crazy, and he's crazy. It is fun to think about what a second child would look and act like, though.

Especially when we have this little cutie running around...



Again, I say the idea is nuts. I think it's normal to want another baby when your first one is turning into more of a little girl than a baby. Right?

Wrestling gone wrong

Not a good day yesterday. I felt awful, so I was pretty much ready to go back to bed shortly after I got up. We did have some fun snuggling, the three of us, in bed. Okay, I guess you could say we weren't really snuggling, since Audrey doesn't stay still for more than 30 seconds.

After Audrey went down for a nap, Matt decided to cut the grass and I decided to dive back into bed. I was awakened by a phone call at 2:45, with my mom saying they were on the way to the hospital. Elizabeth and her cousins were trying out some wrestling moves on a trampoline, and let's just say it didn't end well...she broke her arm.

The EMS came to get her, and we had some tense moments while they decided whether or not Elizabeth needed surgery. In the past, I would've been there with her, but I was waiting at home for updates. That's the most helpless feeling.

She didn't have to have surgery after all, thank goodness. But Mom sent me a pic of the X-ray, and I felt like I was going to vomit. Both the bones in her forearm are broken, and they were bent at an angle that would make anyone sick to their stomach.

There were some funny things that happened in the ER, and I wish I'd been there to witness it. Elizabeth had to be sedated for them to set her arm (this after 3 shots of morphine in the ambulance), and when she was waking up, she did some crazy things. Mom said she'd be lying there, and then all of a sudden, she'd sit up straight in the bed and yell, "I'm hungry" and then lay back down again. And yes, my brother did get some video of that.

I wanted to strangle her cousin for slamming her on the trampoline like that. Mom reassured me that "Kids will be kids", and then she said we'd be dealing with that sort of thing with Audrey one day. Thanks, Mom.

Such Sorrow

I'm going to a funeral tomorrow. I just went to one a couple of weeks ago; it was for my mom's long-time neighbor (over 40 years), Margaret, who died of cancer. That was bad enough.

Then on Monday morning, a glorious, no-clouds-in-the-sky kind of day, her husband, Carl, died in a car accident. He was having problems with insomnia since his wife's death. They believe he fell asleep at the wheel, ironically on the way to the doctor's office, whom he was going to see about the insomnia. Carl hit another car head-on; thankfully, the woman in the other car was okay.

I'm still in shock over this. I've known them my whole life, and I used to be in and out of their house all the time, playing with their daughters. They have three, and they're completely devastated by their loss. I can't even imagine how they must feel.

That sends my mind into dark places, places I don't want to visit. Such as, what if that happened with Matt and me? Who would Audrey have to lean on? We've only planned on having one child, mainly due to my health, but finances are an issue, too. I know she'd have her cousins, but no siblings to help her through it.

So, in a way, I wish we could have another baby. Not just for that reason, but because...well, just because I want to. The message boards I frequent have women with children the age of Audrey, and they're already pregnant with their second baby. And it makes me want another sometimes, really bad.

Damn this fibromyalgia!

But I'm thankful for the wonderful, healthy child we have.

There's a Pumpkin in my Yard

We had some terrible storms on Monday night. Our swing blew over yet again.



We've had some serious wind gusts around here. The swing blows over on a regular basis, though. Recently, it landed in the neighbor's yard. I tentatively looked out the window to make sure no neighborhood kids were pinned underneath it. ::shudder::

Speaking of neighbors, our new ones moved in about a week ago. They had set up some of their kids' stuff in the backyard, and most of it was knocked down.



And the strangest thing I found in our yard was...



Someone's not going to be happy this Halloween. And since the wind was so strong, I have no way of knowing whose it is. Oh well.

Thank God that Audrey's a heavy sleeper; she never woke up during the storm. She was ready to go the next morning.



Unlike Mommy:(

16 month letter

Dear Audrey,

This is an appropriate picture to use for today, since you have become quite the talker at 16 months! You can say at least 50 words, maybe more. Not just things like milk, Mommy, Daddy, but words like monkey and necklace. Sure, you can't enunciate like we can, but you're definitely saying these words. You repeat a lot of what you hear. Just a little while ago, I said, "Oh my gosh!" and you walked around saying gosh. It's amazing.

You're keeping up the vegetarian diet, and now you've got me on it, too. Since you won't eat meat, I'm looking up vegetarian recipes for you, and I'm eating them also. You even ate Cottage Cheese Patties, and so did I. Mealtime is getting scary around here:)

You're becoming less shy around others, although it takes you a long time to warm up to people. You attended your first birthday party recently, and you perked up as soon as you saw the little girl's dog. You were pretty comfortable after that.

Your cousins can't stay away from you. They used to be excited to see me and Daddy, but now they're only interested in you! I can't say that I blame them.

You're running all over the place now, and lots of times, you don't stop until you hit something or fall down. We've dealt with lots of boo-boos, that's for sure. It's only recently that I stopped making Daddy check your eyes for a concussion every time you hit your head.

I've never seen a sweeter child. Yesterday, when we were lying on a quilt outside, you rested your head on my stomach and just looked at me. And I thanked God for giving you to us. You "hug" me and Daddy all the time, wrapping your arms around our legs and squeezing. When we hold you, sometimes you'll pat our back or arms, just like we do when you need some love.

I'm looking forward to Easter and seeing how you do with the egg hunt, dyeing eggs, the Easter Bunny, etc. I think you'll have a wonderful time.

With all my love,
Mommy

Cake and the F-bomb

So, it's been a great week. Matt's been at home on spring break, and we've been doing lots of stuff I couldn't normally do with Audrey, because of my health. We went to Hobby Lobby to look for Easter baskets and some other things.

Matt and I bought cake decorating supplies. Elizabeth and Nichole recently earned straight A's on their report cards, despite all the upheaval in their lives. So we decided to make them a special cake, while trying out our cake decorating skills. One of my favorite shows is Cake Boss, so I'm a little obsessed with that right now.

Well, it didn't turn out like one of Buddy's creations (big surprise), but it still looked great. Better yet, it tasted like sin. Chocolate on chocolate...let's just say half of it was gone at our family get-together last night, and the sheet cake from Publix was barely touched. Even Noah admitted that it was rich, and he's a hard-core sugar addict. Elizabeth asked for a second piece, and when I handed Nichole her plate, she said, "It's three layers!"

Back to Hobby Lobby. Matt was pushing Audrey around in the stroller, and suddenly I heard her little voice saying something I did not want to hear. Yep, this little angel



...was dropping the F-bomb over and over again. In an overtly Christian store, mind you. Now, I know what you're thinking. That she heard it from us. And although I fully admit that was a word I used a lot when I was frustrated before Audrey was born, neither I nor Matt have said it around her. It's just that she's experimenting with sounds, you know, truck, duck, puck...you get the picture. We tried not to react because, if we acted all crazy about it, she'd get the attention and use it even more. Thank God we were on our way out; otherwise, they might have kicked us to the curb.

Ah...the joys of parenthood.