Babies don't keep :(

I was scanning the shelf of a cute little antique store today when I saw that poem framed.  It didn't have any place in our home, but the sweet words brought a tear to my eye and took me right back to those nights rocking my sweet boy.  He still gets rocked for two songs every night, The ABCs and You are my Sunshine, but that only takes about 2 minutes.  Nothing like our old rocking sessions, but I'm happy we've moved on to big boy hugs and kisses and a quick bedtime routine. 

Speaking of growing too fast, I failed to post any H facts on his 11 month post.  Here are a few things about our boy at this age...  the best one yet! 

He can give high five, clap when you sing or say YAY, wave his hand hi and bye and point.

He can say dada (his first real word), mama, Gigi, cracker, no (no, no, no complete with a finger wiggle), hi, yay, bye and night night (sounds like nigh nigh).  Mom also swears he can say Mickie (her sister), down, and there... but we have yet to hear those. 

He is fast as lightening with his crawl, and loves for you to chase him.  He will stop and turn around to make sure you are following him, and then take off again. 

He is still sleeping great, and taking two naps a day. 

He loves gold fish crackers, chicken of all kinds, fruit, yogurt and pasta.

He knows exactly what button makes every noise/song.  He will go straight to his favorites and look at you to make sure you are dancing too. 

He has no interest at all in the television, but will bust a gut to get to the computer if you have it in your lap.   It's enough to drive you crazy keep you off the computer when you should be playing with the baby. 

He's a goof.  A grouchy goof sometimes in front of strangers, but a lovie goof around the house. 

I'm sure there are a zillion other things, but that's all I got tonight.  I also don't have any pictures because I left my camera at the trips house last night after our dinner date. 

11 Months With My Boy

H man is 11 months today!  We celebrated with an absolute crazy day.  And while I treasure every day with my amazing boys, but I sure am glad this one is over! 

It looked a little something like this...

7:30- Wake up and pack up.
8:45- Drop H off at Gigi's house.
10:00- Closing #1
11:00- Closing #2
12:15- Mom drops H off at my office.
12:30- Meet Mimi, Cathy, Cawley and Lillian at the Mall of Georgia food court for lunch and carousel rides.
2:00- Go to the urgent care clinic after my office girls, mom, Cathy and Becky insisted that I get my THREE spider bites checked out.*
3:30- Leave urgent care and drive around for 20 minutes to get H to fall asleep.
4:00- Closing #3
4:15- H wakes up from his nap and was not thrilled about being escorted around outside by sweet Jessica in my office.  He didn't scream much, but he was a grouch, that's for sure. 
5:30- Leave office after waiting around forever for my boss to call me back.  Baby still grouchy. 
6:00- Drop off prescription to treat spider bites.
6:15- Dinner for Hardin. 
7:00- Bottle and a trip upstairs for a quick bath and bed. 
7:01- SUDDEN realization that it was the 26th and I needed a picture.  Once again holler at Jason to bring up the camera.  But this time H got to squirm around in a nasty diaper for 5 seconds to snap a pic... that was a first. 
7:15- Jason goes to pick up my prescription, makes a salad for me at the grocery store bar, grabs himself two huge cinnamon rolls, we both eat and are watching the Braves.  And Gossip Girl.  And the bottom of the glass of my new favorite adult beverage.  Sweet tea vodka and Crystal Light lemonade.  A twisted Arnold Palmer was the only way to end this day.  Good night! 

*After blood work that completely infatuated H while being taken, there is no final answer on my bites.  My white count is normal, so that is good, no black widow.  But, there is still a chance they were given by a brown recluse.  AND, much to my despair, Doc says the worse the spider, the less likely you are to feel them bite.  Awesome news huh?  Especially for a girl that lives in a subdivision in the country slap in the middle of a horse farm and cow farm.  We have the pick of the litter when it comes to spiders.  I'm on an antibiotic to prevent the death of any more of my skin tissue, and I have three gorgeous black circles drawn on my leg around the bites in surgical marker.  If the boarder of the bite gets bigger than the circle, I go to the hospital.  Again, stellar news.  Now you get the ole dirty Arnold Palmer, right? 

Touch-me-not.

Mimi calls Hardin a touch-me-not, and I love it.  Mostly because she says Jason was the EXACT.SAME.WAY.  He loves to look at everyone and interact from a distance, but don't go reaching for my boy and expect open arms. 

But please do reach for him, because it makes him so shy and he nuzzles up on me and I just love it. 

In his little defense, if you pick him up and take him out of sight from me, Jason and mom he normally warms right back up. Or if you totally ignore him.  Then he'll get right in your face trying to figure out why.  Go figure. 

Today we went to breakfast and followed that up with the park.  It's so nice when Jason is there to guard the other end of the tunnels.  We all enjoyed the swings because we were the only folks there. 

And I promise I'm done with the storyboards for a while.  I'm like a 3 year old when I learn a new trick.  Kinda silly.  Almost as silly as Jason on a swing.  

Lillian is One!

Well, Hardin was feeling great today and Cathy really wanted us to come even though it hadn't been 24 hours since his fever.  The party was only family so we were 1/3 of the guest list.  So we went.  We sure had fun but I'm still praying the birthday girl didn't catch anything.  We did a pretty good job of keeping them apart.

This also feels like an appropriate place to mention how much I LOVE Jason's family.  Every single one of them.  Marrying into a great family, that you genuinely like, is one of the greatest blessings in the world. 

Lillian is so dang cute I just stare at her all the time.  And the hair?  Can't get over it.  Happy birthday to the sweetest little one year old girl in the world! 

Watching the Dawgs with daddy.

We couldn't keep them apart the entire time...

Uncle Roddy hanging out in Cawley's chair.

Exploring the yard with Aunt Sharron.

He's still adjusting to no nap.  Sweet boy!

On the mend.

Hardin had his first sick appointment with the pediatrician today. His fever spiked to 103 yesterday afternoon out of nowhere. We got it down to 100 before bed, it stayed around there all night, but it was 101 this morning.

I do not like this fever business at all. Until now we've had two or three stuffy noses but nothing that really bothered either one of us. Last night after I put him down I headed straight to Walgreens to get one of those fancy thermometers that you can use behind the ear without waking them. I finally went to bed close to 1am, and then set my alarm for 3 and 6 to check his temp.

Doc did a strep test and luckily it's not that. He is still in excellent spirits and is active as ever, hence the busy boy pictures, and she doesn't think it is anything more than a little virus or his sinuses acting up. We put him to bed tonight with a temp under 100 so I think he is on the mend.

Unfortunately, Mimi is in town for Lillian's first birthday party tomorrow and we're going to have to sit it out. Hopefully he'll be fever free all day tomorrow so we can go visit with Mimi on Sunday... and Lillian will just have to have a second little party with us!

Laughter

You would think with as much as we laugh around here I'd have lots of funny things to write, but I have found I tend to write about the sweet things I want to remember.  Hardin also has a very serious reputation due to the fact that he goes into exam mode around strangers.  Don't let either of those things fool you, we laugh a lot. 

I don't really worry about Hardin not knowing he grew up in a happy home.  I think if anything, Jason and I will get that part right.  I hope he'll remember the laughter.  And when it's as cute as this video, I will too!

This weekend was so nice.  Friday afternoon we played in the yard until Jason got home from golf, and stayed out there until bedtime. 

Saturday we put up the baby gate for the stairs and put up a few more baby proofing items.  We also put together the playset thing I bought a while ago.  Less than a handful of four letter words were used during both, so I figure that was a sucess.

I stayed up WAY too late going through all of Hardin's fall and winter clothes, including all of Cawley's 12-24 month hand me downs.  I also sorted everything H has out grown into our pile and the just in case Cathy has another Cawley's clothes pile.  It was as rewarding as it was exhausting, and I am officially banned from purchasing one more thing for this fall. 

Today we went to a wedding shower and H charmed my aunts... after having a total melt down when he woke up from his nap in a strange fellowship hall with too many old ladies looking at him.  He keeps me on my toes, that one! 

 

Our favorite time of the day.

As much as I love the first few minutes when I get Hardin out of bed, I think we'd both agree our favorite time of the day is after his bath right before his bedtime bottle.  He loves it because he gets to run around in his diaper only, his toys are also all over the place because I don't pick up until he goes down, and has mine and Jason's undivided attention.  No point in struggling to get jammas on twice, we put on them on with his night time diaper right before bed.  

I love it because he's just so lovie and silly in his sleepy but not yet grumpy phase.  Our new game started a few days ago when he got startled and yelped a little bit.  I quickly hugged him and yelped myself and then held out my arms for him to hug me.  Well, he thought this was about the funniest thing he has ever seen.  We carried on for a good ten minutes and he wants to do it every night.

H comes from a long line of good huggers, and is following in suit quite nicely.  His hugs are so sweet, he scratches your shoulders (I think this is his idea of a pat), and does the running man to nuzzle up on you as high as he possibly can. 

Then he laughs, and repeats.  I laugh, then I tear up a little, then repeat.  I'm telling you, there is no better feeling in the world than that sweet little boy giving you a full body hug.

10 Years

Ten years ago today I went to class late, as usual, and had to wait for the bus from Ramsey to North Campus. I stepped on the bus and the driver looked at me a little funny. I quickly realized no one was making a sound. They were all listening to news on the radio. One of the World Trade Center towers in New York was just hit by a plane. An airplane? The confusion set in.

I hopped off at my stop and quickly ran to the TV in Coke lounge in Sanford hall. Being late to class paid off as I was the first of about 500 that tried to cram into that room. We all sat there as strangers and cried like friends as we watched the second plane hit the other tower. I'm pretty sure there wasn't anyone in that room, or our country, that had any idea what was really going on.

I realized what was happening right about the time my dad called my cell phone. He was calm, and asked me where I was. I told him, and asked dad, are we safe? Without hesitation he said Fred, so help me God as long as I am alive you will be safe. Now get your ass back to your apartment and stay there until I tell you it is okay to leave. I'm serious. Get home, stay put and stay off of your phone unless it's us calling. If you get to your brother before me you tell him to hang up and call me.

I miss him so much. I miss the way that no matter what was happening, good or bad, he was my first call and I was his after mom. Not that he didn't want to talk to Scott as much as me, he just knew I was the most likely to get him on the phone. He was also a nervous wreck because my mom was working at the airport at the time. So was my sister, his step daughter.

I tell this story for the obvious reason that we are all spending this day remembering that terrible tragedy, and those who lost their lives and loved ones. I was so proud as mom and I drove through many small towns today and each one of them had some sort of event going on today to honor those lost and our service men and women.

I also remember how bad I wanted to have my family in my arms reach. Every single one of them. Right there in front of me where I could touch them and not worry. Where I could physically see that they were okay and make sure they stayed that way. And how insanely sad I felt for those who didn't know where their loved ones were, or even worse, they knew that they were in one of those buildings.

Looking back, at 19 years old, that is the closest to feeling like a mother as I ever came before motherhood. It's also very telling of how mothers end up crazy. And stressed. And emotional. That is a huge weight to carry around with you every second of every day.

I hope and pray little baby Hardin never has to experience anything like that in his lifetime. But if he does, I sure hope he feels as close and comforted by his family.

H was feeling much better today so mom and I packed him up early and headed to Stone Mountain Park for the Yellow Daisy Festival. We had a great time walking around looking at all the neat stuff we'd never dare purchase and making mental notes about things we could do ourselves. I also hit the jackpot of handmade appliqued jon jons for next summer. I got 4 for 40 bucks, and one is reversible. I'd post pictures of our day, but they'd spoil one of our favorite reader's Christmas gift.

Sick and Sore and Extra Baths

Hardin is sick, Jason is sick and I am sore.  H picked up a little head cold and gave it to daddy.  No fever but some pretty serious drainage.  It is so frustrating not being able to tell him how to blow his nose.  I make really quick loud sniffing noises and he mimics me, which helps get the saline drops back, but he's just too little to understand anything else.  His mood has been okay, he's still silly and laughing a lot, but he also has a VERY short fuse and can turn fussy faster than his little sneezes.  I'd be fussy too if I had no way of knowing it would all be over soon.

He also SCREAMS bloody murder when you approach his crib.  This is a far cry from super sleeper so we've not really known what to do.  He's napped with me and been rocked all the way to sleep the rest of the time.  I certainly can't handle the thought of him feeling alone and confused and scared when he's feeling so bad physically.  So really he can have whatever he wants right now.   

One thing he is loving about this little bug are the extra warm baths.  They help so much to calm him down and loosen the funk. 

I had my fifth, and hopefully final, surgery Wednesday.  I'll save you the story of my colossal three year old crying fit slight post op breakdown.  For the most part I am pretty optimistic.  I ended up with a completely different surgery involving a weird rubber band system on each side of the muscle leading to the cyst to basically stop any circulation that would make it form again.  It was more complicated than what I went in for and has left me substantially more sore than the previous ones.  Hopefully that means it worked!

One thing I am loving about all this healing are the daily bath soaks with epsom salt after H goes down.  Doc didn't insist on me having a glass of wine with said mandatory baths, but I have taken it upon myself to add that to the mix.  I've also read more of my non-parenting book than I have in quite some time.  Through 8 months of surgery, I've been prescribed every pain medication imaginable.  I hate them all and the way they make me feel so I don't take them.  I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure the bath/book/wine combo is my key to successful healing!

Seriously, I just took a 73 minute bath.  Jason came in because he thought I fell asleep.  I was so into The Help I didn't even care that the water was ice cold.  How awesome is that?  

The only other exciting event of the week was a visit from Pop.  I'm not sure what he enjoyed more, watching Hardin crawl and cruise all over the place, or talking golf and Georgia football with Jason.  I'm sure one day when H can join in on the sports talk it will be just perfect for him.  

Three generations of McWhorter men ignoring me.

Sometimes daddy buttons me up all wrong... or not at all on top.

And sometimes I feed the driveway as much of my frozen yobaby as I feed myself. 

But I sure do have fun, stuffy nose and all!

A boy, a book and a brain.

My baby brother turns 28 today.  Twenty EIGHT!  If you are wondering how he can be 28 when I am clearly only 25, you are not the only one.

In honor of B, I thought I'd explain one of my absolute most favorite things of all time.  The beautiful Bible Uncle Scott gave Hardin for Christmas last year.  B wrote a note on the inside that said "God gave you a book and a brain, use them both." 

I don't need to elaborate on why I love it so much.  My brother may be a man of few sentimental words, but he sure uses those words well.

Yesterday I made a pathetic attempt at making a sign and taking a picture to send B to wish him a happy birthday.  The sign was reasonably cute.  The baby was very cute.  But they were not cooperating to be cute together.  Honestly I don't know what I was thinking putting something so shinny and tear-able in front of that boy.  It was all I could do to get Jason to play Patty Cake behind me long enough to to distract him for a quick shot before the sign was destroyed! 

I was also excited I was able to snap him in his little patirotic outfit one last time for Labor Day.  We enjoyed the day at home with a baked ham, mac-n-cheese and green beans.  Hardin loved it! 

ATL and ATH

Yesterday we went down to Atlanta so Jason could go to the Dawgs home opener and Hardin and I could visit with my adorable niece, nephew and Cat.  For the first time since the baby was born, I forgot my stinkin camera.  Seems someone (starts with J, ends in son) was entirely too anxious to get out the door at noon for an 8pm game that he had me frazzled.

Cathy and I certainly had the best end of that deal.  The Dawgs disappointed.  The babies did not.  Every time we are with them it about makes me tear up how much Cawley loves us.  It doesn't always happen, but when it does, he gives me a good 2-3 minute long welcome hug.  Seriously, he just lets me pick him up, lays his head down on my shoulder and holds on for a good long while quite as a mouse.  Obviously, we love him more than he will EVER know, but it is so fun to know he loves us too.  It also reminds me how important it is to make sure and spend lots of time with Lillian.  I'd hate not to have that same relationship with her. 

For the record, Cat's well on her way to that relationship with Hardin.  That's the only house we can go to with out the cling-wear-off phase besides mom's, he jumped right in the kid mix yesterday when we arrived.  I can't take any credit for predicting that, it was a given.  Cat's a super mom and awesome aunt, and even Justin, who is that guy not really into any kids other than his own (90% of men, Jason included), loves seeing and catching up with H. Brothers.  Gotta love'em. 

My friend Tara and her family are in town visiting her family in Macon, and drove up to Athens today.  Hardin and I met them, Amanda, and another couple at DePalmas in Athens today.  This was not H's first trip there, but it was the first since he's been eating table food.  Of course he loved it, and I loved visiting with my friends and Tara's expanding family.  She's welcoming #2 in December.

Also made me remember how thankful we are for the MANY wonderful families the Navy supply school brought into both of our lives.  What would we have done without them all?  Coincidence for this Labor Day weekend?  I think not.

After lunch we walked up to The Arch to take a few pictures.  It was strange how weird it was that this wave of sadness came over me that Jason wasn't with us.  Had I thought twice about it, I would have saved that special moment for our entire family.  That must sound silly to non-Dawgs, but it really was a big deal, and we missed daddy.  We did get some excellent pictures of the boys and Tara's crew, so it was worth it!