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!