Home Sweet Home

I'm back and what a trip it was! This photo looks like it came from a gathering at the United Nations. We are quite an eclectic group!There is something about the word FAMILY that just boggles my mind. I have a total of 7 brothers and sisters, 13 nieces and nephews and 1 great niece. Add in all of the spouses, my family and a couple of parents and you've got yourself one gigantic party. Last fall I began making preparations for our family reunion this summer. Our original plan was to meet in Gatlinburg but when my Daddy's back was giving him trouble we changed the venue to his house(s). We ended up in 3 houses and 2 hotels so at certain points it was a logistical nightmare trying to get every one bedded and fed. Then there was the issue of airport trips and moving people without cars around. Oh, and then there was the issue of all the car seats! There are so many little ones now!
We spent our days swimming, boating, we ate, visited, talked, went to the ice cream parlor twice(Haagan Daz...MMMMM)and pretty much just wrangled children and hung out. We also took a day trip to Sea World while Grandma and Grandaddy watched Landry and Abby. It rained for a good portion of the day but we had a great time anyway especially watching the little ones. It made me and Mike that much more excited to take Landry to Disney World for the first time. You could really see and feel the magic of Sea World when you see it through their eyes.

Let's talk about Uncle Mike. He was the fan favorite for sure! The kids just love him. They climbed all over him and wanted him to throw them in the pool. They wanted to sit in his lap all the time and someone was ALWAYS holding his hand. He was the fun uncle and since Landry is still too young to claim him, they took full advantage of it.

Can I just say that my baby girl was a dream?! The whole time we were there she was so happy and fun to be around. She just charmed her way into every ones heart. She was passed around like a gravy boat at Thanksgiving and loved every minute of it. My niece, Jessica spent a lot of time with her and Landry really liked her a lot. I hope she continues to stay a part of her life because Landry would truly benefit from having a her in it.
My great niece, Kylie is something else. My older sister, Robin is helping raise her and does a phenomenal job with her. She is the absolute most articulate child I have ever been around. She just turned 2 a few weeks ago and knows about a 1000 words. Yes, you read right. 1000 words. She speaks clearly and can piece small sentences together without any problem. The doctor didn't believe she had such an extensive vocabulary but he was proven wrong! My sister went home to see just how many she knew and she quit typing them out at 600 and that was several months ago. We were all amazed at how smart she is. I have to give you high Kudos Robin...you are doing a fantastic job with her and it shows.
Rhonda's kids are all so sweet. That little Zoe is a steamroller! Both she and Ella are so funny and full of energy. Tia is THE most thoughtful child I have ever known. She is compassionate, helpful and just plain sweet. Zach, her oldest is all boy. Give that kid a video game (or a lizard) and he is set! It was a rare treat for him to have a Gameboy to play with so he took full advantage of it. Bless his heart, he had a bad reaction to the chlorine in one of the pools and it took him out for a night. He couldn't keep his eyes open and he missed the big trip to the ice cream parlor. 20+ orders of ice cream---now THAT was fun!
I can't even begin to tell you how crazy it all was. I will post more later...there's still so much more to tell. If you want to see some more pictures from the trip just click on my photo album on the right.

Poopie Time!
I was at my Aunt Elaine’s house and she was telling me that my cousin was potty trained at 13 months old. Well I thought, hmm…maybe I can do that with Landry. I was waiting for the ‘look. You know the one when her eyes start to pop out of her head, her face gets beet red and she stiffens up. You’ve all seen the look. Anyway, I got one of those looks this morning and I scooped her up, took her diaper off and took her straight to the toilet. She looked at me like ‘What the heck are you doing, Mama?!’ but I kept telling her to go poopie on the potty over and over. Well, she finished her business and I went nuts telling her how proud I was of her and doing the poopie dance. She absolutely had no idea what she did so right but I can promise you the next time I get ‘the look’ I will be doing the poopie dance again!

Reunion!
Sorry I haven’t been able to blog much lately but I have been on vacation in Florida with my family….my whole family. When we get together it is quite a feat. There are 8 brothers and sisters , 15 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild PLUS spouses! One brother, 2 grandsons and a few spouses weren’t able to make it. The Mader Family and Rhonda’s crew got here Monday morning early. My older sister, Robin got here yesterday and the rest of the family will trickle in from now until Friday. We will have a big party on Saturday and head on back home after church on Sunday. WHEW! I tell you what, after spending two days with my sisters 4 and all of the energy they expel l in a day, I know I won’t have more than two if I even get that far. They are GREAT kids and I love being around them but I realized how much energy I don’t have when I am with them.
We drove though the night to get here so we wouldn’t mess up Landry’s schedule and so she would sleep the whole way. She did fantastic! We left at almost midnight from Fairhope and she slept the whole way. She woke up at her regular time of 6 am and never skipped a beat. She has been charming the pants off her Granddaddy and Grandma ever since.
Speaking of Grands….we met Mike’s dad and stepmother, Barb today for the first time today. For a myriad of reasons, it has been quite a while since he has seen him so it was an interesting reunion. I thought everything went very well and I was glad we were able to visit. I hope that they will continue to be a part of our lives and especially Landry’s. She, of course, put on the charm for them too.
I will update as time allows….the crowd thickens today!

7 months
I am sad and I shouldn't be. I spent some time really thinking about my ever changing wonder and how much she has grown. I know I am not the only mother who has ever gone through this. I would be more upset if she wasn't hitting all of her milestones and developing this incredible little personality but it still makes sad every time she moves on to something new and leaves behind my last thrill. It makes me sad when I put something on her to find out she has out grown it. It makes me sad to see how far her little legs are beginning to extend over her carrier and that soon she won't even be in it anymore. It makes me sad to know that my infant is no longer that teeny tiny baby that couldn't do anything to help herself. Of course, she couldn't hold a bottle, or roll over, or crawl to get something that she wanted. No, Mommy had to do everything for her...and absolutely loved every second of it. I feel like I was born to be her Mom. This sense of independence is so fun to watch but I can't help but to wonder where she went so fast. Where is my 7lb.14 oz baby? She is sleeping right now dreaming up ways to make her Mama happier than did yesterday. Yep, I know that's what she's thinking. I just know it.

3

Yesterday was my 3rd anniversary. Mike bought me the mack daddy of cameras....a Nikon D300. Holy Cow! I hit the mother load on that gift. I was in total shock because I completely didn't expect it. He also gave me the biggest box of Godiva chocolates I have ever seen. It had TWO layers! Maybe I'll get someone to take a picture of my fat behind. :)

When we were talking about the last 3 years we talked about how this anniversary was different from the last two. On the first anniversary we were supposed to have a 3 month old. We were supposed to be sleep deprived and trying to figure out this newborn baby we had. We were supposed to be celebrating in the joys of parenthood as well as marriage. It wasn't meant to be. The next one, I was thrilled about a pregnancy. Unfortunately, I was very sick and thrilled. I was so miserable last summer. I lived with this level of fear that I wouldn't wish on anyone and nausea that I can't explain.

We talked about the great places we have been(Vancouver, Costa Rica, Vietnam, New York, Florida, and many others), the things we have been through and how far we've come. I won't lie and tell you it has been easy. It has been some of the toughest years of my life. The most trying and the most painful. On the flip side though, I have also had some of the happiest moments in my life. I brought two of the most precious children that ever existed into our worlds. I have enjoyed the love and friendship of some of the greatest people I have ever known. I learned in so many ways how to be a better friend just by following the example of those around me. I got to spend more time with my family than I have in a very long time. I have experienced a love that I didn't know existed...both from my children and even more importantly my husband. With children, you don't have to work for love. It just happens. With any relationship worth having, you have to put a certain amount of work in to keeping it alive. Mike and I are Olympians in the world of marriage because we both really do work at it. We are so much alike and yet so very different. It's a wonder that he's kept me all this time!

Mike, thank you for being such a great husband and father. If I don't tell you enough, thank you for our life together and for all the ways you make it complete.

Help!
I need a new catchy slogan for my blog and my mind is not working right now so I need your help! What do you think would be a good...no great name or slogan for my blog? Come on now, I need your thinking caps on!!! There will be a prize for the best slogan....so hit me with your best shot!

Freedom

These days Landry is getting quite a taste of freedom. She has those legs working and she has been really getting around like a big girl. Last year when I went back to Vietnam, I got to see the life I could have had and it made me realize just how important my freedom is to me. I have the luxury of a life far different from the one I was born to. I have always said that I am a true rags to riches story. Now don't get me wrong...my idea of riches isn't necessarily the car in my drive way or the house that I live in. It truly is the freedom I have and the liberty that we all share every day we wake up. It is something that I hope Landry never takes for granted and will understand that the life she lives is a privilege. I pray that she comes to understand the value of those people who serve to protect our right to speech, our freedom and the pursuit of happiness. I hope that is something that we all re-establish in our minds as this 4th of July weekend comes to a close. As we get closer to the upcoming election I pray that we choose the candidate who will best fight for these things and serve us with honor, duty and service. I personally think there is only one candidate who can do this....what do you think?

Trust
Today I had a friends teenage daughter come over so I could see if I was comfortable letting her watch Landry. Now most of you that know me are probably going 'She is going to let a 17 year-old watch LANDRY?!! NO WAY!!' Well, much to my surprise, I was really comfortable with her. She was very mature, very respectful and Landry immediately took to her. How could I feel bad about that? She has been certified at St. Dominic's and knows Infant CPR and she came highly recommended. This was a big step for me because I won't leave her with just anyone. I guess any new mother feels this way but for me the lack of trust I have in leaving her goes a little deeper than most. It's getting better but honestly, I would rather be with her than without her. I work her into every aspect of my life so rarely do I HAVE to leave her with someone. I do need some me time on occasion but Mike is pretty good about giving me the time I need. She spent 3.5 hours with us today while I was here and I observed her and her style and thankfully she passed the litmus test. Tomorrow night is her first night with Miss Ashton. We'll be in the neighborhood and we'll be with her parents so I won't be too far. Maybe next time I will go somewhere where I will actually have to get in my car.

The *official* 6 month picture

I contemplated taking Landry to get her 6 month portraits done and I thought I can do just as good a job as most photographers so I thought I would take a stab at it. Look who's sitting up!! I just love that toothless smile. I was thrilled that she could still wear this dress I smocked for her. It took me a lot longer to make it than she has worn it. Anyway, I think they will do just fine. What do you think? Pretty darn cute, isn't she? I took these at Mynelle Gardens while I was taking pictures of a friends twin 2-year old daughters. I thought they turned out pretty good too. You can check them out in my photo album if ya like. Man do they have some energy! I guess it was a sneak preview of what I have to look forward to. I guess I better start getting to bed earlier.

And yes, her name is embossed in gold on her diapers...so what about it?

Pure Angel

That smile is what dreams are made of. I couldn't love anything more than I love this child....and I think she knows it.

New Neighbor

I almost passed out when I looked out my back door and saw this little guy...or girl staring at me. This is a new neighbor I can do without! I'm just glad I was on the other side of the glass when I saw the slippery little sucker.

Best Buddies
This can't help but to put a smile on your face. I took it with my cell phone so the quality isn't great but it is definitely a keeper!

Faces of Landry - 6.5 months

Another Gold Medal!
Landry didn't cry again today at the doctors office and I was so proud of her. I was worried that she might get upset this week since she did so well last time but she did great. She did exactly like she did last week just wincing a little and all smiles within 30 seconds. And the best part is now we don't have to do it again until December...YEAH!!
After we left the doctors office, we went to meet my friend LeAnn for lunch. She moved to Phoenix 2 years ago and we haven't been able to catch up since she left. I was so excited that she was able to fit me in! OK, actually they were fitting Landry in...I just benefitted from their visit. They have both of their families here and in Hattiesburg so it is a stretch to see everyone when they are in town. It was such a great treat to see her 5 year old, Anna. She has grown so much since I saw her last. It just made me realize that much more how fast these first few years go by. Anna is getting ready to start kindergarten and I remember it like it was yesterday the day she was born. Leann and John are such great people. I met them at a church retreat called Cursillo and it was a life changing experience for me. All of the couples were split up so we were paired up with someone before we got there. Leanne and I were complete strangers and we had to room together. Luckily, we liked each other immediately and John was at my table all weekend. We got to really know each other and I consider them life long friends. They gave Landry a book of Prayers and a great bib that said ' Itty Bitty Episcopalian'. I have always said that I have great friends. God has truly blessed me in that department because this life wouldn't be nearly the same without them. DeColores LeAnn!

Woe is me....
I feel like a slacker. A friend of mine told me that I needed to clean my house and that it was wearing HER out. She even offered to come clean it for me...and she was serious. HMMM. What do I say to that other than, yes, I know it isn't as clean as it was BL(before Landry) and no, it wasn't as picked up as it was BL, and no, I don't get nearly as much done in a day like I did BL, and yes, I wish I looked as put together as I used to look before BL. Don't get me wrong, if anyone knows me, my house isn't THAT bad. Never has been...never will be. It's just not up to the standard that I normally have it. So shame got the best of me and today, instead of hanging out with Landry, I cleaned. I scrubbed cabinets and all the floors, dusted, got cobwebs from my 14 foot ceilings...urgh!, sweeped and sprayed off the back patio, finished washing all of the outside windows(I started them the other day), did laundry, helped a friend plan a few aspects of her wedding, talked to a florist, looked up wedding gifts for a soon to be married friend, handled a work related calamity, dealt with the mortgage company...it only took FOREVER over the phone...Lord, help me!, fed Landry 4 times, changed her diaper 9 times, changed her twice and gave her a bath, sterilized and made her bottles for tomorrow, cleaned the kitchen and refrigerator, made a new flower arrangement for Sophie's grave and planned an entire party with a friend of mine all while I was trying to tend to Landry and let her know I was still around. She took two very short naps...25 and 45 minutes respectively. I was beat by the end of the day and now here I am. BTW, I didn't leave 'Took a shower' off accidentally either. Never happened.
My house keeper that used to come every other week up and quit after almost 3 years....I know, I know...woe is me. It was so nice to know you had a schedule of when you had to get your house in order so SHE could get my house in order. It is so hard to find someone you trust and that will CONTINUALLY do good work. She started having issues with the good work part but I never complained. I treated her like a friend...not someone who worked for me. I did nice things for her and fed her while she was here. I gave her birthday presents and generous Christmas bonuses. I sent happies home for her daughter and I paid her well. Mike and I even were going to pay for her to start Dental Hygiene School even though that would have meant we would surely lose her. She missed the deadline and things happened in her life that kept her from going but that's not the point. I wanted good things for her and she just up and left. She started complaining about the cost of gas and that it was kind of far to drive(it was 20 miles). Is that any reason to quit? I would have given her more gas money if it would have kept her here. I guess this just makes me sad because she never gave me a reason. She just left and it leaves me feeling like there is some unfinished business to attend to plus she still has a key to my house. I think the thing that really upsets me the most is that she watched Landry on the off week for an afternoon so I could get some errands ran and appointments made. She was one of the first people I ever trusted with my child. I know that doesn't mean much to some people but it means A LOT to me. Landry loved her and she seemed to love her too. I guess I"ll just never understand what makes people tick.
Oh well, back to my cleaning....after I did all of that I looked around and it didn't look like I had even made much of a dent in it. The things I did won't ever get noticed for the good...only the bad. Isn't that sad? I RARELY ever do this but I put Landry in front of a Baby Einstein video (twice)today and let her go comatose to it. I felt like crap. I thought to myself, if my house looks a little less than perfect then I am going to have to deal with it because spending my day with Landry is a whole lot more important than scrubbing the finger prints off the microwave. She got cranky toward the end of the day because I think she was upset with me for pretty much ignoring her for a good portion of the day. Clean or not, that ain't happening again. I'm sorry sweet girl...guess we'll just have to be slobs until I find someone else or you're in college.

Jailbird
Landry's moving up in the world. Or should I say her mattress is moving down. We FINALLY lowered her mattress and removed her bumper pads. So sad for the Mommy. Big steps...baby steps...big baby steps. She really looked confused as she checked out her new digs. I had to laugh when I saw her look out through the bars. She looked like she was in jail...bless her heart. My little jailbird. I hope that's the only time in her life I think she looks cute in jail....Lord, bless MY heart.

The Green Beans Won

She is experiencing green beans this week and she seems to like them. Mike thinks I am torturing her by making her eat them. He thinks they just look NASTY! I can't disagree with him but she needs her veggies and her Mama is making sure she is getting them. They haven't been so nice to her on the back side. She is trying to get a diaper rash and well that just won't do in this Mama's world! I changed her diaper 9 times today so she doesn't have the chance to sit in a dirty diaper long enough for her to get one. Boudreaux's Butt Paste Rocks!

Check out the spoon action and note the 'talking' she's been doing.

Hazard Doodie...I mean Duty
Landry is really starting to scoot around these days. She does 360's and goes backwards. She wobbles to and fro and she moves and shakes..she is a child of many talents! It is really funny to see her get stuck in one place and not be able to figure out how to get moving again. She has a lot of determination though and she looks so victorious when she starts moving again. I know it is only a matter of time before I look around and can't find her! Lord help me!
Little Miss Sassy Butt shook her diaper right off but luckily for her she was none the wiser.

My Big Girl!

Landry got her shot this morning and MY girl grimaced one good time and never even let out a wail! I was so proud of her and extremely happy for both of us. You would have thought she had medalled at the Olympics! I originally took these pictures so her Daddy could see what he was missing. The first picture is right after she got it and the other picture was literally 30 seconds later. I hope this is a sign of what's to come as far as shots go. Let's pray for a good visit next week. :)

Stabbin' Cabin-6 month edition
Landry is going in for round 2 of 3 for her 6 month shots. I have read enough information about vaccinations that I feel pretty strongly about separating them. There are many opinions about the correlation of Autism with regard to vaccines and how they are administered. I just don't think it is worth the risk so I am taking Landry to the doctor every week for three consecutive weeks to get her 6 month shots. Of course this is not easy for either one of us. I think it is worse on me because I get so worked up over it. I absolutely hate seeing her get so upset. She looks at you like 'Why did you do that to me? I was just sitting here minding my own business and you had to go and stab me with that thing. That wasn't so nice, Nurse Lady!' I think the silver lining in this cloud is that when I pick her up and hold her afterwards she looks at me like I am the best thing ever. Thankfully, after this round we won't have any more shots until December.

Happy Father's Day!

I have been anticipating this day for quite some time. It seems like once you pass the official day celebrating Mother's Day or Father's Day, you can absolutely, positively, with one hundred percent certainty claim the title. Mother's Day and Father's Day were much happier occasions this year for obvious reasons. It made it so much more real the journey we have embarked upon as parents. I mourned over the loss of my mother a little more and yet I was able to rejoice in the fact that I have such a special Daddy. But more importantly, Mike and I truly celebrated the joy of our sweet Landry. I hope I will always remember just how we feel on this beautiful day and that she could feel how much this day means to us.

When were at the cemetery today visiting Sophie, Mike reiterated what I said to her on Mother's Day. He said 'Thank you for making me a Daddy first.' That was my favorite moment of the day. How much better does it get than that? Anyway, Mike, I hope you had a wonderful day and thank you so much for making me a mommy...twice.

Portrait by Marion & Gary Silber

Go with the Flow
Landry had her 6 month check up yesterday and she ranked in the 75th percentile or better in every category. She weighed in at 16lbs 15 oz. and was 26.5 inches long. We had one little scare but thankfully today, it got resolved. Our Pediatrician,Dr. Sethi, detected a flow murmur in her heart and while she said it was nothing to get alarmed about, I did any way. I called my good friend, Dr. Jennifer Shores who is a pediatric cardiologist and she got her in today for an Echocardiogram. I was so thankful that we were able to get in so quickly and for her to be looked after by someone so knowledgeable and caring. She is invaluable to this entire state for the skill she possesses. I hope she knows how many people are indebted to her. Not only because of her talent but even more importantly to a scared parent, her compassion. The best part is that she told us that Landry's heart was 'perfect'! She said that 50% of all babies have a murmur and that the great majority of them outgrow it. She really got a good look at her heart and now we feel so confident that I can put it behind us and not worry about it anymore. Thank you for giving us peace in this, Dr. Jennifer. You are absolutely the best...especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Did someone say Supper?!

Landry loves carrots. Can you tell? I took off her shirt and just put this bib on her. When I got her out of the high chair, there she was in just a diaper and a very dirty bib. It was hilarious. I guess you had to be there but I just got tickled and I couldn't stop laughing. I guess she thought I was funny because she just had the cutest grin on her face. Check out that spoon action!

Six months...
I can hardly believe it. My baby girl turned 6 months old today. In one breath, it seems like forever that I've had her and in another it just seems like she is changing and growing faster than I care to think about. I say that only to mean that I don't remember my life without her now. My life started in a whole new, magical way when she drew her first breath on December 10th. I remember some of the most vivid details of that day and at the same time, it all seems like a blur.

Here's the 6 month low down on Miss Landry:

• According to all of the scales to measure her by, she is above average in all categories. I will get the actual details by the numbers at her 6 month doctor visit in a couple of days.
• She is up on all fours, rocking and swaying and has made the motions to start crawling.
• She is doing more scunching(is that a word?) where she is up on her forearms and pushing with her legs. The funny thing is that she ends up going backward more than she does forward! She is never where I left her last!
• She can pick thing up with her index finger and thumb which is really advanced for her age. She can put her own pacifier in her mouth but sometimes she can't figure out why she keeps pulling it back out. She hasn't figured out that she has to let it go!!
• She is VERY aware of her surrounding and loves all of the attention she gets. I swear, if this girl knew how many people tell her how cute she is in a day, we'd never be able to get her head through the door!
• She recognizes familiar faces and reacts to them with enthusiasm. She always has a smile for her Daddy when he comes home from work. She just lights up when she sees him.
• She does not have any detachment issues yet. She seems happy to go to anyone these days. I guess that's good and bad!
• She has been rolling over for about a month now. She wakes herself up about 4:30 a.m. because she rolls over and can't pull her arm out from underneath herself. I have to go in and readjust her before she wakes herself up too much but the sprint to her room does nothing for my sleep! I usually go ahead and get her up about 5:30 or 6...after I have gone in there a few times..and feed her. We go back to sleep for another hour or so.
• She can hold her own bottle but doesn't do it all the time. Why would she when she has a Mama that is completely willing to do it for her! :)
• She had just started to eat veggies along with her formula and rice cereal. She had homemade organic squash last week and for her 6 month birthday celebration she had homemade organic baby carrots! She absolutely loved them. I have butternut squash, green beans and acorn squash..all organic of course!....lined up for the next few weeks. I am making Charlie Crump his baby food too so he can grow big and strong like his girl Landry! I love making her food. It makes me feel like I am really doing something good for her.
• She is almost sitting up. She did once or twice but she fell over pretty soon after she got situated. It won't be long!
• Landry naps when she wants to. I'll have to admit, I haven't been very good at putting her down on a regular schedule. As anal as I am about her feeding schedule, you would think I would be even more strict about her naps! She likes to nap in my bed. She will NOT go down in her crib despite several attempts. The funny thing is that at night she has no problem at all going down in her bed. She acts like she actually looks forward to it. I hope this will always be the case!
• This is probably TMI but her bowels work fine. She still poops and toots like a truck driver. I guess that's all I got to say about that.
• Landry still gets the hiccups everyday. Gripe Water is the best thing ever for them. It really works wonders for her!

She has grown so much. It's hard to believe that she is changing so fast. It makes me happy and sad that she is hitting her milestones with such ease. I miss the Landry of yesterday and look forward to the one I will wake up to tomorrow. She astounds me each and every day with each new accomplishment. I can't imagine not being here for her to share these moments with me. I see the face of Jesus in that girl every day I wake and it is such a blessing to know HIM in such a powerful way just by knowing her. Thank you, Lord, for the best six months I could have ever dreamed of.

A Gift
Well, today I had a 'moment'. It took me by surprise actually. I was sitting with Landry in my lap and I was watching a little TV. She was facing forward and standing on my legs. I started singing 'You are my Sunshine' to her and she whipped her head backward and shot me the biggest grin I have ever seen. I am sitting here with the cheesiest smile on my face and half a tear in my eye just thinking about it. I just started crying thinking about the gift she never knew she gave me. That is the best thing a child could ever give a Mama. A pure, unsolicited, genuine, thankyousomuchforsingingmethatsong kind of smile. I just hugged her so tightly and told her over and over how much I love her--of course, crying all the while. I hope you know what you have done to me little one. I am the kind of happy I didn't think I would ever be. You are what dreams are made of.

I can breathe again!
I have never been more tired and excited than I was this morning when it was time for me to go get Landry. I could not wait to get my hands on that child of mine. She did so great at the Barnharts. They only spoiled her 99 percent of the time!!! The other percent they were thinking of how they could spoil her more :) Of course, EVERYONE asked who was keeping Landry. Mike was telling someone who was watching her and when he was describing the kind of people they were, he made a comment that really struck me. He said that people(in general) use the word 'Christian' loosely but when we think of them, they are the epitome of the word. He was so right. They are kind, caring, generous, thoughtful and every ones brother and sister. If I were going to leave a legacy behind that Landry had to describe, I hope that it will be the same way I feel about these wonderful people.

We went to a beautiful outdoor wedding in Tupelo, MS this weekend. It was also Elvis Fest so we saw quite a variety of mutton chops in the hotel lobby! I took pictures at the request of my friend Susan, who was the mother of the groom. We had a great time and many of our close friends were there. The Youree's threw a fabulous rehearsal dinner and after dinner party on the rooftop of this popular restaurant. As I watched all of their friends celebrate in the unity of Ben & Carra, I thought how fun it must be to be that young again. I thought about all that they had to go through, both good and bad to get to the end of this fairy tale beginning. I hope that they will take with them the advice that Susan gave them during her toast. She said that 'Today, you have to make the choice to love each other for the rest of your lives. Today, you have make the decision to stay together no matter how hard and how long the days seem sometimes.' It was beautiful and touching. I could barely hold the camera straight! I have some pictures posted of the wedding so click here to check out how stunning they were. Make sure you hit the slideshow button to enlarge the pictures. The bride took my breath away...literally. Congratulations Ben and Carra! May you have a very blessed life!

Now, back to the Bug. Isn't she a dish?!

Six

I just put the finishing touches on 6 pages (complete with illustrations) of information on Landry for the Barnharts. Yep, tomorrow morning she will be off on her first adventure without Mommy. I know she will be fine but will I?! I am going to try to keep my check in calls to a minimum. HMMMM- I'll get back with you on that one. I made them a BIG grandparents basket with all of the essentials. I even got them a baby monitor so they will have it when their new grandson makes his debut in July. They won't be without much in the way of supplies for a new baby visit! They already had a crib and pack n play so they are ready to go! I didn't know how I could possibly thank them so I just got them something they will be able to use. I will post more when I get back. Until then, I guess I'll just hold my breath.

Anxiety

Would you ever want to leave that face? In three days, I will leave my sweet baby girl overnight for the first time while Mike and I attend and out of town wedding. I have absolutely no doubt that she will be in the best of care and will do great but I am not so sure about her parents. I never thought I would leave her so early...so young but the bottom line is that I need to be at this wedding and she doesn't. The preparation to get her (and her stuff!) ready is daunting. I don't want them to be without anything they need so I will probably over pack. Shocking, I know. I am rambling because I have high anxiety about this. I know she will be okay...in fact, she will get spoiled rotten. I know that once I 'turn her over', I will be fine. Until then............

Little Fish
Landry went to the pool for the first time today and she loved it! Mike and I took turns swimming her around the pool and she kicked and splashed and just had the best time. I couldn't pick out just one picture from the day so I just made a video. The first ones are after church(she was wearing a cute little pink number given to her by her Aunt Big Mama) and a visit to our friends, the Barnharts, in Crystal Springs. They were instrumental in helping me build Sophie's Playground. I really couldn't have done it with out them and their generous help. Dave and his son, Matthew helped me get much of the heavy equipment needed and operated it. They were there throughout the entire construction and without their expertise, it simply would not have been built. Jadeen worked out in the HOT sun doing whatever we needed. She is such a kind, sweet person. There aren't many families out there like theirs. I hope we can give Landry the kind of home life they have given their boys. They are certainly a family to be modeled after in my opinion.
The video ends with some really great pictures of Landry and her doting parents in her first ever pool experience. There is a photo toward the end and it is of Landry and me right after she went under the water for the first time. She didn't even cry!!! I couldn't get the silly grin off of my face I was so proud! Yeahhhh Landry!

ps...BTW, the video is only 2 minutes long. The song is just longer. Also, don't forget to scroll down and turn off the music :)

Go Green!
I love Landry in other colors besides pink. Now, don't get me wrong. This child has sooo many things in EVERY shade of pink imaginable and is definitely a Pinkalicious kind of girl but it is nice to see her in other bright colors too.
If I had dressed her according to her mood today, she would have been in all black! Boy, was she ill and there was no fixing it. She was pretty much miserable 75% of the day and the other time she was sleeping. Bless her heart.....

Sleepy Girl
Landry and I have been out of town the last few days and boy did her high maintenance side come out! We were staying in hotel and for the last two nights she got up several times...and madder than a hornet. She took an extra bottle both nights and she hasn't done that since February. UGH! I don't know exactly what it was that had her so discombobulated but if you have an extra prayer tonight, please send it my way. Sleep, baby, sleep.....

HOT!
The heat this summer is not going to be kind to us I am afraid. Today, I found out how short Landry's patience is with it too. We were out shopping today and she started raising a stink and when I took her out of her stroller, she immediately got better. She was so hot and she just went from the car to the door. Ugh! Her Daddy already says she's HM(high maintenance) Hmmm., wonder where she got that from. ;)

My Hero

Today is Memorial Day and this is a day that makes me really think about my Daddy. I think about the men and women that served with him while he was on his many tours to Vietnam and Korea that did not make it home like he did. I think about the Mama's and Daddy's, the wives and children and the friends and family members that had to go on with out them. Sometimes the ones that do make it home have just as hard of a time wondering why they were spared and their buddies were not. War is confusing at best for everyone. There are so many perspectives and people that are affected. No one is completely right and no one is completely wrong. I do know that if there was one good thing came out of Vietnam, it was me and my sister having the opportunity to have a better life. I believe we are a true success story and we have two great parents to thank for it.

When I was in the 5th grade, I had a 'boyfriend' and he wrote me a note one day telling me that we had to break up. In my fifth grade way I was crushed but I was even more devastated when he told me why. It was because his Dad didn't want him to have a girlfriend like me. 'Like me' meant being Vietnamese. It was one of the first real life experiences I had to deal with in racism. I had a Caucasian mama and daddy and 4 of my siblings were Caucasian so why didn't this kids' daddy like me? We were all the same, right? I think he referred to me as a 'chink'. It still hurts me to write that word. I heard that word more times than I care to remember growing up and it still stings when I hear it. I will never forget the day his Dad came up to me while I was cheering at a freshman high school football game and he asked if he could speak to me. I was more scared than I had ever been in my life and while I wanted to run, I respectfully walked up to the fence and stood there as he apologized to me for some thing that had happened 4 years earlier. I was speechless...and that doesn't happen often. It is a life event that I will never forget and it taught me a great lesson in forgiveness and personal growth. The reason I thought of this story is because I think I appreciate more than most the lives sacrificed so that I could be more and have more than the little girl in these pictures was destined to have. I love these photos. They are priceless to me because there are so few of them in my early childhood and it depicts a sweet moment of me and a man who would one day become my Daddy. I have no pictures of me before I was a year old. I look at the changes in Landry over the last 5 months it saddens me to think that there was a me before these pictures and I have no way of knowing what that me even looked like. I look at Landry and wonder if I was the same sweet, happy baby that she is.

Anyway, Daddy, I don't have to tell you what a hero you are to me. I hope I have made you proud and shown you what you are to me and to our family. I love having a father that I respect, love and cherish the way I do you. I am thankful that Landry has a Grandaddy that she will always look up to and love unconditionally. I have a deep compassion for your fallen friends and know that a little piece of them will always live in your heart. I know after having lost Sophie, that it is much harder for us here on earth than it is for them. We should be rejoicing that they are in such a wonderful place but we're human and selfish and that's okay. It just means that there was enough good in them that they were worth having around in the first place.

Look how big she's getting!

Evicted

Last night when I tried to go to bed, this is what I found...

I love that dog but not enough to give up a good nights sleep!

I love GROCERIES!

Even though she has slowed down on her bottle intake these days, our little Bug really seems to love her groceries. I have been researching and learning how to make her baby food. She will be starting to eat big girl food in a few weeks and while it makes me sad that she is moving into such a big stage, I am really happy that she is growing and thriving so well. I am growing squash, peaches, zucchini tomatoes, and bell peppers. I will buy other organic vegetables and cook and puree them into baby food. It would be a lot easier to buy it ready made and I may have to for some traveling situations but I really want to do what is best for her so I have committed to making all of her baby food. I got a Magic Bullet for Mother's Day from Landry so it is pretty easy to do. I have already made her brown rice cereal and peaches and put them up in the freezer. She has already had the rice and she seems to like it pretty well. I weighed her today and she was a whopping 16 lbs 6 oz! It's okay if you slow down, baby girl. Mommy won't mind a bit.

What a Beauty

Aunt SuSu
This video is one of the best ones of Landry that I have. I wish I could take the credit for her sweet laughter but I have to give all the credit to my good friend Susan. Landry just lights up when she sees her and as you can see in the video, she really loves her. Susan spends a lot of time with her and I know she really loves Landry too. Since we don't have any family here that we can call on to help us, we have come to really count on our closest friends to help us out when we need to. I can't recall a time when I have asked Susan to help me out that she hasn't been there for me and especially for Landry. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Landry is in the best of care when she is with her and that isn't a feeling I could ever put a value on. Thanks again for being such a great friend to both of us!

Heaven on Earth

We spent the weekend at the beautiful Camp Bratton Green in Canton, MS. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year at St. Philip's because it gives us the opportunity to come together as a church family and really get to know each other. We rough it in cabins, sleep on bunk beds that have seen their better days, share (really old)bathrooms and have no TV's, internet or phone service...yep, it's a REAL vacation! We wake up on Saturday to a pancake breakfast, we canoe, swim, cookout, play games, we make s'mores and sing songs at the bonfire, talk, fish and have an awesome crawfish boil. We end the weekend by having Mass outside near the water and follow it with our traditional potluck supper. It doesn't get any better than that! Every time I go to the Gray Center(it's across the street) or Camp Bratton Green I feel the immediate presence of the Lord. It sits on a piece of land where I truly found God and for that reason alone, I will always have a special place in my heart for it. Mike and I talked about how we wanted Landry to have a place where she could always reflect on her childhood and know that her Christian roots started in a place like CBG. She will go to camp in the summers there when she is old enough and as many Parish Weekends as we can go to, we will be there. I wanted to take a picture of her every year in the same place so we could keep track of how much she grows in her years at Camp Bratton Green. I hope she comes to love this place as much as we do.

If you want a little glimpse of heaven here on earth click here: HEAVEN

Where's my green jacket?

Yes, that's right. That is MY 1st place trophy. I beat all of the men in the closest to the pin shootout at our Parish Weekend at Camp Bratton Green. We had to go 94 yards to the pin and had to borrow a mans 9 iron because I wasn't planning on participating. I went first and since I hadn't swung a club in over a year and half, I didn't have great expectations. I got 3 good licks at it and I hit the ball pretty well. 16 feet was good enough for the win. Okay, it wasn't THAT big of a deal but I certainly enjoyed the victory, especially over the men....and yes, Mike too! BTW...don't you think the dude on the trophy needs a skirt?

Wise words
My Daddy sent me a great story today and at the end of it there was a quote that really caught my attention.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER
THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED

I hope that I always live my life so that I teach my daughter to live by this message. I will never be able to instill in her a greater lesson than this one.

Dancing Queen
Landry really loves this one particular song on her activity center. It happens to be the one with the funky beat to it. She kind of turns her nose up at the reggae, the salsa music or the classical but she gets really excited when she hears this song. She is going to be quite the boogie queen one day but she already has a great head start.

That's How I Roll
This morning Landry decided that her new trick for the day was to roll over...and over and over. She rolled over 5 times in a row and thought she was something. You could just see the pride in her face. A little later, I thought...Hmm. Wouldn't it be nice to see her roll over again. She thought differently. No rolling on my time....only on the Landry clock will she perform her tricks. I tried to 'help' her, encourage her, heck, I even rolled her over once myself and she was having no part of it. She is not going to be the 'trick on demand' kind of kid. If she had words to offer me...I think she would simply say 'Hey Mama, this is my world and that's just how I roll.'

The Letter

My all time favorite gift that Mike ever gave me was a letter that he wrote me on our first Christmas together. He has given me a lot of great presents but this one, I will never forget. He told me many things that I had longed to hear and some I didn't even know I wanted to hear. The gift he described in the letter told me that he had talked to my priest and that he was converting to my Episcopal religion. I knew what that meant and what it would probably lead to something else. Needless to say... he converted, he asked, I said yes and we we tied the knot. The rest is history.

When I asked Mike to be a 'guest blogger' I did it with the intention of having some perspective from Landry's daddy somewhere in her book. I thought that it would be nice for her to read something from him every once in a while and remembering the letter (and many others since) I thought this would be a something nice for her to have. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would have written something so beautiful and loving. I appreciate hearing how he feels about me and especially our baby girl but reading his words, knowing that she will read them one day, made me weep with joy...not only for me but especially for her. I want her to know that this journey we have been on hasn't been easy but we have worked hard to make it through. I agree with him that our marriage was just good at first. I don't do pregnancy very well and I know he asked himself many, many times what the heck had he done marrying this crazy, moody, grumpy, NAUSEATED woman!! I was pregnant 10 days after we married and Katrina hit 7 weeks later...right when the nausea set in. I remember being sick to my stomach and working down at the coliseum for 6 straight days after the hurricane blasted the Gulf Coast. I just couldn't sit there and do nothing. The devastation made me sicker than I already was. I'll never forget Mike saying that he wasn't going to be happy if his pregnant wife got something while I was down there....okay, first the wife word and then then pregnant too!! We hadn't even been married 2 months yet!! What a ride we have been on! Today was such a wonderful day. The weather was absolutely perfect for my first Mother's Day with Landry. I wore my Mother's mothers ring, put on a new dress and we got little Charlie Crump baptized. He wore Landry's christening gown and I couldn't have been more proud to see him on the alter wearing it. I hand embroidered both of their names and baptismal dates on the slip along with a big 'M' in the center of it. I didn't decide that it HAD to be done BEFORE the christening until last night so I stayed up until 1 am embroidering it. I know...I know. Of course Landry had on a hand smocked dress that I made. It had pearls smocked into the collar and was so beautiful on her. She looked like an angel!

Considering how I spent my last 2 Mother's Days with no Mother and no Sophie, this one had a little bittersweetness to it. I couldn't have been happier with my baby and my life but I missed my Mother and Sophie even more because I know now what I am missing. A friend of mine asked me the other day if I would still would have Sophie back knowing what I know about her Downs Syndrome. Of course, I said yes but I know that if I had Sophie now, that I would not have Landry and that is the most unbearable thought I have ever had. I told her I would take them both exactly they way they were but I wouldn't give Landry up to have Sophie back. I never thought I would say something even remotely like that....until I loved this child of mine. Don't get me wrong. I love Sophie with all of my heart and I still ache to have her back every single day but God gives you the ability to have a different perspective when you are able to love again. I also know that Sophie is whole and perfect there with Him. I can get through any kind of pain since I know she is perfect in His arms in heaven and that I will see her again one day. I guess you are officially a mother when you love your child so much that you can find any piece of goodness in not being able to have them with you. Peace, wholeness, perfection...that's what we all strive for and I know one little angel that has it...actually two, Baby Nelson is there with her.

If you had half the Mother's Day I did, you were blessed beyond compare.

Happy Mother's Day Renee!

As part of Renee's Mother's Day celebration, she asked that Landry's Daddy sit in as a guest blogger. Kind of silly - there is NO WAY I will be able to do what she does on a daily basis, and get all my thoughts here for the entire world to see, but I will give it a try anyway.

Make no bones about it. The day Sophie died was the worse day of my life. I have tried to think of ways I could have changed that day. Men are supposed to protect their wives and daughters, and I had failed to do either. I have fought with a million different emotions since then.

Renee and I had a good marriage up until then. Not a great marriage, but a good marriage. We were both independent - me so more than her - because we had both lived by ourselves for several years. For those of you who know us, we are both very head-strong. We had plenty of challenges during that first year. Heck, we were both just really getting to know each other, and we were bringing a new life into the world. All those things probably caused more stress than they should have, but we worked through all of the challenges we faced.

After Sophie died, we were lucky enough to have love and support from so many people. Friends from church were the first there to help us deal with our grief. Immediately after we found out that Sophie died, I called Father Tom. He did not hesitate - he just said he would be there within the hour. I don't know if I ever thanked him for his support, so Tom I would like to say thank you so much!

Whether it was Renee's GNO friends and my friends from the neighborhood, who stayed up all night with us after Sophie died, Rhonda, who left her 4 kids at home to be with us, Smitty and Lindsey who came in from Florida, friends of mine from work who drove in from Nashville, my sister who came down and the rest of Renee's family who made sure they were here for us, there was no shortage of love or support. Somewhere along the way, the friends that Renee and I had in separate lives, came to be Mike and Renee's friends. That was a big step in our marriage - after a year we were finally being a couple, rather than having separate worlds together. Believe me, this is a stretch to find some goodness that came out of the tragedy of losing Sophie, but it was something.

Renee's dad, Smitty, sat down with us the day before the funeral. He said that we had a tough road ahead of us - 50% of all marriages that suffer a tragedy like ours end in divorce within a year. Wow. Here I was still numb from losing our daughter, and a man I barely knew was telling me that I had an even tougher fight ahead of me. Thanks a lot.

But you know, he was right. Renee and I had more than our share of fights and tears and frustration over the following months. It would have been very easy to throw in the towel and start over - alone - again. Whether it was things that Renee needed that I couldn't seem to give, or vice-versa, we were not getting closer after we lost Sophie. But I always remembered the challenge that Smitty had given us to work through our emotions and issues, rather than let them rip us apart.

Time moved on, and Renee and I felt we were in good shape, and ready to try again. Even though I was against counseling (why are marriage counselors always divorced), it gave us an epiphany, and made us realize that we were so right for each other, we just began to relax and enjoy each other and our marriage.

So we tried for another baby. And tried. And tried and tried and tried - all to no avail. We were laying in bed one night and Renee said "You know - maybe we need a break. I have always wanted to go back to Vietnam. Do you think you could get time off work?" Thanks to a VERY understanding boss, we were off to Vietnam for what Renee called her "trip of a lifetime."

When we got back, we found out the great news - Renee was pregnant with Landry the whole time we were in Vietnam. Great job, Mike. Take your pregnant wife who was full of new vaccines on a 24 hour flight to a third world country. Smart. So we had 9 months of worry, fear, nervousness and wonderful anticipation.

Then the second greatest day of my life happened. Landry Elaine Mader was born, perfectly healthy and perfectly happy. She has been such a joy. To see her smile at me when I walk in a room after being out of town for a couple of days absolutely melts my heart. I love her so very much.

Oh, the greatest day of my life? That's easy. The day I married Renee was the greatest day of my life, and each day is better than the last in some small way. Renee, you are the best wife a man could hope for. Even better than that, you are the best mother I know. Thank you for putting up with my temper, my lack of patience, my need to be right all the time, and even my shoes left on the floor. I cannot imagine this life or the next without you. Happy Mother's day - for the second time.

Love,

Mike

Are you Smarter than a 5 Month Old?
I know I may be partial and a little biased even but I think little Miss Landry is a pretty smart cookie. She amazes me at the things she does and what she can already figure out on her own. Today she turned 5 months old. The time has flown by so fast! In the five months after I had Sophie, I designed a playground, raised the money and built it. Like I mentioned before...record time for a church project of that magnitude. In the five months since having Landry, I have found a totally new world called Motherhood to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know I teach her new things every day but the lessons she gives me are so much greater. I never knew that someone so new and small could be one of life's greatest teachers. Speaking of teachers, my best friend from childhood, Amy was named Teacher of the Year at her school in Mobile. She is someone that I would love to have Landry educated by. I visited her classroom many years ago and man, did she run a tight ship. Those kids love her and even more importantly, they respected her. I think that is a hard thing to come by these days and that is really sad. Congratulations Amy! You are tops in my book!
Now on with the show....check out my smartie. Thank you Landry for the best 5 months of my life. MUAH!!!

Canton
Landry went to her first Canton Flea Market today! For those of you that don't know what it is, it is a HUGE outdoor market held in Canton, MS in October and May and is one of the largest of its kind. I swore I was never going back again after fighting through the crowds in October but I decided to go at the last minute anyway. According the website, it says that there have been as many as 50,000 people there for the one day market! Luckily the crowds were smaller this time and my faith was restored. The weather was a little hot at times but all in all it was pretty nice today. Little Miss Landry was a dream. She did so great only getting a little grumpy one time and that was solved with a bottle. She was decked out in her sunglasses, hat and a little sunscreen. She got smiles at every turn. This kid certainly gets her fair share of attention. I know I am certainly a fan :)

The funny thing about today is that I totally planned on going to Canton and buying one of everything for her and I didn't. I bought her some hair bows and that was about it for her. There were so many cute things there but I could make most of them myself so I couldn't bring myself to buy something I could do.

I want to send my congratulations to the Burgess family for the birth of their beautiful daughter Chayse. She is an answered prayer like Landry and her Mommy and Daddy are some smiling folks these days. This baby has a gorgeous complexion and is just a knock out. I need to see if I can get a discount on LOCKS to protect our girls!!!

Well, it has been a long day for me so I am headed to the bed. Nighty night!

Attitude - part 2
A little while ago I had a conversation with a good friend of mine and we were talking about hardships in our lives. I was thinking of all the cliches' that people say when something goes wrong like....If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger or God doesn't give you more than you can handle....yada yada yada. While these are mostly true, I feel like we also have the ability to choose our attitude and how we deal with these bumps in the road. When Sophie died, my greatest fear was that people would forget about her. I just couldn't let that happen so I chose to memorialize her in a way where other children would benefit from her memory...not from our loss. I know not everyone can do build a playground...or whatever but I do think that you are ultimately responsible for the WAY you handle things....not necessarily the way you feel about a situation. For me, I went to the cemetery EVERY day to visit Sophie until Landry got here. It was 21 months of daily visits to see her. I know she really wasn't there but it made me feel better and I am thankful that I could deal with my pain with a simple visit to see her. Some people thought I was losing it for going every day but I figured that there were a lot worse things I could do! I knew that when I had Landry that I wouldn't be able to see her everyday nor would I need to anymore. I know that many people get mad at God when tragedy strikes and often times, they stray from the one thing that will save them them most. Bad idea.
There is a song on my play list...you may have heard it on here before by Mercy Me. When I heard this song, it made me think of all of the situations in my life that were painful and difficult to deal with and how I have tried to handle them. The lyrics are:

Bring the Rain by Mercy Me
I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Is the Lord God Almighty

I know I can handle any thing as long as I have Jesus but I will take sunny skies as long as He wants to send them my way!

Attitude

I have a feeling that this won't be the last time I get this look from little Miss Landry. Isn't she hilarious?! I forgot to mention that yesterday was my 'Adoption Day'. I got here 36 years ago and at 17 months old, I weighed LESS than Landry does now and she's not even 5 months yet. I was so tiny and sick when I arrived here. I had never had any nutritious food and Mother had to gradually introduce me to my new diet. I think about my humble beginnings and again, I realize how truly special this journey that I call life has been for me. When we were in Vietnam last year, I saw the way my life could have turned out and I just wanted to kiss the ground(here, that is!). I know that I would have been happy but I don't think that I could have done the good things I have done in my life. I have always tried to give back to my community because I felt that it was my duty to pay it forward in some way. I will always work hard to instill that in Landry and I pray that she develops a strong sense of selflessness and gratitude because of it. I only hope that I don't get too many of these looks along the way.

Faces of Landry

I'm back!
It feels like forever since I posted last but I was out of town visiting my family in Mobile and visiting with several high school friends. It was a very fun weekend but I felt kind of sorry for Landry. She was a little grumpy because she is in the beginning stages of CUTTING HER TEETH! Bless her heart, she has just not felt too great over the last few days. I really hate to see her so miserable. I wish I could make it all better for her but I can't and that stinks! Speaking of stinks...since this all started she has been producing quite a bit more poopie diapers. Man... can she produce too!!! I know it will only get worse( and stinkier)but I stand amazed at the whole process.
Friday night, we ate dinner (prepared by my Favorite Uncle Robert) and headed to the Fairhope Pier for a nice evening stroll with the cousins and my Aunt and Uncle. It was so beautiful out there. I remember walking that pier as a kid and the smell of the bay water takes me back to those days with one whiff. Driving through Fairhope is like looking at a picture book. It is one of the most beautiful towns on the planet. There are flowers flowing into the streets from the most perfectly manicured flower beds you have ever seen. I don't know what they're feeding those plants down there but I wanna know their secret!
Saturday, we went to a high school friends home where he barbecued a TON of meat and rented a huge blow up water slide for all of the kids. They all had a blast and we had a great time catching up again. I have had a really great time with all of my friends from high school and I am so glad I live close enough that I can go back and spend some time with my past. After that, we got cleaned up and left Landry with my Aunt Elaine, Uncle Robert and cousin Julie and we went to a draw down in Mobile. We were down to the last 4 tickets(out of 300) and our number was called!! We were soooo close to our $2500 share of a $10,000 prize! It was like playing Deal or No Deal and I was ready to deal! To top all of it off, Alabama got a highly recruited quarterback commitment last night and he and his parents(I cheered with his mother in high school) showed up to the drawdown. He was such a kid!! I can't believe he looked so young. Am I THAT old already?! It was a lot of fun night hanging out with my friends and I even got to dance with my hubby. Good times, folks...good times.
To top off the weekend, I went by for an early Mother's Day visit with my mother at the cemetery, ate lunch with my brother and his family and headed home to Jackson. After I got home, I unloaded the car and then headed to a Junior League Steering committee dinner. WHEW! Do I have to tell you how beat I am! Landry was so tired. I think she was glad to get back to her own bed and her own house. She was really happy to see Bella too! All in all, it was a great weekend and I was shown just how blessed I am again.

SAHM
I was reading one of my favorite blogs the other day and she was writing about the number of negative comments that she gets regarding being a stay at home mom. I thought it was kind of sad that people have such a low opinion about the greatest job on earth. I know that a lot of women are not cut out to stay at home, many just don't want to and many just don't have the option to. Whatever they do should be a decision that is made between them and their families. No one should be judged for their personal decisions regarding the who's, why's and how's of child rearing. This whole thing made me think of my sister who was very much a career person. Highly educated, great job..great salary...climbing higher and higher up the ladder of success. Then one day after she adopted her second child, she decided to put a plan in place to be at home within one year. Of course, she did and I(along with most everyone in our family) said it would never last. She would be back at work within 6 months. I have never been more wrong about anything in my life. She loves being at home with her children...so much that she adopted 2 more! She has really been a great source of information for me since she had pretty much tested every body of water out there! Personally, I love staying at home with Landry and I always knew I would. I didn't know that I had such an empty spot in my life until I had her because she fills my heart so very much. I still have my business and IF it fits in with HER schedule, then I work. Otherwise, she is my full time job...and boy is she!!! I know that I am good at my new job. I am not perfect by a long shot but it isn't for lack of effort. I work harder at this than any job I have ever had. I have so much more riding on this 'job' than anything I have ever done. The choices I make in everything I do affect her life and possibly her future. I can't screw up...or at least I have make every effort not to. I know I will from time to time but hopefully those mistakes won't be at any great price to her. I guess this whole topic reminds me of how blessed I am that I have the option of making whatever choice I want to. Power to the SAHM!!!!