Meet Rudy

As in Rudy Ribeye.


I had some concerns about Rudy before he even showed up yesterday looking so cute. Actually just one concern. If  When I develop an emotional connection with Rudy I feared it would create a problem when the time came to...well, you know. Eat hamburgers. Or steak. Or tacos. Or, my personal favorite, spaghetti. Just as that thought was going through my mind Rudy slammed my hand against the side of the cow trailer while I was trying to feed him a bottle, and now that isn't a concern anymore. Then I saw this article on the news last night. If you love beef and have no way of raising a Rudy of your own then I do not recommend clicking on that link. It could tramatize you. Needless to say when that day comes and we all say our goodbyes to Rudy we will say the blessing over our next meal with thankful hearts that "pink slime" isn't on the menu. Or ammonia.

And thankful that PeePaw is willingly to get up on cold mornings and tend to Rudy and all his bottle feeding needs.

Reese was busy being a little angel when I made the announcement that Rudy had arrived. She got so excited and started running to the door. I think that shows she is going to be easy to entertain because she had NO idea who Rudy was. All she knew was that we were going somewhere.


(I came THIS close to not posting that picture because I fear you may question my parenting abilities since she is not in her proper seating harness.)(But Rudy just lives right THERE.)(In other words she is in greater danger of eating pink slime than not being in her carseat.)

Rudy was still a little unsure about his new surrounds yesterday so this was as close as Reese got to him, but I bet in a couple of days she'll be petting him and riding his back.


And on a completely un-Rudy-related note sewing is alive and well at our house. I quit being mad when MeeMaw showed up with this little piece of monogramming heaven. I wanted to take off yesterday and play with it all day, but then reality hit me and I remembered I have a staggering 6 sick days. And a little baby that is bound to need me to stay home with her one day when she's sick. So my projects will have to wait till this weekend.

Words about our weekend, but no pictures because at the time of pubIication I can't find my memory card

Well. The people have spoken and an overwhelming 2 of you want me to leave the blog in its current form. After I read Mrs. Joyce and Mrs. Beverly's comments what kind of person would I be if I made the blog private and ran the risk of them not being able to read it? A stupid person considering they think I could write a book. I am pretty sure the only other person on earth that thinks that is my mother (and lets face it- mothers are obligated to think their kids can do anything). But on the bright side, when I am blissfully unemployed next year I should have plenty of time on my hands to start a rough draft. Adam has decided the title of this book I will never write should be... Sexy Beast: Memoirs of a wife whose husband is to hot to handle. (I don't know why that is white, but I can't get it to change.)

Bless him Lord.

Friday night we ate at Big Daddy and D.D's and because our car is possessed by the devil, as soon as we got out and closed the door the horn blew notifying us that the door had automatically locked.  The keys were still in the ignition. Wasn't that nice of it? It almost left us stranded there for the night except D.D. bought a $2 car seat at the thrift store a while back so we used it and came home in their car. I never thought I'd see the day that I looked at a thrift store car seat as the bright side of things.

Saturday morning I saw the face of Jesus when I blacked out because a brown lizard jumped out of the mop I brought in from outside. I squealed like a little school girl when I composed myself enough to realize what was going on. Reese stood in shock while I possibly broke all of its legs trying to sling it outside with the mop. Then a spider fell out of the mop and I took it as a sign that I didn't need to mop the floors afterall. But cooler heads prevailed when I started calculating how long it had been since I had mopped. (Long enough for the mop to become a habitat for wildlife.) Thank goodness watch dog Dixie was on standby when I got the lizard out the door. It almost hit her in the face when it exited the house. The last I saw of it she was nursing it back to health. She's a compassionate soul, and not at all what I had hoped for when looking for a fierce watch dog.

Oh and speaking of wildlife. Last week Autie had a large...I don't know if I can bear to say it...rat in her mouth. That she had hunted down and killed with her tiny little paws. Hence the name rat terrier. But I know without a shadow of a doubt that she left the premises to kill it because if she didn't I am going to hate it that we have to move. I have really enjoyed living here.

Since Adam had to go be in the cabinet business again on Saturday morning and Reese got us up at 6 A.M. she and I went to look for her Easter dress.  (If there was one thing I learned last year it's that the early mother gets the Easter dress.) I had almost eaten a bowl of oatmeal before we left, but thank goodness I didn't because we passed right by a Hardees on our way, and the car voluntarily turned in and ordered 2 cinnamon raisin buscuits. One for me and one for Reese. And do y'all know that she hated it? Gagged when she tasted it. We left there and went straight to the hospital looking for her real mother because no child of mine could ever gag at a cinnamon raisin buscuit. It is perfection covered in sugary goodness, and I ate both of them. Since I'm trying to be a little healthier I opted for a diet Dr. Pepper and I didn't get my usual order of hash rounds. But today after school I hadto go pay the cinnamon raisin piper and run it off.

Saturday we had a slight change of plans and went to eat at Yume for Adam's cousin Jaycie's birthday dinner. You have not tasted adventure until you have ridden with Adam in town on a crowded Saturday night. We missed MaKenna's birthday party and Anna Kate called to tell me that "I miss you so much" when she found out we wouldn't be there. I feel sure it was Reese that she was missing, but I am going to pretend it was me too.

Unfortunately we have fallen into the Reese sleeping in the bed with us rut. She is cutting teeth and one thing lead to another and she thinks she needs to cry around 4 every morning and come to our bed. Except last night it was 11:00 and her daddy was in a foul mood because of it this morning. He misses an hour of sleep and he is hard to deal with.

P.S. Sewing/monogramming is dead to me. I had 2 birthday gifts I needed to make last week and neither happened because the sewing machine decided to lose its mind right when I needed it most. Seriously, I am so done with it. Until next week when I forget how mad it made me and I ruin yet another shirt trying to put a bunny on it.

P.P.S. One of my former C'burg students put on Facebook, "You know how they say you are what you eat? I'm sorry, I don't remember eating a sexy beast this morning." Adam is SO mad that he didn't come up with that, but he has big plans of using that quote once or 94 times in the future.

Thursday thoughts

I have a few random thoughts that are weighing heavy on my heart today, and I think I would feel better if I share them with you.

1. I slept 12.5 seconds last night. Reese woke me up somewhere around 12 by doing the shrieking cry while saying "MAMAMA" so she slept with us the rest of the night. Somehow she ended up on my side of the bed and I was in the middle. She would not share my pillow with me. When I asked Adam to share his he grumbled something along the lines of, "you have 3 pillows in this bed why do I have to share mine"?


Then he started asking me about the weather since it sounded like we were about to be blown away and I thought for sure he was talking in his sleep, but he wasn't. He was reminding me for the umpteenth time that we need a weather radio and blah blah blah. I might or might not have thrown away a weather radio that came in the mail one time and good gracious I will never hear the end of it.

2. Last night Reese rekindled her friendship with her bouncy chair while I told her about how she slept in it right beside our bed when she was brand new. I fought the ugly cry that I could feel burning my eyes because wasn't that just last week?



3. A couple of weeks ago our friends Abby and Jeremy brought their new baby Elli over to meet everybody. Reese did not appreciate Elli taking all her thunder at D.D. and Big Daddy's. Her behavior when I tried to hold Elli answered a lot of lingering questions I had about her ever being a big sister. It simply won't work.

4. When she reads her books she likes to kick back and relax. And she ALWAYS crosses her legs because she is a lady.






5. I am considering making the blog private because I am highly paranoid and more than a touch crazy. What are your thoughts? (About making it private not about me being crazy.) If you have to login before reading it will you go to the trouble of doing that? Or just be annoyed with me and never read the blog again? (I won't know that you login or anything like that. It will allow email addresses of people I have given access to see the blog and no one else.)

6. I started running this week. Well. Walking/running. Nobody is more shocked by this than me. I have also been sick for over a week now so I sound like a 90 year old who smokes 2 packs a day while I'm running. In sticking with tradition I would have probably only ran a day or two and then quit (because that's what normally happens and I don't want to break any personal records), but a girl I work with has started going with me so there is a slight chance I might stick to it. (For at least 2 weeks and when my legs don't appear to be getting any more toned I will fall back into my usual cycle of eating a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits for breakfast and sugar cookies as a late night snack.) But, really, it makes me feel so much better to get a little exercise.

7. Reese has her PawPaw right where she wants him. Outside counting the cows while playing in his hair. There is a rumor PawPaw is getting a baby calf to bottle feed (and later use for meat, but don't tell Reese. That could devastate her.) and she is going to be so excited when that calf arrives. Bless its heart. She may love it to death.

8. Teaching 7th and 8th graders is hands down the most challenging thing I have ever done. The drama, oh the drama. It is never ending and has caused me to march myself right to the brink of insanity and peer over the edge. The level of immaturity has caused me to almost lose it standing right in front of the black board. Any helpful suggestions? 10th graders had problems, but it was NOTHING like this.

9. That's all. Yay for tomorrow being Friday:)

A day in the park

Sunday after church we met up with Uncle G, D.D., and Big Daddy for lunch, but because we have an earlier service than they do (and because Big Daddy reportedly stood around and talked after their services) we had some time to spare. Since Reese ALWAYS wants to be "out-side" we took her for her first trip to the park. (Technically this wasn't her first trip. When she was about 2 weeks old I was convinced I would never lose the baby weight so I loaded her up and we went for a walk at the park. Seriously? Two weeks old. Also known as the point in time when I was wasn't emotional, horomonal, or irrational. AT. ALL.)


She had the best time, and so did her mother. I climbed on the monkey bars, went down the slide, rode on the little chicken swing right next to her on the rabbit swing. All in my Sunday clothes.



Do y'all know what the A-master had the nerve to say to me yesterday? He said, "she is so precious I want 3 more just like her." GASP. Just typing it makes my palms break out into a cold sweat. Don't get me wrong. She is great and all, but it was a lot of work to carry her for 9 long, hot, hot, hot, hot months. Plus she is expensive, and I feel sure that part isn't going to get any better. And did I mention how hot it was when I was preggo? June, July, August, September. IN. THE. SOUTH. Peeps, it was so hot. And I was so miserable. That part I remember clearly. Somebody say a prayer for him because as  long as I'm his wife we will not be having 3 more just like her.

17 Months (3 days late)

At 17 months Weight: 21 lbs
Height:

Wears mostly 12 month clothes, size 3 diapers, and has just gotten into a size 3 shoe. She has tiny little feet!

She has 2 teeth on the bottom and 2 on the top. Since I am late about posting this I guess it should wait until next months post, but last night I found 2 shiney new molar teeth on the top. Off and on lately she has been whiney and I think this explains why. She is also working on 2 more teeth near the front.

She loves milk. I feel quiet sure that she would live on milk alone if we didn't make her eat. She also likes Puffs in all flavors. She sometimes likes raisins, carrots, potatoes, mac and cheese, peas, and sweet potatoes from time to time. However, a couple of times recently she has gone to the cabinet her food is in and brought me baby food that is in there that she wants to eat. Maybe her appetite is getting better.

She is SO busy! All. the. time. While I am cleaning up one mess she is making another one.

She usually goes to sleep between 7:00 and 8:00 and gets up around 7 on the weekends. The last couple of weekends she has taken 2 hour naps on Sunday.
She still loves to carry around a bath rag. Sometimes she will cover her babies up with it like it's a blanket. Sometimes she puts it over her face and walks around until she runs into something.

She has a TEMPER! I can see a lot of problems in our future concerning her attitude. She loves to stand on my chair in the living room and the couch. When we tell her to sit down she just laughs. If we go toward her she sits really quick, but then stands up as soon as we turn around.

Yesterday afternoon she stood at the door for a solid 5 minutes crying while intermittently saying "mama" and "out-side" (which is 2 words according to her vocabulary). It got to be more than I could stand so outside we went. Mostly she wants to just run around. (And away from me.) We stayed outside until it was so dark I was having a hard time seeing her when she went in her playhouse. I am now strategizing a plan for setting up a tent in the yard with some type of fencing to pen her in this summer. Oh, and a lounge chair for her momma because I ain't what I used to be. "Out-side" wears me out. (P.S. If you happen to be the neighbor that drove by and saw me in my pajama pants please accept my sincere apology. I tried to hide behind that tree so you wouldn't judge me, but you were driving so fast I didn't make it.)

She drives this little walker like she stole it;)

She is a big help with the garbage.

She found this in her closet and wanted it on. And then 2.5 seconds later she wanted it off.

Uncle G gave her this "boon" for Valentines day and she is still playing with it.

I have always read to her, but only recently has she gotten interested enough to go get a book and bring it to us to read. I really want her to love the books!

This weekend she helped her Daddy build a place for her swing.

She LOVES makeup. Did I mention she LOVES it? She has to put on her makeup everytime she sees me putting on mine.

She is constantly going to our closet and digging around or standing on the step ladder that's in there. Sunday she found this tank top and wanted Adam to put it on her.

She always wants to look outside at Dixie and Autie. Anytime we ask her where Dixie is she will push this box in front of the door and stand on it to see them. She really loves those dogs, but they don't see to be all that crazy about her. Actually she loves all animals. When we go over to MeeMaw and PeePaws she starts saying "moo" because she knows she will see the cows going up the driveway.  

Helping her Daddy outside gets a girls hands dirty! She never turns down an opportunity to wash her hands.

Blessing her food. She whispers and looks around during every prayer.


















This past Sunday was the first sermon that I have gotten to hear at church in at least 2 months. The Sunday's that I have Children's Church or nursery duty she goes with me and plays. The other Sunday's when I take her to the nursery she will cry hysterically when I try to leave. The last time that I left her the nursery workers came and got me during the service because "you have a VERY unhappy baby." We also tried to let Adam take her and leave her. He never came back from the nursery that Sunday so I knew she wouldn't let him leave. But this past Sunday we did what all good Southern Baptist do and hurried from Sunday School to get the back pew. This was all in an effort so she could stay in the service with us and not interrupt people behind us. It worked beautifully. She looked at pictures on our phones, played with the pencil and paper I had brought for her, and ate her puffs. So what I want to know is how some of you keep your kids quiet in church? Or are yours more cooperative and go to the nursery? I know some of you are thinking that I need to just leave her back there and let her cry but I can't do it. I already leave her everyday to go to work. Is there some awesome phone app that would keep her quiet? I know our current tactics won't work forever.

Daddy is her Valentine

Adam decided Friday night that he was taking me on a hot date Saturday. We already had dinner plans with some of our friends so he asked if I wanted to go to the movies before dinner. (Thinking back on it that could be the first time he has EVER asked me to go on a date. I really should have made him work harder to sweep me off my feet when we first met.) We had not been to the movies since 2010 in which I was preggo and we watched The Backup Plan and it made me quesiton the whole having a baby thing. A lot has changed at the movie theatre. Did you know that an employee comes into the theatre and gives you a dirty little speech about your cell phone? If you so much as look at the time you will be asked to leave without a refund. My stomach got nervous at the thought of not being able to sporadically check my phone to be sure Reese didn't need me. (Not that she knows how to call my number, but a mother can never be too precautious.) We, along with the rest of the free world, went to see The Vow at 1:35 on Saturday afternoon. Nothing says your married with a baby like going to an afternoon matinee. Personally, I was a little disappointed by the movie, but then again will there ever be a chick flick that beats The Notebook? I think not.

We went into a few stores at the mall and I was surprised to see all the white wash jeans and neon shirts. So we're going back to the 80's this season? Because if so I am going to need to call my sister and get her to come teach me how to tight roll my jeans and tease my bangs.

After dinner we rode home while listening to the.....drum roll please.....radio. That never happens when Reese is in the car because we are either talking to her or over her at all times. Adam made me get the ipod out and find some music from back in our college days. We lived on the edge and even listened to some rap music. From looking at him you might not know this, but Adam knows all the words to Apple Bottom Jeans (is that the name of the song?). And if he happen to forget a word or two I assure you he made some up. Very disturbing.

Here's our little Valentine this morning before daycare. The camera flash causes her to make crazy faces:)

She helped make these last night to give to her friends today. And by helped I mean she put 2 of the gummies in her mouth at one time.

Wouldn't it have been cute if I had made baggies like those???!!?? But I didn't.

My 2 Valentines gave me a gift card for a massage and a facial and I am making big plans for myself to cash in in the near future;)

Hair's the deal

Oh, y'all. She is growing up. And it's all happening too fast which makes my head spin everytime I look at her and she says some new word like "outside" or "shoe." Or like last week when she pulled an entire cup of Adam's red cranberry apple Crystal Light off of the table causing it splattered everywhere (including all over my tennis shoes) and she backed up against the wall and stood really still and gave me the sad eyes because somehow she knew she had done something wrong. How did she know that? (Which, really, it should have been her daddy that stood really still against the wall waiting for my wrath to unleash because he knows better than to leave anything within her reach.) Then after we wiped the floors and walls down she went to the bathroom and got her bath cloth and started cleaning the walls. I do feel that I am raising her right in the cleaning department. The girl will get a wet wipe and clean everything. One day her husband will thank me.

So anyway on the point of this post.

Reese loves hair. Almost as much as her paci. Almost. I know without a doubt that this is part of her genetic makeup. Adam loves hair. Not in the cosmetologist kind of way, but in the twirling it through his fingers kind of way. It doesn't matter who you are if you stand close enough to him he will twirl your hair. D.D. says he has been this way since birth. And so has his daughter. I don't remember a time that she didn't put her hands in my hair to go to sleep. If she is sleepy and we put her in her carseat she immediately goes for her hair. And the hair along with her paci will put her right to sleep.

Elizabeth made this picture at our reception and it is the only real proof I have of Adam's hair twirling addiction.

Well in case you didn't know MeeMaw used to cut hair. And when I say "used to" I mean back in the shag days. (I actually thought it was in the bee hive days but she quickly corrected me and said that my Nanny wore a bee hive and bee hives were well before her day.) Currently her only customers are PeePaw and the grandbabies when they need their first hair cut. So last weekend we headed over to their house because words cannot describe Reese's hair in the back. It has a level of volume to it that I can only wish for.


I knew without a doubt she would have a meltdown when we made her sit still. I was wrong. She got an ice cream and enjoyed every minute of it. She even smiled for the camera.

We made sure to thoroughly document the moment, can you tell?

This weekend we went to Ollie's to see all the girls. 5 girls. No boys.

Reese was so tired and Krystal was sitting in the floor which made her the perfect candidate to have her hair played with.

Have y'all seen these bath tub crayons? They are Reese's favorite right now. Yesterday afternoon we came home and she went right to the tub wanting to get in and play with them. Thankfully they easily wipe off the tub, skin, and clothing. Oh, how I wish I had invented these.

Clearly, she isn't going to be a lefty like her momma. Maybe Adam will be able to teach her right handed things;)