Feeling better

Grace managed to sleep for 7 hours or so on the couch last night.  Thankfully, she didn't throw up any more.  When she woke up this morning, the first thing she said was, "I feel beh-er, Momma."  (I feel better, Momma.)  Thank goodness!

Then she said, "I froed up on my bed."  (I throwed up on my bed.)  Yes, you sure did.  I told her she threw up on Momma and Daddy's bed, too.  And she said, "I froed up on Dad-ee's arm.  I froed up on da door."  (I throwed up on Daddy's arm.  I throwed up on the door.)  Yes, she did.  I asked her if she remembered throwing up on my face.  And she said, "I froed up on your face?  I sohr-ee, Momma."  (I throwed up on your face?  I'm sorry, Momma.)  Then she looked down beside the couch and saw the big bin and said, "I froed up in my buteck"  (I throwed up in my bucket.)  Yep. 

Then she said, "I not froe up eeny more.  I hun-dee!"  (I won't throw up any more.  I'm hungry!)  So I made banana pancakes for breakfast.  We gave her more gatorade to drink.  And she was right.  She didn't throw up any more.  In fact, she acted like she never did.  She was full of energy and wanting to play.  We really think that it was the pad thai she ate.  David's stomach bothered him, too, but I was fine.  So maybe it really was the food. 

Since she was feeling better with no fever, poopy pants, tummy aches, etc. we decided to let her go to her friend, Caroline's 2nd birthday party. 

Grace was very excited about the birthday party!

As we left the neighborhood, the present started to slide across the seat.  So Grace grabbed the handle and held on to it for all 45 minutes of the drive.

Even after she fell asleep, she kept hanging on!

At the party, Grace had a lot of fun.  There were lots of other kids for her to play with.  And she loved the cake!  Then she played outside on the swingset with some of the other children while the parents gathered around a bonfire.  We had a great time mingling with everyone and we hope to do it again sometime soon.

Thank goodness for waterproof mattress pads

Tonight we grabbed a quick meal of pad thai before hunting for the local Mardi Gras parade.  After about 45 minutes of driving around a town that is only 14 square miles, we decided that the parade apparently wasn't happening tonight.  Grace had fallen asleep in the car so we went home.

Once we got home, Grace woke up for about an hour and then it was time  for her to get ready for bed.  After brushing her teeth etc., I tucked her into bed and laid down beside her as usual, until she went to sleep.  Just as she dozed off, she threw up in my face.  Literally.  In. My. Face.

So I followed my instincts and yelled for help.  David came running and, wonderful man that he is, grabbed Grace and took off for the shower.  Before they made it out the bedroom door, Grace splattered him with pink pad thai.  I still don't understand why it was pink!  Pink as in baby lotion pink.  And before you ask, no Grace hasn't eaten any baby lotion.  And not only did she douse David, she managed to drench the bathroom door, too - all seven feet of it.

So David took care of bathing Grace and I took care of cleaning up the pink vomit.  First, I stripped the bed and started a load of laundry.  Then I pulled as many chewed up noodles off the floor and door as I could and I flushed them down the toilet.  Next, I grabbed our carpet steamer and steamed the carpet.  After that I got my trusty Hoover Floormate out and cleaned the tile floor in the bathroom.  Finally, I cloroxed the door so it wouldn't smell and the paint wouldn't corrode away from Grace's stomach acids.  By this time, the first load of laundry was washed so I moved it to the dryer and started the second load with the bathroom rug and towel that had been sloshed with Grace's pink projectile puke.

As I finished all that, David finished bathing Grace and put a fresh pair of pajamas on her.  We made the decision to let Grace sleep in the bed with us in case she got sick again.  So  after brushing her teeth and getting her some water, we put her in the bed between us with Chloe at her feet.  Then just as we dozed off, it happened again.  Grace vomited on my face.  Again.  Seriously.  Vomit.  On.  My.  Face.  Twice.  In one night.  

This time I didn't have to yell for help.  The smell alone woke David up.  As he was grabbing an empty plastic bin I made it to the bathtub with Grace.  One more time, pink noodles were spewed all over the place.  So I held Grace and got into the shower - clothing and all.  This time, David took over the cleanup detail.   He did a great job  - he started yet another load of laundry and found clean sheets for our bed.  Meanwhile, Grace and I both washed our hair and got all cleaned up.  Then out we went for another fresh set of pajamas. 

After all this, I decided Grace and I would sleep on the couch downstairs.  It's a leather  sofa and thus easy to clean and it has a washable slipcover.  Plus, this way David could sleep tonight and take over in the morning.  Most of all, I just didn't want to take the chance of waking up to vomit in my face for a third time. 

So downstairs Grace and I went.  I grabbed one of the few vomit-free pillows, a clean sheet, and the plastic bin.  I brushed Grace's teeth and gave her some Gatorade to drink.  Then I tucked her in on the couch, sat beside her, and showed her the bin.  I told her that if she thought she needed to throw up to let me know and I would hold the bin for her.  She said, "Oh-tay" (okay) and reached for it.  And then threw up again.  Poor baby.  Luckily cleanup was super fast this time.  She drank a little more Gatorade and then fell asleep. 

So now it's after 2am and Grace is sleeping so I plan to do the same for as long as I can. Hopefully, she's thrown up whatever made her sick and will feel better in the morning.  If she continues to throw up like she has been, we may take her to a clinic.  

Sprinkles after school

I woke Grace up this morning to get ready to go to school, but she just wanted to go back to sleep!  She kept saying "I seepy, Momma.  Doe back tuh bed.  Tose your eyes!"  (I'm sleepy, Momma.  Go back to bed.  Close your eyes!)  I told her she needed to get up so she could go to school.  Her response was, "I dun wanna doe to stool!  I need a nap!"  (I don't want to go to school!  I need a nap!)  I couldn't believe it.  She throws a HUGE fit when it's naptime and now all she wants to do is go back to sleep.   She even voluntarily used the word "nap."  Unbelievable

So I bribed her.  I told her that she could help me bake some baby cakes when she got home from school.  And it worked like a charm.  She said, "Oh-tay.  I help you mate bee-bee tates."  (Okay.  I help you make baby cakes.)  Baby cakes = cupcakes. 

So Grace hopped out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen to start baking.  After explaining that we had to wait until after school to bake, I finally got her to cooperate and get dressed.  We had a quick breakfast, brushed her teeth, and headed to school.  As soon as we walked in the door, she informed her teacher, "I help Momma mate bee-bee tates today."  (I help Momma make baby cakes today.)  And off she went to "work."

As I was leaving another parent came in with his son.  His son is in Grace's class and was climbing like a monkey all over his dad.  He was also screeching like a hyena.  He did not want to go to school at all.  After the dad manhandled him to the floor and escaped through the door, I saw Grace walk over to the little boy and say, "Dawn tie.  It's oh-tay."  (Don't cry.  It's okay.)  Unfortunately, the poor kid couldn't be comforted so Grace eventually left him and went back to work.  She looked like she was about to cry, too, though.

Finally I left.  When I picked her up from school, Grace said she had a lot of fun.  They got to play outside at the playground.  And she colored a dinosaur "peent and purpeel" (pink and purple).  And she told me that the little boy cried all day.  As we walked inside, she said, "We mate bee-bee takes, Momma!" (We make baby cakes, Momma!)  And so we did.

We I had an extra special treat for the cupcakes today.  Sprinkles!

Grace selected pink sprinkles for her cupcake.  No surprise there.

She was very meticulous with her sprinkles.

It was the prettiest baby cake of the bunch.

And apparently, the tastiest. 

Fishing fun

Today was such a beautiful day, we decided to go fishing at our pier.  This was the first time we've been out there this year.

Grace brought some old bread to feed the fishies.

She dropped each piece one by one.

She spent almost 20 minutes feeding the fishies.

She really enjoyed it even though we never saw any fish eat any of it.

Then she helped with the fishing poles.

She sat down with her Daddy and fished for a while.

The fish didn't seem to be biting in that spot.

So Grace thought they should try the other side.  "Tum on Dah-ee!"  (Come on Daddy!)

So David patiently shows her how to hold the rod.  She's really good with her little zebco, but these rods are much bigger.

And Grace tries to reel it in.

She even jerks the rod just a bit hoping to get that hook in good.

Alas, there's no fish on the line.  They must be hibernating or something.  What fish is going to turn down an easy meal of shrimp?

Then Grace gets the binoculars out to watch the sunset.

Meanwhile, Chloe is just hanging out.

The sunset truly was spectacular.

It seemed to change every few seconds.

And grow more and more intense.

I honestly can't remember one more beautiful.

But as lovely as the sunset was, it doesn't come close to the beautiful memories we made.

Hey ya'll, it's Mardi Gras!

Most people associate Mardi Gras in the US with the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.

It is true that New Orleans hosts the largest and most popular Mardi Gras, but they were not the first to celebrate the Carnival season. That honor goes to their smaller neighbor to the east: Mobile, Alabama. Mobile hosted its first Mardi Gras celebration in 1703, long before New Orleans. While New Orleans has the reputation for the largest and wildest Mardi Gras, Mobile prides itself on having a "family friendly" Mardi Gras celebration.

Beaded necklaces are the symbol of Mardi Gras. Everyone wears them, and everyone tries to get even more from the partiers on parade floats who literally toss out tons of the trinkets to onlookers as they wind their way through the downtown streets. Beyond the beads, float riders also let fly candy, toys, stuffed animals, souvenir cups and, as an appropriate salute to our southern cuisine, moon pies.

There are almost 60 parades that take place between now and Fat Tuesday (Febuary 16) between Mobile and the eastern shore of the bay.  That's not counting all the live bands on street corners, and all the other family friendly activities.  We're looking forward to celebrating! 

Laissez le bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)

	Ray Farnell and the Moon Pie Band - Mardi Gras In Mobile .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Press play on the link above to hear the entire Mardi Gras in Mobile song that Grace dances to!

OB Checkup

This morning I had a scheduled checkup with my OB while Grace was in school.  That made it much easier since I didn't have to worry about her exploring the doctor's tools while I was being examined.  Anyway, I have gained 1 1/2 pounds since my last checkup.  I was shocked by that because I look like I've gained 10 or more pounds!  I'll post a belly bump picture soon. 

We heard the baby's heartbeat and it was steady and strong.  I asked the doctor if he would consider that fast or slow and he said, "It is definitely slow."  And he went on to say that the old wives tale in the South says that it the baby's heartbeat is fast then it's a girl and if it's slow then it's a boy.  But in other places like California, it's the direct opposite:  if it's fast then it's a boy and if it's slow then it's a girl.  He also said that it's right about 50% of the time.  So maybe we're having a boy.  There's a 50% chance!

Hmmm.  I remember being pregnant with Grace and that pregnancy was completely different from this one.  I don't remember having crazy pregnant dreams like I do now.  Or getting sick - and I mean REALLY sick - like puking in the shower, throwing up after meals, and waking up in the middle of the night to dry heave for half an hour at a time - like this pregnancy.  Also when I was pregnant with Grace, her heartbeat was very fast.  So maybe we really are having a boy.

My ultrasound is schedule for February 23, but we aren't finding out what it is then.  We've decided to wait until the baby's born... 

A puma chases Grace

Now that the weather has turned nice again, Grace and I enjoy taking Chloe for walks around the neighborhood.  Today she really surprised me.  We were walking when out of the blue she yells, "Momma, we got to wun!  It's uh puma!  We got to wun from duh puma!"  (Momma, we've got to run!  It's a puma!  We've got to run from the puma!) And she takes off as fast as her little legs will go. 

Then she comes to a quick stop and says, "It's oh-tay, Momma.  We stared duh puma!"  (It's okay, Momma.  We scared the puma!)  And we walk a little more and jump over a couple of mud puddles.  Actually we jump beside the mud puddles so we don't get our shoes dirty by accidentally landing in the puddle.  Grace's idea, by the way.  She hates to get dirty.

Then I hear her say, "Oh no!  It's duh puma!  Wun! Wun!  Duh puma gonna git you!"  (Oh no!  It's a puma!  Run!  Run!  The puma is going to get you!)  And off we go again.  We walked and then ran from the puma.  And then we walked some more.  Then we chased the puma.  On again and off again for almost 20 minutes.

So I asked Grace what does a puma look like? Her answer? "Uh bid tat." (A big cat.) What does a puma say? "Raarrrrr!" (really loud roaring growl sound)

Grace and her imagination continue to amaze me.  And don't ask me why she's pretending that a puma is chasing her.  I didn't even know what a puma was until, like, high school or something.

It's the letter U

Grace and I like playing with her fridge alphabet magnets. 

She was having a lot of fun lining all the letters up.

She would take each letter and show it to me and ask, "What's dis yedder?"  (What's this letter?)  I would respond with things like G, guh, guh, G.  Like Grace!  Or C, cuh, cuh, C like cat!

Then she showed me this letter and I said it's the letter U.

Her response?  "It's duh yedder ME?"  (It's the letter me?)

"I yub it!  I yub duh yedder ME!"  (I love it!  I love the letter ME!) 

Grace's nap mat

We finally received Grace's new nap mat yesterday and I have to admit I am tickled pink over it!

The outside is black and the inside is hot pink.  It is padded and lined with a polka dot ribbon trim.  I love how it rolls up and has a velcro strap over the carrying handles.  And I just adore the monogram on the outside pocket.

As soon as Grace saw it, she climbed right in.  It's so nice that it has an attached fleece blanket and pillow.

The pillow insert can be removed from the case for washing.  Yes, it's machine washable.  That was a big requirement.

Grace finally has her very own nap mat - which she calls her "seepin bag" (sleeping bag) - for school!  As Grace said, "I yub it very mutt!"  (I love it very much!)

Grace plays with Grandaddy

On the way home from our trip to the cemetary, all Grandaddy wanted to do was take a nap. 

Grace thought otherwise.

A visit to an old cemetary

While David was in Charlotte this week, I took Grace to visit an old cemetary where many of my mother's ancestors are buried. 

As I've gotten older, I seem to become more and more interested in researching my family history.

The cemetary itself is quite old - dating back to the 1800s.  It had a very peaceful feeling about it.

I took photographs of many of our ancestors' headstones.

Even Grace had a good time exploring the cemetary.

She surprised me by saying, "Yook, Momma!  Duh rock fell down! See?"  (Look, Momma!  The rock fell down!  See?) as she climbed onto one of the markers.

Some of them were so old, they had hand carved inscriptions.

Some had even been broken and then put back together.

Many were so old it was hard to read their inscriptions.

As we walked the grounds, we found a path that led to an old outhouse.

My mom said that she remembered using this outhouse as a little girl at a funeral.

The inside of the one-room church is stunningly beautiful in its stark simplicity.  I love the old pews and how they all face the center of the room.  The wooden floors are absolutely gorgeous and I suspect original to the church.

There is even an old woodburning fireplace still in use.

As we left the church, Grace found a little four legged friend.

Cat seemed to really like Grace.

But not as much as Grace liked cat.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip.  We were able to spend time with my family and I have many, many photographs now to help with the research of our family history.  Maybe one day we'll go back again with Nanna and Gran and learn more about our family laid to rest there.