Make-Up Artist in Training...

Every morning Kailey and I hang out in my bathroom while I do my hair, get dressed and put my make-up on. She loves to rummage through my cabinets and pull out "treasures" for her to carry in her purse. Lately she has been obsessed with lipstick, lip gloss, chap sticks, etc. I usually let her play with them since she knows EXACTLY what to do with them and doesn't make a huge mess! Well, this morning Kailey must have found one of my eyeliners; she snuck off quietly and when I went to check on her she had put the BLACK eye liner ALL OVER her baby dolls face. I will give her credit... She only put the make-up on her face, so she is headed in the right direction. Below is a picture of her baby and might I say that she just looks BEAUTIFUL will black liner all over. My oh my what shall I do with Kailey?!?!!?

What a great day!

Since I was sick all week I really didn't get much "quality" time with Greg and Kailey. I started to feel a little bit better so on Saturday we decided to have a "family day" and make the most of our Saturday! We started the day with a yummy breakfast made by Daddy!!

After breakfast Greg said we needed to get ready to go, so we all got ready and headed out. He dropped Kailey and I off at Pets Mart to see the puppies--he knows that Kailey and I LOVE to see the puppies. He said he would be back in a few minutes. I didn't think much of what he said as I just figured he was going to park. Kailey and I checked out the dogs, fish, birds, etc. After about 20 minutes there was still no Greg... I was wondering where he went... Just then he walked up!

After we left PetsMart we walked down to Lifeway to pick up a few Christmas gifts and Daddy got Kailey a new VeggieTale Dvd! Chuck E Cheese, or as Kailey would say "Chuck Cheese" is right next door to Lifeway so we went there for lunch and play! We had a fantastic time as always. Kailey played for a long time and really loved skeeball! Greg and I raced cars, played the Basketball game and enjoyed visiting. After CEC we walked over to Toys R Us to look at the sales. We didn't buy anything there, but had fun looking at everything. Sneaky Greg said he would be right back and said he would just go ahead and get the car since the parking lot was crazy. About 20 minutes later he called and said he was outside. Kailey and I walked out, got in the car and realized that Greg had TRICKED us! He had the ENTIRE day planned, and while we were shopping, eating and having fun he had brought my car to get a DVD player installed! I was SO SURPRISED and SO PUMPED! It is really nice, big screen, remote, wireless headphones, etc. After I saw the DVD player the whole day made sense--why he dropped us off and took 20 minutes to get back, why he insisted we buy Kailey a new DVD and why he wanted to go and get the car because of "parking lot traffic." Duh---now it all made perfect sense. We popped Kailey's new DVD in and away we went--it was wonderful and Kailey already loves her new "DD" or DVD.

Thank You Greg for a wonderful gift and most importantly a WONDERFUL DAY as a family!

Baby, It's cold outside...

Yesterday a cold front came in a made it pretty chilly. While talking to Kailey throughout the day I usually ask her if she is hot or cold and she usually responds with "ohhh hot" and then she blows on something, she isn't really hot she just likes to say that over and over and over... Well, yesterday I asked her if she was cold and she said "cold cold cold" all while crossing her arms and pretending to shiver. So, I picked her up and gave her a big cuddle. When I set her down she said "cold cold" again so once again I picked her up and cuddled her. This turned in to a fun game for Kailey and I played along becasue it meant that I got some extra snuggles with my sweetpea! WELL, she has decided to "trick" us into thinking she is cold just to get some extra snuggles in. When Daddy got home she ran to him with a smile he picked her up and gave her a kiss and then she told him she was cold so, of course, he snuggled her. He fell for her trick hook-line and sinker! She was very pleased with his response and continued to tell him she was cold until I let him in on her little trick! She is quite the trickster... She was even playing the trick on her babies- while playing with her babies she would say "ohh cold" and then wrap them up and cuddle them, she is quite the nuturing girl-it was so darn cute!

Tonight at bed time she tried to pull the "cold" trick on us along with the usual "potty," "drink," "cup," "baby," routine, but we only gave in once... okay it was twice, but then she realized we were not falling for it, especially at BED TIME!

Here is a picture from last year in Oklahoma, when it WAS really cold!

The Royal Chef

While in Dallas I had a wonderful opportunity to take a cooking class from The Royal Chef: Darren McGrady. My mom set it all up and it was such a treat and so special! Chef McGrady is the "Royal Chef" because he was personal chef for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace. He was also Princess Diana's personal chef for four years before her tragic accident. He has cooked for many distinguished people such as President Bush, Clinton, Reagan and Ford. In addition to being the Royal Chef at Buckingham Palace he also traveled with the royal family to Windsor Castle, Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle as well as on the royal yacht Britannia on royal tours around the world.

The class was wonderful. While we cooked he told stories about what it was like to work for the royal family, he kept me laughing for sure! He showed us several ways to prepare the same meal-- since Greg and I don't eat a fancy meal every night it was nice to learn some ways to "dress down" nice meals.

We started with Lobster, Jumbo Lump Crab and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Yellow Tomato Gazpacho, then moved on to Braised Beef Short Ribs with Parsnip Chips served with Soft Polenta with Wild Mushrooms and Crispy Prosciutto. Last but certainly not least we made an AMAZING dessert-- Milk Chocolate Cremosa with an Espresso Parfait and Butterscotch Sauce. At first glance the menus looked pretty difficult, but with Chef McGrady breaking it down I thought that I would actually make these things again.

I had such a fun day cooking with Chef McGrady, I am hoping to do it again in January. I really enjoyed just relaxing, drinking some wine and doing something I love... COOKING!

Thank you Mom for surprising me with such a wonderful time... You are the BEST!

Chipped Tooth

While at Honey's Kailey had a little spill at the grocery store. We stopped in to grab a few things and Kailey was enjoying herself walking down the aisles. Some people walked by her, she looked up, her feet got tangled and she fell to the HARD CONCRETE FLOOR. She caught herself somewhat with her hands, but then rocked forward and smacked her face on the floor--I heard her face hit the floor. I dropped my groceries, picked her up, and sure enough she had blood coming from her mouth--I thought she may have bitten through her tongue or knocked a tooth out--thankfully I was wrong on both accounts. She did chip one of her front teeth. She was so sad so of course I was sad and Honey was sad too. It must have been quite a scene to see 2 grown ladies and a baby crying in the cereal aisle. The chip was pretty small, but it was rough so of course Kailey felt the need to rub her tongue on her now sharp tooth. When we got home and she calmed down I filed the sharp part off and now it looks just fine! We called one of our dentist friends and he assured us that everything would be just fine and reminded us that it was a baby tooth and not to worry:)

Poor little Kailey

Milk Allergy

Thank goodness for Grandma Honey! Kailey has had a cough mostly at night for about 2 weeks now, we have been using an inhaler daily and it really isn't helping. My Mom mentioned something about not giving her milk before bed, and it worked! NO COUGHING at all! So, over the weekend we did a few "tests" with milk and sure enough Kailey has a milk allergy. She just starts with this horrible cough and it sounds like she is trying to cough something up. Thankfully, I nursed her a long time, so she can handle the allergy better. We have started to give her soy milk and soy yogurt. She can still have foods with milk as an ingredient, but we just need to limit the amount. She still eats cheese (in small amounts) and does fine. Most kids outgrow the allergy so we are not too concerned. One of my brothers also had a milk allergy and outgrew it quickly and now he loves milk!

The great news is that we are hopeful that Kailey doesn't have full-blown asthma- I did not like the idea of Kailey having something chronic. So, if we are right about this allergy we may be able to rule out asthma! However, she still may have exertional asthma, but time will tell on that.

So, next time you see Kailey please don't give her a big glass of milk--unless it is soy milk!!

Personalized Christmas Book!

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I wish you...

A friend of mine posted this on her site and I really liked it so I wanted to share it with you...

I Wish You...


I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive & everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Cooking class!

Just a quick post tonight-- we are in Dallas visiting my Mom and while in town I am planning on taking a Holiday cooking class- I am SO VERY excited about it and will post the recipes and tell you all about it afterwards. Off to bed for now, busy days ahead!

THANK YOU!

Veterans' Day Thank You

It was at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month that the armistice was signed to end the "war to end all wars." For several decades starting in 1919, November 11th was celebrated throughout the United States as "Armistice Day". As we all know, the Great War was not the last war, and our men and women continued the struggle for America's freedom throughout the Second World War, through the Korean Conflict and on into Vietnam, the Gulf War, and now into the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thus, on November 11th 1971, President Nixon officially renamed this day to Veterans' Day in honor of all the men and women that have served this great nation in countless wars.

The number of veterans that served in the First and Second World Wars have dwindled, and with them so too have the celebrations marking this day. Cities and towns that once held lavish parades in their honor now pass November 11th as it were any other day. Schools in many states remain open today and businesses see it not as a day to remember our veterans but as a day to kick off the Christmas shopping season. It seems that we as a nation have forgotten the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform.Of all the secular holidays we celebrate in the US, this day is by far the most important. Were it not for our veterans, no other American holiday would be possible. They alone have answered this nation's call whenever our freedom and way of life was threatened. They alone responded when our allies were in need. They alone have stood guard while the rest of us slept peacefully at night.

Today above all other days is a time to thank our veterans for all they have done. Do you enjoy your freedom of speech? Thank a veteran. Have you openly opposed the war in Iraq? Thank a veteran that you have the right to do so. Have you ever written a letter to the editor criticising you local, state, or federal government? Thank a veteran for the safety of that action. It is their endless vigilance that grants us the freedoms we too often take for granted. So join me today in saying "Thank You" to our veterans, for they are the foundation upon which this nation was built, and they are the foundation upon which our future generations will stand.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all of my friends and family in the armed forces. I am grateful to you and your service. I also spend today remembering those lost during wartime and say a special prayer for them and their families. Greg's 18 month deployment to Iraq was the hardest time of my life, but I am proud to call myself a military wife and I am proud to say that my husband served his country. God Bless America!

Sweetest Baby

So tonight was possibly the best night ever. Every night we have a bedtime routine, near the end of our routine I read "Mommy Hugs" and Greg reads "Daddy Kisses." We say our prayers and go to sleep. Well, tonight after we said our prayers, gave hugs and kisses Kailey rolled on her tummy and started to tell me "on" "on" "on", while pointing to her back. So, I put my hand on her back and she relaxed, a few seconds later she started moving around as if she was trying to tell me to rub her back, so I started to gently rub her back. She stayed there for a few minutes and then sat up gave me a HUGE hug and kiss and then layed back down. She grabbed my hand and held my hand until she fell asleep. This was so touching, and of course it made me cry. I just love Kailey SOOOOOO much and sometimes when I think about how special she is I cry. I feel so incredibly blessed to be her Mom. She makes me want to be a better person every day. She is the most tender and loving baby. She melts my heart every single day. I am so blessed and so in love.

Asthma

Do you like Kailey's new toys?

Greg and I noticed that Kailey was coughing in spells every night, I thought maybe she had some drainage and just watched her for a few days. When she didn't get better I called our pediatrician and brought her in. Dr. McAtee thinks that Kailey has asthma. This doesn't really surprise me because I have asthma, my Mom has asthma, and one of my brother's has asthma- so the family history is there. She wants Kailey to try this inhaler for two weeks and then come back in. The next step is to see a specialist and see what the "triggers" are for her asthma. Some possible triggers could be: dust, mold, pollen, grass, specific foods, etc, etc, etc... Our dogs live outside so we could rule that out and neither of us smoke so that is out too. Personally, I am not 100% convinced it is asthma, but if the inhaler works, I will use it! Once we see someone who looks at childhood asthma every single day I will feel better about our diagnosis. I remember what a pain it was when I was little with asthma- carrying around a bag of inhalers, having to stay inside on certain ozone days, and constantly worrying about dust and mold- I am REALLY praying that just maybe this will be a quick bout of asthma and not a lifelong issue. Please pray too!

So, for now we are giving Kailey her inhaler twice a day, she likes the mask and is so good at breathing the medicine in. She even gives some to her babies, she is just so sweet. We are trying to monitor what she is eating and doing during the day to see what is possibly triggering the asthma/coughing episodes. Once we know more we will post an update.

Belated Halloween Blog

Better late than never, right???

Halloween was so much fun this year! We spent most of October doing activites Halloween related so that made the month extra special. We did several crafts, made spooky treats, attended several pre-Halloween parties and visited a couple of pumpkin patches!

On Halloween, my Mom came down from Dallas. We attended three Halloween parties in ONE DAY! Whew! The morning started with my playgroup party- it was really fun, all the kids looked cute and the food was awesome! Our second party was a "Fun House" at a friends house- the kids bounced in the bounce house, there was face painting, snacks, hay and even a popcorn machine. Our third party was our neighborhood Halloween Party- it was fun. Their were hot dogs, other snacks, a hay ride and lots of toys. Everyone was dressed up and it was really nice to meet all of our neighbors. We ended the night at home and answered the door for the trick or treaters. Kailey got lots of candy from the parties so we didn't take her door to door- she had more fun giving the candy away than taking it- she is just too sweet! Kailey's original costume was a black cat but it was just too hot outside for that- so she went as an LSU Cheerleader, which was a HUGE HIT since most of our neighbors and friends are LSU fans!

Now that Halloween is over we will start doing fun things in preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

FIREPROOF

So this weekend my Mom came down for a visit- we had a WONDERFUL time with her here and of course she spolied us as usual. When Honey (my Mom), Kailey and I were out doing some Christmas shopping on Saturday she said that we should go on a date and let her watch Kailey- well we were certainly going to take her up on that!!! So, Greg and I got all dressed up and headed out! Boy, it is much easier getting ready when you don't have a toddler pulling on your legs.

First, we did some shopping- nothing fun- just electronics and sporting goods. Then we headed to the MOVIE THEATER! Greg and I have not been to a movie w/o Kailey in forever so this was a wonderful treat. We saw the movie Fireproof- let me tell you- this movie was AMAZING! I highly recommend it to ALL married couples. I cried, smiled and laughed and the movie was just great! Of course I had a buy a box of junior mints and a diet coke! It was really refreshing to see a movie without cursing, drugs, sex, etc. It was just a nice, wholesome movie-- IMAGINE that!

After our movie we headed to a LATE dinner at Tommy's Steakhouse and boy was it yummy. It was so wonderful to take our time and enjoy our meal without worrying about feeding annother person, cleaning up spilled drinks, etc. We took our sweet time and enjoyed every. single. bite. I had the stuffed pork loin--YUMMY! It was so good-- we left feeling really stuffed- reminded me of the feeling after eating one of the awesome meals on a cruise-- FULL and SATISFIED!

When we returned home we found Kailey sleeping and Honey just watching her sleep- it was so very sweet. I love it when Greg and I get a night out- it gives us a chance to reconnect and just talk- like we used to- before baby!

I am SO GLAD we got to have a night out and I know Honey loved every second of watching Kailey- Honey even cleaned up our house for us while we were gone---- THANKS MOM!!