Thursday, April 29, 2010

I'm Too Sexy

For my shades!!!


Haha! I know the quality of this is not so great, but I could not pass up the moment when I turned around and saw my child looking like this-all of her own doing. I think my remark was something to Sid about oh my gosh, look at YOUR daughter. She certainly does not get all this coolness from me! The big green paci just ties it all together don't you think?

Well, I did it! Or I guess I should say Sid did it. But Bailey got her MMR today. I put it off as long as I possibly could and today was finally the day. I don't know why I can't go with the changes and realize that study after study has shown there is no link between the MMR (or any other vax for that matter) and other medical conditions (specifically autism). But when you watch 3 year olds bang their heads on a concreate floor or a glass window or claw their face until blood is dripping down their chin because they have such severe autism and those self-destructive behaviors are just a part of life for them and then you hear their parents claim it all started with the MMR....I mean it's hard to shake those images and claims when you've seen it first hand. And not to mention I know first hand of one case, not with the MMR, but with another vacine, where the child got it and then had all sorts of problems arise and her doctors finally determine they think the problems originated from that vax...I mean what do you do? Well, I thought I would break the MMR up into three different shots. The M, then the other M and then the R. But as of October, 2009, the maker of the MMR no longer makes it into three different shots, even upon request. So upon further research, I discovered that parents were choosing to give the MMR alone, at a totally different time than all the other 12 month shots. And I discovered that 12 months is just a "typical" time for doctor's offices to give the shot, but the CDC and our state health department actually gives a time frame that is can be given in and as long as the child gets it within that time frame, then you are vacinating on the recommended schedule. Our state health department happens to recommend it be given between the ages of 12 and either 15 or 18 months, can't remember right off the top of my head, but I think 15 months.

Now, let's say Bailey did not attend a state run daycare and there was no one checking to make sure she was up to date on her shots and I chose not to give it to her until she was like 2, well then she would not have been given her shots as they are recommended. But because she had it within the recommended time frame, all is well. Most parents don't know there is a recommended time frame. They just listen to their doctor and if the doctor says it's time to get shots one, two and three, then the parent says ok. And before you know it, you've loaded your 24 pound toddler up with some pretty heavy duty stuff. So I chose to just spread it out a little. When we went in December for her 12 month check-up, it was discovered she had another ear infection and so shots were put off until we saw the ENT who then recommended tubes. Bailey's doctor wanted to hold off of shots until all was clear with her ears, so we were already late getting shots. She was close to 15 months and still hadn't had her 12 month shots. So I requested she have her 12 months shots EXCEPT THE MMR and her 15 month shots. She got those last month. And Sid took her today to get her MMR, which brings us up to date for everything.

Was all that necessary? Who knows??? But did I do it in a way that I felt comfortable with and was still within the recommended guidelines for shots??? Sure did!!! But her don't think I didn't face some resistance in the medical community. A resistance I really didn't expect. But anyway, it's over and done now. For years I have dreaded having to choose to give the MMR to my child, years I didn't even have a baby I freted over what I would do. I'm thankful Sid took her and I really didn't have to think about it. And guess what?? It appears she will survive...sunglasses and all!!!!

To that end, I know I've been MIA for the past few days but I am just wore slap out and I don't know why. Work is semi-stressful right now as it is IEP time and testing time and the kids are out of control because the weather is nice time. I have been working on finishing the book I was reading, The Lovely Bones, which I finished night before last. So I've just really not been online much at night.

My sweet Erin is turning 6 years old tomorrow.  I cannot believe that and it makes me soo sad and happy all at the same time.  We plan to make it to Alabama this weekend for her birthday.  I also plan to do a recap of where we were this time last year.  As you will recall, we made our first trip to Jackson on this day a year ago and were told Bailey had a birthmark in her airway.  We later found out that was not the case.  I have also been taking time to reflect upon that and how thankful I am for the outcome of that ordeal.  Just alot on my mind as we close out April and start up May.  I'll try not to be so absent from my updating, for my two faithful readers!  Hey Pappaw!  We love  you!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

No Excuses

I haven't jumpped ship from blog land, I just haven't felt like writing much lately.  We were super busy most of the weekend, well Saturday anyway. 

We went to Ham Jam in town and Bailey got to ride in her new wagon that the Easter Bunny brought her.  She was in Heaven.  It was hot but she so enjoyed it.  We ate lunch and took a nap and then it was time for Mason's 5th birthday party at the park.  Fun times again.  It was hot, but she thought she was as big as the rest of the kids.  By the time we got home, she was smelly and sticky.  A warm bath did her some good.  And we headed back out to Ham Jam for some good eats and music.  Again, a ride in the wagon, which she again, enjoyed.  That was the best money we ever spent on her, that wagon!  I have never seen a 15, almost 16 month old enjoy music as much as her.  But before we could even get her out of the carseat, she could hear the drums and moving her head to the beat.




See what I mean?  I also figured out I could take pictures with my phone and email them.  Moving on up.

Bailey turns 16 months on the 22nd.  The 23rd marks the one year anniversary of her 4 month old shots.  The 24th marks the one year anniversary of our living hell. When she first went into repiratory distress.

I'm more homesick than I've ever been.  But I'm more in love with my Sid and my Bailey than I've ever been, too!

**Apparently I'm being over-taken by spam commenters.  Just ignore.  If it happens to much I will have to change my commenting system. 

Monday, April 12, 2010

Yes

We are alive.  Just been busy.  I worked so much on Easter pics last week that I never really got a chance to actually share about our Easter.  And look what happened!  We ended up with Easter weekend number 2 before I even got a chance to share about Easter weekend number 1.  Sooo, number 1 will come.

For now, enjoy number 2!


Bailey and Calissa on the lawn mower!!!  I mean what else could be more fun, right??  It never got turned on and I feel certain that if it had of, Bailey would have made a run for it.





Lord help me, I could eat her up!!!


Colin and the ole Snapper.  These kids acted like they had never seen anything better.  I guess for the moment, under Mami's old shed, there was nothing better!





Unless of course you are Mason, then you can pull out some old garden thing that probably hasn't seen the light of day in 20 years and attempt to steer it around the place.


Or you could have been like Brady, and the rest of us that I didn't get pictures of, and just enjoy having a seat under that old shed!




And, just because.....



 my sweet angel (and her sweet mullet hair) with her little flower she planted at school last week and brought home.  Tonight, I was letting her water it with a little cup of water and the child is obssessed with getting drinks of water.  She had to have herself a drink out of the cup before she gave her flower a drink, and then got mad when it was all given to the flower.  Tonight in the bathtub she literally laid down after all the water had run out and tried drinking the left over bath water.  Thankfully, it was just water that had run and not really bath water, but still?????  One of these days I'm going to be quick enough to take a picture of her brushing her teeth and sticking her head under the facet for a sip to wash her mouth out with...and spitting! 

Yep, we can thank her daddy for that one.

I finished the book "The Last Song".  Anyone read it and then seen the movie?  Sid said he'd take me but I just don't know, sometimes the movie ruins a good read.  Hence, the reason why I've never seen The Twilight Saga movies.  I started reading "The Lovely Bones" right after I finished "The Last Song."  It's not doing much for me, and for some reason I want to say I've read it before.  Hmmm!

Anyway, I do have lots to post from two weekends ago and I feel behind in the land of blog!  But it's a busy time all the way around and I just run out of time when I spend most of the day and night trying to finish a book.  Plus, I'm under a few deadlines at work and so when I get home at night, I'm just burned out of thinking.  So forgive!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

In My Opinion

It's late.

Like 11:00 at night.

I'm usually not up this late unless a good book is involved.

But I just got finished choosing, uploading and ordering 101 free prints from Shutterfly.

And you want to know something?  It took way longer than I thought it would.

And

IT WASN'T FREE!!!!

I hate it when that happens. 

It ended up being $8.01 for 101 4x6's.  I wonder if I could have orderd 5x7's?  I never could find the fine print other than shipping and taxes would apply.

Who knew shipping and takes would be eight freaking bucks?  That comes to about 8 cents a picture.  That's about the same as it would be to order from Walgreens here in town.  I really didn't need all 101 pictures but since the email said FREE, I thought why not?

And you want to know something else?  I paid that $8.01 because after 2 long hours of working on the order I figured it was worth the 8 bucks to just do it!  We'll see how they look.  Besides, I wanted to get some prints of the Easter pictures to decide what I wanted more and bigger of.  They always turn out different in print than they do on the computer screen.

In my opinion, anyway!

Of course, in my opinion, the fine print should say that shipping and taxes will be close to 10 bucks for 100 pictures!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

At My Mother's Request

This wasn't at my mother's request, but rather mine.  But I had asked a blog friend who knows Lightroom waaaaayyyy better than I ever wished I could to take some of the pictures that I took of Bailey Easter Sunday and work her magic.  Thanks a ton Heather!  Go visit her blog and check out her cutie-putootie Bradley (and her photography skills)!  She sent me a few of what she's been working on, because you know me, I only sent her ten or forty.  So at my mother's request, here are a few of my favorites!!!



I love this one because it shows her initials really good....



And this picture just shows her little attitude.  It was a favorite before she editing it for me.



I'm pretty sure she was laughing at something crazy her Mimi said.

I still have lots more pictures to go and I may not share them all here because some of them may be gifts. 

But right now I'm going to bed because my little angel woke up in the middle of the night running a 103 temp.  I took her to the doc and he said he was almost sure it was flu, but flu was negative.  And I've learned that everyone in Alabama has suffered from the 24 hour bug, so I'm pretty sure that's what she has. 

Please dear Lord, have mercy on this household and do not let anyone else over here get it. 

Here are a few more that I did myself.  Hope you enjoy Mom!!!







Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter 2010

We had a great day!  We headed to Alabama late yesterday afternoon, I think we were gone a total of 24 hours but it was so worth it.  My little Easter Bunny (and the Big Easter Bunny, too) has already crashed out.  I'm headed that way but I did want to post one picture from our day.  I have many many more to come.  Sadly, there are no pictures of us as a family.  How does that happen?  There aren't even any of Bailey and Sid and that NEVER happens. 

Anyway, we hope your day has been extra special.  And we hope your little chicks enjoyed their day as much as our's did!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday

I'm going to start this post out on a more personal note because I wanted to write about this all through the week last week, but just didn't have the time.  Last Sunday at Church, a man, a young man, by the name of Aaron Odom visited.  He is a singer and sings with a group called The Imperials.  Aaron sang a song with our choir in the morning service and I knew after I heard him sing that I'd rather be no place else but First Baptist at 6:00 that night when he, along with our choir, would perform Easter music.  I sang with the choir at Christmas, but after that, just could not seem to find the time to go to practices for Easter.  Some excuse, huh?  Well, let me just tell you that last Sunday night, I was touched.  Touched by a Hand that I believe I've only felt a handful of times in my life.  And it was wondeful!

Of course Bailey was with us because where else would she be if there was some good singin going on?  And at one point she reached up and touched my tears, and my Mama's heart just melted.  And then she threw her head back and her scar stared me in the face, as if God himself was saying, "Look what I have done, and it is good!".  I reached over and rubbed that sweet inch of bumby skin at her throat and said, "Yes, it is good!" 

I have the sweeteset, friendliest, smartest, most beautiful little 15 month old a mama could ask for.  There is never a time we go out anywhere that someone doesn't stop us to to comment on how cute or sweet or good she is.  And to think about all she has been through just makes me even more grateful and thankful for her little life. 

I know there are Mom's and Dad's out there in this world who go through so much more than we did, life threatening things, things that require a very long hospital stay a long way from home, things that require types of treatments that cause the parents to have to watch their beautiful little ones be sick days upon end, diseases and disorders that require breathing machines for a lifetime and not just a few weeks, diseases and disordres and syndromes that bring parents to a plot of land and a block of stone to visit their child, treatments that cause their hair to fall out when I worry about a hair bow staying in.  I know we didn't go anywhere near those places, and for that I am thankful beyond words that could be written here.  But we did go to a place that was scary and unknown for us, a place where even though there were no immediate life-threatening issues, some could have arisen and turned the situation towards the worse end.  Even though we are coming up on the anniversary of the day that terrible ordeal began, and still paying the bills for it, we are on the other side.  And it is good! 

And so today on this Good Friday I just wanted to take the time to say that I am thankful for such a God who gave his only Son for our transgressions.  For a Son who died and rise again so that we may have life and have it abundantly.  We have abundant life here at the Whitehead household, and although we don't keep God as near in the center as we should, we are thankful for His scraficies and for His love and most of all for His promise of salvation and eternal life. 

One of the songs sang last Sunday was "I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy".

I dreamed of a city called Glory,
So bright and so fair.
When I entered that gate I cried, "Holy"
The angels all met me there:
They carried me from mansion to mansion,
And oh what sights I saw.
But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for all."

Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."

I thought as I entered that city,
My friends all knew me well.
They showed me the streets of Heaven;
Such scenes too numerous to tell;
I saw Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Mark, Luke and Timothy.

But I said, "I want to see Jesus,
He's the One who died for me."


Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."
Then I bowed on my knees and cried,
"Holy, Holy, Holy."
Then I clapped my hands and sang, "Glory,
Glory to the Son of God."


I had heard that song before, but for some reason it was very powerful to me last weekend in that church holding my sweet little girl who has been through more than I would have liked for her to go through.  I thought about all the people who are already in Heaven that I will see again one day and what a sweet day that will be.  And I thought about how Heaven is not about death but about life and how thankful I am to know that I will see my loved ones there - Sid and Bailey.  I've never thought of Heaven in that way before.  But most of all I want to see Jesus.  Because of what we celebrate on Easter, I am given that opportunity and so are you. 

And because of His love for us, we have life on this earth, and like I already said, IT IS GOOD!!!

Which brings me to the second part of this blog post: Bailey's week of Easter fun!  Let me just tell you, this child is blessed and loved by both sets of her grandparents, and of course her Mama and Daddy. 

First, when we went shopping last Saturday, her Mammaw (Nene) bought her two outfits, one of which is her Easter outfit.  I wanted it monogrammed, so Tuesday after work, we went to one of her friend's house who has a monogramming machine to decide how I wanted it and get it done.  While we were there, I spotted some really cute Easter baskets, one for a boy and one for a girl, that had some things monogrammed on them along with their names.  They were too cute and come to find out, she had picked the baskets up at Wal-Mart for only $8 and all the monogramming stuff (other than the name) was already done on it.  She just added the names of her grandchildren and they were so cute.  They looked exactly like some I had seen on Etsy for like $30 the week before when I was ordering the tutu.  I had planned on just sending some cheap Dollor Store plastic Easter Basket to Bailey's party on Thursday at school because her real Easter Basket was my Mom's and then mine, so it's, ummmmm, well it's just needs TLC and not to be dragged around a playground by a toddler hunting plastic Easter eggs.  So I mentioned this and Nene's friend was so increadibly nice that she offered to do one for Bailey if Nene could find the basket on Wednesday, because remember this was Tuesday night, and I needed it by 9:00 on Thursday morning.  Nene was thankfully able to find the basket, and one for Mason too on Wednesday, they were monogrammed with their names on them Wednesday night, and ready to go Thrusday morning for the parties.  On top of all that, Nene made homemade decorated Easter Egg cookies for her party, too. 

Bailey also got a package in the mail last week from her Mimi and Poppy T.  Mimi sent her a dress from a little shop in Birmingham with some bunnies on it along with her bunny slippers that were in the last post.  Even though the dress was white, I decided to go ahead and let her wear it to the party and Easter Egg hunt on Thursday.  If you wait for that perfect time for things like that, I've found the clothes will just hang in the closet and never get worn.  So I went ahead and decided it would be the perfect dress for the perfect day, and it was!!!! 

And one more "first" for Bailey....she died her first Easter eggs.  I have pictures that her teacher sent me, but I don't have a scanner at home to scan them in.  I do, however, have pictures of the eggs. 

Wednesday and Thursday were such big days for Bailey that Sid said she fell asleep when they got home yesterday afternoon, which she usually never does.  I was sad that I didn't get to go to the party yesterday, but her Daddy and her Mammaw where there and her Daddy did get some good pictures.

So, you want to see all these pictures instead of read this long old boring story?? Alright already, here we go!!!

Now look, I am NOT a morning person, but these two look like they are on the way out the door to the most boring event they can find.......


Until someone knocked at the door.....



Who was it???




Why, Mammaw bringing the basket of course!!!  Their spirits really lifted didn't they???











She acted like she has been carrying a basket around her whole life.





That's an up close one of the sweet "Bunny Love" dress Mimi sent!




Before I show pictures of the party and Easter Egg hunt, check out these super duper cute Easter cookies Mammaw made for the party.  Of course Mason got a set for his party too, only in boy colors.





And my baby's first died Easter eggs!





Now for the pictures from the party and Easter Egg Hunt.  I thought Sid did an excellent job getting pictures and Nene has some good ones on her camera too, but I forgot to get it. 



My gosh, she is getting so big and it makes me soo sad and soo very happy all at the same time!





Even though her head is missing, I think this is the sweetest picture of my baby knowing just what to do!

Oh, or maybe not knowing just what to do......to darn funny!


Holding onto that basket!  I wonder if her friends remember she WILL scratch when someone gets in her space??




See all that mulch on the slide?  She had at least that much in her basket.  Sid says she comes home daily with that much on her, but she's always cleaned up by the time I get home.


Those darn teeth never let up do they???






Shew....all that hard work....a girl needed some shade and a break!!!


Her first little party, sitting at the table like a big girl.  Sid said they called that big t-shirt they put on her the spagetti shirt.  I'm so thankful they think of things like that because they sure don't have to.  I almost didn't recognize her though with that dark shirt on over her white dress.

And last, but for sure not least, Sid got me some tulips this week.  This are really pretty and they are my favorite.  He usually always gets me some around this time of year.  Bailey spotted them today and said "oooo" and tried to pull one of them out.  She is for sure into anything and everything.



I did a few Easter cards for her teachers at school and this is the Bible verse I put on it:

This is the promise that He Himself has made:  Eternal Life! 1 John 2:25

May you all have a blessed Easter weekend and take the time to remember the celebrations!