Moment of Silence For Cohen

A few months back I was directed to Megan and Brent's blog.  No, I do not know them in real life, but at the time, she was pregnant with their first baby, a boy, who had been diagnosed inutero with 4 different congential heart defects.  One CHD might have been manageable, but being faced with 4, the doctors were sort of in uncharted territories.  Cohen was born on June 7 and passed away June 18th.  I really haven't read any details of that, but there was a post from Megan's brother that was later removed that indicated Cohen had a tear in his trachea that could not be repaired.  Tomorrow, July 1st, they will have Baby Cohen's Memorial service and blogland has come up with this: 








One of Megan's blog friends, Adie from Almost Perfect, contacted me with the wonderful idea of asking for a day of silence from all of the people who have been following Cohen's Story. I was touched! She teamed up with Blue Eyed Bride and there you have it... Thank you ladies for this opportunity! I hope EVERYONE participates!




____________________________



What: Moment of Silence for Cohen



When: Thursday July 1st from midnight to 11:59 pm.



How: Bloggers participating will post the Cohen banner (below) or simply post Cohen’s name in large letters on their blog.



Why: July 1st Megan and Brent will be holding Cohen’s memorial service. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan’s blog community to stand behind her and support her on this difficult day. Linking up will give Megan a chance to see the support at a glance.

*** The who, what, when, and why's were taken from Send Love To Cohen, where you can go back and link up if you are participating.  I've never participated in anything like this in blogland, but I did read and keep up with the Marshall's and Cohen's sweet life.*** 
 
Today my house was so quiet as Bailey went back to daycare for the first time in several weeks.  I texted Maggie at some point and told her I was bored and sad.  Why? she asked....I'm not sure I said....and I got in the shower.  While in the shower, it hit me, my house was still and quiet and I missed my baby girl.  I cannot imagine what these parents, or any parent for that matter, go through when they lose a child.  As my baby girl, with her own (appeared to be fixed) trachea problems, sleeps next to me tonight, I will be in prayer for this set of parents as they prepare to do the unimaginable.  But for the grace of God could go any of us!

Something That I Love

Just wanted to make a note that I love a new thing Bailey is doing.  When you hand her something or she takes something from you, you know, because everything is her's after-all, she says, "Thank you."  I wish I could spell it like she says it, it's more of a "tank choo" and it's soooooo sweet!!! 

We've been at Mom and Dad's.  Got back Sunday and took a day yesterday just for us.  So her other set of grandparent's saw her last night for the first time in over a week.  I over heard Sid telling his Mom on the phone Sunday night that she had changed so much to him in the four or five days we were gone. 

She's such a sweetie!!!!  More later!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

18 Months Old AND THE BEST AUNT EVER!!!

This little 6 pound bundle of joy is 18 months old today.  And do you know what that translates to?  1 1/2 years old.  One and a half years old.  Like, almost to 2.  I just cannot believe it.  Time has flown by at lightening speed.  I learn daily from Bailey.  She has taught me so much about being a human being, being a person, being a mother. 

And so today I saw it fitting to give A GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT to the one she is named after.

Margaret Ellen and Bailey Ellen at Easter, 2010.

Aunt Maggie turned, how old did you turn Aunt Maggie?  I forget how old I am, therefore I cannot subtract tens years and know how old you are.  But anyway, Aunt Maggie, my baby sister, had a birthday at the beginning of June.  We didn't foreget her shout out.  We were just waiting for the right time.

Haha! I thought those pictures were cute.  Bailey looks like she is going in for the kill.  Cherish is Aunt Maggie because she already thinks she's getting too old to give you kisses every time  you ask for one!

Aunt Maggie came to the hospital when Bailey was born, but she doesn't like it when things don't go as planned, so she didn't stay long.  But she came over the day after Bailey was got home from the hospital.  This was their first picture together.  Look how young Aunt Maggie looked and how little my Bailey was!

And not long after Bailey was born, we made our first trip to Mimi and Poppy T's house.  Wow, Uncle Bo, you look young, too.   By the way, Bailey gets her yawning habits from her daddy!  No kidding, how big his mouth opens when he yawns is one of the first things I noticed about him.

Right before Bailey was born, Aunt Maggie and Uncle Bo got married.  Bailey thought Aunt Maggie was the most beautiful thing ever.  I did, too.  Unfortunatly, pregnancy hormones made a little bit more weepy than normal and I'm told I can be heard crying and sucking snot on the wedding video. I wouldn't know because I can't bring myself to watch it.  Sorry about that Aunt Maggie, I just couldn't believe my baby sister was getting married.  I wish I remembered the date, but I was feeling sort of cruddy, but I think she got married 8 or 9 days before Bailey was born.

Haha!  I see the twinkle in Bailey's eye Aunt Maggie.  You better watch out because now she relentlessly rips those earrings out.  I lost a back to mine just today but was lucky to escape with my ear intact.  But we do love you so Aunt Maggie!!!

You came to my first birthday party all the way in Mississippi and rocked me to sleep afterwards.  Well, Uncle Bo came, too!

You took me to the circus!

You fed me supper on Christmas Eve at Mimi's house!

You played with me at Thanksgiving!

You were at my Christening that Pappaw officiated!

And best of all, you let me take naps in your floor with Uncle Bo!!

Oh wait, I forgot one more thing.  I had so much fun when we went to see The Wizard of Oz!

There were a few more pictures we wanted to put up, but blogger is running slow now.  We've done so much in my 18 months of life, we tired it out probably.  But what we want you to know, Aunt Maggie, is we think you are such a special person.  You have worked so hard this past year and we know you are going to be the best teacher EVER.  Mom wishes that we could live by you and  you could be my teacher one year.  Even though that probably won't happen, you will still have plenty of time to teach me all you want me to know. 

We love you so much Aunt Maggie and we can't wait to spend time with you at home and here in Mississippi this summer.  Well, we love Uncle Bo too!  We don't want him to feel left out.  Maybe one day there will be some Battles cousins that I can play with.  Mommy can't wait for that, too! 

WE LOVE YOU MAGGIE ELLEN!!!! 

Rambling, Rambling, Rambling

I was just checking in on a few of my favorite bloggers and discovered a week of giveaways.





Go check out what Semi Slacker is up to while on vacay!!!

On a Whitehead note, Bailey is much much better.  She has a few back teeth coming in and that's making her a little ill.  Well, that and she's been at home for the past week.  I doubt she goes back to daycare next week either because we plan to head to Alabama sometime soon.  I'm just so ready to enjoy a little time with just me and my girl before school starts back up again.  Speaking of which, I haven't talked too much on here about school or work, but I will just say that things are on the up and up and God is good! 

Also on a Bailey note, we put up some blackout panels that we found that match our bedding and such perfectly.  Bailey slept until after 7 most mornings last week after we put them up, well Sid put them up.  But we were up moving around and so she would wake up. But this morning, let me tell you, she slept until 9:30, I was like WOW!!!  Praise the LORD!!!  Thank you sweet Jesus!!!  Sid says it's a fluke.  We were out late last night at Ben and Brady's birthday party and she did make it into the pool.  So she was up later than normal and she did wake up at 6 a.m., but I said to her "what are you doing."  She rattled off some jummbled up something and laid back down - until 9:30 this morning.  It was sooooo nice.  We'll see what she does tomorrow, except she can't sleep until 9:30 because we will be up getting ready for church. 

I've been on an ebay kick lately.  So far, so good.  I've made almost $150, but that includes shipping that we have paid out, so maybe about $100 so far.  I'm hoping that if I purge and sell some of Bailey's old things that she can't wear anymore, which really aren't old, they are really just outgrown, then we can either get an ipod touch or an ipad.  I'd love love love to have an ipad, but an ipod touch would do just fine.  Sid says we'll see.  So, we'll see!

Speaking of Sid, Happy Father's Day (which it will be by the time he reads this.)  I love you more everyday for making me a Mommy and for being the Daddy that you are.  This sweet little girl adores you, she is a spitting image of you and we love you so much.  We could never survive day to day without all you do for us.  We are so thankful that you are our's and we hope you have a wonderful day.

To my Dad, Happy Father's Day!  A girl could not have wished for and gotten a better Dad than I (we) did.  You have worked yourself to death (literally and nearly) to give us everything we wanted.  You have impacted my life in a way that words would never do it justice.  I love you very much and hope your day is wonderful.  I'm sorry we aren't there to celebrate on this exact day, but Bailey and I will be home soon enough.  I'll stop there, because there are no pictures so you probably clicked off a long time ago and aren't even reading this.

My sweet sweet Pappaw.  I've doted on you this month and you know without me going back into too much detail what you mean to me, how special you are to every part of my life.  No one thinks about me the way you do, the special things you always remember to do for me.  It's means the world and we love you so much!!!

Jerry - I couldn't ask for a better father in law.  I know he doesn't read here, or at least I don't think he does.  He barely knows how to use the cell phone.  But I do consider him my dad away from home and I'm blessed to have the father in law that I do (and mother in law).  I could call on them for anything and everything.   Jerry it thrills my heart to see you with Bailey, the girl of the group, when I know it's always been boys for you.  We love you!!

PS - To the mother's in my life, mother's day this year was not a good weekend for me for many reasons, so I didn't do a mother's day post, but that doesn't mean I don't love ya'll just the same.  I did start a post about me and Bailey for mother's day and then the day was sort of ruined so I just forgot about it.  But we love our Mom's just the same.  Just didn't want ya'll to feel left out.  I've already left out a birthday girl this month, who has a special post coming on just the right day, which just might be next week - hint hint!!!!!!  I've already got it planned sweet girl!

And a Happy Father's Day to all the other great Daddy's, grandfather's and father in laws out there!!!!

My Sweet Sweet Girl

This was he doctor on Monday morning.  We ended up at urgent care on Sunday night after going to Tuscaloosa to meet mom and dad for lunch, which was GREAT!  Anyway, I noticed she felt warm and then mom commented about it.  She had a yeast infection that I let get really really bad bt I kept insisting to the urgent care doc that something else was going on.  He took some blood and her white count was 17,000.  Not good at all.  He gave her a shot and something to treat the yeast infection with and told us to follow up with her pediatrician on Monday morning. 

We did and that's her in that picture at the top BEFORE all hell broke loose.  Because they were going to need some blood anyway for the white count check, usually a finger stick, they thought they would just go ahead and draw some tubes of blood to do allergy testing.  Well, let me tell you how that went.....it didn't!  The lab tech tried to get it twice in two different places and couldn't.  I remembered that Dr. Carron has always said she is a hard stick and they usually have to find her veins with dobbler ultrasound thingy.  So the lab tech was gracious and didn't keep trying.  But after that, she still had to stick her finger.  From that finger stick we learned that instead of her white count getting better from the shot at urgent care, it had actually gone up. So, she also had to get a shot.  My arms are literally still sore from all the holding down that took place on Monday. 

So, on Tuesday, Nene stayed with her in the morning time and Sid got her at lunch.  Nene went on and carried her back for the recheck and her count had come down to 14,000.  Still not normal, but better.  We don't have to take her back unless we feel she needs to go back and she's on an oral antibiotic for the remaining high count. 

Her yeast infection area didn't look much better yesterday to me at all, even after 24 hours of all the stuff we were doing to make it better.  Let me tell you, whoever comes up with these things for babies and toddlers must not have any children of their own at home.  Here are the things we have been told and done since Saturday when I first realized she had a yeast infection and called the on-call nurse.

1.  On call nurse - told me to give her a bath with baking soda in the tub FOUR TIMES A DAY for TWENTY MINS EACH!!!!  Ummm, hello.  It was already after lunch when she said this to me and I was like, well ok, I can do that for now, but Monday that won't work.  She goes to daycare.  And she told me to put over the counter Lotrimin on it.  Ummm, hello.  I thought Lotrimmin was for athlete's foot.  So, I rounded up some Nystatin cream and proceeded on about my business.

2.  The urgent care doctor - Decided she needed Nystatin powder instead of cream to keep it drier.  But, it was after 6 and I knew it there was no pharmacy open after 6 on Sunday in Philadelphia.  So I asked if we should just use some baby powder or something until we get it filled.  His response???  Just use the cream and leave her diaper off.  "It's fine if she urinates on herself, at least he bottom will be dry."  Are you kidding me?  I wanted to say sir, do you have children, because if you do then clearly you would know this is not a viable option to leave a diaper off of my 18 month old for any amount of time. 

3. The pediatrician - I really hate to poke fun of this because it has worked.  But she wrote a persciption for something called Burrow's Solution.  It is over the counter and comes in pre-measured packets that you mix with 16 oz of water.  You then soak a rag in this 16 oz solution and leave it on the area of 30 minutes.  Again, what???  How do you leave a rag on an 18 month old in any area, much less THAT area, for 30 minutes.  I did find a way to get her diaper on over that big 16 oz soaked rag.  It smells like vinegar, but it has worked.  I have pictures of this big ole diaper but the computer isn't letting me upload right now. 

Anyway, it's now Wednesday.  She spent the night with Nene last night and was so funny going out the door.  I told her to give us bye love and she kissed me, kissed her daddy and then off she went.  She even told her Daddy no no when was going out the door with him.  She did not want to ruin any chance at all of going with her Mammaw.  She hasn't fun any fever and her yeast infection area looks much much better.  I was beginning to get a bit worried about that.  But she still has that rash they keep calling a viral rash that never really went away from the last time she had strep throat.  So I don't know what's up with that. 

Because of the heat and her yeast infection she isn't going back to daycare for awhile.  Tomorrow she gets to stay with a girl named Hailey that she's never met before, but Sid has known since she was born.  She's in college and her dad is Sid's best friend.  She's home for the summer so she's coming to meet Miss Bailey tonight and hopefully Bailey won't wear her out too much tomorrow.  I'm soooooo very thankful that Sid has a job where he can come home and stay with her and that Nene has a job where she can be off if we need her.  But sometimes things are going on and we have no other options.  We did have a sweet lady who would come some, but her boys are now out of school and they are waiting on the phone call to go to China and get their daughter they are adopting.  I sure didn't want to expose that household to germs. 

I have pictures of all this verbage that I'll try to post tonight if I can get them uploaded.  Two more days and I'll be at home with my sweet girl for 5 whole weeks.  More on that later, too!

PS:  I know I have mistakes, but blogger isn't letting me go back and fix those either. Oh well! Happy reading!

We Were Beach Bound

To a place where the amenities were over-flowing!

And now we're not!

We were headed to this beautiful beach front condo for 5 glorious nights over July 4th!

But now we're not!

It was even complete with a cool zero-entry kiddie pool.  Just right up Bay's alley!

But it won't be this summer, after all.

I think I should sue BP for ripping our first vacation as a family right out from under us.  But that wouldn't do any good.  It is what it is.  And what it is right now is a vacation spot with a warning attached to it about people with breathing and respiratory issues.  I don't talk about this much anymore because it's our normal, but Bailey continues to get 2, sometimes 3, medicines each morning, and one each night to keep her breathing problems at bay.  We still have a chronic cough and a sound as if she's breathing over something in certain positions.  I researched this well and determined on my own that the warning was issued after people working directly on the oil slick where they were burning the oil became ill.  It was not a warning issued after people on the beach became ill.  Because people on the beach are not becoming ill.  The EPA is testing the air quality daily in Pensacola and as of right now, the air quality is normal for this time of year.  There is, however, an odor that can cause headaches and such, but there is nothing harmful in the air that one could breath in.  Still, I consulted her pulmonologist and ENT.  I haven't gotten the official word from the pulmonologist yet, but the ENT advised we use extreme caution if we were to go. 

We just can't risk it.  As much as I want to spend time at the beach with my sweet family soaking up some rays and having fun in the water, it's a time in the life of both Sid and me were we have to put Bailey first.  So we did and I just officially cancelled the trip.  I cried this morning because it isn't fair and BP ought to be ashamed of themselves.  But, all we lost was a 5 night vacation at my most favorite place on Earth.  Many more have lost their lively hoods and some have even lost loved ones through this terrible ordeal.  I saw on Good Morning America the other morning where an Oyster House in New Orleans shut it's door last week after being open something like 110 years.  That's just sad.

The sweet lady we were renting from  said she would start booking again in February for next summer and you better believe I'll be the first one to call her!!!!  Now if we could just think of somewhere else to go for a summer vacation in the 110 degree heat that doesn't include beaches and pools.  I think I'll stick to EH Drive, Philly and Nana and Pop's pool down the road!!!!

Happy 86th To The Sweetest Man I Know!!!

I know you probably won't get this until in the morning Pappaw, but we just wanted you to know that we love you very very much!  Happy 86th birthday!!!

I went back and gathered up some pictures over the past months and here's what we've got:

This picture wasn't that clear because it was taken from a distance, but I'm going to tell you, that's a proud Pappaw face just after he had Christened our sweet Bailey!

Here are a few more from the special Sunday in October, 2009!

Christmas Eve dinner at Mom and Dad's, 2009.

The Sunday in January, 2010 that Pappaw and Bert were honored at church.

Easter Morning, 2010!  (Again, a sweet Pappaw smile!)

Waiting patiently for Maggie and Bo's wedding to get started.  I'm sure he was counting the seconds on that Saturday in December, 2009! . haha!

Treating Bailey on Halloween, 2009!  One of her favs, by the way!  Do you seem the theme of proud smiles??

Last, but not least, a sweet snuggle at a few weeks old back in January of 2009 on one of trips home right after Bailey was born.

Priceless!  I've said it before, but I will say it again, you have not lived until your life has been blessed by this man.  The sweetness and the love and thoughtfulness that Pappaw gives.  Every year, he remembers to order me a yearly devotional.  And every month he remembers to mail me a monthly one.  He never lets a holiday go by without at least a sweet card. 

Pappaw, I am so blessed to call you my Pappaw and to have had  you bless my marriage and the life of our daughter, not to mention just my life in general.  I know that I could call on you anytime of any day or night and you would help me out in any way possible.  Unconditional love and means to much!  It's so incredibly hard to be away from you and the rest of my family.  Especially as life gets busier and my time at home is less and less.  But there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you, say a prayer for you, and thank God that I get to call you my Pappaw.

Happy 86th sweet man, and here's to many more!  WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!

Have You Ever??

So, yesterday me and Sid went with Kylie and Ben to Jackson to do some shopping.  We went childless and it was really nice, although at one point I did miss my diva badly.  She's just gotten to be so much fun and has become her own little person.  We just love her so much!  Sidenote:  I don't feel that she missed us at all because we left her with Pop, Nana, Granddaddy, Brady and Mason and Jerry and Nene came and picked them both up later in the night and took them to a big horse show that was here in town.  I'm sure she overly enjoyed herself. 

Anyway, we started off the night by eating at Up The Creek.  It was really good and I hope to eat there again sometime.  Then we went to Belk, Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Good and JC Penny. 

It was between Dick's and JcPenny's that we spotted a new frozen yogurt joint called Berry Berry Good Yogurt, or BBG Yougurt.  Ben, who is a Rick and Bubba trekie, had heard them talk about it and wanted to check it out.  So we made our rounds inside the small shop.  Basically, you get your own cup, which I noticed was rather large, choose your yogurt flavor, help yourself to the toppings bar, and then proceed to check out.  You end up with something like this, only with way more toppings because who can help themselves when it's an open bar of toppings??  And I didn't see any green leafs you could top it off with either.  Just saying.

The check out:  THEY WEIGH YOUR CUP OF YOGURT AND TOPPINGS IN THEIR VERY LARGE ONE SIZE CUP!!!  We stopped to watch the couple checking out.  Their total:  $14 dollars and something.  For two cups of frozen yogurt and some toppings.  I gaspped.  I literally sucked in air as I saw their total appear on the screen.  I was shocked, to say the least.  We quickly exited least we be sucked in too.  But I was so shocked that I asked a couple sitting outside their's what it cost them for their two cups of BBG yogurt.  $13 dollars and something.  I just wanted to compare and see if it was normal to have a $7 cup of yogurt and indeed it was. 

The only problem was the man of the couple inside checking out was a rather large man and the rest of my party seemed to think the guy thought I was gaspping at his size in relation to his $14 dollar bill for two cups of yogurt.  I can assure you that was not the case at all.  I so hope the man did not think that.

We went on to JcPenny's and when we came out, the place was covered up with large parties eating their BBG cup o' gold.  I said it must not be anything to these people to drop $100 on a Saturday night bringing their family out for frozen yogurt.  What has our day in time come to?

We scampered off to good ole DQ and I invested in a $3 one of these:

And all was right with the world!!!