Swine Flu

Well, my shopping trip after my doctor's appointment is on hold. Tonight after the 6:00 news, our governor had a special news break regarding the Swine Flu. There have been several cases throughout the state to be tested for the Swine Flu. The State Health Examiner has confirmed two possible (95% chance) Swine Flu cases from an elementary school in Madison County. A few other students from this school began to come down with the same symptoms. The state has authorized the school to shut down for 7 days. Shoot! I was going to head over to the Madison Mall after my doctor's appointment, but I guess I won't now. It's too much of a risk, especially since I'll have baby boy with me. I'll have another chance Friday afternoon to do a little shopping. Let's hope there will be no cases of Swine Flu come up in the town of Cullman. Isn't this flu a little crazy? It seems like the count keeps going up and up. The last I heard it went up to 93 cases in the U.S. The State Health Examiner reported that this type of flu is no different than regular seasonal flu. I guess it's a good thing that Doug, Katie and myself had our flu shot/mist this past year. Let's just hope that our flu shot will cover the Swine Flu. I've always been real picky about making sure I keep the kids hands clean after leaving any public facility, including church. I keep Wet Ones in the car and as soon as we get in the vehicle, I start passing out the Wet Ones. Now, I'm really stepping up keeping our hands clean. Katie gets so mad at me because I'm making her wash her hands all the time. She's even learned to go into the bathroom and come out. The strange thing is I never even heard the water running. I'll ask her if she washed her hands. Of course, she has guilt written all over her face as she is telling me "uh, huh". Then, I ask to feel of her hands. CAUGHT! Her hands are bone dry, so she cries all the way back into the bathroom. Now, I have to smell her hands because she'll wet them, but forgets to put soap on them. Ugh, kids! I have to keep lotion on my hands because they are so cracked from so many washes.

God Bless . . .
Last night, I was helping Katie say her prayers. At the end, we always "God Bless" all of our loved ones by name. I usually help her name names. Well last night, I wanted to hear who she would bless. Oh my gosh! The list went on and on. She blessed everyone and everything from Colton to the sun and moon. Then, without me mentioning anything, she asked me who else should we bless. "Jesus" she added. I thought that was so sweet. Yes, my baby girl can be so sweet when she wants to be. Don't let her foul you though, the horns show every now and then.

Poor Fella!
As you may know, we had to take Colton back to the doctor today to retake the PKU. Last time, the nurse wasn't able to get much blood out of his little heel. I know she smudged at least 2 spots out of 5. Doug looked it up online and it said that the test might be rejected if the blood might have been smudged or not dropped on the card just right. I believe this was the case.

Katie knew we were going some where because I was putting on my makeup. People, this is sad when your daughter knows that she's about to go some where, when momma puts on her makeup. This tells me that I don't get out much. The questions started when I told her we had to take brother to the doctor. "What for?" she asked. "Why do they have to take his blood? Will he cry?" You talk about a very protective big sister. I told her that he would cry because it hurts, but we will have to just hold his hand. She can't stand it if Colton cries, so I felt like I needed to warn her in advance. As soon as the nurse came into the room, Katie was right by her brother. She watched everything the nurse was doing to him. As soon as he began crying, Katie began stroking his head saying "aww, poor fella". She even moved the nurse because she responded to Katie caring for her baby brother by saying "awww". When we were getting ready to leave, Katie hugged and kissed Colton. The nurse thought Katie loving on Colton was so sweet.

Is Extreme Colic Based On Genes?
Based on what I've been told, I might be literally paying for my raising. My parents and sisters have always been so good to remind me how colic I was as a baby. Well after my last post, Sandy was so nice to remind me once again. I'm just hoping it will go away in about 2 months. The only method currently working is just walking around the house bouncing him, while he is up to my shoulder. I've thought about purchasing this device from "One Step Ahead". You wrap it around his belly and it vibrates just the belly. Right now when he has gas attacks, he doesn't like to be on his back. Even the vibrating chair doesn't work for him because it vibrates his back and not his belly. You can't help, but feel bad for him. Some people have questioned the bottles we use. I don't think that is the main problem because I'm breastfeeding as well and he still has bad gas attacks. I might be wrong, but I don't want to go out spending money on different types of bottles just to find one that would give him less gas. I fear, by the time we find one, he will be 3 months old and getting over colic. I've spoken to my doctor about it before and he told me, most all newborns have gas/colic their first 3 months because of their digestive system is still developing. He assured me that there's not much you can do to get rid of it. All you need to do is just comfort him during an attack. This is what I'm doing.

American Idol

American Idol has been about as exciting this year as Hell's Kitchen, but for some reason Doug and I have to watch it. We don't have a favorite like we have in the past seasons. If I have to pick someone to win this season, I would have to say Danny Gokey. I do know that Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta have really good voices, but I don't really care for their kind of music. Not yet anyway. American Idol is down to the last 5 contestants. Who do you think will be in the top 3? Please put your vote in on my poll and vote up to 3 different contestants.

A Little Update
Saturday & Sunday nights were a little rough for Colton and I (colic or extreme gas). That's why you haven't heard from me in a few days. Doug and Katie went on the church without us because it starts at 9:00am. As soon as they left for church, I went back to bed. Ahhh!

Maryann & Kevin invited us over for a fish fry Sunday evening. There was quite the crowd and lots of food. I finally got to meet all of Zayne's family (dad & brothers). I had met his mom, Robin, not long after him and Whitney got engaged. Of course, I've known Zayne's little sister, Nia, for some time now. She is a year older than Katie and they love to play together. Whitney & Zayne are so good to bring Nia over to play with Katie or they take the girls off some where for fun. We had a very good time at the fish fry, but I was so tired by the time we got home.

Sunday night was another rough night, approximately 2 hours of total sleep. Doesn't that sound like fun? Colton was so gassy and was in so much pain. Poor thing! Needless to say, yesterday was a day of rest. I tried to get some house cleaning done, but not much was accomplished. Oh well. Doug was able to help out as soon as he got home. Ha! I let Katie play in the back yard. Her imagination kept her occupied. At first, I've felt so bad for Katie because Colton keeps my attention away from her. I've been Katie's playmate for 3 years and now another child has my attention. You know, I think it's been good for Katiebug because her imagination has grown and plays by herself more with her toys.

I received a call from Dr. Lunsford's office yesterday. They need Colton to come back tomorrow to re-do his PKU. The nurse said there was nothing to worry about. The state sent it back stating that it was unacceptable. I do know the nurse that took his blood had a hard time getting 5 drops of blood on that form. Poor thing, he cried so hard because she really had to squeeze his heel for blood. She probably didn't get enough blood on the form in order for the state department to accept it. Of course when I told Doug, he looked it up on the net and got all worked up. He thought that something was wrong with Colton, he failed his PKU test. He called me back asked me exactly what the nurse said. I'll double check with the nurse tomorrow. When someone tells me that there's nothing to worry about, I'm not going to loose sleep over it.

Thursday, I've got my 4 week check up with my woman doctor. So, Katie will be excited to get to spend the night with grandma and grandpa Wednesday night. I don't expect to be gone all day. If Colton will cooperate with me, I'd like to do a little shopping for a dress.

Friday, Katie has her ballet picture taken with her group in their recital costume. Thankfully, Doug will be home to watch Colton for me. We might be able to get our recital tickets that day.

Colton is 4 Weeks Old

Colton's birthday isn't until Monday, but I wanted to celebrate his 4 weeks of life. He has gotten so big and HEAVY. He wants to stay awake a little longer now and he is so alert. Of course, I'm sounding like a proud momma. He is so sweet! He is comfortable when he is swaddled up in a blanket with just his hands left out and he loves for you to rock him, like Katie when she was little. He loves to cuddle up next to you like his big sister. As you can see, he still has a lot of his blonde hair; however, I've been seeing a hair or two left in his bed or blanket. Boo Hoo! On a positive note, I believe Katie lost all of her hair by this age. She was born with a head full of pretty black hair. Now, she has brownish red hair with blonde highlights.



Katie looked so darn cute in her new mermaid sundress and mermaid flip flops. She asked to have her picture taken in her favorite dress. I have to say that the pictures turned out really good.




. . . more pictures are available on our photosite.

Shawn, Anthony, Ty & Trey came by to visit us last night. I think the kids had a blast playing in Katie's room. I know Katie enjoyed having friends over to play with. It was kind of funny. Anthony was afraid that the boys would get too rough with Katie and I was afraid Katie would be too rough with Trey & Ty. They played so good together and Katie hated to see them leave. She may be a little prissy, but she can turn into a tomboy when it's necessary. Ha! We haven't seen Shawn and Anthony since Christmas and even then, we don't get to really visit. So, it was good to catch up with them. Below is a picture of the blanket Shawn made for Colton. It's so pretty!

Who Will Win On Hell's Kitchen?

I don't know if you've been keeping up with Hell's Kitchen this season, but I have to say that it's the worst season I've seen. I nearly stopped watching it every week about a month ago because these contestants might the worst chefs, compared to the past seasons. Out of all the chefs, I'd have to say that Danny and Paula are the best. They have been pretty consistent with their cooking and communication skills.

I was shocked tonight that Gordon Ramsay sent home Ben instead of Andrea because she has really been struggling for the past several openings. It's amazing! These two are strong when it comes to challenges, but put them in the kitchen under some heat and they zone out. I guess Gordon sees some hope in Andrea. We will see these next couple of weeks. So, who do you think will win the Hell's Kitchen competition and have the opportunity to run the new restaurant at Borgota? I've got a poll up for a few days, so let me know what you think.

On A Side Note:
I've been keeping up with American Idol, also a big disappointment when it comes to contestants. Thus far, I like Adam Lambert & Danny Gokey. A poll will be coming soon.

Laura - Katie got her birthday invite from Alise and she absolutely loves it! She was so excited that Alise was having an Ariel birthday party. She asked me if she could keep the Ariel card? "Did Alise send this to me?" she questioned. Then, she had to go over all the people she knew that already celebrated their birthday (my neighbor, my mom & me). It's funny what she remembers. Then she tells me that it's Alise's turn to have a birthday. LOL! Whoever did your invites did a great job. BTW, Alise's gift might be a little late. I know Doug and Wayne were cooking up some birthday gift for Alise and Doug ran into some problems. With her birthday party coming so soon, I'll have to get with Doug and find out the status. I have a feeling, momma may have to take over the gift giving idea.

Shannon P. Update

I spoke to my sister and she said that the doctors have yet to narrow the type of cancer Shannon currently has. Right now, they are saying he could have any of the 3 types of cancer. She seems to think he is undergoing chemo treatments this week. The doctors don't even know what stage he might be. Shannon is in good spirits. Thank you for all the prayers.

My sister, Susan, told me she will be calling in an appointment for Jon. As you may know, Jon's glucose has a hard time coming down. He is only 15 years old and he has tried changing his diet and included extensive exercise in order to get his sugar levels down. Because of the special diet & additional exercise, he has really buffed up, but not working as far as controlling his sugar. The last time I updated you, his doctor had put him on some medication to help lower his sugar levels. It's been a few months since he started on the medicine. Now, it's time for the doctor to check his levels again. Jon needs your prayers. We are so hoping that the medication is helping his levels get to normal. As soon as Susan gets an appointment, I'll pass it along to you.

Katie Kool Kop

We thought these pictures were so funny and wanted to share them with you. Doug came across this pair of old sunglasses of his. Katie wanted to try them on. As soon as the glasses went on her face, the attitude came out as well. So funny!

Prayer Request

I would like to ask for special prayer for a friend of mine, Shannon Privett. From what I understand, he was recently diagnosed having a brain tumor and is undergoing treatment this week. Shannon is in 40s, has a lovely wife and two great boys. Please pray it would be God's will to heal the tumor. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers.

I Made It In One Piece - Whoo Hoo!

As you may know, yesterday was my first real outing with the kids by myself. Katie had ballet class and I really needed to stop by Walmart for a few things. You talk about being a nervous wreck.

Katie doesn't have to be in class until late afternoon, so I started getting me and the kids ready early in the morning. I got Colton's suitcase all ready. I call it a suitcase because the stuff you have to lug around for a baby. You have to take everything, but the kitchen sink. I began to breathe a little easier by noon because Katie had her bath, both kids were dressed and bags were packed. An hour before we left, I had Katie go to the potty and I changed Colton's diaper. I no sooner pulled down Colton's diaper, he began pee peeing all over his self. I had him in a cute romper suit and now I had to wash him up and change his clothes. Oh well. Then right before we were about to leave, Colton begins to get hungry. Oh no! I warmed up a bottle and hoped he would suck it down before we had to leave. Unfortunately, he wanted to take his time. We had to go. I tried propping the bottle up for him to take, while he was in his car seat. It didn't work. I was beginning to panic a little. He finally decided to take his pacifier until we were able to get to the studio. We are usually early, so I was able to finish giving him his bottle.

We got to Walmart and their new buggies didn't accommodate our infant car seat. So, I had to place it down in the buggy. I really wished they had buggies that his car seat would fit in alright and still have room for your purchased items. Needless to say, I didn't get to buy all the things that we really needed, like groceries. On top of that, I'm still driving the truck. So, I don't have much room to pile a bunch of Walmart bags. I can't gripe too much because the truck and car are paid off. Of course, as soon as we walked past the restrooms, Katie announced that she had to go potty. Most of the time, she likes to wash her hands in the kids sink. I can't take any risk passing up the restroom just in case she really has to go potty. This trip was all about the sink and nothing whatsoever to do with the pot. Ugh! When we were leaving Walmart, walking out in the parking lot towards our truck, Katie suggested that we needed a pizza. She said, "you'll need to call it in mom". It just hit me funny, so I began giggling. It's amazing the things your kids pick up from you without you being aware.

We got home late, but I made it in one piece. You talk about ready to hit the pillow as soon as we got home. I didn't even cook supper. Instead, I grabbed Doug and I a couple of Big Macs and got Katie a happy meal. Katie was disappointed that she didn't get her pizza called in. We'll just have to have pizza another day. Bottomline, I'm just going to have to take my time and make frequent stops.

Colton Takes A Tubby

On A Side Note
Colton and I are going to try to take Katie to her ballet class today. Peggy volunteered, but I think we can do it. I hope. I also need to stop by Walmart and grab a few things before coming home. I haven't had the guts to go to Walmart or any where by myself yet. I guess this afternoon will be the real test. Wish me luck!

I absolutely hate to make Katie sandwiches. Why do I say this? Katie hates bread, anything bread. Normally, if I'm eating a bologna sandwich, I just give her the bologna without the bread. Well, her curiosity gets the best of her and she has to taste my sandwich. When she takes a bite, she goes on and on about how she wants a sandwich with bread. Ugh! As soon as I make her a sandwich, I have to hear her gripe and complain how messy it is. If she gets a little ketsup on her hands, she'll whine and cry about the ketsup getting on her hands. Yes, there is a napkin right by her plate, but she would rather complain about the mess instead of cleaning it up. She eventually takes everything out of the bread and eats it because she doesn't like bread. Of course, this makes a huge mess and some times this will cause a meltdown until I clean her up. This is exactly why I just put cut pieces of bologna and cheese on her plate.

Katie Story
Katie was watching me feed Colton a bottle. He began fussing because he had a gas bubble. I sat him up (in a sitting position on my lap). When he finally burped, milk went every where. You should have seen Katie's face. Milk was all over my arm, Colton's arm, leg, boppy and chair. It was a lot (the little pig). Katie asked, "what did he just do?" I told her that he just spit up. I guess something told her to get down in his face and really look at the situation. Well, she must have gotten a whiff of his sour milk. Bless her heart, she had this terrible look on her face. She told me that he stunk. As I'm still cleaning up the milk, she had the dry heaves. She covered her mouth right away, but I was afraid she was going to throw up on us. I told her to go to the bathroom, if she thinks she is going to throw up. You could tell she was fighting it off. Poor thing! I had her to go sit down. She was telling me how nasty Colton was. I couldn't help but laugh the whole time this was going on.

Trying Out My New Toy

Doug bought me a new toy. It's called a Sony HD MHS-PM1 video camera. It records and takes 5.0 mega pixel still shots. For a few days he has been wanting me to try it out, but as you can understand I haven't had much time. This morning, it was just me and baby boy up, so I thought I would try it out. I was so hoping to catch Colton smiling. He has such a cute smile.

Sorry about it being so up close to Colton, but he was in my lap while I was recording. I need some practice using the camera, but so far it's pretty easy to upload into YouTube. Be expecting lots more video from me in the future.

Anti-tax Tea Party

Here's the picture Doug sent me of Cullman's Anti-tax Tea Party. It's not as big as the ones I saw on TV, but I'm proud to see people stand up for what they believe in.

TGIF!

Like my title says: "Thank God It's Friday!" As you know, this past week was my first full week by myself with two children. You talk about some major adjusting on my part, but it's Friday and I actually made it with minimal meltdowns. Doug has really helped me out at night with Katie. I expected this week to be a little rough for me, but it wasn't as bad as I first expected. Sure, I've gone with only 4-5 hours of sleep a few nights, but it should be getting a little better in the next week or so. Katie did miss her mom though, but she's going to have to learn that we have to take turns. At times when I'm not spending most of my time with Colton, I try to do something with her and make her feel special. Bottomline, it's just going to take time and a lot of adjusting with our new big family. Katie still loves her little brother very much. She is always so happy to see him every morning. She has to hug and kiss on him. Then, she has to do her daily exam of all of his fingers, toes, ears and nose. I think it's cute. She tells me how little they are and how cute he is.

Today was Doug's usual Friday off. Wow! What a relief? After feeding Colton this morning, Doug suggested that we (Colton & I) go back to bed. He would watch Katie, while we slept. Oh, I felt so rested when I got up from our nap. It's amazing what a couple of extra hours of sleep will do for a person. I actually felt human. Dad and mom came by to visit for a little while. Mom felt bad about my trying week, but I assured her that it was going to happen sooner or later. I'm just hoping it will get better from here.

Doug took our hell damaged car by Burgess for an estimate. Wow! They are not only going to have to replace the hood and trunk, but a new paint job as well. I wasn't expecting that at all. On top of that, we will be with out our car for 2 weeks. What? I'm hoping our insurance company will allow us to get a rental car, while ours is in shop.

Katie has been cooped up in our house all week. She got to the point of tearing down our walls this afternoon. It was nice outside (73 degrees), but the wind was cool. Katie had been begging to go outside for the past few days and today was no different. I finally decided to get her out of the house before she tore the wallpaper off the walls. LOL! I wrapped Colton up in a blanket and outside we went. It's too bad it wasn't that warm all day. It would have been a perfect day to get out and do some yard work. Doug mowed the back yard, while Katie played in the sand, sidewalk chalk and blew bubbles.

Later, we received a surprise phone call from Ryan. He had a few days off from work and didn't want to just sit around his place in Durham. So, he decided late last night to drive home. He said Kacey (his girlfriend) went home to PA for the big Penn State game. Ryan made plans with dad to do a little fishing next week. He seemed a little surprised how big Colton was, it was his first time seeing him. Ryan updated us on his upcoming schooling and career plans. It sounds like he has everything mapped out. Oh, he had to show Doug his new iPhone. Thanks Ryan! Doug kept going on about how nice it was and I know Doug would love to have one. The price is the only thing keeping him from purchasing one.

For the past week, Doug and Katie have been taking care of our neighbor's pets (birds, fish, and rabbit). Doug had me contact Ms. Evelyn about her fish's water because it was looking pretty murky. She was trying to explain to me in full detail on how you treat the water. I was afraid that I would miss a step and tell Doug wrong, so I had her talk with him. Apparently, Evelyn forgot to tell Doug to use room temperature tap water. Well, Doug and Katie went to feed the animals when I noticed that he forgot to take her mail over. Colton and I grabbed the mail and headed over there. When I walked in her house, Doug had this look on his face like he really messed up. I asked what was wrong. With this sick look, he said "I hope I didn't just kill her fish." He said he didn't think about the water temperature and treated the water with cold water. The fish were swimming around in cold water. Oh me! He said she didn't tell him what temperature. Of course, this made me feel bad because she told me. In my defense, I did tell her to tell him what she just told me about how to treat the water. I assumed she told him everything, but apparently she forgot that piece of information. Doug was so worried, he went back over there a little later tonight to make sure the fish were still alive. Thankfully, they were. I told him that if the fish did die, we would replace them. I don't know about him, but I get so nervous taking care of someone else's animals while they are gone. I don't mind feeding them, I just fear they will die on my watch. I've taken care of Evelyn's fish before and I was so nervous. Was I feeding the fish enough or too much? Did I need to change out the water? Hoping and praying the fish wouldn't die on my watch. You get a sense of relief when the owner gets back and their animals are still kicking. I'm sure Doug will feel the same way when Evelyn returns this weekend.

Blogging Information
I was going to report on a piece of interesting information that I saw on the news this morning. The only thing is I couldn't find an article online about it, to share with you. I promise you, I didn't dream it. The news was about people who blog about their favorite products. You know us moms, we are going to share helpful information about different products, we've encountered. Well, there may be a new law out that if you are caught blogging about a specific product (promoting it), you could be sued. If you know more information or have heard about this, please leave me a comment. I would love to do a follow up on this story. I'm all against this law and think it is really stupid. I just wanted to pass this information along to you.

Susan Boyle

Have seen or heard about this woman? WOW! What a voice! She is 47 years old and auditioned for "Britian's You've Got Talent".
Susan Boyle on Youtube. I tried to post the actual video, but the embed is disabled. You've got to watch this video!

Picture w/the Easter Bunny

Well, I did it again. I honestly didn't think Katie would sit on the Easter Bunny's lap, so I didn't dress up the kids. As you may remember this very thing happened to us with Santa Claus last year. Foot, she jumped right in his lap and was wanting to give him a hug, but the assistant asked Katie to wait until her picture was taken. Of course, baby boy didn't know anything was going on. Katie seemed so proud that she got to sit on a girl bunny's lap. She said girl because of the eyelashes. As I was changing out pictures in our frames today, I showed her an old picture of the same Easter Bunny and her. It was Katie's first Easter. She was tickled to see it.

Anti-Tax Tea Party Day
Did you get to attend your local "Tea Party"? I didn't get to go, but I did watch part of Neil Cavuto, all of Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Hannity had Rick & Bubba as a guest by simulcast from Birmingham, AL. They reported 6,000 protestors to show up in their area.

On his way home from work, Doug stopped by Cullman's Tea Party. He said there were quite a few people in front of the courthouse. He told me that he took a picture for me to post. As soon as I receive it, I'll pass it along to you.

Bloomin' Festival
If you are having a hard time deciding what to do this weekend, come visit Cullman during their Bloomin' Festival. The Bloomin' Festival is an annual fundraiser for St. Bernard Prep School. The festival is held on the campus grounds. There are lots to do for the whole family. Arts, crafts, clothing, plants, food, various fun activities for children (face paintings, train rides, bounce houses, etc.) and don't forget to go on a tour of the famous Ave Maria Grotto. The festival will be both this Saturday and Sunday. More than likely, I won't be able to go this year because of the children. I think the weather is suppose to be very nice this weekend. Click here for more information.

A-Day Game
Also, don't forget that Alabama will be showing off both their offense and defensive teams to the public this weekend. This game in Tuscaloosa is known as the "A-Day Game". Roll Tide!

Colton's 2 Week Checkup

Today, Colton had his 2 week doctor's appointment. I knew he had been growing a lot because he feels like a chuck of lead when you pick him up. Sure enough, the nurse weighed him. He weighs 9 pounds and 11 ounces and 22 inches long. A couple of weeks ago last Thursday, he weighed 8 pounds and 11 ounces and was 21 inches long. So yeah, he's growing alright! Baby boy is 75% in weight and 90% in length for his age. Dr. Lunsford laughed at me and assured me that we should not have a weight problem with Colton like we did with Katie. I think I kept an ulcer the first two years of Katie's life because I tried everything to get her to eat. Hopefully, I won't have that problem with Colton. Ha! Dr. Lunsford asked me what feeding method am I using, breast milk or formula. I told him both and he acted like he couldn't believe it. He asked me why and I had to answer him that Colton eats so much that I fear I'm running out of my milk, so I give him a formula supplement. He asked me how much he eats. On average, he eats 3 ounces every 2-3 hours. I also added, he has growing spurts to where he will eat 4 ounces every 2-3 hours. He laughed! Then he started, "well let me tell you something". Ugh! Usually, when Dr. Lunsford starts his sentences this way, I'm usually doing something incorrect. "Uh, oh." I said. I asked him if I was doing something wrong. He chuckled and said "no, Colton doesn't have a weight problem and if he will take both breast milk and formula, so be it." He just doesn't want me to put him on cereal or baby food yet. The nurse had to take another Bilirubin test because Dr. Lunsford could tell that he still looked yellow. The test came back at an 8, so it is coming down. I guess it takes time for Jaundice to get on out of a baby.

Easter
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. I know we did, I was exhausted by the time we got home last night.

As soon as Katie got out of bed, we checked out what the Easter bunny left us the night before. Katie loves everything the Easter bunny left her. She received a big pink stuffed Easter bunny that sings "I Love You A Bushel & A Peck"; a Thumbelina doll; silly pen; chocolate Fairy Bunny and lots of candy.

We got all dressed up and went to church. As soon we got home, Katie grabbed her Easter basket and went looking for eggs that the Easter bunny hid out in the front lawn. She had a blast looking for eggs (31 eggs). The crazy bunny forgot to put money in the prize eggs. Shame, shame! We will have to have a talk with him next year about the prize eggs. Tehe! As soon as all the eggs were found, we headed out for the family get together.


We had lunch with Peggy, Millard and Henry. Keisha came over a little later to visit. We brought the Easter eggs with us to their house and hid them again for Katie to hunt them. It wasn't much of a hunt because Katie wouldn't close her eyes, while Grandma Peggy hid the eggs. She knew where every one of the eggs were. Surprise, surprise! Of course, we had to gather around the television for a little bit to watch The Masters. It was so cold yesterday, we stayed outside long enough to take pictures, hunt eggs and look at Millard and Peggy's hell damage from the day before. They said golf ball sized hell beat up the siding on their house and put holes in their satellite dishes and ground. I was shocked!

We've had some pretty bad t-storms coming through here the past few days. While Peggy and Millard's house was being pulverized, it was extremely windy at our house. It was kind of scary at times because the trees were really being blown around. Unfortunately, Doug's first day at work didn't end up on a good note. The same storm system that went through Peggy & Millard's neighborhood, visited Doug's work. Our car, which was just paid off and we received the title the other day, was beat to a pulp. More than likely, we will have to replace the hood and trunk because the damage is so bad. I called our insurance adjuster as soon as Doug called me from his cell phone. Hopefully, the adjuster will be here to evaluate the car tomorrow. We are under another T-storm warning as we speak and expected to receive storms throughout the night. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the April shower to leave and receive May flowers.

Hell damage to Peggy & Millard's house

We headed over to June and Pat's house for Easter supper. Of course, the baby and Katie were passed around like a bag of potatoes. Katie was in heaven. She received gifts from her Grandma Jerry, Papa John and aunts, plus her playmates were all there as well. She hated it when we had to go home. She was so tired from playing hard, but she didn't want to leave.

Last night, Colton was ate up with gas. I think it was because we were on the road most of the day yesterday. Poor baby! We didn't get much sleep at all. I felt like a walking zombie at times this afternoon. In fact, I fell asleep rocking baby boy (because of gas) and Katie woke me up. When I woke up, she was hugging my neck and patting my hair. She asked me if I was tired. When I told her that I was, she said "don't go to sleep". I've been so tired, I've resorted to caffeine to keep me awake. Hey, it's either Mt. Dew or force myself to drink coffee. I hate coffee, but I do like a chocolate caramel latte from Joe Muggs. Yummy!

Colton received another gift today from a friend of mine, Michelle L. It's an Alabama basketball type outfit. I can't wait for him to be able to wear it, so I can take a picture of him in it. It's so cute! Michelle also gave Katiebug a little something, Disney Princess' barrettes. She absolutely loves them! If and when I ever get some rest, we'll have to schedule a dress up party with Colton and some of his outfits. I did that with Katie when she was a baby and had so much fun. I have to say, it is more fun to play dress up with little girls then little boys.

Happy Easter!

I wanted to wish you a

very

BLESSED EASTER SUNDAY!

Isn't it great to know that

HE HAS RISEN

&

HE IS ALIVE!

Good Friday - Katie Story

I took a risk and spoke with Katie about why we observe Good Friday. How do you explain Christ Crucifixion to a 3 year old to where they can understand? Luckily with Katie's large imagination, she was able to make it much easier for me than I first expected. I explained to her that Jesus had to die in order to save us from Satan. Well she knows the stories about baby Jesus, but no clue as to who "Satan" was. Due to some of the movies Katie watches, she knows the difference between good and evil (bad). I told her about Satan being a bad angel that didn't like Jesus and how he wants to hurt all of us because Jesus loves us. Well, she was intrigued and wanted to know more. Right off the bat, she wanted to know where baby Jesus was at. I explained that he lived far far away and we couldn't see him right now. I told her that he lived in heaven and Satan lived in hell. She asked, "does Jesus live in a castle?" I agreed and that the castle was in heaven. She asked, "can we go there?" I told her some day we will be able to go there, see Jesus, dance and sing with all the good angels. Oh, she liked that idea. I went as far as to tell her that Jesus has a castle waiting just for her, when we get to heaven. Her eyes lit up. She couldn't hardly believe it. Some thing was still puzzling her. "Does Satan live in a castle too?" she asked puzzled. "No" I replied. How do you explain hell to a 3 year old? I told her that Satan lived in a cave filled with fire. You should have seen her face. "You don't want to live in hell because Satan doesn't like us and he will burn and hurt us" I informed her. She agreed with me this time. "Yeah, because he will hurt us. I want to go to Jesus' castle" she confirmed.

Easter
I know we're a little late when it comes to decorating for Easter, but I had to decorate a little just for Katie. I didn't get out everything from my Easter box. Katie was so excited. I'd hand her something to put out and I let her set it where ever she wanted it. I think she had fun. She was confused about the Easter baskets. As soon as I explained to her that we have to decorate our baskets for the Easter bunny, she was all for that idea. Of course, there are so many things (stuffed bunnies, peeps, plastic eggs and small carrots) in Katie's basket, there may not be much room for the Easter bunny to place her gifts and candy. She couldn't understand what we were doing with so many plastic Easter eggs. I took one of my bigger baskets and we put the eggs in it. "This basket is for the Easter bunny. He will take the eggs and hide them for us." I explained to her. We are all ready for Easter.

Colton Update
Baby Colton is doing good. He eats an average of 3 ounces every 2-3 hours. There are times when he has to eat a little more than 3 ounces. Last night, he ate close to an hour at one time and had to eat again 2 hours later. What can I say? He's a growing boy. Poor baby has had to deal with a little gas. I've been keeping gas relief medicine down him because it seems to be helping somewhat. Other than us helping him gas relief, he is such a sweet baby. He loves to be held and talked to. He may not see us real good right now, but he loves to hear your voice. He gets lots of hugs and kisses from big sister on a daily basis. Katie tells us "he sure does cry a lot". When he cries (hungry or gas), she'll ask if he is alright. I guess she thinks every time he cries that it means he's hurt. She feels like she has to protect him. I guess it's the big sister in her.

First Day Alone With Kids
Doug went back to work yesterday and I had the kids to myself for the first time. I teased him saying that he was glad to go back to work and get away from us for awhile. Ha! He came home with a bag of diapers and a cake. He said his cube mates gave it to him yesterday. I thought that was so nice of them. He said the cake read: "Colton Lamar Mason, the next Bama Quarter" something like that. The cake is a vanilla cake, white icing with red writing and was very good. Thanks Chuck, Hal & Larry. You guys are great friends to Doug. My first day alone with the kids went real well, I thought. I got a little house work done (what was driving me crazy) and spent some time with Katie. Leslie and Nicholas came over for a little bit to visit. Leslie asked me if Colton was a good baby because he wasn't crying at the time. After bragging to her about how good he was, he began crying. I did tell her that he only cried if he was hungry or had bad gas. Unfortunately, Leslie was holding him while he had bad gas problems.

Good Friday

You might be wondering "what's so good about Good Friday?" I'll tell you why it's so good. This is the day, Christians observe the death of Christ Jesus. If you don't know Jesus as your personal savior, you might be asking why I'm celebrating the death of a man. Well, he is no man. He is our Almighty God in human flesh. I celebrate it because if he had not died on the cross that fateful day, I would be doomed to hell for all eternity. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like an ideal permanent vacation and being away from my God and family. Unfornately like most vacations, there is no end to this destination and everything goes back to normal. Please remember, we all have a destination (heaven & hell) after this life is over. God is a very loving God and he wants you to come to him and accept his only Son, Jesus Christ.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16




Have you ever seen "The Passion of Christ"? Doug and I went to the movies to watch it when it first came out. Wow! I would go as far as to say that it was the most moving spiritual experience that I've ever witnessed. From experience, this movie is not for the weak at heart. Yeah, I got sick while watching the soldiers beating Jesus, but I have no regrets having the opportunity to watch it. It's a great reminder for me as to what Christ went through just for me. He paid the ultimate price for my life because of sin, we are all doomed to hell. Jesus will save you from hell. Today, in my heart I know that surviving this venture on Earth will be the closest experience to hell. Above is a clip of "The Passion of Christ". If you haven't seen this film, I would like to encourage you to go out and at least rent the movie and watch it this Easter weekend. I hope and pray you have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Political Report
Please mark on your calendar

Anti-Tax Tea Party

April 15th

Sacramento, CA - 4PM ET

San Antonio, TX - 5 PM/2AM ET

Atlanta, GA - 9PM/12MID ET

Washington, DC - 10 PM/1AM ET

All-Day Coverage - FOX News starting at 4:00 PM

Sean Hannity will be covering the Atlanta, GA Tea Party. Rick Burgess & Bubba Bussey from the "Rick & Bubba Morning Show" out of Birmingham, AL will be guests at the Atlanta party. Click Here for information from the "Rick & Bubba Morning Show" and the upcoming Tea Parties in Atlanta and here in Alabama.

Bama Balloons
I was watching a local morning show "Daytime Alabama" hosted by Brooke Smith (from the reality show "The Bachelor"). She's originally from the Birmingham area and soon after "The Bachelor" was off, she landed a job with a local news station NBC 13 as a traffic reporter. Now she hosts her own show. Anyway, for Easter she introduced "Bama Balloons" from Hoover, AL. They take balloon twisting or characters to an all new direction. They make beautiful arrangements for any occasion. Guess what? They have their own blog and Facebook. I had to check it out. Katie and I fell in love! It's too bad she doesn't have a price list on any of her sites. I guess I'll have to email or call her to find out prices. I would love to use them to make Katie a centerpiece for her birthday. What I love is the lady interviewed said the balloons will last up to 2 weeks. So neat! You'll have to check out their Bama Balloons website.

First Family Outing

We made it through our first family outing with both children and I was surprised how well it went. Both kids were so good and content. This may sound bad, but I was expecting the bottom to fall out.

As you know, we had an appointment with Portrait Innovations for Spring & Birth Announcement Portraits. We held visiting the Disney Store and seeing the Easter bunny over Katie's head, if she took good pictures and was well behaved. If she began acting hyper or antsy, all we had to do is mention the Disney Store. Buddy, she'd straight up real quick and beg us to let her go to the big mall. Colton was getting hungry right at the time they called us back to begin taking pictures. Ugh! I was so hoping that a 1/2 oz. of milk would tie him over a few minutes. I ended up feeding him between shoots and we took the opportunity for the photographer to take most of Katie's pictures before Colton. This was a good idea because by the end of the photo shoot, both kids were getting tired, hungry and bored. Of course, we got several pictures because they were so good. Why is it that I never leave that place without spending less than $100? Hey if you've ever had your portrait done at a Portrait Innovations, you know the tons of pictures you receive, so you can't resist. I always have lots of pictures left over after mailing them out to everyone. I put most of today's pictures on our photosite for your viewing, but here are a few of my favorites:

We had some time before our pictures would be available for pick up, so we went ahead to the Galleria. I had to return a nightgown back to Belk that Katie received, so we spent a lot of time in there. I love the Belk at the Galleria so much better than our little local store because they have such a wide variety than we do. Anyway, Katie and I found two pretty sun dresses that she had to have. One reminds me of the sixties A-line dress with huge watercolor type flowers in bright colors like fuchsia, yellow & green. The other dress is a light blue with mermaids & ocean life all over it. So cute and it was only $12! Colton received a Belk gift card, so I used it to get him his very own piggy bank and a cute sailboat overall outfit. Can you believe he wears a size 3 months? The newborn sleepers, he has seems to be too short on him. By this time, I was already beginning to wear out. Ugh! I miss shopping so much and was getting aggravated because my right side was giving me fits. I sat down for a little bit and felt okay enough to take Katie to the Disney Store. She was so excited! They had their flip flops & sunglasses on sale. I could pick two items for $8. So, Katie wanted a pair of Ariel flip flops & sunglasses to match for just $8. I made it out of there cheap this trip compared to the past. Usually Katie begs me to get her all types of stuffed animal characters. It wasn't long before she jumped into the big pile of stuffed characters. When I shamed her and got her out, she grabbed all the ones she liked and put them in pile in the floor to play with. The store was pretty empty and my back was killing me, so I let her do it. Doug couldn't believe what he was seeing when he made into the store. He asked me if the pile of animals in the floor were already there or if Katie did it. I admitted that I let her do it. I guess he thought I was being a terrible parent for letting her do it, but I was so tired. We stopped by the food court to get me something to drink. Katie asked if she could ride the carousel. So after we ate our snack, her and Doug went for a ride around. I've got pictures on my phone that I'll have to share with you at another time. Too late to download right now. I wanted to stop by Gymboree before leaving the mall. Unfortunately, Gymboree wasn't were it use to be and I was too tired to turn around and go looking for it. Me and the kids will have to go on another trip to Bridgestreet one day and shop at that Gymboree. That sounds like a nice Spring Day outing. I did stop by Hallmark to look for birth announcements and didn't realize how expensive they were. A pack of 10 cards that you draft out on your computer was $15. That seemed so high. I told Doug about it and he suggested that I design my own on our computer. I want them to look nice, so I don't know if I want to do it or not. Meanwhile, I'll check out BAM, OfficeMax & Hobby Lobby for birth announcements.

We had such a nice day and hope we have many more of them.

Colton Takes A Bath

I just got through giving Colton a bath and Doug was nice enough to take a few pictures for me. I wasn't able to take pictures of his first bath, which he didn't like at all. I don't think he cried as hard as his first bath, but he still doesn't like them very well. I remember Katie was the same way, but now she thinks she's a mermaid when she's in the tub. LOL!




I thought it was so sweet. I had just put Colton down in his vibrating chair, which he loves. When I came back through to sit down in the recliner, I saw Colton sucking his thumb and I had to get a picture of it. I noticed him sucking his thumb when he was 2 days old and in the hospital. Katie never sucked her thumb, but she wasn't much of an eater either. Right now, I think it's sweet, but hopefully he'll grow out of it.


Before the big rains last week, Doug went out and took pictures of our azaleas. I think they did great this year and I hadn't even fertilized them yet.



Political Report
I finally received a response from my State Senators this past week. A few weeks ago, Glenn Beck had a list of states that didn't have earmarks in the stimulus package. I was so disappointed in not seeing my beloved state on this list. I immediately wrote to both of my Congressmen. Jeff Sessions responded basically saying he wasn't responsible for the earmarks and in fact he voted against the stimulus package. The letter from my other Congressman, Richard Shelby was however very disturbing. As I was reading this letter from Senator Shelby, I became so shocked and amazed as to what I was reading. I began asking myself "is this the same person that I saw on national television stating that he was against the stimulus package?" What's going on? I had great respect for this man, up until I finished reading his response to my question. He added several earmarks into the stimulus package for the State of Alabama. Whose to say that it was his call to make this decision? In fact, I told him in my initiate message that our actions come with great consequences. He stated in his letter that he wouldn't apologize for the earmarks that he decided to put in this package. In fact, he said people are confusing earmarks for wasteful spending. Excuse me, WHAT? I never really considered myself as a unintelligent person, but maybe I am. He added that if Alabama didn't get the Federal Funding, it would have gone to another state. As a resident of The State of Alabama, I must apologize to all you taxpayers out there for my Congressman Richard Shelby's mistakes. It's obvious he got ate up with selfishness and a little less selflessness. He didn't realize what he did not only affects me, my children, the residents of this great state, but also those of you who live outside of Alabama. Senator Shelby was generous enough to give me a list of earmarks and dollar amount as to what we are going to be paying for for the rest of our lives because of Federal Funding. Here's the list:

1. South Alabama Cancer Center - receiving $43 million


2. Alabama Port Authority - receiving $60 million


3. University of Alabama, UAH, UAB, The University of South Alabama, Auburn University, & Alabama State University - receiving $500 million (approx.)



"for building state-of-the-art facilities to expand their science, math, engineering, & biomedical programs. To stay competitive, our Alabama universities must have the facilities to educate students." Senator Shelby feels this is a "smart way for Alabama to secure high-quality, non-exportable jobs, while securing the United States' competitive edge in the global economy."

Well, I hope he's correct because it sounds like a lot of pet projects that he decided to throw in the ring because he may not be able to accomplish these earmarks next year or next term.

Lots of Adjusting

I've had to take a small break from blogging. It's been hard to stay away for so long, but I knew that I needed the rest. I'm really going to miss Doug when he goes back to work Friday. Ugh! He's been such a big help when it comes to entertaining and taking care of Katiebug.

Doug and I are going to have to sit down and plan a strategy when it comes to both Colton and Katie. I sat down with Katie on her bed last night and talked with her, just mommy and daughter talk. She said that she really misses me. I asked her how she felt about mommy being with Colton all the time. She didn't say much. She said she still like Colton and glad he's her baby brother, but agrees that she wants me to spend more time with her. I felt so bad. I don't think she likes the fact that I can't pick her up into my lap and hold her like I use to because of my incision. Add on Colton being hungry all time and keep us awake during the night. All this is keeping me from Katie even more because I've been so tired or I'm feeding Colton. I was so hoping to get a small supply of milk in order for Doug to help me feed Colton, so I can focus some of my time with Katie. Well, I've found out real quick that baby boy loves to eat and is sucking me dry. I've had to resort to supplemental (formula) milk. Just an example, last night he was so hungry that he ended up eating 7 oz. (breastmilk & formula) within 3 1/2 hours. I didn't get to go to bed until midnight and 4 hours later, he ate 20 minutes more. I did get to sleep about 6 hours, which is better than the night before (4 to 5 hours). We've also got to work on his sleeping habits. Doug and I feel that we need to get some noise in his room during the night because he prefers to sleep with mom and dad. He sleeps great during the day and it's like a train station around here. You've got Katie running around here talking loud, phone ringing, visitors, and us doing our usual work around the house. Colton must love it because he sleeps right through it. Oh well, it'll be 2 weeks Friday and I'll be able to get back into my regular routine. Hopefully, we'll have a plan by then.

Other than being hungry all the time, Colton is such a good baby. He only cries if he's hungry or has a dirty diaper. You talk about a chuck! He seems so heavy these past few days. Honestly, he doesn't look like 11 days old. He looks more like close to a month old. He is so cute when he eats. He grunts like he's saying "oh, this is so good". When I take the bottle out of his mouth, he smacks his lips.

Colton's First Doctor's Appointment
He went to the doctor last Thursday. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz. and they measured him at 21 inches long. So, either the hospital's measuring system was off or he hit a growth spurt real quick. I know he gained the weight because the day we left the hospital, a week ago Monday, he weighed 8 lbs. 9 oz. There is no telling what he weighs now. If I had to guess, I would say close to 9 lbs. He does have a little jaundice. He's Biliruben (?) count at the hospital was 10. Dr. Lunsford had it checked it was 17. Being concerned, Dr. Lunsford wanted us back the next day to take another test. He was more relieved Friday because it went down to 15. He told us that the count should be going down every day and for us not to worry. He does want us to watch his skin color and the whites of his eyes to make sure they are not yellow. Colton's next doctor's appointment is next Monday for his 2 week check up.

Ready For Easter
Katie is so excited about Easter coming up this weekend. She's been going around the house, singing "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". She keeps asking me if the Easter bunny will bring her a "Thumbelina" doll and candy. I think she'll be surprised in what the Easter bunny will bring her and baby brother.

We've got an appointment with Portrait Innovations tomorrow for Spring/Announcement pictures for the kids. Katie loves the idea of getting to wear her Easter & Spring dresses for pictures. I just hope she'll cooperate with us. I told her that we might go to the mall and see if the Easter bunny is there visiting. Her eyes lit up, so this might be a good bribe during picture time. Hmm! I hope I have enough energy to make it in the mall. I checked out Gymboree's new Spring lines. Katie and I love them, especially the ladybugs. So cute! They've got an adorable two piece swimsuit with ladybugs. I'd like to check it out, while we are there.

If everything works out, I plan on Katie and I to get out our Easter baskets and decorate them for the Easter bunny Friday. I had Doug get out our Easter decorations last week, but never had the energy to decorate the house this year. Maybe the Easter bunny will forgive me, since I have a reason for being so tired. Ha! Let's just hope the Easter bunny won't be too tired to hide eggs Sunday morning or we might have a very disappointed little girl. June's invited us over to her house for an Easter dinner. I'm sure we'll have another Easter Egg Hunt there as well.

Movies In Review
Since Doug's been off for the past couple of weeks, he's made frequent stops to the Movie Gallery. I've had the opportunity to watch a few "interesting" films. They are as follows: "The Day The Earth Stood Still", "Marley & Me", "Yes Man", "Quantum of Solace", "Slumdog Millionaire", & "Bedtime Stories".

"The Day The Earth Stood Still" is a type of "Green Earth Day" movie. How we need to help the Earth stay healthy and clean. It had a good message and I still love Keenau Reeves; however, it was rather boring. No real action or not in my book.

"Marley & Me" is an excellent family movie. I love the storyline and with Jennifer Aniston & Owen Wilson brings great comedy to it. I highly recommend this movie just have the tissues close at hand because you will need them towards the end of the movie.

"Yes Man" Jim Carrey is his usual crazy self in this movie. Yeah, it was funny in a lot of spots, but it was so silly. I'm glad I watched it, but I don't think I would go running out to the store to get a copy for my movie library.

"Quantum of Solace" was another typical James Bond movie. After you've seen so many 007 films in your life, you pretty much know how they start and end. Saying this, it was a pretty good movie, but forgetable.

"Slumdog Millionaire" is surprisingly a good movie. It's not a good family movie, but has a good storyline. I don't think it was worth "Picture of The Year Award".

"Bedtime Stories" is a good family movie. I loved the guinea pig "Bugsy". He is so cute with those huge eyes. Adam Sandler was hilarious. I recommend watching this movie, but I don't think I'll be purchasing a copy for our movie library.