Football, Pumpkin Patch, and a Mad Hatters Tea Party

We kicked off the month of October with a trip to The Swamp. Gigi and Papaw made the trip from Birmingham to Tallahassee to hang out with Olivia so Robert and I could go to the Alabama/Florida game. She was in heaven, and it was a nice but short get away for us. Luckily the Tide did not disappoint. We had a great tailgate, and an awesome win!

Next up was the Venetozzi/Doss wedding in Pensacola. We headed over on Thursday, and Olivia was way to excited to sleep in a hotel for the first time. The rehearsal dinner was amazing, and Miss Olivia enjoyed the samplings of dessert.

Before the wedding Friday evening we headed to the beach. It was a little chilly and windy, but a certain three year old did not mind. I came away with an awesome and painful sunburn and windburn, which made for a fun evening and ride back the next day.

After a very quick nap we made our way the to Pensacola Yacht club for the ceremony. I do not have a lot of pictures from the ceremony or reception. Keeping a three year old quiet while watching a princess marry her prince, and while her daddy was performing the ceremony took priority.

After a weekend or two of not traveling and hanging out at home we were ready for a little Halloween fun. We started the day with a trip to the pumpkin patch. Olivia picked out three pumpkins-one for each of us. She enjoyed bouncing in the jumpy house (for 30 minutes=hello good nap), and getting her face painted.

After the bouncy house induced nap Rapunzel and I headed to a Mad Hatters Tea Party. Olivia had a blast playing with her friends, and I enjoyed catching up with friends.

It's A...

It's been forever since I blogged, but I was afraid of not being able to keep my mouth shut. So, I guess it's time to let the cat out of the bag. We are expecting a baby in April 2012. We found out August 8th, but have tried to keep it mostly a secret. Although the past week or two there isn't much of a secret to keep. This belly has definitely popped, and there is no denying that I am pregnant vs. weight gain. We heard the heartbeat for the first time on September 8th, and what a wonderful sound to hear your baby's heart beat for the very first time. We told our families that weekend by sending them a picture of Olivia in a "I'm the Big Sister" shirt. Everyone was very surprised and excited. Other than having morning(all day) sickness from week 5-11 and a terrible stomach bug I have felt great. I am exhausted all of the time, and usually in bed by 9:00 p.m. Robert reminds me that this time around I have a three year old to chase after, which does not lend itself to naps after work. Olivia is over the moon excited about the baby. She has stated from day one that the baby is a sister, and told her Gigi and Papaw, "I be very disappointed if it a baby brother." She originally named the baby Lucy, but has since changed the name to Snow White. She doesn't understand why the baby can't come now, and has to wait until April. She loves to rub my belly and give her "sister" kisses. She talks about helping feed the baby, changing diapers, and letting her play with her toys. We hope the excitement and willingness to help continues after the baby gets here.

Movin' on up

The reason I started this blog was to keep a record of Olivia's milestones, and all of the funny things she says or does. Warning-this post will be complete with incomplete sentences, poor grammar, and run-on sentences.

Milestones:
Cutting out a shape or pattern with scissors.
Tracing letters, numbers, etc...
Identifying all of the letters of the alphabet and approximately 90% of the sound associated with the letter.
Spelling your name
Saying the pledge of allegiance

Fun milestones:
Learning to chew gum and not swallow it.
Learning to eat cherries and not swallow the pit.
Learning to eat a chicken wing which made Robert so proud.

I know there are so many other things that I cannot think of right now. It might have something to do with her waking me up at 5 this morning. She went back to sleep. I did not.

Funny things she has said or done:
I found her asleep on the floor in front of our bed one morning. When asked why she was in our room and not her room she said she needed some fresh air. I then asked why she didn't get in the bed and her response was, "Because it was full of yourselves and there was a big pillow in the middle."

I was woken up in the middle of the night this past week with her screaming. I jump out of bed to find her in the half bath and she had fallen into the toilet. Robert and I are convinced that she sleep walks.

She has started saying "Holy Cow" and "Whaaat" in response to something funny.

She came home from school the other day singing, "Who let the dogs out?" When I asked who let them out she replied, William. I guess that is the little boy that taught her the song.

She informed me that her daddy has brown skin, but that I do not.

Life here is never dull. There is always chatter and laughter. Most of the time I feel like I am the ring master in my very own circus.

Roughing it at Home.

Following our little trip to the ER we needed to keep Olivia home for a while before she could return to school. Folks it is hot here, and getting outside even at 8:00 in the morning is almost unbearable. You run out of ideas for a 3 year old and entertainment in the AC. So one day we ventured out to the mall. We enjoyed dinner by the fountains followed by icecream.

She is into dressing herself, and it is usually a dress or skirt so she can twirl.

And when it is too hot to picnic outside you can always have a picnic lunch inside.



First Trip to the ER

Olivia gave us a little scare last Saturday night. We ended up taking her to the ER, because we weren't really sure how to help her. She thought it was cool because she was going to the hospital and she got to stay up way past her bedtime. Everything was fine. We were in and out within an hour and a half and on our way back home.

Waiting on the doctor.

All done and ready to go home. Also, looking like she is five feet tall in this picture.

Silly Girl

I know we are biased, but Olivia has the best personality. She is usually very sweet and easy going. She loves to laugh, and loves to make us laugh. Her imagination amazes us, and the conversations we have are often mind blowing. She uses word like "perhaps" and "actually" when she is talking, and can carry on a conversation like an adult. Within the past few weeks she has learned how to eat cherries (while remembering to spit out the pit) , and can chew gum without swallowing it. She runs up the stairs without holding on, and while alternating her feet. She can ride her tricycle on a flat surface, but our bumpy driveway proves to be a little challenging. She truly is an awesome little girl, and we are blessed to have her in our lives.



Our little clown.



A Short Trip Home

After having a few days of antibiotics in our system we decided to keep our scheduled trip to Birmingham to see Gigi and Papaw. Unfortunately Robert's mono kept him from his "man weekend" in Tampa. While Olivia and I were spoiled by Gigi and Papaw Robert and Layla manned the Jernigan fort and caught up on their reading and rest.
As soon as we arrived we had to check out the new Grand River Outlets. This was our first trip to the outlets, and they did not disappoint. It must be nice to be a grandchild because Miss Olivia scored big time.

Note the sparkling shoes and heart/ruffled skirt. A very coordinating outfit.

Olivia had us cracking up in the stores. Before we knew it she would be stripped down in the middle of the store trying on clothes. At one point one of the sales associates asked if we could like a dressing room, but we were a little past that point. I wonder if him rounding the corner to see my daughter's naked hiney prompted him to ask that question.

A trip to Birmingham in the hot summer heat is not complete without a trip to the zoo. I managed to pack my camera, but I left my SIM card at home. Brilliant I know. So all of our pictures are with my phone.

My two favorite monkeys checking out the monkeys at the zoo.

Seeing if her new shoes help her climb.

A little ride around the block with "Daisy."

Enjoying the splash area.

The foam zone was awesome!

Just when I thought we had missed any major meltdowns or tantrums she busted it leaving the splash area and banged up her knee. After a lot of whaling, a trip to first aid, and a small bribe from the gift shop we were on our way.

We had a great and as always too short of a visit.

Exhausted from all of the fun, and headed home to see Daddy.

Fourth of July

Long gone are the days of bar-b-que, hanging by the pool, and having a few cold beverages. Fourth of July was filled with me working, and all of us being sick. We were in bed before 10:00p.m. and were all a little annoyed with the fireworks. They were loud and lasted forever. After "waiting it out" what we thought was a virus turned out to be strep for me, strep and mono for Robert, and a sinus infection for Olivia. After a round of antibiotics for everyone with lots of rest and fluids were were on the mend. Well 2 out of 3 of us were. Robert has been enjoying the symptoms of mono for greater than a month. I know he is ready to be back at 100%, and  we are ready for Daddy to feel better!

Father's Day

"The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, 'Daddy, I need to ask you something,' he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan." -Garrison Keillor
We do not have a son, but the above is otherwise 100% true. Oh, and Robert loves Garrison Keillor.

From the first moment they met and every moment in between they share a love that no one else will ever know or understand. Whether it's a Monday morning and we are rushing to get out of the door, or a lazy Saturday morning with not a care in the world Olivia is the pride in her daddy's eye. He kisses and doctors boo-boos, makes the best mac and cheese upon request, gives awesome piggy back rides, plays dollhouse and dress-up, and tucks her in with a hug and kiss every night. Olivia is blessed to have such an awesome daddy, and I am blessed to have such an awesome husband.

We celebrated Father's Day with breakfast in bed.

Then Miss Olivia and I exited the house so daddy could have some "him" time. We attempted to go to the jumpy place-but it was closed, we attempted to paint pottery-but it was closed, we even attempted a pedicure-but the nail salon was closed. We attempted Lake Ella-and it was open with lots of people, ducks, turtles, dogs, and humidity.

We also attempted Dunkin' Doughnuts-they were open and full of chocolate treats, juice, and iced coffee for mommy.

Surgery # 3

Our sweet baby experienced her third surgery on June 17th. After repeated ear and sinus infections and a slew of out of the air high fevers for days we along with her pediatrician and ENT doctors decided it was time for ear tubes and an adenoidectomy.

Waiting on the doctor, and no she isn't scared. That is her fake smile.

Enjoying all of the juice she could possibly want.

The hardest part for her was not having her glass of milk first thing in the morning. The hardest part for us was walking her back to the sterile area and handing her off to the nurse. Surprisingly there were no tears, but there were a few pouty lips going around. She was in surgery for approximately 40 minutes. The ENT doc informed us that her adenoids were huge and gross and it was a good thing we decided to have then removed. They only allow one parent in recovery, and I was the chosen parent since she was in a "mommy phase" at the time. She was sleeping so peacefully until she saw me, and then the whaling began and continue for the next hour. She hated the IV, and that was the first thing she said to me was that she wanted it out. Following recovery we went to her room where they monitored her for the next two hours, and then we were discharged home.

Our regimen for the next week included pain meds every four hours, antibiotics three times a day, and drops in her ears twice a day. We quickly learned that Lortab has the opposite effect on our daughter which resulted in an over active hyper as crap 3 year old and two exhausted parents. The Lortab was replaced with Tylenol and Ibuprofen ASAP. Robert and I felt like we had a newborn again. We were taking turns with night duty and setting alarms to get up and administer meds. Miss Olivia enjoyed the attention, and endless icecream and popsicles. She returned to school on Tuesday, but we had to continue the pains meds until Friday. She goes back to the ENT tomorrow for her two week follow-up.

Popsicle # ??? we lost count.

Bama Baseball

Alabama baseball was in town the first of June playing in the regionals. We were excited to attend an Alabama sporting event. They are few and far between in this area and since welcoming Peanut. Olivia and I enjoyed the evening with family friends while Robert enjoyed a chance to catch up with a friend. The evening was a little shaky thanks to severe weather causing multiple rain delays. Alabama was scheduled to play at 6:00 p.m., but the delay pushed the start time back to 7:30p.m./Olivia's bedtime. We hung in there for a few innings, but I was done with bribery i.e chick fil a, gummies, goldfish, pretzels, and dippin'dots, and we headed to the house. Olivia had a blast. She loved dancing with the music, and said multiple "Roll Tides" and "Go Bamas."

The beginning of the bribery with gummy fruit snacks.

Something tells me I will see this look again in about 12 years.

Daddy's Bama Girls

A little visit from a man named Papa, and awesome Uncle Kyle and Aunt La

We were over the moon to learn that Robert's dad, a.k.a. Papa was coming for a visit Memorial Day weekend all the way for North Carolina. We were also lucky enough to have a visit from Uncle Kyle and Aunt La from Tuscaloosa. Olivia is more than excited to meet her new cousin due December 23, 2011. She doesn't quite understand why the baby isn't here, and seems to believe that Santa is going "big" this Christmas. The weekend was spent catching up with family (which was long over due), relaxing, eating, a little swimming, and more eating.

Playing dollhouse with Papa.

Enjoying a birthday party and a little face painting.

Pretty butterfly

Pool time.

Pool side with Uncle Kyle.

New Beginnings

We were once told by a wise woman that no parent wants someone else to help raise their child, but in today's time sometimes it is necessary. That same woman also said that she would love our child like she was one of her own, and that we were "co-parenting"  in this thing called life. That sweet lady loved, nurtured, and protected our sweet little girl for the first two and a half years of her life. Robert and I then decided that it was time for Olivia to join a "school."

She began Immanuel Baptist Church Preschool last August. The first month was horrible. The crying began as soon as she woke up and realized it was a school day. Poor Robert was the one to drop off, and subsequently the one to pry Olivia's little hands off of his leg or from around his neck. She/We finally transitioned and all was right with the world.

Our sweet little world had a bit of a hiccup a few weeks ago when we learned that our preschool would be closing at the end of June. It's a long story, but the church had voted and decided to close the preschool. Here comes another transition YIKES! So, as of June 1st we have started a new preschool. Olivia loves it! There has not been a single morning of whining, crying, or leg/neck clinging. As a matter of fact when I take her she all but jumps from my arms to go into the classroom and see her friends and teachers. Without a single doubt we have her previous teachers to thank for helping her with the transition. Instead of focusing on the negative that the school was closing they discussed the positive of going to a "new big girl school."

She still misses her "brown school" and asks about her teachers, and makes comments about something they would like or say. She loves her "butterfly school" and is enjoying her new adventure.

Mother's Day

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” -Washington Irvin

I am thankful to have a wonderful mother that has not only guided me through my life, but has guided me through my own experience as a mother. She is there to share my excitement and my disappointments. She laughs with me, and cries with me. She is my best friend. I hope that I can guide Olivia through her ups and downs, and that she will always love me as her mother and friend.

Mother's Day started off with...

Breakfast in bed. Of Course! I could not eat alone so Miss Olivia joined me. We may have had to change the sheets after, but it was worth it.

Robert then took Olivia to run a few errands while I relaxed in the quietness of my own home-all by myself-with no one here but the dogs. It was NICE!

They picked up a few fun things while out and about:

Check out our new summer hat complete with fake smile.

Robert then made a wonderful dinner on the grill complete with grilled corn, grilled asparagus, and grilled chicken with white bar-b-q sauce. It was wonderful.

The day was simple, relaxed, and just what I needed.

Thank you to my wonderful husband and amazing daughter for making this Mother's Day special.

April in May

So April came and went-in a flash. I can't believe we are already in May. I was thinking to myself the other day that it was already really hot for March, and then quickly reminded myself that it is May not March.

The birthday celebrations began with Miss Olivia's princess party to celebrate her third birthday. She was very excited to have her Gigi and Papaw visit from Alabama, and to have some of her friends come over. We celebrated the weekend before her actual birthday so my parents could attend, and I'm glad we did because the weekend of her actual birthday was a disaster. More on that later.




A princess party complete with its very own princess.



Taylor Grace-Olivia's friend from school.

Playing with her birthday/latest obsession.

Decorating princess cookies

The weekend of Olivia's actual birthday started off great. We went to run a few errands while Daddy worked on the shower. To keep things short and sweet lets just say that Olivia became clean up on aisle 12 in Lowes. The rest of the weekend was restless and sleepless for all. We put friends and family on notice just in case the "bug" hit Robert and myself. I don't know how we avoided it, but it was nothing short of a miracle that neither one of us got sick.

This is how our sweet girl spent her birthday. She was either asleep or in someone's arms.

Following the stomach flu we had her three year old check-up. They tested her vision, attempted to check her hearing, checked her blood pressure, and we came away with a few new numbers for the growth chart. She weighed 39.2 lbs and is 40 inches tall. Still way above 95% of other kids, but the doc was pleased with her growth. They are predicting that she will be 5'9" - 5'10".

Waiting for the doctor with our fake (not excited at all) smile.

Then the birthday celebrations continued with Uncle Kyle, followed by Papaw, followed by Nana, and finally followed by me.

If you know these two then you need no explanation for the above photos.

Among the birthday celebrations we threw in Easter and a day trip to the beach. Lessons learned...Boil more eggs than expected. She will want to dye more. She will break at least two in the process. Lesson two: Wait to put sunscreen on your child's face and arms until absolutely necessary. The consequence is sunscreen in the eyes and an hour of screaming in the car. The good news- the beach cures even a grumpy child.

So proud of herself.

Casualty #1

All is right with the world.