Turn around, bright eyes

I know that a lot of you parents probably turned your kiddos' car seat around way before their one-year birthday, but I'm a rule-stickler always thinking of the what if's. Anyway, we finally turned ME's car seat around today and I don't know who's more excited...me or her. It was fun to watch her stretch out her neck to make sure that Drew was driving "10 and 2".

Happy 1st Birthday...really?!?!

I really can't believe that it's been a year already!!! Considering that I checked into the hospital on the 19th last year, all weekend Drew and I recapped what we were doing this time last year. For example, as we were heading out the door last night at 6:00 for Drew's company Christmas party, I realized that that was the time last year when Dr. S broke my water and I was freaking out because something icky was happening to me (that's another story). And I remember when the nurse was wheeling me out of the hospital with ME in hand, I couldn't believe that they weren't going to make me take a test to make sure that I really was fit to be responsible for someone else's life. Wow! It's amazing how most of parenthood comes naturally to you and how you pretty much forget all of the uncertainty that Drew and I had when you leave the hospital.
On to the birthday girl...
We woke up around 8 this morning, but she was ready for a nap by 9:45 and we were supposed to meet my family for breakfast at 10:15. So we let her take a quick nap, then headed to Cracker Barrel to eat pancakes. When we got back home, she took about a 2 hour nap, so you'd think she would have been in the best mood for the remainder of the day. I don't know if she's not feeling well, or going through a growth spurt, but she preferred to be held most of the evening and wanted her paci. Ugh! But at least we were able to get her to open a few presents and eat some cake. The picture above is her new beanbag that Drew and I got her. She got a ton of other great gifts from our friends and family, too. Thanks to everyone who celebrated ME's life with us tonight! Hopefully, I'll have some more party and cake pictures up later this week.
Mary Elizabeth, you are such a sweet angel. Da-da and I truly have enjoyed watching you grow and develop the fun personality that you have . We can't wait to see what the future holds for you. We love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!

Merry Christmas, the toilet is full...err fixed!

First, I'm sure I have to explain the picture of Cousin Eddie (and I know what he really says, but I'm not putting cuss words on my blog). It's become a Dees tradition to watch Christmas Vacation while wrapping Christmas presents in our house, so that's what we've been doing today. But before we could watch the movie, Drew fixed our toilet that's been leaking for quite some time and I'm very excited about it!!! I know cheap thrills!

Also, I have to let you know that I'm living an artificial life now. We purchased 2 fake trees this year rather than buying a real one. Even though we did this about 2 weeks ago, I still have a nauseous feeling about it, as I love the joy of picking out the "right tree" only to come home and discover the hole on one side, or that it's lopsided, and the fresh smell. But since we were gone over Thanksgiving this year, I didn't get as much time as I normally do to decorate. Plus this will give me more time to work on ME's birthday every year. The biggest selling point, though, was that I could get more than one tree!!! When Drew and I got married, he agreed to get a real tree every year as long as we didn't get a cat. So where's the cat, you ask? We still don't have one. I renegotiated. I asked if we could get an artificial tree as long as I could have more than one. So we now have black/white tree in the kitchen (which I'll be the first to admit is a little big for the space), a "traditional" tree in the den, a Barbie tree in the foyer, and we're getting one for ME's room this week. I'll try to remember to take pictures of all of them and post them later. As you can tell, ME was just as excited about the new trees as her dad was...

I'm aware she only has one shoe, a sight often seen with her, but she's happy isn't she?

I've got some news!!!

If you can't guess it by looking at my list of friends' blogs and see who I added, or by the clipart, then I guess I'll just tell you...I'm going to be an aunt, Drew will be an uncle, and ME is going to be a cousin!!! Yep...Brant and Kari are expecting a little one on June 23rd. The funny thing is that when they told us, we didn't quite catch on to what they were telling us b/c they're due date is the same day as Drew's birthday. But now that we've figured it out, which it just took us a few seconds to smarten up, we're so excited! I know we didn't find out what we were having, but I can't wait to find out what they're having. Mine and Drew's instincts are guessing a boy right now.

The City that NEVER Sleeps

I can finally say that I've been to New York! And now I know why it's called the "city that never sleeps". I realized it on my last day in Drew's dad's apartment (about 8 stories up) when I was awake at 7:30 am on my vacation due to the honking on the streets. New York City is an amazing place, though! As Drew and I said, it's amazing to think of how it was ever built with the subway system, grid system, etc.

We really had a great time. Since this was my first time, I wanted to be the tourist that did everything. Our legs paid for it, too! You really do walk everywhere! Here are some pictures of our trip.

In front of the Brooklyn Bridge

On top of the Empire State Building -- Proof that Drew can conquer his fear of heights!

Drew and his dad on top of the Empire State Building

In front of the New Year's Crystal Ball

I've always dreamt of going (actually being in it) to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Although, I didn't get to sit right on the Macy's star like I had requested, it was still neat to see how gigantic the balloons really were! We tried to go watch the balloons get blown up the night before, but we got stuck in traffic and we missed it -- maybe next time. As you'll see in the pictures, our view wasn't the best. For some reason, everyone thinks that just becuase you're tall, you must have an Inspector Gadget-like neck and see everything...not true!

Our view from our 1st location (across the street, and on the other side of Columbus Circle). Obviously, this wasn't my seat on the Macy's star!


Our view for a while (children on their parent's shoulders).

I just thought this was funny...a mom on a step stool, with her child on her shoulders. We'll know how to do it right next time. :)


I know my hat is crooked, but Hello Kitty was coming and I didn't care!

In front of the Flatiron Building with my "designer" bags in hand!

Thanks, Mike and Ron, for being such great hosts while we visited. I really had a great time and can't wait to go back! Also, thank you to VeVe, LaLa, and Grandy for taking care of ME while we were gone. I know she had a great time!

I'm not too young to vote

I took ME to vote with me. I was so happy to have her be a part of that with me! She was such a helper and she loved her sticker.

I'm a little BEE-hind

I know I look sad, but I LOVE my pumpkin that my Grandy carved me! Thanks, G!

OK, I know that I'm getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and I still haven't posted Halloween pix. Keep in mind that she didn't f eel well on Halloween, but here you go...

We first went to our church carnival. She was a little too young to do anything, so she crawled.

A rare moment...a picture of all 3 of us!

Later that week, we had a pumpkin carving contest with our Supper Club. Check out Cowboy Davis. Then look at Drew's TERRIBLE "sick pumpkin on the right (his lost).

These pix are actually from Halloween day when she didn't feel so well. But isn't she the cutest bee you've ever seen?

Our first trick-or-treaters! My friend Jennifer with her daughter, Paisley, dressed as Bam-Bam Flintstone.

We then went to a Halloween party at The Parrishes house. Don't know why this is turned, but this is ME with our "trashy" neighbor Lauren Huckabee.

Look at all of the kids!!!

Start spreadin' the news

Can you guess where my mommy and daddy are going today?

If you guessed by ME's shirt, Drew and I are going leaving for NYC in a few hours. On one hand, I'm so excited that I finally get to go up there. Drew's dad lives there and we've tried to plan a trip up there for the 10 years Drew and I have been together. On the other hand, I'm really sad that I will be away from our munchkin for a week! I know here grandparents aren't sad about that part, though. :) Thank you so much, LaLa, Grandy, and VeVe for taking care of ME while we're gone!

Bring on the turkey!

If you look closely, she's rubbing her tongue on her bottom lip feeling her new tooth about to pop out just in time for Turkey Day. She now has (as far as I can see) 5 teeth.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Our Heavenly Ham

Check out my cool hair do!

Is this my best side?

Bet you can't catch me.

OK, now I'm ready to pose.

I tried to capture some photos of ME tonight for her 11 month milestone and these were the "best" pictures that I could get of her. Needless to say, you can see why I am now drinking 2 Diet Cokes with CAFFEINE by lunch everyday! Although, I'm tired (which I blame mostly on work) I'm having so much fun with her. She's really starting to develop into a little lady with her personality (drama, stubbornness, playfulness). I know that Drew and I will probably say that we like every stage of her life, but I really am enjoying laughing with her and "talking" to her. We don't go to the doctor for another checkup until 1-yr.-0ld, but here are a few stats about ME:

• She walked a few steps by herself tonight. After she realized what she was doing, she hasn't done it again.
• She loves to play "Uh-oh"...Rules of the game: make sure everyone is looking at ME, drop an object, then ME says uh-oh, and then the adults laugh and pick up the object, repeat all the steps until you get tired.
• She's trying more table foods. Really she sucks the juices out of the foods, then she'll drop the actual food on the floor.

Nine, ten, she's got a big, fat...

...GRIN! And it lights up all of our lives! Mary Elizabeth is the true meaning of "laughter is the best medicine". Two weeks ago, Drew and I both got hit with that nasty stomach-bug. My turn just so happened to be on mine and Drew's 4-year anniversary, too. I was dreading picking ME up from daycare that day because I knew I wouldn't have the energy to play with her. But as soon as I saw her, she was giggling (actually pointing and giggling at her daycare worker) and that made my fever go down tremendously.

In honor of ME's 10-month-day, I thought I'd create a "top 10" list about her. The list below are a few of the new things that she can either do or is "in to".

ME is 10-months-old and she:

1. Stands up for 3 seconds by herself
2. Sleeps through the night again
3. Loves to bang on any thing as a drum
4. Has rhythm (yes, she loves to dance!)
5. Likes to eat spaghetti or lasagna (if dipped in fruit yogurt). Doesn't it sound yummo?
6. Laughs at anything that moves quickly
7. Plays ball with Dixie
8. Turns the lights off and on
9. Tries to push/walk around the house
10. Sits up in her new big-girl car seat (still backwards, though)
11. Loves her daycare
12. Squeals/talks whenever she wants attention, which is almost every minute of the day (OK, I know I said 10, but I thought of more. )

It's the Great Pumpkin, Mary Elizabeth!

Me and ME with our "Great Pumpkin"

Well, we didn't actually get to see the Great Pumpkin that Linus waited around for, but we did get to see our first pumpkin patch (mine and ME's both) and pick our own pumpkin! We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday with LaLa, Sarah and her family. I had a great time watching ME take everything in and I got a bunch of cute pictures! It was hard for me to pick which ones to post, so I apologize for so many pix.

I like this pumpkin!

Man, pickin' pumpkins is exhausting! After we picked our pumpkin, she laid her head on it while we rode back to the parking lot. It was funny to see how still she was!

I like being a country-girl because I get to sit on the hay.

I'm thinking of doing the pumpkin diet...

Me, Mary Elizabeth, Taylor, and Sarah (I guess this is how you're supposed to get a "good picture" with kids.)
















I like to ride on the pumpkins (and feel my new teeth with my tongue)!

Giddyup, pumpkins!

ME was content until those other kids had to give their opinion about taking pictures :) Check out the series of photos below...

What are you crying about, Taylor? You get to lean back on the pumpkins.

I'm trying to take a picture. Beckett, will you make Taylor cooperate?

I want to lay on the pumpkins, too! Beckett is Sarah's 4-month old nephew. He was so "go-with-the-flow" just like his daddy.

I spy 3 somethings...

...white, sharp, and inside Mary Elizabeth's mouth. If you guessed teeth, you're right!!! I can't believe that they're FINALLY here, but I guess they're all going to come in at once now! The crazy thing is that I took ME to the dr. on Thursday for her well-baby checkup and we didn't see them at that time. But, of course, while Drew and I were away in Fayetteville this weekend, my dad felt something sharp in her bottom gum. So when we got back on Sunday, the first thing I did was shove my finger in her mouth. And, to my surprise, I felt 2 on the front bottom and one
on the top front right. I guess it's a good thing I'm almost finished nursing!!!

Other 9-month stats

• Weight: 21 lbs. 1 oz. (81%)
• Head: 17 1/2 in. (60%)
• Length: 28 1/4 in. (68%)
• Words: "Wh" ("whoo pig"), "buh" (not sure), "da da", "ma ma"
• She can stand for about 2 seconds by herself
• She sticks her hand straight out for bye-bye/hello and whoo pig

6th K Cafe

If any of you are looking for a place to eat after Race for the Cure next Saturday (October 11), go to 6th K Cafe.

The Junior League of Little Rock will host an annual brunch to be held after the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock. The brunch will provide food, drinks, and fun for participants of the Race for the Cure. All proceeds will support the JLLR's community projects, which aim to improve the lives of women and children in Central Arkansas.

Nine is fine

It's hard to believe that ME is the same age as to how long I carried her in my tummy. It's even harder to believe that Drew and I have known about her for over 1 1/2 years! Wow...how have we enjoyed it all!!! I'm thankful to say that ME seems to be fully recovered from her yuck sickness last week (although she might have an ear infection now), and we have been able to enjoy her fun, social personality all night. After Davis' party today, we came home and giggled all evening. It's so fun, and the best way to wind down the evening! What did we ever do for fun before she came along?

We don't go to the doctor until October for her well-baby checkup, so here are a few stats/updates about her:

• She weighed 20.12 lbs when we went to the Dr. last week
• She mutters "Dada", "mama", "baba", and "wh"
• She's a great eater. She LOVES macaroni and cheese...but who doesn't right?
• She is still crawling with a "bum leg" and is now trying to stand by herself for about 1.5 seconds
• She is finally starting to laugh at things other than the dog!
  

As you can tell from the picture below, ME empathizes with me and Drew on occasions. Drew was upset that today was the last day for the Yankees to play in Yankee Stadium. So I put ME in her I love NY onesie so she could watch today's game (really just to watch Derek Jeeter) with her daddy. And even though, I'm sooooo over baseball (sorry, Bebo!), I'm disappointed that I won't ever be able to see a game played in Yankee Stadium.

So long Yankee Stadium!

Happy 1st Birthday, Davis!!!

Yea, I'm ONE today!

Today we celebrated Ryan and Ashley's little boy's birthday. What an exciting time for them. Davis is no longer a baby...he's a little boy! For some reason, whenever I think about Davis' milestones, I start to get a little sad because that means that ME is just 3 months behind him. On the other hand, it's so exciting to look forward to the fun things she'll learn.

We also got to meet Miss Taylor this weekend. ME was so excited to get to play with another little girl. As you can from the picture, she's a little confused as to why the "little person" is wearing pink since really all she knows are boys around her age.

Three's (er...uh.. six) company

Our sad little princess

I have to report that our poor baby girl has not been so jolly these past few days. Daycare called on Monday to say that she had a fever of 102. So I picked her up and took her to the doctor. She has a bacterial infection in her nose. I know...sounds yucko!!! It is! And she now HATES the "booger sucker", whereas before she actually liked it and thought it was a game when I used it on her.

Let me tell you that seeing ME these past few days has been so heartbreaking to me and Drew. She hasn't been terribly fussy, but she has the saddest puppy dog eyes, the rosiest red cheeks, and a hot body! Really, the most fussy that she's been was this morning at 4 am until 5:15 (just before it was time for my alarm to go off!). We actually went to the living room and played with toys to try to calm down. After that didn't work, I was finally able to rock her back to sleep and put her in bed with Drew. I wish so badly that I could have captured the sweet picture of her sleeping on her daddy to share with you all, but I didn't want to risk waking her up again. But after I laid her down, she rolled her back onto Drew's stomach, almost standing/leaning on him and started snoring. It was priceless!

After I put her down for bed tonight, I'm happy to say that she seems to be feeling a lot better! I sure hope so and that I don't have to see those sad eyes for a long time!

Daddy Wins!

SIDE NOTE: THIS BLOG IS BEING DICTATED BY DREW!
I can only assume that each parent of a newborn child wonders what their first word is going to be. Most importantly, which parent they are going to recognize first. Well, I'm not trying to boast, but "DA DA" wins! After returning home from a weekend in Fayetteville, within an hour of being home, ME looked right at me and said "DA DA". And, fortunately, for me, Lana was there to witness and confirm that ME looked at me and said it. I must admit it feels really good to have my little princess call me "DA DA".

Woo Pig Sooie!

We are proud to say that Mary Elizabeth was officially introduced to the world of Razorback tailgating this past Saturday! Drew decided that we needed to get our own tailgate spots this year, and ME got to enjoy the experience with us. She was such a trooper, even with the music blaring in our ears! Thanks to everyone that came to our spot, and to everyone that helped make ME's 1st tailgating experience memorable! GO HOGS!!!!

Yes, at least my "arranged marriage husband" supports the right team!