Southern Belle Sunday

Our little Southern Belle!  I saw this hat in Target for $4 and I couldn't resist.  She only keeps it on for 15-30 seconds at a time, but she is SO cute wearing it!  I am hoping she'll keep it on at the pool this summer.  I have big plans for letting Gaga and Sheshe take the kids to the neighborhood pool this summer!  While I am home with a newborn of course.

 She kept the hat on for this picture because she was too preoccupied with the purse set Gaga picked up for her.  And here is the pictures of her rummaging through it.

 She LOVES the purse and everything in it!  It's so funny.  We opened it as soon as we got in the car and she played with it contently all the way home!

She is wanting to get down here and prance around with the purse.  She knows just how to carry it and prance like a little girl.  It is so funny and I am beyond thankful that I had a girl.  I love seeing how her and Jackson do thinks so differently.  I am sure baby #3 will be different as well, but Mary Frances and Jackson are night and day.

As if shopping at Target with my mom and Mary Frances wasn't just the best, when we pulled up and opened the back door to get Mary Frances out she was so happy and clapping.  Like she knew exactly where we were and why we were there.  I wish I had gotten a video of it!

I am enjoying these last few weeks with my Southern Belle because before too long she won't be my baby any more.  She'll be the big sister.

And on that note - I have a baby update.  33 weeks - I spent several hours in the hospital having my contractions monitored Friday night.  The SAME thing happened with Jackson.  Only when I started having the contractions on Friday afternoon I called the doctor immediately.  This time I waited until I left worked, picked up the dogs from the groomer, and the kids from daycare.  How sad/funny is that?  Matt was working (he is on the most HORRIBLE rotation in April, vascular surgery.  It makes ortho trauma look like a cake walk) and couldn't leave and things had to get done.  Thank goodness for Aunt Anna and Uncle Barry.  They came over and watched the kids while I grabbed my bag and headed to the hospital alone.  Even after I called to let Matt know what was going on he got to the hospital an hour after me.  I really don't mind doing all this alone because it's just what has to happen and I know Matt would be there every second if her could, but I do want to document it and it is kind of funny.  The pregnant chick driving herself to the hospital and checking in for observation alone.  Once he finally got there I told him this was all my ploy to get him a alone on a Friday night, minus the steady stream of nurses in and out of my room.

After several hours of being monitored, 2 shots, and a prescription later we were headed home.  Gaga came in the next morning to help with the kids since I am under strict instructions to 'take it easy.'  Easier said than done with 2 little ones.  My prescription has slowed the contractions down and now I just need to make it at least 3 weeks before delivery this baby, 4 would be better.  Prayers are welcome.  You can pray specifically that this baby stays put 3-4 more weeks!

Other than all that we are great!  Well, we'll be great on May 1.  Matt will be off vascular surgery and NEVER have to do it again and I feel good now that I'm not having 5 contractions an hour.  We're just trying to enjoy the time we have as a family of 4 before baby #3 gets here and throws us into zone defense.

#MillerMayhem pretty much sums it up!  Thanks Shannon Bevill!

Fratty Friday

I am going to tell you up front that I do not like these pictures.  Jackson looks too old and I do not like it one bit.  Part of it is his haircut he had yesterday and the other part of it is that is old and not a baby any more.  These first set of pictures capture his displeasure with having to wear his tennis shoes rather than his boots.

As silly as it looks I fully support his decision to wear boots with shorts.  Gaga let me wear gymnastics attire on a daily basis so I support him in the same way, only I would put my foot down if he wanted to wear gymnastics attire.  But I digress.  His boots were muddy from playing in mud in the back yard and catching frogs.  It made me so proud.  He came running in while I was cooking (and by cooking I mean heating up chicken nuggets) last night to show me the frog he had found.  Melts my heart.  Meanwhile Mary Frances is prancing around in a tutu staying out of the mud and clear of the frog!

They may be terrible kids when they grow up, but so far I am going to give Matt and me a pat on the back for raising ALL boy and ALL girl!  Mission accomplished, so far.

Isn't this pout the saddest thing you've ever seen?  As I was tying his shoes his only concern was that they would come untied on the playground.  I think that is the real deal behind the boots, he can put them on by himself and they don't come untied on the playground.  Can you blame the boy?  Who wants to rely on someone else to put their shoes on and then run the risk of having to stop playing because they come untied. The kid has some mad reasoning skills for a 2 year old.

He even tried to run and hide, but after some coaxing....

He came back out and we gave his photo shoot another try.

There is that sweet face!  In his college life he was sad not because of his tennis shoes, but because the Rebels lost to Kentucky last night in their ESPN televised game.  He is even wearing his baseball shirt today for the Friday game!  Please note the number 25 on the sleeve.  Matt and I didn't even notice it until after we bought it, but that was Matt's baseball number.  And he was "The second baseman to the Caledonia baseball team."  The entire reason I married him and all!

Any way, J-Man is hopeful the Rebels will win the next two games because losing the series to Kentucky would not be good.  On the bright side though, there is always Double Decker this weekend!!

This stud will be hitting the square up for sure!  He'll probably even take his dog, because you know, chicks dig a guy with a dog.

That's all we have for now folks!  I even got J-Man to wave bye!  Oh, I do have the disclaimer and plea that you ignore my unmade bed and messy bedroom in the back ground of the pictures.  It is hard to take away from Jackson's cuteness, but the mess behind him might be a bit distracting.

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you have a great weekend and the Rebels pull out the series win against Kentucky!  Hotty Toddy!

Southern Belle Sunday

This girl gets funnier and more personality with every day that passes.  She has made it a frustrating stage though, she can fully understand what's going on and what we are saying, but has a hard time telling us what she wants.  I feel so bad for her because she wants us to understand so bad.

She will talk and talk and most of the time we have no idea what she's saying.  She points and grunts a lot and shakes her head yes and no.  Yes and no questions are the best because she can accurately answer you.  And signing for this little lady is out.  She refuses to use any signs except for one she made up.  No matter what you sign to her she just points to her side around her rib cage.  It is usually in association with food or beverage.  It's as if she is saying "get in my belly."

If you are holding her she will point and lean toward the refrigerator and once you get over there she just points to her belly.  So forget signing milk or juice, she just wants anything in the fridge to get in her belly.  She cuts right to the chase.  She used to sign milk and eat, but has stopped.  Oh well, if her finger to the belly gets her what she needs why waste time with other signs.

She will still sign "done," but that just gets her out of the highchair and on to playing.  If this girl could eat and then play outside and repeat 3 times daily she would be the happiest girl on earth.  She even tries to get down in the garage when we get home at the end of the day and pitches a fit when we go in.  It's only food that gets her to stop fussing.  As soon as she can navigate the steps out back better I can let her play while I cook since I can see most of the back yard from the kitchen.  Until then, it is going to remain a fight.

And in all these pictures you will notice a scratch across her forehead.  We are guessing she scratched her head while taking a nap.  Because it wasn't there when I laid her down and I can't imagine what else could have happened.

If she is trapped inside and not eating the kitchen set can usually keep her occupied.  She loves playing with it and getting into the bottom drawer in the real kitchen where I keep all of the kid plates and cups.  She goes through that drawer on a daily basis and pulls stuff out.  When we got home from the beach it was the FIRST place she went.  She had missed her drawer of kitchen toys.

And any picture you see where he mouth is open, she is saying "cheese."  Anytime  you break the camera out she just repeats it over and over.

I was able to snap these after we had eaten lunch after church.  Jackson had gone down for a nap and she was just toddling around enjoying a little one on one time.  She loves her brother, but likes being alone as well.  They are funny together too though.  They have yelling contests in the car.  After I put them in the car in the mornings and run back in for one last sweep of the house they take turns yelling and then laughing.  It is so funny.  They have such a cute connection.  I can't wait to see what number 3 brings!

So there you have it!  A short recap of our little southern belle and what she is up to these days.  She has a personality all her own and too cute for words!  Happy Sunday!

Fratty Friday/Southern Belle Sunday All on Friday

These kids are too much.  I am beginning to get nervous about number 3 again.  I went through a lull where I wasn't worried about it, but I am starting to worry again, especially since it hit me this week that this baby will be here NEXT MONTH!  But on to my sassy daughter.  She was not feeling the pictures this morning as you can tell by her expressions to all about it in a matter of seconds twice!

This is my favorite.  I have a feeling I will be seeing this face a lot when she is a teenager.  "Ga, mom!  Just leave me alone!"

But then she began to warm up...

But not for long when this melt down happened for some unknown reason...  It's really kind of funny.

And we're back!  All I can say, is Jackson is all boy all the time and Mary Frances has turned into all girl all emotional all the time.  This week she started shaking her head and telling me "no" when I ask for a kiss.  Last week she would have opened he mouth wide and leaned in for a sloppy kiss.  Not any more!

Then there is my J-Man who is always trying to protect his candy, food, toys, Dougie, Blanket, and the list goes on and on.  He had gotten a "special surprise" as he calls it, candy as the rest of the world calls it, for sleeping in his bed ALL night like a big boy.  I of course gave Mary Frances a piece too since she is old enough to recognize she wants one too, but she had already eaten hers and was after Jackson's.

He still stopped to pose for pictures while protecting his precious candy!

These two are my favorite!  How can you not laugh at this?  I may frame them and put them in my office.

And finally a sweet picture of J-Man.  So deceiving.....  He can be sweet when he wants to be.  And he is usually really good with his sister.  But man, when he's not...

I hope everyone has a great Friday!  And by the way, Shannon Bevill's "Miller Mayhem" title recommendation may have taken the cake!  I think I am going to change the name of the entire blog to that!  Because that is our life, kind of like the Allstate commercials.  Happy Friday!