Too soon!

I had a dream last night that I woke up and Baby Bo was lying on my chest.  We had skipped that labor part of things, and I suppose he just emerged on his own and pawed his way up my chest.  My first thought was that he was NOT supposed to be here yet.  I thought for a few minutes about the possibilities of getting him back into my womb.  Then I got up and called 911.  I told Cameron to cut the cord.  The ambulance didn't come and didn't come.  Baby Bo seemed just fine.  I realized that I hadn't thought about what clothes we'd come home from the hospital in.  Family was all around, but we all just waited and waited for ambulances that never came.

There's no punch line... Seriously, you should see it!

Today I laughed so hard that I stabbed myself in the forehead with a plastic knife. 

Seriously.

I spent the afternoon with some of C's nearest and dearest.

It could be worse.

I have to say that one of the ways that I know that I married the right man is the company that he keeps.  They are the kind of people who hug you the minute that you are introduced.  They are the kind of people who will tell their child that you are their aunt on the day that you meet.  They love fun.  They love their spouses.  They love their children.  They love each other's children.  They love each other's spouses.  They love.

They eat.  They drink.  They tell stories.  They laugh.  They sing.  (We left too early...)  They have been through the wringer and come out together on the other side of it all.  They are real. 

They might mock my sappiness, though I am sure that they are all guilty.  So let's move on.

Today, we celebrated LL's second birthday. 



The child is no stranger to the word "cheese".

VeggieTales ruled the day.  There were Bob and Larry cakes and even green pea cake pops.  Thanks to our gracious hosts, I had my first ever for-real Rueben sandwich.  Completely and utterly delicious.  I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo, but this was the kind of sandwich that required two hands.



The Birthday Party

In addition to the party, we were also welcoming home an old friend and his family.  I'm not talking about his age.  I really mean - a seriously long-time friend.

Circa 1999

I was finally able to meet his wife and daughter.  And in other SUPER-exciting news, she and I have the same due date!!  You read it right... it'll be a photo finish! We'll be adding a boy AND a girl to this crazy crew in September.

Welcome home, Uncle Chris.

Weekend Wrap-Up.

It seems like it's been weeks since I posted last - in reality, looks like I last posted three days ago.  Having Tyler and Destyni here makes the time fly by.  I am definitely NOT ready for them to head home tomorrow.  We won't dwell, though - lets jump right in.

Today was one of those days.  C worked open to close, so we entertained ourselves as best we could.  We went straight from our jammies to our bathing suits and then back into jammies.  Am I ashamed of myself?  Not in the slightest.  Well, I am ashamed that I didn't get any pictures of the swimming cuteness, but I couldn't resist splashing around with them while we were there. 

As Destyni points out regularly, I get more pregnant by the day.  Baby Bo becomes more and more active, and somehow, so do I.  I'm slowly decluttering my house and setting things in order - 15 minutes at a time.   

Nene went out of town, so we dogsat at the beginning of the week.  GusDog loves the kiddos and they love him.  I actually learned that putting a cranky child to bed can be made infinitely easier if you put a dog in bed with them.

NONE SHALL PASS.

With NeNe out of town, the kiddos stayed with some amazing girls and their mother who smothered them in love, pretzel goldfish, and fun.  I was reminded just how blessed we are (on the kid front and the friend front) when BJ told me that Tyler and Destyni were just no trouble at all.  Their manners and the fact that they play so well together mean that they are welcome anytime.  I'm so happy that Baby Bo will have them to look up to. 

BJ even took them swimming!!

I tried my hand at some creative methods of cooking the veggies that are starting to roll in.  The recipe can be found over on One Rad Mother's blog.  I highly recommend them.  She made hers on a nonstick skillet without oil.  I made mine in a castiron skillet with a bit of bacon grease.

I'm country like that.

As a special treat for me the kids, we stopped by the Dairy Queen last night.  They've started carrying chocolate soft serve, and I'm slightly obsessed.

Des was more than happy to finish my cone once I had done all the damage I could to the soft chocolatey goodness.

Just... cuteness.

I was asked last night for blogging advice.  I was amazed, because I'm really only about 15 posts in.  I have had amazing feedback and positive comments.  I'm more than slightly shocked that you all would be interested in my ramblings, but I'm really glad that you're along for the ride.

Aunt Juliet is MADE OF AWESOME.

We sure do love it when Aunt Juliet comes to visit. 

We get to show off our garden - even if she won't pick up the praying mantis.

She makes a great prisoner, and she doesn't use the safety release on the handcuffs.

We get to play dress up and FaceTime with Uncle Jonathan.

She inspires us with her fitness regimen.

She loves us and gives the BEST SNUGGLES EVER!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Jerry Warren Jackson was my daddy.  I think of him daily, but it makes me sad how infrequently his name is spoken anymore.  So - Jerry Warren Jackson was born on September 10, 1949.  He died the day before his birthday (also, my parents' anniversary) on September 9, 2007. 

Did you write the Book of Love and do you have faith in God, above?
If the Bible tells you so
Now, do you believe in Rock and Roll? Can music save your mortal soul? And...
Can you teach me how to dance real slow?

He was a man, and he had faults, but he was my daddy - maybe I'm biased, but it's my blog... so I'll tell you about him.

Some day when I sing this song, I'll hear you sing along.

He loved his family, AM talk radio, westerns, the Beatles, science fiction, music that was too loud, dogs, trucks, playing guitar and singing on the porch until the wee hours of the morning, UGA football, and the beach.  I knew his versions of many, many songs before I knew the real words.  I was shocked to learn that 'Bobbie' of Me and Bobbie McGee was actually a guy. 

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.

Nothin' ain't worth nothing, but it's free.

He believed in God, UFO's, and listening to signs - so I do, too.

Someone like you makes it hard to live without somebody else
Someone like you makes it easy to give never thinkin' about myself

The day that he passed away, his brother came into the ICU and almost inaudibly exclaimed, "My Bo!"  I had to ask why later, having never heard him called that.  I learned then that Uncle Jimmy had called Dad 'Bo' or 'Jerry-Bo' since childhood.  It was just one brother's name for another.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

Sadly, my Baby Bo won't know him.  I try not to dwell on that.  I take solace in knowing that I have stories aplenty and that Cameron does as well.  It is such a blessing to marry a man who knew my dad and remembers him fondly.  (He'd have to - they have so much in common.)

Happy Father's Day, Daddy - We love you and miss you every day.

Dancing through life...

I was *never* a dancer.  It doesn't stop me from getting on a dance floor and shaking everything that my mama gave me and having a good time, but ... ballet, tap, and jazz?  Not so much.  Closest that I ever came was karate. 

Yesterday's adventure was not one that I was relishing.  Sitting for long periods of time is not one of my strong points at this point, and watching other people's kids dance fidget and squirm for two hours so that I could see Des on stage for 5 minutes was not my first choice for a Saturday afternoon.  {Yes - I'm a terrible person - I thought that we were all clear on this by now.}

We arrived at Ray Davis Middle School, and I accompanied Des and her mommy to the dressing room - there were two shows, and C and I were attending the second.  It was my job to keep her properly costumed and from rubbing off her whiskers until time to go on stage.

We got her dressed and put on makeup, and suddenly:

Completely Irresistable

I couldn't WAIT to watch her dance!  She was beautiful and excited and glowing.  I would have stayed in that auditorium for as long as it took to see her take her moment in the spotlight.  What I had always considered {slightly} choreographed chaos was brilliantly entertaining.

Day after day, these kids change my life in a million tiny and marvelous ways.  

And next year, she wants to take gymnastics instead.  :)

The truth behind the name...

In case you haven't ever done it, the absolute hardest part of starting a blog {for ME, anyway}, is choosing a name for it.  I didn't feel comfortable with using "mom" or "mommy" in the blog name - and most of my first ideas were incredibly sappy or cheesy.


I surfed and searched to the ends of the earth interwebs for inspiration.  


Once again, my dear friend, One Rad Mother, provided the answer:

I know I like to read other people's blogs because it makes me feel as if I have snatched their diary from under their mattress.

I read blogs for the same reason.  I like to have a peek into someone else's life.  So there you have it.  It's not creepy.  It's not dirty.  It's just your opportunity to peek under my mattress and make off with my diary.

You know you want to...  we're all nosy.

In the interest of being truthful...

As much as I hate to put this out for public consumption, I am currently an emotional wreck.  I am only admitting it here because I do actually want to remember the good, the bad, and the ugly of this pregnancy.  I'm not sure if this is more 'bad' or 'ugly', but I guess it might depend on which side you're on.


So - pre-pregnancy, my friends have described me as an eternal optimist, positive to a fault, or just too damn cheery to deal with.  As we round the corner into the last third of this roller coaster, that person that I have known for the last 30 years is nowhere to be found.  I seem to have little to no control over my emotions at this point.

87 days to go!

Today, for example, everything just might make me cry.  I am fluctuating between sadness (for no reason),  frustration (for no reason), and a general dissatisfaction (you guessed it - for no reason).  


I guess I'll take the crying over that whole 'angry as a rabid mongoose in a burlap sack being poked by a toddler with a stick'.  Today could have just as easily been one of those days.


One of the hardest parts of this whole experience is explaining this to my husband.  Bless his sweet heart, when he hears that I am having a problem or that something is not to my liking, his natural inclination is to FIX IT and FIX IT NOW.  He always has a solution to the problem, no matter how big or small.  Unfortunately, most of my problems at this point are not rational.  (You see how easily I can admit that here?  That ability escapes me about 96% of the time.)


So there you have it.  I don't mean to be whiny - I am not digging for sympathy.  I understand that THIS IS PREGNANCY, and I might just want to remember it one day.  

Welcome to the third trimester...

or not... it all depends on which website you read. 

A picture IS worth a thousand words - we're about *this* far along.

I'm going to go ahead call it now, because as far as I'm concerned, 40/3=13.  We just hit 27 weeks, so there.  I've been incredibly blessed with what I would call an easy pregnancy.  To that Cameron replies, "Whose house have YOU been living in?" (or he would... I'm pretty sure.)  Anyhow, I've had some numbness in my thigh for a couple of weeks now that has now become anywhere from 'pins and needles' to 'burning fire from the deepest depths of my femur' to 'an excellent excuse to direct Cameron from the couch in the ways of cycling laundry'.  Just kidding about that last one, honey.

News from this week include visits from some of my very favorite people in the world...

3rd grade besties + Bella.

Jr. Beta Club besties. 

Not pictured, because sometimes you're just having too much fun and can't be bothered are OneRadMother and my dear old pottery partner, JE.

Started really working in my new position at work - I'm enjoying it, even if I have a LOT to learn.  Moved into my new office - sunlight streaming through the window by my desk makes my day brighter in so many ways.

In other totally shiny and exciting news, we got this:



Ooooh - shiny.

And if you don't understand why this is so exciting, it's mostly because for the last year, we've been working with this:

Demon Appliance.

300 degrees meant 425 degrees, 350 degrees meant 500 degrees, and 400 was anywhere from 525 up.  It was never consistant - we used an oven thermometer to TRY to regulate it.  The oven door handle used to pop off if you opened the door with anything more than a feather touch, and, oh, yeah...

IT WAS A BIG STINKING LIAR.

Sayonara, Demon Appliance.  I am sure that there will be an incredible reception in Appliance Hell for you.

Real Friends Tell You When They Break Your Toilet

Had dinner with the girls on Friday night - I had been excited all week, and truth be told, so was Cameron.  "You were nice for 2 weeks the last time that you saw JRo," he told me.  I'm fairly sure that I'm nice ALLL the time, but then again, I don't have to live with me. 

Here we are! EM, myself and JRo waiting for a table at the Cheesecake Factory.

In a flashback to college (even without alcohol involved!), I managed to break a major fixture in EM's home.  Some things just never change. 

Friday night, I broke EM's toilet.  Luckily, I don't mean that the level of my intestinal distress was too much for the poor potty.  What I do mean is that the toilet was running... and jiggling the handle wasn't working.  I couldn't very well leave the toilet unflushed and running.  I carefully removed the porcelain top and began to fidget with the pluggy thing in the tank.  Almost immediately, the plastic chain snapped, and I realized that there was no way around this.  I was going to have to confess what I had done. 

Have you ever seen the doormats that say cute things like, "Real friends use the side door"?  I now want one that reads "Real friends tell you when they break your toilet."  I was still feeling guilty today, but then I got a text thanking me for breaking it.  It would seem that she had been begging her husband to replace that toilet for months.  It's time to start a new business venture - Is there something that you want replaced?  Invite me over - I'll ruin it.  Guaranteed.  Destruction, I can handle.

On Saturday, Cameron and I traversed the big city to celebrate Cousin J's 4th birthday.  We saw a lot of family, and the kids jumped themselves silly on all the bouncey houses.  I got a rocking baby fix thanks to Cameron's sister and cousin who were happy to let me get a little baby loving.

 Baby J!

Destyni got a turn.  She's so ready for her baby brother to get here!

Tyler was more interested in the cupcakes.  (Great job, Uncle D!)

Spending just a couple of hours with the kids is always hard.  Poor Des clung to her Daddy when it was time to leave.  She knows that they'll have a long summer visit, though - alls well that ends well.

Looooves her Daddy - but never forgets that GIRLS RULE and BOYS DROOL.  Don't know who told her that.  :)

After making two trips into the city this weekend, on the way to get Mom's trash to take to the dump, my car started shaking.  One of the tires was SHREDDED.  I limped on down the mountain until I came to my mom's road.  That's where I saw this:





Poor Bianca.

I called up a neighbor, who came to my rescue.  Unfortunately, I had parked on a slope, so on the first go-round, the car rolled forward and bent my jack in half.  I couldn't really help, so I did what I could do...



I made him cookies!  (I didn't give him the *ahem*broken one...)  These are just about my favorite cookies to make.  They're quick and easy and moist and chocolatey!  I'll get the recipe up here soon. 

All in all - it was an AWESOME weekend.  I realized that even though I may not like my house, I love my neighbors.  I'd rather have amazing neighbors than an amazing house.  Now to talk EM and JRo into moving this way.  Talk about awesome neighbors!!