10 Years Ago...

I graduated high school.  It was a very emotional time for me.  About a month before graduation, I realized everything was about to change.  Not just moving out of my parent's house but my friendships.

My senior year I had grown close to a group of people that to this day I still love very dearly.  With school coming to an end, I knew my relationship with those people would forever change.  Even though we were all headed to the same college, I knew it wouldn't be the same.  We would find other friends/groups that more fit our style.  Plus we were just growing up.  It's what happens.

Last night though, we all got together one more time at our 10 year high school reunion.  I still feel like it was just a month ago I wore that blue cap and gown and walked across the stage to accept my diploma.

I wasn't that jazzed about going but went anyway hoping to see a few faces I haven't seen in a while.  I really didn't think anybody would change that much over 10 years but there were several times I was pointing saying "whose that?"  "did they graduated with us?"

I played the awkward 'oh my gosh! I haven't seen you since high school.  What have you been up to?' game.  I HATE the catch up game.  My life always sounds extremely lame and then there is the point of not knowing a good time to walk away.

I pushed through and made the best of it.  It wasn't a horrible night.  Started off like a lame high school dance; everyone sitting around waiting for that one brave soul to get the party started.  I declared at 9pm that we were either going to get off our tails and have some fun or I was going home.  We got off our tails.

More people joined the dance floor and we partied like we were back in high school.  And I may or may not have lead the train around the room with a long line of my classmates behind me.

At the end of the night, I can say I had a pretty good time.  And my date?

 Seemed to meet and greet more classmates than me!  I love when I drag him to things and he ends up getting to know more people than me!  My little social butterfly.

I wish I had more pictures of our little group but I was busy rockin' it out or to be more accurate lazy.  I guess I'll have to stalk Facebook under my mom's account to see if anyone got any good pictures.

False Alarm

10:53am Tuesday morning about 2 hours after Brent has dropped Cecilia off at daycare:  "Kacie, this is Ms._______ from daycare.  Cecilia is fine but we think she may have thrush."

"Thrush?"

"Yeah.  We just sent one baby home with it and we think she has it."

"Ok.  I think I know what that is but not sure."

"It's like a yeast infection in your mouth."

"Well isn't that fabulous."

"Yeah."  Cue awkward laugh.

"So I guess I need to come get her?"

"Yeah."

10:56:  I call my village babysitter, aka Nanny.  No answer.

10:57:  Call my mom asking if she knew where Nanny was.  No clue.

10:58:  Call Nanny again leaving a message that went a little like this...'Hey Nan.  I'm hoping you are just in the bathroom and can't answer but I really need you to.  (pause)  Ok well, run to the phone if you are there.  (pause)  Ok well, call me.  I really need you.'

I jump in my car and head to BG to get Cecilia.  On my way, I call Brent and give him the scoop.  He googles thrush to see what we are really dealing with because well tha's what we do every time the daycare calls with yet another random virus/disease they think she has.  We are a little confused on how she could have gotten it but who knows.  She catches everything.

I get halfway to town and my phone rings.  Ahh...Nanny.  My saving grace.  I give her the run down and ask if she feels like a playmate.  No problem.

Have I ever said how much I appreciate and love my Nanny?  I am soo very lucky to have her around.

After dropping C off, I call the pediatrician's office to tell them what's going on and make an appointment to see her the next day.  I get a call a few minutes later from the doctor's office saying it is pretty impossible for her to have thrush at her age.  Hmmm that's interesting.

I ponder the whole situation all day and decide I'm going to watch her over night and see what develops.  Wednesday morning..no little white bumps in her mouth.

I cancel her appointment because we already had a check up scheduled for today and I didn't feel like taking a healthy baby to the doctor 2 days in a row.

The doctor confirms today no thrush.  She is healthy (can I get a hallelujah!) and a late bloomer on the teeth.  She did have some little red bumps on her upper body but the doctor didn't seem to think it was anything.  Maybe just a reaction to something.

The only true thing wrong with her is she is...

(applying chap stick)

completely...

rotten...

to the...

core!

 I am so thankful this time it was just a false alarm.  I knew thrush wasn't possible but the bumps worried me only because they came up all of a sudden.  I just knew it would be some random disease that only comes from Africa but it managed to jump the ocean and land on my child!

Luckily they are gone now and my child is virus/disease/funk free!  That is until she goes back to school tomorrow! :)

Father's Day

Sunday was a day filled with lots of sleep and pure laziness.  Cecilia's sleep was a little out of whack for some reason and she ended up starting her day around 10:30.  It was fine by us because we were able to have a rare morning of relaxing.

Once she woke, I told her she should go wish her daddy Happy Father's Day.  She looked at me with a shy smile, looked at Brent then walked over to him with her arms out and gave him a kiss and a hug.  It was the cutest thing and a great way to start his day!

Cecilia got her daddy a box of his favorite candy, Sour Patch Kids as part of his gift because she knows how much he loves candy.  She was dying for a piece so he opened up the box and let her have one.  It took her .02 seconds to spit it out...

 She smacked her lips for a little while after trying to get the taste out.  She tired a second time but it ended in the same result.

When we finally got motivated to get ready for the day,  we took Brent to one of his favorite lunch spots, Zaxby's!

 I was nervous we would have a repeat of Wal-Mart and Target but she was on her best behavior.  She charmed everyone there by waving and smiling.

After a short nap, we headed to Franklin to have dinner with my parents.  Mom and I were cooking since the boys cooked for us on Mother's day.  We had quite the fest and were almost too full to eat the Sundae pie Mom had made...almost.  I do believe a few men in our family had seconds.

We had a nice time visiting, playing with Dawson and telling him to shhh and we even got to Skype with my brother.

We didn't get too far down the road before we saw this...

We have had a lot of fun this weekend and she just couldn't handle it anymore!

Cecilia was blessed with one special daddy.

 He showed me early on (before we were even dating actually) that he would be good with kids when he picked up a baseball and started throwing to a couple of little boys he barely knew.  The interaction between the 3 of them was priceless.  He had no idea I was watching but that scene has stuck with me all these years.

Despite knowing nothing about little girls, he has hung in there playing with dolls, getting her ready every morning and putting up with a lot of pink!

Because of my special relationship with my dad, I'm excited that Cecilia has the same loving, involved dad like I had.  There's not a better moment in the day than when she realizes her daddy is home and runs full force at him.  They brighten each other's day.

Let's Review

Happy Birthday!

Thursday night I went out with a group of girls to celebrate Jaclyn's birthday.

 We met at 440 Main here in town and enjoyed a nice night out just us girls.  We topped the night off with a trip to Stakz for dessert.  I'm going to gain 50lbs because of that stupid place!

 A few of us girls being silly trying out the new pose.

 There haven't been too many birthdays that Jac and I haven't celebrated together over the past 20 years.  Thanks to her sweet sister, I didn't have to miss out on this one.

Operation No More Paci: Mission Complete

I am proud to say Cecilia hasn't had a pacifier in 15 days!  It hasn't been easy and they haven't been great days (like Friday when she screamed bloody murder in both Target and Wal-Mart) but we are living pacifier free!  She seems to be doing fine without it.  We've noticed that she is a lot more clingy to me but who knows if that has anything to do with the pacifier.  Brent wishes I would bring it back when we have moments like we did in Wal-Mart but I refuse.  I would rather be that annoying mother with the screaming kid in aisle 5.

John Patrick

Saturday Cecilia and I went to Abby's baby shower to celebrate John Patrick's arrival here in a few short months.  The shower was so cute and there were lots of little ones there!  I was able to meet a new little face and hang out with some friends we don't always get to see.  We are like our own little baby boom with us all either having little ones or expecting one.

She Kissed the Pavement

Well we got our first big fall out of the way.

We had just got out of the car at my parent's house after the shower and my hands were full so I let Cecilia walk.  She caught a glimpse of my mom, got excited and forgot to pick up her feet.

BAM!!  She hit the pavement, head bouncing off the blacktop.  I yelled, dropped my bags and ran to her.

She screamed and we ran in the house to assess the damage.  I just knew it would be horrible.  I started sweating and pulled her away to see how bad it was.

 Bad but not near as bad as it could have been.  No scraps somehow, just a bruised forehead, a red nose and a minor place above her lip.  She cried for maybe 3 minutes then acted like nothing happened.  I didn't cry but at every moment flinched thinking she was going to get hurt again.

I think falls are harder on the mamas than the babies.

Playtime
After the fall, we enjoyed playing with Dawson when he wasn't busy resting.

 My cousin Kelli came over to hang out and play with us since we haven't see her in a while.

 Cecilia put on a HUGE show that left us laughing so hard we were crying.

 That's not where your bloomers go!

She hadn't had a nap all day which usually makes her a real peach to be around but Saturday it only made her funnier!



We had a full past few days and today was a nice slow day but more on that tomorrow.

Puppy Love

Colt has finally come to terms that Cecilia is here forever.  He tried to deny the fact but it was no use.  She hunted him down and made him love her.

 No longer does he run when he sees her coming for him.  He braces himself and let's the lovin' begin.

 Colt won't be the only one receiving her special love anymore.

This little guys has joined our family.

 Well not so much our family as my  parent's Mom's.

 Dawson joined the family today and Cecilia liked looking at him and loved on him to make him feel welcome.

 Poor little guy has no idea what is in store for him!

A Real Lady in Training

Classy.

Cecilia came home Friday knowing how to blow bubbles with her spit and how to gargle her spit.  I'm positive that was not the lesson at school for that day.

She loves to lay on my legs and gargle her spit.

I'm raising a real classy gal.

Operation No More Paci.

As if Friday wasn't entertaining enough with the spit, I decided the pacifier had to go.  We made the rule when she turned 1 that we would only give it to her at nap time and bedtime.  Well that didn't always happen and I was tired of looking at her with one in her mouth.

Bedtime Friday night was pretty bad which I knew it would be. However, Saturday was ROUGH!  We had gone with my mom to look at a puppy and it was the LONGEST hour in the car in my life!  Cecilia screamed the whole time and I got car sick trying to turn around to entertain her.

Not a good time!

The only thing good about it was watching Cecilia interact with the puppy.  She LOVED it and I can't wait to see her with it.

Everyday since then has just been an encore... 

 Arts and Crafts.
Cecilia has found my paint brushes.  She likes to dump them on the floor, pick out a few to carry and carry them all over the house.

 She gets SUPER ticked when I put them away.  But hey at this point, I'm immune to crying.

It's only Tuesday and I feel like haven't slept in 8 days and I'm not even the one crying and whining non stop.

Friday are you here yet?