California Week 2

So Murray headed back to Mississippi while Mary and I stayed for an extra week. We were very sad he couldn't stay with us but understood he had work to do. I mean it when I say work! Murray put all the insulation in the room upstairs, oversaw drywall, put in a ceiling fan, put primer on the walls and everything else it took to have the room finished with the exception of paint and flooring. All while working at the school as well! It was amazing! The room looks fantastic considering when I left it was 2x4's holding up our roof.

Meanwhile back in California Mary was totally enjoying her grandma, grandpa, aunties, uncles and cousins! I got to spend girl time with my friends :) It was really nice to see them. The weather was amazing! Mary played at the park every evening because it was so nice. Everytime we passed the front door she would point to it and say "owside, owside".

Another thing, I went to California with little Mary who said about 10 words missing a few consonants although in context you could understand what she was saying. However, I came home from California with a little Mary putting three words together regularly her favorite "uh oh da baba" (uh oh the bottle). Now she won't stop talking and I wonder if she ever will.

Here's a picture of Mary with her cousin Celeste.


And here she is with her cousin Parker.



Now, sometimes as a parent I feel like I run into a wall, throw my hands in the air and give up. There are a few things I thought Mary would never do, that is, until Grandma! I have to list a few of Mary's new skills that make my life amazingly better (please don't laugh)

1. She eats (sounds simple I know but it wasn't! Now she eats pancakes, fruit, french toast, chicken, potatoes, etc and it brings me incredible joy!)

2.She drinks water instead of just milk

3.She drinks milk cold instead of only drinking it warmed

4.She can go down stairs on her tummy (I think Lyndi initiated this one and everyone helped)

5.She will lie down in the bathtub making it incredibly easier to wash her hair

I know there are so many other things she learned too and that all the family helped and it was soooooooo nice! They are the best!

When it comes time to potty train Mary guess where we're going. GRANDMA'S!

Eventually it came time for Mary and I to go home. When Murray picked us up from the airport I actually cried, I just love what pregnancy does to me. We had a great time in California and if I haven't said it enough already we love our family!

California Week 1

I was looking forward to our trip to California so much that I had running lists for weeks for things like what to pack, what to do once we got there, people to see and places to eat. Being pregnant I was really excited about the places to eat! I was seriously looking forward to the two glorious weeks we had planned.

Then the night before we left Mary woke up with a horrible fever, blast! We were up with her all night and exhausted when it came time to leave for the airport. I was still in high spirits, convinced that with my well-packed carry on, tylenol and ibuprofin we would make it. Just a little fever no big deal!

The medicine didn't work, Mary was miserable and if you don't know, airplane seats have gotten smaller. Poor Murray sat in the middle seat with sad Mary on his lap, the seat in front of him reclined as far back as possible and the man next to him practically resting his head on Murray's shoulder. I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack for him.


When the plane finally landed Mary was down to a diaper because she was burning up. She never did sleep on the plane and at this point it felt like midnight to her and us. I thought as long as we can get to the house everything will get better. WRONG! Mary woke up during the night throwing up in bed with us and later in her crib. We had a hard time calming her down and watched Sesame Street Bed Time Stories and Songs several times and walked with her in the backyard. Poor thing. Poor us. The next few days were somewhat difficult. Mary didn't love seeing the family like we "knew" she would and clung to Murray and I for dear life. At this point the only pictures I took of our trip were Murray and Mary lying down together on the couch and in bed. Everybody got sick and it was pretty sad.

Things did start to get better. We went to some of Alex's basketball games, spent time with family we love, went swimming, went to the beach, ate at Tommy's, had a fantastic grandma dinner, ate at in-n-out (I mentioned I was looking forward to the food), went to a fun park with the cousins and even went on a fun date with Murray. We went on a date we used to go on a lot before his mission to downtown huntington beach to walk on the pier and eat coldstone's ice cream. It was so much fun!

It's a ...

Margaret had an ultrasound and we are having another girl! We are very excited to have another daughter in the family and for Mary to have a sister. We think they will be best friends. Here is one of the pictures from the ultrasound showing the baby's profile.

June 2008 Slideshow

Go to June 2008 Pictures

Fun in the Sun

One of the cool things about living in Southaven is all the fun water places nearby. They are open to the public and some of them are free. It's just like going to a playground in California but add lots and lots of water! I didn't get a good picture of Mary running through the water playground because I was running right behind her and didn't think it would be good for the camera but I will get one next time, somehow!

We have been spending a lot of time in swimsuits and sunscreen. Mary loves the water and is completely fearless, which makes me feel like a total nervous wreck! The water goes up to about Mary's chin (I shouldn't even know this but sadly I do). She tries to go as far into the water as she can, so I have to run around chasing a foot behind her as she tries to escape from me. She gets so upset with me holding her and wants to break out of my grasp. Doesn't she understand how small she is? Most parents with children Mary's age just sit in the shallow water along the edge while their baby stands ankle deep or sits happily splashing. The parents watch me run around scared out of my mind and they must laugh. I would too if I was them. On the upside Mary takes the longest naps after these fun filled days. Which means I get to enjoy a nap too and I definitely need one! Needless to say, we made a trip to Walmart and got some different floatation devices.

Below is a picture of Mary and a friend catching some sun (Mary is on the left).