Callie is ONE!!

I know I desperately need to update this blog....and more than one person has told me this. I promise I am getting around to it. :)

But for now I wanted to say "Happy Birthday" to our sweet Callie. The poor thing has had a pretty crummy birthday. She started with a low fever this past weekend and by Monday night it was up to 103.7 and she just wasn't acting herself. On Tuesday, she got her throat swabbed and her finger pricked. They decided it was a virus and we would let it run it's course. Yesterday, after nap she was up to 103. 7 again, having some awesome diarrhea and absolutely puny. She was barely able to keep her head up and just laying in my lap with her head on my chest. The most alarming part though was the fact that she was HOLDING a cracker in one hand and a cookie in the other hand. If you know Callie, you know she doesn't just HOLD food. She generally inhales it. So today, on her birthday, she was back at her Daddy's office to get a cathed to have her urine checked. She has reflux in one of her kidneys so fever always concerns us about a UTI. Urine looked good but one of her ears looked bad. So we got antibiotic and headed home.
Oh and I wish I was done. Nope. We headed back out to pick Carlysle up from school. I was standing in the hallway talking to the teacher when I heard "THAT noise" you know the unmistakable "somebody just vomited noise". That was quickly followed by warm goo rolling down my arm and splattering on the floor. I'm sorry for such vivid descriptions but I wanted everyone to get the full picture. At that point, I was useless as I stood frozen trying not to vomit myself and also trying not to giggle as the kids around us stared in horror. As multiple teachers and parents tried to help me clean up, she decided to get in two more puking episodes.......followed by really awesome diarrhea when we got home. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALLIE! Really hope tomorrow is a better day for her.



To Our Sweet Callie, we decided on your second day of life, when you gave us a good scare, that you were going to make yourself known. We were right! You are a feisty little thing! But it is almost impossible to punish you. Everything you do, whether it's sweet or defiant, you do with a sparkle in your eye. You can make anyone smile and I could listen to your babbling and giggling all day long. You have become our family "entertainer" and are very aware of just how adorable you are. You make us laugh every time you start your "wallowing". Mommy and Daddy love to watch you and Carlysle "play" together, which mostly consist of you diving on top of her, wallowing, giving her kisses and eventually biting her! You watch everything your big sister does and quickly light up when she walks into the room. You also quickly let her know when you've had enough of her "playing" with you. We have enjoyed you so much this last year and can't imagine our lives with out you. We can't wait to see how your spunky personality develops over the next year! We love you so much!

This post is for my sister.........Lauren if it makes you feel better it is a sugar-free, gluten-free, nutrient-packed lollipop

I thought it was only fitting to post these pictures of a pediatrician's daughter eating a lollipop at 8 months old. It really started because it was a rainy Saturday afternoon and we were bored (seriously I'm not kidding). Carlysle asked for a Dum Dum sucker and because we have a 300 count bag of them (long story) we said sure. Since she enjoys digging through the bag and picking flavors more than eating it she wanted to pick out one for me and Joey too. So we were all sitting at the table eating suckers and Callie seemed left out. So we did what all parents do with the baby of the family......we included her.

I know, I know, it "seems" unsafe. But it's not like we just handed it to her and let her gnaw away at it.

Oops, ok maybe we did........

A Photographer's Nightmare........

I realize this post is a little late considering Easter was 6 weeks ago but apparently....that's how I roll. Ok, really I just have two kids (girls no less) and I haven't figured out how to do it all yet!

And now I'm giving all of you with 3 or more kids a chance to giggle, scoff, roll eyes, scream....whatever you see fit.

Ok now stop! Seriously...it's not nice to ridicule. :)

I'm also going blame eblogger because it takes forever to download pictures and requires several uninterrupted nights (whatever those are). Well, if I'm being honest it's probably my incredibly slooooowwww computer. However, if the people at eblogger would like to send me a newer faster Dell....I'd be open to stop slandering their name. Because I'm sure they read this blog. :)

This is how easy it is to get Carlysle give a sweet and genuine smile for the camera.....


Callie up close



And this is why it took me so long to upload the pictures. I'm warning you now I posted every attempt we took to get a family shot. I knew when my Mom was trying to get a decent shot that it was hard and no one was cooperating. Then I got home and pulled up the pictures on my computer. Hilarious! Way too humorous not to include all of them. I mean really what does it take to have 4 people look in the general direction of the camera at the same time. It's not like this was a family reunion picture with 30 people who see each other once a year....yet still seem to be able to look at the camera at the same time. We're impossible!


Yeah, I'm not sure we even knew there was a camera around. I'm going to blame the photographer for this one.



Maybe my Mom said "everyone look at the flower"?



Ok honestly, I think this was one of those times when someone says "I'm going to take the picture on 3". 1....2 snap



Well Joey and Carlysle are ready and seem to get the idea. Callie found something better to look at on the ground and I.........well I have ADD and probably was just as curious as Callie.



Callie and I again....but seriously I was about to lose an ear.

I don't know........

Oh Callie.....come on. That was almost the shot.

Still protecting my ear.....

Maybe somebody else had a camera over there.....

Callie moving in for the attack and Carlysle looks like she just witnessed something horrific.

Ok, I can't explain why Joey can continue to face forward and smile for every picture. I have ADD. Wait, did I use that already?

I would have taken this shot even with Carlysle's look of shock but Callie looks asleep while sitting up and it's sort of creepy.

Callie's attack. This happens very often b/c she takes any anger, frustration, teething pain or sleepiness out on my face, neck and jewelry.

Callie checked out. And finally we got Joey looking away!

And the winner is......

Best shot we got even though Carlysle looks like she just got bitten by something! We'll take it!

HOLLYWILD

Honestly, I don't even know where to start to describe this place........
Carrie told us about this place called "Hollywild" that was on the way home and we thought it would fun to do on the trip back. Apparently, this place has exotic animals that were once in movies and on TV. They have a "safari ride" set up where you ride through in your car (with food you purchase from them) and get an "up close and very personal" view of these animals. I had no idea what was to come. I'm pretty sure I squealed like a 5 year old girl more than one time.....which was not helpful to Carlysle. I guess when Mommy is squealing and trying to crawl into Daddy's lap, then as a 3 year old you would be a little freaked out too! Anyway, it was well worth the money and the extra stop. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and I almost peed my pants.....which is easy to do after two kids. :)



Me: (head looking to the right) Joey, look at the pretty pond. Ahhh that's pretty, isnt....... (turning head). Oh wow.......

Wow......that is close. (That is Carrie and Lucas in front of us).

And at this point, I was howling with laughter, unaware I was about to be accosted.

Ummmm.......So hello there little guy.....I mean what do you say?

Seriously.....

Ok Joey, I think this thing wants to make out with me.

Aren't we a cute couple though? Really, I look all smiley but you can look closer and tell I'm freaking out and I think I was screaming through my smile "hurry up and take the picture, he thinks we're really going out"!

Oh if you could only see Carlysle's face or the slobber that was all over me, the window and the car seat.

Oh deer.....ok good I like deer.

This was one freaky looking bird. I was not a fan at all. I kept having flashes of some blooper show where the person is getting pecked by an ostrich and I wanted no part of that. I rolled the window up on him.....but that didn't stop him. Relentless bird.

The zebra was really digging Joey. I loved it. Payback for the Yak that assaulted me.

Joey: Ok, I fed you. You can leave now. Seriously, we're done here. Really. Les, how do I get it's head out of my window?

We couldn't get any pictures of Carlysle near the animals. She mostly just cried and screamed "don't let it slobber on me". Oops, guess I overreacted about the slobber.

"Uh, whatcha got left in there?"

Creepy Bird.