100 Days!

Only 100 days left! (if the calculations on the side of my blog are correct.) I made a mental note a while back that when there were only 100 days left until Baby Brother's due date that I would document it. So...here is my documentation.

100 days to get Mackay potty trained.
100 days to buy Mackay a bed, sew both the baby and Mackay's bedding, and buy the plethora
of things that I feel I want/need before the baby arrives.
100 days to find a house, buy it, get it the way we want, move out of our tiny apartment and
move in to our new place.
100 days to figure out the perfect name for our little child.
100 days left of dealing with the putrid Texas heat while pregnant.
100 days of having a perfect life (or relatively so) before a newborn turns our world upside down.
100 days of just Mackay and I, spending our days hanging out together and being best buddies.
100 days left until my "vacation". (Spending two days in a hospital bed with no responsibilities, not chasing a toddler around, and help being a button away.)

I can't wait to meet you, Little Buddy! (But at the same time I totally can.)

The Lexington

Kalli is away from home this morning doing a photo shoot. It's been a long time since I have made a post, but since Kalli is busy bringing home the bacon I thought I'd make a post that she's all together forgotten.

One of the greatest benefits of working for Southwest Airlines is flying for free. Not only do we get to fly for free but my parents fly free as well. Despite their new found freedom to travel the majority of their trips have been to Utah or here to Dallas to take care of grandchildren. Hardly a vacation, at least we would think. I'm sure they love every minute of grandchildren time. From our vantage point, however, we assume that with the freedom to fly, the discretionary income, and no children at home, that they would be zipping across the country sending post cards from all the major cities of the U.S. As such, we took it upon ourselves to gently coerce my folks into enjoying their flight benefits by joining us in a vacation to Corpus Christi, Texas. I'm going to admit, its tough to get two empty-nesters who are heavily involved in church duties to get away for a few days; especially when it involves a beach and sunscreen. I pretty much had to swear on a bible that there would be no chicken-leg jokes to convince them to come down.


In the end, they hesitantly conceded and found themselves on the beach with us and Mackay which is one of the principal reasons why we wanted to them to join us. Other than a deeper checkbook than ours to pay for a sunset seafood dinner, we needed someone to tend Mackay on the beach while we enjoyed jumping in the surf. I've never seen my dad have so much child-like fun than digging through the sand looking for crabs (like when he was a kid in California) or when he finally gave into our peer-pressure and joined us in jumping through the waves. And kudos to my mom who we knew wouldn't like going for seafood, but dared to edge beyond her comfort zone and thoroughly enjoyed some talapia, mahimahi and tuna. Here I also need to give some credit to Kalli who ordered the tuna. If you don't know, tuna is cooked medium rare. Just enough to sear off the bacteria and leave a pink center. Despite here hesitation she pretty much ate the whole thing which is a major accomplishment for someone who only eats bean burritos.

Permit me now to describe my experience of the USS Lexington which I believe was the highlight of my trip as well as my dads. The USS Lexington is a aircraft carrier commissioned in 1943 and retired in the 1990s. It now sits on the Corpus Christ beach as a museum It served our country in almost every region of the world and protected thousand of service men and women who served our country. In spite of satisfying childhood curiosity the Lexington provided me with a deeper sense of pride for our country. As we explored the narrow corridors you could a get a real sense of a generation now past. A stronger generation in my mind.
I sometimes wish I could experience life in the 1950's when values and morals were highly regarded. Sure there was dishonesty, murder, theft and immorality; but no so prevalent as it is in our day. I find myself coveting the society of our grandfathers who believed in the value of handshake and morality was closely guarded by women. A time when the constitution defined us instead of special interest groups seeking to redefine it. Sure we've come a long way in providing equality to women and even men of all races, but we've also reverted in aspects of our society. The values of our country are rapidly disintegrating and a new wave of tolerance for the intolerable is plaguing the future of our children. Many of the men who served on Lexington fought to preserve freedom and were greeted with cheering crowds upon their return. Today our servicemen return to protesters and troubled VA benefits. I recognize that my post has converted into a commentary, but these are the thoughts I had as I observed the multiple decks of this magnificent ship.


Hands down--this was the coolest museum I have ever been to. We could touch fighter plans from every decade of the last century. We explored the bowels of the ship including the engine room, torpedo storage, the infirmary, and even a chapel. We sat where great captains and perhaps admiral sat and shifted the gears of the massive .50 caliber anti-aircraft guns that protected the ship. It was, in a word, spectacular. Even walking the labyrinth of corridors to the 50's style men's room was a sweet experience. The only downside--carrying Mackay up and down 70 degree staircases and keeping her from wandering into the closed off sections of the ship. After at least 3 hours observing the ship we only took 3 of the 5 self guided tours, not to mention we didn't watch the special feature film or fly any of the flight simulators. It was cool.

To see more, visit: www.usslexington.com

Plea

More to come with pictures, I promise. But right now I need to make a plea:

What kind of stroller, if any, is best for two kids?

There is tandem or side-by-side. They also have the kind where the toddler sits backwards or stands in the back. Tandem I can put a car seat in, with side-by-side I would have to be taking the baby out of a car seat. With side-by-side the kids can sit together, theoretically Mackay would be able to help Baby Brother. Side-by-side also would make it so both kids could see equally, as opposed to Mackay sitting in the back kicking the front chair all the time. Tandem seems like you would be pushing a bus, but side-by-side might not fit through all doors, between clothing racks, etc. I want something that isn't incredibly huge, and that I can lift into our Jeep by myself. Oh, and with the new standing toddler strollers: what if Mackay doesn't want to sit backwards on a backless, hard, plastic seat? Or what if she doesn't want to stand up? I have no other options at that point.

With Mackay, we really went through three different strollers. The traditional stroller that holds a car seat; the jogging stroller which is incredibly huge, but great for exercising; and the cheap $10 umbrella stroller for every day use. I don't want to have to buy three different strollers for the baby--that could get very expensive.

Do people even use double strollers? How old are children when they don't use strollers anymore? I don't want to be pushing around a huge double stroller for one child.

Please, I hope there is someone out there who has an idea on this. I only have 109 days to go people!

Quality Daddy Daughter Time

A have bypassed a few other blog entries I need to do to share this heart-warming moment Nate and Mackay were able to have together today.

Mackay has been on a "your turn" kick. Making sure that everyone gets a turn at whatever she is doing. The last couple of days it has been pampering stuff, which has been nice. Saturday morning involved everyone getting back rubs. And today it was... well...

Painting our toenails. Mackay saw my foot massage kit out this morning after a long wedding I had to shoot at yesterday. She wanted some, so I started with the exfoliating cream, then washed her feet with warm water and a rag, pretended to use a pumice stone (since I don't think she needs that yet), then gave her tiny little feet a foot massage with lotion, and then painted her toenails her color choice of dark purple. She then really wanted to do it, but my toenails still look cute after a pedicure so I wasn't game. Nate was in on the computer and we called him in. We told him our idea and he loved the foot massage part. Mackay didn't like having the exfoliating cream on her hands, so I was stuck doing the whole thing. Then Mackay asked him what color of finger nail polish he wanted. Nate said "No way." After some gentle nudging I said, "Come on, Nate, be a good sport." And then Mackay said, "Come, Nate, be good sport." And that sealed the deal.


Nate chose a matching shade of dark purple and Mackay was a pro at application. Here is a picture of their matching nails.

Here is a picture of the artist herself with her work. Nate made me clean it off right after Mackay was done, but Mackay was still so happy and proud.
I don't think Nate can wait to get another man in the house.

Airport Adventures

So the story some of you may have been waiting for. Every time I think about it I just shake my head in silence. That's the only way to describe the experience I had on my way home from Utah--just Mackay and I.

Mackay and I had been in Utah to spend time with Andy before his mission, and we had been there long enough. We were scheduled to come home on a Wednesday morning, since that was the fastest, easiest way to get home (remember: space available seating only). We also had planned a trip to Corpus Christi with Nate's parents for Friday morning, so we had to get home.

Tuesday night was really fun. Mackay spent some time with my dad alone while my mom and I went to get pedicures (thanks, Caroline!) and the boys were all at mutual. On our way home at 9:00pm, my feet all relaxed, I couldn't wait to get home to a sleeping baby and just drop on the bed myself. But when I called home to check in I heard a little squeal in the background. Mackay had been too much fun and was still up playing her heart away. When I got home it is true she was hilarious, but going to bed at 10:00 (11:00 central time) was not a good idea the day before travel.

We eventually got her calmed down and in bed, but it wasn't a few hours later that she started waking up crying. I didn't know what her deal was, and I was getting frustrated. Then I noticed that she was trying to sleep in throw-up. "You have got to be kidding me," I thought. I ran and got some rags, cleaned it up, and put her back to sleep in a different part of the bed. 30 minutes later she awoke throwing up again. I got my mom to watch her while I ran downstairs to get a bowl. The night went on like this until about 3:00am, when we finally had a restful 2 hours of sleep before my alarm went off and I was supposed to be getting ready to get on a plane.

My initial thought was that there was no way that we could get on a plane with her sick. Then I checked the flights on-line, and realized that it was our only option, and we had to get home. Mackay didn't have a fever or a runny nose. Nothing that indicated that she was sick except the fact that she was puking every 30 minutes. I figured it must be something she ate, and she would get over it soon. So, we went to the airport. On our way she threw up a couple of times, but I was dead set on getting home to see my hubby.

Once we got to the airport, and Mackay had no food in her stomach, she was as happy as could be playing on the escalators with my mom. I had talked to Nate the night before about maybe splurging and buying a $10 stroller since we had forgotten ours, and I had to carry a car seat. But there was no way he thought that was a good idea, and I should just suck it up and get through the day--I would be fine. I checked two bags, and borrowed a backpack from my parents for entertainment stuff, so I just had to carry the car seat and Mackay. Of course Mackay wouldn't walk, especially when she wasn't feeling well.

Well, we got through TSA without a problem. Then I checked the Departure screen to see which gate we would be at. Gate 13. Of course that would happen to me when I am by myself with a car seat, a sick toddler, and no stroller. I started trekking away. I'm in Utah--someone will help me. Well, no one did. Every few minutes I would stop because my arms were hurting so bad. Mackay would scream when I set her down, so I would pick her back up and walk for a couple more minutes. I could see the looks in people's faces as I walked by--they could see me with a pregnant belly, my arms full with an upset toddler, my face bright red from sweating so much, and the frantic look in my eyes of, "Someone! Please help!" Literally 10 feet from my gate a sweet older woman stopped to ask if I could use some help. Even with just 10 feet left I said yes. As soon as we got checked in the plane was boarding, so there was no time for me to stop and get a snack. I have to eat every two hours because of the baby inside of me, but I didn't have time to get something for the plane.

We got onto the plane just fine. Mackay is a pro at the "Stop and Go" game walking onto the plane by herself. Before the plane even took off Mackay was complaining that she wanted something to eat. Of course, she should be starving, so I got her out some Goldfish. She was eating them frantically. But as soon as the plane started taking off she started throwing it all up. I had a bag ready, but she didn't give any warning. I cleaned her up pretty quickly, though. A few minutes later she was complaining of being thirsty. Of course she was thirsty. So I got her an apple juice (thinking ahead, it is lighter in color than cran-apple). She started acting pretty normal. She drank half the cup of apple juice before throwing it all up. This time it was projectile. It completely skipped her shirt; didn't even get it dirty. But I got covered. I had packed her extra clothes, but didn't think that I would be needing some. Oh, and this was all happening while we were trying to land. If I remember correctly, she threw up a total of four times on the first leg of the plane. I went through so many baby wipes. Name brand, too. I then decided that she wasn't getting anything else to eat or until we saw Nate. Then he could take care of it.

On the second leg of the plane it was going to be a full flight. But I kept Mackay in the isle seat to play so that no one would sit by us. No one did. Mackay fell asleep in my arms pretty soon after taking off. Bliss. Except for the fact that I hadn't even eaten peanuts on the first leg, and I was going on four hours without eating. I started to feel very nauseous. I prayed hard. I sang primary songs. And while trying to sing "A Child's Prayer", hold Mackay, and open a bag with one hand, I started to throw up. I got some on my shirt. How humiliating. I am supposed to be a grown woman and I just threw up on myself. Good news is there was no one sitting next to us.

As soon as the flight attendant brought me my pop and peanuts, Mackay woke up wanting something to eat and drink. There was no way she was getting anything else. But I needed them or else I was going to be sick again. I shamefully turned my head as I drank my Coke, and tried to keep the peanuts out of her view. I felt horrible denying my child food while I ate. But it had to be done. We landed in Dallas without further incident.

When we landed, Mackay was just waking up, and waking up cranky. Because the isle is so small in the plane, I can't carry her and a car seat at the same time, so she had to walk. I had to go to the bathroom desperately, (as pregnant women often do), and no one was letting me into the isle. I finally cut my way in and tried to get Mackay to walk in front of me. She was crying hysterically trying to turn around and have me pick her up. I just kept kneeing her in the back of the head, nudging her along. I passed two flight attendants hanging out in the seats, watching me struggle off the plane. Of course they just watched. I don't know why I didn't ask for help. Maybe it's because no one was offering. As soon as we got off of the plane the impatient men behind me cut in front of me as quickly as possible, just so I knew I had inconvenienced them.

Getting into the terminal I saw that we landed at the very last gate. My journey wasn't over. It was then I felt the tears starting to threaten my eyes. The same process of stopping every few minutes to rest my arms started up again. I tried to stop in a bathroom, but the line was way too long. No one asked if they could help. Not until I was 20 feet from meeting Nate did a sweet older woman see if I could use a hand. As soon as she offered to help, I started to cry. I kept my head turned so she couldn't see. Then I saw Nate. As soon as the woman left I put my arms around my husband and sobbed. I could tell he was feeling a little self conscious standing in the middle of a busy airport with a crazy pregnant woman crying uncontrollably into his shirt. I did not care. I had dried throw up all over me, both mine and Mackay's. I hadn't slept since the wee hours of the morning. I had just trekked through an airport with a toddler by myself. And the thing that made me cry the hardest was the fact that no one stopped to help.

We got our bags and went out to the car. Nate asked if I needed something to eat and I said that I would like to stop by Taco Bell. He said no. He then pulled a fresh bean burrito from Taco Bell out of the center console. He knows me too well. I started crying even harder. He took me home, got Mackay cleaned up, and let me shower before he had to head back to work. He sat Mackay on top of a towel on the couch with some food and drink before he left. I continued to cry as he walked out the door. Mackay never threw up again--she was as happy as a two year old should be.

Utah

We had a great trip to Utah. Mackay and I were there for about a week and a half and played hard. Mackay started to get used to having Coke and cookies for breakfast before Andy left on his mission. So there is one plus to him leaving. I got four photoshoots and a cold in while I was there, too. So it was very productive.

We got to attend one of Chad's soccer games. He has played soccer since he was legally old enough to enroll, and he is very good at it. My mom got some great shots with my camera.


We went to the park one afternoon with the boys. Mackay had a great time, as did my brothers, I'm sure.
These pictures are backwards, but I am getting tired and I don't want to swap them all around. Mackay has her shirt off at the park because of pictures you will see later of her getting wood chips all down her shirt. I love her little strut.
Mackay was skins, Kyle was shirts. Playing a little one-on-one.
In the wood chips. Cute little toes peeking through.
After the boys buried Mackay, I told Chad to go get next to her so I could get a picture. That is when she decided to throw a handful of wood chips.

Playing on the swing. I know this picture is blurry, but I thought it was so cute.
I did a photoshoot with Andy before his mission. We dressed Mackay up too, to match one of Andy's ties. Mackay was overjoyed since she had been asking if she could wear her dress for the previous three days.
Mackay will not let me get one picture of her smiling. I guess I've brought it upon myself. In trying to get a grin, she made this face. What a smart alec.
We told Mackay to go stand by Andy. This is what she did.
What a stud!
This is a random picture of before Utah, but it couldn't be grouped with anything else. One of those dumb mom moments times two: I took the huge bag of bird seed out onto the patio to fill up the bird feeder. After filling it up, I sat the bird seed right inside the door so that it would be out of Mackay's immediate way and I could put it away. Well, I forgot to put it away and she tried to pick it up herself, creating a mess on the carpet. Then I thought to myself, "How frustrating. I'll take a picture and blog about this." So, I layed Mackay down next to it, got the picture, and while I was putting my camera back in it's bag, she started throwing the bird seed around the room. That is where the "dumb mom times two" comes in. Mackay normally sits in time out for doing something she knows she is not supposed to for two minutes. She sat in the corner for the entire time I was cleaning up this mess I was so frustrated--with her and with myself.

Yeah, I can Blog!

I am finally caught up on my edits, and was so excited to post a blog! My title was posted 8 hours before I could begin the rest of my blog. Kids. So here is some catch up.

When Andy came to go skydiving we had a great time. Unfortunately, Mackay was sick with an ear infection for part of the week, but by the end she had definitely warmed up to Andy and was very comfortable with ordering him around. We went to the Dallas Zoo, something that I haven't done yet since living here. Mackay had a great time--with all the inanimate objects around the zoo.

The tiger area was a joke. They had it so "animal rights" friendly that you couldn't even see into the cage because of how big it was, the limited places to look in, and how many plants they had covering the area. Mackay put her head up to the glass yelling, "Tiger! Tiger! Where are you?"
Inanimate object: carrying around the "Caution: Wet floor" sign.
We miss you, Andy!
Inanimate object #2:
Inanimate object #3:
#4: (We found this bottle lying on the ground. Mackay fed it to the monkeys.)
#5:
#6:
#7:
#8:
Real gorilla! I had Mackay sitting up next to the glass, but then the gorilla looked at her and she would have no more of it. She loved the pictures of gorillas all around the zoo, though.
I tried to get a cute picture, but Mackay really wanted to go "that way".

The end of the exhausting day at the zoo. Anyone who has visited our apartment knows that Mackay will hold you hostage on the patio. Here is Mackay and Andy cleaning up bird seed. Oh, and sorry Grandma Barker for last week. Even when Mackay would come inside she would close the screen door behind her so that Grandma still couldn't come in.