PARTY FOUL 2012

Words can not express the feeling that overcame me when this happened.  It was Tragic.  Like the loss of a pet.  I worked so hard.... all day Saturday to have the most perfect Christmas Tree! The perfectionist in me was at its peak. 

So this is the story of disaster....

note:  you may need a glass of wine to ease your spirit as you read

Yes, I was standing on that ladder.  The one under the tree....

It all started when Mark left town this weekend to go with some buddies from work to the Saints game in New Orleans.  I was not happy about it (honestly).. It was a holiday weekend and it was the first time in a long time WE BOTH had Zero plans... no wedding, no parties, no key note speakers at the church, no high school football games, no christenings, no Junior Auxiliary workshops, no runs to Jackson, nothing....  I wanted to lay low and do exactly that... NOTHING.  I had taken most of the week off work for Thanksgiving, and for once Mark didn't have to make up a holiday work day on a Saturday.  But, once Mark sprang this trip on me (Wednesday night I think it was....) I had no choice but say fine - Rose and I will enjoy our weekend of Redbox, hot chocolate, homemade soup, and Christmas decorations all by our self. 

So in preparation for being gone and doing his best to stay out of the dog-house for his last minute weekend rendezvous, Mark got me all set for Christmas.  Friday night he borrowed my granddads truck.  He bought a Christmas Tree - which by the way is was the most beautiful tree I have ever seen - it is 12 feet tall and touches our ceiling in the den - no holes - perfectly symmetrical (well it used to be symmetrical anyway.... ) He hauled it home and put it up.  He got all of my Christmas decorations out of the storage and brought them to the den.  He put the ladder up.  He cleaned the house.  Literally, all I had to do was make hot chocolate and decorate the tree.  In my eyes, it was a day of fun ahead..... 

Well, Saturday had a mind of its own.  My day started with Mark's alarm going off at 6am ON A SATURDAY! The sun wasn't even up yet! Rose woke up with a runny nose and a terrible cough - she's sick.... the funk had hit my baby.  Great.  All the more reason to stay cooped up inside all day.  After doping her on cough meds and children's cold and flu, we ate our breakfast, lit the gas logs, put on a pot of coco, turn on Christmas music, and started to unbox.  This took place at approximately 8:30am.  By 10am I realized that half of my lights from last year didn't work and since that is step #1 in Christmas decorating, we needed to make a walmart run - Rose needed nose spray anyway.  So I load up my poor sick baby and head out for the day after black Friday shopping - which was terrible too.  Who knew Christmas lights were 10 bucks each! It was like 100$ for LIGHTS! Are you kidding me....????  So now I'm in a bad mood, along with Rosie! Just call me Mrs. Scrooge by this point.  By lunch time I had accomplished close to nothing.  Rose (a.k.a. the Grinch) would not let me put her down.  She climbed on me all day.  She fussed.  Nothing made her happy.  She couldn't suck her bottle or her passy because she couldn't breathe.  Her little eyes were glassed over and the look on her face was absolutely pitiful.  I felt terrible for her. 

By 3:30ish that afternoon, the garland was hung, the door and entrance way were up (this was all done while Rose was napping), and all I had left to do was the actual decorating of the tree! The most fun part. I decorated for 4 hours! FOUR! Rose woke up happier, I made spice tea and re-attempted our Christmas music.  It was actually turning into a pleasant afternoon.  Or so I thought...

When ... Suddenly (what to my wondering eyes did appear?)...  I felt the tree "give" just a little....  I eased my hands off of the ribbon - nothing.  So I started to slowly ease down the ladder, when BAM BAM out of nowhere I'm ambushed by the Christmas Tree.  I go flying across the room - off the ladder.  My beautiful Christmas tree came crashing down.  Some of my ornaments are broken, some of them are bent, half of my lights are no longer working ( my 100$ donation to the Thomas Edison estate light bulbs by the way), the water poured out of the base and all under my pottery barn area rug, tree bristles were all over my house, and for some reason the outside lights do not work anymore as well as the clock in Rose's bedroom - I'm sure this has something to do with shorting a circuit somewhere in the line when the extension cord got yanked out of the wall and half way across the room by a giant tree. 

It took Julia, Allen, Josh, Walt, Rachael's mom, and myself to hoist up my Christmas tree, clean up the water under my rug, put down new towels under the base, and tie my tree up to the curtain rod with fishing line! A complete and utter disaster! Yes, I cried.

By the end of the night I was completely over "Christmas" and said to heck with it... our Christmas tree looks like Rose and Darly decorated it.  Literally.  Half the lights work, half don't.  Part of the tree has ornaments.  Part doesn't. It was awful.  Just awful. 

I have since decided that I absolutely refuse to allow Rose's very FIRST Christmas to be a complete sham.  I will make this the perfect Christmas - so help me God.  I have started to re-decorate the tree, and re-do the lights...  I'm not quite as enthused as I was round 1, but I'm doing my best to remember the Reason for the Season.  It was not the end of the world.  I know.  But it was pretty darn close to it :)

TURKEY DAY

We had a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING! We celebrated the holiday in Koscuisko with Mark's family at his Grandmother Montegue's.  Rose had a blast getting to know all of her new cousins.  I really felt like I spent the entire trip trying to take pictures of everybody; yet somehow, I have no pictures of anybody... except Rose and Mitch.  So apparently, I just took about 1000 pictures of the two of them! I did not even get a picture of Rose's first thanksgiving with me and Mark.... I am beyond depressed over this.  I really want to capture EVERY SINGLE MOMENT!  Oh well, Next Thanksgiving is going to be out of control with the kiddos.... they will ALL be WALKING by then... Mitch, Rose, Laken, Anne Lowry, Caleb....  I cant wait!!!!!  And I promise myself I will get a picture of Rose's 2nd Thanksgiving with her momma!

So much to be thankful for this year:

Sucessful open heart surgery of my mother

Giving of her kidney by Aunt Theresa for Phyl

The birth of sweet baby Rose and Anne Lowry

80th Birthday Celebration of Papa Rose

Student Loans PAID OFF!

The list goes on and on...  Just this morning I was thankful for the rain. 

God is Good.  All the time.

HALF A YEAR...

WHERE OH WHERE IS MY BABY ????

6 MONTH STATS:

Height: 27.5 in ( 95 % )

Weight: 17.5 pounds ( 68 % )

Head Circumference: 43.2 cm ( 68 % )
Weight for Recumbent Length ( 35 % )
Lower % is better - this means she is taller than she is chubby.
Low % = tall/ skinny vs high % = short/fat

* Note:  I am really really proud of her percentages; however I do want her to be able to wear high heels and not feel like Zombie Woman, so we need to slow it down a tad on our growth I do believe....  The Doctor said anything less than 2% and over 98% they run test...  so only a few more and they might be testing for Gigantism or something....  I am proud of you Rosie but lets not be an over-achiever!

Diaper Size:  2

Milk:   5-7 ounces per feeding.  We are down to 50/50 breastmilk/formula.  I am finally weening you!!! Yay for me! You, on the other hand, hate it.  I feel really bad when you cry and refuse your milk (because its formula), but that guilty feeling only last momentarily.  Sorry honey, my mom duty is done in that department.... but I still love ya :)

Food:  You have moved to stage 2 foods.  This includes "medleys" and "mixed combinations"  such as Harvest Vegetable Medley, Strawberry Blueberry Tart, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Corn and Sweet Potatoes, Garden Vegetable Combo, ect...  You love everything.  I have yet to find a food you truly do not like.  Although you may eat anything, you definitely have your favorites - still carrots, as well as strawberry yogurt, macaroni and cheese, and anything peach flavored. 

Rise and Shine:  About 6:30 am
Sweet Dreams:  About 8-9 pm


Schedule:
6:30am - bottle only
8:00am - breakfast - oatmeal and fruit
12noon - lunch and bottle - vegetable and rice
4pm - bottle and maybe a snack (yogurt or a peach in your nubby, only if you want it)
7:30pm - supper - rice cereal, a vegetable medley, and sometimes a fruit too
8:30pm - bottle only


Things your up to these days:

• Sitting up.  Sometimes you still fall over, but you are doing Great !
• Scoot - any way and every where (but forward) - the funniest is when you go in a clockwise position, then turn and go counterclockwise, like your winding yourself up for something
• "Cooing" all the time.  You will look us dead in the eye and wrinkle your forehead and start jabbering away like you know exactly what your talking about.  And whatever it is that has you so concerned - please know that I completely agree!
• "Laughing" out loud.  Sometimes you laugh at yourself.  This is the BEST!
• You can now pick up your passy and put it in your mouth all by yourself.  When you do it, you just grin and smile, and then out of nowhere, you yank it out and throw it down.  Its like "wow i did it, great, now go fetch" ha ha
• You have discovered your pretty little face in the mirror.  Every morning you just stare and look side to side at whoever is by you and then back in the mirror.  You have this expression of "well this is cool" written on your face. 
• You want nothing more than to be Darly's friend.  You just worship and admire her so much.  Her hair and ears and feet look like Christmas Morning to your little eyes!  That being said.... Darly is adjusting to this. period. end of explanation.
• You now know the sound of the front door, and that it means someone is coming or going.  Whenver you hear it, you jerk your head in that direction, or arch your back backwards to see who it is. 
• You are TEETHING and all this drool is a nightmare! Fever comes and goes.  Spontaneously.  I keep checking daily for one of those little boogers to start poking through but nothing...... 
• You have the worst toe jam of any person that I have ever met! And your feet smell awful too! I swear I scrub them.  Im not sure how you manage to have such nasty little toes.
• You have figured out how to shake your bottle, so that milk sprays everywhere - all in your face, on your blanket, in the nap nanny, on your clothes......  ect....  then you look up at me like "I have no idea how this happened"
• You are finally doing better around people you dont know.  This was confirmed at your Christening.  Im so glad that this is possibly just a phase and not a permanent personality characteristic.
• You are the most laid back person!  Even more so than your dad - if that is possible????  We wag you around and take you everywhere.  You just go with the flow.  You will eat pears and potatos in the basketball gym, or sit through 3-overtimes for Samuel's play off games, or take a nap in the buggy at walmart, or even lay in my lap and play while I get a pedicure.  I have even had to change a dirty diaper in the woods and rake leaves with my foot to lay you down, and you just smiled...... You don't really care.  You definitely have a TYPE B personality - at least at this point in your life. 
• Your starting to "think."  I know that may seem odd to some people, but I mean your starting to really "reason things" in your little mind.  For example, you will look at me when you do something and smile because you know its ugly (like spitting out your food), or waiting until I turn my head to try to roll out of the nap nanny (you don't do it when your being watched - its like you "know"), and thinking about how to get from point A to point B.  Its so interesting to watch you grow.  All of the little things I/We do each day without even thinking were once things we had to LEARN to do and figure it all out.  ie.... reaching for something, turning your head to a noise, pulling socks off, scratching our head or ear.  Its fascinating to see you do these things and "LEARN."
• The other day after your bath, I was letting you play in just your diaper and you discovered the Oh So Fantastic BELLY BUTTON.  You kept trying to grip and pull it off.  Then look at me like "its stuck, get that off me" I could not stop laughing!
• You finally have shoes that fit! We made it to size 1s... or really size 0-6 months without falling off! I feel like we have been chasing socks forever.  You don't try to pull off your shoes off nearly as badly as you yank off those socks! And this has me extremely puzzled... I am unsure how you are so tall for your age, but your feet are still small???  I thought the taller you are, the bigger your feet..... So im very confused! Hopefully we will be fully in size 1s by Christmas!
• Its your morning "duty" to untie as many of your bumper pad strings as you possibly can before I hear you in the monitor.  These days, if I don't hear you, I don't panic anymore - my curiosity just peaks to its highest level!
• You cry when you see me leave for work now.  Its sweet but at the same time it breaks my heart  over and over and over again all the way to work.  I have already started to have to master the "sneak out" each morning.  You even do this when your dad comes in from work and then leaves again for something (tennis, golf, meeting).  You don't really do it to him in the morning, but definitely in the afternoon.  There have even been days he has to go strolling with us because you cried and cried and cried until we came back home to get him for the walk.  Your daddy. however; has not mastered the "sneak out" and probably never will.  It wont be long before you figure out that if you cry like that for him in the morning, he wont go to work at all.  I on the other hand.... still will. 
• You could watch a fire (in the fireplace or firepit) for hours.  Mesmorizing.....
• I think that you can see great! If there is anything small anywhere, have no doubts, you will find it and eat it.  For example, a string or piece of hair on your clothes, a bug on the floor, lint between your toes, fuzz, the list goes on and on.... I am constantly asking myself the question "what is this? where did this come from? how did this get in your mouth?"
• You LOVE books.  At this point, all you want to do is crunch up the pages and stick the corners of the book in your mouth.  But, I try daily to read to you.  Pop up books are great at getting your attention, but it takes skill to read a pop up book without your little fingers ripping off the frog's tounge or the dog's tail.
• You have noticed "textures."  Like different things feel different to you.  You will rub things between your fingers now and just look at it like your studying it.
• You still like YOUR BED.  You are not a big fan of co-sleeping.  For this, I am very glad! However, I must admit that sometimes it would be nice to snuggle with you and hug you tightly to sleep.  You will fall asleep in our bed sometimes.... but not often and you usually start to fuss when your ready to go to sleep and ready for your own bed. 
• I think you wish you had hair.  You have gotten in this habit of rubbing your head.  Its really cute, but Im pretty sure your checking for hair....??? 
• 6 months has sure changed you from a baby... your starting to be my BIG GIRL....  its bittersweet.

Rose,
You are truly the most beautiful person I have ever met, both inside and out.  I can not wait to see the woman you will one day become nor the plans God has in store for you.  It is an absolute Honor to be your mother.  I love you. 

Sisters :)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE.....

WENDY'S

HIGH SCHOOL HEISMAN !!!

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU !!!

ROSE'S CHRISTENING

ROSE CAMERON HARDIN

DEDICATED TO THE LORD:  NOVEMBER 11, 2012

(and I didn't even cry... can you believe it ????)

I have to admit - Rose did FANTASTIC!  Between kicking her feet and laughing and smiling - she was a STAR! Definitely won the hearts of the crowd, audience, congregation/church family! She didn't really even ruin her dress with drool! I have to say, Sunday was a HUGE SUCCESS!

All week long Mark kept saying things like:

"Your gonna take her up there."

"She does better in crowds with you." 

"I don't want her to start crying and then I have to hand her to my wife in front of everybody"

"Who's gonna hold her? You right?"

Well........  the minute the service started and they called the family to the front to dedicate Rose, Mark was up out of his seat with the biggest smile you have ever seen - Rose in tow - Dress primped and all.  He just walked right past me like "I got this".  So needless to say, when the time came, he took her down to the alter and gave her to the preacher.  She did not fuss, not one whimper, and Mark apparently lost all of his anxiety when the moment arose.  I still think its funny. 

Lunch was wonderful! The menu consisted of pork tenderloin with rolls (orange Jezebel sauce, tangy blue cheese sauce, or curry chutney mayo sauce), Armenian rice, green beans, chicken strips, pasta salad, fruit (cream cheese and poppy seed dressing), sweet potato fries with honey marshmallow dip, cookies, cake, toffee, and chocolate/strawberry cups, mint tea, and water with lemon!!! I think everyone was stuffed and Thank God for the Caterer. There is NO WAY I could have pulled that off by myself!

Our house was packed full of people celebrating Rose's Dedication.  Even though it was a smaller turnout than I had anticipated, I have no idea where the extra people would have fit.  A blessing in disguise I think! I hope that everyone had a wonderful time, as much so as we did.  I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful family (both church and blood) to help us raise our beautiful daughter to be the most Christlike Child of God.  It was truly a special day, and Mark and I will always remember the moment we gave Rose's heart to the Lord.  Thanks to all who were apart, those that attended in spirit, and those that prayed for us on that special day.  What a joy it was!

MOM !?!?!?!  ALL THE PEOPLE LEFT... CAN I PLEASE TAKE THIS DRESS OFF NOW ???!!!!

AND HE TOOK THE CHILDREN IN HIS ARMS, PUT HIS HANDS UPON THEM,

AND BLESSED THEM 

MARK 10:16

PAPA TURNS THE BIG ... EIGHT - O

HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY!!!!

 

We tried our very best to talk him into letting us throw him a BIG BIRTHDAY BASH... But he would have no part of that! All he wanted for his birthday was a family supper.  After dinner, we allowed him to make his speech and as always he was full of surprises!  This is kind of how his speech went......

"Well, I really didn't want you to spend your money on a party because.... I have other plans with it"

(complete silence with a few "awe hells" sprinkled throughout)

"I want our family to feed all the shut-ins in Indianola for Thanksgiving... its only about 400 people"


That about sums up this loving man's spirit and heart... that's all he wants for his birthday - is for our family to feed others.  I immediately started to cry because I thought this was the sweetest most thoughtful thing I have ever heard.

My grandmother, on a lighter note, replied "Walter, why don't we just say 'pick up a plate lunch at sunflower food store and charge it to us?' "  (gotta love her)

So it appears that our family will be cooking and boxing up dinners for the shut ins from all the local churches.  It is going to be a lot of work (with little notice), a lot of stress, but probably the most rewarding Thanksgiving I will ever have.  The three week count down is on!

Allen, Julia, Josh, Sarah Allyn, Tyler, and Walt





Ann, Morgan, Buster, William, McNeill

Loving this Orange ICING!

 

Poppy and Rose



Elizabeth and Samuel - and his big fat lip and 8 stitches to the chin from some hard core Colonel Football :)



The Gangs all here!

The only way I know how to describe how I feel about this man is from the words of Randy Travis...

"If the story's told, only heaven knows.

But his hat seems to me like an old halo.

And although his wings, they are never seen.

I think that he walks on water."

THE CUTEST LITTLE MERMAID ...

... YOU HAVE EVER SEEN !!!!

"TRICK OR TREAT... SMELL MY FIN"

Rose's first Halloween was a BLAST! She had so much fun and was totally entertained with her tail.  We "trick or treated" to all the family and only a few close friends.  By the end of the night she was exhausted .....  Sunday the city had a "TRUNK or TREAT" at the Baptist church.  Rose was not a fan of that party.  There were way too many people, all of which had to touch her tail and peak under her sweater... that did not go very well.  It was also cold and windy, and she was ready to go about 5 min after we got there. 



I really hate that this picture is blurry because it is my all time favorite!!! 





Every Mermaid loves her TAIL!

This picture makes me laugh because in actuality it is very deceiving....  she was cold and unhappy....

Darly awaiting the "prey" that may come near our front door...  bless her... please excuse the lack of furniture and rugs - I was cleaning...