THE M.O.M. PROJECT

MOM is a dental outreach project hosted once every two years in Jackson.  Most every dentist in the state volunteers their time for either a Friday or Saturday.  We completed dentistry on the poor, needy, and homeless.  Most everyone we treated was unemployed and uninsured.  This year it was hosted at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl.  There was a host of dentist including Oral Surgeons, Pediadontist, Periodontist, Radiologist, Endodontist, and of course General Dentist.  We reported to "work" at 5a.m., and completed a 12 hour shift of doing dental work - retiring for the day at 5p.m.  I'm not going to lie, it was probably the hardest dentistry I have ever done.  For one, I was asked to "complete as much as possible" per patient.  Which doesn't sound bad until they come to you with all four quadrants of their mouth numbed by the triage team, and 15 cavities, and radiographs that were blurry, mounds of calculus, bleeding because Oral Surgery had already gotten their hands on them, poor lighting, materials I'm not used to working with, volunteer assistants (who were not really assistants, just lay people), and a chair that had 2 positions - 180 degrees, or 90 degrees - prostrate or erect.  I was exhausted.  I was only able to see 5 patients the entire day.  Julia saw 6.  Thank God for the other dentists.  I worked through lunch and finally got a break at 2:30 that afternoon - at which time all the food was gone and I ate a pack of nabs.  So then I was hungry and dehydrated.  By the end of the day I was refusing to do any more fillings and would only extract teeth - begging oral surgery to be nice and share.  Julia and I were both so tired when we left that I'm pretty sure we were in Yazoo City on our way home before we could even talk to each other about the day.  We were both in that Zombie State.  No, we did not stay to help clean up, we did not help in any other way other than 58429356 fillings.  My hand is still sore.  I am not saying I will never do that again, but I will definitely be more prepared next time - bring my own materials, my own assistant, and buy a better light.  Maybe I should go back to school and become and oral surgeon - I swear their job is so much easier.  And for those of you wondering "Isn't it like Honduras?"  um... NO.  In Honduras we are the Oral Surgeons.  We get to do the easy job of extracting all day.  No drilling.  No filling.  No hand-pieces.  Honduras is way better and I will take a month of Honduras Dentistry over that 12 hours, any day.  It was HARD.  Here are a few pics so you can get an idea of the process.  It was neat, well organized, and a fantastic way to give back.  It was just very hard work. 

"Restorative Department" / aka - Drill and Fill

Oral Surgery

Radiology

Radiology

Pediatrics - just getting started for the day - thank the good Lord they had their own room...   I dunno what we would have done had we had screaming kids on top of all the other disarray!

Julia hard at work

Clinic at full capacity - General Dentist lined up Back - to - Back ...

Getting set up to start the day

LIKE MOTHER ... LIKE DAUGHTER

SHE MAY LOOK LIKE A HARDIN,

BUT HER BLOOD RUNS ROSE 

(I KNEW I'D FIND ME IN THERE SOMEWHERE!)

AND IF YOUR WONDERING: DID SHE LIKED IT...?  DID SHE SIT PERFECTLY STILL AND LET THEM RUB HER LITTLE FIT?  DID SHE NOT MOVE A MUSCLE WHEN THEY PAINTED THOSE ADORABLE LITTLE TOES?  DID SHE PUT HER FEET IN THE BUBBLY WATER AND LAUGH HYSTERICALLY?  DID SHE EAT COOKIES AND DRINK JUICE WHILE THEY CLIPPED HER NAILS.... ???

THE ANSWER YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...

YES!  

SHE IS MY CHILD AFTER ALL!!!!

RAISING ROSES

I am going to start having to take my "real" camera everywhere with me... I feel like in every special moment all I have is the ole' IPhone!  I definitely plan to recreate yesterdays event with a Cannon!  But for now, you'll have to settle for these pics!

Rose and I took a leisurely stroll yesterday afternoon around the neighborhood.  Darly also accompanied us, and as always, she immediately ran to my grandparents back yard and jumped in the pool.  I think she has E.S.P. or something - If its hot outside, its like she knows the pool has re-opened for summer.  An afternoon stroll turned into a few hours of teaching Rose all there is to know about gardening.  My granddad would explain each little plant to her (I think he was trying to teach me indirectly?) and where it goes.  He would plant it, then give her a plant to try.  Her main goal of the afternoon was to dig up every single plant that he put in the ground, and to eat all the ones he gave her.  My grandmother could not understand why Rose didn't understand NO meant "don't dig up the flower."  Meanwhile, my grandfather, with the patience of Job, spent over an hour - mearly re-planting the flowers Rose picked - always smiling.  Darly, with her wild self, spent the entire afternoon in the pool.  It was a fun day, and Rose was worn out.  I promise to take a photo-shoot soon in their backyard.  Every flower is in full bloom.  The palms and sun plants have been brought out of the green house.  The pool has been drained, scrubbed, and refreshed.  It truly is the most gorgeous backyard you will ever see. 

ONE TRACK MIND

THANKS TO BON-BON

Rose was given an "early birthday present" by her Bon Bon!  Her very first COZY COUPE!  The weather has been so nice the last few weeks, and great-grandmother thought the best way to kick off spring was with a new ride!  At first I thought Rose may be a little young to understand how to drive it, but I have to say, I was completely wrong.  She loves it.  Every morning instead of watching Mickey, for what used to be a guaranteed 30 minutes of quiet time, she is up on her feet driving the coupe through the house.  Thanks to her new set of wheels, my little roo bug has a one track mind !

11 MONTHS

AND A MOMMA WHOSE TOTALLY IN SHOCK

I really dont even know where to start with this post...  Im a little frazzled by the whole "ELEVEN MONTHS"  title.  I remember thinking "I cant believe she is 8 weeks old today," and then "Oh My Word, my baby girl is 6 months old."  The list of phrases flood my mind.  What a joy she has been to get to know this past year.  11 months seem like such a long time, yet, it has more than flown by.  She has a one-of-a-kind personality, that we cant seem to get enough of.  I'll save the sentimental post for her big 1 year! As I know, that before I can blink my eyes, I will be writing her 1 year stats down for record! For these next few weeks are sure to pass as quickly as the last 11 months!

I swear she is a happy baby -- always smiling, always laughing, always doing this squealing sound with her voice.  That is, until I break out the camera, and this is the overall look I get! I promise - we will have photo shoots every night until I get a good one year picture!  Even Darly was tired of these pictures... Hence, the yawn....  

11 MONTH NEWS:

Weight:  20.4 lbs (per her weight watchers weekly weigh in)
Shoe Size:  2
Clothes Size:  12 months (a few 9 months still fit)
Diaper Size:  3
Teeth:  1/2 of a lower incisor.  We are patiently waiting for the other 19 1/2
Milk:  Organic Whole Milk with DHA (just switched you this weekend - no more formula) and you LOVE it..  You will drink 8 oz in one sitting, and you have never consumed that much milk before! I contribute your .2oz weight gain in a week to this new fettish of milk!
Bottle:  No longer exists ....  I have forced the sippie cup on you and bagged up all the bottles....
Passy:  Still going strong... with no will to give that habit up anytime soon
Sleep:  Usually go down about 8:30pm and will sleep until your woken (anywhere from 7am to 9am) - You are a very light sleeper and any noise will wake you up!

Food:  You eat pretty much anything.  You like to feed yourself, and you think you dont need any help in doing so.  You go through spells of eating a lot, then you go weeks where we have to work extra hard just to get a few bites down you.  You only eat when your hungry - you get this from your daddy....

Favorites:  Bathtime, Strolling, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, your Activity Block, Church Nursery - or any activity involving lots of kids, Being Outside
Things you LOVE:  The Yellow Duck Binky, Passy, V8 Fruit Splash, Bows in your hair, Bananas, Drinking out of our glasses, Picking flowers

Things you HATE:  Sippie Cup, Hats, Wiping your Nose, Dresses (you cant crawl in them - your knees get hung up), Lound Noises (i.e. the vacuum cleaner, thunder)

Things you can Do:  Pull up, crawl as fast as I can walk, walk around the table, wave bye-bye, put the phone to your ear and say "aye"

Things you can Say:  Ma Ma, Da Da, DarDarDar (Darly.. we think?), Bye Bye, Aye (Hey?), Ka Ka (Khaki???), and the famous NO (more like 'O')

If I had a dollar for every time I wiped the drool from her chin I would be a Rich Rich Woman - Retiring, with a house on the beach, and a personal chef.  Where are her teeth??????

 



Rose loves her dog Grandma Phyl and Papa Hardin gave her for Christmas.  She pushes and plays with it daily.  It is her daily goal to get both legs inside and sit, and THEN turn around (without falling out)...  and the bigger she gets - the more she is determined to fit.  Not a big fan of actually pushing the dog - for pushing she prefers her baby stroller, compliments of Aunt Ramey and Uncle Brent :)

how BIG has this munchkin gotten....????  yep.. 11 months....

SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND

Our Church celebrated a Sunday School Picnic after Church on Sunday.  It was in honor of the three new Sunday School Classes, and hosted by the older Classes.  I was really nervous that Rose would be fussy and uncooperative because usually on Sundays she is completely off schedule!  Her morning nap falls right in the middle of "big church"; therefore, she usually misses her morning nap and turns into a Zombie Devil by lunch time.  So, in preparation for the picnic, Mark and I attended the early service and rushed her home to get that "guaranteed" morning siesta.  HA! She did everything but fist-fight me over it.  I finally got to the point that I was willing to let her cry-it-out for this nap, simply because this was a Big Day, and I needed her on her utmost behavior.  Well, to make a long story short, she did not get that nap...  after all that planning around her "schedule" - she blew that out the window!!! But, I do have to admit, that once she was outside in the beautiful sunshine with all those kids playing, she was a totally different child! Nobody ever knew she was in dire need of sleep! After the picnic she went to Aunt Ju-Ju's to play while I attended a baby shower and Mark played tennis! That poor child did not fall asleep until after 4:00 that afternoon!!!!  Then she woke up ready to head to the neighbors house for dinner! She had an eventful day and this momma was worn out!!!!

ROSE'S NEW DIVA POSE

BITTERSWEET

THOSE MOMENTS WHEN YOUR BABY GRADUATES FROM ONE MILESTONE TO THE NEXT.....

As I see the BIG ONE YEAR mark quickly approaching, I also see that there will be lots of BIG changes taking place...  They may seem more like mole hills to you, but for a first time mom, to realize your baby is "outgrowing" things, makes those hills seem more like Mountains.  And as happy as I am that my sweet girl is healthy, growing, and turning into a "little girl," I cant help but realize that she is no longer "my BABY."  Yes, "baby's" don't drink Whole Milk from a Jug, they don't face forward in their car seat, they don't eat cheerios for breakfast, and they sure cant tell their momma "bye bye" when she leaves for work.  It really does seem like yesterday that I was finishing the final touches to a nursery,  preparing my bank account for 2 months of not working, and cleaning my house so that there would be no signs of dust or dog hair.  1 year later, I'm ordering birthday supplies, hooking in DVD players the opposite direction, boxing up newborn outfits and sending them to one cousin or the other, the baby bed has been lowered twice now, and I'm still trying to clean up dog hair......

Rose's new Britax Boulevard

As most of you know, Rose has always been a TERRIBLE car baby.  All of my friends say their kids get in the car and immediately pass out and sleep the entire trip.  NOT ROSIE ROO.  She hates the car.  She screams in the 5 minutes it takes to run Lizzie home in the afternoon.  The DVD player helps, but sometimes, she still puts up a pretty good fight.  So, I have been counting down the days (or the pounds) until I could turn her around.  Well, Ladies and Gents, Yesterday at Weight Watchers - Rose weighed in too! And guess what.....  She bumped up! From 19.8 to 20.2! And that means.... drum roll please....  Little Stink Pot gets to TURN AROUND IN THE CAR SEAT!!!! YAY!!!! We rode all over town last night and not one single peep was uttered from her lips! Hallelujah! The day I have waited for has finally arrived, and the fact she was so happy and not fussy... made the "Bittersweet" really a lot more "Sweet" than "Bitter" :)

EASTER

AS MARK AND I WATCHED THE BIBLE LAST NIGHT, I COULDN'T HELP BUT TO REFLECT ON THE WAY GOD HAS CHANGED OUR LIVES IN THE LAST YEAR.  THINGS HAVE SURE CHANGED SINCE LAST EASTER...
 
LAST EASTER, WE WERE A FAMILY OF TWO, I WAS 8 MONTHS PREGNANT, 30 POUNDS HEAVIER, MISERABLE, LIVING WITH MY PARENTS DUE TO A GAS LEAK IN THE HOUSE, MY MOTHER WAS RECOVERING FROM OPEN HEART SURGERY, MARKS MOTHER WAS RECOVERING FROM A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT, AND WE WERE READY TO MEET OUR SWEET GIRL. 

THIS YEAR, WE ARE A HAPPY FAMILY OF THREE, LOOKING INTO BUILDING A HOUSE, HAVE A NEW CAR, GREAT JOBS, ARE NOW BOTH IN A SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS AND BIBLE STUDY, BOTH MOMS HAVE RECOVERED WELL, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL. 

THIS EASTER, MADE LAST EASTER ALL WORTH IT!  EVERYTHING FROM DYING EASTER EGGS WITH ROSE, TO EASTER EGG HUNTING, TO CHURCH SERVICES, TO BUYING A NEW EASTER DRESS, TO THE EASTER BUNNY, TO SPENDING THE WEEKEND IN CARROLLTON, TO SUNDAY FAMILY LUNCH, EVERYTHING - WAS JUST AS I HAD EVER HOPED FOR. 
GOD HAS SURELY BLESSED US THIS EASTER :)


AND NOW! ON FOR THE FUN PART....  THE PICTURES!!!

DYING EASTER EGGS!

THE EASTER EGG HUNT

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ALL THESE EGGS ARE MINE MOM???  REALLY????

THIS IS SO HEAVY...  COULDN'T YOU HAVE BOUGHT ME A SMALLER BASKET...???

THE WEATHER DID A NUMBER ON MY HAIR... 

EASTER IN CARROLLTON 

I REALLY DIDNT REALIZE THAT I DID NOT TAKE MANY PICTURES WHILE WE IN CARROLLTON.  I DONT HAVE ANY OF HAMPTON, OR OF ROSE AND ANNE LOWRY PLAYING.  VERY DISAPPOINTING.

EASTER SUNDAY

 THE EASTER BUNNY