Pics From MS

Upon arriving in MS, we headed for Great Granddaddy Claude's.














After a lovely visit, we went to the annual crawfish boil in Smith County.













and Brian got to ride dirt bikes.

Mads n' Mom

Pics From AL

After a few days in Maryland, we headed for Mobile, Alabama...













After spending a couple days in Mobile, where Chase played with Yei Yei and Nee Nee...



















We headed out to Mobile Bay to scatter Grand Daddy Herbert's ashes. But first, we stopped at the Bragg-Mitchell, where we held our wedding reception over 10 years ago! I really wanted a picture with the girls!













after a couple minutes waiting on the dock, we boarded Uncle Mark's paddle boat and set course for the bay...

Pics From MD

So we started our baby tour in Maryland, where we introduced Madoc to Grandpa Jim, Grandma Dorthy, Uncle Mike and Janet, Uncle Shawn and Elizabeth, Aunt Michele and - my mom, who flew out to bury her mother's ashes with her husband, my Grandfather Victor Skinner. Here we are going to Baltimore's BYOD (bring your own dog) show.














Chase loved Grampa Jim's screen door. She didn't really get the picture that she wasn't supposed to lean on it.














Here's Chase with Grandma Dorthy (her Great Gran).














Me and Grandma...














My relatives encouraging Chase to play with fire.














Mom and Grandma...














My dear Grampa...














Auntie M...














And of course UNCLE MIKE, who Chase could simply not get enough of!














I kick myself for not taking pictures when we drove Mary The Great's ashes to rest. I have a small video that I may post - if I can figure out how to do it.

Too Cute

Our next door neighbor, who has one of the cutest little boys on Earth, just had a monster swing set installed and invited us (okay, Chase) over to play. It was too fun for words, but I think this picture sums it up.

Updates

Happy to report that during Tummy Time yesterday, Madoc reached out and grabbed the item I placed before her!

Her reflux is really getting so much better. But I get punished if I stray from my diet. Yesterday I had a handful of jelly beans ('cmon, it's Easter) and she was up all night.

The good news? I can eat Sesame seeds (and oil) as well as seaweed (which I love). YUMMERS. I can also eat bananas (I think). Madoc is super-healthy and is squarely in to 9-12 month clothing (at almost 4 months). It is amazing to see her in outfits that Chase was wearing at 1 year. WOW. And she is so smiley. So sunshiney. She rarely cries - very similar to Chase.

Chase, on the other hand, has had a rough couple days. Maybe it is because she is sleeping poorly, but she has been a real mess all day long. Tears over everything. Poor darling!

Mom's Time In Denver

Not the greatest photo, but I have been so bad at not posting pictures that I figure all pictures are good at this point.

The Girls

Happy Easter!

We have had quite a fun-filled week. Loads of eggs colored - both at home and at our friend's houses.














We made Easter baskets for our friends...



















On Easter morning, Chase woke up to find an Easter egg hunt in her backyard...

































So many eggs!














And then on to the Easter baskets!




















Mmmm, candy!














Daddy and Madoc....














Thank you, Easter bunny!




















Special thanks to NeeNee for the Easter package!

Kids and parents

I hesitate to write this, but I am finding it increasingly difficult to find both kids and parents I like - maybe it's just because age 3 is so volatile, but seriously! It's like kids who were previously nice are developing mean streaks. Is this normal? Or should I look for other playmates?

Easter

So Chase ate three hard-boiled eggs today. She wanted four, but I told her she had to wait until tomorrow. It is at this point that I must note she only eats the whites, not the yolks.

The eggs must have tasted especially good because they 1) were not from our house, and 2) brightly colored with stickers on them.

It's a good thing she thinks Easter is all about hard-boiled eggs! This will probably be the last year we can get away with filling the plastic eggs with stickers.

Updates

So I have found that if I stick to the basic elimination diet, Madoc sleeps SO well. I added avocado the other day and she woke every 20 minutes - all - night - long. The good news? She is thriving and not on Zantac anymore. The bad news? Looks like I will have a severely restricted diet for the next 6 months (let's just hope I can keep nursing for 6 more months). It's really weird not to be eating any-fat-at-all. But I'm starting to feel good, instead of deprived. Although we were at a birthday party today and I really wanted a piece of cake, or at least a taste of the sorbet. Arg.

We have some travel coming up which is really going to test it - I'm going to have to cook up rice and squash in various locations and people are going to give me funny looks. It's amazing how social food is - and how when you can't eat certain things - people react to you in ways you'd never expect. Not like I'm doing this for fun, you know? It's not like I'd be doing this if I had a choice.

If I have to keep this up for 6 mo, I will be thinner than ever in my whole life (and will probably feel pretty darn good, too), but I can't imagine re-introducing processed or fatty foods after being off them so long. I guess we'll see! Oh, but I do long for avocados.

Chase and Icky, her imaginary Komodo dragon, are doing well. She just had her 3 year check-up and is now in the 75th percentile for height and the 50th percentile for weight. Everything else checks out! Thank goodness for happy, healthy kids!