One Year Check-up

Kenly went to the doctor yesterday for her one year check-up. Dr. Dephouse said that she's growing great. He looked in her ears again, and it appears that her ear infection is on the mend. I hope my child will not remember the trauma that ensued when the nurse returned with all those shots. Poor Kenly got five, count them, FIVE separate sticks yesterday. They started with the finger prick for the hemoglobin/lead test. She didn't even cry. The only mildly fussed when the nurse kept kneading her finger to make her bleed more. She was more annoyed that her hand was trapped than anything. The was very intrigued by the Bugs Bunny band aid the nurse put on her finger.

Then...oh my heart hurts to even remember. Before she could even breathe easy, the nurse was cleaning both legs with cold alcohol. She had four sticks--two on each leg. The nurse gave the first shot, and Kenly screamed and then started holding her breath. She didn't breathe or wail again until the third stick. She was totally purple. The poor girl cried until I let her get up and touch the letter D on the wall. She was such a trooper. She was braver than Mommy. So, we left the doctor yesterday with FIVE Bugs Bunny band aids. She looked like the walking wounded.

Her stats were good.

Weight--19lbs 15 ounces--She almost weighs enough to move to her big girl car seat. She's in the 25% for weight.

Height--She's a whopping 29 inches tall. She's in the 49% for height.

Head Circumference--Her head is 18.5 inches. She's still in the 90th% for head size. What can I say, she's just too smart for her own good.

Today she's been fussy, but I would be too. She wants me to carry her everywhere because her legs hurt. We watched 10 VeggieTales Silly Song videos this morning. We read about 20 books, and well, we just chilled. Now she's sleeping....I hope for about 2 hours.

Not My Child

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Kenly Shae is perfect, so she would never dip her fingers in the dog's water bowl and then lick her fingers as if she's dying of thirst. Not my child.

She would not hide her brand new Leap Frog Farm Fridge magnets in the dog's water bowl when her Mama wasn't looking. She knows that the orange horse doesn't want to go swimming.

She also wouldn't use an old laundry scoop to drink her dirty bath water making anyone reading this post think that I never give her anything to drink.

She also wouldn't pull the toilet tissue off the roll while I'm trying to do my business on the toilet.

On the same topic, she would never, ever run to the bathroom with eager anticipation whenever I say, "Mommy has to go pee pee or poo poo on the big girl potty." No, she has far more entertaining things to do. Besides, that would be really gross.

Oh...and she would never chew on the dog's toys. She has far too many teething toys of her own for that type of nonsense.

And finally. Kenly would never throw a fit and try to bite me because I was talking on the phone instead of paying attention to her. When I got off the phone to play, she would never then ignore me. That's not her natural temperament. That's the ear infection, right?

Like I said...my child is perfect.

Flower Child

Can't you just hear her? He loves me...He loves me not. Who wouldn't love her? Her shirt says, "I'm Mommy's dream come true." Yes, indeed.

Fetch and Jealousy

Today Adam is gone for the whole day even though it is Saturday because he went to see Kavitha get married in Nashville, TN. Kenly only took an hour long morning nap because a carrot orange poo decided to disrupt her slumber. So, I wanted to wear her out before her afternoon nap. We played fetch. I know it sounds horrible, but she loves to chase the ball when I throw it. She brings it back faster and better than Chance ever has, and it makes her happy.

Playing fetch with my daughter isn't wrong, right? On occasion she gets tired of fetching the ball, and she'll give me her angry/disgusted face. I love this face. I want to kiss her mad little face so that she'll be happy again. So...check it out. Oh...and don't say a word about the mess in my house.

Have I mentioned that Chance is a jealous dog? Do you think he wants some time in the spotlight?

Top 10 Reasons...

...why Adam going back to work is hard.

10. When I wake up in the morning, I have make breakfast for Kenly and myself. When Adam was home, I had to do one or the other. I miss conversation about dreams and other nonsense over breakfast.

9. Adam and Kenly play so well together. They love to have tickle wars, and I miss the constant laughter.

8. Adam made me get out of the house. I have plans to this fall and winter. I've signed up for Toddler Fun at the YMCA, for MOPS at Biltmore Baptist, and for reading hour at the Hendersonville Public Library. But, we have to wait for Labor Day until all that fun kicks off.

7. Naps are not near as fun without my bed buddy.

6. Kenly now believes that I'm largely responsible for her entertainment these days. If I try and talk on the phone, she tries to bite me or she screams inconsolably until I get off the phone. Then she ignores me.

5. I don't have my sidekick to help me decide how to handle Kenly's misbehavior. I don't have my sidekick to help me translate her baby speak. I don't have my sidekick to help me figure out what the heck she's pointing at.

4. It gets a little lonely.

3. I don't have Adam with me while we watch a few minutes of Blue's Clues or Disney's Playhouse. What fun is watching a children's program if you don't have an adult with you to make fun of all the ridiculous antics in said programming?

2. I miss being able to sneak away to breathe for a second.

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON I MISS ADAM

1. I can no longer pee or poop without an audience.

Stress Management

Another friendly suggestion all the rheumatoid arthritis books keep making is to keep stress to a minimum. It appear that stress heightens the immune system, and since my immune system is already in confused hyper-drive, stress is bad. Really?
So, I'm supposed to keep my life stress free. I'm supposed to sit in repose like Rafiki in The Lion King allowing stress to slip from my system. Really?

Do doctors have any idea what it is like keeping up with a mobile 12 month old? On a daily basis I'm two steps behind my daughter as she races through the house a mach spreed. Nothing says constant stress--good and bad--like...

...keeping your daughter from splashing in a germ infested toilet.
... keeping her from drinking from the dogs water bowl or from chewing on the dog's toys because, lets face it, she doesn't have near enough teething toys of her own.
...preventing brain damage or severe facial disfiguration as she runs past the sharp edges of the hearth or as she tries to climb, unassisted, into a slippery bath tub.
...convincing Kenly that vegetables really are good for her. Green beans are not kryptonite designed to sap her energy.
...reading Where is Mommy? for the 20th time.
...smelling my own stench because I haven't had a spare moment to shower.
...consoling a screaming baby who thinks life is horrible due to an ear infection and diaper rash brought on by an antibiotic.
...being totally responsible for the physical, mental, spiritual, and moral development of my precious gift from God.
...trying to accomplish any housework when my adorable, polite daughter brings every book from her room saying, "wee peas." For those of you not fluent in baby speak, that is read please.
...keeping other relationships healthy while juggling the demands of motherhood.

Stress free is the way to be. Maybe in another 25 years, but for now, I'll have to manage my stress. Perhaps yoga is the way to go. Can't you just picture me sitting like Rafiki? What will I say? Instead of "Correction. I know your fadder", I could say, "Correction. I think that smell is poo."

Confessions of an Addict

I made you have to read this post, didn't I? Hello. My name is Rhonda, and I'm an addict. What type of addict, you ask? I'm ashamed to admit it. I'm addicted to a stuffed animal/lovey blanket. It all started so innocently. I know. I know. I'm 33 years old. How can I possibly be addicted to a stuffed animal? I now have to sleep with a blanket and a Benny Bunny, but let me start from the beginning.

When Kenly was born, the Rackleys gave her a Rutabaga Bunny from Bunnies By the Bay. The bunny blanket was so lovable and soft that I was determined that this lovely bunny would be her comfort object. She attached to the bunny, that we named Benny, almost immediately. All was well until I walked in one night and found Benny wrapped around Kenly's head. We had to make some adjustments to Benny by tying his blanket in knots. We even tried introducing Howard the Duck as an alternative, but it was far too late. Benny was her bunny buddy. How does this lead to my addiction you ask? Well, it would only be smart to have a back up Benny Bunny, so we ordered a $24.00 replacement bunny. Yes, you read that right. (I should have done more research before I selected such an expensive comfort object. But, oh well.) Adam named this bunny Bobby--the lesser cousin to Benny. The problem was that Benny smelled so new and clean. Benny Bunny, despite being washed several times has a distinct odor fragrance. So, I came up with a brilliant idea. Adam and I would sleep with Benny Bobby until he smelled a little less perfect. That way if Kenly puked on Benny or lost him in a store, we would have an instant replacement. Innocent, right? Adam never got to sleep with Benny/Bobby because after the first night I was hooked, instant addiction.

Don't worry though. If Kenly needs Bobby to replace Benny, I'll go cold turkey. I might not sleep for a few night, and I might develop a nervous twitch, but I'll quit so that my princess can sleep peacefully. After all, Kenly needs to sleep like a baby and that requires a Benny wrapped in her arms.

New Words and Medical Mysteries

Today Kenly and I were trying to color. Okay. What I really meant to say was that I was trying to get Kenly to color. Instead of, you know, eating the crayons, coloring her pajamas (because it is 3:15PM, and we're still in our PJs), or hiding the crayons in places they'll never be seen again. Since coloring wasn't working out, I decided to try and teach Kenly her colors. She can already say blue and purple, or something very similar. Blue sounds like boo. Purple sorta sounds like 'urple.

I picked up a yellow crayons while trying to get the purple crayon out of Kenly's mouth. I said, "Look, Kenly. Mommy has a yellow crayon." Kenly took the purple crayon out of her mouth and said, "llellow." I got so excited I nearly peed my pants. Needless to say, I praise her extravagantly. Probably a little too extravagantly because when I picked up a blue crayon, she said, "lellow." When I picked up a black crayon, she said, "llellow." When I picked up a green crayon, well, you get the picture.

In other new (AKA new not about Kenly), I check out about 7 books that deal with RA and other autoimmune diseases to educate myself about my new found "buddy". I read a book entitled, Women and Autoimmune Diseases. I learned tons of medical lingo dealing with the immune system. I was amazed at how creative God was in designing us the way he did, and I was fascinated to finally have someone explain, to the best of his ability, what happens when my immune system misfires. I also read some other interesting facts that I thought I might share.

1. 75% of all autoimmune diseases affect women. Perhaps this is part of the curse that Eve brought on women in the Garden of Eden. RA suffers are in a 4:1 ratio--women:men.
2. Just when you thought that was cruel enough, it appears that hormones strongly affect RA and RA flares. Estrogen makes flares worse or can bring them on, so women taking hormone therapy are encouraged to stop. So, what about birth control? Isn't that hormones raging through my body? But, since methotrexate causes severe birth defects, I am required to take birth control.
3. Children born to women with autoimmune disease are far more likely to get an autoimmune disease themselves. Said children are also more prone to being left handed. Have I mentioned that Kenly perfers her left hand? She uses both, but she's more comfortable with her left.
4. If we have a second child, and the child is male, he will most likely be left handed too. In addition to that, a striking number of male children born to women with autoimmune disease turn out to be dyslexic. What's the correlation, you ask? Nobody knows. In fact, most of what I'm reading is conjecture.
5. Scientists have no idea why cancer drugs or malaria drugs help RA patients. All they know is it interrupts the sequence of misfires in the immune system which means that RA patients often have to be on multiple drugs to remain symptom free.

All doctors encourage being medicated. Alternative treatments are not considered a good practice since RA can damage joints quickly. However, this doctor says that Omega-3 fatty acids help some people. He believes that massage and chiropractic therapy benefit some. There are other supplements that I don't even feel like going into here that offer some people relief--things like Zinc and Copper. Gold therapy (they inject liquid gold into your body) helps some, but it can cause renal failure. Yoga was also highly praised. All in all, nobody knows.

I just have one more question. Why would my doctor, knowing that I wanted to have another baby, put me on methotrexate first? At my last appointment, he wanted to add Palenquil to the mix. In his opinion, Palenquil is "safe" for pregnant women. Why not start there? Is that logical to anyone else but me?

I'm glad I'm researching the disease that affects me daily, but there are some strange things out there. I'm not going to become golden or sign up for bee sting therapy. I'm not going to take cat's claw or other non-FDA regulated substances. I will do everything I can, as naturally as I can, to take care of myself so that I can be around to hear Kenly's ramblings for years to come.

The Culprit

I now know who replaced my angelic daughter with the fuss pot that is now running amok through the house at the speed of light.

An ear infection in Kenly's left ear.

Changeling

I don't know what happened. Last night Kenly went to bed an angel. This morning when I went to get her out of the crib, someone had replaced my angel with a satanic Energizer Bunny.

All I can say is that it is almost bedtime.

Thank you Jesus.

Does anyone hear thunder?

While Nana and Papa were up for Kenly's first birthday, we had an awesome storm, complete with loud thunder. Kenly had taken a break from playing with her birthday loot because she decided that rain was more entertaining than her new toys. As she was gazing out the window, a loud crack of thunder startled her. She turned around wide-eyed, and Papa asked, "Kenly, what was that?"



My darling angel replied, "KKKRRCK."



Papa nearly died laughing at Kenly's imitation of thunder. She did the same imitation several times during the storm. She got some much positive reinforcement for her thunder noise that now she frequently walks around the house saying, "KKKRRCK."

Did I mention?

Courtney has an absolutely beautiful family.

Here's baby Hadley....she's all serious in this picture because we tortured her by putting a million bows in her hair. Then we had the nerve to borrow her bows for a photo opportunity.
Kason and Cole thought I was cool enough to play cars with them. Playing with matchbox cars again made me want a little boy. It didn't hurt that Hadley gave me baby fever too.

Who could look at that cute little face and not fall in love?

Hadley is going to be one styling little girl.

Babies=Exhaustion

I was able to capture sleep deprivation in action this weekend in Columbia. My precious friend Shannon just adopted two beautiful babies, so now she has a three-year-old who is in the middle of potty training and two infants. Scott, her husband, just went back to work after being home all summer, so she's on her own during the day and most of the night. Her 33rd birthday day was this weekend, so we went WILD and gave her a great gift--the gift of sleep.

The yawn...cranking up. Full blown yawn...

Nothing says I'm exhausted like getting up at 9:30 to eat breakfast and then passing out on the couch until 1:30.

Did I mention there was a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 5-month-old in the room? Oh...and don't forget four women laughing and carrying on...and the TV...and phones ringing...and well, you get the picture.

Nothing makes for a happier Shannon than waking up for the second time to dessert dip.

But, in all seriousness, she looks darn good. Three babies, thirty-three, and still a hot mama.

Moms Gone Wild

Adam kept Kenly Friday night and Saturday that I could hang out with Debbie, Courtney, Shannon and Jessica. Friday night we were all kid free, so we hit the town in Columbia. Which really means we had a nice meal at a Japanese steak house and then talked into the wee hours of the morning. The trip was good for my soul. Jess and I had two long drives to talk too, so now I'm missing my girlfriends like crazy. Nothing says Debbie like bows...we had to wear some of Hadley's bows in honor of Debbie's love of the big bow while we were in high school.

Courtney and Shannon.

Yummy dessert dip--cream cheese, powdered sugar, and mini chocolate chips slathered on graham crackers. Yum...almost as good as, well, sex.

Courtney cuddling Kason and Cole....ooh...that was fun to say.

Back in the day, I met some amazing friends who have always been around even though there have been periods of absence. These girls are not friends for a season; they're here for the long haul. When we were "girls gone wild", haunting the halls of LHS, we lived it up. Wild is a relative term...we looked like prudes or saints given that we were all goody-goodies. But, we had our moments. We loved to jog wearing only our shorts and sports bras. I don't know what we were showing off given we were all official members of the IBTC, but we flaunted what our mamas gave us or what they didn't. We didn't sleep for two nights on our senior cruise...we flirted and danced and wore short shorts and teeny bikinis. We dyed our hair. We giggled about what our lives would be like. We made predictions--most babies, last to marry, weirdest husband. We played endless games of MASH with absurd numbers of children and the names of boys that now make us cringe. We told secrets, set goals, and tried to help heal broken hearts. We were high school best friends. College hit, people moved and married, and then babies came. Time passed. Some of us fell away--some by choice, some by distance, and some because there just wasn't time. But, we're back....and now, we're Moms gone wild. And even though we don't talk very often or even if we don't see each other for years, it always feels the same. The wild part is that we have more in common now than ever. We're more real with each other because most of that high school insecurity and longing has worn away. We're moms in the trenches now, getting our hands dirty every day. Galations 6:2 says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." These amazing women do that for me. I can let it all hang out, and they still hold my hand through it all. They might think I have six heads every now and then, and we don't always agree, but I know they are there for me. They help me carry my burdens, and I try and help carry their burdens. We been through a lot together. Since distance separates us all, we can't always bring meals or dry tears, but we can pray. I know these women do. Since high school we've weathered premature babies, lost jobs, false accusations and even arrests, disease, preeclampsia, infertility, failed adoptions, and family issues galore. We have kids who span every age group--sixteen to five months. We don't have all the answers, but we do have each other, and that is truly WILD. The most amazing thing about these women is that they always remind me that God is in control...even when we're wild and out of control. Even when our circumstances are too stormy. It's fun to be wild with a few close friends.

Party Dresses and Wrapping Paper

Here's the gang...10 people, 2 dogs, and a baby in a house with only 2 bathrooms. Good times. We did have the guest house--otherwise known as the pop up and the man cave to employ, so amazingly, we didn't get in each other's business.

From left to right:
Paula, Karen(Mops), Adam, Me, Sally(Nana), Jason, Ken(Papa) and Kenly, Max(Pops), Carrie, and Travis. We enjoyed our visit with our wonderful blended family. And despite how it looks, I'm not pregnant, so please don't ask. A year later, and I still have baby fat.
Kenly had mixed feelings about this dog that Mops and Pops gave her. She was fascinated, but a little afraid. I haven't seen her sit that still in 4 months. The dog sings a Shania Twain song, dances, and flaps its ears. Adam and I just love singing this song. Everyone laughed so hard at her reaction that they almost wet themselves.

We have to have one more cake shot.

Mops and Pops got Kenly this cute little chair. We tried to get her to open her presents while sitting in the chair, but what fun is that? Once she opened one present, I had to open the rest. Can you tell the girl racked up? Look at the mound of presents behind her. The adorable party dress was a hand-me-down from Chantel in Maryland. Kenly looked like a million bucks in this little frock. Thank you Nana and Papa for ironing the dress....all those ruffles.

Eating cake is a messy job. You have to save some for later.

Kenly ended her birthday with a splash in the creek and a nice warm bath. The Princess is one. We're dealing with "too much birthday" syndrome, but we're also getting four teeth. So, the party is over, and reality is back in town for us all. But, I love reality....I really do. There is no other place I'd rather be.

Cake, Presents, and Ribbons...Oh My

Adam and I had a good time making Kenly's birthday cake. She had yellow cake that had confetti sprinkles mixed in to create a colorful, speckled, delightfully fun look. We used cream cheese icing that we dyed pink. The centerpiece was my Nannie's tiara from being Queen of Georgia War Veteran's Nursing Home. We used cookie icing to create a border and to write her name. Adam is largely responsible for the beautiful decorating job. It was like Nannie was smiling down on us. I know she giggled seeing her tiara on Kenly's first birthday cake. I can just hear her say, "Princess, you did good."

We turned the kitchen into a princess palace while Kenly napped. She was thrilled with all the streamers and balloons. It cracked me up to hear her try and say balloon.

Cake is so yummy. She had a taste of the cake the night before her birthday day. We hadn't put icing on it yet, and she kept saying yum. She kept coming back for more. The morning of her birthday she walked to where the cake had been, pointed, and said, "yum." Her memory is far too good.

Happy Birthday Little-bit.

A year ago today you came into our lives and made our family complete. Mama and Daddy love you madly and we can't imagine life without your giggles and your sense of adventure. Thank you for blessing our lives.

At this moment, you love....
...any fruit and you resist most vegetables.
...hummus and cheese. We love to laugh at your baby garlic breath.
...walking around the house exploring the many wonderful treasures.
...to swim or splash in any water, including the dog bowl. Baths make you squeal with glee.
...to read books. You'd let us read you 20 books before bed, but we try and limit you to six.
...to try and say new words. Your favorites right now are dog, puppy, 'ite (for light), cookie, mama, dada, nana, papa, baba (bottle). You also say things that sound like more and again.
...your Benny Bunny and your binky. You want both for naps and for night time sleep. On really bad days you need Benny to explore with you.
...Ritz crackers and peanut butter.
...to mooch off of anything Mama and Daddy are eating.
...to be tickled and to hide/run from the tickle monster.
...to point at everything to learn the names of all the cool things you see.
...to be outside. When I brought you inside from getting the mail yesterday, you cried.
...being pushed in your stroller on a sunshiny day.
...to laugh. You have the most adorable fake laugh that makes us crack up every time you use it.
...your Daddy. You can't stand for him to be out of sight.
...your Mama. She's your north star.

You hate...
...having to be dried off after your bath.
...being told no.
...hair bows.
...to have your face and hands cleaned off after eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
...when I interrupt your play/exploration in order to dress or do some other boring "daily" task.

You are our dream come true. We can't wait to explore our way through a whole new year with you.

Candid Cabin Captured Moments

Kenly loves play in the pool. She even had a blast playing with her Daddy in a waterfall at the cabin. She cried when she had to leave the waterfall. Her teeth were chattering and tears were falling.

How can a pot-belly look good in a baby bikini?

Leaves are worthy of very close inspection.

Peanut butter is one of the most yummy substances on the face of the earth. Check out Kenly's splash pad boo-boo in the upper left hand corner of the picture.

Happy 6th Anniversary

At the end of July, Adam and I took off for the cabin in Ellijay. The sacred place where we got married--our happy place. We had a day to ourselves at the cabin, and then Mops and Pops came up so we could celebrate the most portiment day of the year--Mop's birthday. Adam cooked a lovely meal and we feasted in grand fashion--a normal Brand celebration. Then the very next day, Adam and I left Kenly for an over night adventure to celebrate our 6th anniversary. For some reason last year we were too tired or too stress or too filled with anticipation to do more than WAIT on our 5th anniversary, so we decided to pamper ourselves this year. We headed to the Overlook Inn in Chatsworth, GA for a night of quiet. We stayed in the Moon Eye room. It was an awesome set up, but the best feature was the hot tub on our own private porch. We enjoyed the wine and cheese hour, searched for a nice place to eat, and then enjoyed each other until we drifted off to sleep. Sitting in the hot tub listening to the rain and the cicadas was so relaxing. The next morning we enjoyed a huge breakfast and then we went to see Up in the theatre. It was a really cute movie with themes that complimented our anniversary celebration. Kenly was an absolute angel for Mops and Pops--at least that's what they said. She met the cousins and then the very next day got to hang out with her Aunt Nonie. We had a great anniversary and a great visit with the Brand clan. This was the gathering room where we sat and relaxed and had breakfast.

Our heavenly porch.

Kenly trying to see Turniptown Creek.