Healing is Itchy

**This post is a TMI medical post. This is your warning.**

For the first time in Alice's educational career, I am missing Field Day. This makes me so very sad, I've gotten emotional a few times today. BUT I have a very good reason for missing it.

Last Tuesday, I had a hysterectomy. 

Who has two thumbs and no uterus?! 

THIS GIRL!! (points to self)

For years, I have had terrible cycles. Debilitatingly painful, heavy, inconsistent cycles. I have requested surgery and have always been told the same thing - "with your medical history, no doctor is ever going to be willing to do that. Periods are just painful sometimes."

So I've managed with muscle relaxers and heavy pain meds that don't work. I've stayed in bed with the lights off in the only position that doesn't hurt. I've lost sleep due to pain. I've sat with a heating pad for hours hoping to relieve a little bit of the discomfort. 

Nothing helps. But, you know, periods are just painful sometimes.

My yearly visit arrived and I wasn't able to schedule with my usual OB/GYN. My medical system works to where I can pick any doctor available. So by chance and availability, I met Dr. Beasley in December. 

I told her my history and my issues. And for the first time, I had a doctor say "well, let's order an ultrasound and see if there is anything additional going on."

She listened.

I had the ultrasound and was diagnosed with adenomyosis. This can be treated with hormone replacements however, due to my clotting condition, I can't touch a hormone. So, the only other way to fix the problem is surgery. And this doctor looked at all the things, thought about it and said, "since you haven't had a clotting issue in so long, I think we can do that."

Any surgery for me means I have to bridge my clotting medication. I have to switch from my normal medicine to one that stays in my system for less time. I go from pills to two shots to the tummy daily. This bridge happens leading up to the surgery and after the surgery until my INR is up to where it needs to be to be therapeutic. (I'm still taking the shots and they are the lamest part of this process.) 

Because of this - I had to see a hematologist. (If you have been with me for any amount of time, you know my spiritual gift is collecting ologists.) I met with one originally years ago when I moved over to the Kelsey Seybold system. She said their Coumadin Clinic would handle my results and I shouldn't have to see her again. Well, now I had to see her only I didn't want to drive that far. So I met a new hematologist closer to home and she says she wants to actually see me occasionally. I mean, that's fair. 

We scheduled the surgery for a Tuesday knowing I would need to stay the night because my doctor wanted to be able to start my blood thinners again. My mom stayed with me and we had a nice time.

Surgery took a bit longer than planned due to extra scar tissue. Everything went well though and I have had zero issues with the healing process. What ever anesthesia did to keep me from being nauseous - BLESS. THEM. I was up and moving around Tuesday evening with no issues.  

The doctor came by Wednesday to check on me. She showed me pictures of the before and after. Before they started the surgery, they found blood in my abdomen. Because my uterus is the gift that keeps on giving, I started my period two days before surgery - one last gift. She said I had undiagnosed endometriosis and have been bleeding in to my abdomen for some unknown amount of time during my cycles. The colleague she had with her told her it was one of the worst cases she's seen in her 20+ years of doing this. 

That's on brand for me.

I came home and told my Beloved I spent years feeling like I was being overdramatic and that my pain was way worse in my head than in reality.

Because periods are just painful sometimes.

In my years of collecting ologists, I am quick to find a new doctor if I feel like they are not listening. However, I have not been that way with my OB/GYNs because maybe the pain is just bad to me. Had I not ever scheduled an appointment with this doctor, I might not have ever had the validation of knowing something was really wrong. 

I am so thankful for this life improving surgery. For a doctor willing to take the extra step. For an anesthesia team who knew their stuff. For my supportive Beloved who took care of all the things. For my Mom who is my best medical advocate. For my loving village who stepped in to help with Alice. For the same village sending me pictures of Alice today at her very last elementary Field Day. For an abdominal wrap and Tylenol (the good drugs made me itchy because of course they did.) For the two extra drawers we'll now have in the bathroom. For not having two women in the house on their cycles at the same time (this hasn't been an issue yet - but we know it's coming.)

My incisions are healing. My stomach is bruised. I'm a little itchy because the healing process is itchy. My heart is happy.

It wasn't all in my head.

Ladies, if you are hurting and your doctor is diminishing your pain - find a different doctor.

Because periods should not always be that painful sometimes....

Until next time.... 

To My 20 Year Old Self

Girl, brace yourself. 

Today we turned 40.

4!0!

I have been massively wishy washy on this. 

A part of me doesn't think it's a huge deal. It's just a number, who cares! Tomorrow I will feel the same as I did yesterday. I won't be any more grown up. I won't be any more "together." Hopefully, I won't be any less together! 

I'm kinda proud to say "I'm turning 40!" because then everyone looks at me, like "what?! you?!" Yep. Me in my CareBear pants. 40. 

But there's small part that starts doing math and that math equals Alice will be 18 when I turn 50 and then I start to freak out. That feels like a HUGE age difference! She will have so much time left and I want to eventually see my grandkids and then I stress about her being alone and get all emotional and then the wonderful man you married has to talk you down. This happens often. We married good, girl. (Spoiler alert: we TOTALLY married that super polite boy with the nice eyes from our SFA 101: Radio/TV class. I mean, it takes a while, but we get there.)

Then a part of me wants to freak out because I realize I'm not a "grown up" grownup. I still don't have my ish together. I'm not sure if we are where we pictured ourselves being because honestly, I don't remember spending a lot of time thinking about it. Maybe in hindsight that is something I would do different. But probably not. 

I am coming to terms with this not being my Momma's 40. My life trajectory does not resemble hers and most days that feels okay. Most days I feel like I am where I should be and all of my friends are here too. And then some days I freak out because at 40, I probably shouldn't be wearing CareBear pj pants to work. But they're comfy!  

Our emotional state is often set on spin cycle but our Beloved loves us so it's cool.

In the event we get a do over, here are some things I want to tell you. 

* Start taking care of your body right now. I know what you're thinking, "ma'am, I don't gain weight." Hush, child. It's coming..... Start making healthy food choices and for the love of all things holy and sacred, start exercising because one day we will be 5 years past that point of that being important and starting then will SUCK. Real talk.

* Spring of 2019, start saving and hoarding toilet paper, hand sanitizer, masks and cleaning products. Don't ask, just do it. 

* Guarding your heart will sometimes feel silly. You will second guess your decision to not be a little more reckless when it comes to relationships. You will feel the pressure to be a little less cautious. BUT - you are doing the right thing. Our whole heart was meant for our Beloved. And our relationship with him is worth never going back to change a damn thing. Period. If every decision we made led to him, make them again and again and again. Every. Time.

* Budget. Better. So gross. 

* Listen to your heart when it comes to things you question that contradicts the views you were raised on. Start using your voice now. Recognize when things are not just and scream really loud. Commit more time to making the world a better place. Understand that you are not meant to indefinitely make your parents proud. Your responsibility is to fight for a better world for our girl. And if your heart and head are screaming NOOOOOOO to something - LISTEN. The older we get, the divide between what we were taught and what our head tells us gets bigger. You will want to feel torn but you don't have to. It's the catch 22 of raising strong children who can think for themselves. Eventually, they do. And sometimes those thoughts don't match. And that's okay. 

* One day, you will have a terrible boss who will drive you to use terrible words. Try really hard not to because you will eventually let them slip in front of our child and then she will use them. She will use them correctly and a part of you will want to be proud but mostly you will feel shame because that's the correct response. Trust me, I've asked. 

There are probably a ton of other things I should have prioritized to share with you but that's where I am.

Hindsight is a tricky beast. It makes you feel like there are so many things you would go back and change. While a small voice will list them out, a louder voice will scream BUT LOOK WHERE WE ARE!!! 

And where we are is pretty great. 

We have a happy home full of love. 

We have a job doing nothing we went to school for but it's with a fantastic company and it meets our needs while giving us the freedom to wear our pjs to work. GIRL! 

So all that doubt we carry doesn't really matter. 

And maybe turning 40 isn't such a big deal. 

Here's to the next 20.

Love,

T

Until next time.....

Policies vs. Decency

Disclaimer 1: This post will not focus on policies. There has never been a politician I have ever agreed with or believed in with zero concerns. I rest assured that there is not a single politician with my best interest at heart. Neither major political party is out for what's best for me or you. Period. 

This post will be about how thankful I am there is a possibility for a less than hateful man to lead this nation. A better example of a leader to our children. This post is about how blindly following a horrible man due to 'political policy alignment' should never outweigh common human decency - in my opinion.

Four years ago I sobbed at the blatant and open hate that won the highest title in the nation. I shared my views on it then. They haven't changed. 

For four years, I've watched his followers gain a louder, prouder voice. I've seen the flags and the hats and things in his likeness and I've often wondered if it's how Sodom and Gomorrah looked right before it was turned into salt. There can be no denial that this is anything other than idolatry. 

Let's look up the definition in case there's confusion....

* idolatry (noun): extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone. 

He was never God.

He was never the savior. 

He was never a patriot.

He is flawed.

He is broken.

He is reckless.

He is Hate personified.

He is not the example I want for my child.

And now I can be hopeful that there is change coming. 

Yesterday, I sobbed because for the first time in 5 years, I will be able to watch a President speak with my child in the room with no worry about having to have a lesson on anti bullying. 

I won't have to say things like "that's not how you should treat people" or "that's not how we talk about people" or "NEVER in your life let a man speak to you like that." I won't have to have any of those lessons fostered by our soon-to-be President. 

Disclaimer 2: I am NOT saying he is without his flaws. I am saying his main motivation doesn't appear to be division.

And that's just so refreshing. 

I listened to the President-Elect speak last night and he never spoke with hate. He didn't insight action against anyone. He didn't blame anyone. He didn't encourage crowds of people to cheer for the demise of anyone. He didn't say any horrible things about the current leader.

He spoke of family and faith and unity. He quoted bible verses. He included and welcomed everyone. He appealed to a nation divided and promised to attempt to help it heal. The people in the crowd were crying and smiling with happiness.

Let me pause again and stress I do not align with some of his policies. However, I truly believe he's a better example than who we currently have leading our nation.

I watched our Vice-President-Elect speak with so much joy! Forget political party alignment - she is the very first woman to hold that title. As a woman, I wept. As a mother to a daughter, I wept. Alice will never know a world where there hasn't been a woman in that high of a leadership role. And THAT is a beautiful thing. 

Disclaimer 3: Again, I am NOT saying she is without hers flaws. I am saying she has broken through a glass ceiling for all the little girls sitting at home hoping to make a difference some day. And that's something special. 

I am thankful soon the rhetoric should change. I am hopeful the non-hate will be louder than the hate for the first time in 5 years. I am anxious about what the next few months will look like. 

But today. Right now, here's to a new hope.

Disclaimer 4: I acknowledge this is my personal viewpoint. These views are not shared amongst all of my family or friends. I will not debate about it - it will not sway them. It will not sway me. It will only stress out my blood pressure medicine. This is just my public recording of the words on my heart. One day, this will be all Alice has of my words and I want there to be no confusion about where my heart was aligned. 

Until next time...

Quarantine Halloween

It has been a challenging year and Alice has missed A LOT. We planned to avoid all group Halloween things this year since we're still in the middle of a Pandemic and it felt like the smart thing to do. In an effort to give her a special day, I decided to plan a Halloween fun day. 

We always intended to go to Huntsville for the weekend. I wanted Alice out of the way of crowds. If she couldn't see it, she wouldn't miss it. We haven't been up for a visit since February and all parties involved felt it would be safe for a visit. I had intentions of shopping for games and crafts but by the time I was well enough to go, everything was Christmas. Boooo! I was able to order a few things from Amazon though. 

She and I dressed the part. I was a witch and she was my black cat. She got to wear eyeliner on her face - she was THRILLED!

These were our activities:

Mask craft - I found these on Amazon. They were so much fun! They're a scratch set so they did make a mess but it was easy to clean up. The package came with a lot so we'll have some for the next several Halloweens. :)  It came with everything needed and the masks fit both the kid and the adults.

Hotel Transylvania Movie Marathon - We packed up our movies and shared them with Mawmaw and Papa. These are super cute and not at all scary.

Brownie Mummies - we baked brownies and she iced them to look like mummies! This was a fun two part project so it kept her busy twice! 

Pumpkin Ring toss - I bought several packages of cheap glow necklaces and three Gizmo pumpkins from HEB. We played variations of this all day! And at the end of the night, she made a big giant rope out of all the necklaces. When in doubt - it's always worth the dollar for a package of anything glowing. Walmart always has amazing options.

Build a Monster - I found these on Amazon as well. They are SUPER cute and made of heavy felt. The problem was, we couldn't get them to stick together. We tried all the sticking things and nothing worked. They are cute though! And Alice enjoyed building a monster family.

Spider Races - I bought a package of plastic spiders off the internet and a package of smoothie straws from HEB. We lined up a spider and blew it across the table with a straw. It was hilarious. Alice didn't like playing against Dada - he has a much better lung capacity. 

S'mores - we ended our day with s'mores by the fire while we howled at the moon. And by 'we' I mean Alice. Howled and howled! 

I know I over planned. I know I overscheduled. And I don't care. Alice had a beautiful day. She laughed and played and smiled. It was such a much needed weekend of fun and being away. We were safe and isolated but she didn't know it. All she knew was she was having fun.

It was really great to be away and the moon was SUPER COOL!!!! 

Until next time.....

Dear Sister

Tami,

I wrote you a sappy letter on the eve of your wedding so it only seems fitting I write one on the eve of your next great adventure. I promise to add some humor because when I talk about parenting I try to be brutally honest and my parenting skills are totally sketchy. Here goes....

Soon you will get a new title. 

Soon you will be daughter, sister, aunt, wife and mom.

MOM!!

That's a title you waited a long time for. A title you fought for. A title you will shine at.

Being a mom is the greatest most stressful thing ever. You have this tiny little human and it's your job to raise it and teach it and nurture it all while it is actively making your eye twitch. ALL THE EYE TWITCHING! And then this sweet little child looks at your face and smiles and NOTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD MATTERS! Nothing. Baby smiles cure almost any bad mood. Almost.

Being a mom means sleepless nights, cold coffee and mystery stains. You prefer cold coffee and you own a bunch of scarves so you're ahead of the game!

Being a mom means there will always be someone who needs you unconditionally, who loves you even when your patience is thin and your words are harsh.

When you are a first time momma, all the people will tell you all the things. Take it all in but listen to your gut - not the masses. Your Momma Heart will tell you what your baby needs so trust it.

People will say "cherish all these moments, you will miss them one day." This mumbo-jumbo is ridiculous. I wouldn't go back to a teething baby if offered all the money in the world. Nope. It is perfectly okay to not cherish every moment of motherhood. Period. 

It is also okay to fail. When things are hard and you are tired, you will scream and cry and question everything. This will make you angry with yourself and you will think you are a bad mom. But bad moments don't make you a bad mom. Call me, I'll tell you all about my bad moments. 

You will get to spend the next few years sharing firsts with your little one and that is hands down THE BEST thing about being a parent. 

First smile.

First giggle.

First time seeing Christmas lights.

First time holding your hand.

First tooth.

First steps.

Everything will be a first and watching your child experience things for the first time ever is the coolest thing. It's just so magical. 

For the first few weeks, all you will do is snuggle a sweet baby. Sleepy snuggles on the couch are fabulous.

Take lots of pictures because they grow so fast! And while there are moments I wouldn't go back to - there are a ton I would. So document everything to visit again one day. Record all the baby giggles and gibberish and the milestones that matter to you. 

I know you are going to be a fantastic mom because you have been an amazing Aunt. The way you are with Alice is so precious and watching you two these past 8 years has been a beautiful privilege. She is SO EXCITED to meet Sawyer. And we are so thankful he wasn't born on her birthday. For reals, there is only so much she is willing to forgive you for, Poopie. I mean, seriously. ;)  

I am so stinking excited for you. My heart just cannot take how ready I am to meet Baby Bean.

I know this has been a super stressful and disappointing time to have a baby but my hope is that the time you and Jon have together in the hospital, just the three of you, will make up for all the moments you didn't have. You are going in as a couple but will come out a family of three! Eeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!! 

I look forward to watching you become the Momma you've longed to be. I look forward to talking to you about mom things. I look forward to returning on the loud gifts your husband has given Alice. I have an entire Amazon list saved so prepare your heart. ;)

Congrats on your new adventure and all the sweet moments coming your way. 

Love you,

T.

The 7th Year

Happy birthday, Little Miss!!

Today you are 7.

It has been yet another year of changing and growing and becoming. 

You lost teeth!! 

You grew new teeth! 

You started first grade.

You went bowling and swimming and to the Planetarium with your summer camp.

You are still completely dedicated the rules you have created for each and every game you come up with even when we do not know what those are. 

You LOOOOOOVE to play Escape room. You and Daddy play YouTube channel.

You are attached to L.O.L. dolls. Your new attachment is to a little doll with long pink and yellow hair that smells like candy. 

You have started to sleep with a sleep mask and you are sleeping so much better!

You like to pretend you are the mom which makes me the kid. I am a difficult child. It brings me immense joy to be so. ;)

You still love to make projects.

You can sing any song on the radio. You are made of mostly ice cream and cheese pizza. You wear all the colors you can at one time.

You are lovely and spirited and precious. But also just a bit sassy. 

And we wouldn't want you any other way. (Well, maybe a little less sassy sometimes.)

We wish you the very best this year and we cannot wait to see where it takes you.

Happy birthday, Alice Anne!

The 6th Year

Happy birthday, Alice!

Today you are 6.

I have to be honest, this one snuck up on me.

6.

Oh my.

This summer, you got to go on a trip with Nana and Mimi (Mrs. Theresa) all by yourself! You got to ride rides and see all the animals at Sea World.

You started Kindergarten a few weeks ago. You come home every day and tell me Mrs. Nowlin made you smile. This year you can buy your own lunch which is AMAZING because they sell ice cream. The second week of school, you spent almost $3 in ice cream. We discussed it and it was decided that ice cream would only be purchased on Friday's. 

So you bought a Rice Krispie treat instead. 

We discussed it again and it was decided that what came with the lunch would be enough and skipping a dessert would be best. You could have one on Friday only. 

You were so obedient to this rule that you threw away a "free ice cream" bracelet you earned from my attendance at a PTO meeting. Bless.

You still sing and dance and play. You are almost always happy. 

Unless you are hungry. Or tired. Or annoyed. Or have to wear jeans. And you have no issues with expressing yourself. At all.

Lego's are still a favorite. You are still very dedicated to making projects and can navigate Pinterest to find the perfect craft. 

You are having to adjust to wearing jeans. There is almost always a crying fit when you have to wear jeans. We hope this just temporary.....

Our hope for your year 6 is that you continue to grow and learn and question. See who you speak to and you listen to their words. Soak up everything you can while you are in school. Letters, numbers, words, friends. All of it. 

We love you with everything we have and we couldn't be more proud of the young lady you are becoming.

Happy birthday, sweet girl.

We love you,
Mom and Dad

Her First Rodeo

Alice has gone out to the Houston Livestock Show since she was born. She LOVES seeing the animals and going through Ag-Venture.

However, we have never taken her to the Rodeo. I felt like she was too young to sit for that long and too much explanation would be required. Plus, it's SO LOUD.

But now that's she's a bit older and is comfortable wearing her headphones, I felt like it would be a good year to take her. 

I found an artist that I didn't think would be too uncomfortable for her and Nana found tickets.

We spent some time looking at the animals and planting a sunflower and going through the farm area. Then it was show time! 

She knew all about it because her teacher had just gone and told the class about it. Alice REALLY wanted to see the bulls. 

With headphones on, she handled it really well! We got through the National Anthem and the opening fireworks. 

And then she asked for the bulls.

The first event is Tie Down roping.

First calf out of the gate, "what are they doing to the cow?!"

This might be a long night.

"They're roping him, I don't think it hurts him. He's okay."

"He yooks sad!!! Sad cow!"

And then she asked for the bulls. 

We rock along and it's Barrel Racing time. One girl knocks the barrel over and Nana gasps. Alice pats her on the arm and says, "it's okay, Nana. They'll pick it up!" 

Still, where are the bulls?!

She FINALLY got to see the bulls. The excitement last about 8 seconds. Probably more like 6 because that's how long the first cowboy managed to stay on.

Alice feels like there should be less contestants. 

She thought the children chasing the cows were not very nice and the kids riding sheep were crazy. "I NOT doing THAT!!" Preach, girl. 

Then the concert. Her first as well. I went with Leon Bridges because his music is beautiful and we enjoyed the show! 

Nana, Alice and I had a lovely Girl's Night Out at the Rodeo!

Until next time.....

Has it been that long?!

I clicked on my blog while I was working on the computer today and noticed my last post was in October. 

OCTOBER!!!

That's SO LONG ago!

I have been so very neglectful. 

So I thought, how do I fix this!? Do I post about holidays? Do I think real hard about something funny or witty that has happened since the start of November? Do I recap 2017? (Let's actually never speak of 2017 again, k, thanks.)

Or do I just pick up from today?

Yes, that seems less stressful. Let's start there....

Health Update. I developed a 4th abscess that FINALLY drained in December. And I hope this is the last time ever in my life I have to type that sentence. REAL TALK! I saw my Boob doctor yesterday and she feels like things are finally looking up. She lowered my steroids and we're going to ride along until the skin heals and I can redo images, however, if the images look good, I might be over this. 

These are my hopes and prayers for the next few months: that the ultrasound and mammogram will be conclusive and that I will NOT need another MRI. They are EXPENSIVE and UNCOMFORTABLE. So I'm praying for conclusive evidence. And I am also hopeful that this will never, ever return. Like, EVER. I would also like to be off the steroids as soon as humanly possible.

It's always sobering when I meet with my Breast Specialist. She's a surgeon so the wait times are always extensive and there's a temptation to be frustrated and annoyed. However, I understand that the woman in the room next to me is there to discuss her recent breast cancer diagnosis and suddenly my time isn't important. Because while what I have been dealing with for the past year (A! YEAR!) isn't fun - it's also not completely life shattering either. So I don't mind waiting. 

Working Momma. I started a new job in October. It is what takes up most of my time while Alice is at school so my writing time is limited. It's a scheduling job - I have a client and I contact his clients to book appointments. It's not hard and it's work-from-home and I can set my own hours. I have hesitated in sharing this because it was still so new, however, so far it's going well. Alice is adjusting to mom being on the phone some when she has a day off. This summer will be a challenge but she's old enough to understand and manage on her own. It has been an adjustment transitioning into work mode while not neglecting other responsibilities. Spoiler alert - the house is almost always a mess. Bless. I will learn to be a dignified house keeper one day.....maybe. 

The Holidays. We had a simply wonderful holiday season! Alice loved everything Christmas. We celebrated with family. We ate a lot. We drank a lot. We were merry. It was lovely. 

A Fresh Year. I was so thankful to end 2017. The stress. The anxiety. The frustration. The brokenness. I have high hopes for 2018 but I refuse to put anything in writing. I also refuse to recap stupid 2017. Nope. Let's just skip it, over and over and over again. 

I want to see things with fresh, patient eyes. I want to budget (my least favorite b word ever) better. I want to find time for my creative outlets. I want to lose all the weight I've gained since this medical journey started. I want to be thankful, regardless. 

These are wants and not goals. See - that's less pressure!  Because, as I sing to our usually screaming 5 year old, "you can't always get what you want....." 

I am curious to see what 2018 brings for our little family. I'm hopeful that things will settle down and I can get back to a new normal that doesn't involve weekly doctors visits and all the medical tests in the book. I would LOVE to not receive medical bills for at least 6 months straight! Such hopes......

For now, I will sort of promise that I will attempt to carve out more time to share our world. 

Until next time......

Day 5 - Epcot!

Our final day.

We chose to go to Epcot on Friday. I was worried because it isn't really a park geared towards little ones, however, we all had a blast! 

We were there during the Food and Wine Festival which is an event that happens every fall. There are snack-sized samples from ALL OVER THE WORLD. It was FANTASTIC!! We saved a lot of our snack credits for this day and we didn't do a table service for lunch and instead ate (and drank) around the world. WORTH IT! 

We started the day with most of the adults riding Soarin' which is a REALLY neat ride in Epcot. I highly recommend it. I wasn't sure how Alice would handle it so she and I did some shopping instead. 


After that, we started in Canada and worked our way through the World Showcase! 

We had nothing on the schedule until much later so we all went our own way. 

Tami, Jon and Travis enjoyed all the drinks and food each country had to offer. They made it all the way to the other end! Mawmaw and Papa tasted their way through the countries as well. 

My Beloved, Alice, Nana, and I took a MUCH slower pace and we never made it past Norway. We stopped to meet Alice, which was a bit awkward again, however, we immediately got in line to meet Mary Poppins and it was completely different. Alice TALKED to her!! AND SMILED!!! Mary is JUST SO MAGICAL!! Seriously. This was enough for me. I got a smiling picture with Mary Poppins. We can go home now. 

We meandered through a few more countries, stopped to have a parasol painted for Alice in France, shopped in China, waited out the rain in Morocco. It was very low pressure and it was a perfect end. 

Before dinner, Alice and I had passes for the Frozen Ever After ride in Norway. It's the EXACT same ride as the Viking ride it used to be only now it's Frozen themed. And I forgot about the two drops until we were on the boat. Ooops. Alice handled it well and let me know that she would like to NEVER do that again. Sure thing, kid. My bad. 

For dinner we ate at Akerhus in Norway. It's a character meal (WITH ALL THE PRINCESSES!!) with traditional Norwegian food. I was worried about the menu, however, it was all delicious! 

AND she smiled with ALL OF THE PRINCESSES!!! Bless it be. She even hugged Cinderella. 


It was WONDERFUL. And COMPLETELY different from our first princess experiences. Again, a perfect way to end the week. 

After dinner, we rode Spaceship Earth and then headed home. We didn't stay for the night show. With it being a Friday, the show would have been later than normal and we were looking forward to going back to the resort. (I've seen the show before and it is worth staying for if you have the energy and the time.)

Meals: 
Lunch (snack credits): Eating through the countries was a lot of fun. Alice isn't an adventurous eater so she mainly ate snacks and a big pretzel. She did eat well at dinner. This park is all about the drinks and you can get traditional drinks in all the countries. With it being Wine and food Fest and the additional countries, the options were amazing. And it's fun! But expensive, so be prepared. 
Dinner (1 Table service): Akershus in Norway. This is a character meal, however, if you are on the Dining Plan it is only 1 Table Service credit which is nice! This is the princess meal I recommend. It didn't feel as rushed, it was an easier wait, and much 'cheaper'. The princesses are great and there's a Princess Parade. Uncle Travis enjoyed walking through the parade with Alice. Bless him too. 

It was a magical week. It was hot and crowded, however, I think we all had a fantastic time! And given some more time, we will all want to go back eventually!! ;)

The 5th Year

Happy birthday, little girl!

Today you turn 5. 

5!! That's halfway to 10! And I'm pretty sure with the amount of sass you currently exude, we might be set for several LONG years. 

You have grown so tall and look less and less like the baby we brought home and more more like a young lady. Only one who doesn't like pants - we need to work on this. Especially when we're not at home..... 

You have SO MANY words and you use them ALL THE TIME. You and your 'sister' have amazing adventures and I am constantly watching your 'Bubs' while you go shopping. 

You sing almost all day. You make up songs and sing your little heart out, over and over and over again. 

You are fiercely independent on some things. You insist you can do it on your own and it "won't take too yong," which is never true. It always takes a million years. Okay, maybe not a million - but close! ;)

You can play for hours in your room on your own in worlds of your own. You are highly attached to your Lego's, a Shopkins set, a horse barn and a group of (almost always naked) barbie-type dolls. Y'all go on amazing adventures together.

While you can play for hours on your own, you want someone to sit with you in the bathroom and watch you wash your hands. And you insist on your hands being completely dry before leaving the restroom which usually means adding on at least 4 extra minutes to each visit.  

You get cranky when you get hungry. This you get from me, sorry. You are so used to hearing "I think you need a snack" when you get cranky that when I get cranky, you tell me, "come wit me to da kitchen, you need a snack."  

You are THE WORST backseat driver. Seriously. "You're going too past!! You're going too slow! Turn the music up! It's too youd! Not dis way. DAT way! Don't be mean, Momma, dey were just turning!" It was so lovely when you would fall asleep in the car..... I debate about turning your car seat back to rear facing almost every time we leave the house.

This year has been another big year. You got to take swimming lessons. You got to go to Disney World! You started Pre-K. You experienced your first hurricane. You have had to go to so many doctor appointments with me and you have been a huge trooper each time. 

You are way too smart for your own good and we are continuously proud of you. 

We live in a scary time and our hope for you is that you recognize the good, fight for what's right, and never compromise what your heart and your head know. You are so loved, sweet girl. You have a village of people who are still praying for you and will for as long as they can. 

We adore you,
Mom and Dad

P.S. Please don't think you're going to Disney for your birthday every year. Nope. That's a once in a lifetime event, my child.

Must Be Her Imagination

Alice has an extremely vivid imagination. She is detailed and committed in her play. She gets extremely put-out with you when you don't know where the story she has in her head is going.

She often has "attend" (pretend) playmates. Sometimes they're sisters or brothers. Sometimes they're her kids (she calls them her "bubs" like I call her, melts my heart) and I'm the Nana. Sometimes it's a party or a wedding we're going to. The other day she came running in saying there were snakes in her room. I asked her to clarify between real or pretend. She said "attend snakes" (Mardi Gras beads). Oh, thank goodness. 

She seems to be a bit more timid at school than she is as home. However, she's starting to talk to them a lot more. 

Yesterday at pick up, Mrs. Christy said, "okay, I have to ask you something."

Oh great..... 

"Does she have a friend or a family member named Belle?"

Me "no."

She then goes on to tell me how Alice talked to them for 30 minutes about her sister Belle and how she hurt herself and had to ride in the Hospital Car (ambulance) and the ride was bumpy. She described everything in detail, without skipping a beat. She talked about how Belle sometimes has blue hair and so on. She was so convincing that they were sure she had recently ridden in an ambulance.

They said she never hesitated or stopped so they really couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not. 

The only pause she took was to ask Mrs. Karen "are you yistening to me?"

The teachers spent some time trying to see where the story would go and eventually Alice mentioned that Belle had a little sister named Cinderella and all teachers felt that there is no way parents would do that to their kids. 

Mrs. Kelly ended up asking, "Alice, is this for real or pretend?"

Alice said, "attend!"

They thought it was hilarious. She talked the entire time and they're pretty sure she only stopped because it was time to eat lunch. 

They were all extremely impressed with her details and Mrs. Christy thinks she should be a writer. 

Oh be still my heart, I hope so.

Her commitment to the stories dancing through her head will probably be why we spend most of our lives asking "real or not real" like broken Peeta. 

But it's a wondrous thing to watch. 

Until next time....

A Big Girl Room

She has been growing out of her toddler bed for a while now. It would probably work still if she didn't insist upon sleeping with 11 stuffed toys, her Elsa doll, a sippy cup of water, and a set of slippers. But nonetheless, her feet hang out of her baby bed. 

I was folding clothes on the bigger bed in her room and said, "when you're ready, you could move to this bed if you wanted to."

Her reply, "YAY!! I syeep in Aunt Tami's bed tonight!"

Hold up, kid!! I meant, like, in the future. Not like RIGHTNOW! 

But nope. I had said enough. This was happening. 

And that night, she slept in her big girl bed.

I got a little emotional. 

The next day I was trying to brainstorm how to rearrange her room to make it more accommodating. Moving furniture is how I cope. I moved the bed and planned on removing the glider in her room. 

This she would not agree to.

"That's mines rocker!!!!"

Instead she told me to remove the baby bed. 

This I did not handle well. 

I moved things around until it was obvious that the baby bed would have to go. Enter the feelings. ALL. OF. THEM.

Sadness that this is happening so soon. Didn't she just come home yesterday!?
Guilt that she will most likely be the only one to use it. 
Pride that she is growing. 
Sadness that she is growing so fast. 

Okay, mostly it was sadness. 

So when my Beloved got home, he took down a baby bed.

He got a little emotional too. That made me feel a bit better about him finding me ugly crying with her sheep the night before. 

So now she has a big girl room with no baby bed. 

But she's asked to be rocked for a few minutes every night since. So I guess there's still a little of the baby left. 

As emotional as I get that she's growing, we couldn't be more proud of her. But we wouldn't complain if she slowed down a bit either.....

Until next time....

A Very Merry Christmas

Every Christmas since Alice has been around has been just so magical. This year was no exception. This is the first Christmas that Alice really understood what was going on. She was excited to decorate, she loved the Christmas lights, and the anticipation of presents was palpable. (We spent so many days going to different houses for presents that now every time we are set to go somewhere, she asks, "I get presents?!" Not this time, kid.)

Christmas Eve, we were at mom's for the candlelight service and our family gift exchange. It was a ball, as usual! While at Nana's, she received a cash register and a little wooden make-up set that she ADORES. Now we are either being made over or getting a "keck up". 

We usually spend the night at mom's, however, this year, we came home and brought Aunt Tami and Uncle Travis with us. (My mom works Christmas day - babies don't know it's a holiday.) We got up, found what Santa brought, ate breakfast and opened presents. It was lovely. This was also the first year that Alice showed any interest in opening presents and every present, she reacted with, "oh wow!! I wub it!!" and hugged it to her. So precious.

Santa brought her lots of Play Doh, panties (her reaction was priceless), a turtle toothbrush holder, a Frozen microphone, a pink book, and Dada made her a lap desk.

Everything but the panties were her most "paborite EVER!" 

Christmas day, we headed up to Huntsville for Christmas with Papa and Mawmaw. She gave everyone a make-over with her new play make up set and we talked to Uncle David's goats.

We had a fantastic Christmas with the ones we love. We hope you did too.

Until next time.....

Her Christmas Ornament

We are continuing a tradition with Alice that meant a lot to Daniel growing up. This year was the first year she could actually pick out her own ornament.

She first picked up a Barbie ornament and wondered around a little until she found the Disney display. She touched all the boxes. "Ohhh!!! Cuuute!" she'd say. She would tell you which character was which. I picked her up to look and touch the ones on the hanging display. And there was Else from Frozen, singing "Let it go." "Ohhh!!! I wub it!!" SOLD!

We found the Elsa box and she held it tight. We paid for it and she carried it all the way home in her seat with her.

Now we get to listen to "Let it go" a million times a day but it doesn't matter. She gets so excited when she sees it. She walks by and just lightly touches her, "It's Elsa!" It brings me joy. It's magical. It's special. And we dance and dance! She has me dance (and I'm extremely dramatic, I'm not sure if you know that) and then she dances JUST LIKE ME. It's HILARIOUS! 

There will be many more years with other ornaments, however, this year might be my most favorite ever. To watch the happiness on her face when she makes the ornament sing is just delightful. 

Welcome home, Elsa. Thanks for making this Christmas so magical for our little one.

Until next time.....

The Dada's Worst Nightmare

*This post is totally TMI territory. This is your warning.*

As parents you constantly play the "what if" game in hopes that one day when the 'what if' presents itself - you have a plan of action already in place. 

What if.....she runs a fever for too long?
What if.....she eats a staple? (DONE!)
What if.....she throws up?
What if.....she poops in the tub?

Sometimes this works in your favor and when a situation comes around, you spring into action and everything works out! However, there are some that you are never prepared for. Ever. No matter how much planning you do. 

That brings us to this week.

On Sunday, Alice woke up and crawled into bed with us. As she was laying there, I heard her start to gurgle and immediately knew she was going to throw up. "Daniel! She's going to throw up!!" We get her sitting up and she throws up a little. Lovely. We get her to the toilet but she's done. She didn't eat much the day before so all she threw up was stomach acid. She immediately asks for milk. I KNEW this is NOT what she needed - at all - but the fit was so spectacular that I said, fine. She did good for about an hour. Then she spewed all over the living room. 

The Dada springs into action! We get the bucket under her chin until she's done and I get her changed while my rock-star husband cleans up the living room. She didn't throw up again, however, every time she got her hand near her mouth, we jumped up - "are you going to be sick?!" Her response every time - "No, I good." Yeesh.

And then there's last night. 

The Dada gives Alice her bath while I clean and get things ready for the next day. As soon as I turn the sink water off, I hear my impatient husband say, "TIMBERLEY! Can you please come here!" Yeesh, hold your horses! I was doing the dishes!

I get to the bathroom and he's kneeling next to the bathtub with his hands up like he's surrendering. "I was doing to the dishes. Is there something wrong?!"

"YES! She has POOPED in the TUB!"

I look over the side of the tub and sure enough, there's a big turd. My immediate response was to laugh. He did not think that was a proper immediate response. My second response was to ask if I could go get my camera. Again, he did not feel this was an appropriate second response either. 

Apparently our child managed to place some in his hand with her question of "wuss at?" before he figured out what was going on and became completely unglued. We get her out and sit her on the counter wrapped in a towel so Daniel can clean the tub. EVERYTHING was scrubbed. While the decontamination was going on, Alice and I discussed where poop goes. It's dirty and it goes in the toilet. To make her Dada even more crazy, she thinks it's cute to say it goes in the bathtub. I'm not sure he's ever bathing her again until we've confirmed she's gone poop already. 

Oh, the joys of parenting!

Now for the part where I brag on the Dada. Y'all, he's not big on germs. He's not Howie Mandel crazy but he prefers clean. He's a dedicated hand washer. He cringes when she puts things near her mouth. A little part of his soul dies when he catches her licking things like the wall in a store or something equally disgusting. And yet he has handled this kid SO WELL. He hasn't fainted or died yet and he still willingly gives her hugs and kisses. I am so proud! Alice won the Daddy Lottery. Bless him.

It took some time to settle after Poop Gate; it rattled the Dada quite a bit. I tried to tell him this is something that happens ALL the time!! It's totally normal.

And then I said, "I know it's cliche but.......$#*$ happens!" 

He didn't find that amusing either. 

Until next time......

Editor's Note: this was published with permission by the Dada.