Moving On Up

Steve's hunting camp, Wildwood, has its first home on site. Steve and three other members purchased a mobile home (single-wide) months ago, but until now the site at the hunting camp was not ready for such a wonderful hunk of junk, I mean lovely home. Moving day was yesterday, and the boys are hard at work trying to make it a place where the wives will occasionally come hang out, i.e. cook dinner. It now has electricity from a propane powered generator. A well will be dug soon to provide water, and I am told they are working on some sort of septic tank. I never thought my city-raised Brit would be so excited about a mobile home. Obviously he is fitting into rural life in Mississippi quite well.

Camp Clarksdale Pictures

Whiff! This is what I look like playing golf. Oh no, I hope Matthew inherits his Daddy's swing instead of mine. Matthew is playing golf on the course Papa made in the front yard.


This is the swing!


Matthew wanted to do a "big one."


Papa made Sam's swing out of an old milk crate. He sawed off one side, sanded down the rough edges, rigged it up with some chain, and added a safety board to keep Sam inside. It was something else!

Fun Week with the Neal Boys

What a week! Pete and Sam were here for almost one full week. We all loved having them here. The adults did a fair amount of refereeing the boys, but overall the boys got along well. My hat goes off to Precious, Papa, and Steve for a job well done.

The hard work for some adults began Thursday and Friday when Mary Margaret and I abandoned our children, parents, and Steve and headed to New York and Montgomery, respectively. Sister met up with Dave for a much needed break from children, and I ran off to be with Caroline and party at her baby shower. Poor Steve, Precious, and Papa were left with all the boys. Good thing is there was only one casualty.

Bob Junior, a gift from our neighbors after Bob Sr. died in their care, did not make it through the weekend. Thankfully, all boys were fed each meal. It was just Bob Junior who suffered.

Pete, Matthew and Sam didn't suffer a bit. Their week consisted of a trip to the Aquatic Center in Tunica, playing golf on a three hole course in Papa's front yard, swinging on a Papa-made swing, driving the little John Deere tractor, a trip to Wal-Mart, watching airplanes at the Coahoma County airport, multiple laps around the neighborhood on bike or tricycle or tractor or on foot, hours playing with matchbox tractors, front end loaders, dump trucks, etc. etc. Again I say, what a week!

Hopefully, I will post pictures of their adventures soon.

We Love Visitors!

In May, Steve and I were looking at the calendar for July. We thought, hmm, not a lot going on. Well, the month is shaping up to be incredibly fun-filled thanks to visitors.

Grammy and Maxine were here last week. Matthew was absolutely beside himself. He had so much fun playing with them he didn't want to eat or sleep. He had a blast. Since Maxine and Grammy had their cameras out, I saw no need to take pictures with my camera. (Maxine and/or Grammy, when you get a chance, could you please send some pictures to me and I will post them on the blog.) Maxine and Grammy were just the first wave of visitors for us.

Mags, Pete, and Sam should arrive within the next few hours! We haven't pumped Matthew up too much for their arrival. I was hoping he would take a good nap today so he would have lots of energy to play with his cousins. After the Neals leave Monday, we have more visitors knocking on the door Friday.

Mate, Joni and Uncle Glyn are coming in town to celebrate Glyn's birthday and get some good time with the little boy. We are really looking forward to seeing them!

Thanks so much to all of our visitors for making the trek to Mississippi. We adore seeing each and every one of you!!! If anyone else would like to come, please, bring it on!!

The Fourth

We had a fabulous Fourth of July! The day began with the fishing rodeo at the country club. Matthew and his daddy caught three brim! Technically, Steve did the casting and waiting, then Matthew reeled them in. That was just the start of the day. After nap time we went to Moon Lake. First we played at the Mohead's, then we had dinner at the Tyner's. Surprisingly, I did not forget my camera! Remember, if you click on a picture it will pop up bigger.


Here are the great fishermen! I never said they were big brim!


Matthew won 5 bucks for his fishing expertise!


Mary Thomas and Ellie Tucker; Matthew; Jack Mohead


Matthew is sitting in the chair watching the fireworks. The wind took an unexpected turn and blew smoke in his eyes.


Matthew and Hannah Mullens on Mike Tyner's boat. Hannah and Matthew love each other. Hannah is incredibly sweet to him. I wish I could say Matthew was sweet to Hannah. Hopefully that will come with age!

ABCs in Shower

I am sorry the video is sideways in the beginning and a little short of "X, Y, and Z".

My Sunshine

Steve took these photos while I was at a family wedding this past weekend. Matthew found my headband I use when I wash my face.

Oh, my little prima donna.


He is blowing you a kiss!

Kiawah Videos

At last, here are the videos from Kiawah!


Kindness to Nephew Sam


Disaster. The bucket of sticks fell over. My favorite part is Steve's sigh at the end! That sigh sums up how we feel sometimes.


Matthew can only take so much. Poor kid would get afraid of the waves. To make matters worse, Steve and I were in hysterics. Mean parents.


Steve is more supportive in this one.


As each wave crashes Matthew and Steve it also gets me. The first wave was a little chilly for me.


In between waves, Matthew said hello to the pelican.

Watching Barney

Exhaustion

Crab

Build it up, Tear it Down

Sand castles didn't last long with this bunch.

Fishing Trip

Steve, Precious, and Papa went fishing. Steve caught a sting ray!

Matthew and His Daddy

First Atlanta

We stopped in Atlanta to pick up the Neals on our way to Kiawah. The boys enjoyed playing in our car while Mags and Uncle Dave finished packing their car.


On our way to Atlanta Matthew found my pillow and cuddled up with it for a nap.

Oh What Fun!

Sadly, we are home. We did not want our time in Kiawah to end. Matthew keeps asking about the beach. First thing this morning he asked me what happened to the beach. Needless to say, we had a marvelous time!

Pictures and videos will be posted soon. I just need to filter through 115 to find the best ones for the blog.

I will leave you with this sweet little story. Midway through Matthew's nap on our return trip home he woke up, stretched, yawned, and said, "Thank you, Da." Steve replied with a you're welcome, then Matthew fell back asleep. Who knows what he was thankful for at that moment, but we are all incredibly thankful for our time in Kiawah. Perhaps that is what he was dreaming about.

And They're Off

We leave tomorrow morning for Kiawah Island, SC! We are seriously looking forward to cooler temperatures, fun with cousins, and lots of sand!

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately. I promise lots of pictures when we return.

My last checkup with the baby doctor was just fine. I passed the three hour glucose tolerance test, so no gestational diabetes. The baby's heartbeat is strong, and everything else is right on track. I cannot believe I am now 17 weeks pregnant. This is really flying by!

Ready to Run Errands

Yesterday, Matthew found a gift bag I keep around to haul his trucks. He draped the handle over his arm like a purse then made way for the door. I wasn't quite ready yet (my purse wasn't on my arm). I stalled him by telling him he needed his keys. After giving him his set of keys, he demanded his sunglasses. Everyday he tries to look just like his daddy, but apparently yesterday he wanted to look like me. Here is the look:

Not Finding Out

My aunt, Nancy, left a comment asking if we were going to find out the sex of the baby. I love surprises too much to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl in an ultrasound. So, we will wait until the baby is delivered!

Thanks for leaving a comment, Nancy. I love reading comments. They give me encouragement to keep posting.

I told you I would keep you up to date regarding the results of my second glucose tolerance test. They have not called me with the results, and I am assuming no news is good news.

Summer Summer Summertime

We have been very busy the last few weeks, but I haven't taken many pictures. Mags, Pete, and Sam visited about a month ago. So here is a picture of Pete and Matthew eating bananas early one morning. Also, Georgia Dulaney came over for a visit this week. We set up a pool in the backyard. In the photo they are eating banana pops. We obviously love any and all things banana. The kids had a great time playing. It is going to be a great summer!

Week Thirteen Factoids

- Your infant is about 2.91 inches (7.4cm) and weighs around 0.81 ounce (23gm) - This is about the same weight as 4 quarters.
- If you could peek in again you may spot your baby as he begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements
- Eyes and ears continue to move and develop
- Baby's neck is getting longer, and the chin no longer is resting on his chest
- Her hands are becoming more functional - Your baby may find it comforting to start playing with her fist.
- At this point all nourishment is received from the placenta
- On your next doctor visit you should be able to hear heartbeat with a Doppler by now - (Don't worry though if you can't, the heartbeat can be confirmed through U/S). Your baby's heartbeat is much rapider than your own and may remind you of the race towards birth that he is running!

BABY BABY BABY

I am pregnant and 13 weeks along!! The baby is due November 21. Yep, that is the day before Thanksgiving. Oh what timing!

We have a lot to do before the baby gets here. Mainly, we must find a new house. Our little house only has two bedrooms. We hope to get started house hunting soon. We know this baby will be here before we know it. Summers and Falls always seem to fly by!

I have been feeling alright. I am looking forward to the second trimester! My doctor tells me everything looks great. However I did fail my first glucose tolerance test. I failed the first one with Matthew too, but passed the second one. Hopefully I will pass the second test I take Friday morning. I will keep y'all posted.

All Well

We are all well at last. Steve ended up getting the dreadful bug just as Matthew was on the mend. It has been quite a week to say the least. Steve and I are heading to Southaven this afternoon for a much needed trip to Target and a quiet dinner. It will be nice to get away.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Long Day

This morning our little prince woke up in a rotten mood. He did eat a little, then fell asleep for a two hour morning nap. That nap was his and my saving grace. After the nap his mood lightened, but his tummy reverted to how it was yesterday. Thankfully he took another nap this afternoon. He woke up still feeling pretty crummy. At last around 5:30 his tummy calmed down, and he started to feel better. Hopefully tomorrow his tummy will be back to normal. I should take a picture of him. Poor little guy didn't have much weight on him to begin with and now he is even slighter in frame. We have lots of bulking up to do before swimsuit season!

Too Soon

I spoke too soon. It has been another tough day. Despite lots and lots of aquaphor with each diaper change (believe me we have had too many to count) his poor little bootie is getting chapped. I just changed him again. Hopefully he will sleep soundly now. I will keep you updated. Please pray this is over soon. We, including Matthew's bootie, are all worn out.

Better

Yesterday was a long day. Instead of throwing up it came out the other way, all day. Poor Matthew. Good news is his fever broke in the middle of the night. He has already eaten a piece of french toast, and he is taking his second cat nap of the morning. It looks like he is on the mend!

Update

He is snoozing soundly now. Whew. He last threw up around 5:30PM, and after a good nap he ate 4-5 crackers and drank some water. Thankfully he kept that down. He had three mini naps this afternoon and was happy to go to bed at 8:00PM as usual.

So far Steve and I feel just fine. We hear it is an adult friendly, kid only virus. We should be all clear. Let's pray for a good night.

I leave you with a funny thing he said the other day. I told him Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was coming on tv. He ran into the living room shouting "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and he jumped onto the couch. Then he threw his feet out in front of him and said, "take my shoes off." Guess he wanted to be just like Fred...

Stomach Bug

UGH.

Matthew started throwing up at 8:30 this morning. He is asleep right now - 1st time he has been able to rest all day.

Please pray we all don't get it.

I will keep you posted.

Oh How I Love Corn

Pictures from Juke Joint Festival

Matthew and Hayes Clegg took a spin on the train.


Looks like we are going to have a lot of explaining to do this Thanksgiving.


Matthew fed the goats!


He wasn't afraid of feeding the goats until...


...this goat tried to nibble his finger as he fed it a corn husk. (This picture was taken prior to the corn husk incident.) After that it took him a while to warm up to the goats in the trailer, but he wouldn't have a thing to do with this goat.

Matthew and Daddy thoroughly enjoyed the cowboy monkeys.


Here they are - the cowboy monkeys with their dogs and trainer.


Matthew tasted his first cotton candy and loved it!

Where have we been?

The answers are Atlanta for Easter, nursing Matthew's high fever and enjoying the Juke Joint Festival with Maxine.

Easter in Atlanta was fun-filled. We arrived Thursday, then Steve and Matthew played at Uncle Glyn's house with Glyn, Grammy and Maxine on Friday morning while Mags and I ran errands in preparation for the Easter festivities held at her house. Friday night Steve had a sleep over at Shawn's house with Tracy and Eric. Thankfully he returned to Mags house injury free on Saturday. Saturday afternoon and evening we dyed Easter eggs and ate pasta at the Prestia's house. Lots of Birdsongs were in attendance so naturally it was a great deal of fun. Sunday morning we went to Pete's church and nursery. The only tears shed were mine when we sang "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today". Matthew was happy as a lark in the nursery. But after lunch and a nap, his little attitude was the reverse. He had a fever of 103, but thanks to a serious dose of Motrin he still wanted to hunt for Easter eggs (really the candy contained inside :). Nam took pity on the poor boy and led him around the yard in search for candy eggs. We arrived home Monday afternoon, and Matthew was feeling much better Tuesday. By the time Friday came and Maxine rolled into town he was back running at full throttle.

Last weekend was so much fun. The festivities kicked off Saturday morning. First things first, he had a football painted on his cheek by ladies of Junior Auxiliary. Then he took a spin on the train with Hayes Clegg. Steve went too, but he had to walk beside the train because it was a child only ride. After the train ride Matthew fed goats at the petting zoo. Many goats later, we ventured over to the pig races. Our favorite part was in the last heat when the little piggies took a swim. Part of the race course included a mini lap pool. The piggies leapt into the pool and rushed to the finish line. It was absolutely hysterical, and Matthew loved it. After visiting more tents and eating lunch, we headed home for nap time. Post siesta we went back downtown for our finale of the festival - monkeys riding dogs. Owned by a world champion bull rider, these cowboy monkeys ride border collies and herd big horn sheep in an mind blowing demonstration. Apparently they do this at rodeos all over the country. I know you think this is too good to be true. Just wait. We have pictures to prove it!

Saturday night Steve, Maxine and I went Juke Joint'n. Great blues, beer, and friends made for an incredibly enjoyable evening!

Now it is Tuesday. Clothes are in the washer and dryer, and Matthew is napping. I will post pictures of Easter and the festival as soon as I get a chance. Bye!

Easter Pictures

More Easter Pictures

John 16:33

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33


Happy Easter Everybody!

Birthday Fun

Yesterday we went to our cousin, Patrick Marinelli's 8th birthday party. Before we left for the party I told Matthew where we were going. He immediately said birthday cake. Then on our way there he said, "I can, I can blow candles." I told him I knew he could blow out candles, but the candles on the cake would be for Patrick to blow out. He didn't like that response so he told me again, "I can blow candles." So I told him that the candles were Patrick's. Once again he said, "I can blow candles." Once again I told him the candles were Patrick's. Then in all seriousness he said, "Share." Nuff said about that.

Last night after prayers I started singing lullabies, as is our custom. Matthew asked me, "Sing Happy Birthday Patrick." This threw me for a loop because usually if he wants me to sing Happy Birthday it is to himself, but I guess he was getting more used to the idea of sharing birthday fun with Patrick. Anyway, he ended up requesting the song five times last night. It was after the fifth time I told him it was time for bed. Whew.