Totally Not Fair!

Annabelle never snuggles with me. It is truly hard for me to understand as she loved being held as a baby, and I rocked her to sleep on most nights until just recently when we were making the transition to her big girl bed.

But last night, I had a girls night out, and hubby told me that she snuggled with him during the 5-minute "snuggle time" she is allowed every night. The same 5-minute "snuggle time" where she moves restlessly next to me as I long for just one tiny snuggle from my little girl.

What do I get? Salt in the wound!

She fell asleep on the way home this evening, and hubby came out and stayed in the car with her until she woke up while I got Sophia in the house to be fed. She was still sleepy when hubby brought her inside and laid her down on our bed. He then laid down next to her, and in spite of me, that little stinker snuggled up close to her Daddy where they drifted off to sleep for awhile.

I want a "mama's boy" since it appears I'll never have a snuggle puppy from my girls! Sophia reminds me more and more of her sister every single day.

A Daddy's Touch

So far [knock on wood], the second time around is much easier. I told hubby if next time I get pregnant shortly before Sophia is age 2, I could have a whole house full of kids. Well, if I can also forget the horrible labor and delivery this time around and this letdown period and emotional roller coaster I am on right now.

But, I do love me some babies! That is when they are mine.

I've even noticed how much more laid back hubby is with Sophia than he was with Annabelle. We both were probably more uptight because we didn't quite know what we were doing. I remember him asking with Annabelle, "What do I do?"

But, he has the touch! I cannot change Sophia's diaper without her screaming bloody murder. We really need to get that wipe warmer out of the shed because she does not like the cold wipes, and I don't blame her one bit.

As for hubby, he's got the touch! Sophia was asleep this evening, but yet it was very close to feeding time. Annabelle was in her room attempting to fall asleep. Annabelle will claim "Sophia woke me up" for every whimper that Sophia makes. Of course, Annabelle was never asleep in the first place. She sleeps through the cries all during the night, so I know Sophia did not wake her up. And, Sophia desperately needed a diaper change.

Hubby changed her diaper without even a whimper! I was completely amazed. I said, "How did you do it?" He just shrugged his shoulders. Of course, I know he warmed the wipe, and his hands are much warmer than mine, but still, he definitely has got a Daddy's touch with this little girl!

Perhaps Sophia is going to be a Daddy's girl. I already suspect that she is going to get away with a lot more than her big sister!

To Hell in a Handbasket

Fortunately, hubby has traveled for business very little this year. And, I say "fortunately" because the misfortune that comes with him traveling is always fun!

He left last night around 7:00 p.m. to catch an 8:55 p.m. flight.

The following resulted today (in this order):

1. I was a little chilly this morning (even though the temperature in the house was 68 degrees, and I never go above 68 degrees in the fall/winter). So, I decided to crank up the heat just a bit for the first time this fall. And to my surprise, it blew only cool air. The furnace never did kick on. The best part...the fan would NEVER turn off by itself, no matter what I did. I even changed the setting to cool, and the air conditioner kicked on, but after I turned the air conditioner off, the fan continued to run. You probably think I'm crazy, but we've had this problem several times before. The last time was a week before Annabelle was born back in October 2006. Poor child came home from the hospital to space heaters because our heat was not working. Turns out it was a faulty part on the unit which was replaced for free because of past issues with that same part with other people. Fortunately, the part replaced in 2006 has an extended five-year warranty on that part. Have I mentioned that this happened another time (maybe two times) before the year Annabelle was born? Yep! That's right! So, I'm hoping for warm weather because we have no heat, and the space heaters are packed away neatly in the shed.

2. I realized late morning/early afternoon that a bib I had left on the washer to dry before we went camping this past weekend was still wet. No, wait, it was completely soaked! And, the threshold between the office and "laundry room" (aka closet) was wet and warped. And, the drum in the washer was filled slightly with water. Just as a visual, we have a front loader.

3. Annabelle learned to break a circuit (if that is what you call it). She basically learned how to use her bathroom stool to open the door to the circuits in the hallway (which is still really high off the ground in the hallway, mind you, even with a stool) and flip the switch to an "off" position. It took me forever to figure out why the washing machine wouldn't work when I tried to run it at 11:00 this evening.

So, as for the fortunately, my parents came to my rescue! And on their 46th anniversary to top it off! Thank you, thank you, thank you Mother and Daddy! What would I do without you guys?

My Dad helped remove the doors to the laundry room and unscrew the threshold. And, once we determined that the water hadn't leaked underneath the washing machine and had more than likely just leaked internally (which he thinks he can help hubby fix with a $50 part) and as a result leaked on the bib which then just leaked the excess on the floor, he held the flashlight so I could clean all of the dirt, grime and mold out of the inside of the seal at the door. Gross, huh? Yes, pretty disgusting! Especially when you didn't realize until just recently that your washing machine was housing such nastiness. If you have a front loader, be sure and clean inside that seal on a regular basis or you too will have the same problem in 8 years! Holy cow we're getting old! I cannot believe we've lived in this house for 8 years! Well, I guess a year and a half don't technically count since we lived in TN while hubby got his Master's degree.

As for the furnace, my Dad just recommended I flip the circuit since the fan wouldn't cut off on its own.

And, that, my friends, resulted in a new lesson for Annabelle. Flipping the circuit breakers! What do you think I thought when my washing machine wouldn't start this evening after I spent at least an hour cleaning the darn thing this afternoon? Too bad Annabelle wasn't awake. She probably could have resolved the issue on her own immediately by flipping the circuit back to the "on" position.

So, hubby is no longer allowed to go out of town without me! Because apparently, major appliances break and water leaks are inevitable when he travels.

Last October, when he was out of town on business, my kitchen sink decided to leak quite extensively. I had quite a mess on my hands in the cabinet under the sink, and I never could figure out the problem. We didn't figure out until Christmas that our Corian sink somehow had a huge crack until the huge crack showed its ugly behind!

So, I'm off to bed and praying that nothing else breaks tomorrow!

Is he with Jesus?

"Is he with Jesus?" Annabelle asked this evening.

These words struck a chord in my heart so strong. It is just so hard to believe that an innocent child truly believes there is a Jesus living in heaven even though she's never met this so called person named Jesus (or God). If only we as adults could see everything through the eyes of an innocent child.

Hubby's father had passed away back in September of 1994 when hubby was only 16 years old. I don't think he's ever truly stopped grieving for his Dad, and I know for a fact that he has never forgot him. During a time in our lives when most of us cannot stand to be seen in public with our parents, hubby lost one of his own. I am sure he respected and looked at both his parents in a different light from a much earlier age than most of us. It takes having kids of our own sometimes to truly appreciate our parents, but unfortunately, I think hubby was forced to see the light much sooner.

So, this afternoon, hubby asked me if I wanted to watch the video tape that his Dad had recorded for him, his brother and his mom before he became very ill. He actually had not watched the video himself for the first time until this past December 2008. I had mentioned to him that I wanted to watch it as well. I did not expect him to pull it out the day before Father's Day.

Before we started the tape, I told Annabelle that we were going to watch a video tape of hubby's Daddy. I told her that Papa Leon, hubby's Daddy, was in heaven.

Her response to that was, "Is he with Jesus?"

I don't know how your heart does not skip a beat when your young child asks such questions, but it brought tears to my eyes.

As for the video, it also brought tears to my eyes. I've heard so many wonderful things about Papa Leon, and I wish I could have met him myself. I don't know if he had a script, but if he didn't, he spoke everything so eloquently. It was very clear to see that hubby also learned a lot about love and integrity from not only his mother, but also from his father. I could tell from the video that he loved his family with all of his heart (and then some).

One thing I remember the most from the video is he told his boys that one of the best things they could ever do for their children was "to love their mother." It speaks so true to my heart. I have no doubt that Nonnie loved Leon. He was her everything and definitely her true love. And, after watching the video, I see just how much Leon loved Donnie. You cannot fake feelings of true love, and he truly and deeply loved his wife (and his children).

And, I think the same goes for any family. I think the best thing any spouse can do for their children is to love the other spouse and to show that love to their children. I, myself, am fortunate enough to have parents who love each other dearly. They don't always agree, but I know they love each other. And, I know the same was true for Nonnie and Leon.

I hope that Annabelle will one day grow up to tell her own children the same thing. I just hope and pray that we'll be a good example for her!

Obviously, she has already been a good example for us. Who are we as human beings to question the existence of Jesus and God?

If only we could see everything through the eyes of an innocent child!


This blog entry was read and approved by hubby before posting.

I was missing you

"I was missing you."

Those sweet little words were spoken this evening when I arrived back from dinner with a friend at 9:30 p.m. and went in to check on my daughter who was calling, "I need to go tee tee in potty!"

I'm not sure if she really needed to go tee tee in the potty all that bad (even though she did). I think she either heard or felt my presence in the house. But, the extra time spent rocking and singing to Annabelle was well worth the way she completely melted my heart when she said, "I was missing you," as soon as she saw me.

I later learned that she told hubby as he started singing songs to her that, "I don't like you. I want Mommy." And, honestly, I somewhat feel bad for him because I know deep down it really does hurt his feelings. But, I only feel somewhat bad because I know my day will come when she no longer wants anything to do with me and her Daddy can do no wrong.

I did learn that hubby was trying to buy a little love this evening. He told me to just go, that he would take care of dinner. As I always do, I asked what Annabelle ate for dinner (because I wanted to know if she ate a good dinner like a good girl). His response: "Yes, she ate half a peanut butter sandwich and a hot dog." Nice! Very healthy, don't you think!

She had already tattled on her Daddy while I was rocking her, and she informed me that she had two cookies. He spilled the beans for me to learn that these cookies were before dinner! She's been having major separation anxiety when I leave her with her Daddy lately, and she cried when I left this evening. Bless her heart! She was crying for me as she waved goodbye as I drove away. It broke my heart! But, apparently, oatmeal spice cookies heal everything!

Dear Annabelle,

You better hope that I outlive your Daddy or you are going to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hot dogs and cookies every day for the rest of your life! I'm not sure that any fruits and vegetables would ever be in the mix.

Love always,

Mommy


Dear Hubby,

If something does ever happen to me, please, I beg you, either hire a nanny or marry someone who is at least as domesticated as me (and that isn't saying much)!

Love always,

Your Dearest Wife

Still crazy in love?

He's either blind or still crazy in love. Hubby made the following comment to me during dinner last night.

"You are prettier today than the day I married you."

We were eating at a pizza place, Maddio's, only because we had a coupon for a free pizza with the purchase of another pizza and two beverages. It was just the two of us as Annabelle was spending the night with my parents. We haven't had dinner out, just the two of us, in a very, very long time! I think the last time was our anniversary back in July.

I had said to hubby, "You know, I look at pictures of myself two and a half years ago and then now, and I think, 'man, I look so much older. She [Annabelle] has really aged me.'"

His response was, "I don't think so. You are prettier today than the day I married you."

You think that comment would have been followed by laughter from him, but it wasn't. He was dead serious. So, I am convinced that he is either blind or still crazy in love.

Purple

Purple is definitely Annabelle's favorite color! Who knew that a two year old could already decide on her favorite color?

It actually came to me last week that, yes, purple is indeed her favorite color. I don't remember why it clicked with me, but I think it had something to do with her insisting on the purple M&M (pastel Easter color) and purple jelly bean when it came to her prize for tee teeing in the potty.

Oddly enough, Grandmama even noticed it this past weekend. She said to me, "She really seems to like purple. That must be her favorite color."

But, now that I'm thinking about it, I am thinking that Annabelle decided to like purple because she decided that she liked purple jelly beans the best while we were on vacation. Hubby had told her that pink jelly beans were his favorite. We then asked her which one was her favorite jelly bean. She said then that she liked the white jelly beans. But, we ran out of white jelly beans, and she started requesting the purple jelly beans instead (and pink also).

She has confirmed that, "I don't like the black jelly beans!" She originally had liked them until hubby told her that he didn't like them. That just means more for Mommy (and Grandmama) because I love the black jelly beans!

But, it just isn't the purple M&M's and purple jelly beans that catch her eye. Last night, we were reading a book, and the first thing she noticed was the purple tab on one page of the book. Each page had a tab with a different color, but the purple tab was the tab she noticed and pointed out to us.

So, anyhow, I wonder what her favorite color will be in 10, 15 or 20 years!

My favorite color is blue. I am currently, as I type, trying to get hubby to tell me his favorite color. His response: "How long have you known me?" I said, "It is green, right? Maybe blue? Just tell me! We've had this discussion before, and I swear you said it was green or maybe blue."

Then, I thought for a second because he wouldn't respond, and a light bulb went off. "Orange?!?! Orange doesn't count for your favorite color!"

"Why not?" he replied.

"Because who likes orange? You only like orange because of TN, and that doesn't count."

And, hubby is smiling when I say, "Tell me your favorite color! Please! This is for Annabelle to know one day."

So, for those of you with hubby's e-mail address, will you please e-mail him to confirm if green or blue is his favorite color? If he responds with "orange," just tell him that orange does not count!

My CVS Bag

Just this morning, hubby was making fun of my toiletry bag that I brought on vacation because it was full of stuff that he apparently thought I didn't need. He called it my CVS bag. Oddly enough, it honestly did not have much stuff that I haven't already used. And, honestly, I should probably be bringing more to prepare for toddler accidents.

So, this evening, when he arrived back from his evening excursion geocaching (his new found hobby), I believe he was thankful that I brought my CVS bag with me.

He had literally punched holes into his stomach in his attempt to climb a fence to reach his treasure. I'll be sending his boss the hospital bill later (if a hospital visit is warranted)! Why? Because we have his boss to think for this new found hobby. LOL!

I played "mom" to hubby and cleaned his wounds with hydrogen peroxide. He whined more than Annabelle does when I clean her wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Now I know where she gets it! Does anyone else think that hydrogen peroxide hurts?

And, honestly, I should have been the one whining! That wound looked nasty, no joke! Hubby's description of it described it best, but I won't gross you out like he did me.

Here is a picture of hubby and one of his new found treasures today. Annabelle joined in on the fun when she realized there were treasures for her too. Hubby wouldn't let her take the Hot Wheel she liked and wanted to play with. Instead, he opted for a string of red Mardi Gras looking beads.

This picture was taken on May 6th, 2009 at 11:01 a.m. at the Orange Hall House Museum in St. Marys, Georgia where hubby found his treasure under the stairs.

Bookshelves for Charity

As I think I've mentioned before, my husband is one of the most unselfish people that I know. I guess we probably make a great team because I feel like I am often the most selfish person I know. Annabelle is really making me work hard on that lovely attribute though.

So, out of the goodness of his heart, hubby volunteered to build bookshelves for the cancer center at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia as part of a charitable initiative through his work.

Honestly, I wasn't too happy with the idea. He didn't ask me. And, as a result, I just knew that our weekends were going to be spent with hubby working in the shed building these bookshelves. It is hard enough dealing with him being gone during the week (for work), much less on the weekend (out in the shed building bookshelves).

I asked him, "Couldn't we just have given enough money for them to buy the bookshelves instead?" He said, "I thought this would give us an opportunity to give this year without hitting us financially."

So, as I mentioned, I was still very irritated, which made for a bad weekend for us because I was so irritated.

He did manage to get the bookshelves built, and for the most part, on his own time when Annabelle was sleeping. I never offered to look at them, but deep down, I really wanted to see what they looked like. He had promised to have them finished and to the office by today. So, I knew he had to load them into the truck this morning. I asked him to take a picture of them so I could see them because I knew he wouldn't if I didn't ask. He said, "You don't really care to see them." But, honestly, I really did want to see them as he always does such great work.

I actually didn't think he took the pictures out of spite, but he did. So, here are a few good shots of his work. They still need a paint or stain job, but I understand that someone else at the office will be handling the painting.

Hubby, thank you for continuing to show your love to others through your kindness. This is definitely one of the reasons I fell in love with you almost 11 years ago! I am sorry for not supporting you like I should have on this project, but you pulled through for everyone as promised, with little time away from me and Annabelle.

I'm just glad you still have all ten fingers! And, for anyone else who doesn't already know that story, I'll have to blog about that one another day!