I live in a small town.  This means in order to buy clothes (especially children clothes), house decor, baby stuff (I LOVE my new toilet lid latch for kiddos!) or to just go TARGET-ing, I have to drive an hour.  Don’t get me wrong I LOVE my little southern town, but man do I feel like a country mouse in the city.  More on that another time…

I took backroads on my way to said BIG city!  It was a beautiful day, blue skies, clouds, green grass, cows…ahhhh.  I rounded a bend in the road and noticed what appeared to be a male cardinal in the road:

Male Northern Cardinal

Female Northern Cardinal

I slowed down to make sure he flew away.  At the last moment, he flew up into the trees, and it was then that I saw the female cardinal lying in the middle of the road.

Admittedly, I am a total animal sap.  It truly hurt my heart to see that poor Cardinal checking on his mate.  Bless his heart, I wonder if somehow in his little bird brain he was thinking (with a Southern accent of course) “Caaar-leeeene wake up!  What are you doing in the middle of the road?  You gonna get squarshed.”  And yes, I did name her Carlene the Cardinal.  Sue me.

Northern Cardinals are monogamous, meaning they mate for life.  However, their life expectancy is around one year, so it’s not like they get around to celebrating their 25th anniversary or anything.

When I was baby we lived on a little farm.  Growing up I heard loads of stories about “The Farm.”  The cardinals reminded me of one of my dad’s stories concerning the difference between mama cows and mama goats.  If a goat’s offspring perished, often the doe would seem completely unaware of the deceased kid, and sometimes even traipse across the deceased animal.

Now I like goats.  But that said, I can’t say this surprises me.

Dad told me a particular story about a cow who lost her calf in the middle of winter.  He said that he and mom realized the calf had died around dusk, but decided to bury it in the morning, as the ground was frozen solid.  Well, the momma cow had other ideas.  He said she kept bellowing loudly and walking around the calf.  They went out to check on the cow and she had moved the hay into a ring around her calf.  At that point, Dad decided he would bury the calf.  Frigid temp and hard ground be darned.

Interesting to think about animals and their “connections” to their mates, their young or their “family.”  As a veterinarian, I’ve seen and heard of pets becoming depressed, lethargic, and anorexic in response to the death of their owner or another family pet.

I can’t say for sure what goes on in their little brains.  But, I believe their compassion, love, connectedness, or however you want to describe it goes much deeper than we know.

Where did those lashes come from?

Snuggling with daddy.

Lovin’ the kiddie pool!  And look at those teeth!

Want more picture fun?   Check out Wordless Wednesday or Seven Clown Circus!

Months that is.  I cannot believe my baby is eleven months old today.  …..  Which inevitably means she’ll be a year old next month.  Crazy mad math skills here, huh?  My algebra teacher would be so proud.

But seriously, I actually got teary eyed when I realized that today was the 28th.  And don’t get me wrong I am so unbelievably thankful that Mary James is healthy, growing normally and happy.  Period.  What blessings God has given us.

Back to the growing up part…  Watching her cruise around, pet the cats, giggle, raise the lid to the toilet (yeah that’s a new trick!), I can’t fathom that a WHOLE year has almost passed.  Is there some unwritten rule?  Time must rapidly pass by when a baby enters the picture?

There must be a switch in heaven that flips time to lightening speed the second the umbilical cord is cut.  And yeah I’m sure it has to do with how busy you are with a baby.  However, I was pull-your-hair out crazy busy in vet school but that didn’t seem to blow by at the speed of light.  What gives?

I’m going to be a blubbering mess when she enters kindergarten.  My poor child. 

Look for a photo and maybe video montage for Mary James’ first birthday next month.

Yesterday, Mary James was happily noshing on cheese and peaches when I decided to warm up a few green beans for her lunch.  I placed a few on a microwaveable dish and then popped them in the microwave.

Approximately five seconds later I hear a popping sound and then the sound of something arcing in the microwave.  I quickly turned around to see something like this in the microwave:

VOILA!  Instant fireworks show….in my microwave.  I immediately rammed my finger on the end button to stop the green beans from cooking.  I HATE FIRE.  It absolutely terrifies me.  I assumed that there was a piece of metal in the green beans.  Since that seems obvious.  Right?  Ummm…no.  I threw out those green beans, got some more on a different plate and tried again.  Sparkly green beans celebrating the 4th a little late.  Again.

So, I called the consumer hotline number on the Del Monte can.  The lady I talked to was very nice and said she was suprised when people called about green beans arcing in the microwave.  She read me a prepared statement. Must not be that rare if they have a prepared statment.  I’m just saying…

Evidently certain dense vegetables (green beans, carrots, green peppers) contain high levels of certain minerals (iron, magenesium, selenium) which will react with the microwave causing an arcing effect.  These vegetable will not arc if placed in water or liquid.  According to the USDA, hotdogs will also arc if the salt and additives are not mixed properly.  Yum.

I had to show Ben my pyrotechnic display when he got home work.  I forgot that my husband LOVES fire.  Silly me.  He wanted to keep frying the green beans as I freaked out. 

Yesterday Mary James had her first visit to the optometrist.  My eye doctor (way easier to type than optometrist) does free eye exams for babies under a year.  Watching her try to examine my daughter’s eyes reminded me of examining a poodle with eye probelems.  Except for the fact that my daughter didn’t lunge visciously at the doctor.  Nor did MJ growl or pee on the table.  Okay maybe it was a LOT different.

Mary James was being quite agreeable until her eyes were dilated and then an exam was attempted.  Not happening.  The doc has a 2 year old daughter, so we were mom talkin’.  I had just finished telling the doc how MJ likes to shake her head “NO!!!!!” when she doesn’t like something, which is kinda cute now….but terrifies me when I think of her independent spirit attached to a voice and an active body, ready to fling itself to the floor for tantrums.

As the doctor turned her exam light back on, the stubborn head shaking began.  Her doc looked at me and said “Erin, it’s like she’s a 2 year old in a 10 month old body!”  Yeah…..I know.  I am SO in for it — and SO deserve it!    She got her personality from some where…

Did I mention I had to entertain her for around 4 minutes with my eyes closed?  Fun!  I had been having some pain and irritation in my left eye, which turned out to be abrasions on my cornea due to KCS (Keratoconjunctivitis sicca) or dry eye.  Before the official diagnosis, they performed a Schirmer Tear Test, which tests the production of tears.  Looks something like this:

Okay so basically you have two strips of thick paper stuck under your eyelids and you have to keep your eyes closed for 3-5 mintues.  I accomplished this feat while tending to a now cranky, tired, 10 month old baby.  Mary James wanted to “walk” around the room, and demonstrated her desire by violently wiggling, throwing herself backwards and screaming to get down.  Walking = holding her hands as she navigates.  So, I basically walked her in a circle.  With my eyes CLOSED.  I also walked her into a coffee table.  Oops!

The good news is Mary James’ eyes/vision are normal.  The fantabulous news????  She doesn’t go back for THREE years!  Oh and I’m now taking Restasis for my dry, crunchy eyeballs.  Sure hope it helps!

Protecting our eyes with shades!

Just got back from vacation!  Last week we were lounging on the beach near Seaside, Florida.  It was fantastic!!  Mary James loved watching the waves, but was a little unsure of the sand between her toes (hence, the one foot pose above).  More pictures coming soon….

Want more picture fun?   Check out Wordless Wednesday or Seven Clown Circus!

Mary James may be petite (she’s around 10-15 % in height and weight), but man can she eat!  She started refusing baby food around nine and half months.  Oh and did I mention she has learned to shake her head “NO” when she doesn’t want something???   Yeah…so that’s fun.

When she discovered that she could shovel food into her mouth much faster than I could, spoon feeding went out the window.  Unless that spoon is carrying precious cargo in the form of guacamole or ice cream!  The child will eat ANYTHING!   (Including non-edibles: cat food, cat hair, dog hair, people hair, fuzz in general).  Gasp!

At Mary James’ nine month appointment, I asked her pediatrician what she should be eating.  He said “Honestly Erin?  My son ate whatever was on our plate.”  I told him I knew peanut butter and honey were off limits until a year of age, but was there anything else?  He replied, “Egg whites and citrus fruit.  Albumin in the egg and oil in the rinds of citrus fruits can cause possible allergic reactions.”  OOPS!  She had already eaten quite a few eggs, lemons and mandarin oranges by this point.  Thank goodness she didn’t have any allergic reactions.

I know her appetite and non-picky palate will not last forever so I am savoring these moments.  And of course, documenting them for the future.   You know…so I can say “Well you loved it when you where a baby!?!”  Which has never helped me to eat squash mom–thanks though.

I honestly cannot think of a food she has tried that she didn’t eat and like.  Some first bites get a “What tha…” look but she promptly opens her mouth for more.

Foods Mary James eats:

FYI:  All of these “finger foods” are soft and diced into very small pieces.

Broccoli

Avocado (Guacamole)

Peas

Beans

Tomato

Carrots

Potato (Sweet and Idaho)

Squash

Zucchini

GREEN BEANS

Corn

Edamame

Cheese

Eggs (Evidently you’re not supposed to feed egg whites until 1 year of age due to possible Albumin allergies.)

Rice

Pasta

Wheat toast

Chicken

Turkey

BBQ

Roast

PEACHES

Strawberries

Cherries

Blueberries

Watermelon

Cantelope

Honey Dew

Lemon (Citrus fruits are also on the DO NOT FEED list…again oops!)

Mandarin oranges

Mmmm…Broccoli!

Maybe eating a bunch of different fruits and veggies while pregnant/breastfeeding has helped.  Who knows?

I LOVE summertime!!  Now that I am teaching I have the summers off, and man do I feel totally spoiled!  There is nothing better than getting to spend time with my daughter.  What a blessing!  Thank you God!

Before the family came over on July 4th, Mary James and I played in the backyard for awhile.  She loved splashing around in her pool and of course tried to eat the grass.  I captured a few pictures with her hat on before she realized it was on her head and yanked it off.   I especially love the last photo…my little Southern Belle!

Want more picture fun?   Check out Wordless Wednesday or Seven Clown Circus!

I’m baaaack.  Finally I have a little time to blog again!

Shoney’s restaurant, “…”a down-home” restaurant, where folks can gather to enjoy our great food and great service for a great value!“  Or so their site proclaims.  Shoney’s = Denny’s = IHOP (w/o all the pancakes).  Evidently, Shoney’s is only a south-eastern (a smidge northern and New Mexico) thing.  Used to be a regional franchise of the Big Boy Chain.  Remember this guy?

I rarely eat at Shoney’s.  When I was a little girl, we used to go after dance recitals for their hot fudge cake.  Mmm…  I also remember you could buy a Shoney’s bear, totally cheapo, but I secretly wanted one.  Other than their hot fudge cake (oh and their strawberry pie is dreamy!) the big draw is their breakfast bar.  It’s your normal breakfast bar smorgasbord…bacon, eggs, sausage, french toast, biscuits, pancakes, fruit, fried potatoes, grits, gravy.  You get the picture.

A few weeks ago, Ben had to go to work around 4 AM.  On Saturday.  After working a full week.  Yeah…  So to cheer up his working Saturday, Mary James and I met Ben and Adam at the Shoney’s to fill our bellies with yummy breakfast fare.

Little did we know what evil was lurking amongst the french toast.  Or the eggs.  Or the bacon.

We chowed down like good Southerners, minus Mary James who was still eating mostly baby food at that time.  Small blessings, thank you God!  The rest of the day was a normal Saturday.  My parents came over for dinner that night, as they were leaving on trip to Alaska for two weeks.  We had chicken wings (strange for us), spinach salad, and dessert.  As we relaxed, the microscopic beings were happily replicating in our intestines.

Around ten PM I started feeling weird.  As I’ve had food poisoning three times in the past four years (bacon, something at an Auburn football game, and Chinese) I had an inkling of what fun was to come.  I told Ben, “I have a feeling I’m going to wake up tonight with food poisoning.”  At this point, Ben’s intestinal tract was starting to turn against him as well.

FYI: There are no 24 hour “stomach viruses.”  It’s food poisoning.  It takes up to 48 hours after consumption of the offending drink/food.  Learned this is in grad school (veterinary medicine).

Around 1 AM, the bathroom races began.  I will spare you the gruesome details.  Around 2 AM Mary James reared her hungry little head.  With the repeated flushing and thundering, from our sprints to the bathroom, poor thing probably thought there was a monsoon outside.

Ever tried nursing a baby with a crampy stomach and no control of your bodily functions.  DON’T DO IT.  She would get latched on and then I would have to tear her off, plop her in the floor and run.  She would release a bloodcurtling squall, insta-tears, and would crawl after me into the bathroom.  Pitiful.  No mother-of-the-year award for 2008-09.  Oh well.

As my digestive tract churned like an angry bucket snakes, I again tried nursing; 15 pounds laying against my belly.  Oy!  (And no, there is no risk of transmitting food poisoning via breastfeeding).  Not to mention the child will NOT take a bottle.  I remember thinking in a haze, “Whoa, this is the side of mommyhood no one tells you about.  But, geez its still totally WORTH IT.”

We were able to take keep down some anti-nausea medication around 8 AM.  Ben could barely move in the morning.  I was a little more with it, I guess because I HAD to feed and change Mary James.  Nothing against the hubs.   Ben’s dad came over to play with MJ in the morning and my parents kept her in the afternoon while we slept and tried to quickly recuperate.

In summary: I lost 5 pounds in one night, both baby caretakers being deathly ill is scary and hard, Shoney’s sucks, and family is wonderful.

Everyone asked if I called Shoney’s or the Health Deparment to inform them of our gastrointestinal distress.  Ummm…nope.  It was the farthest thing from my mind.  Oops!