365 Days of Everything Georgia: April 2012

April 24, 2012 - Sharing the Potty Love

>> April 30, 2012 – growing, making me laugh

I guess Georgia thinks since she has the potty training thing down pat, it's time to pass her extensive toilet knowledge onto others... or otters.

And don't forget to wipe, otter!

April 23, 2012 - "Yan-u-r, Marsh, No-fem-ber... "

>> – learning

My hubby LOVES teaching our little one, and she loves learning with him and I love watching the two of them together. Right now, they're working on the months of the year. Being the IT-literate guy my hubby is, they're making a computer program for it. Normally, my husband voices these, but today it was Georgia's turn.

How adorable does she look in these headphones? No, really, sooooo ADORABLE!!

And her voicing went something like this: "Yan-u-r... Eb-berry... Marsh... A-bill... May... June... Jul-lee... August... Ep-em-ber... Octobeer... No-fem-ber... Day-em-bear."

April 22, 2012 - Rainy Days Make for Puddly Puddles!

>> – fun, Georgia Firsts, playing, weather

I can't believe we haven't hit this first yet, but Georgia finally spent some time getting wet and giggly in some puddles.

Of course, she went for the dirty puddles, the dirtier - the better. What's with that? But no matter, there's just pure fun and innocence in mud puddles full of ripples and splashes and a little girl's feet.

Is it wrong to want more rain tomorrow?

April 21, 2012 - Judging the Festival of Fish

>> – festivals, food, work

Thanks to my job, I am required to make public appearances from time to time - today, it was at a festival for fish. Shad, in particular. I got the great honor to help judge the entries in the Shad Festival Parade. But lucky for me, I got to have two beautiful people accompany me.

I've never tried Shad before, but it wasn't too bad... or maybe it was all the fried coating on it that tasted so yummy.

And there was a fair there with rides, so we couldn't pass up the merry-go-round!

All in all, not a bad day of free work. :)

April 16, 2012 - Eyes Eaten First, Then the Ears!

>> – chocolate, food, Holidays

We finally broke into that chocolate bunny the Easter bunny brought to us!

The eyes and nose went first...

The Easter chocolate just doesn't seem to disappear in this house.

April 15, 2012 - There is a Barbie in Our Home!

>> – family, growing, toys

Georgia's Papa sent her some spending money for Easter, so we decided to make the drive to Toys 'R Us to let Georgia roam the aisles and aisles of kiddie wonderment. This was the first time I think we've just said "go for it, show us what toys you want" to the little one. So we spent quite a while going up and down aisle after aisle. The first thing that caught her attention was the cars for kids to drive, especially the Jeep one. Georgia has a thing for Jeeps lately. And while I'm sure she'd have a blast cruising the streets of our development filled with senior citizens - boy, would they get a kick out of her - I don't think this was quite in our Easter budget:

But it did make my list for ideas the next time a big gift is up to bat. So on our search continued. There were several maybes, that is until we found another Jeep, this one bright pink with ::gulp:: Barbie and Ken dolls inside of it.

My daughter owns a Barbie... ugh. It really makes me feel like she's growing up. It also makes me realize fighting the feminine stereotype has truly begun in our home. Maybe we need to spend the rest of that Easter money on a kiddie tool kit.

Regardless, she loves her new jeep and has played with it non-stop.

OK, well maybe I don't have to worry about Barbie so much... Georgia has already left her in the dust.

April 13, 2012 - Never Too Old to Watch Garbage

>> – making me laugh, the little things

Georgia has kind of re-discovered the garbage truck lately. All the sudden, when she hears it on Friday mornings, she gets excited and climbs on the back of the couch to peek out the window. Since that is really not allowed in our house, today, I opened the front door for her.

The little joys of childhood - even if it is garbage.

April 10, 2012 - First Big Owie

>> – Georgia Firsts, mommy lessons

I guess we have been lucky so far. For two and a half years, there has been very little blood in our house. Georgia, up until yesterday, has avoided anything more than a scraped knee or a bit tongue. Then enter last night. Ben and I both watched it happen, and it still replays on slow-motion in my mind. Georgia was running through the house, chasing our dog Bailey, when he turned and she didn't. Bam! Right into the side of the table. Her little head bounced right off of it, and the hubby and I bounced right into action. There was no doubt that one hurt. Screams echoed through the house as our little one cried out her pain. The end result? A busted lip and something caused a circular gash between her bottom lip and her chin.

All of it added up to more blood than our little one has seen yet, and more than this mommy ever wants to see again. Overall, was it that bad - no. No butterflies or stitches were needed and for that, I am grateful. Is it the worst we'll see? More than likely not, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. But it was the first time this mommy really felt my little one's pain and really wished I could just kiss away the hurt.

April 8, 2012 - Peter Cottontail Delivered!

>> – Holidays

My, my, my did Georgia have some surprises awaiting her when she woke up on Easter morn. It all started with an egg and a clue sitting where Georgia's Easter basket and carrots for a bunny were placed the night before.

And the clues led us on...

And then - basket!!

Our new "walking" kitty quickly got some Easter decoration:

And Georgia's new Dora Easter DVD was a big hit:

Boy, that Easter bunny sure is smart! Hope everyone had a wonderful day.

April 7, 2012 - Eggs, Fun, More Eggs and Smiles

>> April 23, 2012 – Georgia Firsts, Holidays

We are all about gearing up for Easter in our house, despite the fact that I am still without my voice four days running now. Thank you, Laryngitis! We kicked off the morning with an Easter egg hunt in our little community - Georgia's first hunt outside our home!!!

Something tells me, um, it's not going to be hard for the four and under age group to find the eggs.

She's so excited and anxious - she's eating her hand!

And they're off.

After a little confusion and timidness, some instruction from mommy finally gets Georgia grabbing the eggs. I'll admit, she was going a little slower than this uber-competitive mommy would like, but hey, it's her first time. Go, Georgia, go!

She did great, and now it's time to go through the stash of eggs... and candy.

My little Easter ham:

Before we headed home, my little one couldn't resist the swings, and this time neither could her daddy. I love them so!

After nap time, Georgia and I used our culinary prowess to whip up some cupcakes. That girl is a whiz in the kitchen, let me tell you, there is no one who can eat cupcake batter like she can! I don't know what I would do without my spoon licker.

And then, just before bedtime, we made sure to put out Georgia's empty Easter basket and some carrots for the bunny.

Here's comes Peter Cottontail!

Georgia's Birth Story

The timing of Georgia's birth, in a way, came out of a journey to death. I'd like to think with every death comes new life, and for me, Georgia is that life. She is my saving grace and has kept me breathing when my lungs were screaming to stop, screaming to drown in my own self-pity.

My husband and I decided to try for Georgia just a few months after our walk down the aisle. You see, my mom had been diagnosed with incurable Ovarian Cancer, so I wanted a baby soon. I wanted a baby while there was still time to have my mother there as I brought a new being into the world, to see my mother hold her granddaughter, to ask my mom which of my baby features my daughter bore, to lean on my mother when I had those "new mom" questions and for so many other moments I had played out in my thoughts over and over again through the years.

My husband and I were thrilled to soon find out our little Georgia was growing inside of me, rounding out my belly day by day, pushing tiny feet into my sides, entertaining us with a neverending chorus of hiccups. We went to the doctor's appointments, the baby classes, took the hospital tour and had everything ready for the day we brought our darling home in Omaha, Nebraska.

It's funny though, life seems to fight our planning and always chooses its own course - and so it did. When my belly was just shy of 38 weeks round, the day came. After a 52-year-long life, which was as bright as they come, my mother faded away. She died on Sunday, October 11, 2009.

Early Monday morning, with my doctor's permission, my husband and I got on a plane to fly home to Georgia for my mom's funeral. We got off the plane in Atlanta around 3 p.m. Twelve hours later, at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, I was sleeping at my parents' house. As I lay in the home where my mom had been just days before, that journey toward life took a leap. My water broke and the contractions started coming within minutes. We were more than a thousand miles away from our doctor, our hospital and our house.

So off to the local hospital we went in the dark of night, my husband driving my mom's SUV and not having a clue where he was going. I had to give him directions between contractions. We arrived at the hospital and didn't even know what entrance to go to. We found locked doors twice before finding the right entrance, and yeah, I floundered up to both locked doors!

We checked in and by the time we got to a room, I turned around and there were my sister, brother and cousin in the room with my husband and I and my other sister and father were on the way. We had thought we'd be delivering in Omaha with just my husband and I and the calming classical CD's I'd burned. I guess my mom had other ideas.

So there we were, in the hospital where two years earlier they had cut cancer from my mother, in the hospital where my two nieces were born, in the hospital where my delivery nurse had also been my sister's bridesmaid - there surrounded by those who love me most and the memory of one who just couldn't stay long enough to make it. I delivered Georgia Katherine at 10:46 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs. and 8 ounces.

We left the hospital on Wednesday with a borrowed car seat, a bag full of borrowed baby clothes, a lot of flowers and hearts bursting with every emotion you can possibly imagine. We arrived at my parents' house to a borrowed crib, borrowed baby supplies and relatives arriving in town with funeral clothes and baby gifts packed in their suitcases. On Friday, my daughter and I looked down on my mother in her casket, and on Saturday we buried her. It's the only time my daughter every saw her grandmother.

My mother fought hard to live long enough to meet her granddaughter and in the end, she missed the date by two days. But life doesn't stop, and it's the beauty of my daughter's life that keeps me smiling. And oh how her life makes me smile. I like to believe whenever I'm holding my daughter and she's starring off into the distance, over my shoulder, that she's seeing my mom - a guardian angel for both of us - and that they are already the best of friends.

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April 24, 2012 - Sharing the Potty Love

April 23, 2012 - "Yan-u-r, Marsh, No-fem-ber... "

April 22, 2012 - Rainy Days Make for Puddly Puddles!

April 21, 2012 - Judging the Festival of Fish

April 16, 2012 - Eyes Eaten First, Then the Ears!

April 15, 2012 - There is a Barbie in Our Home!

April 13, 2012 - Never Too Old to Watch Garbage

April 10, 2012 - First Big Owie

April 8, 2012 - Peter Cottontail Delivered!

April 7, 2012 - Eggs, Fun, More Eggs and Smiles

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