We had a great weekend last weekend. We were rather lazy and enjoyed hugging on Issa. She is getting so big - always wanting to be outside. She'll go to the door and reach up and say, "ouf!, mease!" (that's her "please"). Work is still going okay. I am still working out of the library, with no office/computer/materials. It is so frustrating. At some point I'm supposed to get a trailer, whenever that happens. I ask myself always why I didn't accept the job that was offered in Gwinnett. The drive is the reason - takes me 5 minutes to get to work.
Jacob's parents brought Issa a UGA cheerleader's outfit this week. It is adorable! She is too big these days. 17 months - where does it go???

How I love Fridays

Is there any better feeling than Friday at around 5 PM?
I never found my camera. Oh well.
I'm buying my friend's digital camera; Greer is ready for a bigger and nicer Nikon, so I'm buying her nice Nikon camera.
At least I'll be able to take pix soon. I've been using regular old film lately with my OLD camera, and it feels so ancient.
We are around this weekend. Tomorrow is my school's Fall Festival, so there'll be lots for Issa to do, but beyond that, we are just relaxing and watching football. Go Dawgs!

Five Things and a Prayer to St. Anthony

Kelly tagged me. Here are my "Five things"

Five things I can’t do:
*Play sports
*Eat salmon patties
*Watch a day's worth of football (sorry, Jake)
*Keep up with my car keys
* Fix anything - I give up

Five things I can do:
* Organize anything
* Multitask - phone, email, write lists
* Stay up too late watching TV
* Shop all.day.long
* Be a good mommy

Five things I want to do before I die:
*Travel to Europe
*Watch my children grow up happy
*Retire with good money-smarts
*Run a marathon
* Take a long, long beach-y vacation

Five things I say most often:
* You have got to be kidding me.
*One more snooze.
*Prissy-issy.
* Take out the trash.
* Make sure you have your Mom sign this and send it back.

Five movies I love and would watch over and over again:
* You've Got Mail
* The Parent Trap
* Napoleon Dynamyte
* Old School
* Finding Nemo

Five jobs that I’ve had
* Speech Therapist
* Teacher
* Auburn University Bookstore cashier
* Lifeguard
* Hostess at the Black Eyed Pea

Five places I have lived:
*Birmingham, AL
*Athens, GA
*Auburn, AL
*Charlotte, NC
*Atlanta, GA

Five TV Shows I love to watch
*DOG the bounty hunter
*Flip this House
*Deal or No Deal
*Intervention
*The Office

Five places you have been on vacation
*Europe - France, Germany, England
*Ontario, Canada
*Mexico
*Jamaica
*Reno, NV with the Party of Five in college

Five websites I visit daily
*www.celebrity-babies.com
*www.people.com
*www.dekalb.k12.ga.us
*www.cnn.com
*www.brentgunn.com

Five of my favorite foods
*Supreme Pizza
*Waffle Ice Cream Cones
*Warm Brownies
*Caesar salad
*Filet

Dear Saint Anthony, you are the patron of the poor and the helper of all who seek lost articles. Help me to find the digital camera that I have lost so that I will be able to make better use of the time I will gain for God's greater honor and glory. I can no longer transfer pictures of Issa to the computer to upload, and I'm spending too much time looking. Grant your gracious aid to all people who seek what they have lost - especially those who seek to regain God's grace. Amen

And along came angel Leah

My Mom ended up picking up Issa every day from daycare last week around 9ish. Jake took her at 7ish. So I felt much better with her being at home. I have considered dropping back my job to part time, or even quitting (if I couldn't find the right place for Issa), but I love my job. I love it.
So we interviewed several caretakers last week - at home providers. You know, the ladies that keep a couple of kids in their homes. And it went really well. We found one we loved, and we called her references (four ladies that seriously almost started crying they missed her so much), and we called to tell her "you're the one" last night!
She is so sweet, and lives near here. She was so sweet to Issa, and Issa seemed so comfortable.
I'm once again so grateful to Mom, who'll pick her up very early the first week, to transition her to the new spot. So it's a go! I feel 100% sure about Leah, and I can't wait for Issa to get to know her!
I have 44 kiddos on my speech load - from PreK to 5th grade, and I love it! It's so fun, and there really seems to be some cute kids. The teachers are great. The commute is next-to-nothing.
Last night we celebrated my Dad's 60th bday. Brent and Rachel surprised him by coming. Mom had great steaks, and we had a Bruster's mint choc chip pie - YUM. Good wine, tasty salads, and savory steaks. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Brent and Rachel are expecting their first. We're so excited for Issy to have a cousin! It's also strange thinking of my brother as a Dad!
Toby chewed our new wooden fence DOWN. That dog is possessed. After a $200 trip to the Home Depot, Jake and Brent are working on it. They're also putting in a doggie door and a "dog pen" area in our basement to go if Toby freaks out in the backyard.
Happy weekend!

Bad to Worse

Well, my job is going well - great in fact. I love the hours, and my school is so cute, and everything about it is great. I am indeed in a classroom. But it is an EMPTY classroom. So it's mine. And I have a computer, and materials too. I'm so thankful for it all.
Daycare, on the other hand, is miserable. There are loads of green-snotty-nosed kids running around her daycare and two workers that are always cleaning/talking/whatever. And that's when I see them. So my Mom has been getting her ~20 minutes after we drop her off to stay at home with her. Jacob and I interviewed 2 at-home daycares near my school that keep teacher's kids. Lots of praying to be had. We loved them both, but it's such a commitment.
Happy 60th birthday Dad, to the best Dad in the world. I have so many incredible memories as a child and growing up - Jacob and I strive to raise our daughter just as you and Mom have raised Brent and me!
Tomorrow my brother and his (expecting BTW) wife :) are coming to Atlanta for dinner. My Mom's getting steaks from Shield's butcher (yum) and we're grilling out there to celebrate the big day. What a fun weekend! TGTomorrow'sF!

Back to work

I am having such anxiety about returning to work these days. It's terrible. I start on Tuesday. My school is about 3 miles from my house. Issa has a spot at a daycare that is only ~2 miles from my school, but I have got incredible anxiety. When I returned to work at 3 months, I swear I was still so hormonal, and I was weepy lots b/c of that. But now, I've spent every waking moment with her for the past 3 months. And I'm about to have to get back to the real world. PLUS I was told this week that at my new job/school (it's an elementary school), 1) my speech room was taken away - I'll be housed in the special ed classroom (shuttling groups of kids in and out of that room... 2) I Have no computer 3) I have no materials.
WHAT? How the heck am I supposed to do my job? I don't know, I just have major anxiety. I guess this county played their cards right... they had my sign my contract right when I accepted at that school. Didn't happen to tell me about the aforementioned details... Prayers please. This is an anxious time for me... :)

Home sweet home

I LOVE our new house! It is four bedrooms and three baths of heaven! It's at least double what I'm used to, and we are loving the area. Of course, we *are* a block from my parents, and now only 30 minutes from Jake's parents, which makes a huge difference, seeing as we used to be 4 hours from them! We are on a little cul-de-sac, with my old elementary school a 9-iron from our house, which will be fun to walk her there later! There's also Henderson Park, in walking distance from here.

• Issa fell two Sundays ago at church - took a stair face-forward and has a nice little bruise.
• I got a full time job at an elementary school about 3 minutes from my house. It's about 1 minute from Issa's daycare spot. I start next Monday and boy, am I anxious about it. My Mom's helping by really transitioning her in it - Jake or I will take her every morning at 730, but my Mom will keep her there only a couple of hours the first day, and a few hours the next one... say prayers!
• I have to get my GA driver's license tomorrow. This should be fun, as all governmental tasks are - waiting in line, rude people, etc...
• I've gotten to see so many old friends since I've been here! Mary and Greer and Kathy and Katie - I miss my CLT friends, but do love Atlanta too.
• Jacob and I saw Lyle Lovett at Chastain on Friday night. Incredible. Truly. If you get a chance to see him live, do so!
• I feel like I haven't picked up a novel in weeks now. People and Us magazine last for 3 minutes before I conk out at night. Any suggestions - what're you reading???

Moving Day

I wish you could see my house right now. There are boxes and tape and Sharpie markers and cups and plants and random wrappers... it's nuts! But there are also 4 very nice men from Armstrong Relocation wrapping away, and carefully placing china into sturdy boxes. Issa is at home with my family, and we miss her to pieces. We'll get to see her tomorrow though. We are excited to have our new house. We closed yesterday on our house in ATL, and we get possession on Thursday night. That's when the fun starts: paint - Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Hardwoods - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Move in - next weekend (8/12ish) So wow - I'll be off Internet until 8/11, and then my email address will change. There's lots going on! Issa is now walking everywhere, and getting into everything. I've applied for a job at the DeKalb county school system, and hopefully I'll be working 4 days a week. One extra day with little miss would be HEAVEN! Dear baby, we miss you terribly, and we can't wait to see you tomorrow! Hugs! Love, Mommy

Busy busy busy

Although Jacob's company will be packing and moving us (a luxury that we've never known), it is still overwhelming to look at my house and know that when I leave on Saturday, I won't be back. ANYTHING that I want for the next month needs to go with us. WHAT? It is really too much to think about.
And think about I *don't* - I've just been playing with Issa all week - enjoying mommy/baby time, and seeing friends. She's taking steps more confidently these days, and has had a few playdates this week! Have a great weekend!

ATL bound!

I have been MIA for a bit now - sorry! It has been so crazy this past couple of months at the Allbritton household. Jacob accepted a position at the Atlanta Pricewaterhouse Coopers office, and so we are moving! We sold our house in TWO days, which was great. We have been keeping I-85 hot while going back and forth to search for a house, and just haven't found the right one yet. We are closing on this house in Charlotte the week of July 21st, and if need be, his firm will put us up in furnished corporate housing for a couple of months until we find something we like. He'll be working right across the street from Ga Tech, which is VERY close in town.
Issa is a mess - 13 months now and jabbering away. She says lots of words, and is cruising all over the house - she'll let go and "stand" without holding on to anything, but no true first steps yet. She'll walk with hands held forever if you let her. She loves her wagon rides and swimming in our splash pool in the backyard. My school year with CMS is over, and therefore her time at the Presbyterian CDC is over as well! I know she'll miss her teachers, but I am enjoying spending all of this time with her!
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE - so what's been up your way?

6 Random Things

I was "tagged" by NaeNae. I don't know how to make my blog more fancy, but NaeNae, yours sure is. I need a "Blogging for Dummies" to find out how to make a "link" so it's fancy-schmancy. Anyway, here goes:
1. I LOVE pop music. Kiss 95.1 is my favorite, and I can jam to the BEPs.
2. I love to read.
3. I can polish off an entire bag of Guacamole Doritos if I have a Miller Lite to polish them off with.
4. I really really really want to get a miniature schnauzer puppy.
5. I love my job. I work for CMS as a speech therapist and if all the stars line up, I'll be working for CMS when I retire with 30 years in. I truly have chosen a profession that I love.
6. I drive a 1999 Mazda 626 - it's my husband's former car. Before that, I had a Honda Accord that I drove for 10 years and it was my favorite car.
7. (I know it's really 6 random things but I had another random thought) Issa did not take ANY nap today. She woke up at 6 and when I picked her up at church at FOUR, that 11-month-old baby was wild-eyed and hadn't napped! She's already down for the night - has been since 545!

By the way, my smart and witty and charming hubbie made a B on his final and got a B in this class! Way to go, baby!

Now that I have completed this post, I get to tag someone else. Here are the rules:1--If you are tagged, you have to post six things about yourself on your site.2--Then you should leave a comment on my site to let me know that you have posted.3--You can then tag more people. To tag, just leave them a comment to let them know they are IT!

1. The Lathams
2. Very Mom
3. One Woman's World
4. Life in Mayberry
5. Gator Constructor

Out again

I'm borrowing this "update" style from Kelly - go visit her at http://kellyinnc.blogsome.com/. She is two days away from her due date and ready to have that baby boy!

Baby Girl: One more month, and this baby will be a year old! It is so hard to believe that time has gone this quickly. I feel like it was yesterday that I was getting up at 3AM for a feeding and watching my Tivo'd 7th Heavens while she was eating! She and I were home today b/c the church was closed today for Easter Monday. She is cruising along furniture and her hair is SO curly!
Jacob: He has his final exam tonight for his class. After this, it's two classes down towards his MBA - he's doing so well. I can't imagine balancing a career, the baby, me (and goodness knows I'm high maintenance), and classes! Way to go, baby!
Easter: We had a great day at home. Church was nice, and Issa was so stylin' in her Easter attire - my Mom made her dress AND her bonnet! So cute. All in all, a great family day together, followed by a BIG family nap in the afternoon (nice!)

What a break!

It was an incredible break. I loved spending every minute with baby girl. She's crawling SPEEDY and it's hard to keep up with her! I made lots of baby hairbows (saves money!) and enjoyed spending time with friends. We got to squeeze in a few datenights during the weekend when Jacob came to Atlanta.
The most recent? A nasty virus - maybe even Rotovirus (Sp?). Fever of 104 today and profuse vomiting followed by many sticks and prods at the pediatrician. I hope that Jacob and I don't get it. I'm trying to decide what to eat for dinner. Jacob is out of town, and I love thinking of dinner, b/c I don't have to cook and can eat Life cereal followed by Guacamole doritos or some Ritz/peanut butter. What are you eating for dinner??? :)

Baby Boot Camp

Issa's Uncle Justin came up for the weekend last weekend - how much do those brothers look alike? She had a blast with him, and this is one of my favorite pictures of all.
Jacob has been out of town and/or working late most of this past week, so my Mom came up from Atlanta to help out at home and with Issa. Issa just *adores* her, so it's so fun for her to spend time with my Mom. Well, Issa has been doing lots of "night wakings" lately, where she either wants her passy, or just wants to be rocked back to sleep. With a winter full of ear infections, we have been doing it! We've stayed away from feeding her, not to start bad habits (10 months now - almost 11 months). Well after a few nights, my Mom took her to Eastover yesterday morning - we were convinced it was a new ear infection...
NOTHING. Clear ears and chest - no teeth coming in (NONE so far!)
We decided to start the "extinction" method via "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Weisenbluth (sp?) during the night. It hasn't been *so* bad the past couple of nights but is taking longer than I thought. Me and Nick at Night are starting to form a relationship at 2 AM. The Cosby Show, etc. It makes for a fun next morning at around 10 AM when I am working on a kid's "R" sound and flipping cards... :)
I hope that it doesn't last long. I am going to Atlanta for the WHOLE week - spring break - and can't wait to see old friends!

American Idol is addicting. Why do I have to be held captive to the TV during this time? I love it and it's a good thing that it's not on every night, or I'd be even more of a TV junkie. I have many books "on deck" to read - Daughter of Fortune, the Kite Runner, The Patron Saint of Liars, Shopgirl, but instead I'm waiting for it to come on. It doesn't come on TV for another 45 minutes, but I figure I may as well wait b/c if I start reading and have to stop, then what's the point? :) By the way, what are you reading?

What the heck?

I mean, what happened this winter? I'm ticked! I have been waiting for a nice pretty snowstorm. A snowfall where you are stuck in the house for at least a day or two, where you have to scrounge together the ingredients for chili. And what? It's in the upper 70s. Now, I'm not complaining too much. I am thankful for a definition of seasons, and the hot summer. But I'm wanting to be stuck in my house with CMS closed and my baby snuggled close. Two years ago we had a good one. I mean, has it even been winter yet???

Funny dialogue

We have a neverending struggle, my hubbie and I. When we make the bed (if we get to it, mind you), he doesn't like to put the decorative pillows "pretty". It frustrates him to have it looking "perfect".
This morning:
Me: Grab those pillows to put up here.
--DH sighs and frowns--
Me: Jacob, please just grab them and let's make the bed.
DH: I don't like them perfect
Me: Jacob, please just put them on there. We're running late.
DH: I don't like them like that.
Me: Jacob, just give me the pillows.

-- DH places pillows on his side up the bed, standing on end, W-R-O-N-G--

DH: I'm expressing my inner artist.

Now, if you know my dear hubbie, you know that he is not the "artist". He just loves to put them how I DON'T want them. A laugh for my Tuesday AM, anyway. Cheers!

She did great!

Little miss is such a little trooper. We had to wake her up at 510 or so and got her to Presbyterian at 5:30. She did great but came out of the surgery like a true fighter - kicking and SCREAMING. She was ticked off b/c she was groggy from the anesthesia and didn't know why. She was screaming, "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU PEOPLE THINKING? MY APPENDAGES ARE NOT WORKING UP TO PAR AND I AM STARVING!" She was so freaking adorable. After she screamed at everyone for a good half hour, she pooped out and slept in her crib for like 2 hours, and woke up like a precious angel, all cooing and talking.
It was definitely one of the scariest things I've done, passing my 9-month-old to an anesthesiologist. I wish I could figure out how to transfer my cameraphone pix to this page b/c she wore a mini hospital gown, tied in the back with tiny diaper hanging out.
I'm thankful that the weekend is here soon so we can just hang out together. She is already much better, hearing sounds differently and even talking more.

Did I mention I'll be glad when she gets tubes?

Well, I think the SECOND we pulled out of the driveway for vacation this weekend to Winterplace, WV, with my brother and sister-in-law, Issa got an ear infection. After a weekend of battling a fever of 103 and my sweet Mom taking care of her, we came home early. Last night we were up all night. I took her to doc this AM and the antibiotics aren't TOUCHING her infection. She got a shot (poor thing) and we're holding tight until Wednesday. The vacation was fun while it lasted. We got LOTS of snow while skiing on Saturday, and it was so beautiful. It was also so nice to just get away with Brent and Rachel.
My brother installed a cool house alarm today - thanks bro! It's so neat. We haven't hooked up service yet but it has a nasty sounding alarm sound - so beware burglers!
So I've missed yet another day of work and I'll miss on Wednesday for surgery too. I need to take out stock in Eastover Pediatrics - we are there at least weekly!!!

It's tube time

Well, little Miss is going to get tubes. The surgery will be on 2/22 at Presbyterian Hospital, where I had Issa! We have to be there at 5:30 AM and she has to fast after midnight. I imagine that from the time she wakes up until the time that she has the surgery, she'll be SCREAMING: "what the heck? Where is my morning bottle???"
She is too funny. We kept her up for a while tonight, just playing and cuddling. Is there anything in the world more amazing that when she reaches and cuddles?

I slammed my left hand index fingernail in my door today - the speech door at Amay James. It is now a pretty shade of greyish purple, expected to fall off in the future.
Here's a few new pictures for your viewing pleasure!
M