beverlymcdonald.net

I don’t know why I seem to go so long between setting down and writing something, anything!  Life has been so great, I have no new news to write.  Aubree is 16  months old, has a mouth full of teeth, and is the sweetest thing.  She says “scuse you” when she hears someone burp, puts the phone to her ear and says “hello” or “hola” her favortie word is momma, when she wants something open she says “open please” (which sounds like ope pease),  loves shaking her head no, and when she nods yes it’s SO cute, goes to the fridge and tries to pull open the freezer door while saying “ice” cause she wants an ice cream sandwich,”thank you” when you give her something, and if she hears a sneeze, her own version of bless you, and if you ask her how old she is, she’ll hold up both hands with her first fingers up and smile really big.  She is such a bright little girl, copies everything she sees and is so smart!  Bailey was the same way so she takes alot after her big sis.  Speaking of, Bailey is not doing so great in math in 6th grade, hopefully it was just a rough first 9 weeks…we’ll see, all B’s except for that.  Today is my daddy’s birthday, also the 7 year anniversary of Scott and mines first date.  It literally seems like yesterday, and here we are 7 years later with an ideal life.  He is such a good person and I am So thankful he was patient enough to stick around with me.  I am not the easiest person to get to know sometimes.  

We just finished, well almost, our second living room remodel, and I have to say I am so thrilled with it.  Very light colors this time, very open, not alot of clutter.  I’d post pics but can’t figure out how.  

I cna’t believe it’s almost Christmas!  My favorite time of year.  I love the couple of months before to, the decorating, shopping, childrens excitement.  And hopefully some snow.  I’ve already got the bathroom decorated, Christmas shower curtain, rugs, washclothes, soap dispenser and am going to start on the kitchen next.  I want to do the bedrooms to and am looking for some Christmas flannel sheets and maybe a quilt.   We  decided not to get a cabin this year for Thanksgiving so we’ll have some extra time to decorate and do some shopping.  Have to definetely get the pool closed this weekend or next, what a pain!  We have never had it opened this late in the year, of course, we don’t use it, just have always had it closed by now.  The neighbors haven’t closed theirs either so I don’t feel so bad.  We really wanted to get the living room out of the way so spent more time on it.  It was kinda fun picking out paint, furniture and rugs all over again, felt like we moved into a new house.  Baileys room is the next big overhaul, I can’t wait to see what she decides to do it in.  Scott said no black walls so she can’t go to far.  

We are spending this weekend at some of our good friends house out in the country.  Its a nice place, literally in the middle of nowhere.  They have a 3 year old and him and Aubree get along pretty well, of course will be easier when she is a bit older but they play fine for now.  It’s a

Aubree and I are camped out inside today watching Elmo, or lala as she calls him.  A yucky day out.  Can’t complain to much though, it’s been in the high 70’s low 80’s the last few days.  We did have a wonderful weekend.  Bailey went to West Virginia with my brother and niece to visit his in laws there, she had a good time.  They went to Charleston to the big mall and shopped.  It’s odd she enjoyed that, she must really br growing up.  It’s funny, everything she bought was really cool, and so 80’s.  Its stuff I would have worn back in the day.  I guess the 80’s are back, which is cool cause I can totally help her out with some style.  Scott and I got a few hours friday night by ourselves, went to the hardware and played some darts, which I totally rocked at I may add.  Saturday we had plans to go on a ride with his dad and some good friends of ours.  I was really nervous, for one reason, I hadn’t been on the bike in a bit, and in the last 3 days there were 3 killed locally.  We went to his parents at 10am to get started.  Aubree wasn’t thrilled at first, she knew we were leaving.  Scotts mom got her distracted and we snuck off though.  We rode to Greeneville TN to meet up with everyone, then rode to Newport to eat, then through the mountains over to Gatlinburg TN.  It was an awesome day out and I loved every second of it.  It was nice just riding, hugging on to hubby enjoying the view.  We got home around 430 and Aubree was asleep.  Afterwards we went to Kip and Leahs to cook out and hang.  They have a 3 year old and him and Aubree played so good!  We ended up staying all night and had a great time, haven’t hung out with them in forever it seems.  We used to do Cherokee Bike Rally every year but this year and last year we had to miss….we will definetely get back into it hopefully next year.  Needless to say, after such a good weekend monday was really hard.  I’ve been trying to get ready for a yard sale this weekend and yesterday worked all day on it, today I just can’t seem to get the motivation to get started, must be the rain…. 

It’s official, Aubree has learned the international sign language for “someone stinky”, or that smells……..It started cause changing poo poo diapers, I’d joke and say “Shewwwww” and hold my nose.  Then, when you would say “Aubree, did you poo poo?”  she’d grab her nose and hold it…..now, when she realizes she has gone number 2, she looks at you, grabs her nose, and says “sheewww”.   

got the page up and working again…..much much much to update…coming soon.

Right now this week getting back into the school groove with Bailey in 6th grade, not going exceptionally well, alas we are not morning people…well except for Aubree that wakes up literaly with a smile and a “uh ohh” like who me, fall asleep—-grin every morning.  She is sleeping better the last few nights too, I believe only woke once last night…..and that was at 615 this morning, then right back to sleep………

Bailey’s 11th birthday is coming up on saturday, hard to believe!!!  This past weekend was hubbys 20 year reunion!!  We had a good time, he came from a very small town so not alot there.  I’m presently getting ready for 3 tests this week.argh, Biology, British Lit and Econ.   Not sure why they feel they all have to be the 5th week of school….only  more years and I’m done though, then I get to decide if I’ll start teaching then and put her in daycare…or start teaching when she starts kindergarden…….hhhmm…

My darling girl has always been a pretty good sleeper.  Goes to sleep at 930-11ish, gets up around 930-10ish.  Well, don’t know if it’s a growth spurt or what, but lately, my baby girl LOVES to sleep.  We’re talking a 2 hour afternoon nap, bed around 10ish, then getting up at 12, yeah, that’s right noon!!!  For the last 2 days its been 12, before that around 11.  It’s nuts!  And she wakes up the sweetest, happies little girl, and plays hard all day long.  But around 3-4, it’s naptime, I don’t care where you are.  She’ll get up in her seat, lay back and say “baba”, which means bottle, drink for about 3 minutes, throw the bottle to the side, then sing til she’s out.  It’s terribly cute!  And when she’s done with the bottle, it always goes flying.  We can have the monitor on, and always here when the bottles done.  A few days we’ve put her in her seat in the living room, and hubby and I have took the monitor out and hung out by the pool.  It’s been really nice getting to enjoy it together.  She sleeps for an hour to 2 hours so we get some time.  Have a beer and a swim and just catch up, it’s nice.  Won’t be to many more of those days, the summers already almost gone!  We’ve definetely had a full one  though.  They go back to school August 20, and there is still a couple things I didn’t get to do that I wanted.  But, I did get 2 weeks at the beach so I’m not complaining.  I wanted to take Aubree to the zoo, it’s been so hot though, may wait until fall.  Also want to make a trip to Carowinds one day during the week, and maybe another trip to Gatlinburg.  My parents are always up for traveling anytime like we are so that makes it nice.  Bailey will be in the big 6th grade this year, middle school!!  I can already tell the difference school shopping. Different clothes, name brands etc.  And she’s already informed me that anything she wore last year is out.  Oh help me with my pre teen girl!!  She will be 11 in september and it seems like 16!!  She has taken up reading though, which is something she never did before.  She’s started and finished most of Robin Gunn Jones, Christy Miller series.  I even started reading them so we could chat about them.  Very spiritual and great reading!!  What a great young lady she is and I can only hope will be a good role model fo!r Bailey!!! 

Well, time to feed my little one lunch, well, I guess technically breakfast, yikes! Im not complaining though, to soon it’ll be getting up at 7am days, ugh! 

Right now I’m not sure where we are…other than interstate 26, on our way home.  Coming back from the beach is always a bitter sweet time, we hate to leave, but on the other hand, I’m always ready to come home.  To much uncertainty being away from home.  Pressure to always be doing something so you don’t feel like you left anything out, especially the last day/night, which makes the drive home even more tiresome.  I am always glad to get away from the crowds, high rises, traffic, airplane crashes on the beach…..yeah that was yesterdays entertainment.  It happened right in front of us, one of those banner pulling planes.  I was videoing Scott and Bailey and her new friend in the ocean playing, and the banner went down, then the plane hit the water.  It was really close to shore to, so close everyone was running out of the water and looking behind them to see if it was going to blow up.  Where they were playing was probably about 200 yards from where it actually hit.  We could see it go down, but not really the impact.  The pilot didn’t have time to parachute out, he hit the water but luckily only had a bloody nose.  I have pics to post later……  After seeing the guy get hit by the car sunday, I don’t think I could have stayed long enough for anymore excitement, so i’m really ready to be home…..

We are at the beach right now and it is SO much different than the trip the first week of June.  For one, the weather is insanely hot and humid now.  The crowds are crazy too!  I’ve never seen so many people packed on the beach.  Plus, this time around Aubree is walking!!!  She absolutely loves the beach and the freedom she gets to just take off and run.  She also loves everyones stuff but hers.  We spent saturday following her around and making her put other kids shovels back.  Then sunday, she fell in love with the family beside us 2 year old ride on toy.  Kept walking over to it.  THe lady said “go ahead and take her for a ride, no one is using it”  which was awesome, so daddy took her for a spin and she was hooked.  Needless to say, yesterday morning we had to run straigh to Toys R Us and buy her her own.  We thought it may be a case of she gets it and won’t touch it, but she had fallen asleep in the van on the way back, so we sat in the parking garage to let her get her nap out, and put it together. She woke up and saw it and lit up.  She’s rarely been off of it since.  We took her for a ride on the beach right at dark and she loved it.  It was much nicer then, no hot sun beating down on you, no crowds.  Bailey loves the ocean more than anything and would stay in it literally for hours straight, and has when someone can keep up with her.  She made a friend the first day here and they are staying  in the same condo building we are so they have alot of fun.  Her family is the one that had the ride on toy.  Bailey come up from the beach and saw it yesterday when we got back and thought we had stolen it :-)  So far about all we have done is play on the beach, we ate at Benjamins, and we went to Broadway at the Beach and Bailey met a friend of hers from school and we let them hang out for a bit.  They got to ride the rides there, and even got to ridge Segways, which was very funny.  They have a big field and you just ride in circles, anyway to make money!  Mom and dad took Bailey to Dixie Stampede last night and she loved it!  We just hung out on the balcony with Aubree letting her play and walked on the beach for a bit.  Hopefully we will get to do the Melting Pot one night if mom will babysit.  Fondue is not the place for a 1 year old!!  My cousins and their husbands are here too so we’re hoping there will be 6 of us! 

Forgot to add, on our drive down to Toys R Us, we were sitting at a red light, there are 6 lanes of traffic, 3 on each side and we were in the furthest left lane.  A man was crossing the rode from the Cracker Barrel parking lot, and a Ford Explorer came across and didn’t see him and hit him.  He hit the hood then kinda rolled off, and hit the pavement.  He did jump up and starting like frantically pacing around like he was very disoriented.  The guy jumped out of his truck with his cell phone trying to calm the guy down and get him to set or lay in the grass.  Another car pulled up and a woman jumped out.  They got him to walk over to the Cracker Barrel parkign lot and get out of the road.  Before we pulled out he still hadn’t laid down or even sat, he was just walking in circles.  I’d say he was hurt and didn’t want to set still.  I still feel SO bad for him and wonder what his injuries were.  He was around 45ish I’d say.  It was a really horrible thing to see and I swear I will never cross the road again before the vehicles are fully stopped.  He was even at a crosswalk! 

Things go remember:

How sweet Aubree is toddling around, trying to keep her balance, and with something in her hand. 

How when Aubree was still a crawler, to hold on to something, she would put it in her mouth like a dog and crawl with it.

Her first words right now, other than da da and momm momm….she looks up at the dark sky, finds the moon, points and says “mooooon”  says (sissy) which kinda sounds like diddy.  Says “guurll” when pointing to little girls, says “kitty” and loves her cat dearly, she loves to put her head down on his belly and just lay there, then a minute later gives him a kiss then pulls his tail.  When she hears someone say doggy, she starts going “woof, woof” even in the dogg aisle at walmart.  And kitty she makes a cute little “mewing” sound. 

She just cracks me up, I could set and watch her play and explore for hours.  Little things make her oohh and aahhh and I love that. 

Having her sister around is such a big help.  She loves her big sissy sooo much.  I love when we go on outings and it’s us 3 girls.  Bailey loves pushing the stroller, gets her in and out of her carseat, entertains her at the dinner table.  She is such a big help!!  I dread them starting school back, we’ll miss having her around all day!!!

Aubree had (finally) her 12 month well child visit last thursday. Even though I have her 3 months behind on her shots (she just got her 9 month Hib shot last week) I am keeping her well child visits on track.  She was 30 inches tall, weighed 19.5 pounds  and I can’t remember her head measurements, just that it was in the 75th percentile.  Her weight and height was in the 50th percentile, which really shocked me because I really thought her weight would be considered really low.  I always get nervous before these visits cause I dread them finding something, anything that could be something wrong.  Her heart etc.  Alas, other than growing up WAY to fast, my baby girl (toddler really) is in excellent health.  She has been walking (running really) since a few days after her 1st birthday and I can’t believe she is growing up so fast.  I love taking her places and holding her little hand and letting her toddle around, I also love it when she lets me carry her and watching her little face while she looks around at everything.  I am already missing the baby part of my girl and can’t believe it’s went by so quickly.  We went to the beach the first week of June and she crawled in the sand and water, now when we go back this saturday, she’ll be walking, running really, on the beach.  She honestly is the happiest, most easy going baby I have ever seen.  Fiercely independent, but still likes mommy right beside her to drift off to sleep……

Do not ever put your child in her car seat with no diaper on , even for one second to watch Barney while you get a cup of coffee….she will crap.  Alot.