Pudge

I realize that the blog has turned into a shameless parade of pictures of and stories about my two beautiful girls. And I'm OK with that. What else can you expect from a new mother with a veritable gold mine of her own?

As the thigh photo displayed, Ashley Kate is a growing girl. (Growing at a great, speedy clip, she is.) In addition to the doughy goodness of her thighs, Ashley is pudging up everywhere else too. One of the cutest places to see baby fat, in my opinion, is at the writsts. Sweet baby girl does not disappoint her mama! Check out the wrist creases so far! (Since Ella was such a string bean, I am having all kinds of fun with Ashley and her squishy-ness. Poor girl gets hugged and kissed all the damn time!)

Wouldn't you want to hug and kiss Miss Pudgy McPudge?

That's what we thought!

Biker Babe

Santa Baby was one smart cookie when he decided to bring Ella Grace a big girl bike for Christmas. After some initial hesitation on her part (and some general miffed-ness on mine) she has deemed the bike her favorite gift. She has already figured out how to pedal standing up and to turn sharp, hit the brakes and slide across the floor! I'm thinking it's a dang good thing Santa gave her a helmet with it!

E, in full protection mode

Rock Chalk...Whatever

In light of KU winning the Orange Bowl, I'll be nasty and repeat two comments made about Mangino. All is fair in love and football, right?

These are two comments made to K-State's Campus Fourum (a voicemail set up for students to call and leave random messages that then get printed in the campus newspaper).

"And God said 'Let there be light' and Mark Mangino had to move."

(In Kansas there are signs by the road that say 'One Kansas farmer feeds 147 people and YOU!') "One Kansas farmer feeds one hungry Mark Mangino."

When I read these I just laughed and laughed like any good KSU graduate would!

Sugar Sugar

Ashley is ready for the big game.

Go Dawgs!!

Jan. 2nd

By the time I sit down at my desk on January 2nd to officially come back to work the following things might have happened:

*the mouse who has taken up residence in my house will have nosed his way into the trap we set

*I will have partied like a rock star at New Year's Eve

*permanent daycare for Ashley will have been found

*all of the quickly growing grey hair will have been plucked from my head

*cell phone contract will be renewed and we will sport new phones

*two things that I have been meaning to do will finally get done

*emotional breakdowns at the thought/act of leaving Ashley at daycare will have occurred

*the avalanche of telemarketing phone calls received on our new home number will have slowed (seriously, I got 3 of them the first day it was connected)

*a good recipe for peanut butter fudge will have been found

*my house will be clean

*collard greens, black eyed peas, pork and corn bread will have been consumed on New Year's Day - gotta start the new year off right!

*my savings account will be drained

*I will be back in full blogger mode, ready to pummel you with all sorts of posts and pics

See you then!

Payback

When Andria had her little girl Dellaina almost two years to the day that I had Ella, I knew I would be able to shower her with all kinds of clothes. Since then she and I have been keeping the USPS and UPS in business by shipping boxes of clothes back and forth. Now that Ashley is here, Andria is returning the favor and sent me some of Dellaina's clothes. Boy are they cute! I haven't even skimmed the surface of the enormous box she sent but I did happen upon this adorable outfit and made sure to put Miss Ashley in it pronto.

Thanks, Andria! Ashley now has two wardrobes to be outfitted from! (Unfortunately neither one is her own, but such is the plight of the second born...)

Thunder what?

Ashley, Ashley, Ashley. Sweet baby Ashley.

You have got some serious thighs going on. I knew when we weighed you at the doctors office and you had gained two pounds in two weeks that there would be evidence. Is there ever! But I love love all of your big chunky monkey pudge. You are so fun to squeeze and hug and those big cheeks are great for kissing. So what if you weigh now what Ella weighed at 3 months?

(This photo is totally G rated.)

Big 4

Yesterday was Ella's 4th birthday! Happy Birthday to her and her big 4 year old self!

Preschool was closed yesterday (due to the power outages everywhere) so she got to celebrate at home with us. David took her to feed with him and then she watched her new movie, Ratatouille, that Marisa gave her. After gymnastics we went out to eat with Aunt Jamie and Angie, Scott and Mallory and I got to have my first margarita since Ashley's arrival. Yippee!

Ella in the new snow suit that Grandma and Grandpa gave her and new snow boots that we gave her.

Ice, Ice Baby, part 2

So the ice came. And came.

The trees all looked so beautiful encased in the ice but that beauty comes with a price, unfortunately. The limbs got so heavy that they just snapped right off, all over the power lines. We were one of the lucky ones and never lost power, thank goodness!

That is some thick stuff!

I thought this looked kind of cool.

Now the forcast is calling for 3-6" of snow on top of the ice. Yikes! Is there a song called Snow, Snow Baby?

Ice Ice Baby

Last week we got a minimal amount of snow (1-1.5"). Usually this would cause all sorts of discombobulation for us Southerners... but, David and I overcame our Georgian ways long ago and don't hardly blink an eye at such a small amount. No rushing off to the grocery store for bread and milk for us!

The snow is still on the ground since it has remained pretty cold for the past few days. Guess what the good ol' weatherman is saying that we are going to get on top of our 1-1.5" of snow tonight? ICE. The same amount of ICE. An inch to an inch and a half. Oh. No.

If you will excuse me, I'm heading off to the grocery store. (I may be a Southerner hardened to Kansas winters but I'm no fool!)

Getting to Know You

Another altered email, but hey, it's all I got!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Tree--Real or Artificial? Fo' real, fo' sho!

3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Generally two weeks before Christmas, to enjoy it as long as pissible but not so long that the needles get everywhere

4. When do you take the tree down? Before New Year's Day (or else it's bad luck!)

5. Like egg nog? Yes, especially if it's spiked

6. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes - Reason for the season

7. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't know... I was pretty pumped about getting Keds once

8. Hardest person to buy for? Jamie

9. Easiest person to buy for? David

10. Worst Christmas gift? ?

11. Mail or email a Christmas Card? Mail

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Vacation - So. Effing. Funny.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Beginning of December, unfortunately

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite food to eat on Christmas? Mimosas and quiche, a la Mom

16. Clear or colored tree lights? Colored, although clear are very nice

17. Favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night

18. Travel during Christmas or Stay home? We seem to alternate

19. Can you name Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Comet, Blitzen, Cupid, Rudolph

20. Angel or Star on Tree top? Angel

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? crowded stores

23. What are you most looking forward to at Christmas? Ella's wide eyed belief and watching her open gifts

24. What are you hoping to get for Christmas this year? She's already here

25. How did you find out about Santa Clause not being real? I asked Mom if he was real and she said no (after a kid at school told me he wasn't)

Little One

Who says that second children don't get as many pictures taken of them as the first one did? Obviously not me!

Name Game

Susan sent this to me and I got a pretty good kick out of it. Her names were pretty funny, mine are kind of blah. (I was a little free with some of mine. It doesn't help that my last name starts with three consenants!)

If you come up with something good for one of your names, leave it in the comments!


10. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father's middle name) Anna Thomas

9. NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, fathers dad) Carl Charles

8. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, 2 letters of your first) Mccme

7. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, fav animal) Red Dog

6. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Elizabeth Athens

5. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginng) The Pink Beer

4. FLY GIRL/GUY NAME: (1st letter of 1st name, 1st 3 letters of your last name) Mmcc (how about M.C.?)

3. GANGSTA NAME: ( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Vanilla Peanut Butter

2. ROCK STAR NAME: (current pets name, current street name) Lily College

1. STRIPPER NAME: (first pets name, street name you grew up on) Gypsy Mars Hill

Photo Blog

Somebody give hand me some lipstick - STAT!

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.

She smelled as good as she looks!

Three Martinis, please

Remember my post about a playdate for Ella? The picture that I used was from the cover of a book called The Three Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting. I had never heard of this book before but the image came up when I was searching for something pertaining to a playdate and it made me laugh so steal it I did.

Little did I know that Niki would be so observant and actually order the book for her favorite new mommies, Andrea and I! I got it in the mail last week and have had some good laughs reading it. I think when I'm done I will pass it on for Karen (queen of the playdate) to read :)

A little exerpt that made me laugh:

"One wasn't required to transport the little children hither and thither, here to T-ball practice, there to a 'playdate', may the chipper mommy who coined that particular term forever rot in a hell of eternally colicky babies."

Pure genius, right?

So Far...

Sleep? - Yes, please

Breastfeeding - One of nature's most natural things does not come naturally

Pregnancy weight - gone (ta da!)

Pre-pregnancy jeans - hell yeah, I'm wearing them

(If it sounds like I'm bragging on those last two, I am ;P )

# of days w/o a shower - Z.E.R.O. Nevah!

Kick ass afternoon of TV - TBS. Yes, Dear, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, King of Queens, Seinfeld, Friends and Just Shoot Me. I'm in love.

Treat du jour - Rick Krispie Treats

Swelling - All gone. My feet and calves are back to their recognizable form

Withdrawal from the Internet - Much worse than I imagined it would be

Need for some semblance of a routine - great/huge/enormous

Times I almost cried over spilled milk - One. One too many.

Times cried for no good reason - Who knows? But that Thanksgiving card really touched me, OK?

Goodbye to nearly clear complexion - Hello to not so much

Last reminders that I recently had surgery - laughing, coughing and sneezing

Ashley looks like - Her sister, and how!

A few words for my genetics - You're getting docked a day's pay for sleeping on the job (name that movie, anyone?)

Fingers nicked in first attempt at trimming nails - 3. 3 on one hand. Thank goodness Ashley didn't cry or I would have too.

Who is ready for another one? - Get back to me on that.

Who is feeling her heart burst with a true understanding of the meaning of Thanksgiving? - Yes ma'am, I am.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another Quickie

In an effort for this not to be the Ashley channel (all Ashley, all the time!) here are some pics of Ella. I still plan on writing up the big Ashley post, mind you, but no time for that now. Maybe by the time she is a month old? Two months?

OMG, I just thought of something. If the blog will no longer be the Ella channel, nor will it be just the Ashley channel, then it will be the Ashley and Ella channel or A&E! Gosh, I'm so witty it hurts!

Gazing out the window at the hospital.

Princess Ella and her Super Dog, Miss Mags

OK, just one of little baby Ashley, sleeping in the sun

Semi Post

I have made it back to blog land, but unfortunately it's very temporary. We don't have a computer at home so posting requires a bit of an effort!

The real quick rundown so far is that all is well. Ashley had to stay at the hospital a few extra days to bask in the glow of artificial light since she had a touch of jaundice. We were able to go home on Saturday and since then have been trying to settle in and adjust to the new way of life. I am doing really, really well. A lot better than I remember at this stage of the game last time, actually! Oh, and the feet? They have begun to subside! Real shoes for me again! I'm pumped.

The only pictures I have at my disposal this very minute are from the hospital still, but I'll post them anyway. I don't know how different they are from the other ones, but you can't say I didn't try!

Hopefully I will be able to post a 'real' post soon, as well as grab some photos where Ashley isn't all bundled up and you can actually see her! (One thing to look forward to is a shot of her toes! Remember Angie telling me that Ella has my toes? Yep, Ashley too! Too a greater extent, I'm afraid...)

This we pre 'get that awful hat off of my precious little girl!'.

Lots of lovin' from her big sister.

Angie, Mallory and the McClure girls.

Welcome

After much anticipation, I am very proud to announce the arrival of Miss Ashley Kate McClure!!

The stats: 11/6 at 7:42 am, 7lbs. 15 oz., 20 in.

Lots and lots of dark hair!

Ella is as proud and smitten as can be.

I will give you the full rundown later, I promise! (Right now we are still in the hospital and hope to leave Friday at lunch.)

Thank you for all of your wonderful thoughts as we embark on this great adventure again... We are truly, truly lucky!

Tick Tock

So tomorrow is the day...

Of course I have about a million things that I want to get done running through my head, making little mental lists for myself. Who knows if I will remember everything? Or if it even matters, really? Things like housework will get done eventually, whether it's before Ashley gets here or not, so I'm not too concerned.

What I have been giving even more thought to recently is the fact that our lives are about to change. Forever. I have tried to take a few moments to soak up the family dynamic that we have grown so accustomed to, realizing that it will never be the same.

To that end, I searched online for some quotes regarding change. I found two that I thought were especially appropriate:

Charles DuBois: "The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."

Heraclitus: "You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in."

Exactly.

(Eeee! The next time I log in I will have my baby in my arms! See you then!)