4, 1, 25, BINGO!!

Easter 2013

Four generations.

Haylee Kate, 25 days old

Yummies!

then, B-I-N-G-O time!!

"Prep" day.

Since we live a great distance from our family we have grown accustomed to spending Easter alone.  That fact makes this year EXTRA special since my Mom is here with us.  It is also EXTRA special because it is Haylee Kate's first Easter.

Today was "prep" day.
I planned lots of activities that Mom could participate in since she loves being active.  And, don't tell her, but I even managed to snap some photos while she was "working" (and not looking).

Haylee Kate was our Supervisor.

Not everyone was eager to help
with the prep work.

Today it poured  rain, then the sky cleared and the sun came out.  I find it symbolic and a reminder of why we celebrate this bittersweet holiday.  I'm so very happy the story does not end on Friday, but instead on the happiest of days, "Resurrection Sunday"!.  I hope you all have a blessed, happy Easter, Bloggy friends.

~Sweet Tea

"Feel Good Day"

I cleaned house yesterday and it felt really good to wake up to everything in it's place this morning.  The lawn care folks also came by yesterday and worked for two solid hours to get the yard into shape.  It felt really good to wake up and see the yard, minus all the Spring weeds today.  The sun hung in a clear blue sky, and it felt really good to see it's glow.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I also talked with our 3 Oklahoma Granddolls today.
Those girls simply "rock my world"!
So good to hear their sweet voices!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

BTW, Lil' Mama took Haylee Kate to the doctor for a weight check on Monday.  HK had gained 6 oz in four days!!  Whoppee!  She is doing very well!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Let the record show this was a
"Feel Good Day"!

What made you "feel good" today?

Yep.  I really want to know!

10 Things I Love about March

10 Things I Love about March

1. Two of my favorite people have birthdays this month.
2. Spring begins
3. Spring/Summer clothes appear in stores
4. Time change
5. Spring weeds in my yard
6. Cadberry Chocolate Eggs
7. End of cold/flu season
8. Kites
9. Easter
10. March Madness Contest tradition that Mister and youngest son have rivaled over for 20+ years

What do you like about March?

Things I'm Lovin'!

Daughter had a baby and a friend gave me this

oh-so-cute-polka-dot baking dish to mark the occasion.

 It's great having a friend who knows I LOVE polka-dot dishes!!

Another something I'm lovin' is this face primer by Loreal.

If you use a face primer under your make-up base,

let me recommend this one.  It's just too GREAT not to share.

I love this stuff and would buy it by the bucket if it came that way.
I've been searching for a great primer for over a year and have tried a variety at all different price points.  Hands down - this one is the winner!  No - I didn't get paid a cent to recommend this.  Consider this a public service announcement.  *wink

AND

 if you go looking to buy this Primer be sure to buy the "green" variety rather than either of the others.  The green is actually a little hard to find as many stores are sold out of it, but accept no substitutions - this stuff is "the bomb"!

Something else I am lovin' these days is sweet Haylee Kate,
but I must admit I am also lovin' that her Mom is feeling good again and is back  in "full-time Mama mode",

as I also love a full, good night's sleep.

Nite. Nite.

Sweet Beginnings

Lil' Mama giving Haylee Kate a bath in the NICU

(getting ready to come home)

All dressed in pink gingham and "good to go".

Doncha' just LOVE ruffled baby socks?!

Moi' (YaYa) - and sweet, new, Granddoll.

Mister (YoYo) and sweet, new Granddoll.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lil' Mama has caught a stomach bug (including fever).  We are caring for Granddoll while Lil' Mama stays quarantined in her bedroom.  We are praying that Granddoll will not catch this nasty bug - so far so good. . . At one week check up Granddoll had gained 4 oz, but at 2 week check up she remained the same weight.  Doctor is somewhat "concerned", but all baby's blood work is good.  We take her back for a weight check on Monday and are hoping to see some weight gain.  We'll sure be glad when cold & flu season passes and Granddoll has packed on a few pounds.

Soon, very soon.

Rockin' the Bow

Haylee Kate
is
doing great!

(a poem)

*giggle
Yep - the bow is GINORMOUS,
but this is the south and this is how
baby girl's roll in these parts.  Every baby girl
has gotta be able to "rock the bow", so they  begin
the balancing act in the crib.

10 days old. 

Eating. Sleeping. Filling diapers.

Growing stronger every single day.

Things are crazy, busy, beautiful here.  I'm way behind on laundry.  The kitchen floor needs to be mopped.  

All in due time.  I'm taking time to enjoy all the sweet baby "moments".

Burps.  Gassy smiles.  Wiggles.
She's a bundle of entertainment wrapped in pink.
Confession: sometimes we all sit and simply watch her sleep.

Li'l Mama is doing well.

She has taken to motherhood very nicely, making bottles, changing diapers, and getting up throughout the night.  She seems to delight in every moment, like most new Mom's do.

I know many of you are grandparents so you fully know the joy of having a grandchild.  This is our fourth Granddoll and we revel in all these precious girls God has put into our life.

Feeling very blessed.

Starbucks Card Give-Away WINNERS!

A few weeks ago many of you played along on the "$10 Starbucks Card Give-Away" for the person guessing the closest (without going over) to my soon-to-be new Granddoll's birth date and birth weight.

Here are the stats - and here are the WINNERS!

(this was open to my FB & Bloggy Friends)

Elaine @ Sunny Simple Life and Grace, (a FB friend AND my youngest Granddoll!)

*both these gals guessed March 5, no one actually guessed March 6,

so they were the closest w/o going over, to her birth date.

AND

guessing the closest to her birth weight, (w/o going over) is Karen @ Karen's Korner.

She guessed 6.3oz, just 1 oz less than her actual birth weight.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

I will get your Starbucks card in the mail
as soon as you send me your address.
And, Thanks to all of you who played along!

*if you find I have over-looked an accurate guess you made

please send me a message and I'll re-check my records.

The stakes rise!

Sweet Granddoll, Haylee Kate!
She and her Mom are scheduled to come home from the hospital tomorrow, a week after this hospital stay began.  They are both doing well now.  Her Mom had a second blood patch yesterday and it seems to be holding.

NOW - more stress!
The baby daddy, his mom, and his sister have been in town all week.

His Mom is not to be trusted and we've known that.
Today she shows up in little Mama's room declaring that she has made arrangements for a paternity test and that she wants shared custody of the baby for her son.  Little Mama called me hysterical.  She and Baby Daddy have an agreement on how they want this to happen and have already talked with a social worker about this.  Now, the other Grandmother (his Mom) steps in and says if Baby Daddy doesn't comply with her wishes she will begin to charge him room & board, etc. etc. and he will not be able to go to college.  Manipulation is her game.
My husband is enroute to the hospital and has called our attorney.

I can't tell you how glad I will be when Baby Daddy and his family go back home - 4 hours away.
Little Mama and Baby Daddy have agreed that Li'l Mama will have custody but that he can come here to visit Haylee anytime he wants, and he will continue with his college plans.

His mom is a "Snake".
Forgive me, but she is.

We'd love to have your prayers
on this issue.

Update

Blogging from my ipad so I will apologize for typos in advance.
I am spending the day at the hospital.

Our sweet new Granddoll continues in the NICU but will probably be ready to come home on Monday.  YAY!!

Her little Mama is not doing so well.  She continues to have complications from having 3 epidurals during the birthing process - she is leaking spinal fluid, which in turn gives her horrible headaches, severe dizziness, and she has fainted 8 times.  Yesterday they performed a procedure on her called a "blood patch".  Have you heard of this before?  This was something new to me.  They actually removed blood from her arm and then gave her yet another epidural and fed this blood into her spine to clot all the previous epidurals.  When she awoke she felt wonderful - headache and all dizziness was gone!  But she awoke this morning to another awful headache and the dizziness has returned.  Not sure what comes next.  I'm sure this can be resolved but in the meantime she is feeling awfully sick.  We'd appreciate your prayers.

Thanks Bloggy friends!!

She's here!

What a Happy Day!

Brand new to the world!

Snoozin'.

She is in the NICU for a few days.

She had some fluid in her lungs at birth

so they are monitoring her and giving her

antibiotics.  They assure us she will be fine after

 4 or 5 days in their care.

We appreciate your prayers!

Here's her Mom visiting with her in the NICU.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

*Starbuck's Card Give-Away*

I have not forgotten the give-away.

As soon as our life slow's down, (which will probably be
when we get .everyone home from the hospital)
I will check the list and announce the Winner's.

Stay tuned!

_ed Le_ _er D_ y

I know every family has the occasional "red letter" day, a day that is significant in the history of a family.  Friday was one of those days for us.

We got up and left the house at 5:15 am on Friday and made the 6 hour drive to Tulsa, Oklahoma to appear in court at 1:30.  The issue was basically to decide what the future would look like for our Mom.  My sister and I met at the courthouse with out attorney.  Mom arrived shortly thereafter with her attorney.  The great news for that day was that my sister and I were made co-Guardians for our Mom. It was also decided that Mom would come to live with my family in Louisiana, but would also have extended visits with my sister and her family at certain times during the year.  This was a win/win, in that it will provide for the best care and also the freedom to move between the states of Oklahoma and Louisiana at will.  Mom has been diagnosed with dementia and our goal is to help her live her best life, with as much freedom and opportunity for happiness as we can make possible.

Now we're about the business of doing just that.
Yesterday we took Mom out for Mexican food.
Today we went to church then drove around our town showing her the sights.
Then of course we needed some lunch, so today it was Italian food.
Tomorrow we'll begin to find some type of routine that is hopefully pleasing to everyone.

Let it be known that I have the best husband in the world.

You can be sure there will be lots of stories ahead as we all make the adjustment to living under the same roof.