Two weeks to go, and I'm losing my mind . . .

Yes, it's mommy-brain that has plagued me, but it has really struck severely the past few weeks. I have to write EVERYTHING down right now, and things get misplaced so easily around my house.

Like the little baby gap gown that my girls wore after they came home from the hospital. It was one of the few unisex garments I had, and it was so soft and sweet, I had kept it. It has drawstrings around the bottom. We called it the potato sack gown. There was also a blanket that matched it (I've all but given up looking for that). But I washed the little gown just over a week ago. Now I have no idea where I've left it, and I'm trying to pack the bag so we are ready for the big day.

We had also been missing our TV controller for over two weeks. My mother came to help me catch up on some laundry (as I also sorted through baby clothes and stored clothes my youngest daughter had outgrown). Guess where the controller was? At the bottom of a laundry basket, under some clothes. Go figure.

This little one will not have the volume of clothing that my girls did, and I am thankful. I just cannot get a handle on clothes, especially when my drama-queen youngest daughter likes to change clothes 4 or 5 times a day. I have had a horrible time with this, and she throws the discarded outfits on her floor rather than hanging them back up. So, I have really had to keep a close eye on her lately. We are trying to keep things as tidy as possible for my absence, and more importantly, for my return.

My "to-do" list seems to be improving a little, but I know it's a matter of time before it catches up with me and the heavy-duty contractions begin. I have had a few real ones in the last week, and tomorrow I'll find out if they are doing any good.

For now, it's off to hunt for the potato sack gown. I have my heart set on it, and I know I didn't trash it or give it away. The hunt continues . . . .

Fashion Diva

Notice the colorful grass skirt added to the ensemble (over blue jeans, of course). Only from my eccentric 4-year-old.

A path of destruction just a short drive away

Macon County, TN, has occupied my mind for the past few days. You see, my mother grew up in Macon County. We still have family there (we are thankful they are all okay, and they are working in the relief effort).

The worst part of the tornado (which is estimated to have been on the ground for over 41 miles and in many parts of Macon County over a mile wide) passed just about 1 mile from where my grandparents lived until their passing. So many of my summers were spent skipping rocks in the creek that ran alongside the road where they lived.

A little country church that my mother and I attended when we spent weekends there was completely destroyed. I look on the website, and so many houses that I recognize (as we passed by them on the way to my grandparents) are severely damaged. It is sad, because when we now go to my in-laws' house, I often enjoy the drive and tell my husband how much one stretch of highway reminds me of Lafayette, with its gentle rolling hills and the farm community, down-home feeling. Now that nostalgia cannot be compared to the original place, which has been scarred so badly from this event.

My aunt is a paralegal there, and my uncle is a volunteer firefighter and also runs an insurance agency there, so they deal with a large part of the town residents on a daily basis. They both know many of those who perished as a result of Tuesday's storm (actually, it was between 2 and 3 o'clock a.m. on Wednesday, because I was up watching the news as the storms were passing through my county, and Lafayette was getting the worst part of if around that time). The death toll was at 14 for Macon County alone the last time I heard, but not everyone has been accounted for yet (around 100 people, whom they are not assuming are dead). They know even more people who lost everything, not to mention those whose homes are badly damaged.

Please say a prayer for these folks. It is one of the nicest towns I know. To see pictures of Macon County, go to http://www.maconcountytimes.com

I'm not completely out of touch with the real world...

I know that Fred Thompson has dropped out of the presidential race. And I still have his button displayed on the blog. Why? Because there are no better candidates out there in my opinion, and I really cannot decide who to vote for, because I am so displeased with ALL of the remaining candidates that are front-runners. So, Fred stays, and my vote will have to see who the independent candidates are. I didn't vote in the primary in my state, because of the disillusionment in my mind when it comes to the presidential candidates. I am disappointed in Fred's departure, but I'm still throwing support that way for now, until I find a candidate that can convince me that they deserve my vote.

My girls are crazy!

They love to ham it up for the camera. Madelynne has had a rash on her face off and on for a couple of days, so I am having her put diaper rash cream on it (I still had about 1/4 of a tube from when Allyson was a baby). So, tonight, her face was broken out again, so I sent her to put on the "butt paste" again. (Little did I know that there is an actual name-brand diaper cream with the same name, until today, when I was given some at my baby shower.) We've always used the term rather loosely. So, Madelynne, looking for a laugh, comes out like this:


After she was done (and was able to wash her face off), Allyson decided she must have her picture taken too. This is her froggy sleep mask she got for Christmas:I had a nice afternoon with my friends who threw me and another friend a shower. Our children played in the background, and we enjoyed some good conversation, along with a discovery of an interesting little product I'd never heard of before (having girls, it's never been needed at my house). . . the Pee-Pee TeePee. They are little washable cones that fit over the baby while changing his diaper (so you don't get sprayed). It is amazing what products are available now. A lot of people have used cloth diapers before, but now those can be saved for burp cloths. I also got some really cute clothes for the baby, the "official" Butt Paste I mentioned before, wipes, diapers, bibs, a cute diaper bag, and burp cloths.

I am so thankful to have friends to enlighten me! :D