The McLains

A Playground with Poles

2012-02-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist posting these photos after I looked through them on my camera today. Azalee is a child who loves to hang from things and swing herself around things- thus a love for metal poles. Lucky for her our neighborhood playground has a variety of poles for her to work with. I noticed today she was particularly drawn to the poles so I started snapping some photos of her. She worked her way around the entire playground, indiscriminately swinging around, hugging and trying to slide down all the poles- fat, skinny, short, tall, brown, black and green.

I betting this affinity for poles doesn't end anytime soon, as I'm fairly positive her father and Uncle Joe still can't pass up stopping at a good playground with a fire pole to do tricks (uh, strength training exercises).

All About Springer (in pictures)

2012-02-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

We've made it...to Wed

2012-02-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

So far this week, Allen has:
*successfully passed a PT test on Monday.
*successfully passed his instruments check ride on Tuesday.
*successfully turned in his map project on Wednesday.

Is is the weekend yet? Really, I'm just glad to have my dining room back and Azalee is excited to be able to play in all of the common areas of the house again :)

A special thanks (read: HE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT YOU) to Pam for coming to Alabama to help Allen with his most hellacious map project. And for those of you who want to see what 50+ hrs of work on map drawing looks like, I have attached a picture. This map book is composed of 32 smaller maps which fold out to make a map that is something like 8'x10'.

We are also sending all of our prayers and positive thoughts to Ben this week. Good luck with comps!

My baby, the vampire.

2012-02-07T19:36:00.001-08:00

Luke is in the process of getting teeth 3-6. He already has the bottom two. Now, instead of getting the middle top two, he is getting vampire fangs instead. And he has a nasty habit if biting...

Some might think a skirt would slow a girl down on the playground...

2012-02-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

Azalee would like to disagree with that thought.

Small Steps

2012-01-31T17:45:00.000-08:00

Azalee went to her first day of Small Steps Preschool Program today. Her teachers said she did very well playing with the other kids and she didn't cry for me once and they told me how much she loved to go outside. I think we will both appreciate a few hours away from each other every week.

Kyleigh 1 Month!

2012-01-26T17:46:00.001-08:00

Ok, so Blogger just doesn't like me... I have tried for days to upload some pictures. It is uploading my pictures all funky-like, so I just gave up and am doing 1 picture tonight. More will come later :-)

1-23-12 Kyleigh at 1 month!

Let's see...
Stats: Weight= 8lbs 9 oz (gained 1lb 3 oz in a month! Lil Chunker!) Length .= 20 3/4 in (+ 3/4 in)

Of course we LOVE having Kyleigh in our family :-) She is a completely different being than Springer! It's amazing how you can see a difference in personality even at this young of an age.

Here are the similarities between the two:
1) Great sleepers! - Kyleigh is sleeping 4-6 hrs at night. Woohoo
2) Chunky cheeks - gotta love 'em
3) Scrawny legs and arms
4) Very strong- she's doing a great job lifting her head

What's unique about Kyleigh:
1) Must be held 24/7
2) Loves to eat- hence the weight gain
3) Super round, chunky baby belly- see #2
4) Flips out (and I mean goes hysterical) when she wants to eat
5) Gassy baby

In her first month, she has smiled, laughed in her sleep, and is working on picking her head up. We are impressed with how strong she is. But for the most part, she does what any other newborn does: eat, sleep, poop, pee, eat, sleep, poop, pee... etc

We Love You Kyleigh!

If you give a mouse a cookie- the Azalee Pearl version

2012-01-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

If Azalee wakes up at 4am when her dad leaves for work, chances are her mother will roll over and hope she goes back to sleep.

If Azalee is screaming 40 mins later, her mother will finally go into her room and pick her up and try to rock her back to sleep.

Azalee will likely fall back to sleep in her mothers arms, but when her mother tries to put her back in the crib she will wake up crying. So, her tired mother will carry Azalee back to mom's bed in hopes of getting another couple hrs of sleep.

Azalee will only be intrigued by her parents' bed and sit up, jabber at her mother, then crawl over to dad's nightstand to see what she can get into.

Tired mother is desperate for more sleep so gives Azalee a cell phone and a book light to entertain herself then pulls the covers over her head.

Azalee will likely be amused for a few minutes but will soon make her way off the bed and start pounding on the door and screaming at her mother to take her outside. This will then wake the dog.

Her mother will drag herself out of bed at 5:30 and go to the living room where she will turn on sesame street and let the dog out and lay down on the couch praying for another hour of sleep.

As mother drifts in and out of consciousness, Azalee will drag out half of her toys and all of the magazines before realizing all the playing is making her hungry and starts getting in her mother's face to beg for food.

Azalee will sign "eat" and when her mother says no she will frantically start to sign and say milk, water, eat, more, please, cereal, please, please, more, more...

This whining and signing will continue until her mother drags off of the couch and into the kitchen to see the microwave clock reads 6am and decides to give Azalee a few Cheerios in hopes of holding her off until her 7am breakfast.

Azalee will take her dry Cheerios into the living room where her mother has collapsed back into the couch. She will be fine for a minute until she realizes Cheerios really need milk. So she will start begging for milk again.

Her mother will get up again and go to the kitchen hoping the milk will end all of this and buy her a little more rest. But while the milk is being put away you can bet Azalee is going to spot the bananas on the counter and start her "ba ba ba banana" pleas.

Desperate and still half asleep her mother will give her the milk and a banana and head back to the couch to crash in front of Elmo once more.

As mother dozes in and out Azalee finishes her banana and throws the peel on the carpet. She has enough milk so she tosses the cup to leak milk on the floor and her remaining Cheerios are perfect for crushing on the coffee table.

Azalee will surely get bored of all this within minutes so she will rearrange all of the picture frames and use the drink coasters as frisbees, after all her mother is not awake/aware enough to stop her.

Azalee will then decide she's had enough alone time and get back in her mother's face to try and "tickle, tickle" her chin and head and belly until mother finally realizes her attempts at sleep are futile.

Mother gets up and goes to the bathroom, at which point Azalee followers her in demanding her toothbrush. Mother gets changed into her workout clothes, does a workout in the living room while Azalee dances and brushes her teeth. Mother then cleans up milk, cherrios, banana peel and pictures frames. Mother then eats breakfast, takes a shower with Azalee and gets both of them dressed.

Once Azalee and Mom are dressed and ready to head out for the day, Azalee decides she's been up for a long time and of course, she needs a nap. The time is now 9AM. Mother is not in the mind set for a nap, but you can bet she will be come 2 PM when Azalee is screaming "OUTSIDE! OUTSIDE!"

As her mother, I have to wonder, what would have happened if I'd just left her in her room for another 15 mins? and how in the world did I used to wake up for work at 5am everyday?

Graham Family Update

2012-01-19T10:39:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy 2 months for this family. We miss being near everyone! And I know I'm not the best at this whole blog thing... but this is better than nothing right??

In the month of December:

Luke got his very first tooth!
We moved into our new home (thanks to everyone who helped out, we couldn't have done it without y'all!)
Luke turned 6 months old!

At his six month appointment, he weighed 16.8lbs (45th%) was 27 1/4 " long (85th%) and however huge his head measured, was the 90th% (...Jason...:)

Luke got his second tooth!
We enjoyed Luke's first Christmas. Thank you all for your generous gifts. Y'all are awesome, we love you all.
We enjoyed having company in town for Christmas and New years.

We are loving being in our own place. Finally feelign a little more settled in.

Luke (and Mom) are loving being here because we are able to be on a schedule. Luke has finally been sleeping 7-10 hours at a time during the night. After waking up for this feeding, he goes back to sleep to total 12-13 hours a night. He is still taking a morning and afternoon nap. He loves carrots, peas, rice cereal, grapes, bananas, and is undecided about green beans. He loves taking a bath now that he can sit up by himself. He is still army crawling, but frequently has his feet on the ground and butt in the air as if he is at the starting line for the 40yd dash... maybe he's planning on skipping the crawling part? He loves his puppies and plays with them often. He and the kitten are still working on their relationship. The kitten chases his wiggly hands and feet, and hitches a ride on Lukes back.

Jason is enjoying work as much as anyone enjoy's working. I'm enjoying Jason working... because I love smoothies. He is applying to Kennesaw for the fall semester, and as of now, is still expecting to do education. He is still looking at several local football leagues. Much less time commitment, and just for fun.

I am loving my Job at St. Francis. The kids seem to love me (most of the time) and I am getting along with my colleagues. I haven't had any major injury (thank goodness), but they keep my busy with the little things. I'm finally finding an interest in basketball. Our girls are 2nd in their class and 5th in state overall. Our boys are pretty good too, and we have college coaches come nearly every week to scout someone. Spring will be busy with boys and girls soccer, baseball, track and field, and spring football. I really have the best of both worlds, waking up and being Mom in the morning. Jason gets off work at 2 most days, and I leave for work at 2, so we meet in the Smoothie King parking lot and switch off the baby. And I'm back in time for dinner and bedtime. I still have to fight the urge some days to get updates from Jason about what they are up to and how Luke is doing. Pitiful.

This free collage created with Smilebox

Fun with an air mattress

2012-01-15T20:26:00.000-08:00

Allen and Azalee sure know how to have a good time. An air mattress used as a fort, a trampoline and a slide. Who knew?

Welcome, 2012!

2012-01-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

The entire McLain family has had an eventful year. We have experienced multiple moves, a potentially career changing accident, graduations, more school, new jobs, new homes, new friends, new stresses. We have felt the joy of births and the heartache of loss. While this year has had many highs and lows, our faith in our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, has grown and our love and appreciation for family and friends has been renewed. Our gratitude for eternal families has grown and we have each had an opportunity to learn what it means to be humbled by the Lord. I think it is safe to speak for all us kids when I say, we are truly blessed to have George and Pam as our patriarch and matriarch. Their love and support and prayers have blessed each little family in the big McLain family this year. We look forward to this new year with hope for a bright future, for happiness in every turn and for the continual pouring out of our Heavenly Father's blessings and love on each of us.

Ww wish these same blessings for all of our dear family and friends. We love y'all and are grateful for the thoughts, prayers and acts of service y'all have sent our way this past year. God bless and Happy New Year!

The McLains: George & Pam, Allen, Linds & Azalee, Ben, Cynthia, Kayden & Charly, Daniel, Amanda, Springer & Kyleigh, Joe & Rebekah, Jason, Hannah & Luke

Kyleigh Shea McLain

2011-12-31T12:58:00.000-08:00

Kyleigh Shea McLain
12-23-11
10:04 am
20 in
7lb 6oz
and PERFECT!!!!

Daniel and Momma loving on Kyleigh.

Springer is OBSESSED with his little baby sister. It melts our hearts to see how truly in love with her he is. Every waking moment he wants to know where she is. He wants to hold her in his lap and give her lots and lots of kisses. He already is a great big brother!

At her first doctor's appointment (6 days old), she weighed in at 7lb 8.5oz! She's already past her birth weight, which normally happens around 2 weeks. Obviously she eats well :-) But, she also sleeps well, too. She sleeps for about 4 hours between feedings at night... I'll take it!

Needless to say, we are happy being a family of 4!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

We all had a great time visiting on Christmas night. The food was good, the company was good and the gift giving was good. What a wonderful way to celebrate this special season...with family!

She can pretty pretty princess with the best of them...

2011-12-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

but don't doubt this mom's abilities when it comes to teaching her baby girl how to catch a fish.

A quick trip to MS

2011-12-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

We had a great time visiting with family in Mississippi last weekend. Good food, good family, good fishing, good times. Miss these ladies and their families and wish we did this more often.

She'll get there one day

2011-12-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

to that 20lb mark that is. Took Azalee in for her 15 month check-up today and she tops the scales at 19lbs 13oz and is 29 3/4 " tall. They didn't even give me a percentile, but the doctor said she was growing fine and she is developmentally on track so we have no worries here.

Since I haven't posted an update in a while I thought I'd go ahead and do so (mostly for my own sake since I use this as a scrapbook record).

Things Azalee is currently doing:
- running all over the place
- climbs things with ease
- dances every time she hears music
- has 4 teeth with 4 more breaking through
- sleeps great, eats great, naps great
- can identify the following body parts: head, toes (shoulders and knees are still confusing), nose, ears, eyes, mouth, tongue, lips, belly, butt, fingers, hands, hair
- says the following words w/o prompting: mom, dad, issa, nana, pawpaw, ball, milk, snack, outside, bath, bye-bye, duck, dog, up, down, p-p-pajamas, b-b-banana, book, baby (I'm sure there are others I just can't remember them now)
- my favorite thing for her to say right now is ball b/c she has started drawling it out all southern so it sounds like "b-a-w-l". I love it...LOVE IT!
- she asks "What's that?" ALL THE TIME
- she is very familiar with "uhn- uhn" and will shake her head (and finger on occasion) to let you know she does not want something
- she signs the following: milk, water, eat, more, please, thank you, all done, banana, apple, nap, hug, up, want, cereal, cheese, book and we are currently working on "help"
- she will try to say almost every word we prompt her to say- some she gets and some are just plain funny
- can identify her family members in pictures when asked and is good at saying Ben, Joe, Daniel and Sissy (although she always whispers "s" sounds)
- identifies all sorts of objects in pictures when asked
- she follows simple commands "Get your shoes." "Throw this in the trash."
- she can throw and kick a ball
- she LOVES to give hugs and kisses to her mom and dad
- she LOVES to have her dad chase her
- she LOVES reading books and brings them to us and backs up to sit in our lap so we can read them to her
- she is definitely becoming a toddler and is starting to throw tantrums when she wants something she can't get

She is always learning and it is amazing to watch her and be part of her little world. I love to hear her laugh and sing and talk to herself when she plays. Allen and I are so in love with this girl. Sometimes the days seem so long and I feel like I'd do anything for 1 hour away from her whining and crying, but then she does something so sweet or hilarious and it melts my heart or has me rolling in the floor.

We are looking forward to spending the holidays with family and friends and hope yall enjoy this girl as much as we do.

Do you think he's ready?

2011-12-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

So today Springer has been carrying a monkey around and has asked me several times to wrap him up in a blanket. He has watched tv with him, put him in his wheelbarrow for rides, and said, "Monkey sleep" and let him lay down to 'sleep'. Well, this isn't the greatest picture, because I have to whip the camera out really fast and take a picture before he realizes it (because he wants to play with the camera), but the monkey is wrapped up in that banana blanket.

I think he'll be a GREAT BIG BROTHER!!!!

The reason I didn't want to PAY for a Santa photo this year

2011-12-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

Luckily there was a "Cookies with Santa" last night here on post so we took Azalee and had her picture made for free. Can you tell where her mom and dad are standing? It's the age, we know, b/c she wasn't the only one who had this reaction. Hopefully next year will be better :)

Guess I'm not so sneaky...

2011-11-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

when I stand in the pantry and "secretly" get my chocolate fix with chocolate chips. Azalee brought both of these bags to me yesterday while I was making dinner, demanding that I open them. I guess she figured there must be something worth eating in those bags :) Oops!

He passed!

2011-11-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know- Allen passed his P2 checkride today. This is the biggest test he has had so far and its performance based with an oral exam. This is what he's been studying for basically nonstop for the last month. He is now done with his primary phase of training and will begin the second phase, instruments, after we return from Thanksgiving Break. We have all you to thank for your prayers and positive thoughts. So...let's get the party started. Happy Thanksgiving indeed!

I might be in trouble...

2011-11-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

I came to check on her when she wouldn't come back to the office or answer me when I called her. All of this on her own, for a pumpkin spice cookie while I was trying to help her dad study.

I probably should be embarassed or disgusted...

2011-11-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

and yet I'm not. Two years ago I would have thought this was disgusting, and MY future child would never do such things. There are so many other things that happen in my life regularly since having a child that disgust me much more than having her blow bubbles in the dog's water bowl...things that I would never stop to take a picture of...things that usually go straight to the trashcan or the washing machine :) This...this I can laugh about.

Update

2011-11-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

Here is an update. At Luke's 4 month appointment (a month ago), he was 26 inches long (80th %) and 15.5lbs (65th%). He has been enjoying rice cereal! And as I have said before, he loves to "talk". He even talks in his sleep. We were all sick a few weekends ago, and Luke had to get breathing treatments. He hated them, but after a few days realized he was getting it one way or the other. Then, he would sit and whimper while we did it. Pitiful. Also, I'll just add a few pictures so y'all can see how much he is growing and changing! Love you all!

Family Day

2011-11-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Family Day is a day near the beginning of training where family members of flight students get the opportunity to go out to one of the stage fields and watch their student fly. Lunch is provided and there is also a static helicopter display to look in and everyone is allowed to go up into the air traffic control tower.

We appreciate our family members who came down to support Allen on this day. I think everyone had a great time despite the unusually cold and windy weather.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at Thanksgiving.

Fall and Halloween Activities

2011-10-30T19:19:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went to the Wiregrass Heritage Festival at Landmark Park in Dothan. It is a festival to show how agriculture has evolved in the last century and also give a look back on life in the South 100 years ago. It was a fun day for a couple of people who enjoy agriculture and it was great for kids with a lot of hands on activities (wish Kayden was with us b/c Azalee was too small).

Cane press where we sampled cane juice and syrup.

Azi talking to one of the mules who was taking a rest from the press.

Soap Making

Azi loved seeing all the animals.

There was a tractor pull with lots of old tractors.

Azi cheering on the tractors.

They also had a pumpkin patch where Azalee picked her own little pumpkin.

Other activities included cotton picking, a mini cotton gin, pnut picking and stacking, a bee keeping demo, turpentine collection, sewing, weaving, wood working, a black smith shop, butter churning, quilting, wood fire cooking, horse drawn hay rides, a tractor parade and lots more. The neat thing was how many of the activities allowed kid participation. The park also has a small town made up of old houses and buildings that have been relocated there from various places in the state and it was fun to walk through and see all kinds of cool old stuff. They do a Victorian Christmas in December and I think we will head back for those activities.

For Halloween Azalee was a little ghost. I had to pick a costume that involved NO head coverings of ANY kind b/c there is no way she would keep it on. I can't even get her to keep the hood on when she wears a hoodie. When I saw this ghost costume it looked like more of a dress than a costume so I figured it would be a winner (as in she would wear it). She did wear it with no problem but she liked to pull the purple ghost off the attached garland. We didn't go trick-or-treating since she doesn't eat candy and she can't even say the words. She helped me hand out candy to all the kids that came to our door. She would just stand there looking at most of them like they were crazy...and I guess a 4' tall turtle, fish or lady bug is a little crazy.

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

Kayden at the Trunk or Treat...of course she was the perfect "suderine belle."

And what would Halloween be without a few jack-o-lanterns. Kayden loves carving up some "pawkins".

He's right behind me isn't he?

Kayden's happy pumpkin..."because I'm happy" says Kayden.

We miss you guys. Hope you're loving the change in weather as much as we are. We'll see you all soon.

Look Who's Back

2011-10-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

'bout dang time right? It took Azalee a little while to warm up to her, but once she did she was lovin all over her Issa. Welcome home, Momma!

Now it's back to the gym to whip that baby body back into shape.

Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

It's a record.... 2 posts in ONE week! I forgot that we had these pictures from a couple of weekends ago. They aren't the greatest, but you get the idea.
We were visiting my parents in Blairsville and my dad had seen an ad in the newspaper about there being a pumpkin patch at the Christmas tree farm about a mile from their house. It was GREAT! There was a train, hayride, pumpkin patch, maze, pony ride, petting zoo, and a huge fire pit to roast marshmallows. We couldn't believe that we had never stopped there before (we drive by it any time we go out). We will definitely make it a yearly trip!This is the best picture we were able to take by the scarecrow. We forgot to go back at the end. The sun was shining in Springer's eyes and he wasn't that cooperative. He got down immediately and wanted to explore the barn. That's when we stumbled on the.......

TRAIN!!!!!!!! Springer didn't want to do much of anything else but look at this train and scream TRAIN every time it came by :-)

Springer and Daddy on the hayride being pulled by a tractor. I'm guessing he's saying "Tractor" and pointing to it because that's what he did most of the hayride.

Springer didn't want to ride the pony, but just talk to it and pet it.

Springer was able to see his 2 favorite things: 1. Trains and 2. Tractors. I would say the day was a success even though we didn't get very good pictures!

Busy Toddler

2011-10-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Daniel and I seem to only update about once a month on the blog (if that often...) So, here are some videos and pictures to enjoy :-) He's a busy toddler!

Springer trying to screw a bolt on the table leg with a wrench he found. He actually was doing a good job.

We are getting Kyleigh's things organized and Springer decided that he enjoys sitting in a baby bath tub in the middle of the room.

Helping stir the brownie batter for Daniel's birthday.

Springer eating a PBJ sandwich.

Bucket head Springer

Springer's new favorite place to sit

A Few of Azalee's Tricks

2011-10-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Azalee does a lot to entertain us on her own. Sometimes, however, we teach her tricks to entertain ourselves and her. Here is a small sampling of some of the tricks she and Allen have been working on.

Notice how she claps after the first flip. She's always so proud of herself.

Just so y'all know...

2011-10-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

I pretty much have this happen to me once a day. Often times it's one of you dear family members I'm wishing for.

BA BA BA Bath!

2011-10-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Azalee loves her bathtime, no doubt. In the last week her reaction to "bath time" has gotten even more emotional. Finally got it on video. Enjoy!

*And keep the videos coming family. Azalee and I love watching them- she said "be be" like 20 times while we were watching Luke this morning :)

2011-10-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

You'll have to look back to see my Luke post. I couldn't manage to change the publish date from thursday, when I started it.

There are teeth

2011-10-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

and b/c my sister constantly asks me about what Azalee did at different stages and I always say "I can't really remember", I'm writing this down.

Azalee decided to wait until 13 months to cut any teeth. Now she is getting four at once. Both bottom teeth are now visible and one top tooth is with the second one just waiting to break through. This has been a rough week. No fever but the girl has been cranky, whining, clingy and has not slept through the night. I know she is hurting b/c she will not eat anything that has to be crunched- like crackers or vanilla wafers and even grapes and waffles are a maybe. I knew if was bad when she started throwing animal crackers back at me in Target the other day. So her diet has consisted of a lot a bananas, applesauce, bread, steamed or frozen veggies and food choppered chicken and rice. We have tried and like/disliked the following: teethers (no), oragel (no), Tylenol (no), frozen/cold wash clothes (no), crushed ice in the mesh feeder (no), plastic ice cubes (yes), frozen fruit & veggies (yes), and teething tablets (yes).

So, in case any of you others every have teething questions in the future, you should refer back to this blog because surely if you ask me how Azalee reacted to teething I will say "I can't really remember"- which will be a good thing b/c this ain't NO FUN!

A Day in The Life of Luke Tankerson Graham

2011-10-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

Wake up: Luke will talk to himself, his singing seahorse (thanks grandma!) and his Donkey Kong, until I go get him. He is definitely a morning person!

Play with the puppies: Gus loves Luke. He loves to "kiss" Luke. Roxy likes Luke. She will Love him when he can actually throw a ball.

Morning workout: somewhere around mile one, this workout becomes nap-time.

Shower: Luke loves to sit in his bumpo seat in the back of the shower. After I shower, I wash him. He has so much fun with this! (He loves bath-time too, but this is sometimes quicker for Mom)

Run errands with Mom: He is generally a very happy baby. We have been SO lucky!

Around 2, Mom and Dad switch off. Jason generally works from 6:30 till 2. I leave for work about that time.

Play with Dad

Hang out with Mom and Dad (and other Grahams)

Fight sleep for 30+ min until I finally give up.

It's good to be me!

So stinkin' cute!

2011-10-06T09:53:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would share this with you. No it isn't cold enough for this hat quite yet... But I right it was too cute to wait.

She catches on quick

2011-10-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

We went to the doctor for Azalee's 1 year check up on Monday (an experience I hope I never have to relive) and she went NUTS when they tried to take her temperature in her ear with the EXACT same thermometer we have at home. So, yesterday morning when I was getting her diaper and wipes she noticed said thermometer in the drawer and started having a fit for me to give it to her. I did and this is what she proceeded to do with it with no prompting. Next time we go to the dr, I'll just tell the nurse to save herself some trouble and give the thermometer to Azalee...she obviously knows what she's doing. Gheesh!

She also weighed in at 18 lbs 11oz and continues to secure her place in the 5th percentile. Happy 13th month!

Look What I Can Do!

2011-10-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

I had Luke playing on this play mat thingy while I cleaned up one morning. He had been rocking back and forth for a while. Then, next thing I know, I turn around and he is half way through rolling over! So I got a few snap shots. Then, of course, I rolled him back over and tried to catch a video of it. Enjoy!

Springer's Guide of Interesting Places to Sleep

2011-09-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

1) On the stairs...

2) With a Pringles can...

I couldn't wait a whole minute for a hot dog...

3) In the highchair, waiting for a hot dog...

4) On my bed sideways with a book, after taking my PJs off...

Add this to the list

2011-09-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

First skinned elbow.

And she was so busy enjoying helping her dad wash the cars while playing in the rain, she didn't even cry. Just picked herself back up and started splashing.

A video of our girl. Note her excitement about the rain and also how well she is mastering walking...running.

A Week of Firsts!

2011-09-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

1st bubble bath:

1st ball cap:

1st pigtails:

1st day back in flight school:

It's getting busy around here people! Love and miss y'all!

Three Months??

2011-09-15T13:15:00.001-07:00

How handsome is he?
And happy :)
And LONG!

A Look Back

2011-09-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

The minute she came into the world our lives were better, and every minute we spend with her just makes our lives that much more rewarding. We love you, Azalee Pearl!

Thank you family and friends who have been a part of this amazing first year of her life.

Linds and Allen

12 months= 1 year!

2011-09-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

We made it! Azalee is now a 1 year old. This last month has been so much fun. She is learning so much, so fast right now. Here is a run down of all her 12 months skills:

- She is learning all kinds of sounds and new words and constantly tries to repeat what you say. Some examples of sounds she makes all the time: ma, da, du, ba, do, pa, wa, bu, bye which translate into words like ball, duck, dog, water, baby, bath, butt, papa (to name a few).

- She points to EVERYTHING and asks "What's this?"

- She can correctly identify belly, head, nose, eyes, mouth when asked.
- She loves to look at family pictures on the fridge and can identify Ben, Sissy, Kayden, Mom, Dad, Reba, Baby Azalee and Luke. (If you name isn't here that means I need your picture on my fridge :)
- She can sign "more" and "all done". We are currently working on "milk" and "please".
- She loves putting lotion on herself after her bath.
- She loves water and wants to play in it any time she gets a chance (the tub, the sink, the water fountain).
- She is walking on her own.
- She dances and sings to music.
- She knows the commands sit, stand, lay down, leave it.
- She is now on a 3 meals a day schedule 8, 12, and 630 with a 4o'clock snack.
- She is drinking whole milk now.
- She eats pretty much anything we put in front of her if she's hungry.
- She had her first taste of chocolate on her birthday with a giant cupcake. She wasn't so interested in eating it as she was playing in it, but she is Allen's child so I'm sure that addiction will only be a matter of time.
- She hates her carseat and anything else that restrains her.
- Sitting in the tub and the grocery cart is for babies and she no longer wants to do it...so we practice "SIT" often.
- She climbs.
- She is a tease- esp to her grandpa.
- She loves to play peek-a-boo and she loves to hide from people and then scare them. Like hiding behind the door with dad and scaring mom when she comes in or covering herself up with her blanket and ripping it off and laughing.

- She loves to tickle people and be tickled.

- She loves electronics.

- She can be sneaky.

- She wants whatever you've got.
- She's getting better at throwing a ball.
- She watches everything we do and copies so much.
- She still has no teeth.
- She made another trip to the beach this month and two trips home to GA.

- She got a new cousin- 364 days between them.

- We have not been in for her 12 month check-up yet, but the home scales say she weighs 17 lbs.

- She makes us smile and laugh everyday.

I won't do the updates every month anymore, but I'll keep you aware of her antics and the good tricks.

Happy Birthday Azalee

2011-09-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

I promise a big 1 yr update post but this weekend I'm snuggling with my new nephew and my 1 year old!

A Little Preview of our (soon to be) 1 year old

2011-08-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

We had Chelsea Johnson do Azalee's 1 year photos this weekend and she has a preview posted on her blog. Click on the above picture to see a handful of photos of our precious girl. One year- here we come!

Why bows are necessary

2011-08-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

Azalee's hair likes to part itself down the middle. We call it her "Schrute hair". Just another reason why we wear bows in this house.

Holding on for dear life

2011-08-21T07:39:00.001-07:00

The fast setting on the swing is pretty intense. Poor Luke had a death grip on that handel, but was enjoying himself and smiling.

"Wash Your Hair"

2011-08-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

We always use the bath ball to rinse the shampoo out of Azalee's hair during her bath. A couple of nights ago she picked it up and started dumping water on her own head. Now every time I say "wash your hair" she picks up the ball and starts dumping water. Finally caught it on video. In addition, she demonstrates how she blows bubbles in the water- another one of her tricks and can put the plug back in the drain when she isn't ready to get out of the tub yet. You might not want to watch all four minutes- I just can't get the edited version to upload. Enjoy.

Good News from Huntsville

2011-08-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

I think all family has been notified, but Allen's appointment at Fox Army Hospital at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville went very well. The neuropsych specialized in TBIs and after conducting 1.5 days of testing, she told us that she was referring him for return to flight school with 100% confidence that he does not have any brain damage from his concussion 4 months ago. Great news and great relief for us. No start date yet for when he will start back with classes but we are hoping the remaining paperwork will go through quickly and he can get in the air sometime in September. Thanks to everyone who kept us in your thoughts and prayers. We love y'all.

While we were in Huntsville we enjoyed:

- a stay at the Redstone Hotel

- a trip to the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scotsboro, AL

- cooler weather with less humidity (like in the 80s)

- mountains (well AL mountains)

- and of course a trip to the US Space and Rocket Center

Note the "red stone" in the landscaping :)

Azalee looking up at the rocket ship display

If you ever drive through NE Alabama this place is worth stopping- some good finds

Water Hose Fun

2011-08-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

We decided the other day to sweep and hose off the patio and clean all of the patio furniture so we can actually use it w/o getting covered in dust and grass clippings. Azalee decided she needed to help. She had a great time playing with the water hose. We had to pry her away from the bucket when it was time to put everything away. I'm amazed sometimes by how tasks that seem like no fun provide so much entertainment for Allen and me now that we have Azalee to help us. She's so excited about the smallest things.

Our Temporary Home

2011-08-08T09:06:00.001-07:00

Here is a quick look at our cute basement apartment. Love y'all!

FYI:
-we have next to NO service way out here in the country
-there is no internet
-we barely can get the internet to work on our phones... It is just really really slow because of our limited service
-i downloaded a blogger app... I hope it works.

11 months

2011-08-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Only a couple more of these and I'll stop with the monthly updates, but until then...let me brag on all of the things Azalee is learning.

- standing on her own
- cruising all over and will take a few steps on her on to get from the coffee table to the couch or from the couch to the wall, or maybe to walk between Allen and I, but hasn't taken up the walking on her own quite yet
- starting to climb (loves stairs when she can find them)

- waves and says bye and claps her hands on command

- knows that Issa is a dog and says "dog" when she sees her, but it could also easliy be mistaken with the word "duck" or "duh" so who knows if she really knows either of those words :)
- knows what her pink ball is and will point to it and say ball- which really is just "ba" and loves to roll it back and forth with you
- has learned "sit" and will do it on command and is also getting pretty good with "leave it" (we can only hope a well trained dog will aid in a well trained baby :)
- babbles to herself all the time
- mimics things we do like squeezing her cheeks, patting her on the back, stomping our feet, dancing, growling
- is learning how to "talk back" as I like to say (as in she screams a shrill squeal when we tell her no)
- according to our scales she weighs 16lbs, which means she finally doubled her birth weight
- has moved up to a size 9months in her clothes, although pants and shorts are still a 3/6 month
- is on the verge of moving up a shoe size (to a 3) as her toes are starting to hang off the ends of all her cute little sandals (hoping we can make it through the summer)
- is able to stack all of the rings in order on her ring stacker with no help and is figuring out how to put the correct blocks into their holes on her shape sorter
- loves a baby doll
- nurses just once a day now and is getting ready for whole milk- and mom is a little sad
- is eating more"grown-up" food including chicken and rice, chicken and dumplings and noodles, along with all manner of crackers and fruits
- loves to feed herself (with her hands of course)
- still takes at least one, usually two naps during the day
- goes to bed easily with her blanket
- still hates the carseat
- still has no teeth

- still loves the pool, the bath and the shower and will try to climb in with you if she catches you in the any of these places w/o her

- is a people watcher- at playgroup she always sits quietly playing with a toy watching the other babies/toddlers for the first 15-20 mins (maybe longer) until she figures them out then she goes over to play

- has mastered the "point and grunt" technique to try and get things she wants that are out of reach

- made 1 trip to the beach, 2 trips to GA

- had 2 visits from family

- loves her family (chasing Kayden is one of her favorite games)

We love watching her learn and grow and change.

When you become an old fart like Allen...

2011-08-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

You get your AARP card in the mail. 32 just hits you like a brick people. :)

Updates Indeed!!!

2011-08-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

AZI - Hey! What's the holdup??

Kayden - Hey you! - Eat my dust!!!

Jason -- Get behind me Kayden, I'll pull you.

Linds -- Please, the babies are too young to die!!

MOM -- OK!

On Your Mark,

Jason, you're cheating!!!! I didn't say go!!

Cynthia - Go, BEN, GOOOO!!

MAN, I got jipped!!

And we have a winner!!!!!!

Well, it looks like Allen and Azi, but

its really Jason hiding in the bush.

Updates Needed

2011-08-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Dear family,
Since I now live in Alabama, and all of y'all live in GA I need to be updated on all the exciting things (and not so exciting) happening over there. Two new houses/moves, a trip to El Salvador and I'm pretty sure I have a new nephew that is getting bigger by the day (perhaps his mom will post a picture of him before he starts walking :). I'd like to actually see pictures of these things rather than just hear the updates.

Thank you for thinking of me. I miss y'all.

Sincerely,
Linds

Luke

2011-07-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Blairsville Rodeo

2011-07-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

For my birthday weekend, we went to the Blairsville Rodeo. It was a million times better than the rodeo in Marietta. We enjoyed ourselves, especially Springer. We have a little cowboy on our hands. He was standing up in his stroller and telling us all about what was going on. Here are a few of our favorite photos of him:

Gotta love his cheesin' smile!

Just a little humor for your day

2011-07-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today I was giving Azalee baby goldfish crackers while she played and I folded clothes. I have to give them to her in small numbers as she will try to put 5-6 in her mouth at once if she can. So, I put the bag of goldfish in the center of the coffee table (which I thought was out of reach), and went to the bathroom while she was playing with her toys. I was gone 2 mins (seriously) and I returned to find her like this.

Couldn't have just stuck her hand down in the bag to grab a few? Oh, NO! Had to shake the entire contents of bag all over the floor. Do not be fooled. Girl was hand over fisting those goldfish into her mouth. And she was proud of herself. See her clapping her hands in this picture after I took the bag away from her.

Then we had a lesson in how to use the vacuum. She was more concerned about salvaging the goldfish crumbs. Notice that's what she's doing here (still eating) while I try to clean them up. I couldn't be mad at her- I mean she was so proud of herself :)

We've Enjoyed Our Visitors

2011-07-18T20:28:00.001-07:00

So far this summer we've had visits from:

Reba

Ben, Cynthia and Kayden

PawPaw and Abuelita

Aunt Sandy and Chuck

We have enjoyed having everyone. Thanks for coming to see us in Alabama! We'd love to entertain the rest of y'all and take you to the beach for seafood and an airbrushed t-shirt :)

Pre-July 4th Activities

2011-07-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

We made a trip to Stone Mountain to do a little hike up the mountain and enjoy a fireworks show. We successfully accomplished both tasks and neither was a disappointment. Wonderful time. Wonderful family.

Can't believe it's been a year...

2011-07-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Since we lost this sweet girl.

And this sweet girl came to join our family.

We miss you, Siren. And we love you, Issa. Thanks for putting up with us when we called you Siren and now when we call you Azi. You are the perfect bulldog for us and a wonderful friend and guardian to your sister!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

God Bless America!

image here

We are grateful for all the servicemen who work hard keep this county free, but we have a special place in our hearts for these two.

10 months

2011-07-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

As we get closer and closer to the one year mark, I look back and am amazed by how much our baby changes in such a short period. Just like last month, Azalee has been up to a lot. This past month we have seen the following from our girl:

- still crawling and pulls up on everything
- started climbing

- walks behind a walker toy or holding onto someone's hands

- will stand unaided if you let her hands go but once she realizes she's standing she slowly lets herself down to the floor in a squat

- waves hello and bye-bye and says "bye"

- claps her hands

- says mom and dad

- if it has a button to press or a door to open, she's on it!

- is learning the word "NO" and will cry if she doesn't want to hear it :)

- is learning lots of new sounds and we can tell she's trying to make words

- plays peek-a-boo and she ducks behind the couch, a table, or the side of the tub and pops up to "boo" whoever she's playing with

- squeezes your sholder or arm when you hold her and ask for a hug
- loves water- the pool and the tub (and she learned the toilet is also full of water :)
- quit a bottle cold turkey- as forced by her mother- and uses a sippy cup only
- nurses twice a day, 3 formulas, and 3 meals

- loves vanilla yogart and fruit popcicles

- has started eating more finger foods

- still wearing size 6 month clothes, but finally grew into her size 2 shoes

- still no teeth
- made another trip to the beach and two trips home to GA

- first Father's Day

- HATES her carseat and screams and arches her back anytime we try to put her in
- pulls her bows out and hands them to us when she gets annoyed with them

- loves her frame backpack carrier and would rather go on walks in it than in her stroller

- loves playing with/climbing all over Issa

- knows what a ball is and will chase one all over the floor

- loves to sit at her bedroom door and scream for you to come to her and then shuts the door in your face when you get there
- is still on GA time in the morning and wakes up between 530-6AM to be fed- but usually goes back down for another hr after
- still takes 2 naps during the day
- likes to stand at the screen door and talk to Issa, her dad or whatever stranger might be passing by

- has become more attached to her blanket for nap time and bed time

- loves her family and recognizes them (especially all her grandparents and her aunts Reba and Sissy and squeals when she sees Kayden)

- lights up our life with her smile, her laughs and her little attitude!

She was in love with a rock during this photo shoot.

Scrub-a-dub-dub

2011-06-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Azi loves the tub! Now that we are in Alabama, her dad can give her baths sometimes. Lucky for her, he lets her take as long as she wants and he lets her bring lots of friends!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the great dads in our family!

Spring and babies

2011-06-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

A Star is Born

Azi has a best friend.

Welcome to The World!

2011-06-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

Luke Tankerson Graham

June 13, 2011

2:21 am

7lbs 14oz

20.5 cm

The Graham Family

Getting my first little piece of baby sugar :)

Proud Daddy!

We think he is perfect!

Dancing King

2011-06-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

I know I posted yesterday, but I couldn't resist posting this video.

Springer figured out how to turn on the radio and was VERY excited....

ENJOY!

Springer LOVES the Vacuum

2011-06-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

Springer is obsessed with everyday tasks: putting on shoes, brushing your hair, brushing his teeth, putting on socks, changing diapers, even CHORES- sweeping, washing everything, wiping counters, and as you can see VACUUMING!
Every week he helps Grandma Landers clean up the house. It's pretty hilarious to watch. He will go and find the vacuum on his own and start it up. Hopefully we can keep him interested in doing his chores when he is older!!!

Water Baby

2011-06-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

We have been making evening visits to the pool since we got to Alabama and Azi is really getting used to the water.

And for your viewing pleasure, a short video of her playing in the kids section of the pool. I'd put up more but 1. I don't think most people will be nearly as entertained as her parents and 2. blogger is SLOOOW at uploading videos.

We were trying to get her to crawl through the water spouts. You can hear Allen and I laughing, but what you can't hear is what we are laughing at. She was thinking about it so hard and she was making grunting noises every time she would attempt to crawl through. Hilarious (at least to her parents).

9 Months

2011-06-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Weight: 15lbs 13 oz

Height: 27.5 inches

All that Azalee has learned and done this past month:
- mastered crawling and is FAST
- pulling up to standing and is cruising along the edge of things
- learned to crawl up stairs
- easily opens and closes drawers and cabinets (time to baby proof :)
- eats all kinds of fruits and veggies (all mushed up of course)
- loves fresh fruit in her mesh feeder
- has the ability to find the smallest particles in the world on the floor to put in her mouth
- takes 3 formula bottles during the day and is only nursing morning and night
- still trying to figure out how to drink from a sippy cup
- still wearing size 6 month clothes
- is learning the word "no", and often screams and grunts at us when we tell her more than once
- waves "bye-bye"
- knows the words mama and dada and looks for us when someone else says these words to her, she says things that kind of sound like mama and dada but I wouldn't say these are really part of her vocabulary
- found the full capacity of her lungs (unfortunately this was discovered while having supper at Outback) and often screams at the top of them just because she can
- sits in the front of the buggy at stores and loves it b/c she can see everyone and talk to the crowd
- loves to play "peek-a-boo"
- loves to be outside
- fake coughs to get our attention then laughs
- plays well with her toys and loves to sit in front of the mirror and have conversations with herself
- loves to sing with her nana

- attended birthday parties for her friends Andrew, Mallory and Sloan

- First Mother's Day

- another beach trip

- first time swimming in a pool

- still sporting a toothless smile

- moved to Alabama and is with Mom and Dad all the time!

- and mom has learned that at 9 months it's basically impossible to get a good picture of her without the help of at least 1 assistant

Another 2LT

2011-05-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Joe's commissioning was last Friday, May 13th at the North Campus Chapel on UGA's campus. I have all of the pictures on my camera so that's why I'm doing this post, otherwise I'd leave it to Rebekah to handle. Congrats to Joseph on his graduation from UGA and his commissioning! We are all proud!

Allen swearing Joseph in

Pinning the new LT

Like looking in a mirror.

So Azi is on the move....

2011-05-09T16:12:00.001-07:00

..... this little one loves kayden's play kitchen and hiding under the table. She is scooting/crawling her little self into the kitchen constantly and will play there with or without kayden. She is keeping Aunt Sissy on her toes now that she's on the move. Kayden loves that Azi is moving around more of course I have to remind that she is still little and that she has to be careful with her.

In honor of May...

2011-05-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

May has always been a BIG month of celebrations for us McLains and it just seems to keep getting bigger. So, to help celebrate all of the big things going on in our family this month...we have "something to celebrate" as our blog background. Looking forward to getting together soon to wish happy birthdays, happy anniversaries, happy graduations, happy commissioning, happy moving, and most of all happy welcome to the world Baby Girl. Family and friends look for lots of fun pictures of all that's going on this month...it's going to be BIG...I promise!

8 Months

2011-05-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

What has Azalee learned this month, you ask? Well I'll tell you...
- she's crawling on all fours now
- she's pulling up and starting to walk her way around whatever she's holding on to- like the couch or the coffee table
- she started turning/ducking her head like she's bashful when people talk to her (I'm thinking this is just a ploy for attention b/c once a person keeps talking to her she stops and starts smiling at them)
- she LOVES to blow raspberries on anything that will make a noise (my arm, leg, face, the leather couch, the floor, etc)
- she is constantly learning some new noise to make with her mouth, tongue or lips
- she is still sleeping through the night (8PM-6AM) and has a great bedtime routine
- she had formula for the first time and is doing well supplementing her nursing during the day (we are working on transitioning to only evening nursing)
- she is eating cereals, fruits and veggies, and chicken (but I have to mix it with veggies so she doesn't gag)
- she started eating small "puffs" and is getting good with her pinchers
- she loves fresh whole fruit in her mesh feeder- so far she's had bananas, grapes, watermelon, avocado, apples
- she mimics sounds and has "conversations" with her grandpa
- she still LOVES being outside, especially in the swing
- she loves spending her days with her cousin Kayden and Aunt Sissy (along with Addi, Dani and Sam)
- she got her toenails painted for the first time
- she made another trip to the beach
- she loves bath time and does a little naked baby dance holding onto the the side of the tub while I run the water
- she celebrated her 1st Easter
- still no teeth
- she loves her mom and dad and we love her!

1st Easter

2011-04-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

There were PJ's, there was a basket, there were eggs, there was a dress and shoes and lacey socks and a flower for her hair and most importantly...her dad was here to share the day with her. It was a wonderful first easter for our sweet little girl.

A funny story...but no picture

2011-04-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Dads hardly ever think to grab a camera so when Allen walked in to get Azi out of the bed this morning and she was standing up using the side of her crib (first time we've found her standing in there) it would have been a great moment/milestone to catch with the camera. The thing that made the moment even better is that her pajama bottoms had wiggled their way past her diaper (she has no waist to hold them on) and were bunched up around her ankles. She was squealing and bouncing with excitement, he said. Priceless.

Happy Easter!

32 weeks and counting...

2011-04-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

I had Chelsea Johnson (chelseajohnsonphotography.blogspot.com) do some maternity pictures for me. I think she did a great job! (Especially considering what she had to work with :) The weather held off for us long enough to do some good shots Friday night. The weather cooperated, my hair is a different story ;)

Just for Linds.....

2011-04-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

and everyone else :-)

I am posting some pictures because Linds was hounding me that I haven't posted anything of Springer since Christmas :-) Ooops!!! We have been busy with moving out of our house in Powder Springs, trying to find jobs and housing in WY, etc, etc, etc Please forgive us :-)

So... I am going to fore go the stories and just write quick captions about our mischievous little man!

Springer sagging his pants in WY... he's super skinny!

Enjoying Bugles on our way home from WY in Feb.

Uh oh... Daddy caught me! (we found him like this after one of his naps)

Obsession with the remote control....

Springer can almost open the door... he can reach it and lock/unlock it, but he isn't quite strong enough to turn the doorknob.

We'll post more later.........

Beach trip with my girls!

2011-04-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Becasue I miss spending time with her during the week since I returned to work, I selfishly took my baby to the beach alone. That way I could eat her up and enjoy her- just Azi and her momma!

sandy beach baby

and Issa was there to play with her sister sand, sun, snacks and sleeping on the beach

It was a wonderful trip. In case I haven't said it enough, I'm totally in love with this girl and can't wait to be home with her full time!

7 months

2011-04-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Azi's made some big strides this month people:

- she's eating food now in addition to nursing (loves all the orange veggies...not so much the greens, fruits are a YES)

- goes from belly/back to sitting and back down to belly/back all by herself

- gets on all fours but still drops down on her belly to army crawl

- is getting really good at the roll/army crawl combo to get herself pretty much wherever she wants to go

- is figuring out how to open and close things (and loves to it over and over)

- is pulling herself up from sitted to standing on the side of whatever she can hold on to

- is making sounds all kinds of sounds and says "ba ba", "da da"

- is starting to throw her hand up to say bye when people wave at her

- plays well with her toys and loves the ones that make music when she bangs on them

- HATES her carseat, stroller or highchair and screams and arches her back as soon as you go to put her in it, but calms down once she realizes she is going for a walk or getting food (she continues to scream for a while if she's being put in the carseat)

- loves being outside

- had her first beach trip this month with another in the works

- is sleeping through the night ! Wahoo!

- still no teeth

- is missing her dad terribly :(

Just 2 more months of school and I'll be home with this girl all the time. So excited for the summer!

What a Face!

2011-03-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

I had Azi's 6 month pictures done by Chelsea Johnson and they turned out great. Here is a preview, but check her blog for more. Perhaps one of these lovelies will show up in your Easter basket :)

The Breeezy Beach

2011-03-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

Ben, Cynthia, Kayden, incubating Charley, Joe and I we able to go to Gulf Shores, AL this past week for UGA's spring break. The weather was great for us the whole time. We bought a "Little Mermaid" kite for Kayden which she flew for about 45 second. After we battled the wind to untangle the kite, Cynthia and I proceeded to fly it for the next 30 minutes (So much for "ages 3 and up"). I'm pretty sure Cynthia and enjoyed that kite more than Kayden did.

Joe dug a large hole in the sand (as usual) which thoroughly impressed Kayden. She wanted to visit Joe's masterpiece frequently during our trip to make sure the ocean didn't wash it away. Kayden and I built drizzle sand castles and decorated them with shells we found on the beach (a drizzle sand castle is a very advanced sand castle building technique that has now been passed down to Kayden).

The water was pretty dang cold but we toughed it out and got in the water. One night we walked on the beach where we saw "dancing crabs" (as Kayden called them) and mini jelly-fish.

Cynthia and I were given a private ballet performance by none other than the prima ballerina Kayden McLain. (Watch the whole performance, it's worth it) Later we took Kayden to a play place to ride go-karts and carnival rides.

The trip was full of delicious seafood and lots of fun. Hopefully we'll all make another appearance in Gulf Shores sometime soon. It was definitely worth a repeat visit. So long Gulf Shores, until next time.

Azi's First Beach Trip

2011-03-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took Azi to Grayton Beach...her first trip to the beach out of the womb. The weather was perfect! While she didn't seem to mind the sand or the sun- she didn't like the confines of the blanket. We didn't try the water because it was a little too cold, so her reaction to the ocean is still forthcoming. She hated having to stay in her small shaded space and she wasn't into just laying out and taking a rest in the sun (her mom's favorite thing to do). So, she fussed and demanded a walk with her dad. We had fun and look forward to many trips in the future- especially since we are so close to so many great beaches. And heaven help her, maybe we can get a little tan on those chunky white thighs :)

Happy Half Year- 6 Months

2011-03-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

While the girl is getting bigger every time we take her in for a check-up, she seems to be getting bigger at a slower rate- if that makes sense. At six months, Azalee weights in at 14 lbs 11oz (23%) and is 26 1/4 in long (65%). I'm hoping she follows in my footsteps and stays above average in the height department. She amazed her nurse at this past appt by not shedding even one tear after her shot. She gave a lip pout momentarily and as soon as I picked her up off the table, she was all smiles.

We're pretty sure we have just embarked on the best months of having a "baby." Azalee is learning so much now and is working on getting her own personality. This past month she's made some big jumps in her development. Here's the rundown:

- scoots on her belly using her feet to push herself around (similar to an army crawl

- gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth but hasn't figured out how to take off in a crawl yet

- sits herself up from a laying position

- babbles constantly

- shakes her head back and forth in the "no" motion when she gets mad or doesn't want to do something (like get in her carseat)

- mimics sounds and gestures we make

- started sitting in her high chair

- started eating rice cereal

- plays pat-a-cake

- loves to be tossed in the air by her dad

- loves her dog Issa and belly laughs when Allen gets her to retrieve a ball

- has FINALLY outgrown her crusty eyes & clogged tear ducts

We are still working on her sleeping and according to the pediatrician we need to start "ferberizing" her. She was also cleared for fruits and veggies.

It's hard to believe our sweet little Azalee has been with us half a year already. Time flies when you're having fun. So looking forward to the next six months with our baby girl!

*Also featuring the 1st pillow case dress I've ever made*

Negligence Defined

2011-03-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Allen told me that the army has two types of negligence: simple and gross. Simple negligence is the failure to act as a reasonable prudent person would have acted under similar circumstances. Gross negligence is an extreme departure from the course of action to be expected of a reasonably prudent person, all circumstances and accompanied by a reckless, deliberate or wanton disregard for the foreseeable consequences of the act.

For example, dropping your army issued compass and having it break because it wasn't properly tied onto your uniform would be considered simple negligence. Having your army issued compass break into a thousand pieces because you decided to use it as a wheel chauk would be gross negligence. I found myself pondering these two definitions today...and now I'm about to tell on myself.

Went to downtown Ozark (our new Alabama hometown) to stroll around the square and see if they had any fun shops. I parked and looked at a sleeping Azi in the backseat and decided to just leave her in her bucket and put it in the stroller (and y'all know how I hate the bucket/stroller combo thing) so as not to wake her. We had a lovely time and discovered ONE cute boutique and THREE stanky consignments stores. After about an hour baby girl wakes up and starts getting fussy because she wants out of the seat- so I head to the truck to call it a day. I open the back door and attempt to remove the bucket from the stroller- STUCK. I try to press the release buttons on either side but its to hard to do with baby in the bucket so I decide to take her out. I lay her longways in the backseat of the truck, give her a rattle and say "just sit her for one second so mommy can get your seat apart." I turn back to the stuck stroller/bucket, which is sitting right beside the open truck door (y'all can see where this is going right?) and hear blump, blump. I look down and baby is laying on the concrete beside my foot. I picked her up immediately and she is screaming. The screaming stops fairly quickly (like 2 mins) and I'm looking all over for blood, bruises, dents, lumps, etc. She appears to check out fine. I pray to Heavenly Father that my baby is ok, then call the pediatrician and explain to them what happened and they give me instructions to ice her head/face where she fell and watch her for signs of concussion but the nurse assures me that babies/children are resilient to these things. So, I come home and ice her head with some frozen peas and play with her and refuse to let her take an afternoon nap. And she really seems totally fine. She has been her usual happy self since 5 mins after said incident.

So, now the question arises. Would this be considered simple or gross negligence? I told Allen about it as soon as he got home and he assured me it was just simple negligence. My sister Reba also related a story of gross negligence to me from earlier in her week as an ER nurse and was positive that I was not in the category. But, alas- I felt awful. I still feel awful. I mean, I could have at least shut the door after laying her in the seat right? What kind of mother? I have learned from this though, there are no "just for a second" with a wiggly, rolling, on the verge of crawling 6 month old.

Come on family and friends- tell me I'm not the only one this has happened to.

2 weeks is too long...

2011-02-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

for a baby girl to not see her dad. But it made for a sweet reunion.

Also, Azalee is starting to sit up on her own....for a little while at least. She can usually stay upright for 15-20 seconds before she starts to slump over and about 30 seconds before she just gives up and rolls over to the side. She's getting stronger though.

5 Months

2011-02-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

Azalee's fifth month has been one of big change. Her dad moved to Alabama to start flight school and she and I moved in with my parents until I finish out the school year and join Allen in June. The adjustment was a little hard for her and she has regressed a little in her sleeping. She is now waking up 2-3 times during the night, but it finally seems to be getting better. She has also made several trips to AL and she has been doing pretty good in her car seat for the 4.5 hr drive. Azalee also is staying with her Aunt Sissy and cousin Kayden during the day while I'm at work. She loves it and I'm so glad to have family so willing to take care of her.

She's learning so much and it's fun to watch her grow. She's babbling all the time and starting to copy sounds like "ba ba" and hopefully soon something like "ma ma" or "da da". She knows her name now and will turn to look at you when you say it. She's getting really good at using her hands and can grab and pick up things that she wants. She rolls over with ease and is starting to use her feet to scoot herself across the floor to get to toys when she wants them. She pulls her legs under and puts her butt in the air, but hasn't figured out the crawl yet. It won't be long. She also discovered that she has a dog and can't keep her hands off of Issa. We just love being her parents.

Cousins can be our best buds....

2011-02-09T11:46:00.001-08:00

We are enjoying our time with Azalee these days... Kayden is especially growing fond of her little cuz. She loves feeding her, changing her diapers and definitely loves making her laugh. Azi is loving Kayden and the entertainment she gives her.

We're having a Boy!!

2011-01-26T15:53:00.001-08:00

So,I'm not trying to scan and load the ultrasound pictures, sorry. (Not that anyone even knows what those things are showing anyways) But, for those who aren't up to date:

This is week 20 and Jason and I found out this morning that we are having a BOY! We are so excited- and so glad this baby is coming into such a wonderful family!

Azi's Saucer

2011-01-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

She's lovin her new forest friends exersaucer/walker. The dancing bee is her favorite. Thanks, Papa and Abuelita!

FROM HOLIDAYS TO SNOW DAYS

2011-01-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

My house the day after Christmas. What a great day to hybernate!!!

Go ahead! No, you go! Go on chicken!!

Did you hear them call me chicken??? I showed them!!!

Ah, I told you it would be nothing. Water temp _____ Air temp _____

What a way to bring in the New Year!!!!

Allen and Azalee getting to know each other after mom went back to work. And lots of packing to do.

The third snow fall in less than a year. It must be a record. One last spring, one Christmas Day and now a big snow and ice storm left us with 6 inches and a week of icy roads.Thankfully, we didn't lose our power.

The red of my amarylis made everything else a striking black and white.

The Big Move

2011-01-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

Allen made it to Alabama. A special thanks to all family who helped us get packed, moved and unpacked and for all of the help y'all are continuing to give Azi and me while we are still in Athens. We feel the love.

Little Co-pilot in the U-haul

Fort Rucker, AL house

Snow Day Dec 26, 2010...

2011-01-10T14:39:00.000-08:00

Allen and Kayden's Snow Man....

"look mommy, i'm walking like a penguin."

GO MOMMA GO!!!

4 Months

2011-01-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

We have made it to another month. This past month has been a busy one for Azalee including a white Christmas, ringing in the New Year at the annual Polar Bear Party and helping her dad prep for his big move.

Azalee now weighs 13lbs 11 oz (44th %) and is 25.5 inches long (70th %). She is still wearing most of her 0-3 month clothes but the one piece sleepers have been upgraded to 3-6 months due to length. She is a good eater and still a pretty good sleeper. She is really getting use to having a voice and talks and squeals all the time. She is really good at making bubbles and drooling everywhere and she will chew on anything she can get in her mouth (her hands and feet usually). In addition Azi is rolling all over the place, she's doing much better with tummy time (now that she can roll over when she gets tired of being there) and she's starting to reach and grab for things that she wants (like mom, hair, and earrings :). All of this movement is great except it means she does not want to be strapped down so she has developed a bit of a dislike for the car seat.

Mom had to go back to work this month so Azalee has really enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with her dad.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed this year and are continually grateful to be part of such a wonderful family. We look forward to this new year and all that it will bring for each of us. We send out warm wishes of peace and love to friends and family near and far.

Happy New Year!

The McLains

Pam and George, Allen, Linds and Azalee, Ben, Cynthia and Kayden, Daniel, Amanda and Springer, Joe and Rebekah, Jason and Hannah

Azalee's First Christmas

2010-12-27T17:26:00.000-08:00

Since I am so behind on my postings (as in I haven't done it since Thanksgiving), here is the highlighted picture version of Azi's first Christmas. She was basically clueless about what was going on, but we sure enjoyed having her with us.

Our Crazy Aunt Sandy

2010-12-25T11:18:00.001-08:00

I didn't know this was on Sandy's Bucket List??

Wonder who was more surprised??

Sandy or the deer???

Christ is Born and Lives!!

2010-12-21T06:05:00.000-08:00

The Child

the Son of Mary

Merry Christmas to my children;

Allen and Linds

Benjamin and Cynthia

Daniel and Amanda

Joseph and Rebekah

Hannah and Jason

my grandchildren;

Kayden, Springer and Azalee

my brothers and sisters and their families;

and our many friends near and far.

We love you all and wish you the best

during this holiday season.