Dear Rebecca,
                  This past Tuesday was Halloween. You had a fabulous time. You got lots of candy and a few good frights along the way. What more could a little girl ask for in a Halloween. You've been pretending to be frightened all week. You'll ask either your Mom or myself to scare you and we'll growl at you and you'll give out one of your cute little screams and go running to the person who growled at you and you will hug us up and pretend to shiver in fright and then you want to do it all over again. You went as a pink poodle this year as I am sure you already know. You wouldn't keep your dog head on so I told your Mom to put you in some doggy looking pig tails and to draw a nose on you. You looked absolutely frightening in your ferocious pink poodle costume. There's a picture of you in the hard copy version of this blog that will sum up perfectly how you felt about your do head on that costume. You absolutely loved Halloween which made your Mom as happy as a pig in slop because she also loves Halloween. Allison, Mamaw & Papaw came to our house to pass out candy. When we got home you wouldn't let any of us near your candy stash. You eventually decided to "share" a small piece or two with us. Earlier that day your Mom took you to Taylor Manor where she works so the two of you could attend a Halloween party there. All of the elderly residents where dressed up in costume and you thought that was the neatest thing you had ever seen.
      You didn't go to daycare any this past week. I know it's good for you to be around other kids but I know you would rather hang out with Mamaw and sometimes Granny than be away from people that really and truly love you so I wouldn't have a problem if you never went back. Anyway Mamaw is much cheaper than daycare. Next year you will more than likely be starting preschool and that's way more socialization than I ever got. I was thrown into first grade at the too early age of five with really no previous contact with any other children my own age. Needless to say I failed first grade; Not the proudest moment in my academic career.
      Lately when you don't think a piece of clothing fits you or is hard to get on you tell us that it is" too fit". You can talk extremely well but sometimes you have a little problem with certain concepts and that is perfectly fine with us because we still miss words like "fundy" for funny and "flafu" for flower. Also when you think we need a certain tool or assistance from a certain person you will suggest that, for example "stool help us". One day last week or so you spent the night down at Mamaw & Papaw's and the electric went out and you asked Papaw, "Can Santa help us?". You're talking better and better every day which is a very good thing because you are turning into quite the chatter box. One day last week as you were riding the mower with Papaw as he mowed the lawn he said you talked and sang the whole time you rode. He said he couldn't hear exactly what you were saying over the sound of the engine but he could here you jabbering away.
      We plan on going to Wal-mart tomorrow in Lawrenceburg. Tyrone bridge has been closed for the last few months but now it's back open and we want to see if the Lawrenceburg Wal-Mart is any more convenient for us than the Lexington Wal-Marts. Plus the Frankfort Wal-Mart is not to far down the road from the Lawrenceburg Wal-Mart. We'll see how it all works out tomorrow. You are excited to be going to Wal-Mart. Your Mom said it was because you are your father's daughter and I do love to go to Wal-mart as well.
      We got our Santa Claus art print in the mail this past week. I plan on putting it on the wall every year when we decorate for Christmas from now until I die and then you can take it and do the same thing with it or maybe not. If you are anything like me you will have a deep love of tradition and you will want everything to be as much the same next year as it was last year. I have to admit the Holiday traditions that I have come to know and love are changing. I don't even know if we will have an extended family Thanksgiving, let alone an extended family Christmas celebration. I do know that we will have a smaller family Christmas with Mamaw, Papaw, Auntie Lynn, Uncle Rodney, the kids and us. We have always done that. Maybe when the extended family thing goes away we can get Aunt Mary up here with the child she is pregnant with now and maybe David, the father of the child if she stays with him and you can have Christmas from both sides of the family. I know if I was you I would love that. Like I said traditions are changing but it's not all bad. We have a whole slew of brand spanking new traditions now that you have joined our little family and I am sure that over the years we will add new ones. It is a shame that you will never know some of the great traditions that I grew up with though. I remember when we used to have our extended family Christmas at Granny's house down on Lillard's Ferry Road back when Bambi Dee was still alive. I was talking to Allison who is fifteen now and she has no memory of having Christmas at Granny's house in the country or of Bambi Dee who died five years before she was born. I wish you could have all known him.
      As I mentioned in the previous blog, last week we set our clocks back an hour but I must have forgotten to tell you because you got up an hour too early. Of course I did the same thing that Monday morning.
      Well, I'm gonna let you go and watch some television. I really need to make you some picture DVDs of the thousands of pictures I have of you but I am just not motivated to do that tonight. I reckon I will wait until I get my new printer to do all of that kind of stuff. I will want to print DVD labels and I need to print out over a years worth of blog book photos. I can't believe my printer hasn't been able to print pictures for over a year. I suppose that is a testament to my new found fiscal responsibility because there was a time in my life that if my printer went down I would have been out there the next day getting a new one. Thankfully those days are over and done with. Gonna go now. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Halloween is only a few days away and everyone has you practicing your "Trick or Treat" style. I'm afraid that when the big time comes you will tell your potential candy benefactor to have a sniff of your feet. You are going as a pink poodle dog this year. You originally said you wanted to be a trampoline but I didn't know how we would have pulled that one off but luckily you changed your mind and told us you wanted to be a dog. I've probably already mentioned all this elsewhere in our blog. Your Mom has always been a big fan of Halloween and now that you are a little bigger it's a little more fun for me as well but it's still not anywhere near my favorite holiday. My favorite would be Christmas, of course, followed by Thanksgiving and then any holiday I get off of work for and I don't get off of work for Halloween.
      Once again the week has become a blur to me. I do remember that your Mom and I went shopping last Saturday while Allison, or Sissy as you call her, babysat for us. It had been awhile since she had spent any length of time with you so she was quite taken aback at how well and how much you talk. You are a little jabber jaw. I'm amazed at how much you know. You got a spark of static electricity tonight and you informed Mom that she shocked you and we were puzzled at how you knew the definition of the word "shocked" let alone how to use it in conversation so effortlessly. The biggest word you are using these days is the word "excited". Usually it's used in reference to the impending visit from St. Nick. I suppose we should just get over our amazement at every little thing you do or say but we are both so extremely proud of you that every time you do something new or unexpected it just sends shivers of joy through us. You are without a doubt the crowning achievement in the lives of both your Mother & myself.
      We hadn't intended on buying you any more stuff because Santa is on his way in a few months and we don't want you to get too spoiled; although I think you already are much too spoiled already. Luckily we couldn't stick to our guns on the not getting you anymore stuff. You have been desperately wanting an umbrella; I don't know why you wanted an umbrella so bad but you did. Mom asked you if you thought maybe Santa might bring you an umbrella for Christmas and you told her that it wasn't going to be Santa that brought your umbrella instead it was going to be Wal-Mart. So we saw the cutest little Disney Princess umbrella at Wal-Mart as we were shopping and we decided that we would get it for you. When we returned home you were happy to see us both as you always are but when I pulled that umbrella from behind my back your eyes lit up with the most fabulous joy that I have ever seen in my life. I don't think I will ever forget that look on your precious little face when I presented that umbrella to you. Those are the kinds of moments that make for a happy life.
      Just as your Mom was recovering from whatever she had before she came down with some new kind of bug that put her out of work for the better part of the week. She's back to work now and is trying to make up her lost hours by working all weekend. She still doesn't feel 100% though. She went to bed very early this evening, even before you went to bed. Before she went to bed I could sense the frustration she must be feeling regarding being so sick lately. Your Mom has been through a whole lot these last few months and I am sure that her immune system has suffered because of it. The two of us had fun tucking her in for the night though.
      Earlier today we both had a day of shopping. We started out around eleven o'clock this morning. We went to cabbage drugstore and bought your Mom some store brand benedryl for an allergic reaction she had to something; Poor Mommy. We took it by her work and we hung out for a little while there. You got to visit with Sister Agnes and you gave Sister Rebecca a big hug. We stopped by McDonalds and the tobacco store for a roll of Copenhagen on our way to the Home Depot in Lexington. You had a chicken McNugget happy meal and I had a Double Quarter Pounder value meal dressed up like a Big Mac from McDonalds.
      At Home Depot I finally purchased the vapor seal plastic I have been meaning to buy ever since we moved into our charming little house. I also purchased two sets of knee pads knee pads to use while we are putting the plastic down, some weed eater string, a cable face plate for the new outlet we want in the living room, a cable face plate for your room because you don't have cable in your room yet and a couple of switches for the light in the kitchen. We thought the switches were bad because the light acted so funny. It turns out that it wasn't the switches at all but instead it was a bad light bulb. Oh well, at least we have new switches and you got to play with Mamaw & Papaw when they came over to help me work on it.
      I wanted to stop by Big Lots next but we were already well on our way to Wal-Mart by the time I remembered so we skipped Big Lots. At Walmart we bought a whole bunch of canned veggies for you and some canned fruit for my lunches, a package of cheese slices, some new sippy cups, a cheap set of spoons because the spoon fairy seems to be stealing all of ours, some medicine for my cough, a few Christmas presents and that may or may not be all I bought because I just don't remember. We also paid on some layaway we have out there. I suppose you probably don't even know what layaway is because after the eighteenth of November Wal-Mart will quit offering layaway. Layaway is a method of paying for stuff over time. You go shopping and take all of your stuff you want to buy to the layaway desk and they keep it for you while you pay on it a little at a time. Your mom & I just recently discovered the joys of layaway and now they are taking it away from us.
      We came home after Wal-mart and you went down for a short nap and then Mamaw & Papaw came by to help with the switches. They left and we played in the floor and watched your absolute favorite cartoon, Jimmy Neutron until your Mom got home. As I mentioned earlier she went more or less straight to bed while we sat up and watched some more Jimmy Neutron or Jimmy Twotron as you call him. You stayed up an hour later tonight because our time changes in the morning. Everyone will get an extra hour of sleep.
      That's all I have for tonight. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  It looks like your Mom finally got around to putting up a post. She was very busy the last few weeks. I think she worked herself ragged because now she is very sick. She probably just wore herself out. She made a nice piece of change as a result of all of her hours. Your Mother & I plan on going to Lexington tomorrow while you are babysat by Allison so we can spend all of her hard earned cash. I'm very proud of your Mom for working so many hours but I know that one of the primary reasons she is doing it is so that you will have a nice Christmas and we won't be pinched in December. She told me the other day that she really doesn't enjoy Christmas if she has to worry about financial concerns. I don't think that will be a problem this year. Fiscally, we are in the best shape of our marriage and we owe it all to your Mother and I only see it getting better because we are designing an actual budget and we intend on using it. I'm excited about it.
      Your Mom filled you in on most of the happening this past weekend in Hazard. She forgot to mention the huge rats that lived in the holler where you rode the pony. They didn't dart away like rats are supposed to do but just hung out near where all the people where standing. Your mom nearly blew a gasket and I kept super close to you in case one of those rats decided he wanted a bite of little girl. I am glad that I was raised in the relatively progressive area that we live in. You too will have much more advantages than the poor children you played with this past weekend and I hope you take those advantages for all they are worth.
      While we were in Wal-Mart your Mom purchased a Disney Princess bedroll for you. You absolutely love it. Everyone has been calling it the magic bedroll. In the past you have been reluctant to sleep anywhere else but your own home but with this bedroll we can lay you down anywhere and you are ready to slumber. We used it at Aunt Mary's and you practically ran to her bedroom to get in your bedroll; you used it at daycare and slept for almost two hours and you used it at Mamaw & Papaw's the other night and they were amazed at how easily you went down. Your mom is one smart lady.
      On the way home we stopped in Campton and got some gasoline and your Mom bought you some toots roll suckers but you didn't like them at all. You much prefer the smaller dum-dum pops. You kicked your DVD player out of its cradle and you lost that for the trip. You kept saying that you lost your favorite toy. Then you started kicking the back of your Mom's seat. She told you to quit and you told us that you were not going to quit. I promised you a spanking when we got home and I didn't let you forget about it. I gave you your spanking and we sent you to bed early without watching Little Bear which you usually watch every night before you go to bed. I know that you were tired and not feeling very good but I couldn't let you show your Mother that kind of disrespect and get away with it so you got your little bumbum in trouble. That's the biggest trouble you have ever been in. Wouldn't it be nice if you never get in any worse trouble but I am willing to bet the farm that you will one day top that minor infraction in a glorious manner.
      I was off Monday for our floating holiday. We take it in early October because most everyone likes to attend a fall festival in Mount Sterling called Court Days. I have never been and really don't plan on ever going. Instead you and I went and visited with Granny while your Mom worked.
      You have been quite sick your self. I think it was Wednesday or Thursday that you were as cranky as I have ever seen you. We decided to take you to the doctor. We got an appointment right away. We stopped by K-Mart on the way up there to fill some of your Mom's prescriptions, she went to the doctor too, and I purchased a Bob the Builder coloring book and some crayons for you. That seemed to quieten you down a little bit. We got to the doctor and you enjoyed looking at the fish tank in the waiting room while we waited to be called back. The doctor said you had an ear infection and the croup. He gave you a dose of steroids for your vocal cords and two prescriptions. After the doctor we stopped off at McDonald's for supper because it was getting kind of late. You wanted a milkshake and since you were a poor sick child as well as spoiled rotten you got one. Your mom went back to K-Mart and filled your prescriptions and bought you a couple of surprises while you and I played in the backyard. Mom brought you back a huge bag of dum-dum pops and some toy finger rings; like I said you are one spoiled little princess.
      As you know, Daddy dips Copenhagen smokeless tobacco. The other day you announced that you had some dip as well. You were carrying the little compass that came in your Dora the Explorer backpack that Aunt Mary got you for Christmas last year and you pretended to get yourself a big old pinch and stuff it in your lip. Your Mom and I both thought that was extremely funny. I know you will never take up my bad habit because girls just simply do not dip, at least not around here. If you had been pretending to smoke a cigarette then we would have had a different take on your game of pretend. Your Mom used to smoke, you know. She smoked Newports and Marlboro Menthols. I am so glad she quit. I don't think you would have been nearly as healthy as you are now if she had have kept on smoking. Never ever start smoking. Nothing looks as tacky as a female puffing on a cigarette.
      Well, I am going to close out this here blog post. I wanna watch some boob tube before bed. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                           Hello my little sweetie bird. I know it has been a long time since I posted a blog to you. Mommy worked over a hundred and six hours over the last two weeks and I have been very busy with work, the house, Daddy and you. I am sorry that it's taken me so long to write.
      You are the sweetest little baby. But sometimes, when you are tired, you get yourself in trouble. This weekend Mommy had off and we went to Hazard. We were going down to visit Aunt Mary and Papoo Lawrence, or Wawence, as you call him. Mamaw and Papaw followed us down there with you in their car so Mommy could learn her way to Hazard if and when she needed to go.
      We all stopped for breakfast at Golden Corral first and then we were on our way. When we got down there we all went to Aunt Mary's and sat around and talked. Then Mary called her boyfriend and her boyfriend said he had a baby pony you could ride. We all went up to David's house to watch you ride the pony and then of course so we could prove to Mamaw that people still lived like crazy hillbillies in certain parts of Eastern Kentucky. I think your poor old Mamaw was rather horrified at the conditions in which the people, let alone the pony, lived. You did have fun seeing the chickens and watching them 'spar' the roosters - what a horrible and inhumane thing to do, but at least they were sparring and not fighting. Fighting would have killed them. And you had fun riding the pony, You were extremely good and after that we went to Magic Mart to poke around where everyone found a few things but not a lot because it isn't Christmas time yet. Then we went to Wal-Mart in Hazard and everyone there agrees that the Wal-Mart in Hazard is a really great one. We got bananas on sale for twenty five cents a pound 'down yonder'. Listen to Mama, you'd think I grew up in Eastern KY or something.
      After the Wal-Mart trip we went to Burger King for supper and then we went back to Aunt Marys and watched Jimmy Neutron for a while. While we were at Wal-Mart I bought you a Disney princess bedroll, which is kind of like a sleeping bag without zippers. It also had a nice round pillow included. We told you that you got to sleep on the bedroll on Mary's bed that night and when it was time to turn off the TV and go to bed you hopped right up and went to sleep easier than I have ever seen you do it before, even at home. You really like your new bedroll.'
      You and Mary slept together and Daddy and I tried to sleep in the living room but he couldn't get comfy in the chair so I gave him the couch and then I couldn't get comfy in the chair so I joined you and Mary in the bedroom. You slept well but I didn't have much luck because I didn't go to sleep BEFORE Mary put the dang space heater on and make so much noise kicking off and on in her room. You rolled all over the bed and all over us but slept well nonetheless.
      The next morning I took you to Daddy and he and Papaw Lawrence took care of you while I tried to get some more sleep. I couldn't particularly fall asleep because of the dang space heater once again and so I got on up and we got dressed and set out to go see people. We saw my great niece Melissa, whom we call Tweety, and her stepdaughter because the other girls were at church. We tried to go see your Aunt Carolyn but she was at church with them. Then we went down the hill to my other niece's Mother In Law's trailer and saw her two kids, Arianna and Eric. Arianna is your age and Eric is brand new, only four months. He is a sweet little thing and you and Arianna have always gotten along except you don't usually have enough time to warm up to each other. Then we went and saw my other niece, their mother, Marietta, whom we call Smurf, at her work. We also saw some really sweet mentally challenged people she works with. Then we went home to Aunt Mary's where Aunt Mary made us Spaghetti and garlic bread with salad and broccoli and cheese and then we visited with Papoo Lawrence a bit and got on the road. All in all we had a nice time.
      When we first got in the car you informed us you wanted a bunny foo foo song so I sang it to you, You were being very pleasant and happy. Then you started to get sleepy and started kicking your dvd player and case. When Daddy took those away, you started kicking my chair. I repeatedly asked you to stop and you then informed me that you weren't going to stop. That made Daddy very angry and he tapped your leg. He told you to apologize to me and you said you weren't going to tell me sorry. That's when Daddy decided you would get a worse whipping at the house and go straight to bed after your bath with no Little Bear. You tried to turn it around on Daddy and make the impending spanking threat a game but he would have none of it. You indeed got your spanking when you got home and cried very hard. Then you got a hug from me and from Daddy both and then got a fun shower and sure enough, bed with no Little Bear.
      You were just tired but that is no reason to talk back to your mother. Now that you are two you are going to start having age appropriate consequences for your actions. One day when you read this this statement will stick out in your mind: You choose the behavior, and you choose the consequences. It's all up to you. Good behavior has good consequences, and bad behavior has bad ones. I know that mostly you will choose the good, however. And remember - no matter what choices you make, I will always love you, Rebecca.

Dear Rebecca,
               I think that maybe we have jumped the gun, or rather, I have jumped the gun in getting you all excited about the impending visit from good old Saint Nick. You have been talking about it for days now. When I asked you what you wanted Santa to bring you you told me you wanted three presents, green ones and you later told Mom you also wanted a blue one and a yellow one. We'll have to pass that information on to Santa. When Mamaw asked you what you wanted her to get you for Christmas you put her in her place right away and told her that she wasn't going to be bringing your presents, Santa was. When you play with your shaving cream in the bath you give yourself a nice white beard and declare that you are Santa. I do enjoy the Christmas season and it looks like you will be following in the footsteps of your old man. Your Mother is a huge fan of Halloween and we really should be getting you excited about that but Halloween hasn't really ever been one of my favorite holidays. I've always thought that the only thing good about Halloween was the fact that when it was over the Christmas stuff starts to hit the stores. Of course it's really a whole new ball of wax now that I have you and get to see you dressed up in your Halloween garb.
      Your Mom has the next two days off and we are leaving for Hazzard later this morning. Mom is driving this time because she has never done it and she wants to know how to do it in case Aunt Mary needs her with her pregnancy. Mamaw & Papaw will be going down with us; as a matter of fact you will be riding down with them in Papaw's little blue Corolla while your Mom & I drive down in the Explorer. We're all going to stop somewhere and have breakfast on the way down there. Mamaw & Papaw are returning later this evening while we are going to be spending the night.
      Your Mom is really looking forward to our trip. She deserves a nice little break after having worked a hundred plus hour the past two weeks when she thought she was being hired for eighteen hours per week. Your Mom works hard to make sure you and I can have everything we need and some stuff we want. You have a very good Mommy and I have a very good wife. We're both so very lucky.
      You went to work with your Mom yesterday morning and slept in Mother Ellen's bed while she and your Mom sat outside in the hall. All the nuns were really glad to see you. You stayed out there until ten or eleven o'clock and then Mamaw came and got you. Y'all went over to Granny's house and I was told that you sat in Granny's lap for a long time and the two of you colored pictures.
      Well, it's getting late and while I don't have to get up as early as I usually do I still have to get up earlier than I want to so I had better close this post out. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Your Mama is smack in the middle of her marathon work stretch. She's worked the last nine days straight and she has four more to go but they will be ten and twelve hour days. She took off early Wednesday afternoon to go to the doctor but that is the only break she has had. She's very tired and not feeling very well, Aunt Flow is visiting her currently, but she is holding up surprisingly well.
      What did we do this past week? Well, Sunday night I think it was you told your Mom you wanted to sleep on Daddy's chest instead of going to bed and for some reason we agreed to let you do just that. You fell sound asleep on my chest and I sat in the dark for an hour just watching you sleep. It was a pretty special time for me. I loved it more than you will ever know.
      Wednesday you and Mama came to work and picked me up so we could all go to the Cracker Barrel. You were very tired and didn't act like your angelic self at all. I think from now on whenever we take you out with us we will only eat at Cici's and McDonald's. As a matter of fact you told us you wanted to go to McDonald's as we drove to Cracker Barrel. We should have listened.
      I now a lot of great stuff happened this week but I can't recall anymore of them at all right now. I had such big plans for a great big long blog this morning but I don't suppose that is to be.
      Granny went into the hospital this week. At first it was believed that she had pneumonia but it turned out to be a milder respiratory disorder but it would have become pneumonia if she hadn't have gotten to the hospital when she did. I was kind of nervous there for a little while.
      Yesterday was Papaw's birthday. and you helped him blow out his candle on his cake four or five times. You do love to blow out birthday candles.
      You are doing great with the potty. You can peepee in the potty whenever you are asked but you still are having trouble going poopoo but you will get there in your own time and that will be good enough for your Mom and myself.
      Well, I am closing out this post. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Well, at least I got to put up a midweek post this week. I had to miss work to do it but I got it done. Once again not a very exciting week here at the old Lanham homestead, which is just the way I like it. I have no idea what happened Monday. I know you were sick Tuesday. You still are feeling a little crummy but you aren't nearly as bad as you were. Last night you woke up coughing your sweet little head off though. We watched an episode of Jimmy Neutron and then I put you back to bed.
      Thursday, I think it was, you got to go to Harrodsburg to visit Mamaw Blanche with Mamaw. She had only seen you once before. I can not imagine having a great grand child like you and not seeing her at every opportunity. Mamaw said that you seemed to like Mamaw Blanche but she will never be able to put up any competition to how you feel about your other surviving great grandparent, Granny. You love that old lady so very much. Whenever you are visiting Granny with Mamaw or any of us you love nothing better than to help Granny get around on her walker. She will be moving along slowly on her walker and you inform us all that you are going to help Granny and you start to pull on Granny's walker. Sometimes you get to moving a little too fast for Granny. Mamaw told me about one time when you were "helping" Granny go from the bathroom back to her chair. Mamaw said you ran over and grabbed onto the front of Granny's walker and then Mamaw turned around. She said when she turned back you were pulling the walker across the floor but Granny wasn't with it. She looked into the doorway of the bathroom and there Granny stood. You had went off and left Granny behind. I remember one time when Mamaw went and got Long John Silver's for us all and you sat right up one Granny's chair and the two of you shared your food together. I'm so glad that you love Granny so much because I love her just as much. When I was growing up down on Lillard's Ferry Granny and Bambi Dee lived right next door for my entire childhood. Granny was like a second mother to me. I will always cherish my memories of growing up so close to my grandparents. I hope you are able to have memories of Granny.
      I wish you could have known Bambi Dee, as I called my grandfather. He was such a fun, knowledgable and tough old man. He would have loved you to death. His hobby was raising goats. Stinky old goats. I had lots of fun playing with the baby goats. He passed away when I was a senior in high school. Up to this present time he is the only person who I have ever been really close to to have passed away. I have been extremely lucky in that regard.
      Friday after I got off from work your Mom called me and told me that we all had to go to Lexington to pay on our price hold for the dresser drawers to match our new bedroom suite and to pay on your layaway at Wal-Mart. I got home and you were with Mamaw so I waited for you to get home. After you got home you and I headed on up to Lexington by ourselves. We stopped at Wendy's and I got us both a soda and you a small order of fries. We paid on the price hold at Value City Furniture, got you a vanilla frozen custard shake from Culver's next to Value City in Hamburg, stopped at Burger King where I got myself a triple whopper meal and then we went to Wal-Mart to get out your layaway. They wouldn't let me have the layaway because it was in your Mom's name. I called your Mom at work and since she was just getting off work she drove up to Wal-Mart and got the layaway out herself. We also got you two turtle necks and looked at all of the toys. We saw a whole bunch of the toys that Santa Claus intends on bringing you this Christmas. Then we all headed for the house. Your Mom stopped off on the way home at McDonald's for supper because she hadn't ate yet. We got you home and dropped you into bed.
      Your Mom started her killer work schedule Thursday. She worked from seven to seven yesterday and she has to do it again this morning and she is scheduled like that for a lot of the next two weeks so she may not be able to post here on the blog for the next little bit. All of that extra money will come in handy though because of all of the doctor bills we have, upcoming auto insurance and of course Christmas shopping. We are really going to try to be as frugal as possible this year. Santa Claus takes donations from parents with well behaved children and we plan on donating around three hundred dollars to the jolly fat man this year. That eats up a huge chunk of our gift giving budget so everyone else will just have to settle for less than they are used to getting from the jolly fat mean known as your Daddy this Christmas.
      Well, I have to get up with you in the morning so I had better close out this blog because I would really like to watch some television. As always, Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  You've been pretty sick the last few evenings but you seem to get much worse in the evenings. You screamed all night long last night and your Mom was up with you, of course, but you also kept me awake as well. We all tried to lay down in our big bed but you still screamed. Eventually I got up to get ready for work but I was so exhausted that I could hardly hold my eyes open and your Mom said that she would appreciate some help with you today since she didn't get hardly any sleep at all. I called in sick at work.
      I sat up with you for awhile after that. We watched an episode of Jimmy Neutron and we watched the same episode of The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse four times. After each one you would say "again again". That's a phrase you picked up from The Teletubbies. They will watch a long boring video of a boring child doing a boring thing and then they will holler "again again" and the long boring video will start all over again. Anyway, after our Mickey marathon we all went back to bed. I slept for four hours and I don't think you slept much more at all. When I got up Mom fixed us bacon, eggs and toast. I'm the only one who had eggs because we only had two. You enjoyed your bacon and diet soda though. You and I helped Mommy clean the house up real nice and then we put you down for a nap in Mommy & Daddy's bedroom. You still aren't asleep though so maybe you would rather be in your own room. I will give you awhile longer and see what happens. Mommy went to the store to get some laundry detergent.
      I hate it that you have been sick the last few days but you have been such a cuddly baby while you have been sick. You will climb up in my lap and stay there for hours. It's rather nice. Last night when it was time for you to go to bed you whiningly pleaded with your Mommy, "Let me lay Daddy's chest". I was so touched. If it had been up to me that is exactly where you would have slept.
      The other day your Mommy asked you if you wanted to go use the potty and you informed her that you didn't need to use the potty because you had on a diaper so we decided that for a few hours a day you would wear big girl pandas instead of a diaper and we would stress to you that you did not have a diaper on and that you absolutely had to let us know if you had to go to the potty. You pee-peed every time we sat you on the potty but you also peed in two pair of your big girl panties in the course of two hours. We finally realized that we had been giving you tons of fluids because of your cold and that was causing you to pee-pee more than usual. I suppose we will have to wait until you get better and then we can regulate the amount of fluid you take in so you won't be peeing all of the time. You are like your Daddy in the fact that you would rather drink than eat.
      Well, I reckon your Mommy will be home soon so I had better close out this blog. Oh, that's another cute thing you have been doing. When you decide that you want to do something you say it's "Better" that you do so and so; for example your Mommy woke you up before you wanted to get up and you rolled over and told her that you had better lay in your bed. You are so cute and smart. Gotta go. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because we had a very intense thunderstorm yesterday morning and we lost power. The thunderstorm woke you up and scared you apparently because you started calling for your Mother. I went to get you instead and you hugged my neck so hard and kissed my cheek and said, "I stay with you".
      We went to the recliner and leaned back, you snuggled sweetly in the crook of my arm, and almost went to sleep when a big loud thunder boomer woke us both up. You talked up a storm after that. You were convinced that the lightening was actually giant lightening bugs. You kept asking what the thunder was doing and I told you that it was busy making a big racket. Every time it would thunder you would say "Thunder" and growl like you were thunder. Your thunder growl sounds an awful lot like your monster growl. We eventually went and laid down with Mom and you chatted the both of us up for almost and hour. The storm had subsided so I took you back to your bed and you drifted off to sleep.
      Early Monday morning at about three in the morning you cried out in the night and your Mom told me to get up and go take care of you. I thought it was kind of strange that your Mom wouldn't take care of you herself because she has always been very good about letting me sleep when I have work the next day. I assumed she was feeling especially bad so I got right up and went to you. I put you on your potty and we had the best little chat. You wanted to know what all the bottles in your tub were, even though you know good and well what each one of them are. We got to the shaving cream and you informed me that it was your shaving cream. Your latest big bath tub game is for you to have either Mom or myself spray shaving cream on the wall of the tub and you rubbing your hands through it washing our arms. I agreed that it was indeed your shaving cream. You asked if I had shaving cream too and I said I did. You then informed me that Papaw also had shaving cream but he wipes it off. One day you saw Papaw with shaving cream on his face and it scared you so the next time he shaved while you were over there he let you watch him put the shaving cream on his face and also watch him shave which you understood as him wiping the cream off. Eventually your Mom got up and apologized for getting me up. She said that she thought it was Sunday morning and not Monday morning. I told her I'm glad I got up with you because we had a great conversation. You have recently developed advanced conversation skills. Before we would say something to you and you would answer us or vice versa but now we can share a much longer dialog with you because you are mastering the art of conversation and I couldn't be prouder. You get more fun to be around every day.
      Not much else happened this week that I can recall. It was just a wonderfully boring week. No drama of any sort and that's the kind of week I like the best. You did come down with a little cold though. You slept most of the day yesterday. You really needed it too.
      Well, I'm gonna close out this blog. I don't reckon I will get a chance to post again until next weekend because it seems that that's the way it has happened the past few weeks. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  I want to post you a really long blog but I just don't think my eyelids are going to stay open long enough. I am really tired this evening as I have been every evening but right now I seem to be suffering from some particularly bad bouts of insomnia. It's happened to me before on a few occasions in my life and once they eventually had to sedate Momma and help her get to sleep before she went crazy. Well, even crazier than I already am. I am pretty sure, that soon, however, I will be catching winks with the best of them. At least I hope so.
                  I was off work on Tuesday but I had an appointment a Chiropractor and you got to stay in daycare for two hours or so. You don't like going but when you get there you always have a good time, as evidence by the fact that when I go to pick you up you are all smiles having funa nd playing games and noticing or should I say not noticing me there. Whenever you see me see you, however, you stick your lip out to no end and tear up in a truly crocodilsh fashion. After I picked you up Tuesday we went to McDonald's to grab a bite to eat and then we stopped off at Big Springs park. I thought it would do you good to run out some energy since we were already out and about and make for a more restful nap for you. We stayed in the park for over an hour and a half. You only really played on the equipment for about a half an hour or so and then we took a very long walk on the trail. The walk was so long on such a short trail because you wanted to stop and pick up every stick, rock, and unripened acorn on the ground. We had a good time on our walk and you pointed out a froggy you saw to me. When we were coming off the trail you informed a man on the trail that you walked in the woods with your Mommy, "Kisstie". You're funny. You'll talk to anyone. After
               Wednesday I took you back for a few hours to let you play with the kids while I took a nap and fiddled about and mostly missed you. You cried but you had a really good time and told me when I picked you up that you had fun at daycare. You also informed me that you colored a 'force' which is a horse of course, and that you did a good job today. You're a nut. We were already out so we decided to go pick up Daddy and go to CiCi's. Oh yeah, you told me that you weren't going to daycare Wednesday morning and that you were going to stay here. I asked if you were going to stay by yourself because I was going to daycare and you informed me that we were both staying here together. Like I said, you are a nut.
            Today we spent the morning together. We took a shower together and then we went to Kmart to fill Daddy's 'scription' as you call it and then we went to Kroger to get some chips for Daddy's work dinner. Then I took you to Granny's so you could stay with Mamaw 'cause you said you didn't have to go to daycare today. I came home and got to see you for a few minutes before you went down. Now this is longer than I wanted it to be, and I am tired. Mommy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  P.S. Yesterday was Mamaw's birthday. I don't know how old she is. You'll have to ask her. She was very glad to get to see you on her birthday, as we nearly forgot. I love you! & Daddy's mad at me because I neglected to tell him that you've been rolling over. I thought he had seen you do it already. I love you to pieces!

Dear Rebecca,
                        Sorry I haven't had a chance to post in your blog. I have been very busy tending to you and the house and working and whatnot. Daddy thinks I can just sit down here at this computer at any old time and the world won't go to Hades in a Handbasket if I just fiddle around on the computer for an hour or two. That's not the case. However, I do enjoy writing to you and I will do it every chance I get. I have a couple of minutes before work now and your Mamaw will be picking you up soon. She's going to have to wait on you to wake up because you are taking a nap. You didn't even fight me on this nap so apparently you are very tired indeed.
            Daddy believes that most of his previous blog was historically inaccurate, but the only thing he got wrong was that he went to pick up the mirror Thursday, not Wednesday. The rest of it was correct. You'll be happy to know that Mommy is feeling much better physically after her surgery; my back is the only thing that is still bothering me but I am going to the Chiropractor tomorrow to get it looked at. I am hoping he is able to do some things to help me and my poor little back. Mamaw said she would watch you but she watches you an awful lot I know so I don't know if I will just drop you into daycare for an hour or two or what. You are going for a few hours on Wednesday just to be able to play wth the kids. Hopefully soon they will have some kind of Halloween party. I think you will like that.
            Yesterday we went out to CiCi's and took a drive through Lexington. Daddy showed Mommy the spot where I might be going to school when I finally get on the path to pursuing my nursing degree. I don't think too many people are keen on me becoming a nurse, either that or they think I won't follow through, like Aunt Mary, but Daddy and I know I am going to do it because first off we need the stability of someone always being able to get a decent job and secondly, well we need the stability of someone always being able to get a decent job. In the fall/winter of this year I am going to get my CNA certification. That stands for Certified Nurse's Aide, which is basically what Mommy does with Mother Ellen and Sister Agnes. You Love Sister Agnes, by the way. She always sends you goldfish crackers or peppermints home. She loves you to pieces.
           Daddy has been intent on getting you interested in watching Jimmy Nuetron. I think he has succeded because this morning you laid down on my bed and covered up and chanted "Nani, Nani, Nani" which was was something you'd heard sung on Jimmy "Tutron" as you call it while one of the kids were taking a nap. You're a funny monkey, who likes the word no too much, as Daddy said. What I can't standis when you yell. That goes all through me. I thought maybe Dad and I were yelling to much and that was the cause of it, but now that your father has mentioned something I can't recall a time that either one of us has actually 'yelled' at you. We've raised our voices, that's for sure. But I don't think we've ever yelled at you. Daddy seems to think it's just a two year old thing. He's probably right but I have such a sweet and smart and polite little girl that I don't want her yelling at anyone. I suppose in time you will get over it, like all things. Well, little one, I have to go get together for work. Mommy loves Rebecca

Dear Rebecca,
               I see that Momma didn't have a chance to post a blog this past week so we have a lot to cover so we had better get started.
      Let's start out with the fact that you are entering the terrible stage of the terrible twos. You have gotten so you will not listen to save your life and you have discovered the word "NO". I have no idea why toddlers are so fascinated with that word. No one ever listens when a toddler says it. You're just wasting your breath and half the time you really don't mean it.
      Saturday afternoon I bagged up the yard and tried to dig some rocks out of the yard. I was able to get one tiny one out and another that weighed probably 200 pounds. I was worn out after that. I got to feeling brave after I recovered a little bit so I tried to attack a rock in the back yard. I used Papaw's iron digger to find the edge of this rock. When I finally did discover the edge of it the iron digger sunk three feet into the earth. There is a huge hole beneath the even huger rock. We have to get that taken care of as soon as possible. It could be dangerous. When I finally got done you were so glad to see me. I hated to leave you again but I had to dump the grass clippings and the rocks.
      I took the grass clippings down to Mamaw & Papaw's to dump and while I was down there the boys where in the pool. I wanted to get back home as quick as I could so I could see you off to bed but the lure of the cool water was just too much for me to bear so I stripped down to my underwear and jumped in. Aunt Lynn was mortified to see her tubby brother in nothing but his undies. I wasn't able to get to be with you when you laid down for the evening and I felt very guilty about that. After the pool I unloaded the rocks and the clipping, thinking all the while that I should have done that before I got into the pool.
      We went back down to Mamaw & Papaw's the next day so you could try out the pool. You had a blast but that is when I first noticed your terrible two stage for the first time. You insisted that all of the floats in the pool were your exclusive property even though not one of them was yours. You have developed quite the temper. Your Mom has a little monster of a temper so at least you come by it honest. I also noticed that you have a vein in your neck that pops out like crazy when you are angry. I thought it was gonna burst there for a minute. You and I stayed in the pool for no more than a few hours while Mom ran back to town to buy a few groceries. I don't remember what happened that night.
      Your Mom went back to work this past Monday. You stayed with Mamaw as you usually do. I had to drive myself to work that day because Papaw had an appointment with the doctor. You and I had leftover lasagna for supper.
      I think it was Tuesday that I rode with Papaw to work and was picked up by you and Momma and we all went to Cici's for Pizza. You had the mother of all poops while we were there. We saw it oozing out of the top of your pullup. Your Mom took you into the bathroom and she changed you in there. She said she had to more or less bath you in the sink because it was so bad. Momma called the pediatrician because she also saw a small amount of blood in your stool. They told us that the blood was more than likely the result of a blood vessel breaking because you had such a monumental poop. We stopped at Rite-Aid and bought you some pedialite and some more diapers and then we went home.
      Wednesday I got off work just a hair early because of a fire drill at work and then I went to pick up the mirror from our bedroom suite. It barely fit inside the cargo area of the Explorer. I got it home and almost had it put up by the time you arrived with Mamaw & Granny. Mamaw says she absolutely loves our new bedroom suite. She also said that when they drove by Granny's old apartment next to your day care you started crying and wanted them to bring you to me. I don't know why you hate going to daycare so bad when you always end up having so much fun when you are there. For supper you had some ham, cheese, pickles, peas and a cookie. You do love your peas.
      For some reason your Mom worked Thursday. I can't remember why she did but she did. When she got off you and I went to pick her up from work and we went to the grocery to buy some milk and get some prescriptions of mine filled. They told us at the pharmacy that it would take about twenty minutes so we decided to get a few items we might need before the weekend. We ended up spending over one hundred dollars. We also finally found your puppy hallowe'en costume while we were there. You have always said you wanted to go as a puppy. At first you wanted to go as a trampoline but we just couldn't figure out how we would pull that one off so we asked you to pick again and you chose a puppy. We thought we might have to go to Babies R Us to purchase your costume but I am glad we were able to get it at Kroger, You will be going trick or treating as a pink poodle. We tried the costume on and you wore it around the store barking at all of the children you saw. We finally checked out of the grocery store and drove off forgetting to pick up the prescriptions.
      Mom had to work again Friday. You and I had home made nachos and peas for supper. After supper we watched some Jimmy Neutron. Papaw came over and helped me fix your Mom's car; and when I say he helped me what I really mean is he did it while I stood there and watched. Your Mom is glad to finally have her car back. That car has been a headache from the day we bought it. Your Mom wants to buy a KIA minivan someday.
      Monday Aunt Lynn got hired on at the high school as a receptionist. It didn't hurt her that she had a glowing referral from the principal at Southside Elementary where she used to work as a teacher's aide and the fact that Janice Elms our double cousin has been a secretary out there since I went to high school out there. Aunt Lynn just might be out there when you go to high school. I certainly hope she is because I would feel so much better knowing there's someone I trust implicitly near you during that stressful era of your life.
      Well, Momma has to work in the morning and I have to get up with you so I will close out this post and start thinking about going to bed. I hope your Mom is able to post soon. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  As your Mom has already said, we had a pretty good day yesterday. My day didn't get good until I saw you run up to me and kind of squat down and point at me and scream to the top of your lungs, "That's my Daddy!" over and over again. It certainly did make my day. I always love seeing you out there after work. I also love to see you and Mom when you come to visit me at lunch but I always hate going back to work after that. The last time you visited me at work during lunch you were very upset when you found out I wasn't leaving with you. It made me sad and happy at the same time. I was sad because you were upset and also because I would have loved to have gone with y'all and happy because you love me so much that it would be that important to you.
      Like your Mom said we went to a new restaurant called Nothing But Burgers. They have kind of a surfer theme going on. It's in the building that used to house the Don Pablo's Mexican restaurant. We never went to Don Pablo's. It was only okay. I didn't care much for the fries and the buns were only okay. The meat was delicious though. They get all of their meat from Critchfield Meats there in Lexington. I really don't want to go back to Nothing But Burgers but I do want to buy some meat from Critchfield's though. We had our first experience with frozen custard there though and that was a winner for everyone. Frozen custard is the latest fad or something around here and we all loved it. We'll have to get more of that yummy stuff. You know from Mom's post what we did the rest of the evening
      We got our new bedroom suite Wednesday, well most of it anyway. The mirror came in broken so they are ordering another for us. It's extremely nice. The bed is a big four poster cherry job. I believe I've already told you all about it. I think we are going to get a couple of cheap but nice looking faux cherry bedside tables at Wal-Mart for sixty bucks apiece instead of spending two hundred apiece for the matching tables at the furniture store.
      Before you and Mom came to get me from work you went to Big Lots as your Mom has already mentioned. While y'all were there your Mom saw a set of tools and told you that I would like a set of tools like that. You told her that you liked them too. Mom asked you what you needed tools for and you replied, "I help Papoo".
      You certainly are a big help. Wednesday when Papaw and I were moving the old bedroom furniture out you had to help us carry stuff and thanks to you we didn't get winded because you slowed us down considerably.
      Well, that's all for this early morning. I want to work on the yard a lot tomorrow so I had better think about getting in bed, in our nice new four poster cherry bed. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                           Mommy is starting to feel better from being hacked on and cut to smithereens, so this morning we played outside for a good long time. I was going to let you play outside in your house and on your swing set while I cleaned up the kitchen with the door open but you kept hollering for me every five minutes. So I finally just decided to let it wait and come outside and play with you. We were out there for close to two hours. We had big fun. We even took a walk and when we got back we played basketball and blew bubbles. Then we came in and you watched Maisy, Max & Ruby, and Mrs. Spider's Sunnypatch while I cleaned the kitchen, both bathrooms, and swept the floors, which I really wasn't supposed to do until day after tomorrow but it was driving me nuts. We dragged a lot of grass in from outside when we were out back playing, too so that furthered my annoyance. I fixed you your lunch and put you down for a nap around twelve and finished up what little work I could get to today and took a shower. Right as I got out you woke up and we put our make up on together. You love to use my blush brush and make your cheeks pretty. You are definitely a girly girl.
       We decided to go get Daddy and go out to eat at a new place called Nothing But Burgers. I was not very impressed with the establishment as they had a surfing theme with a bunch of college children about and every where I looked I saw a metrosexual male. What really got my goat however was the fact that they did not have a children's menu. To me that is suggesting that they do not want my child there. Well, la ti da. I did like their custard and so did you. Daddy did, too. You ate the entire custard cone. Daddy paid three dollars for a shake when he could have had a custard cone for half that and our custard cones were better. Daddy has no sense sometimes.
        After we ate our burgers we went and got Daddy's hair cut. You were highly interested in the goings of of Daddy and the black lady that cut his hair. You kept asking him "Whatchu doin' Da-da?". He told you he was getting a haircut and then you said you wanted one. You really kicked up a fuss wanting a haircut so I pretended to cut it in the Wal-Mart parking lot. You thanked me like the extremely polite little girl you are. Right before we went to pick up Daddy we stopped at Big Lots so I could look at some make up and you carried on a conversation with a man that came in. You told him that you had better get home when we got ready to leave. You are a funny little monkey.
        In Wal-Mart you got some sugar-free double bubble for when you go to the potty and you also got some brand new pajamas. Daddy let you pick them out all by yourself. You picked out purple ones with a horse and carriage on the front. They are very cute. We payed on our layaway and Daddy got a few things he needed & so did I. Then we headed for the house where we all went in Mommy & Daddy's bedroom and watched the tail end of an episode of "Trick My Truck" sitting in the floor and the beginning of "Dukes of Hazard". You had your bath and I made popcorn for a snack and you and Daddy are in there watching little bear and eating it now. All in all I think we had a pretty good day together. This has been a hard month for Mommy and Daddy and for you in some ways, too. But you make life so much fun and you are so full of joy and happiness that it rubs off on everyone around you. I am so glad that God sent you to me. I love you beyond measure.
        Before I close I want to tell you about something you did last night. You put your bath towel on your head and hopped around in the floor and informed us that you were a Rooster Bunny. Daddy thought you meant Easter Bunny but no. You meant that were, indeed, a Rooster Bunny. Then you informed us that you were Rooster Bunny Foo Foo. You are so funny, little girl. You make me laugh at every turn. Well, it's time for you to be in bed so after this excerpt of little bear we'll brush your choppers once again and get you there. Mommy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Right now Daddy is giving you a shower/bath. You love to take a shower and then soak in the bathtub a while. Sometimes you will say "This feels good Da-da" or "This feels so good Momma". You definitely are a talker.
                  As Daddy told you earlier, I had to go into the hospital and have some surgery. It took them less than an hour to do what used to take all day. Modern medicine certainly has made some advances. I am very sore and unable to pick you up which makes me sad because I love holding and snuggling and playing with you. At least though now I know I will get better. The surgery took care of the whole problem so maybe now in a week or so I'll be feeling next to normal. Mommy had been feeling bad all for weeks and weeks.
         You just informed Daddy that you were a mermaid. You are so funny. We all went down to Mamaw's for a cookout today because today was labor day and we had a good time. The men all worked on the deck going around the new pool Mamaw and Aunt Lynn purchased and you played and ran and picked yourself a squash and made Mamaw cook it. Mommy didn't do much but sit around and watch you because after I walked down to the garden with you I was in some pretty bad pain. You took a nap late this afternoon and I slept in the relciner at Mamaw's while you did. I am so glad to have you for my little girl because I have so much fun with you. You are a good little girl and If I never have another baby that will be alright because I already have the best little girl in the wolrd.
      Well, I need to take a shoreclinerwer and change my bandages so I am going to let you go. Remember, Mommy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               Well, your Mom had a turn for the worse last night. We ended up having to drag you out of bed at 3:30 in the morning and taking you with us to the hospital here in Woodford County. We don't normally use that hospital because we feel that it is a woefully inferior hospital but your Mom was in so much pain that we had to get her somewhere fast. They decided that they couldn't handle her problem there, no big surprise there, so they transferred her to Central Baptist in Lexington. While she was being taken to Central Baptist I took you to Thortons to get you that doughnut I promised you and I also purchased a baker's dozen for Aunt Lynn and her brood because I was going to take you to Aunt Lynn's. I usually call Mamaw in situations like that but she wouldn't wake up so I called Aunt Lynn. Luckily she was there because her brood had gone to Uncle Rodney's family's hometown in West Virginia and she had almost decided to go with them. Her brood didn't get the doughnuts but I'm sure Mamaw & Papaw enjoyed them with Aunt Lynn later that morning.
      We really didn't have to wait too long to get taken care of at Central Baptist because they are a very good hospital and she was in need of immediate attention. She ended up having surgery this morning at ten o'clock. They ended up having to remove her left fallopian tube but they were able to save her ovary. We still want to have another child but I think that this reduces our chances somewhat but if we never have another we have you and you are more than enough to fill our lives with joy.
      It's amazing what modern medicine can do these days. Your Mom had major surgery this morning at ten o'clock and by two this afternoon she was home. She's sleeping in my recliner because her tummy hurts her where they fiddled with her insides. I don't suppose she will be posting a blog today because the medical professionals informed us that she would be sleeping most of the day. I certainly am glad of that because your dear old Mother just doesn't take pain very well at all.
      Maybe after she heals up from this we can get past this terrible blip in our otherwise happy life. I'm going to close out this post now. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               It's been a whole week since anyone has posted in this blog. Your Mom said that if she gets a chance she will post Sunday afternoon.
      Your Mom still is in pain but I really don't think it's near as bad as it was last week. She is still extremely sad and sometimes she sheds some tears for our lost child. She went back to work Wednesday. She really enjoys her job and I think maybe it's good for her to get out of the house some.
      Papaw & Mamaw and Uncle Rodney & Aunt Lynn went in together and bought a huge pool for Papaw's back yard. It's over twenty feet in circumference and four feet deep. It cost a pretty penny. It's almost too cold to use it much now but we'll have it for next summer. When I jokingly told your Mom we were going to have to go down there in the middle of the night for some skinny dipping she informed me that if we would not be doing any skinny dipping; instead we would be chunky dunking. I thought that was extremely hilarious. Your Mom is a funny lady.
      We purchased a new bedroom suite at ValueCity Furniture Thursday evening. It's a nice four poster bed, a dresser with a pretty triple pained mirror; we also purchased the matching chester drawers. We are supposed to pick the bed, dresser and mirror up Wednesday and we still haven't finished paying for the chest yet so we will get that when we have paid for it. I've never had a brand new bedroom suite before. I've always taken hand me downs from Mamaw & Papaw.
      You had a big day yesterday. Mom had a lot to do this morning. She had to fill my crazy pill prescription, buy a few groceries and get a part for her car that's broken down again so she dropped you off at daycare yesterday morning at 9:30. She said you were a little upset when you found out you were going but when you got there you saw some maracas, tambourines and drums and you settled right into playing. When I arrived to get you at around 5:30 that afternoon you were as happy as a clam. You informed me that you wanted to come back and that this was your daycare. The teachers at the daycare also said that you made some friends. I'm glad about that. I want you to have lots of friends.
      After we got home we went outside to pass the time until we had to pick your Mom up from work. You rode your tricycle that Aunt Mary got you for your birthday. You are really getting the hang of riding a tricycle. You played in your house, played with Idgy, the dog next door, through the fence, swung, went down the slide, and played basketball. We both had a grand old time. When it was time to go get your Mom you didn't want to come to me so I started counting to three. You know by now that when I start counting that you had better be moving by three or you get a little spanking. You started moving when I said one but you stopped halfway to me so I said two and you started moving again. When you got to me you looked up at me and said, "Don't hit my tail".
      You've said the same thing to Mom before too, only you asked her not to hit your bum-bum. You are such a smart little girl. You mind us pretty good too. Mamaw told us the other day that when Sadie wouldn't come to you when you called her that you started counting in your sternest voice just like your dear old dad.
      We picked up Mom from work and drove to Lexington. We had supper at Burger King on Clay's Mill Road and then went to Meijers to grocery shop. We don't normally go to Meijer but they had some pretty good sales so we decided to give it a shot. You and I went and looked at the fish and birds while your Mom shopped for groceries. You even got to help feed the fishies. I was so proud of you when you thanked the lady for allowing you to help her. You were very tired but you were extremely well behaved. We went and looked at the toys after they closed down the pet area. You got a brand new ball because you were so good after such a big day.
      We got home around eleven o'clock and gave you a quick shower and put you down for the night. You were more than ready for bed.
      Last month was a hard month for your Mom & I and by extension for you but I hope things have settled down a bit. I have to get up with you later this morning so I had better close this post out. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Your Mother came home from the hospital Wednesday afternoon. She's still in a lot of pain and she's still very sad over us losing the baby, but the physical pain will eventually subside and we will learn to deal with the emotional pain of our loss.
      At this moment you are in bed, either asleep or watching Teletubbies on video. We don't normally turn on the television when you lay down because we feel like that is an incredibly bad habit to get into but tonight you were especially upset when you had to go to bed because we have visitors, Papaw Lawrence and Aunt Mary. Papaw Lawrence got out of the hospital his self and instead of heading straight back to Hazard Aunt Mary and Papaw Lawrence decided to spend the night and we are all going to go to Golden Corral for breakfast in the morning. I'm glad that Mama is getting to visit with her family because this is something she probably needs right now.
      I haven't been able to work on my yard like I would have liked since we found out about your Mama's pregnancy. It's been a nightmare. I was finally able to get it mowed Thursday but the grass clippings were all over the yard. Mom said it looked like the yard had fur. This afternoon I went down and borrowed Papaw's trailer and bagged the yard. It took me all day and was hard work. The yard looks much better now though. It's supposed to rain tonight. I hope it does because I could use the water on my poor yellow yard.
      I got up with you this morning because I didn't think your Mom was up to it this morning. When I got up I thought to myself that since it was Friday morning you could watch cartoons and then I realized that you can watch cartoons any time you want because we have cable and TiVo. When I was a wee lad all I had was three network channels and a kid only got to watch cartoons on Saturday morning. At that time and even up till today but only on a limited basis the networks aired cartoons every Saturday morning. My sister, Aunt Lynn and I would get up early and get us a big bowl of Honey Combs or Golden Grahms and settle in for a morning of Scooby Doo, Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Hour, The Pink Panther, Thundar the Barbarian, The Hanna Barbera Laugh-o-lympic, The Smurfs, Speed Buggy, Land of the Lost and a whole bunch more over the years that I can't think of right now. You live in a great time to be a kid when it comes to cartoons.
      Before I let you go I'm going to give you one little news story that came out this week. When I was growing up and going to school in the seventies and eighties we learned about the solar system and we learned that there was nine planets but this week scientists demoted every child's second favorite planet, behind Earth, to a dwarf planet. Poor old Pluto is no longer a planet and the solar system that you will some day learn about now only has eight planets. I don't know why but that made me kind of sad.
      Well, I'm gonna close out this blog. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               Mama is still in the hospital but I think they are going to let her go home tomorrow. Dr. Youkilis told her she could go home tonight but we both thought that she might be better off spending another night in the hospital because she still has tons of pain. I still haven't mowed my yard. I really must do that tomorrow.
      This is the first day ever in your life that you haven't seen your Mother at all during the day. You seem to be taking it great though because I got to see you for a few moments in front of the house and when you thought I was going to take you out of your car seat you told me you didn't want to go with me. I know you are having a ball with Mamaw & Papaw, Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rodney and all of your cousins. I'm very grateful that we have someone we absolutely totally trust with you like Mamaw & Papaw.
      I'm closing this post now. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  As I'm sure you know from your Mom's previous posts, we lost our new little baby. The last week has been such a struggle for all of us. We had become so excited about the prospect of having another fuzzy headed little baby and then we found out that it wasn't to be so. I think that the only thing that has made this nightmare bearable is your presence. I don't think any of us really understand just what an incredible miracle you are. You may be the only child we ever have and you know what? That is perfectly okay with both your Mom and myself. Of course we would love to be able to give you a little brother or sister but if that is not in the cards then that is just fine with us because we have you.
      The nightmare still isn't over yet either. Friday your Mom had some methotrexate shots to clear out her tubes from the ectopic pregnancy which is actually a pregnancy in the tube. She was supposed to have a little pain and some bleeding but last night her pain became so sever that we had to go to the emergency room at Central Baptist. They admitted her to the hospital that night and she is having to stay for yet another night. I hope she will be able to come home tomorrow because we both miss her. Mamaw is watching you right now because I have to get up in the morning and go to work; I missed work today and stayed with your Mom in the hospital. There is a slight chance that they might have to do surgery on her and that would possibly damage her fertility and we do want to try one more time before we call it quits regarding having another child.
      Your Mom has been through so much in her short life. First of all she was raised dirt poor in one of the poorest counties in the country, there was the thing with her mother that maybe you know about, her father really couldn't be the kind of father that she really deserved after that, she had to make her way through a corrupt and uncaring foster care system, she was raped at such a young age and became pregnant with your brother, Dylan as a result of that rape; then the system took her first born child away from her at birth, she has had six pregnancies, yours and your brother, two miscarriages and now two ectopic pregnancies not to mention the things that we have been through. Your Mom has lived a hard life and you should at all times show her the proper respect due her.
      Today wasn't all bad though. We found out some great news. Aunt Mary is pregnant! I really didn't think she was ever going to get pregnant but she sure enough has. Both your Mom and myself are both so excited for her. It's also a little sad because we figured that her due date was almost exactly the same as the due date for the precious child that we have just lost. It would have been so neat for Aunt Mary and your Mom to have been pregnant together. I suppose that just means that we will love her baby just all that much more. Your Mom will have to help Aunt Mary in a lot of ways because if you don't mind my saying this, Aunt Mary seems to me to be kind of naive about the whole miracle of life concept. You may not be a big sister, yet but you are going to be a big cousin.
      Well, I'm gonna close out this post. Thank you, Rebecca for being who you are. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  From now on, at least for a little while, this blog will only be to you. As I am sure you gather from my previous post, we have not yet been blessed with the miracle of another birth. Your brother or sister was growing up in the wrong place inside Mommy's tummy. It would have gotten too big to survive and caused Mommy's tummy bad troubles and that would have been the end of both of us. So unfortunately the doctors had to stop the baby from growing any more. Mommy is very sad but you brighten her day every time I look at you.
                  Tonight we rented a movie called 'Hoodwinked' and watched it. It was a modern funny spin/spoof about Little Red Riding Hood. We really enjoyed that movie while we all ate 'Nese' (Chinese) as you call it and laughed. Then I was going to share an ice cream bar with you but you decided you wanted to eat all of it yourself. So I had to get my own. They are low carb ice cream bars and I have to say they are pretty good. Even Daddy liked them.
                    I was crying a bit in the truck today after we picked you up from Mamaw's and you piped up and said "No Cryin' Momma!" Daddy and I both thought that was the cutest thing. I know that you are too young to understand any of this but it's funny how you seem to be the only one who knows what to do or say. I know that I am blessed beyond all measure to have you in my life. I love you more than words can say; God gave me an angel the day he gave you to me. I know that I am so very, very lucky to have recieved such a gift. I never thought I would have any kids; then I got you. Someday perhaps God will send us another one.
                  It is time for you to go to bed so I will cut this short.. Remember now and Always, Mommy loves Rebecca! You have my heart, little girl. You always will.

Dear Unnamed Child,
                                          It seems that we will indeed, never know you. The doctors confirmed that you are a tubal pregnancy and had to administer methotrexate injections to us today. You don't have enough room to grow up in my tubes and eventually the tube would have ruptured and killed us both. I can't begin to describe how very sad I am about never meeting you. Your father and I were so excited about having another little baby in the house. I know that we will never know each other in this lifetime but I want you to know that you were loved beyond measure from the minute we found out you were there. And if God had seen fit to send you along you would have been loved and cherished beyond imagination. It feels so cold to have to say good-bye to my little baby that I will never know. I know that Rebecca would have loved you and treasured you just as much as we would have. I will never, ever forget about you. You will always have a place in my heart. I love you.

Dear Children,
                  We have had a scare today and we are still very scared. Mom has been having some pain on her left side. She has had an ectopic pregnancy before and she just wanted some reassurance that this pregnancy isn't ectopic as well. An ectopic pregnancy is when the egg is fertilized not in the uterus but in the fallopian tube. We went to see the doctor today and he told us that it did indeed sound like an ectopic pregnancy. There was no way for him to be able to tell for sure so early in the pregnancy so he told us to consider this as an ectopic pregnancy until we find out different. That's a hard thing to do. He's asking us to assume that we will never know our child. That is a hard pill to swallow. We are trying to stay positive about the whole situation but the fear is still great. We will not know anything until later this week or early next week, hopefully.
      Well, this was just a short note to update y'all on how things are progressing to this point. I'll close out this post now. Daddy loves Rebecca and his unnamed child!

Dear Children,
               Yesterday Mom, Dad & Rebecca went to Cici's Pizza for lunch. We had planned on going straight over to the UK Medical Center to see Papaw Lawrence but it was about an hour too early. We decided to take a little drive through downtown Lexington. We came to Triangle Park and Rebecca hollered out "Waterfall!" when she saw the fountains at the park; so we stopped to let her see them. There's a fountain right on the corner of Main & Broadway; a few little girls were splashing in it in their bathing suits and Rebecca wanted to splash too. Rebecca is spoiled so she got to splash in the fountain with her clothes on. Momma went across the street to the Civic Center Shops to buy you a wildcat outfit to wear to go see Papaw Lawrence. She bought an outfit and we put it on you after we were finished at the park and it was the crappiest piece of clothing we have ever purchased. It was stained and the silk screen writing was all screwed up. We would have taken it back but you spilled soda all over it later that day when we went to Wal-Mart where we put a hundred dollars worth of fall/winter clothes on layaway for Rebecca. We had a pretty good day yesterday.
      Momma's appointment with her baby doctor has been moved up to tomorrow. I can't say I am sorry to see that happen because I would like to see a doctor so he can tell us that everything is as it should be.
      Well, Rebecca is with Mamaw right now at the store. I went to pick her up at Granny's but she wanted to go with Mamaw. Rebecca, you should be back any minute now so I will close out this post and start fixing you some supper. You are having a hot dog, a few chips, a cheese slice, pickles, ketchup and a clementine orange. We both love those little expensive clementines. Daddy loves Rebecca and the unnamed child!

Dear Rebecca,
               Well, what do you think of your Mom's big news? Pretty exciting, huh? This was not the big announcement that I have been promising you for a little while though. That may be postponed for a year or maybe two. But hey this is even better. Wow, a second child. I am amazed. I thought we had been struck by lightening when you came because to tell you the truth I had kind of given up on being a father by the time we found out about you and now we might have a second child. That is beyond my wildest dreams.
      Like I said before, I went back to work this past week. Monday we did something we have never done before. I took you swimming at Falling Springs on a Monday after I got home from work and we both had a ball, especially me. It was hot at work Monday and I was all sticky and miserable and while the water in the pool was surprisingly warm it was such a refreshing experience. I tried to take you back Thursday. We went out there and I paid my money; you are still free until you are three, and we both got in the pool. Ten minutes later they blew the whistle for everyone to get out of the pool because a storm was coming. I should have checked the weather before heading out to the pool with you. We were both extremely disappointed. You cried on your way out of the pool and I felt like crying. We'll try to get a few more days in before the pool closes down for the summer and even after that we might go to the indoor pool. It won't be near as much fun because in the outdoor pool you can wade around and play on the jungle gym type thing they have in the pool and go down the children's slide.
      Monday you went down the slide and some little girl who was maybe four or so was trying to climb up the slide. You bumped into her good and got a fat lip out of the deal. You cried so hard and I felt so bad. That little girls mother didn't make her apologize or anything. I was livid. Eventually you cried your self out as I held you in the deeper end of the pool and you went down the slide again. I know you had to have gone down the slide twenty times at least. I was so very proud of you.

Dear Unnamed Child,
               I am your father. I can't wait to meet you. We found out about you this Wednesday. Your Mom had originally taken a test just a little while back but it was negative but she still felt she was pregnant. She paid a dollar for the original test. Just recently we have had some issues with your Mother paying a dollar for things that really should cost more, like batteries for my digital camera that last all of seven pictures. She decided to go out and spend a whole whopping five dollars on a real test and there you were on the test in all of your plus sign glory.
      Your Mother has been pregnant six times and she has two living children at this point. So, as you can see she has had a few heart breaks so if she doesn't post as much to you in the beginning it will be because she is afraid. She was the same way when we began this blog for your sister back in December of 2003. I am nervous as well. I have my hopes up and have already made a page for you on babycenter.com so we can track your development.

Dear Children,
               I'll be addressing you like this from here on out I suppose. I barely post enough now as it is; Lord knows I can't address individual posts to each of you so I reckon y'all will just have to share. Unnamed Child, your hard copy will be much thinner than Becca's and that is because she takes up so much of our time so we can't post like we did when it was just Momma & Daddy; So blame her.
      It feels kind of impersonal to address my child as Unnamed Child but we really don't know if you are going to be a girl or a boy. If you are a girl your name will be Rachel Marie Lanham and if you are a boy we are leaning to Ryan Marlin Lanham. The girls name is set in stone and has been since before your sister was born but we have always been undecided about a boys name. I like Ethan but your Mom doesn't care much for it and she likes Benjamin but I can't see you as a Ben. Your Mom initially didn't care for Ryan at first because there's a restaurant in Lexington called Ryan's but I think it's grown on her. Anyway, though it may sound impersonal I will be closing out my posts with the following salutation, at least until we know more about a name or a gender; Daddy loves Rebecca and his Unnamed Child!

Dear Rebecca,
                        Hello my little sweetie bird. Right now you are taking a nap. I want to be taking a nap but I also wanted to write you this blog before I lay down for a snooze.
                        There is big news, little girl. We may be having a baby brother or baby sister for you to play with and help take care of. Daddy and are pretty excited but we aren't trying to get our hopes up too much. We've had bad luck before, but then again we've had wonderful luck with you, my little sweetie pie. We are so proud of you, you make us so happy, and it would only make us happier to see you having fun with a little sibling of your own. We were worried about you growing up all alone and hopefully now, you don't have to.
                     You and I have had a wonderful day together so far. We got up and had some cereal and watched an episode of Max & Ruby and then we got dressed and went to K-Mart where we filled Daddy's prescription and we picked out a brand new nightgown for you with a puppy dog on it. We also looked at some baby stuff and some toddler beds and almost bought the newest baby a little giraffe sleeper but we decided we didn't want to jinx it, even though the little sleeper was super cute and only five dollars. It looked like the little giraffe sleeper we bought for you not so long ago when you were just a little bitty thing. You held your new nightgown all the way home and you called it your "Favorite Dress". You are the sweetest little thing and I love you more than words can say. I know we've done a lot of things that were fun together these last few weeks and you've said and done a million cute little things but I am so tired right now that I can't think of a single one of them. Mostly what I want to say to you is that you are still my best girl and my best friend and you always will be. You are the light of my life and watching you and your brother grow up together will be the most rewarding thing that God could have ever given me. I thank him for you every day... I love you, Rebecca. I promise to write more soon.

Dear Rebecca,
               Well, I have to go back to work tomorrow. I'm really not looking forward to it. I guess that the best way to look at it is that the sooner I get back to work the sooner Christmas will be here and the sooner something else your Mother & I have planned might happen. I have had a great time with you the past three weeks. You have been an absolute joy to be around.
      You are still an excellently behaved little girl but you are developing a stubborn streak. It used to be that when I told you to come to me in a stern voice you would obey right away; now we seem to have minor productions out of situations like that. You usually eventually do come to me but a time or two or maybe three or four I have had to run you down. I think I'm doing an okay job of disciplining you though. I have learned that your Mother is a bit more lenient with you than I am. I'll tell you to do something three times and if it's not done on the third time something will happen that neither of us like. We do use spankings but we also use time outs and we deprive you of privileges if the offense has to do with the abuse of the privilege. Your Mom will beg and plead with you to obey her because she hates to punish you. She eventually does punish you if you remain stubborn but she hates to see that bottom lip poke out so much. I can see where she is coming from because I hate seeing that poked out lip as well but maybe eventually you will learn to jump as high as I did when I was a wee lad. I think that all in all I was a pretty well behaved kid growing up. There were maybe a few hiccups in high school but I was never into drugs or anything destructive like that. High school kids are going to be stupid and make some mistakes along the way but I had enough decent raising that I didn't get too stupid.
      I didn't take you to daycare Friday because I wanted to spend my last day of vacation with you. We had a grand time. We spent all day Saturday together as well because your Mom had to work.
      My camera is not dead you will be happy to know. It's just that your Mom has been purchasing our batteries at the Dollar Tree and you are not going to get a decent set of batteries for a dollar. I was so glad that the camera isn't busted. I was super bummed out over that. I would have loved to have had a brand new camera but we have so many other items on our plate right now that we would have been lucky to get a new camera by Christmas, if then.
      Mamaw & Papaw, Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rodney and the kids left for Florida last night shortly after midnight and got into Orlando around 4:30 or so that afternoon. They are in Orlando and have no plans to go to any of the Disney parks. I just can't fathom that. I would have to go to see Mickey Mouse. Papaw says it's because I am a big kid and in a lot of ways he is correct. I do love Disney World. We hope to take you some day. I went when I was a child and I went quite a bit when I was dating my ex-wife, Christy Hess, because she lived in Florida but the best visit I have ever had was the most recent one. Your Mother & I went in 2000. It was her very first time in the Magic Kingdom and to see the look on her face when we stepped through the gate and she saw Cinderella's castle for the first time was priceless. I hope to one day have that experience with you. Anyway, everyone will be back next Sunday. We were going to look after Sadie but Mamaw & Papaw decided that Ruffie would be too lonely without her so they left her down there. I think Butch, Uncle Rodney's dad, will be looking after the dogs this year. As you will recall we looked after them last year.
      Your Mom bought a bicycle for herself Friday morning at Wal-Mart in Frankfort. We didn't really intend on purchasing one when we left the house so we took the car and it was not a fun ride back home for either you or your Mom because you two were made quite uncomfortable by the bike we had wedged into the car. I dropped her and her bike off at work Friday afternoon and she rode it home. She said it nearly killed her. She wants to ride it a bit on the bike path before she begins using it as transportation to and from work because she says she needs to get used to riding again. Aunt Mary had a bike down there in Hazard that her ex-husband, Kelly Sacra, bought before he found himself another lady to put up with his incredibly low intellect. He never had any money but it never stopped him from buying the best of whatever he wanted so I'm sure the bike is top of the line. I just hope it hasn't been stolen yet. There are some unsavory characters down there in Hazard, Becca.
      I'm going to close for now. I probably won't post again until next weekend. I know I am going to be flat dead this coming week after being off for so long. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               This is the last day of my three week vacation. Actually I only had two weeks of vacation and the last week of layoff. I am a little worried because I haven't received my unemployment card yet and I usually get that early in the week that I am laid off. I suppose it will all work out though.
      We had some bad news earlier this week. Your great-great Aunt Lila passed away. She was such a card. She danced the chicken dance in an actual chicken suit at Aunt Louise & Uncle Tommy's 50th wedding anniversary party earlier this year or maybe it was last year, I am not sure. You just looked at her like she had lost her ever loving mind. I have some pictures of her at the baby shower your Mom had shortly before you were born of her in a big old pair of panties. I also have one of Aunt Lila and Aunt Lynn in the panties together. If you want to know what Aunt Lila was like then just imagine her a whole lot like Aunt Lynn.
      The visitation was Wednesday. Your Mom had to work Wednesday so you and I went to the big outdoor pool at Falling Springs. I think I screwed up a bit while we were there. There has been an oppressive heat wave in the country for the past week so I thought it would be a nice way to keep cool by going to the pool. The water was bath water warm but you certainly did enjoy playing in the water. We got there at 1:20 that afternoon and didn't leave until 5:20. I kept you well protected with regular sunblock applications but you still got a little burn. I on the other hand didn't use any sunblock on myself and I ended up with a mild case of sun poison. My burn isn't as bad as it could have been because I already had a little tan to begin with.
      I just realized that our digital camera is screwed up. You can only take a half dozen or so pictures with the camera on a set of brand new batteries. I hate having to purchase another camera especially since there are so many other things that our money could be going for. There may not be as many pictures of you in the coming months because of the faulty camera but eventually we'll get another one.
      Well, I'll close out this post now. Daddy loves Rebecca!