Dear Becca & Grant,
            I kind of dropped the ball this weekend regarding this blog. I should have posted one early this morning or early yesterday but time got away from me. I'll get around to posting a longer and better post later.
      I got sick this week and missed a few days of work. Your Mom has been bitten by a spider and she doesn't feel well right now. She called in to work this morning.
      I'm gonna close this out now. Daddy loves Rebecca & Grant!

Dear Rebecca,
            I am only addressing this blog to you because I want to tell you what a wonderful time I am having being your Mommy. I hope you don't think that just because there is a new baby on the way that you are any less in my eyes; you are my sun, my moon, my stars, and my rainbow, and you always will be.
             I have had so much fun with you over the last few days that I don't know where to start. We've been outside to play several times, as it is warming up. We've stayed up late, just you and I, watching silly cartoons and eating popcorn. Just today we went over to Alicia's and picked up some Maternity Clothes she had for me there and you got to see her two brand new babies. You told me that you liked those babies, and that you were their Mommy. You are so silly. You did such a good job holding the babies and being easy with them and I was SO proud of you. I know that you are going to be the best Big Sister in the world. I patted one of the baby's heads and he stirred and you admonished me by saying "You have to be EASY, Mamma!"
               I want you to know how very proud of you I am. These days you are to the point where you don't want to listen very well, but I know that is a passing phase. You have always been such a good girl and you still are. I love you so very much and want you to know that you always have a big, huge, special place in my heart. Mommy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca and Grant,
               Hello both of my little sweeties. Right now I am at work and Grant, you are hanging out in my belly and giving me a fit by kicking me in the crotch at every oppurtunity you get. That seems to be your favorite spot to kick. Becca, right now you are with your Daddy at the park and I am sure having a big, grand time. You both came by my work to give me my glasses that I left at home this morning and you told me that I could go to the park with you. How I would have loved to spend the day with you and Daddy at the park, but unfortunately Mommy has to work to bring home the extra money we have grown so used to. Pretty soon we will be able to get all kinds of extra things for you and your new baby brother, I hope. Mommy is       Becca, as Daddy previously mentioned, you came to work with me at Taylor Manor on Wednesday. You had a fantastic time out here, too. Sister Agnes gave you a chocolate bunny with chocolate syrup in it and you ate every bit of that thing. Then you got some chocolate ice cream from the fridge back here and went to town on that. Then you got to eat the chocolate cake off of Sister Agnes' tray at super time. It's no wonder that you were too wound up to go to sleep that evening. You had a big time dancing on the stage and showing off your cute little moves for everyone in the entertainment room. You got to ride in Mr. Gaine's lap and then also in Mother Ellen's lap in their wheelchairs. Everyone out here thinks that you are the cats meow. They are right, of course.
      Grant, I know you want to know where we came up with such a fine, handsome, manly name for you. Your full name will be Marlin Grant Lanham and you will go by Grant. Of course, you know where Marlin comes from. It comes from your dear old Papaw. Grant, as your Dad informed you, is your first cousin twice removed (or whatever) on my side. He passed away when I was very little but he was very good to me when I was younger. One day when my father was gone and my mother had to take my sister to the doctor, he kept me with him and took me to see a movie in the newly erected theater they put in downtown Hazard. Then he took me next door to a diner and bought me the biggest ice cream sundae I had ever seen. I ate all of that thing, and if you can believe this, I barely ate anything when I was a kid. It was delicious. He used to give me money to come over and 'clean' his house. I never really did much cleaning and he always gave me at least twenty bucks. He was a bit of a drunk, but he was kind to me and your Aunt Mary. He used to get drunk with Papaw Lawrence and Aunt Mary and I would steal his money and his food stamps and he would never even get mad at us. Papaw Lawrence would, but Grant would never let him whip us, at least not at his house. He was a kind hearted man who died too young.
      We had a fit trying to pick out a good name for you and it seems we'd had one all along. Becca, your name was no problem. I knew you were a girl all along and we had your name picked out ever since six weeks gestation. Grant, you were not as easy. Becca, you were such an easy, sweet, charming baby. Grant, I wonder if you won't be just the opposite? I could be wrong but that seems to be the M. O. - at least on my side of the family. My sister was a good baby and I never stopped fussing. Of course, fussing can come in handy. I fuss at Daddy every day. Just ask him.
      I want to take this oppurtunity to let you both know that I feel so truly blessed for having the two of you in my life. I've always wanted a family and now God has made my dream come true with Daddy, Becca, and Grant. I am so blessed. Mommy loves her family!

Dear Becca & Grant,
               Mom said she tried to put up a post yesterday but for some reason she was unable to do it. I know y'all are anxious to hear from her and what is going on in her head at this most pivotal time in our lives. I'm sure she will post one shortly. When I set this blog up years ago I intended for this to be just a forum for her to communicate what life was like for her as she was carrying Becca. I eventually decided to join in on the fun and ever since it has been one of our primary activities on the computer/internet. It's been loads of fun and I think it will be kinda cool for y'all when you are older and wondering what life was like early on in y'all's life.
      Mom ended up working most of the week because one of her coworkers had a death in the family. Monday she took you, Becca to work with her and I came and picked you up after I got home. I was a little late getting there because Papaw helped me fix my garage door, and as always when I say Papaw helped me what I really mean is he did it while I watched. He also put our Christmas stuff up in the attic. I can't go up there because the ladder to the attic will not support my enormous girth. Well, I went and got you Monday and we came home and hung out together, Becca. I'm sure Mom will fill you in on some details concerning your time you spent with her and all of the people at Taylor Manor.
      Tuesday you went to daycare because Mom had an early appointment with the eye optometrist and then she had to go to work. After work I took the opportunity to Mow the yard while you were in daycare. We got home late and Mom got home early so we didn't have too much time by ourselves. Mom brought us a $5 pizza from Little Caesars for supper.
      Wednesday you spent the day with Mamaw & Papaw. I came down to pick you up and ended up on the dirt bike for a long time. I pulled up to the house on the bike and you came out and shook your finger at me and told me to be careful. I had a pork roast supper down there and then it started to rain. I went to put the bike in the garage and you told me not to ride anymore because it was raining. You are such a bossy little thing. You came down to the garage with Papaw and we hung out there for awhile while the brief thunder storm passed over. You had big fun playing with Sadie. We ended up getting rid of your puppy, Wal-Mart because we thought he might be sick plus we weren't too pleased with the way he would snap at you. You seemed more than okay with that. I think your attitude towards your puppy changed when he hurt you; I know mine certainly did. Anyway, after the storm you played with Jon & Jakey a little while and then we went home.
      Thursday your Mom & I cleaned out the garage really well while you blew bubbles. It was hard work but the garage looks really nice now. I can park a vehicle in there now whereas I couldn't before. We had supper and watched some television and then we all went to bed. We have started a very bad habit of late and we are going to have to stop it. Mom has started laying down with you when you go to bed and I think you are getting a little too used to it. Even I am guilty of this offense. Last night Mom went to bed early and when I put you to bed I crawled into bed with you and we chatted and made up a lullaby about you riding a horse to Mamaw's house. I had to sing it to you four or five times and it was never the same twice. Eventually you rolled over and went to sleep with me right by your side. I know that if I had tried to leave before you had fallen asleep you would have thrown a fit.
      Friday I got off work early because we had a tornado drill and a meeting about a two tier wage agreement they want to bring into the plant. I am in favor of the agreement because I would really like to retire from General Electric. After I got off from work we went to CiCi's and had a late lunch or early supper of pizza and salad. We then went and ordered your Mom some new glasses. We went and had your hair cut at Cookie Cutters. We have never had the length of your hair trimmed before so you had a little piece in the back that was longer than the rest because when you were a little bitty baby you rubbed a bald spot on the back of your head from laying in your bouncer. When your hair started to get longer you always had that little bit that was longer than the rest. We had that fixed today and for some reason your Mom cried. You did extremely well getting your hair cut. You sat on a pink Harley Davidson motorcycle barber chair and had the most serious look on your face as you got your hair cut. After the hair cut we went to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream. Then we visited with Granny and Mamaw at Granny's house.
      That's been your week, Becca. As for you, Grant. You hung out inside your Mom's belly the whole week. Your Mom says that you get real excited when you hear your sister's voice. I reckon you already love your big sissy. She keeps trying to get you to move while I am feeling her belly so I can feel you kick. You must be too small just yet because I simply can not feel you kick. I'm sure I will soon.
      Well, I have to get up with Becca in the morning and Mom has already got up once and scolded me for still being up so I had better close this out. Daddy loves Rebecca & Grant!

Dear Becca & Grant,
                  Hey Grant, your name isn't Jack after all. You weren't Jack for long, were you? Only your Mom & I seemed to like Jack and we weren't all that crazy about it. Everyone seems to like the name Grant. Grant was your double first cousin two times removed on your Mom's side. I'm sure your Mom will tell you all about him the next time she gets a chance to post here.
      Becca, Friday night you and Mom came by G.E. and picked me up after work. While y'all where waiting on me you had a fellow I work with buy you some skittles. You are so cute that perfect strangers just buy you stuff and give you money. We all headed over to the Cracker Barrel on Winchester Road for some supper. I had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, a double helping of green beans, corn muffins and sweet tea. Your Mom had the Sunrise Sampler breakfast with unsweetened tea. She's been craving biscuits & gravy with her pregnancy with you, Grant. Becca, you had fried chicken fingers, mac & cheese, some of my green beans and sprite. Your Mom had a piece of no sugar added apple pie and you & I shared a chocolate cobbler. We went out to pay for our supper in the gift shop and let you pick out a piece of candy. You chose some wax lips. You had some big fun with those wax lips and you looked so funny but like generations of children before you, including your father, you actually hated the taste of the waxy candy.
      We went to the brand new Wal-Mart across the road to get groceries and some other odds & ends. I had to get some electrical tape because my recliner has cut into the rubber skin of my laptop A/C adapter. We needed light bulbs, deodorant, tooth paste, baby wipes, and you wanted some new tastier tooth paste and a new tooth brush that lights up. We also bought you a plastic cereal bowl with a built in straw and a new cup that you saw and wanted. Becca, we bought a new pink dress exactly like a denim one that I purchased for you some time ago. Grant, for you we purchased your very first outfit, a tiny cotton overall outfit with Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck on it.
      We then went over to Babies "R" Us to look for you, Grant, another outfit but since it's just getting warm and we expect you went it will be getting cool again there wasn't a whole lot of stuff that we could buy. I have to say that there is a whole lot more cute clothing for little girls than for little boys. We didn't get any clothes for either of you there. We did buy a light switch plate and some border for your nursery, Grant. We are going to do your room in Winnie the Pooh. We won't have to paint the walls. That decor will work nicely with our green walls.
      We then went over to Pet Smart to look into obedience classes for Wal-Mart. We almost lost Wal-Mart the other day because he snapped at you and left teeth prints on your face and then he did it again and he came as close to breaking the skin as possible without actually doing it. You have fallen in love with that dog but it might have been a little soon to get you a puppy. We had decided to get rid of him and you told us in tears that you wanted a new Wal-Mart, a pink one that didn't bite and we felt okay about getting rid of him but the next morning the first thing you wanted to do was go to see your dog. We're not going to let you around him alone at all and we are going to get him into an obedience class. If he acts okay until we can get him into obedience class we will keep him. We also need to take him to the vet because he has runny poops twenty times a day. He does very good about not pooping where he isn't supposed to. He has the occasional accident but he has been doing fabulous in that regard. Much better than you have, Becca.
      Y'all's Mom went back to work yesterday. It was just you and I, Becca and of course, Wal-Mart. You got into your Mom's makeup and painted your face up real good. You came into the living room growling and telling me that you were a monster. You had took a black eyelash brush and painted your eye lids and lips and you did indeed look like a sweet little monster.
      Well, I need to get off of here because I have some other stuff I need to do before I go to bed. Your Mom's new schedule is primarily weekends so it will be just us again tomorrow, Becca. Daddy loves Rebecca & Grant!

Dear Becca & Jack,
            Hey Jack, you are a boy! Imagine that. We are going to have us a set; one boy and one girl. I think that is just perfect. I know that I have always said that I wanted a girl but now, in the interest of revisionist history, I can reveal for the very first time that I wanted a son all along. I hope your name remains Jack because I have actually used it in a blog post now. We struggled for a long time with your name but maybe we have it now. After we found out about you being a boy we tossed a few names around and then eventually came back to the original choice as suggested by Becca. As of this writing your name is Jack Marlin Lanham. Your Mom wanted it to be Marlin Jack but I said that sounds like a variety of cheese. Mamaw told you that your new little brother was going to be named Marlin. When your Mom and I came to pick you up we asked you what you though about having a little brother and you told us you were not going to have a little brother; you were going to have a little Papaw.
      I am so very tired and I would love to write an extra long post but I plan on taking a shower here in a minute and going to bed so I am going to close this out. Daddy loves Rebecca and Jack!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Well they let Aunt Mary and Desiree' go from the hospital last night and it was supposed to be a happy and joyous occasion because Aunt Mary was supposed to bring that baby down too see your Great Grandma Annetta Robinson but it just didn't work out that way so now everyone is mad at everyone and it's turned into a big mess. Personally I have just decided not to worry about any of it and take life as it comes.
               Desiree' is awfully cute. I do really wish you could have seen her. I am spelling her name the proper way because I can't stand the phonetic way that the strange people in Hazard have decided to come up with.
               I was going to work today and you were going to go home with Mamaw and then you were both going to pick me up and take me to the Doctor this afternoon so that we could find out what the baby was today. It didn't work out that way because I was out so late last night trying to get everything together with Mary and Desiree'. Anyway now you are going out with Mamaw while I go pick up Daddy and we go find out what the baby is together. I know Daddy is awfully excited. Plus I get to spend the day with you and I always love doing that.
            Just a moment ago when we took your new puppy, Wal-Mart out to potty we saw a big brown and black speckled rabbit with a white fuzzy tail out in our yard. I told you that it was Peter Cottontail, and you firmly believed it. He sat there forever in spite of the dog and you waved and shouted "HEYO Petter Cottontail!" at the great big rabbit. We watched that bunny hop away in the rain and you've made me leave the big door open ever since so that you could watch for him to come back. You are so sweet. You really loved seeing that rabbit.
            Daddy was waiting with you at Granny's last night so that you could all see the baby and EMS had to be called for your poor old Granny. She isn't doing very well and she is growing frail and very tired. I am glad that you know and love her so very much. She feels the same way about you, too. Daddy said one of theose EMS men just made an awful fuss over you and you ate it up. You really are super cute. I love you so much little girl.
               Well I just wanted to inform you on all the news that is news here on Colony Drive. I know Daddy can't wait to come home and blog about your new baby brother or sister - just think, now we get to stop saying that. No matter what it is I know that you will LOVE it and be the best big sister in the entire world. Remember, Now and Always, MOMMY LOVES REBECCA!

Dear Becca,
            I moved Aunt Mary into the master bedroom last night so I could sit up and watch some television. It's extremely late and I just now turned on the television for some background noise as I type out this post.
      I ended up sitting up all night downloading Barbie movies for you, current country hits and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. I have never seen that film even though I have always wanted to. It's kind of hard to find around here. It's an old Japanese film that was the inspiration for the classic western The Magnificent Seven. Seven Samurai is in Japanese with english subtitles. I have only watched one film with subtitles and that was Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Anyway, most of the downloads are still coming down. I already have the music downloaded and Barbie's Mermaidia is at 96% with an hour or so left on the download. Barbie's Fairytopia is coming down a bit slower. I have 24.7% of Fairytopia with seventeen hours left on the download. I'm sure the speed will eventually speed up, I hope. The Kurosawa film is coming along quite nicely.
      I also read some stuff about the Kentucky Wildcats basketball. I didn't mention them much this past season because just like last year things didn't go as well as they should have. We went 22-12 and got knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the second round by the Kansas Jayhawks. Coach Tubby Smith, who is a class act and a wonderful coach, decided that things were not comfortable for him and his family around here so he resigned as the head coach and took the head coaching position of the Minnesota Gophers. The past week has been a wild ride for the Big Blue Nation. Everyone has wanted Billy Donovan since way before Coach Smith resigned; his Florida Gators won the national championship this year. He decided to stay down there in Florida so everyone was crushed there for a few hours until they announced that our new coach would be Billy Gillispie, formerly of Texas A&M. He's supposed to be a great recruiter and that is really what we were missing with Coach Smith.
      The Easter Bunny came through a few hours ago. It must have been when I was taking a shower because when I got out your basket was already out and he had taken a big slice of the Easter cake we left for him. He prefers carrots but we forgot to get any. It looks like a really nice basket; we'll find out when you get up. We have been threatening to call the Easter Bunny on you the past few days. Earlier today after you had been a little stubborn I called the Bunny up and you rushed into the living room and pleaded with me to turn the phone off. You are looking forward to Easter Morning. This afternoon I found the song, "Here Come Peter Cottontail" on the internet. You and I must have listened to it twenty times if we listened to it once. Last night when we sang you your lullaby we couldn't hardly do it because we still had the tune of "Here Come Peter Cottontail" in our heads.
      Since we got your puppy, Wal-Mart we have changed up the lullaby we sing to you every night. We used to sing about a dog named Rover and what we would get for you if he didn't bark but we have changed the name of the dog to Wal-Mart and every single night when we get to the part about him not barking you pipe up, "But he yikes to bark."
      Well, I want a few hours of sleep before I have to get up and see you with your Easter Basket so I will close out this post. Daddy loves Rebecca and the yet to be named unborn child living in Mommy's tummy!

Dear Rebecca,
               You had a grand time at the Doodlebops concert. If anyone ever asks you what your very first concert was you will have to tell them that back in 2007 you went and saw The Doodlebops in Louisville. We got you a concert T-shirt because if you go to a concert you have to have a concert t-shirt. That tiny toddler sized shirt cost us $25 but like I said if you go to a concert you have to have a concert t-shirt. We also bought you a Doodlebops pledge flag with a glowing ball on the end of it. That set us back another $20 but I remember how you longingly looked at the toys they sold when we went and saw Disney Princesses on Ice and I figured that it was your day and I wanted you to be the happiest girl in the world on your day. Then we went and bought you another toy from a vendor inside the concert hall; another $20 gone. We spent way too much money. I really wish we hadn't bought that second toy because your favorite from the very beginning is your pledge flag or as you call it, your Rooney stick. Rooney is a character from the Doodlebops; you may or may not remember that. Your Mom & I enjoyed watching you dance around to all of the Doodlebop songs and looking at your happy little grin but as far as entertainment for us goes regarding the show we much preferred Princesses on Ice. You watched the Doodlebops on your portable DVD player on the way up there but I think you had been Doodlebopped out by the time we came back home because you didn't want to watch it on the way back.
      We went straight to the hospital after the concert so we could visit with Aunt Mary for a little while before we came home. Your Mom went to go upstairs to the NICU to see Desaray. You and I still haven't seen her. They quit letting Mom go up to see the baby because at first they thought Desaray was your Mom's grandchild. That floored your poor young Mom that they thought her older sissy was her daughter.
      Aunt Mary got out of the hospital Wednesday afternoon and she has been staying with us for the past few days. That's why I am posting this blog from the desktop instead of the laptop. Aunt Mary is sleeping in my chair. She's sleeping in my chair because she is still very sore from the c-section. She was five weeks early so they had to cut her vertically instead of horizontally like they did with your Mom when she had you. I reckon she will stay with us until they release Desaray and they can both go home to the squalor that is Hazard Kentucky. I took Aunt Mary to the hospital yesterday morning before I went to work and she spent the whole day up there with her baby. I talked to her when I got off from work to make sure that she didn't need a ride home and she was on cloud nine because just moments earlier she had finally gotten to hold and feed Desaray. She said she just couldn't quit kissing her. I am glad that Aunt Mary finally got to hold her baby. She had Desaray Saturday morning and didn't get to hold her until Thursday afternoon. I couldn't imagine having to wait such a long time to cuddle and kiss my baby. I got to hold and kiss you just minutes after you were born and it was the most magical moment in my life.
      David, Desaray's father finally came back today. He was here for the delivery but he went back to Hazard that same day. I have to say that I just can not begin to understand what he is thinking leaving his newborn daughter who is in the NICU for almost a whole week. Aunt Mary said that she sent him back to Hazard to keep an eye on Papaw Lawrence who is still in the hospital down there. I would have told Aunt Mary that if she was so worried about her father then she should go back but I was going to be staying with my baby. I don't care if it was Papaw himself, if I had to make a choice I would choose to be with my child. My attitude had recently softened towards David but this latest incident makes me wonder what in the world he is thinking. My child would have come first, second and last in my concerns. I really just don't understand.
      The past few weeks you have been entering your terrible two stage. You have made your Mom cry on more than one occasion. You say NO to everything and you keep repeating it even after time outs and even after spankings. You will not behave to save your life. Your Mom got some results from threatening to call the Easter Bunny and telling him that you were being naughty but only marginal results and Easter is this Sunday so that ploy will not work for long. I hope you get out of this stage soon because I was torn yesterday after work because I wanted to come home and see you and Mom but I dreaded the clashes that I knew you and I would eventually have. It wasn't too bad yesterday afternoon but you did show yourself a little bit. You had better start listening to us.
      The weather has been typical for spring in Kentucky. Last weekend and earlier in the week the temperatures were in the high seventies and the sun was shining. I cut the grass for the second time this spring and treated it with some Scott's weed and feed, you played outside in shorts and short sleeves, we sat out on the front porch and blew bubbles using your vast collection of bubble wands, we grilled steaks one day and ribs the next out on the grill and basically had a grand old late spring type of time. Then the storms came. They came on the 23rd anniversary of one of the greatest storms in Kentucky history; the tornadoes of 74'. I was only six at the time but I remember the tornadoes of 74'. It was a very scary experience. Anyway, I was watching an anniversary show dealing with that big storm on channel 18 when they broke into programming telling people to take cover that there was a massive storm system on the way and the possibility of tornadoes were great. Of course I was just moments ago looking at the devastation that tornadoes could bring so I was probably a little too cautious when I packed you and Mom up and took you to Granny's house so we could ride out the storm in the basement. The storms came and went and did a little damage here and there but it was really only a typical spring storm but it did ring back the cold weather. I even heard tell of snow flakes outside of the factory yesterday afternoon.
      As I said in my last post I had been losing my internet connection quite frequently. Well, I don't know if you could say I figured out the problem but I do think I fixed it just the same. I called the cable company to see if the problem was on my end or their end. It was on my end. My connection worked perfectly when I plugged the modem directly into the desktop. I had a problem with either my ethernet cables or my router. I figured I would buy some new cables this weekend and see if that fixed my problem but first I decided to upgrade the firmware on my router. That seemed to do the trick for a little while and then I lost my connection again. I plugged the cables back into the desktop and went searching online for a solution. I found out that many people had been having trouble with the new firmware update but they had been having some luck with a third party linux firmware upgrade so I decide that I would try it. The website said that there was a minuscule chance I could break my router by using this method but the chances were so slim and the benefits of this new firmware was so great that I should go ahead and try it. I printed out the instructions and downloaded all of the stuff would need and began my task. I got through the first two steps without a hitch but then I could go no further and I couldn't go back. I had been one of the minuscule number of people who had killed their router. I had to purchase another one. I went to Best Buy yesterday and purchased a new router, or rooter as your Aunt Mary so disastrously called it and a new ethernet cable in case that was the original problem. I got home and set everything up and now things seem to be working great. I suppose I will have to give it a couple of days to make sure that it is actually fixed before I celebrate. I thought I had it fixed when I upgraded the firmware. I was feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof. Then it went down again.
      I don't know if we have mentioned this or not but your Mom resigned her position at Taylor Manor about two weeks ago. We have really enjoyed having your Mom home all of the time recently. It's been very nice. After two weeks off of her job she is ready to go back to work. She went by there the other day and told them that she could work weekends if they needed her. The head nun said that she would let their new weekend girl go and that your Mom could take over the weekend shift. They seem to like your Mom out there a whole bunch. She goes back to work next weekend. The money was tighter than we expected it to be. I had started putting 10% of my net check into the 401K while your Mom was making good money at Taylor Manor and when she quit we felt the pinch from losing that 10% and her two or three hundred dollars every two weeks. She missed her patients as well. She really likes Sister Agnes and Mother Ellen as do you. I also think she may need some time away from you & I occasionally to recharge her batteries and her patience. I know I am not going to relish getting up with you every weekend day but I'll learn to live with it. I am very proud of your Mom. I told her that I see her getting her CNA license and instead of going somewhere else and making ten to thirteen dollars an hour she will stay at Taylor Manor making eight dollars an hour but they will make it easy on her scheduling wise to go to nursing school so she can get an LPN license and then she will go to work at Taylor Manor as an LPN and then eventually she will get her RN license with a specialty in geriatric wound care and then she will be making a whole lot more money than I do. That's what I see in store for your Mom. It certainly would be nice. She likes Taylor Manor and she loves the people and the people love her and I think that's worth a whole lot plus it's right here in Versailles.
      Well, I am going to close out this post. Daddy loves Rebecca and the yet to be named unborn child living in Mommy's tummy!

Dear Rebecca & Unborn Sibling
            It seems your dad is convinced that I have quit blogging all together. Maybe he thinks that because I am home now I have a buttload of time on my hands, but that is not the case. I've actually been busier than ever trying to get the house in order and taking care of you and your new puppy, Wal-Mart. It seems puppies are harder to take care of than babies. Of course I knew that, but I also knew that you desperately wanted a puppy. So I got you one. That is what I do, because I am a sucker. You've even told me, "I love you, sucker". You are such a funny little girl sometimes.
            I woke up a few minutes ago wanting to post a blog just to tell you that I am just as excited about going to see the Doodlebops as you are, I think. If for no other reason than I cannot wait to see your reaction. I know you will have a good time but I am excited about what the day holds in store.
            Daddy spelled Desaray wrong. Actually, Aunt Mary spelled Desaray wrong, as you can well see. I tried to convince her otherwise but she's letting David's mother do the spelling and well, that's what she came up with. I would not spell it that way but it is not my baby but there you have it. Desaray was born too early so she is having a hard time breathing due to the fact that her lungs are not fully developed. She is a big baby but she is immature in other ways, as in her lungs, blood glucose levels and blood pressures. They said that such things were not uncommon for diabetic mothers, but I was diabetic with you and you didn't have any of those problems. Aunt Mary was not exactly particular about taking care of herself when she was pregnant with Desaray and now I believe that she regrets it. I cried like a baby when I saw how hard it was for Desaray to breathe, her tiny body was struggling to catch air so fast. I thank my lucky stars that I was particular about taking care of myself with you and that I will be as particular about taking care of myself with this baby as well. I love you dearly I want you to know and I am hoping you have a fantastic time at the concert today. I should get some more rest so that we can all feel good for the concert in the morning.
         Mommy loves Rebecca and her unborn sibling!

Dear Becca,
            I keep losing my internet connection so I don't know when I will actually get this blog entry posted to the internet. I've been having a heck of a time with my connection the past week or so. I hope it's adelphia's problem and not mine. I really don't care to get into any big project rtying to troubleshoot and repair my internet connection. Anyway, for future reference it's six after midnight on April Fool's Day.
      It's been another busy week this week. Early in the week things were pretty normal except you had just a touch of diarrhea. Late Tuesday night your diarrhea got extremely bad and your little tail became incredibly raw. We decided that your Mom would take you to the pediatrician's office. Wednesday morning at two in the morning your Mom frantically woke me out of a sound sleep and said that you had to go to the emergency room. You came into the bedroom right after she did; you were crying and said that you were hurting and needed to go to the hospital so we went to the hospital. We really didn't find out anything at the emergency room. I called in to work Wednesday and slept while your Mom took you to your pediatrician. They ran a whole bunch of tests and gave us a bunch of instructions that were diametrically opposed to what was told to us at the emergency room. You are getting better now that we have some medicine for you.
      Aunt Mary came to Lexington Thursday and they decided to keep her here and deliver her baby this coming Wednesday. Her blood pressure was dangerously high and the baby was huge for the current stage of gestation. Your silly crazy Aunt Mary simply did not want to stay in Lexington. She wanted to go back to Hazard. Her boyfriend, David pleaded with her to stay in Lexington so his baby would be okay but for some unimaginable reason she wanted to go back to her backwater hole in the wall. All of her doctors pleaded with her to stay, your Mom called Aunt Mary and tried to reason with her and then I called her and told her that she was just being flat stupid and selfish regarding her tiny baby. She told me that what I said to to her in concert with David's concerns convinced her to stay. She immediately regretted her decision even though it was the only responsible decision she could have made.
      It turns out that she did indeed make the correct decision because at about five in the morning yesterday morning, Saturday she delivered her 8 pound 8 ounce daughter, Desiray Paige Melton via c-section. Your Mom rushed to be by her side because she was petrified. Mom stayed with her through it all. Desiray is a little early so she is still in the NICU. Your Mom has seen her a few times but you and I haven't laid our eyes on her at all as of yet. Your Mom might tell you more about it later when and if she ever puts up another blog post.
      We are going to see the Doodlebops in Louisville later today so I had better start thinking about going to bed. It's now 12:43 in the morning. Daddy loves Rebecca and his currently unborn son or daughter!