Dear Rebecca,
                  Today is Daddy's birthday. He is 38 years old today. He's still a young man. You probably won't think that 38 is young until you are almost thirty like myself. I keep trying to convince myself that 30 is the new 20. And you my sweet darling precious little munchkin are not even two yet. No hurry though; don't grow up too fast on me.
      We went to the grocery store this morning before I had to go to work. There were a lot of people there with samples and you tried a lot of them but absolutely refused to try any shrimp. Thanks but no thanks. You looked at that woman and shouted "NO!" before she even offered you a bite. The biggest thing that happened to you today though was that Santa Claus gave you a candy cane. Yep, he sure did. Only you wouldn't take it from him. I had to take it and give it to you. We made our way throughout the store and he showed up again to give you another one but you would still have none of that. You looked at him with big wide eyes and kept staring at him to see what he was up to. Best be good little girl, Santa Claus is watching you. Who am I kidding? You are always good. Unlike the little girl we saw in Family Dollar today who fell out because her Mommy wouldn't buy her an outfit she didn't have the money for. I can promise you right now that if you ever act the way that she carried on today, screaming and crying and shouting and kicking in the middle of the store that I will call and E-mail Santa Claus myself and tell him not to bring you one single thing on Christmas. You just might get your butt smacked,too. But I don't think I will have to worry about that with you. You are too good & sweet to be such a bad girl. You can be bratty I will admit. But you have never been bad. You and Daddy are the best things in my life and there is not a bad bone in either one of your bodies. I can't believe how lucky I am to have such a sweet and happy family. There were times that I thought I would never make it this far in my life when things were going poorly for me when I was younger; Now I am glad I held on to life (and most of my sanity-ha ha) to be with the loves of my life..You and Daddy. You might not know this about your Daddy but he believed in Mommy when no one else did. He cared about Mommy when she didn't care about herself. He stood by Mommy through some very hard times in her life and was waiting here on the other side for her. When I finally got over on the other side he took my hand and made me his wife and he's been with me through sickness and health and marital problems and he's always been the voice of reason behind every question; he's always been the soft place that I can fall. I know that he will do all of that and more for you my sweet so that has to make him the best husband and father that I know of. We bought him a little card today and I helped you sign it and he thought that was sweet. You also helped me make him cookies yesterday before I went to work. You were "rolling" them into balls and putting them on the pan. You kept trying to take bites out of the dough. You are so silly. You are also so smart. For the very second time today you did a number 2 in the potty. Daddy was thrilled with you, as was I. We did a dance and gave you two iced animal cookies., which you love. We are so very proud of you. I was trying to teach you to say Happy Birthday all week but all we could get past was Happy. I told Daddy that yesterday and I think it touched him a little. Your poor old daddy has a sensitive soul; that's part of what makes him the man he is. The man of my dreams. The husband I don't deserve. The father of my darling daughter. So let's wish him a happy birthday one more time, What do you say?

Happy Birthday Daddy
We Love You

That's from me & you kiddo. We love Daddy, And Daddy and I love you. Good night, my sweet.

Dear Rebecca,
               Good Morning, Little Girl. It's still relatively early in the morning right now. I promised your Mom I wouldn't be up too terribly late. I am experimenting with burning a music CD using iTunes. I've never used this Program before. I don't know if I like it or not. I have forgotten how many songs can go on a disc and this program doesn't tell you until after you've already made your selections. Of course it doesn't help when you accidentally select over 700 songs. I am in the process of making some Christmas discs for Aunt Lynn and an Eagles CD for Mamaw. Well, this is turning out a little better than I had originally thought. I like that I can search through the music easier using iTunes than I can using the Record Now software that came with the computer.
      You & I went down to Mamaw & Papaw's this past evening. Well, actually we spent most of our time at Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rodney's. You got to ride on the mower with Papaw and you tried to play football with Jon, Jacob and myself but the two boys just didn't want to let you play in their reindeer games. You then took off walking up the hill and I followed you. You walked all the way from Aunt Lynn's to Mamaw & Papaw's and then back down the hill again where you visited with the dogs at their kennel. Ruffie was in the kennel because he had tried to run after a car. You kept walking down the hill until Sadie decided to knock you down. At that time I picked you up and decided to let you play in the leaves on the trampoline. The boys came along and started bouncing high on the trampoline while you were setting in the middle. You were being bounced all around and you seemed to enjoy it but it scared the crap out of me. I thought the boys were going to fall on you and kill you. Maybe I am as crazy as your Mom.
      You had carrots, a half of a banana, a little piece of a breadstick and some pizza for supper. Aunt Lynn brought back pizza from town when she went to pick up Allison from church. Allison had been working at a concession stand or something at the UK football game. Kentucky lost to Auburn, but of course I knew they would. Kentucky has never had much of a football program, at least not in my lifetime.
      Mamaw walked up the hill with you while I stayed and visited with my sister, your Aunt Lynn for awhile longer. I then drove up the hill and hung out with Mom & Dad, your Mamaw & Papaw for awhile. We then drove back home where your mom was already waiting on us. She gave you a bath and put you to bed because by this time it was already past ten o'clock. Your mom & I watched a little television and then she went to bed. Here I am still on the computer. I am going to bed here in just a few moments. I have made six compact discs and labels and am very pleased with tonights work on the computer. Sometimes I just sit here and get nothing accomplished. I just hope these discs work.
      Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                     Hello my very smart & sweet and fantastic little girl. You are getting to be such a big little girl! You went Pee-Pee in the potty for real (not on accident, like you did the first time) for the very first time today! You never cease to amaze and astound me. You are the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. I look back on my life that used to be so hard and painful and say "Wow, this must be the reward God had waiting for me". That reward is you. my sweet. And I feel so undeserving. I want you to know how very very proud I am of you, today and every day, you make the world seem like a better place. Any troubles or stress I have is eased when I look at you and you smile that silly grin with a wrinkled up nose and throw your arms around me and give me a sweet little kiss. You are by far the best thing I have ever done with my life. You didn't make me who I was... You made me someone better. And for that I am eternally grateful. I love you, Rebecca, so much!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Happy first of November, little girl. November is your Daddie's second favorite month. Fall, my favorite season, is in full swing; Thanksgiving, my second favorite holiday, is this month and Christmas is next month. That means I can begin listening to Christmas music this month without feeling like I am rushing things way too much. November is also my birthday month. I never put too much stock in birthdays though. As a matter of fact I could do without another birthday. I would really like to give away the last eight or nine birthdays I have had.
      As your mom wrote in her last post you had a great Halloween, your Mom's second favorite holiday. I wasn't feeling too great but I enjoyed seeing you all dressed up with a "sutter" in one hand and a Kit Kat bar in the other. I am just about candied out though. I'm ready for some turkey & dressing with all the fixings.
      I still haven't gotten my unemployment check from the week I was off last month. We sure could use the cash right about now. I'm having to drink tap water because all our money is earmarked for bills. I called the unemployment office today and they said they would e-mail someone and have them mail it on out. I am not holding my breath though. We really do kinda need that money though. I haven't mentioned anything about this before but I don't feel like that would be entirely honest to your grownups self to skip over minor hardships in your formative years because all that affects all of us right now will have lots to do with what kind of women you will some day become. We get my unemployment supplemental check from General Electric and your Mom's Kroger check Thursday so that will ease our burden quite a bit. I just hate not having extra cash in the bank. It makes things feel much too tight and I don't like tight. Enough of that.
      You escaped from the house yesterday. Mom was in the kitchen and you were in the living room. Mom had the front door open so you could see Papaw & myself when we pulled up outside but apparently the storm door was faulty. Your Mom had locked it but you got out anyway. We pulled up and you were setting on the step in front of the door. You saw us and stood up and waved and grinned. I told your Mom about it and she took it a whole lot better than I would have imagined. Papaw fixed that door and there will never be any little girls getting out of that door again, I guarantee.
      Mom has always called you her little Piggy along with about a thousand other little pet names but it seems that Piggy has stuck the most solidly. She's trying to break herself of that because she doesn't want to go around calling her tween daughter Piggy; it might damage your self-esteem. She has decided that Wiggy is the way to go. It also fits you so well because you have always been such a little mop headed girl. Maybe your mom will tell you more about her search for an appropriate nickname for you.
      Well, it's time I go to bed but I want to look at a little television before I do so I will let you go. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                     My sweet, darling, wonderful child. We had such a good time together tonight on our very first trick or treating excursion. I was afraid that you would not enjoy yourself and that you were too tired to go. You were getting quite fussy to start with. You are not used to this daylight savings time business and no one told you that seven o'clock is now six. You are used to starting a bath and having your nightly date of Juice & Milk with Elmo by seven o'clock, which is actually six now. Silly world we live in.
         My worries were laid to rest when you got right in the swing of things and started singing "Teat Teat! Teat Teat!" - I am assuming you were saying Trick or Treat.. between every house we went to. When we would finally get to the house though, and the people would step outside with the candy, you'd shout "Thank YOU!" before they even gave us a piece. You really are such a sweet and wonderful well mannered little child. I m sure next year you will know how to spout out trick or treat at the right time with no problem. Daddy wasn't feeling well so he stayed here and handed out some candy which we overbought (the neighbors said we would run out? I really should stop listening to other people!) So anyway I reckon he had an alright time doing that. He sounds like he had the same thing I had Saturday night when I came home from work. I was was so very tired and just wanted to go to sleep. You my little munchkin head just kept waking up, however. You woke up once last night and we slept together on the couch forever. I usually don't sleep very well with you on or near me because I worry about you falling or getting squished but for some reason last night was an exception to the rule. I zonked out and we slept there a good long while. I finally put you back in your crib around four thirty and told Daddy he had better get up. He somewhat grudgingly told me it was four thirty and turned back over & went to sleep.
      We went trick or treating in your stroller this year. Next year you will be big enough that we can take your wagon. I believe you may enjoy that a little more. You didn't seem to fuss at all about being in your stroller once we got headed out. You are too little to walk in the dark and too hard for your poor ol' bent up Momma to keep up with. We had fun anyway though and that's all that counts. We finished handing out the candy Daddy started on and you got to look at a lot of costumes. You even helped me hand out some candy and you got to see some doggies from our neighbors around the corner who gave you raisins, too. Those raisins gave you a stinky poo. You were going at it on the stairs, grunting and groaning and I knew what you were doing. I asked if you were pooping and when you got done you smacked your tail and said POO POO! The very next set of diapers we buy will be pull ups and the next time I catch you grunting and groaning it's Potty time. I don't think you will be much trouble at all though. You are so smart that things seem to come very easy to you. Well little one, I am signing off and heading to bed. Happy very first trick or treating Halloween my baby girl, I love you, my little Becca Bumble Bee!

Dear Rebecca.
                     Lots of things to talk about with you this evening little girl. So many in fact that I don't know where to start. I guess I will take my mother's advice and begin at the beginning. As your Dad had previously told you, you had been feeling somewhat down and out. You had an ear infection and the pediatrician gave you an antibiotic called Amoxicillin and it has been making you feel all better. You take it most of the time but it's hard to coax it down you because it really is just very nasty thick liquid ick. You seem to be getting much better.
      Daddy and I both took ill ourselves this past week and Daddy had to miss work two days and Mommy one. That is hard on our wallets and I hope Daddy & I do not see many more sick days this year. Of course we sent fifty five dollars into the wind when we adopted your recently deceased very first doggie pet MiMi. She didn't last as long as your first Beta fish. Poor little old MiMi, God rest her. She's gone on to that big back yard in the sky. We will get you another doggie pet on your second birthday. You'll be old enough to learn how to help care for her then.
      Mommy had to take herself to the doctor Tuesday and so I had to bring you with me because I had no one to watch you. Everyone in the doctor's office thought you were adorable and you are of course. I am lucky you are a good baby or I would not have been able to stick around and see the good doctor for my appointment. You did of course run about and act a mite silly like all kids would but all in all you were excellent. A lady that pushed perscription drugs was there and she had a basket of halloween goodies and she gave you a SUUTTER! Which is the term you have coined for sucker. You held out your hand and said Thank You before she even had it out of the basket. You are such a sweet, silly, polite little child. And you were very stinky at the time. I had to go downstairs to get a diaper (which you call a diater) and and a changing pad so I could change you incognito in the doctor's office. You grabbed the pad out of the diaper bag and started yelling Poo Poo! Poo Poo! I thought that I indeed might shrink into my skin at that point as the whole waiting area was looking at us with a big grin on their face. But it was so cute I just beamed right back at them and smiled at you and told you how very smart you were. So smart in fact that very soon we will begin potty training. Yay! For Rebecca! And For Mommy Too...Especially Mommy! After I changed you in the office I had to dispose of the diaper in a plastic bag so it wouldn't stink up the room but it was too late so I grabbed out some of my perfume and spritzed it in the air. For such a little gal you sure can conjure up a big stink.
               You are saying lots of new words. Words like "Frog" and "Rug" and "Feet". You are so very smart and we are so very proud of you. You will also hop around the living room saying "Jump!" - only from you it sounds more like "Tump!" You have started saying Elmo and I believe that you have Dora and Boots mixed up because tonight you kept looking at your bedtime clothes and saying "Boots!" when it was in fact, Dora. Oh well, that is OK, you will figure it out soon enough. You are so very smart and bright. You love to bang things and shake things and make a tune, and then you will dance to it. This evening you mimicked some dancers you saw on a show Daddy and I were watching and you got it down to the beat & repeated nearly every move. Wow! I wish I could do that. You are something else.
               You and I went outside this evening and played on your swing set and played some with your ball. We got kinda bored with that so we took a walk down to the corner and turned around and came back. You did very good and you held my hand the whole way. I do believe however that we will still take a stroller to get our candy tomorrow evening. It just seems easier than packing your bucket and holding your hand. I think we will only go around once in the general vicinity and then come on home. I don't know how much people/excitement/freaky masks you can take so I don't want to shove too much on you at once. But you my sweet are going to be a very cute little baby bumble bee. I am going to call Sissy tomorrow and ask her to bring a black and yellow magic marker so that we can paint WC on your face and call you a little baby yellow jacket. But Aunt Mary bought you a very cute little costume and I told her you would be wearing it and you will. You were a duck last year and you were so very incredibly cute. I can't wait to see your very first trick or treating experience. This evening on our walk we worked on Trick Or Treat. You got the Treat (Teat!) part down... I figure we can just tell everyone you want a treat.. No tricks.. And no ifs ands or buts about it. Ha, Ha!
         Well little one I am going to finish my drink and then I am heading to bed. Remember that now and for always I will love you, my Wiggy. My sweet little baby bird.

Dear Rebecca,
                  You haven't felt very well the past weekend. Your Mom took you to the pediatrician this morning and it seems you have the beginnings of an ear infection and an upper respiratory tract infection. They gave prescribed some antibiotics for you so it shouldn't be long until you are feeling good again. Your Mom & I hate to see you feeling poorly. Yesterday when you woke up from your nap you screamed and cried so bad. There was nothing we could do and it broke our hearts. You feel okay now. You are in the living room reading your Olie & Spot book and watching Dora the Explorer. You do love your Dora; you also adore Elmo. We want to get you a stuffed Boots for Christmas but they are hard to come by. You can get a Dora anywhere but Boots is another matter all together. Of course I am also very proud that you love books as well. You know the word for book and you also know the word for read. You will bring us one of your books and say "Read". You are so smart
      Your Mom is napping before she has to go to work. She was up with you all night last night. I'm supposed to be watching you so I reckon I oughta go. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Bad news, Little Girl. Your new dog Mimi passed away this afternoon. He apparently got into the yard next door where there are two rather large dogs and through no malice, I am sure they were just too rough and Mimi was fatally wounded. We both are so sorry that your very first experience as a dog owner had to end like this. You only had Mimi for five days so none of us had a chance to really build a strong bond with him. I think we have decided to wait until you are a little older to get you another dog so for now you are just going to have to get along with just Baby Fish Dorothy.
      You swallowed a dime. I have no idea when you swallowed this dime because I didn't see you swallow it; apparently no one saw you swallow this dime but I found it inside your diaper nestled inside a stinky poop.
      Well, I'm gonna let ya go for now. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
      Oh me, Oh My, What a long day Mommy has had. I know Daddy did not mention this to you but Monday was my first day of real work at Kroger and it all went swimmingly. Today, however, on Tuesday, your poor dense old Mother broke the film machine. Yes, indeed, I did. My what an event. It took my co worker and I nearly two hours to fix the mess I made in less than two minutes. Sad but true. Anyway, enough about me, we are here to talk about YOU!
      Alicia and Tony stopped by with their kids today. You kept saying BABY! at Bryson, their littlest one, and you kept giving his little kisses on his nose. You are such a sweet little baby girl. You had fun playing with their oldest son, Brady too. You both played with toys and watched Sesame Street. You were really good about sharing your things this time; you even shared your bapple with Brady, who had his own bapple by the way, and you both shared your bapple with the dog. The dog loves bapples. Did you know that?
     After they left I spent as much time as I could with you, just you and me. We played Bouncy-Baby and Tickle-Tickle and we of course played chase. I am glad to have the little job I have got but I sure do miss you. You and Daddy are the loves of my life and it's hard being away from either one of you. But this money will help us with Christmas and other things that need to be taken care of like groceries and unforseen expenses. Of course, as always, a lot of it will be spent on you.
      Well little one it has been a long day and I am so tired. I want to go to bed but I need to wind down just a little bit so I might eat a sandwich and drink a soda and then I am going to hit the hay. I love you so much; you are my one true calling in life and as I promised you before I promise you now No job is going to get in the way of you.. You will ALWAYS come first. I love you. Good night baby girl.

Dear Rebecca,
               It's early Monday morning but it's really Sunday night because I haven't gone to bed yet. Your Mommy just now laid down on the sofa in the living room. We just now got finished watching Law & Order and before that we watched the latest episode of Lost. I know I said I would post more frequently but that just isn't working out, is it? Maybe when things settle down a little more we will both post here like we should. Your Mommy just doesn't have the time to post as much as she did before. She is still working very hard on getting the house in order. There's a whole lot involved in making a house a home.
      Well, Thursday before we all went to pick up my check we dropped by the Woodford Humane Society to browse at some puppies that your Mom had seen online. We were just going to look and see what kind of selection they had there in case we might want to adopt a dog for you from there in the future. We saw two of the three puppies that your Mommy had seen online. Peter and Mary were still at the humane society but Paul had been adopted already. They named the pups Peter, Paul and Mary; get it? Anyway you seemed to really like the puppies and so did your Mom. Both of you had that longing look in your eyes. I told your mom that we would discuss it later and we left. Your mom said that if we didn't act now those pups would be gone by tomorrow. I was feeling real guilty because I knew that your Mom wanted one of the little dogs and you were sitting in your car seat in the back just a bawling up a storm because you didn't want to leave all the dogs. I turned around before we got to the end of the drive and had a debate with myself as to whether I should go back and get one of the dogs or go on the Lexington and have a conversation with your mom later on in the day. I finally decided we would go back to go back to the pound and adopt a little dog for you.
      The friendliest of the two pups we saw was Mary. We both thought that Peter was the prettiest of the two dogs but Mary was the friendliest by far. I think the male was Peter; it could have been Paul, I just don't remember. That doesn't matter anyway because we chose Mary. We paid our Money; $55 for the adoption fee. It was adopt a dog month so it was forty-five dollars less than what it usually would have been. They told us that she would be taken to the vet to be spayed and have a complete physical and we could pick her up from the vet on Friday. We then went on to Lexington and had a rather nice day out.
      While we were grocery shopping I was pushing you around in the cart while your mommy searched for something. We saw another baby and you waved and said hello to the other baby. The other baby was eating what looked like a cookie and I commented on it. I then noticed that it was not a cookie at all. I was told that it was a bagel and the little boy's mother jokingly implored me not to mention cookies around him. I glanced inside the cart that the bagel munching baby was riding in and I saw soy milk, fresh spinach and all kinds of health food stuff. I told the baby he must be a health food baby and then I looked over at our cart and in it I saw chip dip, white bread, cake mixes, spaghetti-Os and a baby eating a sugar cookie and drinking an orangeade beverage. I thought to myself, there is a study in contrasts. Even though your Mom & I are not the skinniest people around and you don't eat like a rabbit I think you have a very healthy and balanced diet. I like to think that there's more to a balanced diet than just healthy foods. Sometimes a baby should have a sugar cookie or a lollipop just to make life a little more fun. You also get all your servings of fruit and veggies, you drink sugar free kool-aid and we're careful not to give you too much sugar. You really do enjoy fruit. As a matter of fact that very evening after you eaten your sugar cookie I noticed that you had started on the plums that we had in the shopping cart. We got that plum for free.
      The next day we went to get the Pup. We brought her home and she was so nervous and scared. We were afraid that you didn't like her at first because you just wanted to play in the dirt but eventually you warmed up to her. You figured out pretty quickly that it was your dog because you said, "Me dog", so we decided to change her name from Mary to Mimi. The dog whines like crazy in the night and she's not much better in the day. She nearly drove us all crazy as we tried to sleep in the early morning hours of Sunday. We all ended up getting out of bed. She kept getting on the deck and whining and scratching at the door. Every time I would block an access point she would find another. Eventually I think I got all points blocked and we all went to bed.
      Saturday night we went down to Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rodney's for a cook out. Allison put a motorcycle helmet on your head and even though it was so heavy that you could hardly stand up in it you didn't want anybody taking it off. So you ran around for part of the evening with a motorcycle helmet on your head. You tried to play soccer with Jon, Jacob and a friend of theirs that was over for the cook out. Your Mom and I rode you a little on Jon's little four wheeler. The main reason you were there though was to give Allison and a boy who just happens to be a friend, but certainly not a boyfriend, who was also at the cook out something to talk about. While we were down there it was pointed out that Mimi has very large paws which indicate that she will be a rather large dog. We were told at the pound that she wouldn't get over twentyfive pounds but of course when Aunt Lynn got Ruffy he was about the same size as Mimi and she was also told he wouldn't get very big. Ruffy is a very large dog so maybe Mimi will get bigger than we think.
      We are up in the air about whether or not Mimi should be a house dog or not. When I was growing up dogs were not kept in the house so that's kind of where I sort of stand on the subject. Your mom agrees with me but we have had her in the house the past few nights and she feels so much better when she is inside the house. She just doesn't want to be alone right now. She's scared because she is in an unfamiliar environment. If we decide to house break her she will eventually have to sleep outside and spend the lion's share of her day outside. We are still up in the air about that subject. She was inside tonight and the two of you played in the living room floor before you went to bed. Both of you had a grand time. You didn't want to go to sleep at all. You laid in your crib and just had a little fit. We got you back up and you wanted to play with the dog some more but she was sleeping. You kind of pestered the little dog so much she crawled under my chair to get away from you. Eventually we got you to sleep.
      Sunday I mowed the lawn and calked your window while your Mommy cleaned the house. Aunt Lynn & Allison came over for a visit and Mimi & I hung out on the deck with them and waited for you to wake up from your nap. Eventually you decided to join us. Aunt Lynn & Allison left and I finished mowing because I couldn't get Allison to mow the entire yard for me. She did mow a good part of the back but she said the my push mower was just way too much work. She had never used a push mower before. She's used to riding mowers. After I finished the front yard and used entire tube of calk on your window we decided to go to Lexington and eat at Cici's and browse around Walmart on the north side of town. We all had a fine time. We bought you another little jacket for the fall, some computer printing paper for myself and some dishwashing detergent for your dear old Mother. We stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home and your Mom had a small chocolate shake; I had a small chocolate malt and you had a cup of ice. We had a real nice trip.
      One day this past week I got up with you and fixed you breakfast. I prepared a fine breakfast for you. You has some dry cheerios, a slice of ham and I cut some slices off of an apple I was eating. I sat down with you to watch you enjoy the gourmet breakfast I had so painstakingly prepared. You didn't want to have anything to do with your apple slices; you wanted my whole apple. I gave it to you and you ate nearly all of it. I taught you the name for the apple and now you call an apple a bapple. Your Mommy said that when she asked you the other day what you wanted for breakfast you said you wanted a bapple. You are so cute and so smart.
      I have to go to bed now so I just want you to know that Daddy loves Rebecca.

Dear Rebecca,
               It's been a few days since my last blog and I have no reason for being so lax in doing this. Maybe it's because you are getting to be so entertaining that I just can't take the time to set down here and play on the computer like I used to. Everyday you amaze me a little more. Your vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. You have always loved playing with phones and you know a phone when you see one but the other day the phone rang while you were getting your bath and you looked up at me and as casually as can be you said "phone". You know the sound of a phone even. Last night you decided you wanted to play where is Rebecca's nose. Usually the game goes where we ask you where your nose is or your eyes or ears or some other body part. Last night however you pointed to your eye and said eye. You then pointed to your nose and said eye again. I told you no and you gave me a mischievous grin like you knew good and well that that wasn't your eye and then you said nose. You then pointed to your ear and said ear and then you went back to splashing in the tub. I was so impressed.
      I baby proofed your room the other day and you have been spending a whole lot of time in there by yourself, much to your Mother's chagrin. She seems to already be getting a case of empty nest syndrome and you're just in the other room. We thought it would give us a little more peace when we opened up your room but I think the opposite is true because your Mom makes me get up out of my chair every four or five minutes to make sure you are okay alone in your room. Every now and then you'll check in on us as well just to make sure we're not getting into any trouble in the living room. You'll toddle into the living room and get a tickle and a hug and then you'll toddle back to your room and your books. You do love your books. I'm extremely proud of that.
      I went to work Monday morning and about ten 0'clock they told us we were going to go home at lunch and wouldn't be back for a week so I have had a nice week at home with you and Mom this week. I have greatly enjoyed it. I hated putting you to bed Sunday night because I knew I wouldn't see you again until I got home from work Monday afternoon. I was really kinda glad I got off. I love spending time with you.
      We've almost got the house like we like it. I have a few more things to do in your room, a few more pictures to hang in my office here and we still have to figure out how we are going to decorate the ducky bathroom. Everything else is done. Pictures are all hung in Mommy & Daddies bed & bathroom, in the living room, kitchen and hall. I had to rethink my office because Granny needed the twin bed at her place so I had to take it out of the office. I suppose that now it's just an office and not an office/guestroom. I'm kind of glad of that though. The bed really took up too much room in here. I need all the room I can get in here so the air can circulate because it gets incredibly hot in here with the computer on all the time. I think we're gonna have to start turning it off when we are not using it. Of course if gas gets too expensive this winter we can all pile up together in here and gather around the computer for warmth. I'm kidding by the way.
      Well, I've stayed up way too late and your Mom wouldn't be very happy with me if she knew I was up this late because we all have to go to work tomorrow to get my paycheck and go grocery shopping and I promised her I would get in bed relatively early because she said she didn't want to put up with me if I was grumpy because I was sleep deprived. I'll try to post at a more frequent interval from now on. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Hello, my pretty little baby bird. Right now you are taking a nap in your room. Or at least you are on your way. You woke up at five thirty this morning, which was very early. I was glad to see you though and we laid on the couch together for a little while until you wanted to get up and play. We had a breakfast of sliced apples and Kix cereal and you of course had your milk and vitamin. You are getting so big and strong. I am so proud of you. You only get prettier and smarter every day. You are indeed so very cute and sweet and smart and pretty.
      We all went up to Granny's for supper yesterday. Granny is not feeling very well so Mamaw was going to spend the night with her last night and she wanted to see you and I am sure Granny did, too. You of course were as sweet and friendly as you always are. Daddy brought some home movies for us to watch and Granny and Mamaw and Papaw enjoyed watching you playing in the tub. Papaw enjoyed picking on Daddy because Daddy was not helping Momma paint like he ought to. Everyone got a kick out of Momma complaining on video. It happens so very rarely you know.
      After Supper we came home and Daddy gave you your bath while your dear old Mom took herself a much needed shower. It has finally started to turn cooler outside so sometime soon you and I and Mamaw are going to head down to the Family Dollar and buy you a few fall outfits. We aren't going to buy too many because I am afraid if we do that you will grow out of them. You aren't supposed to grow as much as you did last year over the next year but still you will indeed be growing so I don't want to go buying a bunch of really expensive outfits when you will probably wind up wearing the ones I bought from the Family Dollar more often anyway. Of course you will get some nice dresses for church at Wal-Mart. I can't wait to get us back into church. It has been too long since we have gone.
      I don't know if Daddy told you but Pappy and Aunt Mary came up to see you last weekend. Aunt Mary bought you a very cute little bumble bee costume. We are going to get a little black sweatsuit to go underneath of it for you to go trick or treating. I hope I get to take you because I might be starting a little evening job at Kroger for some extra money for the three of us to do the fun things we like to do. If not I am sure that Sissy would be happy to oblige walking you around the neighborhood for some candy you both could split just once. And I know that Daddy will take lots of cute little pictures. Anyway that is neither here nor there right now. Where was I? Oh yes.
      After Daddy gave you your bath you went to sleep but not very willingly and I stayed up with Dad a little longer and watched some TV. Then I went to bed so that I could get up with you this morning and spend some time with you. We had big fun playing Tickle Bug on the couch and chasing each other up and down the hall. You are such a fun little baby to be around. God has really blessed us with you and we are so very lucky. Now of course you have made it to your nap and you are snoring softly. On that note I will let you go because I think I may try to lay back down myself. I love you my pretty little baby bird. You are and always will be Momma's pretty piggy.

Dear Rebecca,
                  I am so tired right now. It's almost five in the morning on a Friday morning as I type this. I am laid off tomorrow and that is why I am still up instead of about ready to get out of bed for the day. Speaking of which, I need to sneak into mine & Mom's bedroom so I can shut off the alarms. I'll do that now...... It's done with six minutes to spare until the first alarm was to go off. I have two alarms; one set for five in the morning so I can shut it off and lay back down for another half an hour and one set for when I really have to get out of bed, 5:30.
      I figured out a way to download my music again and it's faster than ever so I've been downloading songs all night. Well, not all night but for quite awhile. I spent some time organizing the songs I downloaded and setting them up in our iPod mini. I also had to update our iPod & item software so that took a few minutes. I had a pretty fun night on the computer tonight, or rather, this morning.
      I know it's been a few days since either of us posted a blog. We've been kinda busy hanging pictures and playing with you. You are getting so big and you are so smart and talkative that it's hard not to spend all the time we can with you. Let me tell you one thing that I'm sure you already know. You are one spoiled little princess. This past weekend you went to Kmart with your Mamaw and you both saw a big ole' swing set with a slide and a play house type thing. It cost way too much cash for your Mom & myself to buy it for you right now so Mamaw & Papaw bought you the fancy swing set. I put it together Monday and had Papaw come check my work and anchor the thing on Tuesday. You are one spoiled little creature but you are just so dad-blamed cute. It's hard not to spoil you.
      You have so many new words in your vocabulary that's it's really too much trouble to list them all. You say hat, tractor, bed, thank you and a couple of dozen other words. You speak to everyone you see. You are such a pretty little girl. Oh, you also have taken to running lately. You're getting harder and harder to keep up with. It's really no problem though because I always dreamed of having a little rambunctious toddler such as yourself. You are a dream come true for both your Mother and myself.
      Well, I'm gonna let you go for now because I am tired and I want to eat an apple and go on to bed. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                     It's Sunday morning and I was supposed to get up with you this morning and let Mama sleep in but she woke up shortly after we did so she has you in the living room and I am in here on the computer posting this blog, trying in vain to download some songs from the internet and attempting to put together your photo page for last month. We were so very busy that we really didn't get a chance to take too many pictures of you this month.
      Well, we now have some pictures on the wall in the living room and 99.99% of the boxes are unloaded so we are quickly approaching getting done. We have to touch up some paint in the ducky bathroom and hang up the rest of our pictures and figure out what I am going to do with the printer here in the office and then we will be done with everything we can do now. Everything else will have to wait until we have the cash to get them done.
      Pappy & Aunt Mary are supposed to come up to see the new house later today. I can't wait for them to see the new place. We are all very excited about our new home. You like the big doors in the kitchen that you can look out of. I like the fact that it's not an apartment and Mom likes the fact that you now have a backyard and you can one day have a puppy of your own. I think she is leaning toward getting you a full blooded corgi.
      Well, I'm gonna let you go for now because I need a shower and I need to see if I can grab some still shots of you from the video camera so we can have a decent pictorial record of your fourteenth month. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                        Right now you are watching a DORA episode in the living room and playing with your toys while I post this blog. I don't think you have discovered that I am in here yet, or undoubtedly you'd be standing at the door screaming to come in here too. I put the gate that used to go between the doorway and the stairway in the apartment up in front of the office/guestroom door so that I could hear you if anything went amiss. Soon enough you will discover that I am here and pitch a fit that your entrance is blocked to this room. There is all kinds of neat and interesting not to mention somewhat deadly stuff (IE, Daddy's drill) that you could get yourself into in here. You sure do like to whack yourself and worry your poor Momma to death.
      We've had a pretty good day today. I haven't done much to the house today because I am so very, very exhausted. You stayed with Mamaw yesterday while Daddy worked on the garage and I went to the apartment and got a few of the items we left straggling behind. Pause to check on you, I will be right back.
      Ok so I wasn't exactly right back, because you flashed me that big open mouths smile and I had to take a break and play with you. You are so sweet. Also you had a dirty diaper so we had to tend to that. That wasn't so sweet. All I have pretty much done today is watch TV with you, play with you, play with you some more, and play with you. You didn't wake up until seven thirty this morning. Like I said you stayed with Mamaw yesterday and I decided not to give you an afternoon nap and you were exhausted by the time you got home. You had been getting up in the night so I thought you'd do better without a late nap. And I was right, you did. That and combined with the fact that you were probably worn out by playing down at Mamaw's and Aunt Lynn's. We had a breakfast of pancakes and sausage and bananas and then off to play a while in the floor and read some books. We read "Lucky Ladybug", "Duck's Day", and "Johnny Appleseed". Only we must have read each book about a thousand times. Then we had started to watch an episode of Sesame Street where "Donald 'Grump'" was visiting. I doubt if you will ever understand what that means, because Donald Trump might be dead by the time you are even old enough to get the joke. Donald Trump is a millionaire. Donald Grump is a trash mogul. See, that's why it's funny. Nevermind. You don't care. Around ten thirty Daddy called and read to me every item that was on a good sale in the Kroger Newsflyer. He must have been bored out of his tree. He had an early lunch so I know he will be very hungry when he gets home. I have yeast rolls thawing and we are going to have turkey slices, stuffing, peas or green beans, and I will make you some Mac&Cheese because you love it so much. You went down for your nap at about ten thirty five after I hung up with Daddy, got your cup and changed your diaper. You 'talked' to yourself (a series of hollers and hoots and squeaks and squeals) for about half an hour. Eventually you fell asleep around eleven o'clock and slept until almost one. I think that is the way we are going to do your naps from now on; just one in mid-morning. At one you woke up and we had a lunch of Chef Boyardee Twistaroni Nacho Cheese Pasta. It was pretty good but a little spicy because it was after all nacho cheese but you didn't seem to mind it one bit. Personally it has given me a little bit of heartburn. I am so full from it still right now that I cannot see straight. I doubt I will be very hungry for supper. Still, you and Daddy have to eat.
      Daddy is going to Mamaw and Papaw's this evening to get the mower while you and I stay here and hang out. He also has to go to the apartment to put in some wall plates and pick up your swimming pool. I don't think you will be able to use it much more this year but you will definitely need it for next year. You love the water so much. I hope it stays that way because next year I am going to enroll you in swimming classes. I am already looking at some gymnastics classes for you now because you can start when you are 18 months. Being as how you will be fifteen months old October 3rd, that is not that far away. That is so very hard to believe. I can still remember the day that I found out when I was pregnant with you. I was in total and utter shock. So was everyone else. You were the most unexpected and precious surprise anyone could have ever asked for. Especially Daddy & I. We had been through so much together. Then God decides to bless us with a precious, beautiful angel. We are so lucky. Anyway, after lunch, we played in the floor some more. I halfway watched an episode of Dr. Phil while you bounced up and down on my back and belly. Then we played yet another game of "where's the baby". That's your version of Peek-A-Boo. You kept trying to climb on the couch and could not make it so I went and got you a stool and you climbed on and off the couch about a hundred times before you eventually turned the stool upside down to bite at the legs. I had to take it away then because there are little plastic tabs on the bottom of it and I did not want you to get one off and swallow it. Now you are once again playing in the floor with all your toys in the living room and I am in the office posting this blog. I hope you aren't gonna have any more dirty diapers today, because you have already had two. Oh well, at least you did it in your diaper and not in the floor like you did the other day. We thought we'd get a cute little video of your naked butt running toward the bath water but instead you hunkered down in our bedroom floor and took a big one. I thought you'd like to know that someday when you are twenty eight and married. Maybe you can watch your baby take a big one in the floor, too. On that note, I am going to let you go for now. Remember now and for always, I love you!

Dear Rebecca,
                                 Hello my sweetest of sweets. Right now it's a little after ten p.m. on a Monday night and I am sitting here writing you this post while your Daddy showers and you sleep soundly in your new bedroom. It's so quiet here in this neighborhood that sometimes it's spooky. I know that you will enjoy growing up here.
                  Today has been a very eventful day for the two of us. Last night you did not sleep very well at all. You kept waking up throughout the night and twice I had to hold you on the couch and get you back to sleep. You woke up early this morning at around five thirty a.m. After we had breakfast of Kix and Bananas, I dressed you and gave you your milk and vitamin. You wandered about the house poking at this and that and into your room watching Elmo from time to time and time to time playing with some of the toys in there in your toy box. I was busy unpacking a few boxes in the bedroom and getting our bedroom in almost order. You laid down for your first nap at around seven fourty five and I decided to join you. I went to sleep and so did you. We slept until nine thirty and then we both resumed our duties. Me, unpacking and you poking. You really are a very good baby. I decided that today I should do something nice for you so I baked pizza for lunch (you really love pizza!) and I decided to take you swimming. We went to Falling Springs and we had a real grand time splashing and playing and splashing some more in what you call "WAH WAH!" The Versailles Montessori School was taking a swimming class and after the class their coach let them do whatever they pleased for about a half an hour and the girls came down to the shallow end of the pool where we were and were doing handstands in the water and every time their feet would come up you would point and shout "Toe Toes!" You really had big fun with that. We stayed in the water until about one fourty five and then I realized we had best be getting home because Daddy and I had things to do this evening. We got out of the pool and I took you into the Family Dressing room where our things were and I decided I had better lock the doors least anyone come in on us while we were changing. You were sitting on the bench and I decided I had better take you with me so you didn't fall and lo and behold, I fell with you in my arms. I tried to keep any part of you from hitting the ground but you hit your head and it sounded so loud that I thought sure you had cracked open your tiny little skull. My God, the things that were going through my mind. I felt my heart in my neck. I couldn't breathe. I rushed out with you crying in my arms in a fit of tears and begged the lifeguard to call 911. She ushered us into the pool office where she called 911 and got the ambulance on their way. I decided to call Mamaw and let her know what was going on and she and Aunt Lynn came up to meet us at Falling Springs. The ambulance gentleman said that you seemed just fine and I knew that you were because after you had calmed down a bit & so had I, you were smiling and laughing and having a good time with the lifeguard lady who helped us. After all that commotion Mamaw drove my car home because my nerves were still a bundle of wires (when aren't they? I wonder) And Auntie Lynn drove you and I home in Mamaw's van. Auntie Lynn had to go and pick up her kids off the school bus so Mamaw stayed here with us. You were very tired from the commotion this afternoon and getting a little fussy so I decided to put you down for your nap. You went to sleep in no time. I worked on my laundry and talked to Mamaw a while, while she waited on Papaw to pick her up. After Papaw picked her up Aunt Lynn and all her kids dropped by for a visit and they sat around and talked to us and played with you until it was time for football practice to start. Your Aunt Lynn is really funny. She was telling us stories about when she was high the day she got her teeth worked on. She is a card. You fussed a little wanting to go with Sissy but Sissy had school tomorrow so she had to go home and go to bed tonight. It had been a very stressful day so we took you to McDonald's and got you some Chicken Nuggets and Apple Dippers for dinner being as how I did not feel in the least bit like cooking a meal this evening. Today seemed to drag on forever and I still feel terrible about falling with you but you seem to be just fine and still as cute and sweet and smart and pretty as you ever were. You are getting quite clever too because you know that Mommy hates to see you get upset or cry so now you will whine "Mama" instead of screaming it when it is time for a nap or Night-Night. You are always trying to pull a fast one. You are a sweet sweet little girl though and I so love you.
            On a sad note, today is the anniversary of your grandmother Evelyn's death. She was an amazing woman. She was funny and smart and articulate and caring and sad, so sad that she didn't want to be around anymore. I know if she had gotten to believe for but a moment that she would have had you in her life she would have hung onto life and waited every precious minute it took to see you. I know I did. I love you so much and I know she would have been so very very very proud of you. And she would have loved you beyond all measure.

Dear Rebecca,
                  Well, we have now officially moved into our new house. Last night was the very first night that we stayed here as a family unit. Our beds are here and the television has been set up in the living room so we are good to go. Yesterday Papaw and Uncle Donny helped me move all of the big stuff over here. I worked my derriere off if I do say so myself. We got all of the big stuff over and a whole lot of the smaller stuff. Last night and this afternoon we unpacked many more boxes and staged others out of our way until we can get to them. Your Mom had it looking relatively orderly this afternoon but then I came home from spending the afternoon at the apartment loading up smaller odds & ends into the Explorer. When we unloaded the truck it looked just as cluttered as it had before. We love being here but we can't wait to get everything in it's place even if we are not sure where those places are going to be just yet. We have more room here in the house than we did at the apartment but over there we had over a year to organize and stow stuff. Over here we have all this stuff that we have to find room for. All the furniture is where it's going to go so now all we have to do is unload boxes and hang pictures. There's maybe a half a truck load of stuff remaining in the apartment. Your mom is going to get that stuff because it's closet and kitchen stuff primarily. We have to work on getting the apartment looking nice by next Saturday because that's when we have to be out of it all together. We will not get any of our deposit back because the lease agreement was heavily weighted in the landlord's favor. We really don't care though. We are just glad to be out of there. We do want to leave it in a relatively nice condition when we leave though because we are responsible people.
      You spent the day with Mamaw & Papaw today because we had a little more work to do and we wanted to just set and relax some. We have been going at it like we were killing snakes for the past month. Your Mom is getting extremely exhausted with all of this moving stuff. I'm still in pretty good shape though but I suppose that's because I am so excited to be getting into our own house again.
      Well, I'm going to let you go for now because I promised your Mom I would get in bed relatively early tonight and anyway, I am kinda pooped. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               Greetings from your new home. This is the first ever blog originating from our new house on Colony Drive. Last night I set the rudimentary components of the computer up here at the new house and today we got our cable hooked up so we are ready to go. We plan on moving in earnest tomorrow evening and Saturday morning. We also have the TiVo hooked up to our big screen nine inch bedroom television while I wait for help getting our living room TV over here.
      Well, I here your Mom getting out of the shower so I will let you go for now. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                     Here it is, Monday morning. I sit here feeling incredibly guilty because I have decided to take a bit of a rest this morning. I will get to some of the things I have to do this afternoon but I won't get to everything I planned on doing today. You are stirring in your room right now about ready to wake up from your first nap. I tried to lay down as well but couldn't manage to get to sleep. So I had in mind that I would come down here and do some work while you slept but instead I wound up on my fat tail in Daddy's chair watching a Maury Episode. My butt dropped I reckon because I haven't done anything except eat a sandwich and watch TV and of course fiddle around on here a bit. When you wake up it will be almost time for your lunch so I will get you dressed and get that together and put on a Sesame Street or Dora for you and try to get a little bit of work done while you watch your show and play in the floor. I don't know how much I will get done though because sometimes I just feel the need to stop and play with you and I can't help myself, you are so darned cute. I reckon later we are going over to the house so I can clean the toilets there and mop the floors. I got everything done over there yesterday except those two tasks. Hopefully this weekend we will be ready to move our furniture in to our brand new home. I am so excited I can't hardly stand it. If it weren't for a little bit I'd call Papaw up and ask him to move us today. But there are still things that have to be done there and here. Daddy and I are so happy to have a house for you to grow up in. A nice house with a big fenced in backyard. We are the luckiest people in the world. We have you and we have a good family that cares a lot about all of us.
Well little girl, I am going to let you go for now. You are stirring again and bound to wake up any second. I love you, baby bird!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Good Morning to you, Rebecca. It's Saturday morning, kinda late and I have only been up a little while and your Mom is still sleeping. You spent the night at Mamaw & Papaw's last night. Well, I am glad to say that early this morning we finished painting the inside of the house. We came home so exhausted that we decided to have a late morning. In a moment I am going to go get a shower and run down to Mamaw & Papaw's to get an extra step latter so your Mom & I can put the border up in your very pink room.
      This afternoon your Mom is going to clean up around the new house while I go back over the house and touch up painting boo-boos. We are very excited about getting finished with the paint. We can now start moving in for real now. I might grab a few small loads in the explorer later today and maybe tomorrow Papaw might come over with his trailer and help us move some larger stuff. I want to be moved in by next Friday evening so we can begin getting everything in shape next weekend.
      Well, I suppose I had better get moving because we still have a lot to do today. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
         Hello my sweet little baby bird. How are you this evening? I will tell you how you are. You are sleeping. You and I have had a very big day today. When you got up this morning, we got dressed and went to the cable company and got our service switched over to the house from the apartment. After that we went to the park and played for about an hour and you were kind of nervous because there were a bunch of preschool kids there from the head start across the way and they were very loud and boisterous. You didn't mind that so much as you did the fighting a couple of the boys were engaged in so we left before things got much more hectic. There was a woman at the park who said she was the Director of Mary Kay and wanted to give me a free facial tonight at her house. I thanked her nicely but as you know right now I barely have time to wash my face. Heck of a world, can't even go to the park without getting sales pitch. After the park you were tired and a little hungry so we went to McDonald's for lunch. I think you were more tired than hungry though so you didn't eat too much. After that we went to the Dollar Store to get some Kitty Litter to take to the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina at the Woodford Humane Society. The people there were very appreciative and they let us look around at all the cats and dogs. You had a big time playing with the cats with a hanging toy from the cages and walking through the Dog Kennel and seeing all the puppies and hearing them bark. You laughed and giggled and kicked up a storm. There was a woman and a man who had adopted a cute little brown ozzie puppy (that is what they were calling it) that you absolutely loved and that puppy loved you too. The two of you were very excited to see and play with each other. That puppy had a funny ear that flopped over to one side and I thought that was very cute. One day you will have a doggie of your very own. Speaking of Dogs, when I was little I had a really cute, however really mean dog named Fluffy Toe. Yes, Fluffy Toe. He used to bite at my Sister's and my Dad's ankles. My Dad would kick him clear across the room and he would come flying right back. Not only was he cute and mean, he was stupid. Fluffy Toe was a minature snowser mix. Your Papaw Lawrence wanted so badly to get rid of him but your Mamaw Evelyn wouldn't let anyone touch him because he was mine. Your Mamaw Evelyn was a very good Mommy to me. I know she would be so proud of you. Who couldn't be? Who wouldn't be? No one I know of.
      After we went to the animal shelter we drove to our new house and I put you down for a nap in your playpen. You went to sleep pretty easily and I commenced unpacking boxes in the kitchen. I got them all unpacked and I called Rumpke and got our service switched and I decided that I would lie down in the hallway and go to sleep for a few minutes while you were still napping. You promptly woke up so I played with you a while and commenced unpacking the boxes in the closet. You *helped* by playing with hangers, empty boxes, and various clothing items that dropped to the floor. You are such a good baby. I am so proud of you. After that I gave you your snack and you watched your Barney tape while you ate it and I ran the vacuum over the floor. You got done just in time to see Daddy come in from work and get started on putting together the twin bed for the spare room he is calling the office. I stepped away for a second to put our dinner in the oven and before I knew it you had pulled the footboard down on yourself and you were screaming in agony. I was taken aback, heartbroken, flabbergasted, scared to death that you had really really hurt yourself. I love you so much and I only want the very very best for you. Always. I may not be the best mother in the world but I do try to make sure that you are healthy and happy and taken care of. I guess I let the ball drop on that aspect today and for that I apologize. It took a while for you to get calmed down and I was very upset and I still am. I know that babies get hurt and kids get hurt on a regular basis, but I should do better. And I promise I will. I think it scared you more than it hurt you but I never want you to be scared either.
      After all I was finished yelling at Daddy because I wanted to call the pediatrician because I was afraid that your appendix was crushed or that you had ruptured your spleen, we put that drama to bed and you commenced trying to climb up other various dangerous objects you shouldn't be fooling with. After dinner of Fish Sticks and French Fries you had your very first bath in your Duckie bathroom. You had a grand time throwing the duckies with little suction cups I bought for your decorations up against the wall and watching them stick. You were quite tickled with yourself. After that we went outside and you played on the deck for a little while your hair dried. You had big fun with that. You were getting sleepy so you and I came on home while Daddy finished his work for the day. When we got home you had a snack and your milk and I gave you a dose of your ibuprofen in case your belly still hurt you where the bed frame fell and I changed your diaper and sent you off to night night land. You knew where you were going and you tried to run off into the kitchen. I scooped you up and you yelled *No No Night Night* and I said oh Yes Ma'am. You went down to sleep pretty easily and that is where you are right now. I am going to let you go for now because I am exhausted. I need some sleep and so does Daddy. I love you, baby bird.

Dear Rebecca,
                  It's early Monday morning. I am so sore from all the painting we did this weekend that I have decided to burn my last vacation day of the year. My left knee is also giving me all kinds of troubles. I am going to take care of you when you get up so your Mom can sleep. She probably worked harder than I did this weekend. We got the kitchen, living room and hallway totally painted and we got one coat on the extra room that we have begun calling the office because that's where I'm going to keep my computer. We have taken a few loads of boxes over to the new house as well. We worked like dogs this weekend. I'm sure since I'm staying home today that we will do a little more over there but we will not be working nearly as hard as we have the past three days. We might take all the plastic up off of the floor and clean up our paint mess. We also might finish the second coat in the office and put up the border in the main bathroom. I'm really much too sore to get into any crazy hard work today. If I felt like knocking myself out today I would have went on to work this morning.
      You spent nearly the entire weekend with Mamaw & Papaw. I'm sure you had a grand time down there with them. You love spending time with your grandparents. Sometimes when they visit you want to leave with them and are not happy unless they carry you away and of course they love having you. We missed you this weekend of course. You crawled up the stairs last night when we all got home and while your Mom got your sippy cup ready you and I played on the bed and you laughed and laughed. We had a super fun time romping on our big bed. Our big bed has become a playground for you.
      I hear you starting to stir so I will close out this blog post. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  We closed yesterday plus we got to get into the house yesterday as well. Mamaw told me that I had misunderstood the three days after closing thing. She meant the loan closing and not the house closing. So we got into the house yesterday. We took a small load of kitchen stuff, stuff to keep you busy and most of our painting equipment. We are so happy to be into the new house now. We had planned on painting the main bathroom and setting around admiring our work. We didn't get started at 5:30 or 6:00 like I wanted to. We didn't get underway until after 8:00 and we just finished up a half hour or so ago. It's been awhile since we painted and we are out of practice so I am sure that our speed will increase; plus the bathroom has so many crooks and crannies that we had to paint around. That slowed us down considerable.
      Well, I have to get to bed so I can get up early and get painting on the kitchen so I had better let you go for now. I am back at the apartment and you and your Mom are spending your first night in our new home. I think you will like it there. It's so much quieter there than it is here. Gotta get a shower and get into bed. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                     Hello, my sweet little baby bird. Right now you are upstairs snoozing so softly. I have barely heard a peep from you since I put you down. Aunt Linda called and invited us all to a cookout today for Labor Day at Woodland Park. Daddy accepted her gracious invitation while you and I were napping. We got up and got dressed and got everything together to head out and pick up your great granny, Annetta. We got granny and her wheelchair, stopped at Family Dollar where I bought some paper plates and you a hollering gorilla that wraps around your neck which you think is the cat's meow (Lila Pearl needs one of those!) and we were off to Lexington for food, family, and fun. Your cousin Lucas cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill at the park and they were very, very good. We also had baked beans, potato salad, potato chips and peanut butter cookies. We fed a very friendly squirrel who came very close to us for potato chips and bites of said peanut butter cookies. You were enthralled with that. You also got to play a lot on the swings, the slide, in the playhouse and on the ground in the dirt. You met up with two little twin black girls and you all were smitten with each other until one of you started crying and you all three took off. You kept walking through their family reunion and every one thought you were so very very cute. You got to pet a very friendly chow-shepard mix black puppy dog named Woof Woof. The woman told you his name and you began barking like a dog. That was so funny. Daddy played with you a lot in the play house where you climbed back and forth and in and out of all the little cubby holes there. I was very happy to see you having such a good time. Granny had a good time watching you all play as well. Lucas's girlfriend Jessica, and her kids were there and you played with their little girl some. Jessica lost her father in the New Orleans tragedy and I am very, very sad for her. He had a weak heart and was loading their truck to evacuate when he had a heat stroke. I hope that God pulls her and her family through this tragedy. I know that is sad but it's what happened. Back to our happy day at the park...Ok. So your cousin Leah was also there fending off all the little boys who thought she was pretty (and she is SO pretty & sweet and cute she's always gonna have that problem) and she played with you some on the slide and the teeter totter. I think Lucas had a good time grilling and his friend Luke had a good time talking to all of us again and Aunt Linda had a good time socializing and talking to everyone and watching all the kids play. We all of course had a very good time eating. Daddy dropped you and I off here to take Granny on to her apartment so that I could get you all ready to go to night night land while he was helping Granny get her wheelchair and her other odds and ends inside the apartment.
      When Daddy dropped us off, while I was fixing your juice, you got a hold of a dip bottle that Daddy had left topless on his recliner table. You thought it was a drink so you took a great big swig. It made you so sick that you vomited in the living room and upstairs in your bath water. Mommy was very upset so she yelled at Daddy over it. I know that I should not have yelled but that is a mother's first instinct. I had a sick baby on my hands and it was because of his dip bottle. Daddy was very angry at Mommy for yelling at him so he came home and went straight to bed and that is where he is now. I think Daddy was more mad at himself than anything, though. Daddy is a very good Daddy and he would never do anything ever, ever to hurt you intentionally. I make mistakes too. Once, when you were very little, I tried to give you a bottle of water and I spilled it all on your face because I hand't twisted the lid on tight. I thought you were drowning you made such an awful racket. And just the other day, you got into a container of confectioner's sugar that I left on the bottom rung of the microwave stand. I am not perfect, but I did feel like Daddy could do better next time. Sometimes Mommy's and Daddy's argue. That doesn't mean they don't love each other. Daddy and I love each other very, very much. We always make up in the end. That's what families do. Someday you and I or you and Daddy will have an argument too. Of course we will still be family and love each other very much and make up in the end. I do feel very sorry for yelling at Daddy.
      I am going to have Alicia's son, Brady tomorrow. He will be here at seven a.m. so I am grabbing the monitor and heading to bed very, very shortly. Of course I will have to shed the dirty clothes that I am wearing before I crawl into my nice soft bed onto my nice clean sheets that I changed today. I got dirty at the park too, playing with you. It was a lot of fun. Alicia is having her second baby, Bryson, tomorrow. Also a boy. She and the baby's Daddy are very, very excited about the birth. I know they will all be so happy. You like having Brady here to play with so I know that you will do just fine. We will all have a grand time tomorrow. Maybe we will all go to the park here in Versailles, if it is nice. Well baby bird, it's time for me to close. Remember, now and for always, Mommy LOVES Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                     Hello my sweet little baby bird. Right now you are upstairs sleeping in your very bare but functional room. I am so glad that you are my baby; I love you so much and my love only grows more for you every day. You spent the night with your Mamaw and Papaw last night. You love it so much down there. You love Mamaw and Papaw and of course Aunt Lynn, Uncle Rodney, and the kids. You especially love Sadie and Ruffy. And oh my, do Sadie and Ruffy love you. Especially Ruffy. He is mighty fond of you and you of him. You always have a grand time down there but I always miss you so much. I can say, however, that I did appreciate and enjoy the extra sleep I got this morning. Also the uninterrupted sleep I got last night. You always sleep better at Mamaw and Papaw's house because it is so quiet down there. Mommy and Daddy are so happy to have a house in a quieter neighborhood where you can get some more sleep at night, ergo, so can we. And one day you can have a doggie of your very own. One day.
   Before Daddy and I picked you up from Mamaw and Papaw's today,we went to the new Mexican restaurant here in town called "Mi Publleto". It was very, very good. It was very nice for Daddy and I to get to eat out together. It's not that we don't like having you around, it's that we like to spend just some Mommy-Daddy time with each other sometimes. Mommy and Daddy really love each other and that is something that needs to happen when two people are married. They always need some "together alone" time. Some day you will understand all that nonsense though. We are very lucky to have such a good Mamaw and Papaw for you so that we can do that every now and then.
   You were really tired when we picked you up from Mamaw and Papaw''s house. We put you in the car and drove to Lexington to take the movies we rented back and get Daddy a pair of needle nose pliers so he can take all of our nails down from here. You were asleep before we got off of McCowan's Ferry and you slept the whole way there and the whole way back. I don't think you got to sleep enough though, because you were very fussy when you woke up when we brought you inside the apartment. I laid you back down but you kept crying and couldn't go back to sleep. Daddy got you up and I held you while we watched an episode of "Dora The Explorer". You are really smart sweetie. Dora asked today what she needed to find where she needed to go and you immediately said "MAP!" I was so very proud of you. You really pay attention and listen well to Dora and Sesame Street. They are educational so I do not mind you watching them - for a limited time each day. I try to keep it one and a half to two hours but you've had a little more this week because Daddy likes to watch Dora and Sesame Street like a big youngin' too and he is off work. Also we have been working on getting things all packed up for the move and you really do well when we are very busy and you are watching your shows. Of course today we had a lot of big fun, you and I. I always make time to read to you and take you outside and say the ABC's with you. I know these things are important to your development.
   You and I went out front and played in the yard this afternoon while Daddy moved some furniture into the garage and some boxes as well. Our next door neighbors were out there and you played with their little grandson, Brendan. You are really fond of him. You have even whined and pointed to the window wanting to go and play with him before whenever you heard him outside. I am going to have to make sure that you still get to play with him. You played a while with him and followed him right into his house and up the stairs and into his room. I guess maybe you wanted to play with his toys. I brought you back downstairs and went outside with his Nana and you played some with her flower pots and the grass and of course the nasty sticky balls in the yard while I had a drink with her and we talked. She is a very nice lady. I am going to miss having such nice neighbors. Of course I will drop by and say "Hi" so you can play with Brendan from time to time. After Brendan's Daddy came to get him, we had to go back into the house and play for a while, for it was almost your bath time. We went into the kitchen and got ourselves a snack, a gogurt, which you call a "yum yum" and ate it. Well, we made a big mess with it. But we ate most of it. We played for a while on the kitchen floor, having big fun sliding across it because it is smooth and slick. Of course we played tickle and Mommy acted silly enough to bark like a dog. You always think that is so funny. We played "chase" back and forth from the kitchen to the living room then back again. I asked if you were ready to take a bath and you "ran" crawling to the stairs and I "chased" after you and chased you up them. Daddy brought your milk in a dysfunctional sippy cup so I had to send him to get a better one which I thought would be just as bad but it seemed to work after I fixed it. Of course so much had spilled by now that I had to get you some more. I came downstairs and picked up some, got your milk, got your diapers and got all of your jammies together upstairs, laid your towel out and Daddy brought you to me. I turned on Elmo for you and while you watched I got you dressed. A much less fussy dressing than usual. I might try that again. I turned it off after you were dressed and read you a story called "Mirror Me" twice. Daddy watched all of this from the rocker in your room. Then it was time for night night, and of course you put up your usual fuss and tried to coax me into getting you out of your crib with your reach and your pitiful face. No way Jose'. You had to sleep! And that is where you are now, my angel. Sleeping Sweetly. I am going to let you go for now and watch a show with Daddy after I switch out the laundry. I love you, baby bird!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Thankfully Aunt Mary finally agreed to let me drive them to Louisville for her doctor's appointment. Your Mom convinced her that she would have more time to spend with you if I drove. I would have been extremely nervous if Aunt Mary had have driven. We all had a real nice trip up to Louisville. I didn't have too much trouble finding Jewish Hospital where Aunt Mary's appointment was. We made one wrong turn but I really didn't have much trouble finding my way back to where I needed to be. I'd never driven in downtown Louisville before so I was kind of nervous I would get turned around. People in Louisville have great taste too because everybody at Jewish Hospital thought you were as cute as a button. That hospital was the most crowded hospital I have ever been in. We had to stop at a gas station so Aunt Mary could pick up some cancer sticks and we had a late lunch at Steak & Shake in Frankfort. The rest of the day was filled with Aunt Mary trying to get hold of a boy who's ten years younger than her on the telephone. He is her ex-boyfriend and he is finished with her and doesn't want to have anything to with her anymore unless it's convenient for him. Do not ever act like Aunt Mary is acting right now. The only reason I mentioned the drama Aunt Mary is going through right now is to tell you that that is absolutely positively the wrong thing to do. Aunt Mary acts as if she needs a man to make her whole but she doesn't and I never want you to think that way either. You are going to be a strong successful woman who will be able to care for herself and I never want you acting like Aunt Mary.
      You got your second haircut this morning. We went to a place called Cookie Cutters. We all liked it a whole lot better than J.C. Penny's, where you got your first haircut. The barber chair you sat in was a Barbie jeep and you got to watch Dora while you got your bangs trimmed. There was a big sliding board that you got to slide down while we were waiting for your turn. Mom & Dad liked it because the price was a whole lot more reasonable than J.C. Penny's.
      We had lunch at Chick Filet because you had that coupon that you got from the dentist office earlier this week. We did all of this over at Hamburg so I decided to drive home via I-75 & I-64. We stopped by Lanes View subdivision on Midway Rd. to see the new house of some old neighbors of ours when we lived at 115 Powhatan Trail. They lived across the road from us and they saw that the neighborhood was going downhill just as we did and they also decided to move. They had a huge swing set in the backyard and we considered buying it from them but Papaw said that it would be more trouble than it's worth to move it so we decided to purchase or build one of our own.
      We finally got home and cleaned up because we had to go to your Great Aunt Louise & Uncle Tommy's 50th wedding anniversary party. Aunt Louise is Mamaw's sister. The party turned out very nice. You walked around all over the place and almost upstaged Aunt Louise & Uncle Tommy. There were other babies there as well but you were the one everybody was drawn to. Your Great Great Aunt Lila, Granny's sister dressed up like a chicken with a mask with a beak and feathers and the whole nine yards. You just couldn't seem to get over that. You kept calling her a duck and clucking like a chicken when she did. Yep, you were the star of the show even though Aunt Lynn and Mamaw really didn't care much for your new haircut. I really didn't want you to get the haircut either but your Mom was adamant about it and she is the one who has to wrestle with your hair every day so I didn't put a up a fight.
      After the party you went home with Mamaw & Papaw so your Mom & Dad could set around and relax a little bit this evening and sleep in tomorrow. You really didn't want to go home with us anyway. You love spending time with your Mamaw & Papaw.
      Only six more days until we close on the house and only nine more days until we can take possession of it. It still doesn't seem real to us yet. I know you will love your new home. Well, I'm gonna get up from here and let your Mom play her Sims 2 game while I read the 2005 Fall TV preview edition of Entertainment Weekly. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               I knew we wouldn't get to everything we had to do yesterday but that's the way it goes. We got a whole lot accomplished yesterday though. You did excellent with your very first dentist appointment. You didn't cry until he started poking around in your mouth with his sharp metal tools. You just let them poke around in your mouth all they wanted and you just watched the television they had over your head. You have sixteen teeth and two more erupting so soon you will have eighteen teeth. You also have a small chip in one of your teeth. We have no idea how you did that. We seem to think you did it when you used to chew on your crib. You don't do that anymore; at least I don't think you do that anymore. While we were there you helped yourself to a sippy cup that belonged to another little girl that was there. Of course later another little girl helped herself to your sippy cup as I was reading the paper. I know she did because I caught her putting the cap back on it and putting it back in the diaper bag pouch where we carry it. No wonder when one child is sick all the others get sick as well. Y'all share everything.
      We got my check and deposited it, we looked around Meijers and then we took you to your dentist appointment. After that we ate a late lunch at Ted's Montana Grill. I had a bison steak, your Mom had a bison burger and you had chicken strips. We liked the place pretty well. I loved the salad. It reminded me of my childhood when we would dip bib lettuce into hot bacon grease. It tasted just like that.
      After that we went to Wal-Mart and purchased some painting equipment, groceries and your Mother got a new watch and I got a new watch band. Your Mom's watch looks exactly like mine only it's a smaller ladies version of it. When we left we thought our car had been stolen because we couldn't find it. It turned out that I had forgotten which end of the store we had entered and we were looking in the wrong place. We then went to Home Depot and bought two gallons of our sage color for the living room, kitchen and hall walls. We may need another one but if we do we will buy it then. It's better to not have enough and purchase more than it is to buy too much and not be able to return it. After that we stopped at McDonald's and you and I got a small vanilla milkshake while your Mom got a small strawberry shake. Your Mom and I finished ours but you decided you would much rather wear your shake so you took the top off and started playing in it. You were one sticky mess when we finally got home.
      Your Mom is supposed to ride to Louisville with her sister later today because Aunt Mary has to see a doctor up there. I wish Aunt Mary would let me drive them up there but she just wants some time with her sister. I can understand that but I worry about your Mom so far from home without us near her. I'm not totally confident in Aunt Mary's driving ability. They'll all be fine but we will still worry about her, won't we?
      The Hurricane I mentioned a few days ago was just as devastating as the media had predicted. The entire city of New Orleans is nearly underwater. There's supposed to be over a thousand dead and hundreds of thousand homeless. Gasoline has gone up to over three dollars a gallon, but I was real proud that we found a place where we got it for $2.97 a gallon. Hurricane Katrina is supposed to be the most devastating natural disaster since the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Lucas's girlfriend, Jessica, who is from the New Orleans area, lost her father to a heat stroke brought on by his attempt at evacuating so he will be included in the death toll. That's sad. I really like Jessica. She seems like a really nice woman. I hate to bring up bad stuff like this in your blog but this is major U.S. history happening right now and I feel obliged to inform you of it as it happens. I think it might be interesting for you later to know what happened on a national and international scale in the early years of your life.
      Seven more days until we close on the house and ten more until we can call it our own. The loan probably will be closing later today. We are so very excited about our new house. Well, it's time to close out the latest entry into your blog. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Here we are at the start of a brand new month. In three days you will be fourteen months old. You are getting separation anxiety pretty bad now. You have to have someone around you at all times; you prefer Mama but in a pinch I will do. Yesterday afternoon your Mom was preparing supper for us in the kitchen and I was in there with her chatting when you turned away from your beloved Dora the Explorer television show in the living room and noticed that you were all alone in there. You started to holler like one of us was beating you with a stick. Mom rushed into the living room to see if you had mortally wounded yourself as I followed behind her. When we were reassured that you would indeed survive I sat in there a moment longer until your attention was once more diverted to your program.
      We all had a real nice evening last night. I fixed grilled pork chops marinated in Hawaiian marinade outside on the grill while your Mom fixed us some stuffing, mac & cheese, peas and rolls. She also had some apples frying on the stove but because we were both busy, I with the pork chops on the grill and Mom with making sure you didn't kill yourself, they ended up getting burned so we didn't have any fried apples. That's okay though because I wouldn't have had any room on my plate for fried apples anyway. Supper was delicioso, as Backpack from Dora the Explorer would say. After that we halfway watched one of your Mom's favorite programs, Dr. Phil, but primarily we played with you and watched you put on a big show for us. You are much more entertaining than any old television program.
      I gave you your bath and put you down for the evening. You are getting pretty bad about not wanting to go to sleep. I dried you off from your bath, applied baby oil to you, powdered you up, put on a fresh diaper, brushed your hair and put your night clothes on you and you were as happy as a clam throughout this nightly procedure but when I picked you up and took you into your bedroom you started screaming like one of us had picked that proverbial stick up again. I laid you down and tried to hand you your sippy cup, which you insist on calling a baba, and tried to hand it to you but you jumped up from the crib and reached up for me and started trying to pull yourself out of the crib using my chest hair as hand holds. You tried throwing your leg over the side of the crib. You were crying like mad throughout all of this. I am a weak Daddy so I picked you up and decided to rock you a little and feed you your sippy cup like a bottle. You took a few sips of it and then emphatically pushed it away and continued to cry. I laid you over my shoulder like I did when you got rocked to sleep every night. You would have none of that. You continued with the crying. You knew you were going to have to go to bed and you didn't like that idea at all. Finally I put you down on your feet and you took a few steps and quit crying for a few seconds. You plopped down on your fanny and once more resumed your crying jig. Finally I laid you in your crib and you once again reached up for me but this time I was stronger and told you that I loved you and turned around and walked out of the room as you held out your arms to me. That is the hardest part of being a Dad so far. They tell me it will get much harder but that's about all I can stand for now. See, you even have separation anxiety when you go to bed. Eventually you figured you weren't getting out of sleeping for the evening so you gave in to the sandman and drifted off to sleep.
      When I came downstairs your Mom & I had planned on watching a little more television but instead we ended up just talking to one another for an hour and a half. We both enjoyed that. It's nice just to set down and chat with the ones you love sometimes. Mainly we talked about the new house and about how sweet and smart and pretty you are. The sweet and smart and pretty part was not a case of bad grammar; it's what your Mother has been saying to you since you were born and I have to agree with her on that. I don't know if you're more smart than you are pretty or more pretty than you are smart, let alone trying to figure just how incredibly sweet you are. You are enough to boggle your poor Father's feeble mind.
      You have been walking up a storm recently. You can now get to a standing position from the floor without having to use something to pull yourself up. You can also squat to pick things up which is a big deal. You have tried running a little bit but you haven't had much success with that as of yet. You mainly walk around the house. You haven't really decided that you want to showcase your new skills in public just yet. I hope the move to the new house doesn't throw you off very much in your development. You have lived here your entire life and you are most comfortable here in this apartment; though you do sleep better down at Mamaw & Papaw's, but that's because they live for out in the country where there's not a whole lot of automobile traffic. We can't say that here in this apartment. We live right next to Tyrone Pike and there's cars and trucks zooming by at all hours of the day and night. It will be much quieter when we get on Colony Drive. That street is not a major thoroughfare. It used to be but since the new bypass, Falling Springs Rd. opened up the major thoroughfare has become South Hill Drive. I know that has to make more than a few people angry because all of the really expensive houses are on South Hill Drive. Our new house is close enough to South Hill so that our place will retain its value but not so close that we will have to put up with a whole lot of traffic. Anyway, big trucks are not allowed on South Hill Drive because it's a residential street. To make the long story short, it will be quieter there than it is here.
      We have a big day planned tomorrow. We are going to go clean up your Mom's Taurus, go get my paycheck from General Electric, deposit the check, go to Meijer to price princess and duck stuff for your bedroom and bathroom, take you to your very first dentist appointment, eat out, check out Target for the Princess and duck stuff, go to Home Depot for a couple of gallons of paint and to price 4 to 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier for the crawl space in the new house, go to Lowes to price the polyethylene vapor barrier, and then hit Wal-Mart for some painting equipment. I hope we will be able to get this stuff done all in one day. I'm not too sure we will get to everything.
      Only eight more days until we close on the house and eleven more days until we can call it our own. I'm going to let you go for now, Sweety. I am probably going to have to go upstairs in a moment because I hear you upstairs talking to yourself. It'll be nice when I won't have to say, "Go upstairs" anymore because the new house is only one story. I hope you go back to sleep on your own. I think maybe you already have.....Nope, I hear you again. Well, I'm gonna close for now. September is going to be a great month for our little family, I just know it and of course never forget that Daddy loves Rebecca!