Dear Rebecca,
               Hello my pretty little baby bird. Right now you and Daddy are sharing a Mocha Moollatte', which you really shouldn't be drinking because it is filled with coffee and sugar, and oh happy happy joy joy, I will be up til five am. Oh well, a little bit won't hurt. It's just that you have already had too much. Daddy is right. I did not get to post nearly enough while he was off and I was working. Right now Daddy is telling you No to playing in your clothes which is something I let you do so I told him to zip it. Well little one I just wanted to let you know I was still around and I love you so very much. You are getting into things you should not so I am going to play with you a bit and I will post more at a later date. Bye for now baby bird! I love you!

Dear Rebecca,
               I went back to work today. It wasn't too bad. I certainly didn't like getting out of bed at 5:30 in the morning and I had to learn a new job because we were on unit eighteen, but all in all it wasn't too terribly terrible. I certainly missed you though. All day long I thought about you and just how much fun we had together over my three week layoff. I feel that we really got to know each other while I was off.
      Your Mother locked herself out of the house today. She decided that since she couldn't get in the house she would go to Wal-Mart in Lexington and put some stuff for your birthday on lay away. She said that all you were getting from us was your wagon and clothes but your over protective Mother spoils you.
You two then met me when at work when I got off. We went to CiCi's Pizza Buffet and had a really good supper. I came on home with you while your Mom stayed in Lexington to get the oil changed in the Taurus.
      You've begun trying to manipulate your way out of trouble. The other day, I don't remember exactly when it was you were fooling with a remote, which you love to do and I hate for you to do, and I told you no but you didn't let go. I told you no again in a sterner voice but you still didn't seem to hear me. I then told you no in a very stern voice and gave you a very light smack on your fingers. You stated to tune up for a good cry when you leaned over and gave me a kiss. It worked that time because it was the first time you had ever attempted to worm your way out of trouble but your free passes are over. Ain't I a stern task master of a Daddy? Naw, I'm a sweet Daddy.
      Well, I'm gonna let you go for the May of 2005. The next post a write will be in June of 2005. We had a very fun month. Your Mom will post more in the month to come, I'm sure. She had to work so much that she just couldn't get around to it as much as she would have liked. Every available moment she had she wanted to spend with you and I don't blame her one iota. Remember, Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               My layoff is over now. I have Monday off but that is because of Memorial Day. It will be good for you when I go back to work so you can get back on a regular schedule. It seems your Mother has worked the whole time I've been off. It was just the last two weeks but I miss her being around when I am off from work. She's a nice person to be around and she's also a lot of fun. Tonight I got you in bed just before eleven in the evening and it's been like that for two weeks. You need to go to bed earlier. It's just that we both have enjoyed our really long visits with Mamaw & Papaw, Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rodney and the kids. They are all a whole lot of fun to be around.
      You & I spent a very long time down there today. Today, May 28th is Aunt Lynn's thirty-something birthday and Mamaw & Papaw's wedding anniversary. I don't remember hardly anyone's birthdays or anniversary but I have always remembered Lynn's birthday and my parent's anniversary because they fall on the same day. You were almost born on our wedding anniversary. Ours is the sixth of July and you were born on the third of July. To be honest with you I never really could remember when our anniversary was until you came along and now I just think that our anniversary is twice your birthday and two times three equals six, so our anniversary is the sixth. I always knew it was either the sixth or the seventh but I never could be sure which one it was. I have a system for that date now anyway
      Your Mother had to go to work today. She called in this morning because her sides have been bothering her but her boss called and told her that she could not find anyone to work for her and your Mother agreed to go on in. While your Mother slept her boss called again and told me that she had found a replacement for your Mother so she did not have to go in. I was very excited to be spending the day with you and your Mother. Then she found out that Jessica, Lucas's girlfriend, the one we went to the comedy club with a few weeks back, was going to be pulling a double shift in order to cover for your Mother's shift. Your Mother felt guilty so she went on in and let Jessica go on home to spend time with Lucas and her children. You have such a sweet Mom.
      Well, Nothing else of note has happened recently so I will let you go for now. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               I got two unemployment checks this week. One for the first week I was off, I got that one today and one for last week, I got that one yesterday.
I will be getting my check for the current week next week. I go back to work Tuesday because Monday is Memorial Day. I only have five or six more weeks until I get my regular vacation so that will not be so hard.
      Your Mother has decided not to take the full time position she was offered. Have we even mentioned that she was offered a full time position? Well, she was and she just couldn't stand to be away from you for such a long period of time so she decided she would just work Saturdays. That's still an extra $200 per month so that will really help out and she'll get to spend lots of time with you and me.
      I got in a whole passel of trouble yesterday. Your Mother had to go into work at seven in the morning and you were going to spend the day with your loving Dad. I put you down for a nap around 11:30 or so and I figured I would lie down on the twin bed in your room and grab a nap myself. I figured that if you woke up and cried I would surely hear you being as how I would be in the same room with you. I woke up around one in the afternoon by your Mother who wasn't supposed to be off until three. Apparently she had been trying to call since we were napping. She was holding you with a furious look upon her face. She pointed to the bouncer you still sleep in and it was turned over. Your Mother said that when she arrived you had tipped over the bouncer and was playing with a blanket. I'm sure you cried when you woke and I felt and still feel terrible for not hearing you when you woke up in the first place, let alone when you tipped over. I had a terrible day yesterday. I felt like such an awful father. I love you so much and would never do anything to harm you. I will never nap when you take a nap because I do sleep a little too soundly. I am so sorry. The only person that didn't seem angry and disappointed in me was you. You grinned and smiled at me just as you always do. That should have never happened and it will never happen again.
      Aunt Mary showed up today for about an hour. It seems that she's having trouble with her boyfriend, Scotty. It has something to do with something Papaw Lawrence said to Scotty and the extreme devotion that Aunt Mary has shown to her father, your Papaw Lawrence. I really don't understand it and I don't think I want to. I've often thought Aunt Mary needs to come back up here to Central Kentucky from the mountains and poverty of Eastern Kentucky. As your Mother says, there's a better class of loser up here. She talked with your Mother for a long while about her problems. She wanted your Mother to go back to Hazard with her and talk to Scotty but she was scheduled to work this afternoon so she couldn't do it. I don't think she would have done it even if she had been off. She has spent so little time with you the past couple of weeks because of this new job she has that I'm sure that every available moment she gets goes to you.
      Well, you are taking a nap and probably getting ready to wake up any moment and I don't want you tipping over so I had better sign of for now. We really shouldn't be using that bouncer still but you sleep so well in it. I reckon you're just going to have to get used to napping in your crib. Remember, even though I let you tip over in your crib and slept right through it that Daddy loves Rebecca.

Dear Rebecca,
               It's 8:32 in the morning as I begin this post. You are still asleep. You woke up in the night and apparently you stayed up awhile because some of your toys are scattered out over the floor this morning. Your Mother got up with you I suppose because I know I didn't. Actually your Mother and you came into the bedroom and woke me up at around three this morning for a few moments, so I reckon I did wake up with you.
      Your Mom had to work last night for a few hours. She thought she had to work until seven this morning but someone made a snafu on her schedule so she came back home at eleven last night. She does have to go in this evening though. We've missed quite a bit of church since I have been off. I'm going to try to go with you in the morning because I know your Mom will not feel up to it. She's not used to third shift.
      I had to go to the unemployment office yesterday. I haven't gotten my unemployment check for the week before last yet. I hope I got it straightened out. They had it in their records that I haven't worked since December of 2004. I can attest that that is absolutely 100% not the case. I got a few unemployment checks when I was off in April so I just don't understand what happened. I certainly hope we get this taken care of because two or three weeks without any money coming in would be rather difficult on us. The unemployment office just this second called and confirmed that I was off the week of the eighth. I sure hope that this all works out. I am nervous about this whole unemployment thing. I'm certainly glad we have already taken care of rent for June.
      This was just a quick post as I wait for you to get up so I reckon I will get off of the computer and call my Mom, your Mamaw and tell her what's been going on with my unemployment. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               I hope you are doing well there in the future, Rebecca. I sit here in the past writing a post to you and wondering what you will be when you grow up. You never cease to amaze us. We have discovered that you are quite stubborn though. You love giving kisses because you get so much praise when you do but you rarely ever do give kisses. You know exactly who Mama & Daddy are, and we know this because the other day when I asked where Daddy was you pointed right at me and when I asked where Mama is you pointed directly at her. However, today when we asked the same questions you pointed at every object in the room except for the correct ones. You are testing your limits with your parents already. The other day you were trying to pull down some books off of my recliner table and when I told you no, you stopped only briefly. I said no again but much firmer this time. You quit and then you proceeded to touch the books with your fingertips as I sat there staring at you. You got another no and a gentle swat on the offending fingers. You then tuned up and started to cry. I then lifted you up in my lap and tried to cuddle with you some but you are still not a cuddle baby.
      Your Mom had to work third shift Friday night thru Saturday morning. She was tired when she got home but she has missed you so much over the past week that she stayed up with you for a few hours. She stopped on the way home and got a few groceries and she got you a helium balloon. You have been playing with it all day. You love balloons. She then woke me up and we spent a good part of the day together. Your Mom woke up and we took a film that your Mother & Father watched called "White Noise" starring Michael Keaton back to the Movie Gallery in Lexington. We used to rent films here in Versailles but the Movie Gallery has a much better selection, you rent the films for five whole days and it's right on my way home from work.
      Saturday before your Mother went to work we drove out to The Lexington Green and let you see all the huge gold fish and cute ducks and geese they have on the little lake they have over there. We then sat down to eat at Ruby Tuesday's next to the lake but your Mamaw called and asked if we wanted to join them in Nicholasville at The Golden Corral. We decided to make the short trip over. When we were packing you and all of the accessories that you have to travel around with I asked the questions about where is your parents. You blew us away with how smart you are. That was a pretty big moment for Daddy. You actually understand that I am Daddy. When you see me you think to yourself, "There's Daddy" and that was probably one of the most precious moments of my life. Mamaw had already purchased our buffets for us so it was free and free is always better than not free. After we all parted ways in the parking lot we all headed over to Wal-Mart in separate vehicles. We saw Aunt Lynn and them park but we never saw them in the Wal-Mart. We purchased an affordable car seat for my truck so that we won't have to switch out your huge really nice one from the car every time we end up using the truck instead of the car. We hardly ever drive with you in the truck so we decided to get a basic one because you have your luxurious one in the car.
      That's it for tonight, little one. Remember, as always, Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               Hello my baby bird. Right now you are upstairs sleeping very soundly; you have woken up once tonight and I got to hold you. You are a very sweet little baby indeed. Nothing makes me happier than holding you in my arms. Except maybe your precious little goofy grin. I am so truly blessed to have you.
I do like the job that I have now; it's good money and the work really isn't all that hard. Some days are harder than others. Today a very rude lady looked at your Mommy outside the dining room and asked her if she was waiting for a hand out. To which your Mommy responded that she was indeed waiting for them to hand out Mrs. Longyear's food. So she was in a way waiting for a hand out. I guess it's because Mommy doesn't have very nice clothes to wear or very expensive make up or jewelry like those rich elderly folks that live there. Mommy doesn't care though because Mommy is richer and more satisfied than any person has a right to be whenever she comes home and sees you smile at her. I just hope some day that you can have all the nice things I never did growing up as a child. And when I say nice things I don't mean Nike shoes or expensive perfume; I mean a deeply caring environment with a wonderful family element and lots of friends and neighbors who love you. Of course I hope to be able to afford some Nike's and perfume for you now and then, too.
Mommy doesn't feel very well tonight. My ears are stopped up, my throat is sore, and my nose is stuffy. In addition to that my eye is very pink and itchy and kind of sticky right now. I hope I do not have anything contagious as far as the illness; I truly hope I do not have pink eye. I would hate for you to come down with either one. You are such a good baby though that it is really no trouble to care for you when you are sick, it's no trouble at all. It's just that I hate for you to feel badly. You are too sweet and precious and you don't deserve it.
      All has went well with my job except for breaking one of Mrs. Longyear's what-not's while I was dusting for her. She was very sweet about it and told me not to worry about it so I played a mean trick on Daddy and told him I had broken a five thousand dollar family heirloom. Daddy was a little distraught for a moment so I couldn't keep the joke going. I hate to see your father get upset; I really do. He's too sweet for that. I could never have replaced the trinket that I broke for I had no idea where it came from, so instead as a "make-up" (to say I am sorry!) I bought her a little blue elephant at the dollar tree. I had heard she liked elephants. I showed it to her and she really liked it. I sat it on her shelf for her. I was thinking sometime that I would like for you to meet her. I know she'd derive a lot of joy from seeing your precious little smile. Today she said she wanted her Christmas tree back in her window so the girls on first shift put it back. She didn't want it taken down at all this year; I don't blame her. I'd like to have the beauty of Christmas all year round as well. She has a lovely tree but the beauty of Christmas is in our hearts and I know it's in hers. She's a very wonderful lady.
      Well I thought that I was finished staying up for now but maybe I have caught my second wind. Tomorrow night I have to work third shift. I am doing this for you and for Daddy. I want my family to live in a nice home with a back yard and to have a yard and room to play and have a puppy. Mostly I want you to have a place to call your own. Apartment living is not necessarily a bad thing but it feels too temporary to me. I want things in your life to be constant, consistent, permanent. That's something I never had. I am going to use part of my first check for your birthday party though. I know it's a ways off but I can get some decorations and supplies and such; things that don't cost too much. Well little one, I was wrong, My second wind did not come after all. I think I have made it as long as I can. I am tired and I want to rest. My back is hurting a lot right now and I don't know why. Maybe it is going to rain tonight. Anyway, you don't care about any of this. Just remember this; I love you. I treasure you. You are the most important thing in the world to me. Everything I ever do will be for you. Will be for Daddy. Will be for us and our family. You are so special to us. Mommy loves her baby bird. Goodnight, Becca Bird!

Dear Rebecca,
               Things worked out for the best regarding the house mentioned in the previous post. The owner would not negotiate and the interest rate on the loan would have put our mortgage payments over $1,000 dollars per month. We're going to wait and bide our time until the perfect situation presents itself to us. We may have to look for the perfect situation but we will find it. I wish we could have done this deal but we're all happy here for now and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. We still have our original plan and our original goal.
      You and I spent a long time down at Mamaw & Papaw's discussing different strategies that we may employ to get into a house. You had a bath down there as well. I had supper over at Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rodney's house. We had chicken nuggets, spicy steak fries, squash and baked beans. It was very good and I was very hungry. We then came home and you fell directly asleep. That's it for this post.
      Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  It is a dark and stormy night and your Father sat at the computer in the corner of the living room while your Mother toiled at her job as a sitter for an elderly woman named Mrs. Longyear. She seems to enjoy her new job. She's doing it all for you, you know. We want you to have a nice place to live and this place, while it is not a ghetto hole, it's still not want we want for you. We want you to have a nice fenced in backyard so that you may have a puppy. We want you to live in a nice neighborhood. We want you to be able to play in the yard without fear of you running out into traffic. We want you to have a little vegetable garden so that you may see the wonder of nature. We want you to have a place for a swing set. We want you to live in a good school district and so much more.
      Aunt Lynn called an hour or so ago and I've been talking to her during that time between this paragraph and the last one. Let's talk about today, shall we? Today I don't remember what we did earlier in the day. After your Mother went to work you and I went down to Mamaw & Papaw's. While we were there Aunt Linda and Granny came over. You had a great time with everyone. You loved being around the dogs. You watched Papaw play catch with Sadie for nearly an hour. You just sat there and watched so intently. We all had a supper of grilled chicken salad. Aunt Lynn came home from a meeting she had in town and she said she saw a house in the Colony for sale and she called about the house right then and there. The house sounded fabulous so we all went to take a look at it. I don't want to get any ones hopes up but if the house looks as nice on the inside as it did on the outside Mamaw & Papaw may help us purchase the house. I know I said I don't want to get any ones hopes up but I'm afraid it's too late for your Mother and myself. We would love to have a house for you.
      Remember Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Some preliminary decisions were made yesterday. We have a basic plan but plans must be fluid in order to survive any obstacle that may present itself. Already we have had to alter our plan and I'm sure there will be additional hindrance in our way but we will, of course, adapt to whatever may come our way without losing sight of the goal. Your Mother, Kristie first brought up the possibility of her working full time for a year or maybe a little longer so that it will be easier to purchase a home for us all. I was at first kind of leery of this prospect because I know how much you love being with your Mother and of course she lives to wipe your stinky little butt. We talked about it for awhile and decided that it could be done if Allison would take you on as her responsibility while your Mother was at work. We drove down to Mamaw & Papaw's to talk over our plan with them. Also we wanted to talk to Allison and Aunt Lynn about Allison being our babysitter for the summer. Allison was all for it because we offered her $75 dollars per week but Lynn said that she was going to be much to busy with other things to take on such a job. Already we had to come up with a alternative plan. After we returned home we decided to check into the daycare option. This is a small town and it's no problem to find references for the daycare centers in this town. Plus your Mother has spent nearly your entire first year with you and we both absolutely do not want you growing up in an apartment. You love children and babies and you are such an outgoing child that we feel that you probably should be exposed to as many as possible. I never had much exposure to other children in my preschool years other than my sister, your Aunt Lynn. I wish I had been around other children because I don't think I have very good social skills and that may heave made the difference.
      So the plan now is to put you in daycare as little as possible. While we were down to Mamaw & Papaw's they advised that we look into a modular home or a really nice double wide mobile home and place it on there property. I never really cared for the idea of living in a mobile but I would so love for you to grow up next door to your grandparents just as I did. It would also be nice to live that close to my sister. I am excited about that prospect. We are very excited about our plan and we will make it happen. Maybe not exactly as I laid out but we will have a house of some sort somewhere before you start school.
      Your mother started her job today. She works for a company called Comforts of Home. Her job is to sit with elderly individuals and to do a little light house work for them. Your Mother adores elderly people so I am sure she will excel at this job. This is the first job your Mother has had since before her accident when she worked as a grill operator/waitress at Waffle House here in Versailles.
      I'm going to let you go for this post because your Mother gets off work at eleven tonight and it's after ten. I want to watch a little television before she gets home because as much as I love your Mother she is not a very good TV watching companion. She's always up and down all night and when she finally gets settled she wants to talk and everybody knows that men do not like to talk while they are watching television. Remember, Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               Your Mother got on me today because I haven't posted much on the blog while I've been off the last week. I probably haven't posted as much this past week of layoff because the last time I was laid off in early April I blogged everyday about silly mundane stuff that everybody said would bore you when you get old enough to read it. I, personally think they are full of number two.
      Aunt Mary came over yesterday for her birthday which was actually the day before yesterday. We had a little cook out which was not actually a cook out because it was raining so hard. I pulled the grill into the garage and opened all the doors and grilled in there. It came off quite well. Mary had a real good time and so did everyone else that attended. Mary brought you a little stuffed beanie dog and you loved it. You seem to love everything that your Aunt Mary gets for you. Aunt Mary loves you a whole lot and you enjoy seeing her too. She doesn't get to see you as much as we all would like because, as you know, she lives in Hazard.
      After the cook out Aunt Mary & your Mother got dressed up to go out to karaoke. Aunt Mary loves karaoke almost as your Mother does. They sang eight songs together and one apiece for a total of ten songs. They then went to White Castle for a late supper. While they were off having a good ole' time at the karaoke place you and I stayed home. I fed you a jar of pears, which was a good thing for me to do and I shared a piece of Aunt Mary's birthday cake and a big ole' glass of milk with you, which was not a good thing for me to do. I think I sent you into sugary hyper mode. I tried to get you down for the night and you didn't want me holding and rocking because it's so hot in your room in the early evening hour. Your room is pointing west and the sun goes down in the west so you have sunlight and the heat generated by said sunlight right up until sunset and your bedtime is shortly after sunset. I finally laid you down in your crib and went downstairs. You cried for about five minutes or so and then you were out. I thought you were out for the night but when I put you down it never seems to take.
      Your Mother and Aunt Mary came through the door and you started up crying. Aunt Mary slept on the small twin bed we have in your room. Your Mother rocked you back to sleep while Aunt Mary fell asleep in the bed. After a little while you woke back up and Mama told me to take you downstairs and let you play your hyperness out. She said she couldn't understand why you were so sleepless until I told her about the cake we had shared earlier in the evening and then Daddy got a good scolding and was educated in the lack of wisdom that is displayed when someone, namely me, feeds a baby so much sugar right before bedtime. I knew it wasn't right but you were looking up at me with those pretty blue eyes and reaching and pointing and I haven't yet developed the ability to deny you anything. I know it will come eventually but for now I enjoy spoiling my little princess. You were up forever but you were no problem because you sat in the floor and played with your new blocks we got at Joseph-Beth's Booksellers Friday night. I'll tell you more about Friday night in a second or two.
      I took you upstairs and tried to rock you to sleep in your bouncer that we put in our room but all we ended up doing was waking your. She told me to go back downstairs and she would get you to sleep in the bouncer, which she did. You woke up one more time in the night and Mama took you to bed with her.
I was downstairs downloading music for Cousin Allison's birthday in June. I have a total of 125 so far and I think that is plenty so all I have to do is burn them to CD for her. Eventually it became daylight on me so it was around seven a.m. that I finally laid down. You and Mama were hogging the bed so I slept on the very edge of the bed. I was awoken around nine, after only two hours of sleep by little hands patting my face. You didn't think I needed to sleep anymore. You thought that my time would best be spent playing with you. Normally I would whole heartedly agree but after I woke up your Mother wanted to chat with me while we played with you on the bed. Let me be honest here, little girl, I just wanted both of you to leave me alone so I could get back to sleep. Does that make me a terrible Daddy or what?
      Your Mother woke me around one o'clock or so this afternoon because she had fixed pizza for lunch. Aunt Mary ate with us and then she left. Your Mother then went down to Mamaw's to get a movie we had loaned them called Fat Albert, it's a live action version of the cartoon I used to watch back in the 1970s' when I was a wee lad. She had planned on returning to the video store in Lexington by herself but she had a close call with a bee, which your Mother is very allergic to so she was very nervous when she got back home. She asked if I would drive with her to Lexington. I didn't have any problem with that. We returned the film and drove back towards home. You had fell asleep in the car so we decided that instead of making you a grumpy little girl by waking you up we would take a nice Sunday drive. We headed out the Bluegrass Parkway and turned around at the Lawrenceburg-Harrodsburg exit. We got back to the Versailles exit and you were still sleeping peacefully so I decided to head out into the country. As we drove we decided to go to Nicholasville for supper at the Golden Corral. We all had a grand time eating out. We then returned home and watched a little television and now here we are.
      Friday night your Mother and I had our very first double date ever or at least our very first double date with a couple that we actually enjoyed being around. Cousin Lucas has a new girlfriend named Jessica. She's very pretty and she seems very nice. Your Mother & I asked them last Sunday at the Mother's Day outing if they would like to go to the comedy club with us and they agreed that it would be a capital idea. We met them at Ruby Tuesday's in the Lexington Green. Your Mother & I had coconut shrimp and steak. Lucas had a chicken stacker or something like that and all that Jessica had was a cheeseburger. We ordered some appetizers and Lucas, your Mother & I ate like we were famished. Jessica said she didn't want any. Your Mother said in the joking way that your Mother has that she's paying for the appetizers and that Jessica had better eat at least a cheese stick. Jessica ate the cheese stick. It was kinda funny watching Lucas around his new girlfriend. He was pulling out chairs and opening doors and everything I did for your Mother when we first met. Your Mother warned Jessica that all of that chivalry would end after a few months so she had better enjoy it while it lasts.
      After supper we browsed Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Lucas and I went off in our own direction and Jessica and your Mother stayed in the children's section. Jessica has three children of her own. That's where your Mother bought the new blocks that you love so much. I bought a copy of Diabetes for Dummies and a diabetic's nutrition counter book. I also had picked out a diabetic cook book. I told Lucas that your Mother wouldn't let me have all three and sure enough she went through them and discarded the cook book. While we were there Lucas asked me how to get rich. With my vast knowledge in personal finance I told him the secret; He was to observe everything that I had done in the past five years and then do the exact opposite.
      We then went to the comedy club. We all had a grand time. The comedians were funny and we had two very nice people to hang out with. I hope we all get the opportunity to do something like that again. While all this was going on you were staying with Mamaw & Papaw. Mamaw kept you overnight and into the next day. She brought you back home when it was time for Aunt Mary's birthday cookout.
      It seems that you have been talking and I didn't even realize it. I just thought that you were babbling and making rudimentary sounds that sound like certain things but the more I observe the more I am led to believe that these sounds that sound like fragments of certain words are indeed language. Your first words according to your Mother were "I good" which you have been saying since your third month. Unlike your Mother I consider that to be mocking sounds and not actual language at all. However you have begun saying "Dada", "ba" for ball, "baba" for bottle, "da" for dog, "Mama", "du" for duck and your all time favorite word right now is "uh-oh". Your Mother & I are so very proud of you. She insists that you have been speaking since forever. Your Mother is a glass half full kinda gal and I am, of course, a half empty guy so I usually need more convincing. You are trying very hard to communicate with us and we can't wait to see your vocabulary grow as you yourself grow.
      It's getting late and I want to watch a movie, "National Treasure" with Nicholas Cage before I go to bed so I am going to close this blog post out. I want you to know, as always, that Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  I would say that today you got your very first haircut, but since it is now after midnight, I suppose that makes it yesterday. We had an appointment scheduled for you at COOKIE CUTTERS, which is a kid's hair care salon. Daddy and I had an appointment for our hair as well. at JC Penney. We left a little early so that we could eat lunch at the food court in the mall. We all had a big time eating our Chao Cajun Chinese food. We all like the burboun chicken, including you. You sat and ate your chicken and rice and you waved and waved at the people next to us. They thought you were just the cutest thing. When we all got done eating we went upstairs to get mine and Daddy's haircut. I let Daddy go first while I fed you your fruit in your stroller. You and I had a very big time eating applesauce and playing tickle while Daddy was busy with his hair. After you were done eating, the lady there working said that she could gladly cut your hair. Daddy and I thought that would be OK and it would save us from going all the way across town again, because we would not have made your appointment anyway. Daddy sent me out to get the camera so we could record your big day with photos.
   When I got back upstairs the lady (her name was Junisha) gave me a card to fill out with your name, the date, and her name on it, a place to put your photo, and a little plastic baggie to slip it into. I wonder how much that cost. I'll never know, I didn't even bother to ask. It was probably a fortune. Anyway, you sat on my lap and the lady commenced to cut your bangs. You wiggled and squirmed as babies do and mostly looked in the mirror at yourself and threw kisses and waved. She was done in no time and Daddy and I both think to ourselves now "We could have done that!" But somehow I guess it just didn't seem as special. I had a lot of fun holding you on my lap while you got your pretty little haircut. It was time for my trim after that and Daddy brought you over to watch. You just sat there and played and played and talked and also spun around with Daddy in the chair. You both looked very dizzy and very very silly. The man cutting my hair commented on how good a child you were. And you really are. We are so very lucky. We paid the outrageous bill of sixty freakin' dollars for our tiny little haircuts and proceeded on our way to Kohl's where we were going to buy Aunt Lynn a very, very secret birthday present. Only they didn't have the particular secret she wanted, so she told us to go ahead and get another style of secret. Your Daddy is awful at keeping secrets. We got Aunt Lynn's very secret birthday gift and headed to the front of the store, where I saw some nice Flip Flops for Daddy on sale for seven dollars. His sandals are too big so we decided to go ahead and get them. Then we mosied on up to the counter where they had a display of hats for five dollars each. We got Daddy a really nice golf type hat and a really nice ball cap. We got all that good stuff for a very reasonable price. I think I will go back to Kohl's again. I liked it.
   After Kohl's we made our way down Nichlosville Road to the doctor. You were very sleepy and you fussed most of the way until we stopped for a Gatorade and Daddy turned the radio on. You fell asleep so when we got to the doctor I stayed in the car with you while Daddy got all of his tests ran and his check-up done. He was in there quite a while and Mamaw called to tell me about a job Aunt Linda's friend might have for me that I could do. Right now it may only be on weekends because we don't want to send you to daycare and we really can't afford to at that. I'd rather you stay with Daddy. I know he loves you and takes good care of you. And not too much is involved, we just sit with and tend to elderly people. You woke up just before Daddy got out of the doctor and we met him at the door. We went in to get your diaper changed and you had a big number two in it and when I folded your diaper under you peed on your little outfit. I had to change you into a onesie. We left and went to DQ in Lexington to get Daddy something to eat and a MOOLATTE which he SHOULD NOT be drinking and they didn't take debit cards of all things. We hunted down an ATM machine and got some cash. Then I went in and got some food and our Moolattes and I got for you a Watermelon Mr. Misty for your brand new insulated straw sippy cup I bought you. You really like it because you are very good at drinking from a straw. You were very fussy though and you were tired and did not seem to want it. We had to skidaddle and get to church because we have that Wednesday night class at seven and it was already six thirty seven. So we ate our food on the road and you fussed almost all the way to the church. When we got you out though, you were just fine and dandy. We dropped you off at the daycare and watched you play for a couple of minutes and then Daddy left for the class before I did. I wanted to watch you play some more with a little nine month old baby in there named Mikayla who is much much smaller than you. You do love other babies. When we picked you up they said you had been good as gold. Then again you always are so it was no surprise to us. They said you only cried when you were getting your diaper changed. You really don't like being held down. You like to scoot about and play. In addition to that I don't think you really care for strangers doing that.
   When we got home you were so very very tired that we decided not to put you through a bath and just to put you down for night night. You were so overstimulated that you woke up a few times and then I decided to put you in your bouncer and kind of 'bounce" you to sleep. That worked and you were out like a proverbial light. You have been asleep ever since. Daddy and I watched a movie called SAW which is a scary movie about a serial killer. I hope you are not like me in the fact that I do love myself a good scary movie. Daddy said he really wishes I'd like to watch bunnies and care bares floating on fluffy clouds and such. Poor, Poor Daddy. Mommy has a twisted up taste when it comes to movies.
   Well, little one, I am going to let you go for now. I wanted to tell you all about your big day and your very first haircut. You were so good and Daddy and I are so very, very proud of our precious little girl. Mommy loves her little baby bird! I love you, Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
               Yesterday was a very special day for me. Your Mother went out and had lunch with a friend of hers and it was just you and me all alone for the early afternoon. Your Mother left around eleven o'clock yesterday morning. She said that you were ready for a nap and a bottle after your nap. I took you upstairs and you went quickly to sleep. I came downstairs and installed an updated version of the TiVo Desktop software on our computer; as I was just finishing up I heard you over the monitor as you began to cry very loudly. I assumed that you had just awoken from your nap and as soon as I went to get you all would be well with the world. I picked you up and you continued to bawl at the top of your lungs. You were ready for a bottle. I figured after the bottle we would get in the floor and play. As soon as the bottle was empty you snuggled into my chest just as you did when you were first born and you commenced to sleep another two hours. My most favorite thing about raising you, so far, is watching you crawl but for the longest time it was the memory of those days when you would sleep all day on my chest as your Mother & I watched episodes of American Justice and Cold case Files. You gave me a brief chance to relive those halcyon days and for that I want to thank you. You woke up just five minutes or so before your Mother arrived back home.
      We then decided to go down to Mamaw & Papaw's place for a visit. You sat on the deck out back and played with Aunt Lynn's huge dog, Ruffie. You showed no fear of him at all. He's three times the size of you and you just pulled on his fur and kept trying to stick your fingers in his mouth, Ruffie was so very gentle with you. Once he accidentally brushed you with one of his massive paws and that upset you for just a second, but after your Mother quieted you just a bit you were ready to get back on the floor of the deck so you could play more with Ruffie. Sadie, Papaw's dog, eventually decided to join us all on the deck. Sadie likes you just as much as Ruffie does but he is a Jack Russell Terrier so she is extremely hyper when there's a crowd of people around. You wanted to play with her and she wanted to play with you but she tried to keep jumping on you so we had to watch you extremely well as you sat with those two dogs; plus Sadie is a bit jealous when Ruffie gets a little more attention than she does and she's liable to try to whoop up on Ruffie. Ruffie is five times as big as Sadie but that never seems to discourage her at all.
      I got a call out there from Lynn Rolland at my work and she told me that we were going to be off for another week. I don't know why she called me at Papaw's house. It was just lucky that we had decided to visit on that day and at that hour. I would have eventually gotten word from Papaw I suppose. I'm happy about being off for another week so I can spend it with my two best girls, you and your Mother.
       Aunt Lynn, Jacob, Allison, Mamaw, Papaw, Mama, yourself and I then all had supper down there. Uncle Rodney still hadn't returned from work and Jon was busy playing on the computer. We had salmon croquettes, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, cucumbers and onions in salt water, beets, salad and rolls. It was a very delicious meal. You really liked the mashed potatoes. After we ate I went over to Papaw's garage where Papaw and Uncle Rodney were trying to get a little four wheeler to run. The man who owns the four wheeler said that if they could get it running he would sale it to them for $200 and if they couldn't just bring it back. If they get it running it will be Jon's four wheeler. Jacob has a dirt bike and now Jon wants a four wheeler.
      While all this was going on you were playing with Allison and the boys. You all piled into the car that Papaw just recently purchased from Aunt Linda and pretended that y'all were on a road trip to Dairy Queen for blizzards and after that y'all planned on heading out to California. Eventually I joined you in the car along with your Mother so we too could go to Dairy Queen and California. After it was apparent that an imaginary Mocha Moolatte isn't nearly as good as a real one we decided to head home.
      We got home and your mother immediately left for the grocery store. She wanted me to try to keep you awake so she could see you before you went to sleep.You had four onces of formula and played in the floor but eventually you became extremely fussy. I tried getting in the floor and playing with you, that worked for a little while. We watched your beta fish, Spike for a few minutes but nothing really seemed to make you happy. I fed you two more ounces; that didn't work. I changed your diaper; that didn't work. You were sleepy and wanted to go to bed. Aunt Lynn called and heard you crying so she jokingly threatened me because I had upset you. I finally decided that Mama wasn't going to get to see you before you went to bed. I picked you up and carried you in the kitchen and fixed you a juice bottle with cereal while I was holding you. It seemed that you knew what was going on because you quit crying after you saw the juice bottle being prepared for you. Just about the only time you get a juice bottle with cereal is bedtime. We went upstairs and into your nursery; we didn't have to take a bath because you had had one earlier at Mamaw & Papaw's house. I closed the door and fed you your bottle and then you fell asleep on my chest in record time. I placed you in your crib and filled up your cool mist humidifier and came downstairs. I was so proud of myself because I hardly ever put you to sleep because I have never been very successful at it. I ran all of your bottles through the dishwasher, picked up a little around the living room and watered the flowers. Your Mother returned from the grocery store with two weeks worth of food. We unloaded her car, put away the groceries and sat down for an episode of my favorite sitcom, Scrubs. About the time the show was going off you woke up. I hadn't put your pajama bottoms on or any socks on your feet. I had screwed up putting you to sleep again. I can get you to sleep but when I do it you never seem to stay asleep. Eventually after it was apparent
that you were having trouble getting back to sleep your Mother took you into our bedroom so you could sleep with her and eventually me when I finally go to bed.
      Sunday we had a Mother's Day cookout at Mamaw & Papaw's house. Granny was there as was Mamaw & Papaw, Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rodney, Uncle Donny & Aunt Martha, Aunt Louise & Uncle Tommy, Allison, Jon, Jacob, Nathan, Aunt Linda, Lucas and his new girlfriend, Jessica as well as two of her children. Plus the three of us, of course. We left early because Kristie was talking to Aunt Lynn, Mamaw & Papaw about the bold faced lie that the property manager had told us about the carpet and she got so very angry that she just wanted to go home. We didn't go home, of course. We drove all around Versailles and looked for new places to live. We didn't find any so we started heading back to our home but decided that since you were sleeping so soundly in the backseat of the car that we would take a little drive. We drove over to Lawrenceburg via the Bluegrass Parkway and then home via Tyrone. Eventually your Mother calmed down and decided that we didn't have to move right away. I was kind of glad about that. This place is pretty nice and I really like it here. Of course, it's not worth what we pay for it but we are all pretty happy here.
      Monday we went out to Wendy's for lunch and then took Granny to her physical therapy session. I really don't remember what else we did on Monday so I suppose it couldn't have been very noteworthy. Tomorrow I have doctor's appointment at four in the afternoon so we have decided to go out for lunch and then we're all going to get our hair cut, even you. Yep, you are about to get your very first haircut. We wanted to wait until you were a year old but your bangs are always falling in your eyes these days and your mother has fits with all of your unruly baby hair so we're going to do it a little early.
      I'm gonna let you go for now but I want you to know that, as always, Daddy Loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Hello my little big bird. You are getting so big! As Daddy previously mentioned, we went out yesterday for Mother's Day. You spent the night with your Mamaw. All of your cousins and of course Mamaw and Papaw had a ball with you. You learned to drink out of a straw! You impress and shock your poor old mother nearly every day.
   I went to pick you up this morning at Mamaw's house. You were sitting there outside in your stroller and your cousins were all playing with you. They really do love you. You love them, too. We hung around for a minute with Mamaw and the kids while Mamaw got your stuff together. Allison called Aunt Lynn and asked if she could come home with you & I. She said yes so we brought cousin Allison with us. Daddy and I had to go pick up the truck from the previous evening so we decided to go CiCi's for lunch. We all had a really nice time watching you get pizza all over your cute little baby self. You looked very cute in one of your new outfits and your new little walking shoes we bought for you at Babies R' Us.
   After Cici's we went to drop off our insurance bill and Allison decided to go home and mow their yard. You had slept all the way to the insurance office and also all the way to Aunt Lynn's so we just dropped Allison off without getting you out. I did not want to wake you up. Aunt Lynn bought you two very. very cute little shirts and she said you'd be looking quite stylish in the green one. Apparently that's the color that's "In" this year. I have no idea. I bought myself two new T-shirts and I consider that updating my wardrobe. We got home and you finally woke up. We gave you a bottle and you played a long time in the floor while Daddy and I watched a TV show. You decided you'd like another nap so we put you down for one. You woke up shortly after we put you down but you were by no means ready for that awakening. Daddy brought you downstairs and handed you to me and you lay there and slept on my belly/chest for the longest time. You rolled over a bit to where I could see your face and I told Daddy that I was watching the very best show I had ever seen. You are so beautiful little girl. I got no idea where you get that. Except for the fact that your Daddy is a very handsome man. A very handsome lucky man. He has you and I, after all. Ha, Ha.
   You finally woke up and I gave you some applesauce for dinner. Who knew how long it had been since you had any fruit. I know you had Ravioli and Moose Tracks Ice Cream but those things will come few and far between now and in the future. That means mostly at Mamaws. That's a Mamaw's job I suppose, and she is a very good Mamaw indeed. Aunt Mary called while you were eating to say that she was coming up next weekend. We are very excited about that. I can't wait for her to see you crawl. She says Scotty is taking her to the Circus for her birthday Friday night. So that will be very fun for the two of them. Shortly after you finished eating I decided to go to the store and get the things I need for the Mother's Day gathering. I am taking cole slaw and potato salad and fruit salad. I guess that makes me the MC of salad tomorrow. Lucky for me I only have to make the fruit salad and that is very easy. I am also taking ice and some drinks and a big bin to put said ice and drinks in. It was seven dollars but I went ahead and bought it because I knew we could use it for your party. And future gatherings as well. I came back home and Daddy and I nearly finished the show we had started and then you got a little fussy so we went ahead and put you down for the night. Right now you are sleeping peacefully in your room. You are such a good, sweet baby.
   On the subject of Mamaws and Mother's Day, I really wish you could have known your Grandmother, my Mother. She was a wonderful, sweet, and caring woman. Some things happened and she passed away. I'll tell you all about those things some day. Right now I just want to tell you about her.
   She was tall, almost five foot ten inches. We are hoping you'll be tall, but Daddy and I are so short we are not holding our breath. She had red hair she mostly kept short and the most beautiful green eyes I can ever remember seeing. They were almost a piercing green. Aunt Mary has eyes shaped a lot like hers, and I reckon so do you, because you have your Aunt Mary's eyes. She had porcelain white skin and the softest, sweetest, most meaningful smile a person could flash. She never smiled without meaning it; and when she smiled it literally lit up the room. She was a kid at heart, and when Mary and I were small she would play dress up with us, color pictures with us, 'race' us down the sidewalk, take us bike riding, to the park, and out for ice cream when we could afford it. She sang with a voice like an angel in the church choir, and around the house, too. I can remember her singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" to Mary and I, sitting out front on the porch swing of our tiny house on Deaton street, on many occasions. I can remember "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" at night and " You Are My Sunshine" in the morning. I can remember her gentle touch when we were sick or sad and her firm hand when we were wrong. I can recall a Christmas one year that we had next to nothing, and she invited all ten of the children and their parents that lived down the hill from us to share what we did have just so they would have a Christmas. too. She knitted sock dolls and made rubber band balls for all of the kids in that family and for Mary and I, too. I can recall her raising her hands high to Jesus and thanking him for what he had given her, though what she had was not much. Most of all I recall the love I felt, and still feel, for the most wonderful woman I have ever known. I can only hope against hope that I make half as good of a mother as she was in the very short time that I had her. She was an amazing woman and I will always hold her memory dear. Always.
   I wish I had pictures and photos of all of these things but sadly our first house in a place called "The Yards" in Hazard burned down when Aunt Mary and I were young and all of the photographs went with it. So I have to rely on my memory. And I remember that she loved us all very much. And I know that she would love you something fierce. How could she not?
   Well, little one, it's time for Mommy to dry her eyes and relax a bit before she takes a shower and heads to bed. We are supposed to go to church tomorrow but I don't know if we will make it. I love you so much little one, and I want you to know that on this Mother's Day, and every other, you have made me the happiest Mommy in the whole wide world. I love you!

Dear Rebecca,
                  I found out Wednesday that I'm gonna be off next week and maybe I'll be off for the next two or three but I wouldn't hold my breath about that at all. Sunday is Mother's Day and instead of buying something that your Mother really won't like she asked me to take her out for a night of dining, shopping and karaoke. She met me at work while you stayed with Mamaw & Papaw. We stopped by Zondervon's Family Bookstore and I purchased a tiny bible that I have been wanting, we went over to Wal-Mart and purchased a new shirt for myself because the one I had on was dirty and smelly from work and a few other odds and ends. We then went over to Outback Steakhouse off of Nicholasville Road for supper. I had a 12 ounce prime rib with a baked potato, a salad with 1000 Island dressing and about a gallon of ice tea, while your Mother had a 12 ounce Sirloin steak, fries, a salad with oil & vinegar, and a diet cola. We capped the meal off with a dessert they call a chocolate mountain which was much to rich for either of us. We split the dessert and still brought most of it home with us. We also had some bread while we were there. We both enjoy the bread at Outback. After supper we went over to Babies R Us and bought you some more formula. We drove all the way back to Southland Drive, close to where I work so Kristie could do her karaoke thing at a place called The Eleventh Frame which is located inside of Southland Bowling Lanes, ergo The Eleventh Frame. No one was in there at all except the guys running the karaoke machine so your Mother got to sing one song after another. She loves karaoke and I think she had a real great time. She even talked Daddy into singing a duet with her and then I sung one all by myself. I like to sing karaoke at least once a decade or so. The last time I sung was on the very first official date your Mother and I ever went on.
      While we were at Outback we called Mamaw & Papaw to make sure you were okay and she said that you were having a grand time with the boys and the dogs, Ruffie and Sadie. She also said that you were drinking from a straw for the first time. I'm glad that you did it with Mamaw & Papaw because while they get to see you all the time they still don't get to see many firsts in your young life. Kristie was real excited about you drinking through a straw. What did I tell you? You do something new and exciting almost every single day.
      We purchased a wider baby gate tonight for in between the living room and kitchen and I put it up when we got home. Now you will not be able to sneak into the kitchen when your Mother or I have our backs turned. We've got up all of the baby gates and there are only a few more things we have to do to make this place relatively baby safe. We have to get some toilet locks and some corner pads for my recliner table and then we'll be probably about set until your Mother sees something else that we must take care of that very second.
      We're considering moving to another apartment because we feel like we are getting jerked around by the property manager here. When we moved in there was a big hole in the carpet and he said that if our furniture did not cover it that he would replace it. It didn't cover it and we have been trying to get him to do something about for the past ten months to no avail. Thursday night you pulled some fibers out of the carpeting and tried to eat it which very well could have choked you. We kept trying to reach into your mouth so we could get it out but you kept biting our fingers. I brought some brown sugar from the kitchen and we put some on the tips of our fingers and put our fingers back in your mouth. You liked the brown sugar but I don't think it helped us any at all. You still bit like a little monkey. We eventually got the carpet fiber out and Kristie called the property manager while she was still righteously angry. She got his machine and he called back that evening as we were going to bed and was quite rude with Kristie. He called back the next day and told us he never said he would replace the carpeting but that he only said he would get us an area rug. That is not how I recall the conversation going at all and I don't like being jerked around by anyone. Our lease is up in July so we are going to start looking for a new place. We have a whole lot of great memories of your first year here and I do love the garage but I can not stand being taken advantage of.
      I reorganized your hard copy of this online journal tonight. It was getting much too thick to go into one binder so you now have Rebecca Lynn's Baby Journal Volume 1 which covers your life from the discovery that your Mother was pregnant with you until your birth and Rebecca Lynn's Baby Journal Volume 2 which will cover from your birth until the day before your first birthday. Eventually we hope to add volume 3 which will cover your first birthday through the day before your second birthday and hopefully even more after that. I'm surprised that the blog has been the success that it has been. We've had a whole lot of fun doing this blog and it's helped me work through many problems I have faced in the past nineteen months by just pouring out my feelings to you in the form of a letter. You are great therapy.
      Well, it's getting late and I told your Mother that I would not be up all night and of course I still have some television that needs watching because the television is not going to watch itself....Ha Ha. I had better go for now and as always remember that Daddy Loves Rebecca.

Dear Rebecca,
               Today you are ten months old. It certainly doesn't seem like you have been with us for ten whole months. It feels like you have always been here with us. This has been the most exciting and joyous ten months of my life. I am very happy with our little family.
      As your mother has mentioned in her two previous posts you have begun crawling all over the place. We had thought that you were going to skip crawling all together and go straight to walking. I guess you showed us wrong. One in thirty babies never crawl and we though that you just might be one of them. I'm really very glad that you did decide to crawl. You are so cute with your tiny baby self just crawling across the floor. I could watch you crawl all day long. Your Mother & I did watch you crawl around the floor for over an hour last night. You also love to play ball. No rolling the ball on the floor for you, you have to throw the ball and you get the ball where you want it to go most of the time.
      Saturday night Cousin Allison, Cousin Jacob and Cousin Jon came over while Aunt Lynn and Uncle Rodney went out for the evening. Jon and Jacob had fun playing ball with you until they started fighting over the ball. While they were here we watched Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Eventsand Mr. 3000 after you went to bed.
      Today after work Mamaw & Papaw came over to see us. Papaw helped me put up the baby gates at the bottom and top of the stairs. You played ball with both Papaw and Mamaw. It seems that you know exactly who Mamaw and Papaw are because Mommy would tell you to throw the ball at Papaw and you would throw it to Papaw and when she said to throw it to Mamaw you threw it to Mamaw.
      It seems that every day you do something else new that amazes and astounds us. Just today your Mother said that you balanced in a standing position for a good thirty second. I can't wait until I see you do it. I'm gonna close out for now. Remember little girl, Daddy Loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                     Hello my little crawling bird. Wow! We are so impressed by you. This evening you crawled into and all around the kitchen. That means we are going to have to put the gates up very soon. Your favorite thing to look at is yourself and I am sorry to say that the stove and dishwasher door perfectly reflect your beautiful face. We can't have you getting hurt. The biggest thing you did this evening, however, was crawling into the kitchen and pointing at the pantry. You wanted something. I didn't know if you really did or not until you went back into the kitchen, pointed at the fridge, and then went back into the kitchen and pointed at the pantry again. I picked you up and opened the door. I said "What do you want Rebecca?" And Guess WHAT? You pointed at your animal crackers. In the words of baby bear, you are so SMAWWWT!
   Well this was just a short blog to fill you in on our evening together. Daddy and I are so impressed by you. You do something new and exciting and fun every day. We love you so much.

Dear Rebecca,
                     My goodness, you are feeling a lot better. I have a touch of your cold but so far it hasn't gotten too bad. I hope it doesn't. I know how miserable you were with it, my poor baby.
      We got your pictures back from Sears and they are awesome. You are such a photogenic and happy child. Daddy and I really are so very lucky to have you. Just when we think we can't be any further impressed or astounded by you, you go and prove us wrong. Tonight you crawled across the living room floor! We didn't think you would ever actually crawl. We had seen you crawl a little, as in "scooting" a step here and there. But this was the full-blown real deal. You looked so cute doing it. Daddy got a video of it. You are simply amazing.
      We played with you and took pictures and videos of you all evening after your little crawl. We lost track of time so I had forgotten to give you your dinner. You were sitting in front of the love seat eating a JCPenney Spring Sale Catalog. I felt simply terrible for forgetting about your supper. Daddy and I weren't hungry because we ate a big lunch at CiCi's Pizza. We went there today after Daddy's appointment with the nutritionist. We also went to the grocery store. Everywhere we went someone commented on just how beautiful you are. One of the stock ladies at Kroger went and got you a balloon. You do love a balloon. You've played with that all evening as well.
      The Coup Da Grace' of the evening, however, was the fact that you and Daddy played ball together. I mean actually played ball. I bought you a Strawberry Shortcake ball at KMart a while back and you never really did much of anything but bite on it. Or at least try to. Daddy rolled it to you this evening and you rolled it back a couple of times, and then you decided that you would rather throw it. I do believe you learned that little trick from your cousins, Jon and Jacob. You like to watch them play basketball. I am so amazed by just how very smart you are. I thank God every day that he gave me such a wonderful gift. You mean more to me than anything in this world and I am so very very proud of you.
      Well little one, you and Daddy are in bed and it's my night to stay up a little late. I just might get to play The Sims 2 tonight. Who knows? Anything could happen. Mommy loves her baby bird!

Dear Rebecca,
                     Hello there my pretty little baby bird. You and I took yet another trip to the pediatrician today. You are not feeling well at all. Not at all. The doctor said today that you had a really bad ear infection (on a scale of one to four, it's a three), and a bad cold. Not to mention you are still teething so you are one unhappy little baby bird. You are feeling a little better today now that we have some antibiotic and some infant's advil in you but you cried and cried and cried so hard yesterday that it broke mine and Daddy's heart. We had no idea what to do for you when you were screaming so. We thought it might be your teeth so we put some little teether's numbing medicine on your gums and you screamed and cried a little while longer, then you finally tuckered out in your room and slept in your brand-new big girl bed that Mamaw and Granny are letting us use. You slept a long time, almost four hours. We tried to get you up once but you would have none of it. You just wanted to sleep and we decided to let you do it. It did keep us up some last night because of it though.
   I slept with you in your room last night and you and I woke up several times to walk the floor and sing some songs. We had a couple of ba-bas and some Gerber Liquilytes (it's like Pediatlyte, only you can mix it a bottle at a time) and just to play a while once. Once when we woke up we watched a movie of yours called Baby Einstein: Baby Shakespeare and had half a container of vanilla pudding. You were so sweet just sitting in my lap, staring up at your movie and trying to give out a little smile. You were so miserable. You had been running a fever all day and it still hadn't broken, despite the tylenol we had been giving you. The only thing that seemed to comfort you in the fever department was when Daddy rubbed a nice, cool, wet baby wipe across the back of your neck. You sat on my legs and just sat so still and let him do it.
   You are all stuffy and red around the nose and I feel so terrible that I can't do anything. Daddy and I hate so bad to see you suffer. If we could take it on ourselves we would. Even though you were feeling so badly today you smiled at everyone you saw. Everyone just made and made over how cute & pretty you were. Mamaw stopped by to see you and with her you were your usual cheery self. She didn't seem to think you were feeling too badly but shortly after she left Daddy put you down for a nap and in the middle of dinner you woke up screaming in pain again. We gave you some tyelnol because the doctor said we could alternate the Ibuprofen & acetaminophen. The tylenol has taken effect a little and now you are playing in the floor. You are still a little fussy but are doing better for now. You have my shoe though and I told Daddy to take it. You don't need to be playing with or chewing on nasty old tennis shoes
   Well little girl I am exhausted and I want to rest a little before it's your bathtime and our bedtime. I so hope you get to feeling better soon. And as always, Mommy loves her baby bird.

Dear Rebecca,
                  As your Mommy mentioned in the previous post, you had an appointment with the pediatrician on Wednesday. You'll be happy to know that you are perfectly healthy. On April 20th, the day of your appointment, your height was 29½ inches which puts you in the 95th percentile, your weight was 21 pounds and six ounces which puts you in the 90th percentile and the circumference of your head was 47½ centimeters which puts you in the 95th percentile for that category. You didn't have any shots this time around, which I'm sure was a nice for you. I know it was nice for your Mother. She hates it when you have shots and cry so hard.
      Also on Wednesday, on orders from your Mother, I went to Granny's and picked up a twin bed that she had in her spare room that wasn't being used and brought it home. Papaw and I took it upstairs to your room and your Mother totally rearranged the furniture in your room. She wants the bed in there so she can lay in there with you when you have trouble sleeping. I just hope you don't get it into your head that Mommy should always sleep in your room.
      Thursday everyone where I work went on and on about how beautiful you are. They especially liked your pretty blue eyes and your outgoing personality. I was such a proud Papa. I hung around at the front lobby with you well past the time I would have normally left because I wanted all the people at work to see what a wonderful little girl I have. Later that evening I went to see Jon play baseball at the county park. You and your Mother stayed home with Allison, who didn't want to go to the game. As you may have remembered from posts from last year he plays for the DiamondBacks. Next year he'll play for a different team because he will be moving up a step age division. As I was saying, Jon had a pretty fair game. He had a few hits and an unassisted double play when he was playing first base. I have already forgotten who they played but the game ended in a seven to seven tie. They have a time limit in little league. Jacob has elected not to play baseball this year.
      Friday I had to get home quick and get ready so we could all go to Jon's eighth birthday party at a Lexington Legends game. His birthday was actually weeks ago but Friday was the handiest day for everyone's schedule. We all made it to the park and we went to the party area. There the bigger children had pizza while the adults had hot dogs and stuff that you are supposed to eat at a baseball game; I had a funnel cake, I love funnel cakes, and you had a hot dog. For some reason you kept on knocking over everyone's french fries. You got ketchup All over your hands and on your cute little outfit. Then your Mother took you on a merry-go-round for the very first time. You rode a doggy. I don't think you knew exactly what was going on. After you had your ride with Mommy you took a ride with Allison who put you on a big white lepus, which is a big ole' white rabbit. The national anthem played while you were on the rabbit with Allison. Everyone should always stand at attention when the national anthem is being played but since you can't stand yet you just kept on going in circles on the merry-go-round.
      Finally it was time to find our seats so you could watch your very first professional baseball game or any baseball game for that matter. That was only the second professional baseball game I had ever seen and the first one was two years ago with your Mother, before you were even a glimmer in our eyes. The Legends played the Lakeland Blue Claws. The game was actually turning out to be a pretty decent one, at least I think it was. You just didn't seem all that interested in baseball and kept pulling my cap off and trying to throw it. You love taking off peoples caps for some unknown reason. So you were keeping both your Mother and myself a little preoccupied.
      The score was tied in the top of the fifth inning and we were all anxiously awaiting the sixth inning when they were supposed to take Jon on to the field and wish him a happy birthday. Aunt Lynn received a call. A tornado had just touched down a few counties over and it was heading our way. It was debated what we should all do. Some in the birthday party left right away, while others thought our best bet would be the concourses there at the park in the event of a tornado. Eventually we all decided to leave the park. As we were walking down the concourse we were told to go into the nearest bathroom for shelter. The entire birthday party went into the women's bathroom in the concourse, including Papaw, Jon, Jacob, Uncle Rodney, all of Jon's friends and even myself. Needless to say, I am quite uncomfortable standing in the women's bathroom for any reason, including natural disasters. Jon was kind of scared about the storm but he cheered up as he started to open birthday presents right there in the women's bathroom. No tornados came and Jon never got to go on the field but we all had a memorable night.
      Well, I suppose I will let you go for now because I want to watch just a few moments of television before I hit the proverbial hay. And of course, as always Daddy loves Rebecca!