Pretty as a Picture

My old friend, Sanity

Ok, so once again it has been a while since I have blogged. My reason being again that I went to Florida for a week. It was a spur of the moment trip that Allie and I enjoyed to the Max. Sorry, no pictures this time. My camera case made it out of the car, but my camera didn't. Why my camera was not in my case you ask, well, it's me, Dana, the most unorgonized human on the planet, so my things are never where they are supposed to be. We spent the week with my sister Tracy who is taking a little time off of work, and it was great. Allie ACTUALLY liked Tracy, giving her kisses and hugs and everything. This is unusual 1., because she likes Tracy and who likes Tracy right? HEHE, You know I love you Trace, and 2., Allie doesn't like anyone but me until she really gets to know you so for her to like Tracy right off the bat was amazing. My other sister Kelly almost went into labor for like the fifth time, (j/k Kelly) with Nolan who is finally considered full term so come on down Nolan!! Layne was CITIZEN OF THE MONTH at her school! Hello, in a five year old's world, that is like being the President or something! And Bayli, well let's just say she rocks the softball world. My girl pitched this week and struck three people out in one inning, and incase you haven't figured it out by now, that is ALL the outs in an inning! So anywho, everyone is doing great and I loved seeing everyone and it was extra hard for me to come back this time. Now you may be wondering why I titled this blog My old friend, Sanity. I will tell you why, because I haven't slept since I have gone to Florida until last night. Allie got ALL out of wack in Florida, so we have had to work on sleeping again. Last night my girl went eight hours in her own bed before I had to get her up to feed her. That means I got six hours of straight sleep. A year ago that would have stunk, but to any new mother six hours is absolutely incredible. I woke up this morning at 5:00 and was so excited about my sleep I couldn't go back to sleep. So here I sit, at 7:00 still extremely excited, so excited I want to tell the world about it! So, hello sanity for now, I am sure I will lose it again soon though. When I do, I will be sure to let you know!

Battle of the Wills

Little miss Allie has been so much more playful lately. She is banging things and shaking things and learning that her hands can do so much more than just be pretty to look at. So, lately my little one has not liked going to sleep. She has learned that life goes on after she goes to sleep, and she pitches a fit every time I put her in her bed. The last couple of times she has screamed bloody murder to where I think something must be wrong. I go in there to pick her up, only to find that she stops crying the minute I do and looks at me with a big smile. I learned something too, she thinks she won. She got me, I did exactly what she wanted me to do. So, now comes the battle of the wills. Who will win, Allie or Mommy. I hope Mommy does, but it is going to be tough. I won this time though, she is in there sound asleep, much to her dismay.

My Precious Family

Note to self : Never mention one or two family members specifically in a blog without expecting phone calls from other family members. Yes, I recieved another call informing me that I never mentioned them specifically, I won't mention any names but it starts with a T and ends in and i and the two letters inbetween are on. So anyway, I have decided to mention all of my brothers and sisters, inlaws, nieces and nephews all at one time so that I won't recieve any more phonecalls. If I forget you, tough! hehe!

Toni: I love you most for your big sister qualities. I will never forget how when I was growing up you picked me up from school, softball practice, friends houses all without any complaints. You let me spend the night at your house and eat goodies, and you never ever made me feel like a nuisance. I love you too for your preparedness. You plan things two months in advance and even that is getting a late start! I always know we can count on you for cookie day, Christmas meals, mom and dads present ideas, and many other things!!

Randy: I love you because you make every word count. You are a man of few words, but you can gaurantee that you will either laugh, or say yeah that's right at everything Randy says. You are truely an added blessing to this family.

Bayli: I love you the most for your maturity. You have always been one a little bit ahead of the game, and you are the most responsible eight year old that I know. Being my first niece, you hold an extra special place in my heart.

Kelly: I love you most for your sweet nature. I don't know of anyone that is sweeter, and you have always been that way towards me. I know I had to get on your nerves bad as your little tagalong, but you never showed it. You are very optimistic, and always wonderful to be around even if things are not going so great.

Chris: I love you the most for being my sisters night in shining armor. You have loved her and Layne as they should be loved, and for that I will be eternally grateful to you. You also always seem genuinely happy to see Michael and I when we are down, and your laught absolutely cracks me up!

Layne: I love you the most for just being so darn cute. I could literally eat your cheeks off, and I often think of your little smile as I fall to sleep because it eases my mind. I will always treasure our memories of your visits to Georgia!

Nolan: You aren't here yet but I already love you for all of the memories you will give us. You are a cute little thing from the pictures I have seen of you, and I can't wait for the opportunity to hold you in my arms.

Tracy: I love you the most for your love that you have for me. You have always been my protector, and I never feared because I had you for a sister. You call me the most out of everyone down there just to tell me you love me and miss me, and you don't know how much that means to me. Being close in age, we grew up more like bestfriends, and I will never forget the bond that we share that will forever be woven through eternity.

Jason: I love you most for your laugh and smile. I smile when you smile, and you work hard for your family even when it seems it is too much. You don't complain alot even though sometimes I know you want to, making me want to have a more positive attitude.

McKayla: I love you the most for making our family complete. It is as if we have had you all along in our family, and I really don't know what we would do without you. You are the sweetest young lady that I know!

Emma: I love you most for your precious little personality. You are so sweet, but you can also be a little fireball which reminds me of the bigger version of you. I love your hugs and kisses, and I could just hold you for hours.

Jake: I love you the most for being all boy. You are definitely a Sumner as you remind me a lot of my little brothers growing up. You have just enough sweetness in you to make me want to eat you up.

Adam: I love you most for your well roundedness. You are just an all around great guy. Sweet, funny, attractive, and you never gave up on what you wanted, (Kendall) even when others were telling you you should. I will always respect you for that because I am so thankful to have her as a sister.

Kendall: I love you the most for your genuiness. You love my brother and nephew with your whole heart, and treat us as if we were your own blood. I love you like a sister.

Luke: Well, you are just precious. I could look at you all day. When you smile, your whole face smiles, and you have the most precious little nature about you!

Forrest: Being the baby of all of us, I could go on and on. You are daddy made over, and I think that is what I love most about you. You are so sweet and so much fun to be around. You aren't afraid to show your emotions with a hug and a kiss, and you tell me you love me. I love that about you.

Return of the Missing Squash

The other night I fed Allie squash, which she liked as she has liked everything I have given her so far. Good thing she isn't picky because I am only really good at cooking a few things so she won't have much of a variety to choose from! Well, I returned to the kitchen with the squash that she didn't eat, fully intending to put it in the refrigerator. I also had my plate from supper, so I put my plate next to the sink after dumping my leftovers in the trashcan. Well, a few seconds later I thought, "what did I do with the squash?" Michael assured me that I had it with me when I went to the kitchen. I looked in the fridge, wasn't there, I looked in the trashcan, wasn't there. I looked on the table, in the cabinets, in the pantry, wasn't there. I searched high and low, here and there and everywhere. So I just wrote off that half of a jar of squash and knew it would turn up some day in the place where I least expected it to. Well, it did. The next morning I went to the microwave to warm my coffee, and when I opened the door, there was that half jar of squash that I intended to put in the fridge. Why I put it in the microwave, I will never know, and how I didn't remember that I put it in the microwave after just a few seconds of doing so is even more scary!!!

Number 1 Ninny

Well, after my post of Pa I was again kindly reminded by my mother that she has never had a post specially for her. I would like to remind you mom that I thank you for staying home with us on my profile and that you are such a good example to me, but nonetheless I will tell the world why I think you are by far the Number 1 Ninny in my book:

#1. When you call, Ninny answers. No matter what, if Ninny is needed, Ninny is there. I don't know what me, Allie and Michael would do without her selflessness. She was here for me when I had Allie, a week after I had her, a week when I went back to work, and always comes when she gets the call from me that says "mom, I need you bad, please come," which you will be getting soon so get ready. She is the most dependable person I know.

# 2. She has great songs. She has made up so many songs while raising us, which she now enjoys singing to her grandchildren. I find myself singing them a lot, and always let Allie know where I got them from.

#3. Ninny loves her grandkids as much as her own children. If there is a need, she fills it, and everyone can see the love that she has for all eight of new additions to the family. It doesn't matter how they made it in the family either by one of her own children or by marraige, she loves them all the same!

# 4. "Ninny talks." When one the grandchildren are acting up, they are faced with a Ninny talk. She sits down with them and has a talk about their recent behavior, and it never fails that both Ninny and the one being talked to get up smiling. She knows just what to say.

#5. Last but not least, she is the best mother in the world so it only makes sense that she is the best Ninny in the world. I don't know of anyone who is so passionate about their family, and who loves with a more genuine love!

The Greatest Pa in the World

I was talking to my dad this morning, and it was kindly brought to my attention that in the post that I did of my family in Florida, Pa was neither pictured, or given an "honarable mention" as he called it like the other people who were not pictured did. So, in light of this new information, I thought I would "honor" him by telling you why he is the greatest Pa in the world. Pa has several talents.

# 1.His first and most noticable one is he is great at earning the affection of even his tiniest new grandchildren by drawing their attention to his hat. They gaze in awe as he raises their tiny little faces to this wonderful object that sits atop his head.

# 2. Pa has an uncanny ability to smell out a stinky diaper. There could be four babies in the room, no one else being bothered by this smell that Pa swears exists. As each parent checks the diapers of their little one, sure enough one of them has gone poo poo.

# 3. Pa is absolutely unable to let a baby just cry even if that is the intention of the well meaning parent. If Pa is anywhere in the vacinity of a crying baby, he rescues them from the mean parents that are just sitting there watching the baby cry. Hence, a bunch of spoiled rotten grandchildren who will eventually always reach for the Pa!

# 4. Pa never holds a crying baby who wants its mama. He does not believe in making a baby upset, therefore doing anything in his power to stop the crying, especially if he is holding Allie because we all know that when the girl wants her mama, the girl wants her mama!

# 5. Pa has the greatest ability to let each grandchild know they are loved in a very unique special way. He connects with each child differently through different interest of theirs, and is always there with words of love, encouragement and understanding as he always was with us!

Sweet Moments

You know those moments. Every mother has them. You are doing the same routine things you do everyday, and then you look down at your precious little one and think, I have to capture this on camera. The other day I was getting Allie ready for church, hurrying after her bath to get her dressed, and I looked down at my little darling and thought, now if that isn't the cutest baby in the world I don't know who is! She immediately eats her toes now everytime I put her on the changing table. I have to fight with her to get them out of her mouth so I can put her diaper on her. I tried to eat one of them to see what was so great about it, but it just didn't do it for me:). To each girl her own!!