Code

 A few days ago, I was out running errands with Ham and his Maw Maw.

Running errands with a nine month old is not an easy task, but with Maw Maw there, things were running very smoothly.

Maw Maw didn't know she was running errands with us today. She thought we were just eating dinner.

"Would you mind running to the grocery store with us?"

"Sure. No problem!" she said.

And I thought: Thank God.

So off we went to the grocery store.

While Maw Maw chitchatted with Ham and wheeled him around the store, I flew down the isles and grabbed everything I needed.

Maw Maw was teaching Ham how to blow air out of his mouth like you do for your birthday candles. And he hasn't been able to stop doing it since.

When we go to the check out line, I threw everything on the table. And then I realized I may not need that much Heavy Cream so I asked the cashier if she could take some off.

"Oh sure, Hold On," She said. Then she screamed "Code ______!!!" and then again "Code____!!"

And as soon as she was finished screaming the last Code. My son screamed something that sounded a whole lot like "Code".

And everyone in the store within ear shot  turned to him and said "What did he just say?"

My mom and I laughed. "It sounded like he said code"

And then as everyone smiled and chuckled a little, my son turned to the cashier, raised his pointing finger and fussed at her.

I mean really fussed at her. Shaking his finger and pointing at her.

 And I turned bright red.

I don't know what she did to make him so mad, but he was pretty angry.

"Is he fussing at me?"

"Um....I don't know" But I did know. He was.

Everyone looked at him and they then looked up at me. "Yep he's a talker...." I laughed and I gave Maw Maw a look like let's get out of here.

2nd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting

Last night was the 2nd Annual Gretna Christmas Tree Lighting.

After a day spent with my Uncle Frank and chasing his cousins in the walker, my little guy was almost to tired to go. But somehow when I put him in his Santa suit, he found his last bit of energy.

I put him in the stroller and wheeled him down to the Santa festivities with his two cousins in tow.

We passed the florist shop and stopped to check out their Christmas decorations.

And Baby Santa got to see Baby Jesus.

There was hot chocolate and cookies.

And after much anticipation.....

Santa showed up in style on a fire truck of the oldest volunteer fire department in the country. Or so I've been told many times.

And we were excited.

Some of us were just tired.

But not to tired to tell Santa his job was taken.

Deck the windows

My cousin, Sally, has been painting windows in an old folks home since Thanksgiving and today she recruited Marie and me to paint the remaining windows.

It's been too long since I picked up a paintbrush, so I was really excited about it.

This morning we gathered some painting supplies and headed over there.

When we got there, I immediately recognized the main room. I came here to play Bingo with the our school's mission club. It is here that I learned two important things. One was that I love, and I mean LOVE Bingo and the other is that I love Angel Food Cake. For some reason everytime we played Bingo, we almost always shared angel food cake with our elderly friends. And it was awesome.

Anyway Marie and I set to work on three large windows and Sally worked on a window on the other side of us.

And as I painted the windows, I started to notice that I had an audience. I also noticed a lot over things. Call me an easedropper, but this is what I found out.

1) Someone had the nerve to sneak into the nurses station and steal a grill cheese sandwich.
2) The best bet for dinner tonight is the chicken salad sandwich.
3) Bingo started at 3 o clock.

And as we painted and painted.......

And painted....

I realized that I may have some competition.

"Oh, I can do that!" a woman screamed at me. I was crouching on the floor painting some leaves and I glanced up to see who it was. This woman wheeled her wheelchair right next to me. She looked me square in the face. "I can do that."

"You can?" I smiled at her. "Well than sure! We need your help."

She laughed a big old laugh. "Hah! I was just kiddin with ya." And off she went.

And then a little while later. A man came wheeling around the corner.

"I sure hope it rains tomorrow.....I just sure hope it rains....I just love rain. I just love the rain. I just LOVE it when it rains."

I chuckled. "So you love the rain?"

"I do. I just love it."

And then he sang me a song about it. About loving the rain. And when his song came to an end he sang "I love the rain..........like I love maaaaaaaaash potaaaaaatooooos."

I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't laugh, because it was a good song and that is some serious love of rain.

And pretty soon I was hungry and with some change Sally gave me I headed down the hall to the vending machine.

"Could you wheel me to room 23"

Sure I said and I dropped Jane off at her room.

As soon as I dropped her off I was spotted by someone else. "Could you take me to my room?" By the time I got to the vending machine I had wheeled four people. And on the way back I picked up someone to take to the lunch room.

As we wheeled down the hall, whoever I had was worried about how everyone else was doing. They would turn to their friends and say "Are comfortable?" "Do you need anything?"

And sometimes they would be plain aggravated with each other. At one point a man wheeled over to me and almost wheeled through me as I was painting. A woman from our audience screamed "Backwards!" to this man. She looked at me and said "Forwards and Backwards - that's all he understands". And sure enough he backed up and moved right along.

Before we knew it, we had filled the windows with bright flowers and it was time to call it a day. And I was a little sad because Bingo would be starting soon for my new friends and where there's Bingo, there's almost always Angel Food Cake.

Room to Grow

It seems like time is flying by fast. I think it flies by faster when you throw a child into the mix. I never had a chance to put up pictures of Ham's room or explain why I choose what I did for it. Since I feel like it has already changed so much from Day 1 because we had to lower the crib twice, remove the bumpers, and the mobile. I wanted to put together some pictures that would remind me of how it once was, because soon we will have to baby proof it all over again. It won't be long before this little guy is walking. So here it goes.

This was one of first pictures we have from when we were finished putting everything together. Some people use a theme, but I just went with whatever felt right, so there are farm animals, maps, sailboats and pictures of our family.

The wall has pictures from when Mr. Yardbird and I were kids and pictures of our family. The lamp and maps are from Mr.Yardbird's bachelor days.

 These are details of the wall of pictures. The top is a picture of Mr. Yardbird and his grandparents outside by the swimming pool. Below is a picture of Mr. Yardbird on our wedding day with his momma. :)

The "H" was from the Saenger Theater! It was a thrift store find by a friend of mine. The embroidered picture below was something passed down for years and years. I'm kidding. It's new. I'm not telling where I got it though. :)

The bear hanging on the door was a gift from Mama B that was placed on the hospital door the day we had him. The ABC bear on the bottom is gift from MawMaw. Ham likes to jam out to the ABC song it plays when you press his foot. The sailboat bookends were from Mr. Yardbird's college days.

This picture in the frame was taken the day Mr. Yardbird left to India. Ham was three months old. The lamp was Mr. Yardbird's lamp from childhood. The globe was gift to Ham from Mr. Yardbird's trip to Germany. The airplane was bought for Ham on the way to drop Mr. Yardbird off at the airport on his way to India. The wooden hammer was made by our friend in honor of Ham's nickname the "hammer".

This is probably what Ham finds most interesting in his room - his daddy's globe. 

So many long nights in this chair. :)

(The pillow is from Mr. Yardbird's childhood.)

 I didn't have much closet space to work with, but I am thankful that I at least had A closet to work with!

This is the inside cubbie of Ham's crib. Make Way for Ducklings is one that we read the most often. We all love saying each of the duck's names, Quack, Mack, Wack.....even Ham laughs when he hears them. The coaster was from my Aunt Carrie's house. :) I use it to put my coffee on while I rock Ham to sleep. Little reminders of her make me happy. 

I know I'll get a lot of finger shaking for this one. However, we did remove them after he went to sleep. Left to right is Ralph, Ham, Eeyore and Carl.

 This was taking right before Ham realized that when he pushed the bumper down there was a whole other world on the other side. Once he learned how to do it, he never stopped looking.

 This is the day Ham learned to stand up. He was 7 months old. Once he learned we could not get him to sit down. Seriously.

Yes Ham, we threw a lot of things together to make your room feel like home.

A Constant Audience

I was in a hurry.

I always am on Tuesdays.

Seems like the whole day passes by in a blink and what do I have to show for it?

That's the way it was this past Tuesday anyway.

It was afternoon time already. It was time for class. I was packing my purse, Ham's bag, my schoolbag. My car.

And then my husband called.

"Do you need my help?" He asked. "I'm passing by anyway. I left something I need at the house."

Truth is, I didn't need his help. I had this down to a science, and he knows that. The real reason he calls anyway is to see if he can swing by and see our son even for five minutes.

"Yeah you could help me load up everything in the car." I lied as I closed the door to the already packed car.

While we wait for him, I pace around the house with Ham on my hip. He digs his fingers into my arm, clutching for dear life as I swing through each room of the house surveying its contents.  I feel like I'm forgetting something.

My mind is in a million places at once. It's in school, it's making grocery lists, it's making dinner, and it's baby proofing the house for the tenth time this week. And now it's telling me that the diaper I just changed needs to be changed again. And it's wondering if I have time for that and if I'm going to be late for class. Again.

I'm stressed.

I hoist my baby sack of potatoes onto the diaper changing table and he looks at me like "Didn't we just do this?" And I shake my head at him as if to say "Ye, we did. And here we are again." He starts the diaper change whine, but I'm too tired and stressed to think of anything to combat it. Usually there's a least a song I could come up with or something within arm's reach he can play with. But I have nothing.

"I'm tired, Ham." I tell him. "Your mom is stressed out. You know those binders I've been working on...well one of them is due tonight."

I flip the diaper genie open, jam the diaper in and as I turned back to Hammy, I stopped.

Ham who whines his way through every diaper change decided it was time to start..... clapping for the first time.

I threw my arms in the air and I screamed. "You're clapping?!!" And because I was so proud I could have cried I started clapping with my hands high above my head. And that's when Henry stopped because, I think I probably scared him.

A few minutes later I was telling my husband how our son clapped for me. "He can clap!" I said. And try as we might he would not do it again.

"Come on Ham, show your dad. Clap. Clap. Clap." I clapped and clapped.

And my son, sniffed the air and whipped his head around defiantly. I am not a puppetshow, mom.

I shrugged my shoulders and we got in the car to leave.

"Be Careful." My husband said. "There's a lot of crazy people on the road right now."

I smiled at him. He always says that.

He headed back inside and I turned the car on and threw it in reverse. My mind that was in a million places was now tickled with excitement over the fact that our boy had learned how to clap.

I wondered if he understood what I was telling him before he clapped. Remember, how I had that huge project due?

And just as I was about to be on my way, I backed my car right smack into another car.

Yep. I backed my car into........my other car.

I gasped. I look in the rearview mirrior and then I flip around and confirmed exactly what my mirrior already told me. I hit our car. Both of them.

So I pull in the drive and I survey the damage. Then I glance back at the house. And I think about how to tell my husband. Because he's not going to be happy about this.

I jog up the steps, throw open the door, and yell real loud "Mr. Yardbird!  I  hit a car with our car! Yep. It's okay.....And um the other car just so happened to be.....well, it just so happened to be our other car! Now, Isn't that just convenient! And don't worry cause Hammy and I and the cars, we are all just fine.....So um... I'm late for school! Bye!"

And I left the scene of the crime faster and more careful then ever before.

And as I drove off....I heard it. Yep, the sound of little hands clapping in the back seat. Good job, mom. You finished up your project and you busted up both of our cars.

Year Two - October 23, 2011

Year two of our marriage was the funniest one yet,
There were moments plain silly that were hard to forget.
This year we welcomed Hammy our funny little man,
This year you bought Equate, Sam's Choice and store brands.

This year we ate yellow squash and spaghetti squash too,
We thought we were healthy if that's all we'd do,
We planted lots of plants, they died pretty quick,
Now we have a great garden with bunchs of sticks.

And this year it wasn't me who fell off of the bike,
After you screamed in the air that you loved married life,
No it was you as you passed that camera crew and the bride,
As they took her protraits on the levee outside.

More B movies we watched and I guess I'll admit,
That I might have liked them just a tiny little bit.
If you really must know I guess I realized,
They weren't that bad if I just closed my eyes,


There was the one with the man in a cliff his arm stuck.
And the cave divers in the cave when a hurricane struck.
And the people whose boat sank in the shark filled ocean,
The shark ate them up because they caused a commotion.


Every day we'd take a break and to relax you just knew
That I'd like watching eric forman and that seventies crew,
We watched every episode, one everyday
Until now we're almost finished and it's a sad thing to say.


And travel you did to India and back,
You ate lots of vegetables but the meat they did lack,
And the three of us skyped and we talked a whole lot,
They liked you so much there that you got a head dot.

And this year we had a sidekick who kept us up late,
and we learned how to hurtle over baby gates,
We learned to drink cold coffee, to eat with one hand,
And we jammed to baby music like a rock and roll band.


This year was kind of messy, sleepless, and crazy,
But I'm glad for it, really, and our goofy, fun baby.
I'm happy for year two with a man like you,
Because without you to laugh with, than what would I do?

Year One - Click Here

The Day You Were Born - Part 10 - Our Sidekick

So we were standing there, Hammy, thinking it was time to go back up to the baby birthing room and wondering if there was anything else we could do to get this going.

And then I remembered.

I couldn't remember where I saw it. Maybe I read it somewhere?

Who knows.

I looked at your dad and I said, "Hammy's Daddy, we need to get on the elevator."

"To go back to the triage?"

"No." I said. "To jump."

Your dad is such a good sport, Ham. You know why? Because even if your dad thought the idea was preposterous, he would never tell me that.

Instead your dad supported my arm as I wobbled my tired big body to the elevator.

"I don't remember if I saw this, or if I read it...." I rambled on "but I think some couple said they took the elevator to the highest floor and when they came back down, she jumped as high as she could. I think....I think it helped the baby get into position."

Your poor dad. He just smiled and nodded. Sure Mrs. Yardbird, sure.

I pushed the elevator button and up we went. And then I pressed the hospital lobby button and braced myself for a jump like no other. I guess in my mind, my body would miracously lift itself off of the ground like a basketball player's slam dunk and I would slam back down to the earth with such force the Earth would crack.

It doesn't work like that when you're pregnant.

Nope.... a little bitty hop was all I could muster.

Should we try it again?

No, Ham. Time was up.

It was time to go back.

After a long night of random adventures, your dad and I were ready to call it a night. It was morning time anyway.

It was your big day.

And as your dad and I made our way back, I replayed in my mind all the events that had transpired in the last 24 hours.

I thought about those kids I had gone to observe for school and that tiny chair that I had to sit on. I even thought about the kids that whispered behind my back and the one who confirmed I was indeed being bad mouthed.

And I smiled a little because it was funny.

I thought about how I managed to squeeze in a haircut while I was blissfully unaware that I was in labor.

And I smiled because that's something that would happen to me.

I thought about that potato soup your dad and I ate so calmly on the back porch, that horroble B Movie, Moon, your dad was watching and how I recorded my contractions in a word document. That is still saved on my computer to this day.

Ham, I even thought about that how I demanded to have McDonalds only to not be able to eat it and then have your dad run over it, over and over again with his truck in the parking lot.

And I shook my head, because your dad is so weird, sometimes. But he is ours, so I guess you and I will keep him.

And all those things made me realize that it was the perfect end to a great adventure with just me and your dad.

Your dad and I had been a great team.

Ham, it was time to move over and make room for one more sidekick in the Batmobile.

A sidekick we like to call Hammer.

And just a few short hours later, your proud daddy held you up in the air so I could see you. So I could catch a glimpse of the little guy who I was certain loved powdered doughnuts, kicking me in the ribs, and Jack Johnson songs. And at that moment a new adventure began for all three of us.

And of course no new adventure is complete without  a sparkling freshly cleaned truck, courtesy of your father who loves you a whole lot.


The End.