Twinkle Twinkle Bitty Bee

Willa Ann reminds me of a little star. She literally twinkles!  

Twinkle Twinkle Bitty Bee

Oh how much you mean to me

You came to us from heaven above

And filled our hearts with so much love

Twinkle Twinkle Bitty Bee

Oh how much you are to me

Having two children has cured my "Middle Child Syndrome" to a degree. I had quite the revelation this morning---it is impossible to parent each child the same way because each child is so different. This is a big "no duh" to most people out there I am sure. I, however, need to see if Hallmark carries a MCS card to send to my parents. Hey Mama and Daddy--you two are officially off the hook.

Charlie Mac could sleep anywhere as long as I nursed him to sleep. Until now I thought that I had made a mistake doing that and that I was also denying Willa Ann that because she just gets rocked till she's drowsy and falls asleep in her bed. I was in a catch 22 emotionally. I thought that I was being selfish just to get her to go to sleep more easily--nevermind that it's a skill that's good for her too. Mama guilt reigns supreme. WELL--I now feel that all things are equal because Little Miss will NOT sleep just anywhere. She wants to be in HER BED. She let us know this in no uncertain terms last night at our friends Elizabeth and Trace's house when her bedtime rolled around. We actually had to leave! She got quiet in the car and then once we got home, her outrage continued until her daddy rocked her in her room. She then slept so sweetly for many hours. So, now her sleep is also high maintenance and therefore I am absolved of selfishness. It's so weird how that works. Let's blame the media.

Last night I had one of the most awesome moments with Charlie Mac. I was rocking him in his room before I put him in his bed. He now requests the "Iddle Song" every night which warms my heart to no end. Last night I was singing the end of the first verse "you'll never know dear, how much I love you, till you have an Iddle someday" and he chimed in after with a long "deeeear" and then said "Mama wuv ChaMac?" and I said "Yes, I love you so much" He replied with a thoughtful look and "Dada wuv ChaMac?" And I said, "Yes, Daddy loves you very much too." He then asked "Mamadaee wuv ChaMac?" And I said "Yes, we both love you so very much" And then he said "Mamadaee wuv ChaMac." And literally wiggled with glee and snuggled down for the rest of the song. My cup runneth over. 

ChaMac's Car--what I forgot to add

He is living for this car--Last night he drove it to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He sat in it while we brushed his teeth, then announced "Brush my cars teeth!" got out, walked around the front and brushed the grill with his toothbrush. "my car clean!" Gotta love it.

Last night he came into our room at 1 a.m. and wanted to drive it. Bradley took him back to bed and he wouldn't go to sleep until bradley went with him to the guest room to sleep. He then proceeded to wake his daddy up every hour asking if he could go drive his cah.

I am so excited he loves it so much!! If I ask him if he loves it he says "yes, hug cah" and hugs it.

Pics in the link in the post below....

xoxoxo

ChaMac's Cah

First, I apologise for the tiny pictures. Please go to this link to see the big versions.

We ordered a pedel car hotrod for Charlie Mac. I showed him the picture of it a week ago when I ordered it, printed it out for him and he carried it around quite proudly calling it "ChaMac's Cah." I think he thought that just the picture was the greatest thing and had no clue that there was an actual toy coming his way. Yesterday at lunch, the doorbell rang and CM ran to the door with his dad to see who it was. I was in the den feeding Willa Ann and heard a little voice shrieking "ChaMac's Cah! ChaMac's Cah!!!" over and over again! There was a picture on the side of the box you see. Bradley and I were just as excited as Charlie Mac and our excitement took over our good sense because instead of saying "yay! look at the picture! We will build it tonight!" we opened it. In front of Iddle. With 30 minutes left in my lunch break. Nevermind being 2 years old, patience is hard enough for anyone when their new car is sitting in front of them and they can't drive it. Bradley assembled like the wind though and I ended up getting back to work in a timely fashion....albeit with my hair standing out in every direction.
Helping Daddy
The steering wheel goes here...
uh oh...this is taking too long...
WAY too long...

Success!

A happy boy

ChaMac's Muscle Cah....

picture

before I get to work on Roberts and Frankie's wedding post, I'm going to say I hadn't realized just how mannequin-like Willa Ann looks in the top picture. I'm going to try to get us all together again for a new one soon. Rest assured that she does, in fact, bend.

Crazy times

well, it seems that the title of this post should just be the name of the blog because I feel like that's all I'm ever saying. We have been through so many changes in the last year--three years really--that calming down might kill me. Kind of like what happens to a hummingbird who sits still for too long.

Anyway-- We have a wonderful new nanny--her name is Trina and I think she is going to change our lives. She has the house in shape like it's never been and the babies love her. With all of our coming and going here there and yonder, it's just been impossible to "do it all." Since we have no intention of slowing down any time soon, we really needed her. She gets Willa Ann chatting up a storm and Charlie Mac asks "Where'd Trina go?" whenever she's not in sight. He does play on his own too some, which is good, but he has attached to her quickly and that makes us feel really good.

ROBERTS AND FRANKIE'S WEDDING!!! deserves it's own post and I will work on that now.

Security

Hey Everybody--

I'm sorry for any inconvenience that the new security measures might have caused. If you know of a family member or friend who's changed their email address and therefore might not have permission to view, please send me their new one.

Love,

Our jobs

I seriously love this job like none other I've had and I am so excited to be around some of the minds here. I just sit and listen to these people talk with my mouth shut hoping that they keep talking. If you know me, then you know that's unusual! Anyway....

I work at Ole Miss' National Center for Natural Products Research as assistant to the director. They find cures for things and aids for agriculture in plants from around the world.

They've developed medications that give such relief to cancer and AIDS patients and are looking into anti depressant stuff too. They have found anti-cancer properties in plants as familiar as Maypops and others deep in the jungle and under the sea. The research they are doing on other plants will not only provide cures, but may also help protect the rain forests and other habitats as well as provide agriculture options for impoverished areas. They can clone from the tiniest piece of leaf and turn it into an entire field or more. I feel like I work at the Discovery Channel. Our website: http://www.pharmacy.olemiss.edu/ncnpr/

Bradley works at the Mississippi Innocence Project as an administrative assistant. They are officed at Ole Miss' Law School. They advocate for prisoners who were denied the use of DNA evidence in their trials. Recently two men were freed in Mississippi that had spent 15 years in Parchman for a crime they did not commit. It's wonderful work they are doing and Bradley is so happy to be a part of it. http://www.innocenceproject.org/

Update

Well it seems as though we have lived 12 lifetimes in the last 12 months. A year ago we were wondering if and where we were going to move and what we were going to do when we got there. Since then we have moved to Oxford and gotten settled into our lives here. After the Senator retired (suddenly) I was recruited for the position I have now as Assistant to the Director of the National Center for Natural Products Research. Bradley is working part time at the Innocence Project of Mississippi. Both of us love where we are and what we are doing. Charlie Mac has grown into quite the little boy. He is talking up a storm now and I will post some more videos soon. He takes such good care of his sister. He is so attentive and will always be the first to run get her pacifier (Oh no! Baby Sister cry-ding! Pink passy on table!!!) whenever she needs it. I don't know how he remembers where we've left them last, but that little fella keeps tabs!

Willa Ann is becoming so involved in the world around her. She "talks" all the time. The difference between girls and boys in this area is apparent right off the bat. Charlie Mac made just as many sounds as she does;, but where he made the sounds for his own entertainment she is communicating a feeling. She smiles and grins her "goos" and frowns her "wahs!" to let you know what's on her mind.

While Bradley is working part time, he is a stay at home Daddy part time as well. He's a champ about it. He's taking most of the night shifts too and I recognize the look of a zombie occasionally have to force him to nap.

We are regulars at the gym here--THEY HAVE A DAYCARE! I'm telling ya--it makes all the difference in the world. Charlie Mac gets so excited when we tell him we are going. He says "Go gym!! Toys Gym!!" The woman who runs the daycare there is from Jackson and her kids went to St. Andrews. We feel really good about leaving them with her.

We are currently looking for a full time housekeeper/nanny, so send prayers that we find the perfect person. Feeling good about who your kids are with is a stress point we are learning about as working parents. Thank goodness for the wonderful babysitters we have had so far! We just need to have somebody full time and permanent at this point.

Mama stayed with us for six weeks after Willa Ann was born and IT WAS SO WONDERFUL! For us--Daddy had different ideas about it all. I'm not so sure he liked having to come visit his wife on weekends! haha! She's back in Jackson now and we miss her. Charlie Mac goes into the guest room and says "Where's Mum?" I am ready for them to move up here!!!!!

Well, that's about it for now--I'll post the Easter pics as soon as I can.

Love, Elizabeth

Helpful Big Brother

Apparently, being a big brother does wonders for your etiquette awareness. Until recently, when we tried to tell CMac to say "excuse me" he would smile devilishly and try with all his might to repeat whatever sound required excusing.

Yesterday, when I was burping Willa Ann she...well...burped. Right about then our dear little fella chimed in with "Ecooose me, Baby Sisair" Hahahahahaha!