#3, Baby!

After our win over Mississippi State on Saturday, we are #3 in the BCS (with only Bama and LSU above us)! We are pumped to even be in the talk of the National Championship game! This weekend is a HUGE game against LSU! Can't wait!

Go Hogs!

First Real Bath

So, I thought I'd have some really cute pictures to post after Rhett's first real bath. I thought he would love the real thing...not so much. He is getting better, but boy can he scream when he is unhappy!

Poor baby

Before I forget 27 months

Mary Ella at 27 months

Scary face

Mad face

Sad face

Happy face

So, I'm behind on this post, and there are SO many things I want to remember about ME at this age, but here are just a few:

• You are a TERRIBLE eater! When will this get better?
• You can recite several books (10 Tiny Tickles, Boo Bunny, Aaaagh Spider) and many nursery rhymes (Wee Willie Winkie, Little Bo Peep, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Humpty Dumpty, Eye Winker, Little Miss Muffet). I think you will be an early reader! I hope you will always enjoy a good book. You also know many books' authors...Karen Katz, Laura Numeroff, Walt Disney, Lydia Monks.
• When you say your prayers at night you pray for Karen Katz (your favorite author), Ann Louise (your babysitter), and most of your family members, and food!
• You can sing the ABC song and so many more (Itsy bitsy spider, Muffin man, Jingle bells, I know you, 2 little monkeys, Jesus loves me, Little indians, just to name a few)! You are a singing and a dancing girl! You say, "shake a booty" and shake it!
• Dada sings I'm so pretty to you, and you LOVE it!
  
• You are 100% potty trained! We had been out in panties a few times, but I was still a little cautious. And then Mommy and Daddy went to the hospital, and you came in wearing panties and have had them on ever since (diapers at nap and bedtime of course, but you usually wake up dry).
• You can spit your toothpaste out, so we are using the real deal now.
• You are getting opinions about what you want to wear. Oh joy!
• You are so sweet to your brother so far. I think you will love him so much. We have only seen a few outbursts of out of character behavior. I think it's the perfect time for the Elf on the Shelf to come out. ;) We read the book, and I've tried to get you to name him, but the only thing you have called him is Numeroff (an author). Ha!
  
• You remember everything and are so observant! You know which way to turn to get to church, the park, Brad's office, home, Jump Zone, the library.
• One of your big sister surprises was a little purple notebook with a pink pen. You call it your facebook. Ha!
• You're all about carrying your purse and keys and driving your Mickey Mouse Clubhouse car.
  
• You talk ALL the time and say the funniest things...
  
• "I have a booger in my nose."
• "The pee pees coming."
• "I have pixie dust...I can fly!"
• "I not Mary Ella, I Minnie" (when you are wearing your Minnie dress). You REALLY enjoyed Halloween and trick or treating and candy. I think Christmas will be sooo fun!
• "I will miss you. I not go anywhere." (this has started since baby)
  
• "I so sleepy." (you love to play in your big girl bed)
  
• When you say your name "Mary" sounds like "Mia" and "Ella" sounds like the Spanish "Ella."
• "Shhh...be quiet." (with your finger to your lips)
• "I wanna hold baby Rhett. All done."
• "Be careful."
• "I'm too old." (you started saying this when Daddy told you you were NOT old enough to wear makeup...you have some pretend)
• "Stop it."
• I'll probably be adding to this later...Mommy can't think...
  

2 Weeks

2 Weeks Old

Mia was here again this week. We were so thankful for this! Mary Ella is really going to miss her buddy, Mia. They have done everything together...storytime, riding her tricycle, making muffins, reading books, having tea parties, dressing up. I was pretty busy with little man. He is the sweetest, best baby! Only cries if he is getting a diaper change or a bath. We are even having good nights, except sometimes he decides to wake up right at bedtime. But Mommy is so thankful he goes down easy after he eats in the night.

Napping with Dada

And while Mommy decorated the Christmas tree (while sister was sleeping too...woo hoo!)

Heisman pose

Game day with the Harrimans...another win over Tennessee!

Make Mommy's heart melt

ME went with Mommy to Watercolor to get her hair done.

It is a really cute cut! While we were there, Rhett was a perfect angel. One of the stylists commented that he already needed a haircut. Ha! He kind of does...it comes down over his ears.

Sleeping again while Mommy decorated Christmas tree #2

And Mommy and Daddy even snuck in a date night before Mia went home. Sombra was sooo good! If you are local and haven't been, you should!

Thank you, Mama, for ALL of your help! I know we wore you out, but we enjoyed every minute of it and I hope you did too. ME already misses you, so come back soon! Like next week! Ha!

Gobble Gobble

Last Friday Brad was off for Veteran's Day so he kept Rhett while my mom, Mary Ella, and I got out of the house for some fresh air. We took a little walk at the Natchez Trace Park, and I tried to get some pictures of ME in the fall leaves, which had already peaked, but I still got some cute ones. We called it a "nature walk," and she enjoyed picking up leaves and listening to the sounds along the trail. For some reason she thought she heard monkeys and "who whos" (owls) in the trees. She was cracking us up!

Is that a monkey I hear?

Chucky face

So thankful for this little turkey!

One Week Old

7 Days with Rhett

Sweet Rhett,
What a wonderful first week we have had! You gave us a little trouble the first 2 nights we were home, but I think it was more us getting used to having a baby in the house again than you. The mommy in me can't sleep if you are making a sound (I think you are choking or having trouble breathing), so I couldn't sleep unless you were sleeping and you really weren't fond of your basinette. Plus I think you had your days and nights mixed up. You weren't even crying but stirring and fussing a little, but as soon as we picked you up you stopped. Which is sweet, but doesn't make for much mommy and daddy sleepy time. So, we made a few changes, and you are doing so well at night and during the day. We are keeping you awake some during the day, I'm feeding you every 2-3 hours, and then we do bath before bedtime. It's working so far because you are only eating every 3-5 hours at night. Which is basically one middle of the night and one early morning feeding. Here is our first week in review:

Day 1: See your birthday post.

Day 2: You got circumcised in the morning. Ouch! It didn't seem to bother you too much because you slept all day. Gigi, Papa, Mia, Juju, and Mary Ella came back to the hospital to see you. You snuggled with one of us all day.

Your sister gave you lots of kisses and hugs. She says all the time, "I wanna hold Baby Rhett." And then she says, "All done."

We compared your hair with Dada's hair.

Everyone dressed in Razorback red for game day!

Woo pig sooie!

Razorbacks!

Arkansas played and beat South Carolina. The tv in our hospital room was so small that we pulled the bed up as close as we could and gathered chairs around it. It was a night game so Mia went home and put your sister to bed, but Gigi, Papa, and Juju brought barbecue to the hospital and watched the game with us.

Day 3: We got to go home on Sunday just like with Mary Ella. I guess my babies like to be born on Friday. We were home by noon and had lunch with the family. Rebecca, Jake, and Hallie came by to meet you.

Ready to go see your house and your room

One last surprise for the big sister

Trying out your crib for the first time

And stretching out on your changing table

Day 4: We said goodbye to Gigi and Papa and Juju, but only for a little while. They are coming back to see you for Thanksgiving. We stayed in our pajamas and had a lazy day. We needed to catch up on some sleep. Mia gave you your first bath.

You did not like it!

Until you got your hair washed. :)

Day 5: We had to take you back to Woman's Hospital to the Newborn Clinic for a weight and billirubin check. You weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. when we left the hospital and were now back to 7 lbs. 1 oz. Yay! They had to scrape your heal to get a blood sample, and you didn't even cry. Your levels were high, so you did have jaundice. I knew this before we left the hospital, but by this day you were peeing and pooping and eating well, so I knew it would work itself out. When we got home we took a few family photos, rested, and then had another appointment at Sweet Dreams. I signed up weeks ago to do hand imprints with Mitzi, but I really didn't think you would be around on November 8th. I thought it would just be for ME, but I'm so glad I got yours done too! Talk about fresh prints! You never made a peep when she pushed your hand and foot into the clay. And it was Mia's birthday, so we celebrated with PF Chang's and a piece of Great Wall of Chocolate Cake.





Day 6: We had another lazy day. Mia took ME to storytime and Dada went back to work, so I had you all to myself for the morning. You started waking up a little more on this day.

Night night swaddle time

Day 7: We had to take you back to the Newborn Clinic to check on the jaundice. Your levels were about the same, but since they weren't going up we didn't have to go back until we see your pediatrician at 2 weeks. You had gained weight and were up to 7 lbs. 5 oz. Makes me so proud! This night you went on a date night with Mommy and Daddy...to our infant CPR class. Ha! Didn't get that one in before you were born, but you were perfect through dinner and the class. We ate at Ichiban, which is a Chinese buffet. I don't like Chinese or buffets, but your daddy had been requesting this for a long time. And since I was no longer preggers, I let him have the final say. Funny story: You were sitting on my side of the booth in your carseat, covered with a blanket. At the end of the meal, I got up to get ice cream for dessert. As I was walking back to our booth I spotted your daddy back at the buffet. I said, "What are you doing?" And he had a scared look on his face and said, "Oh, I forgot." Umm...he forgot you were there, back at the booth, all alone. I'm sorry, Rhett.

Thank you for a wonderful first week, Rhett! And thank you, God, for giving us yet another healthy, beautiful baby! We are overcome by joy and thankfulness for the opportunity to guide your precious soul. You are the perfect addition to our family, and we love you sooo much!