My Supernatural Mommy Power

I've been meaning to write about my supernatural mommy power for a bit now. Before Maggie Grace came along whenever I saw a bug and Ben was at home I'd whimper, cry, scream, for him to kill the evil bug. If he happened to be gone on a trip I'd just close the door to that particular room and hope for the best. If it was a particularly menacing bug I would hunt it down with the vacuum cleaner. Now that I have Maggie Grace my mommy powers have kicked in. I totally surprised myself last week when I saw a gigantic spider, I mean huge, easily the biggest spider I have ever seen, crawling toward her "I'm a Star" toy. My heart froze, what do I do?! I ran over grabbed a paper towel and snatched up the spider in one fell swoop. I totally surprised myself, what had I just done. In a matter of seconds I had become a mom, I had exhibited mom behavior other than changing diapers and feeding my sweet little angel. The wildest thing is, it wasn't a one time thing, since that first spider sacrifice I've killed several bugs. I don't discriminate. I've even killed while Ben has been home and witnessed it with is own eyes. It's amazing the freedom and power I now wield.

Here a couple of pictures of Maggie Grace

Here she is getting up on her hands and knees.

Some pics of Maggie Grace and her daddy

It's Been Too Long

All I can say is it's been way to long since I've written on my blog. Just to bring you up to speed Maggie Grace is able to sit up on her own.She is eating solids, she likes rice cereal, bananas, and apples. She is really trying to crawl, the other day I caught her on her hands and knees. Yesterday, I left her in her room to play on her own while I worked around the house. I could hear her chatting away and then her tone changed, it wasn't urgent, just different. I walked into her room and couldn't find her, although I could still hear her chatting away. I turned around and saw her half way beneath her crib. Boy, I've really got to keep my eye on her now. Not to mention it's probably about time to start babyproofing the house.

Here are a couple of pictures of Halloween.

Both Maggie Grace and Ben have been a bit under the weather. Ben's been home for the past two weeks. Both have a cold sort of thing. Fortunately Ben is pretty much over his, but Maggie Grace still has the sniffles. Other than that the Meyer bunch is doing great! Well, that should pretty much do it, in a nutshell that is what's been going on. I'll try to be better about posting, sorry!

I Can't Believe She's Four Months Old!

Yep, yesterday Maggie Grace was four months old. I just can't believe it, it seems like time has just flown by. We had a pretty low key day. I went to Sunday School and church, it was the first time I went to both. I must confess, during church I was only half paying attention. She had been in the nursery for an hour and a half already. I could hear the faintest sound of a baby crying, I was hoping it wasn't mine. The nursery staff hadn't paged me yet, so far so good. When church was finally over I practically pushed everyone aside to get to the nursery, not really but that's what I wanted to do! Anyway there she was happy as a lark. The staff said she couldn't have been better, didn't make a peep. The rest of the day was spent doing Maggie Grace's favorite things; playing, eating, napping and reading.

Today was her four month doctor's check-up complete with vaccinations. She weighs 12 lbs 13 oz and is 24 inches long, she falls in the 50th percentile for both weight and height. When it came to the vaccinations Maggie Grace was a trooper, she cried for a few minutes but had calmed right down by the time we got to the car. The doctor said she looks perfect and if we wanted to we could start giving her solids, she said Maggie Grace might even sleep longer. Now, I've heard that this is pretty much a myth, but hey what do I have to lose? I figured Maggie Grace would really be into it. When Ben and I eat we put her in her Bumbo seat on the kitchen table and she is totally captivated. Well, she did okay, I'm not saying she ate like a champ, but it did go better than I imagined.

She certainly wanted to take control of the situation as can be evidenced by her holding the spoon.

This is Ben getting his photo op.

This picture is the result of us taking our eyes off of her for a split second. In a nano second she had flipped the bowl and all of it's contents on Ben, me, the floor and herself. All we could do was laugh. She certainly keeps us on our toes and a smile on our faces.

Daddy Time

This past week was simply splendid! Ben was home from work Monday afternoon through Friday, and we had a blast. Maggie Grace and Ben haven't gotten to spend this much time together since she was born, and she is a totally different being now. It was really neat for me to sit back and watch them interact. Their M.O. for the week was going for a morning walk and following that up by an afternoon nap together. They got tons of play time in and even let me sleep in one morning. Thursday and Friday I had a couple of appointments, I didn't get a single panic stricken phone call.

Here is Maggie Grace all dressed up waiting to go to church for dinner on Wednesday.

Today's Saturday which means Ben has to go back to work today. So it's me and Miss Maggie Grace. We don't have any big plans for the weekend other than to make Halloween cookies. This is a picture of Maggie Grace keeping me company while I do the dishes and start some laundry. Now that Ben's gone, the fun is over and back to work for me.

Her personality is really starting to shine through. She giggles when we play peek-a-boo and will look at me when I say her name, and boy does she love to talk. Grandpa Powell is coming to visit next week, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees her, she's grown so much in a month.

Our Girl's Weekend

Every year Susan and I have a girl's weekend. Usually it involves traveling somewhere, Boston, Chicago, the Carolina shore. This year we decided to keep the trip close to home, but boy did we have fun. First of all to have a girl's weekend we need to get rid of all boys. Easy enough, Ben was working and Daniel stayed in Charlotte. Susan arrived in Atlanta Friday night and we kicked the weekend off. Originally she had planned on driving but due to the gas shortage, Georgia and North Carolina are experiencing she ended up flying in. Friday night we kept it low key. We fixed dinner, watched the Presidential debate and did a lot of chatting.

Saturday was going to be a full day of shopping. We started out by hitting IKEA. I can't tell you how much fun I have looking around, it is just a fun place. We shopped for a good two hours and stopped for lunch. The food is pretty good and their prices can't be beat.

Time for some silliness.

We still had another floor to look at after lunch. We easily spent three hours in IKEA.

I think this is how we all felt.

Next it was off to shop for some clothes at H&M. Shopping at H&M is definitely a trade mark of our girl's weekend. I don't think we could truly call it a girl's weekend if we didn't hit an H&M.

After H&M we had a few more shops to hit before we called it a day. I must say Maggie Grace was a real sport, she loves to go shopping. At about seven we called it a day and headed home. We picked up a pizza, which we devoured and sat in front of the T.V. watching a movie that neither of our husbands would be interested in watching. The movie was about shoes, need I say more?

Sunday came much too soon, and it was time for Susan to head back to Charlotte. Maggie Grace and her Aunt Susan got a few hours of playing in before it was off to the airport. It was sad taking her to the airport. We always have such fun together that the time just flies by. I can't wait to see where we will go next year, Miami?

Laid Back... With my mind on my mommy and my mommy on my mind

Hanging out while I fix lunch.

Enjoying a little tummy time.

Maggie Grace loves lavendar just like her great-grandmother.

Taking a little snooze with her fluffy.

Our trip to Wynne

Last week Ben, Maggie Grace, Ginger and I took a road trip to Wynne. It was any easy car ride, at least for me. We left Atlanta at 9 p.m., Ben drove us safely to Wynne while I got to sleep, how nice it was. Ben left us in Wynne while he was at work. We had a busy and fun visit. We spent Wed, Thurs, and Fri visting and doing errands.

Finally Saturday arrived, the real reason we were in town, Sol's first Birthday Party. I was so excited, I had been eagerly anticipating this big day. What were we going to get Sol for a present, when were we going to Wynne, what was Maggie Grace going to wear. I think I about drove Ben crazy. It was such a great party! Sol was the quintessential Birthday boy. He had an absolute ball playing with his friends, and he did not dissappoint when it came cake time.

After the party, Joy invited Maggie Grace and I to go to the Cooper Young festival with her and Julia in Memphis. Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I went! We met up with Tara and Emmy and had the best time.

Monday Maggie Grace and I trekked over to Memphis and picked Ben up. She was an absolute angel, which is not always the case in the car. Tuesday we caught up with Stan, Beth, Linton, and Katie for some pizza. It was our first time meeting Katie, she is an absolute doll.

All Kinds of New Things

Maggie Grace has been busy adding new moves to her repertoire. I caught her the other day sucking her thumb.

Ben gave me a book of age appropriate games to play with Maggie Grace for the next year. One of the games has me rolling her over in a blanket. We play this game about two or three times a day. Well, I guess it is working. The other day we were playing, she was laying on her belly and the next thing I knew she had rolled over on her own. This morning, I laid her on her tummy for tummy time like we do every morning, I ran into the office to turn the computer on, back into the nursery and she was on her back smiling up at me.

The two of us have a lot of fun together. We go for a walk bright and early while it's still cool. She is wonderful, we walk a little over four miles which takes us an hour. She usually sleeps for the first 50 minutes. We have about 4 different games we play during the day. I'll try to snap some pictures. We've been mixing things up lately. I'm feeling a lot more confident. Last week the two of us went to the movies to see House Bunny and last night we went to dinner at church with some friends. She really loves being out and about people watching.

Playtime

I totally love this picture of Maggie Grace during tummy time! Tummy time isn't her favorite thing in the world but if I plan well we can get in a few pleasurable minutes a couple of times a day. We usually due about 10 minutes first thing in the morning while she's in a great mood. That is when this photo was shot. In fact Debbie took it this past weekend when she and Stephen came in town and kept me company while Ben was gone to a NASCAR race. We had a great time, as long as we weren't in the car. Maggie Grace really doesn't like the car, in fact I would go so far as to say she hates it. However, she does love to shop! She is so incredibly happy whether we are at the mall, Target or grocery shopping, it doesn't matter.

Monday was my birthday and so we went out to lunch and then to Babies R' Us. We had a few things we needed to pick up one of which was a special surprise for Maggie Grace. A Rainforest

Jumperoo! She absolutely loves it. It was such a special birthday, watching her play her heart out.

Yesterday we took her to the doctor. Yes ,I'll admit it was an unscheduled appointment. Anyway, she weighed 11 lbs 1 oz. That is a 7 oz gain in less than two weeks. No wonder the little girl was eating like nobody's business last week.

Not much on tap for the rest of this week other than play. For my birthday Ben gave me a book on all kinds of games to play with babies. Maggie Grace got a new book too, Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces. She loves her new book. She smiles and kicks her feet and reaches out and touches the babies in the book.

In Memory of My Grandmother/In Honor of My Sister

Needless to say the past few weeks have been difficult. On August 3rd I received a call from Susan that our grandmother had been taken to the hospital. The docotor's and nurses didn't know what the problem was but whatever it was it wasn't good. Susan and I were in contact through the next few days. Then midnight Monday night I received a call that things were not good at all and I needed to get to Charlotte soon. Maggie Grace and I headed to Charlotte first thing Tuesday morning. When we got to the hospital it was obvious things were not good. The doctor had given my grandmother 24 hours to live. Susan, Daniel, Maggie Grace and I spent the day keeping my grandmother company and saying our goodbyes. A Hospice nurse came by to visit and said we could move her to a Hospice House. We told the nurse the prognosis and she said it would be best to keep her at the hospital. My dad offered to keep Mom Mom company for the night so Susan, Maggie Grace and I could get some rest. On Wednesday Ben came to Charlotte to spend some time with Maggie Grace which was a huge help for me. Mom Mom's still doing the same 48 hours later, man she was fiesty. We talk it over and decide to move Mom Mom to Hospice House, with Mom Mom's fiesty spirit we could easily see ourselves hanging out at the hospital on Friday. It was a very difficult decision for Susan and I, but the best decision we could ever make. We finally arrive at Hospice House at midnight on Wednesday night. As soon as we get to my grandmother's room we start crying because it is so beautiful and peaceful, we'd made the right decision. When we talk to the nurse while getting Mom Mom situated the nurse tells us she thinks our grandmother has maybe 48 hours to live. Susan and I just look at each other and smile.

Thursday morning starts fresh and free. It feels like such a burden has been lifted from our shoulders when we visit Mom Mom. The staff is doing everything to make her feel as comfortable as possible. Meanwhile we set up camp, Susan and I laughed at how every day we would add a few more "neccessities" to my grandmother's room. We spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday keeping my grandmother company. We decide to go to church on Sunday and to lunch before heading to visit Mom Mom. Not long after we get home we get a call that Mom Mom's breathing was labored and we should head over. They were going to give her some medicine to help her but it might cause her to relax enough to finally let go. In fact that is what happened, she decided it was finally okay to go. It is bittersweet, we love our grandmother dearly, she was our closest connection to our mother and now that is gone. On the other hand she had led a wonderful life and had lived to the ripe old age of 95. We are going to miss her incredibly, who she was before the alzhimer's, fun-loving, a wonderful cook, loved style and fashion, and loved us with all she had. We will love her for who she became after the alzheimer's set in. Susan was such a wonderful granddaughter, visitng my grandmother every Sunday even when my grandmother wasn't the nicest of people. Without her I don't know how I'd have made it through the past three years. I am the luckiest sister in the world!

North Carolina

Maggie Grace went on her first road trip over this past weekend. We loaded up the babe and the dog and off we went to visit family in North Carolina. We set out Friday morning much too early for Ben, needless to say he was a bit grouchy. We got to Grandpa Paul's, changed clothes, and off to La Tea Dah's for lunch with our cousins. Melissa, Kyle and Jackie had flown in that morning all the way from Delaware to meet Maggie Grace. We missed BJ, he couldn't make it because he had a wedding to attend. We also really missed Lonnie, who was off at camp learning to fly. He actually got to solo his own plane last weekend! We had a great time at the tea room catching up and introducing Maggie Grace to everyone. Then we headed off to The Haven to go visit Mom Mom. It was very sad to see her as she's not doing great but she seemed to love Maggie Grace and even held her for a bit.

The next day we all met up and went for a nice leisurely lunch. It was so much fun just sitting around enjoying each other's company. Next we took our cousins on a tour of downtown Charlotte ending the tour at a beautiful park. The heat didn't seem to bother Maggie Grace much, she, Ben and Grandpa Paul found a nice tree to nap under. Later that night our cousins, Susan and I met up for a nice dinner of southern favorites and enjoyed telling stories and laughing.

Sunday was another incredibly busy day. At about noon we headed to the lake for a day with the Powells. Maggie Grace was going to meet her great uncle Tex and great aunt Marilyn as well as her cousins Mike and Sharon. Maggie Grace loved being held by her uncle Tex. We had so much fun hanging out, telling stories and doing a lot of laughing. It was an absolute blast!

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and so did the weekend. Late Sunday evening we packed up the car and headed back to Atlanta. We had such a great time and are so lucky to have such great relatives.

Surprise Visit

Last night we had a wonderful surprise, Debbie got to spend the night with us! Debbie and Stephen had a terrible time making it home from Philadelphia to Memphis. In a last ditch effort to make it home they decided to split up. Very long story short Debbie ended up with a short lay-over in Atlanta. The silver lining in the whole escapade is grandmother and granddaughter got some much needed cuddle time.

She's Feeling Better

As the title states Maggie Grace is feeling a lot better. She's wanting to eat again, but she's still spitting up a lot more than usual. She's back to her sleep schedule, except she didn't wake for her midnight feeding. Hopefully she's knocked that feeding off. At the doctor yesterday she weighed 10lbs 1oz so she's getting to the right weight to start sleeping through the night.

She went to the doctor with me this morning and the doctor who delivered her got to see her. Our doctor is so sweet she gave Maggie Grace a silver spoon. Maggie Grace fell asleep in the car so I decided to run an errand while I was out. We headed to Target to get her some new onesies since she's out grown her newborn onesies!

Announcement Picture

Maggie Grace is a good sport. She hasn't been feeling great the past few days but I wanted to get a picture of her to use as an announcement photo. We snapped a couple of pictures and have one we will probably use, but this one is my favorite.

I ended up taking her to the doctor b/c she just wasn't eating and the doctor gave us some instructions to follow. We will see what happens. Luckily she hasn't been extremely fussy. She spends a lot of time chilling in the BabyHawk doing chores with me and sleeping.

Right now one of her favorite activities is standing, the higher the better. Maybe I've found the person to go skydiving with me!

July Trip to Wynne

Maggie Grace and I headed to Wynne while Ben went to work. We had a great time, we got to stay and visit for five days. She got to see her great-grandparents, her grandparents, aunts and uncle and her cousin Sol.
On Saturday night Neall, Becca, and I went to a dinner party and left Sol and Maggie Grace with Stephen and Debbie. Sol is incredibly interested in Maggie Grace and wouldn't let her be. Stephen and Debbie finally had to put them in seperate rooms. It is so cute watching Sol try to get to Maggie Grace.
Sunday was a big day we went to church and afterward to Becca and Neall's for lunch and cake to celebrate Poppy's Birthday. Then it was back to Stephen and Debbie's for Maggie Grace's big coming out party. She slept through most of the get together but it was great fun introducing her to all our Wynne friends.

Maggie Grace's First Plane Ride

Last week Maggie Grace took her first plane ride to go visit her grandparents in Arkansas. She was an absolute doll on the plane. She was wide awake the whole flight and seemed to love every minute of it.