New Kitty!

Meet Cici - (we're guessing her name stands for Calico Cat, aren't we clever to figure that out? LOL)

We recently lost our kitty Peanut and I was on Petfinder looking for a new friend for us and for our other kitty Marmalade. I got in contact with a local rescue -

Animal Rescue Art Project

Gail and Robin were at Petsmart in Mason yesterday afternoon and they had this beautiful girl with them. She is so sweet! I've never had a calico before and I'm so happy we chose a one year old cat instead of a kitten. Cici is very loving and after a brief sniff around the house, was on our laps like she'd lived here forever.

Welcome to the family Cici!

Giving up the binky

The binky fairy has come to our house. Z turned 3 right before we went on vacation and we'd told her for a couple of months now that when she was 3, she'd be a big girl and the binky fairy would come to our house and take her binkies and give them to the new babies. Chris' cousin is pregnant and Z got to see her about a month ago and my friend A2 has a new baby she has frequent contact with. The fairy would bring her a big girl toy that babies couldn't have to say thank you for giving her binkies to the babies.

Z was excited! She had picked out this Cinderella doll with a magic wand that made music when you waved the wand in front of Cinderella's necklace. Two of her favorite things - music and princess! She picked out the basket we would put all her binkies in, actually put them in all by herself and helped to set the basket out on the front porch. She said "bye bye binkies!" and waved goodbye and went back into the house.

I went to "check the sprinkler" and placed the doll into the basket, removing the binkies and putting them in my car. A few minutes after I came in, we went to see if the fairy had come and voila! Z's face lit up! Her Cinderella came! She was delighted!

Until it was time to actually go to sleep.

Poor kid was heartbroken. Really. Her binky had been her nap/bed time only friend since she was about a year and a half.

It took all I had NOT to go down to the car and give her a binky. Zoe can definitely throw a fit and has had her share of "I WANT IT" moments but this was "my friend is gone and I am devastated." And forget Cinderella. She represented what Z wanted that was now gone. She said she didn't want to be a big girl and wanted the fairy to bring her binkies back.

So here we are on night 4 sans binky. She's not napped any of those days and I stayed with her the first 2 until she fell asleep. She didn't want anyone to stay with her last night and she cried herself to sleep. Broke my heart.

I know this is what's best for her. She probably had it about 1 year too long but I think I wasn't ready to get rid of this last vestige of my baby being a baby. Last summer we got rid of the crib and the diaper, this summer is binky. I just need to tough it out along with Z. She's not crying right now. I hope she's discovering a way to self-soothe that doesn't involve her binky.

Now, the B? Nope. She can hang on to that.

The little flower on my camera!

I follow a blog of a very nice woman in Michigan - she's a step-mom, loves photography, technology and has two adorable daughters! Except for the two daughters part, we have a lot in common!

She recently posted about the little flower on the settings for her camera and I love the photos she took! Who knew about that little close up thing? Well, professional photographers, maybe. I was delighted! I went outside and tried it on my newly bloomed lilies!

I need to play some more with the lighting but how fun! Thanks @sarahinmi!

Vacation!

We have had our first road trip vacation and survived (almost - we still have to drive home)!!!!

The kids have had fun I think - lots of swimming, beaches, flamingoes, tropical birds and alligators.

Just a few pics to share for now -

Chris' Web Gallery

My dainty princess

Today is Z's birthday. 3 years ago right now I was staring in wonder at my very tiny but perfect little girl.

Should I continue the Parsons' tradition of sharing the birth story on the birthday? Sure!

I'd been on bed rest for about 10 days in the hospital. Modified home bed rest (you know how well I follow directions) at the beginning of May which turned into full bed rest at home (again, I can do "one" load of laundry, can't I?) at the end of May and then full hospital bed rest the middle of June. My original due date was July 29th. Ugh. I guess I should have listened to the medical professionals, eh?

So, I can only get up to go potty or shower. Bet your butt I showered every single day! And being 7 almost 8 months pregnant, I had to pee a lot. I made it through several seasons of CSI, CSI Miami and got addicted to Desperate Housewives during this time. Thank goodness for wireless internet, too!

So, my blood pressure kept rising and it finally stayed too elevated and the doctor said we were going to induce me at 35 weeks. Cervadil was put in place and I was also given a happy sleeping pill. Little did I know this would be the last good night's sleep I'd have for a VERY long time!

Sunday morning, June 25th about 7:30 I was taken to labor and delivery. Doc said it would probably take a VERY long time since I was only dilated about 1 cm. Pitosin given via IV and epidural started. Water broke on it's own.

I didn't know how low at the time, but Z's heart rate would take a significant dip each time I had a contraction. Finally about 2:45 Dr. LeMaster's decided to do a c-section because Z just wasn't tolerating the labor. Since she'd be a preemie anyway, we didn't want to take any chances.

3:07 pm Z was born. I wish I'd been able to see - can't wear your glasses during an operation - but they brought her close to my face after they cleaned her up a bit. She had little perfect little face, skinny red limbs, long fingers and toes. Only weighing in at 5 lbs. 4.8 oz., she was so small!

Fortunately, I'd been given steroid shots and her lungs were great and she was able to stay with us the first night in the hospital. No NICU! :-)

She's definitely the best thing that I've ever done. She's a pretty cool kid.

I do have to post, along with this, how she fell asleep yesterday in her new princess dress from Mamaw and tiara watching Little Mermaid received from Uncle Mikey and Aunt Krista for her birthday,

Happy birthday my sweet girl!

Off we go.......

into the wild, blue yonder!

Yeah, that used to drive me crazy as a kid when EVERY time we'd get in the car for a vacation my dad would burst into this song. Now it brings back fond memories of family vacations.

Every summer we'd take off IN THE CAR to a far off destination. Yup. In the car. The destinations were great! I slept most of the way where ever we went in the car. Lucky thing about being a kid!

This will be our first family vacation in the car. We usually make a trek to Florida to visit my dad and SM but it's via a wonderful but alas too expensive now AIRPLANE!

We're taking off tomorrow evening after Chris gets home from work. Here's hoping I get a nap in tomorrow since I'll be taking the first shift driving. Unlucky part about being a grown up.

So, wish us luck that our two VERY chatty children will sleep the night hours and be quietly (ha!) entertained by the various electronic media we'll be taking with us.

Hasta luego amigos!

Mobile Me!

My darling husband set me up with a Mobile Me account which will sync ALL my calendars, email and photos! Whoohoo! I can also now add a photo gallery like he has on his blog site. Hmmmm, I might have to migrate over to iWeb stuff and set my blog up that way.....

Gallery will be: http://gallery.me.com/zapmommy