No More Medicine
Audrey had her LAST dose of medicine last night, and she couldn't be happier. We commemorated the event by letting her throw it in the trash herself. Audrey gave a kiss and a hug, and said "Goodbye nasty medicine". For the most part she took her medicine without complaining. I have to say, I tasted it, and it is indeed nasty. So for ten days, twice each day, she had to ingest this horrible stuff.

Thankfully it is now over, and she is doing great. Good job Audrey!!!

Favorite Pictures of Audrey

Clean Bill of Health
Audrey went for her follow up visit with her doctor yesterday. We first had to get another chest x-ray and wait for the results. Thankfully the x-ray showed that her lungs are crystal clear. She will be on antibiotics until Monday, but we are happy happy happy. Audrey has been a trooper through all of this. Bless her heart, this ordeal has been pretty rough on her little body. She doesn't like the medicine, she says it is nasty. Every time she takes it, she says no more "Get Well Hotel". That is what she calls the hospital.

Yesterday I stayed home with her, so we were able to laugh and play and blow bubbles. Well it got to be her nap time, and she has become quite a procrastinator. She didn't want to nap, and every time we got settled, she would think of something else she needed. So finally, she said "I want more milk please". I looked at her and said, "This is the last time I'm getting up to get you anything. If you need more than milk, tell me now. She said "I don't need anything else". So I get up, place the remote by the television, and get her some more milk. I get back on the bed, we got settled, and then I realize that I did not grab the remote. So then I get back up, grab the remote, get back in bed. Just as we get settled again, Audrey, without looking at me, or moving says...."You got back up". I tried not to let her see me laughing, but I couldn't hide my amusement from her. What a character.

Look who's feeling better

Audrey loves 7UP and Sprite. While she was sick this is really all she would drink. Guess who let's her drink it straight out of the bottle? Not me...you guessed it, her Daddy. He has taught her all kinds of fun stuff. Things I wouldn't dream of letting her do. This is why she is a true "Daddy's Girl". They are two of a kind. I asked her last night who is her bestfriend? She replied..."my daddy". I just knew she was going to say "mom", but nope...her daddy is her bestfriend. Blah Blah Blah......

I'm just glad she is feeling better. Her appetite is back and she is sleeping soundly.

I guess by now everyone knows about Audrey's hospital stay. I took Audrey to the doctor last

Monday because she was running a high fever. As I posted earlier, she was seen by another doctor who diagnosed her with infected eardrums. We were sent on our way with antibiotics. Audrey's fever never broke, so Wednesday while her fever remained at 104.9, I called her doctor and was told that all doctor's were booked, and she could be worked in as a "re-check" the following day. WHATEVER!!!

This is the part where I literally came unglued. I took her to see Dr. Spriggs who is a General Practitioner. He took one look at her and immediately ordered a chest x-ray and blood work. Within minutes of the results, Dr. Spriggs informed us that our sweet baby had pneumonia and needed to be admitted. Audrey was extremely dehydrated due to the high fever. This news was gut wrenching for me. I knew not to wait for the so called "re-check", but what could have happened if I did? I can't seem to stop thinking about this?

Ward, without me knowing put his fighting gloves on and called her pediatrician and pretty much let her have it. Who can blame him? I'm glad he did, because I was having a hard time holding myself together. At this point Audrey needed me and that is all that mattered. I couldn't stop to think of anything else. Watching our baby suffer like she did, and unable to do anything to help her was absolutely heartbreaking.

Audrey stayed in the hospital Wednesday night, and got to go home Thursday evening. We had a restless night. Her fever finally broke a 4:00 a.m. Her nurses were out of this world. They put her Annie in a gown and gave her band-aids. The techs were sure to check Annie's vitals before checking Audrey. This reassured Audrey that it wouldn't hurt. We love Nurse Val.

We go this Thursday for another chest x-ray. Hopefully it will show that the meds are working and all will be okay. Audrey went back to school today, and I'm back at work. She wanted to play outside this past weekend, but there was no way I would let that happen. Friday night, we watched the "Wizard of Oz" for the first time together, and she loved it!! She liked the lion the best, and the flying monkeys didn't scare her. I told her that we could purchase it on DVD after her appointment Thursday.

Ward and I want to thank all our family and friends for your prayers and support throughout this ordeal. We could have not gotten through this without all of you. Our little girl is our whole world and there is nothing we wouldn't do for her.

Down in the dumps
Audrey is really sick, AGAIN. Bless her heart, the two of us went on our very first road trip together this past weekend, and now she is sick. I took her to the doctor yesterday, and Dr. Little (not her regular doctor), diagnosed her with infected eardrums. She is on a heavy duty antibiotic for the next 10 days. Yesterday evening her temperature shot up to 106.8. I completely freaked out. I called her doctor immediately, who had to call me back. Well I wasn't wasting time on that call, so I was just about to rush her to the ER, when the phone rang. It was the doctor calling me back. Dr. Robert's assured me that all would be okay. She said by using an ear thermometer, her temperature would be elevated due to the infection. Ward rushed home with a different type of thermometer and her temp was a bit lower. This calmed me down considerably. We had a very rough night. She ran fever all night long, got sick in our bed around 12:00 a.m....she is just pitiful. Today she is at home with my mom. Kathy and Mary took over this afternoon. Mom will be back tomorrow.

As soon as things calm down and I get caught up at work, I will blog about our trip. We had a blast. Oh yea, she has started calling me "Mom". Where did that come from? I like Mommy.

One of my friends sent this to me via email. I have never laughed so hard. What a wonderful way to start my day. I forwarded it to Ward, who in his ever so clever and witting way sent me his respond:

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES
Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks. Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes. There is no fast food. Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money. In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week. Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing.

Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment, and a haircut appointment. He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function. Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside, and keeping it presentable at all times. The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed. During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting. They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth, and comb their hair by 7:00 a.m.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight,shoe size, clothes size, and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear, and what they want to be when they grow up. The kids vote them off the island based on performance.

The last man wins only IF...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice. If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!


Ward's Response:
Other than the leg-shaving, which items on this list have I NOT done? How many times have my fingernails been bright red, or my legs been covered with baby lotion? You should not leave your make-out if you don't want her to play with it, or test it out on her dolls - AND me.

Where do you think she learned that chocolate is the ideal breakfast food, that it's okay to pretend that the pots and pans are really drums (especially when you are trying to sleep), and that starting a sentence with "don't tell Mommy" is perfectly natural?

How many times have I had ribbons in my hair, changed diapers on a doll, or make snake-looking things with play-do? Like her, I hate the taste of play-do, but you have to try it at least once to know that the blue and red both taste the same.

So what if I let her pick out her own clothes? I think she looks cute in multi-colored outfits, and there is no law that says both shoes have to be the same color. The people at Krispy Kreme look forward to our visits - just to see what clown-type outfit she has on today.

Who does she run to when HER diapers should be declared a toxic waste site? I just roll with the flow, but cannot wait to remind her of this when she is a bit older. Who else can change diapers in the men's room at McDonald's without missing a beat.....the hardest part was keeping her from slipping off the urinal.

Who do you think taught her to play with the microwave buttons...they make really fun sounds...especially when you do it about 100 times. Plus, why else would a car have so many little knobs and buttons if not to entertain a small child? You can easily rest everything, but I do admit that riding around with the emergency flashers on can distract other drivers.

She learned to bake cookies - using a recipe handed-down from my Mom - you know the whop-them-on-the-counter "homemade" cookies. Her other favorite - "Mac & Cheese & Other" is all my idea. You can mix most anything that will melt - chocolate kisses is her favorite (if you didn't know).....dinner and dessert all mixed together is both time-saving and fun...everything in one bowl.

All this, and still no appreciation from her OTHER Mother.

Fun..Fun..Fun!

We had another fun weekend. First we started by getting Audrey back to school for the first time since she came down with Strep Throat. She didn't wear her costume, but she insisted on wearing her Halloween shirt and matching ribbon. Audrey's class had a fantastic Harvest party. All the kids were loaded down with lots of candy and trinkets. Friday night we had my sisters family and other friends over and we all went door to door collecting more candy. Audrey was the cutest ladybug ever. She was very polite, and sounded so sweet while saying "Trick of Treat" followed by Thank you. Afterwards, we loaded up and all went to Los Ranchero's for the best ever Mexican dinner. Let me tell you, by the time we got home, we were all completely pooped out.

Saturday morning Audrey and I went to my mom's house on Dauphin Island to spend the day with her. This would have been my parents 41st wedding anniversary. Mom and I took Audrey and my two new brothers, Amos and Andy for a very long and tiring walk. We went to the public playground, where we watch Audrey swing & swing. Afterwards, we drove around the island. The West End really took a beating from Hurricane Gustav. While the crews are working hard to get it back into shape, there is still quite a bit of work to be done. We went for some ice-cream and then Audrey and I headed back to Mobile. Ward met his brother and other friends to watch BAMA win yet another game. Roll Tide Roll!! Ward cooked us the best Rib-eye steak, baked potato, and baked beans dinner ever. Yummy!

Sunday after our infamous pancake breakfast, we left for the Annual Pecan Festival in the great big town of Theodore, Alabama. Audrey got to feed the animals at the Petting Zoo. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, Audrey or her daddy. You be the judge. We went for lunch, drove around a bit, and headed back home for well needed nap. Spending weekends with my family is my favorite thing to do. The weather was perfect...how could I ask for more.