Stomach Bug = Yuck!

The stomach bug hit our house and it wasn't fun to say the least.  My mom was sick on Saturday/Sunday.  I was sick Monday night/Tuesday.  Clayton got sick on Wednesday.  She was pitiful.

Blankets and towels were the most logical clothing as she was throwing up so much.

 

 She started feeling better on Thursday and Friday.

 
  
But as we discovered that our plumbing was stopped up on Friday night, the bug hit Clayton again.  It was Clayton's 1st time to have a fever (103) and very nerve-racking for her parents to say the least.  Harris ran out and bought an ear thermometer.  Many texts and calls were made to Clayton's Mimi for advice.

 

 

Harris tried but couldn't fix the plumbing issue and we had limited plumbing/sewage usage for the weekend until a plumber came on Monday.  To add to the wonderful week, the bug hit Harris on Saturday night.  So I had one patient on one couch and the other on the sofa.

 

 Clayton started feeling better on Sunday and even ate some dinner.

And on Monday (MLK Day), she was perking back.  

Apparently, someone must have told her that drinking syrup would help.  

I wouldn't describe the week as fun by any stretch of the means, but snuggling and taking care of my little angel was priceless.

Papa

My grandfather passed away peacefully last week.  It was bittersweet but I know him and my grandmother had one heck of a reunion.

I have many fond memories of my grandparents.  Recently it delighted me to take Clayton to see him.  He always told me how beautiful she was (which he always told me as well....even though many times I would question his eyesight because of my appearance).  One visit my mom put Clayton on his bed and she began crawling on his legs.  He said, "she is rough!"  We have laughed and laughed about it since Clayton is our wild child.  Clayton would scream "Papa" when we pulled up to his apartment but was very shy when she saw him.

 

 His obituary read:

James Brunot "J.B." Gaiennie passed away at his home on January 8, 2013 at the age of 91. J.B. was born December 13, 1921 in Shreveport, LA. He graduated from St. Johns High School in Shreveport in 1939 and attended Centenary College. His lifelong ambition was flying and he became a licensed pilot when he was 17 years old. He was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy in 1941 where he served as a Naval Aviator. He continued flying until the age of 79. After World War II, he became a partner in Gaiennie Wholesale Lumber Company, Inc. in Shreveport, LA. J.B. and his family moved to Monroe, LA in 1959 where he worked at Van-Trow Oldsmobile until moving to Memphis, TN in 1970. He became the owner of Regal Oldsmobile until his retirement in 1992. He was President of the TN Auto Dealers Assoc. and President of TN Motor Vehicle Commission. Preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Sally Mullin Gaiennie, mother and father, Kenneth Meeker Gaiennie and Marie Silvers Gaiennie of Shreveport, LA, his three brothers, William Gaiennie of Coronado, CA, Kenneth M. Gaiennie, Jr. of Shreveport and Gene R. Gaiennie also of Shreveport, also his grandsons Patrick G. Smith and P. Shelton Smith of Memphis, TN. He is survived by his three children, Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy Gaiennie, Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Gaiennie, Mr. & Mrs. Rocky Smith, nine grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. He was cared for by loyal, caring, nurses, Paula Taylor, Gloria Morris, Roxie Cathey, Doris Albright, Boo Meyers, Kim Smith and Phyllis Adams. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 1:30pm at Church of the Holy Spirit, 2300 Hickory Crest Dr. Memphis, TN 38119. The visitation will be at the church beginning at 12:30. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking any donations be sent to the Church of the Holy Spirit.

Papa will certainly be missed but forever remembered for his generosity, passion for flying & fishing, and his adoration for his family especially his grandkids.

25 Months Old

25 Months Old Claytonisms

• Sweet as pie- Clayton really is the sweetest little girl.  She is full of hugs and kisses.  Although she occasionally (ok frequently) is required to give a hug or kiss in order to receive what she wants.  "I can't get up unless I get a kiss."  A few times she refuses but she is now used to paying for demands with love.  
• Potty Pooper- Clayton has gotten pretty good at letting us know that she needs to poo and goes on the potty.  (This excludes anytime she decides to paint the walls while in her crib.)  However, she hasn't quite mastered tee-teeing on the potty.  We are working on this soon.
• "Hurry!"- is a common word heard at our house.  Clayton loves saying it as she runs and usually while giggling.  Whether it's running to the potty or playing kitchen and the oven timer beeps, she likes to say, "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"  Her version sounds more like, "her-wee."
• "Noooowww!"- is another common word heard around our house.  Think she picked this up from my mom who tells her "Now!" in situations such as fixing something for her, readjusting her clothes, or changing her diaper and sending her on her way.
• "Oh Boy!" / "Wow!"/ "Oh me gosh!"- are more common expressions of Clayton's.  Obviously she says these when expressing excitement.  They are probably some of my favorites as they make me chuckle.
• Big Helper- She loves to "help" around the house with projects throughout the day.  Hanging a painting, sewing, cleaning, or cooking, she likes to put her special touch on any task.  I'm hoping she likes to be a big helper when her little sibling arrives as long as it doesn't involve feeding them a choking hazard. 
• Comprehension-  It's amazing what Clayton comprehends.  Whether it's watching a sad part in a movie or telling her to do something, a child's little brain is impressive and scary at the same time.
• "Happ-You"- Apparently December with both our birthdays had an influence on Clayton.  She got accustomed to singing "Happy Birthday."  However she gets the "Happ" on happy and then chimes in with "You".  Anytime she sees a candle she thinks it needs to be blown out, which makes it difficult to keep any candle lit around our house and if it's in reaching range, she is going after it which poses a great burn/fire hazard.
• "Whack whack"-  Feeding the ducks at the park is one of our favorite activities.  She loves to visit the ducks and claps when we drive near the park and screams "duck."  If you ask her what a duck says she says, "whack, whack!"
• She likes for me to roll down her window while I'm driving.  I then realized she is attempting to throw out snacks.  However the majority don't actually make it out of the window and I have a plethora for any mouse to consume between the door and her seat.  I have no clue how this snack litter bug came to be.  I don't throw stuff out the car window.
• Fridge Raider-  An unwanted milestone occurred this month when Clayton became able to open the fridge and freezer by herself.  It is now a 24-hour buffet for her.  
• "I toot!"  This month anytime Clayton burps she says, "I toot!".  Nah, we don't correct her.  It's too funny.
• Scat!!!  Clayton says "scat" anytime anyone sneezes.  She will scream it from another room.
• bye bye bye
• This month she is loving munching on pickles, beans and bread.
• "Yeah!....ahahaha " is a another common Clayton saying/response to a question.  She will say Yeah! and then follow it up with giggling.  Not sure where she got the giggling from.
• "I'm pee-pee"-  After a few times of her saying this one night I finally figured out that she was saying, "I'm sleepy!"  For her to actually be tired is amazing but to verbalize it was another milestone that makes me sad as it proves she is growing up way too fast.
• We have a big Elmo lover on our hands.  She liked Elmo previously but this month her love has kicked into overdrive.  She requests to watch Elmo constantly.  And Sesame Street doesn't cut it since Elmo isn't always on the screen.  Yes, this request gets annoying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Pictures were taken a week late due to the stomach bug hitting our house.)

Mother's Day Out

I blogged about Clayton's first day of Mother's Day Out at the end of September and had many people ask me how she likes it now.  Well, I'm happy to report that she loves going.  The first day I tried to get her to take a picture by the church sign however she refused.  When we went the next time she ran over to the sign and said, "cheese!"  So now every time we leave and pass the sign, she insists on taking a picture.  This is months worth of MDO pics.

 

 

This was her showing off her first "school" craft.  I almost cried.  Big moment for mom!

 

 

Wave Your Hinney in the Air