Casey Collins!

Cadie (Ce-Ce) had a big birthday last week so she took a week off from keeping Bella to go to the beach! So, her sister Casey kept Bella. I was very nervous at first given that Bella is so attached to Cadie and has been "clingy" a lot more lately. I figured within the first day Casey would be calling me to come home! However, this was SOO not the case. Casey had Bella at the pool, park, eating, sleeping and running around happy as a lark! I was extremely excited to come home each day and see a smile on BOTH of their faces! Bella also started calling Casey "Say-Cee" It was so cute! She took to her very well!

Casey is 19 and has a Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease which is a inherited Neurological Disorder affecting your sensory and motor nerves. In Casey's situation it affects her lower extremities causing her to have muscle weakness in her legs. I was atonished to hear she had this disease being that it ony affects 1 in 2,500 people in th US and that my Granmother Shields was one of the first cases. My grandmother was very limited at times having to crawl on her knees or wear braces to get around. Casey does EXTREMELY well and is such a delight to watch! She is a very strong and independent girl with lots of personality much like my grandmother.

If any of you Mom's are looking for help this summer, Casey is home for the summer from school and is looking to help a family with children. I am the first to say she is WONDERFUL and would make you and your kids so happy! If you are interested, please let me know!
THANKS CASEY for helping me and Cadie out this week! You are fabulous!

Sweet Bella!

Yesterday we took a trip to Columbus to visit Nanu (Mom) and the rest of my crew. We also scheduled in time to meet Ms. Robin Cregeen and her girls at Lake Lowndes for some pictures of Bella. It turned out to be such a fun day! Bella was in the best mood and the weather couldn't have been better. We had a lot of fun just playing. These were some of my favorites, however I love every picture of Bella! Guess I am kinda partial!


Thanks Ms. Robin for taking them! I really think they turned out great! Also thanks to Mom, Paul, Adam and Beka for a fun day at home! I love you guys!

Mommy Day!

Yesterday was the BEST Mother's Day! I spent the entire day with Bella and It I couldn't have been happier. One of my greatest Friends, Annelise and her sister Sarah Kathryn came by to visit us. Annelise brought her puppy Norman. We had BIG time!!
Friday started my Mother's Day weekend when I received a box of GODIVA chocolates from Bella's Godmother, Stephanie! Steph and I share a love for Godiva and Bella! ;) It was so sweet and thoughtful of her to remember me. I ate EVERY LAST PIECE before Mother's day even arrived! ;) Thanks Steph.. you are the best ever!

Saturday Mom and Adam (Nanu and A-ham as Bella says) came to keep Bella for the day while Kyle and I threw a baby shower for our good friends the Bell's. To my surprise Mom and Adam had created the sweetest gifts for me! A huge wall frame of a tone of photos I had never seen of Bella. They were all so cute and It couldn't have been sweeter. Adam also made me a personalized frame from Bella that said "MOMMY I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH" with a picture of Bella standing with her arms wide open! Definitely brought tears to my eyes. I have the best family. Thank you so much. I love you.

THEN.. Saturday night after coming home, I found a DOZEN long stem Red roses and One white rose on my door step! The card read "TO MOMMY, I LOVE YOU BELLA!" I later found out that they were sent by Bella's Gammie, Zack's Mom. They were the icing on the cake! Thank you so much Mrs. Lynn, they are beautiful!! I am enjoying them so much!

As you can see not just by the gifts, but also by all the love and support that I am the luckiest Mom in the world! I have to best family and a sweet little girl who adores me. What more could you want?

OOOEY GOOEY CHOCOLATE CAKE

One of my patients gave me this great recipe for "OOOEY GOOEY CHOCOLATE CAKE". It is AMAZING. I have a big sweet tooth and I'm always up for a new treat! I decided tonight that Bella should try it! See for yourself what she thought... It was too funny!! Hope you enjoy..

OOOEY GOOEY CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

1 Betty Crocker Trip Choc. Fudge Cake Mix

1 Can coconut milk

Chocolate Syrup

1 8 oz cont. of cool whip

1 small box of instant white choc. pudding mix

coconut

pecans

Semi sweet Choc. chips

Mix cake mix as directed using the coconut milk and water as combo. Add choc. chips, coconut and pecans as you wish. Bake 350 for 30-35 min in 9x13 baking pan. Immediately poke holes in top of cake and cover with choc. syrup as soon as it is out of the oven. Let cool.

TOPPING

mix 1 C coconut milk, 1/2 C milk, pudding mix... add coconut, pecans and cool whip

Spread over top and refrigerate

If you are not one that likes coconut, have no fear! It taste like PURE CHOCOLATE HEAVEN!!! Its great! Hope you will try it!

Ridgeland Kids Day

Yesterday was Ridgeland's Kids Day. I have been looking forwards to it for a few weeks now! I knew there was going to be a lot going on and it is always fun to get Bella out! However, the rain kept us away in the morning until around 11:30. Once the rain cleared I was in a RUSH to get Bella out there for some fun before the rain came back. Even though we didn't get to stay very long and I totally was neglectful to half my friends I had made plans with (Brooks and Mandy I really am sorry). We ended up having a pretty fun time; short but fun. We got see the Holloways and The Brewers (Jessica and Landon, yes they are Kyle's sister-in-law and nephew)

Although Crew is only in one of my pictures, I promise he was there and cute as a button! Running around everywhere! I could eat him he is so cute! Carrington and Bella were busy little bees themselves. As you can see in the pictures they favor each other so much! I always love when we get them together. They are too funny..

Jenny, Jessica, Ryan and I were a sight at lunch time! On our feet, sweating and feeding ALL kids at once. if one got a bite, ALL got a bite! Cotton candy was a big hit with all the kids EXCEPT Bella!! Didn't seem to be her forte. However, Landon was so sweet. He kept trying to feed her the PINK kind and taking the blue for himself.

Landon and Jessica rode on the ponies while Bella and I watched. Bella didn't seem to care for the pony's at all! She'd rather be running around or watching one of the circus shows. Like I said, it was a short day, but I just enjoyed getting to spend it with her!

Cheap Mom, Happy Bella

Bella has really started to enjoy playing in the sand. Every time we go to the park we end up on the slide or in the sand! So, I decided to take a trip to Toys R Us last week to buy her a sand box. Low and behold like everything else, It was a lot more than I wanted to pay!

Instead frustrated Mom decides to make one! Cadie and I figured that since I don't have cats around my apartment to mistaken it for a litter box and my patio is covered, we should do it the EL CHEAP O WAY!

$7.99 swimming pool

$5.99 50lb of sand

$5.99 bag of toys

I felt like I had SAVED THE WORLD. Well, at least Bella thinks so today! Mission accomplished. :)

My Day Off!

Tuesday I took the day off to spend with Bella. We were in need of some quality time between just us! Between work and everyday obligations, our time has been hurried. Honestly, I just needed a day to be with her! From swimming lessons to just playing around the house, Bella and I had such a fun day. I pretty much said from breakfast on that it was FUN day.. LIMITED RULES AND LOTS OF FUN!! :) I even let her eat Cheetos!! I'm not a big chip fan so we don't normally have them here. However, we ate at Newk's for lunch and I decided to let her have them as an afternoon snack! MAN DID SHE LOVE THEM!

I also pulled out a few of her Easter toys such as the side walk chalk and the gardening tools! We had ball, even without the backyard or GRASS! haha. I hope a house or condo with lots of grass and trees will be in our future! :) We both love being outdoors.

Oh and please notice the "blanket" a.k.a " PINK" in the pictures. We have officially become Linus from Charlie Brown. Pink goes with us EVERYWHERE, including outside to play! Cute at the time but I'm sure when its time to let PINK go, that will be a whole other story! Anyways, the day was good one. Stress free and full of Fun! I'm starting to wonder if I should be a stay-at-home-mom.. does anyone want to take over my bills?? :)