Maw and Dee

Slowly but surely Gusley's vocabulary is expanding! Jake and I just love his little sweet voice. The later it gets the more raspy his voice gets and it is just too cute! Tonight we were talking about going to Louisiana and seeing all of his Maw-Maw's and he looked to Jake and I and said "MAW"! We were tickled!

Saturday evening we met Endi and her parents at the park and had dinner together at their house after. After the park we went pick up supper and we passed up Endi's house to get to the restaurant and Gus lost it - crying hysterically and between breaths he would shout "DEEE" "DEEE". As soon as we got back their house all was well!! Dee, Gus loves you oh so very much!!

Happy 81st Birthday Maw from the Little Casanova!!

Today is my grandmother's 81st birthday! She is one of my best friends. Growing up she called me her little shadow because when she remarried I cried and carried on and insisted I should go on their honeymoon!! Sorry Maw, I have always had a super strong love for you!! She also calls me Laura Lee and every time I see her she has to twirl the curls on my neck. She has ALWAYS loved my curls. This has to be one of the sweetest memories I have and I will always cherish those twirls! It is very fitting that we are so close because anyone that knows her and sees me says that I look just like her. When she was 20ish and when I was 20ish we looked almost identical. In her hay day, I picture her being a very vivacious, out-going, spontaneous little ball of energy.

I can talk to her about anything and she just listens and adds her thoughts on an as needed basis. She has always supported me in every thing I have ever done and has always been there for every single member of our family. I grew up in her back yard and the first place I lived when I moved out was next door to her in a garage apartment when Jake and I got married. We had a small compound going on as my Uncle lived next door to us. Growing up it was a very safe 'compound'. Every night I would call Maw to let her know I was on my way over to kiss her goodnight and she would wait at the back door for me. Often with a finger full of finger cookies for me (I recently introduced these to Gus and he LOVES them just as much as I do!). After we said our good nights and gave our kisses I would call my parents to let them know I was on my way back and she would watch me run home out of her back door and my mom or dad would wait for me at our back door. It seems like those moments were just yesterday.

We lived too close to my elementary school for me to ride the bus so she would pick me up everyday from school and as soon as we got to her house I would have a bowl of Fruit Loops or Corn Flakes and watch The Flintstones and The Jetsons while waiting on mom or dad to get off of work. Those were the days!!

Leaving my comfort zone of 25 years was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. I remember the day I talked to Maw about us moving. I cried and cried and cried, of course it did not help that I was pregnant with her first great-grandchild at the time, but she just held me as tight and as close as she could and let me cry my heart out. When I stopped to take a breath she told me, "Laura Lee, it will be hard, but do not stay here for me. You and Jake need to do what is best for y'all and your baby. You know what the best thing and the right thing to do is. Do it. I will be here. I am a phone call away and I will not stop loving you and Jake. I mean it, do not stay here because of me. I WILL BE OKAY." I know those words were so hard for her to say, but at the same time I knew she meant it and it was genuine. After plenty more tears, hugs and Kleenex I felt better about our decision to move. That is not to say that moving day was not one of the hardest days of my life. I could not look at her house with out crying, when I walked in to tell her goodbye it was horrible. I lost it and I just could not hug her tight enough. I wanted to reverse our decision, but I knew that is not what she would have wanted. (As I type this I have have a huge lump in my throat and my eyes are welling up.)

I made a promise to her that I would try to call everyday. I am disappointed that I have not done so. I do try to call at least once a week, but I have made a promise with myself that I will call her more. When she hears my voice on the other end she sounds so excited and I know it makes her day. I do send her pictures pretty often so she can see how much Gus is growing. As you can see, my grandmother is very special to me. She always has been and she always will be. I can only hope to be half the wife, mother, grandmother she has been to all of us. She is the rock in the family. She has been dealt alot and she has taken it all in stride and she doesn't judge.

I really wish we could have been there to celebrate her 81st Birthday, but we did call and sing to her so it was like we were there! The picture below is Maw on my birthday 2009. She got a kick out of my pink wig so we put it on her for giggles! She loved it. I think for a minute it took her back to her youth...a place she hadn't been in quite sometime!

At this point I am sure you are wondering why the post is from the Little Casanova. This evening Jake and I took Gus to a local park, but it was too cool to stay there more than 5 minutes so we went for a drive while the sun went down and Gus was able to watch the moon rise. We ended up in a little city 20 miles from home and decided to eat at Pizza Hut. They had a great special and it was super clean so we thought we would give it a try. When we got to our booth there was booth of 3 ladies behind us and they immediately melted over Gus. They had some of the Hershey's dessert sticks and Gus kept eyeing them. They had 2 left and offered them to him. He did not hesitate to take the basket from them and proceeded to gobble the sticks up. He kept flirting with them through the entire meal and they loved every minute of it. They all told him goodbye when they left and he got a little bashful but still managed to crack a smile at them. One lady came back to leave her tip and she stopped at our table and gave Gus a dollar bill! He was quick to take the dollar from her! Had we known it was that easy, we would have had him acting a long time ago! NOT! So his new nick name is Little Casanova. Maw got a kick out of this story and just loves his nickname!

Happy Birthday Maw May! We love you more than I could ever write on this blog. You are an inspiration to me and a very special friend to me. I love you and miss you so very much. I wish you could make the trip up here because I think you would just love it!

South Louisiana Day 3

Our last day down south was Labor Day. We had a nice relaxing day. Just visited with family and friends and munched on yummy south Louisiana food all day!

Trying to get a picture with Gus while visiting with Maw. There was just too much for him to see and do over there. He did figure out how to turn all of her lamps on. Well all of the ones with pull strings, which are all of them. He would turn them all on one by one then go back and turn them all off one by one.

Here he is making an attempt to turn that one on!

Maw gave him a music box with a blue bird on it and as soon as he saw her wind it up that was it, he too was winding it up!

Maw stealing some sweet sugars from her great-grandson!




Back at the ranch.......

Second wind???

What I would do to get a trampoline for my birthday??!! I forgot just how much I love these things....though I did not get on this one because it turns everything that touches it black. But watching Gus jump, all the memories came flooding in........Jake, take this as a hit, when in doubt, a trampoline will do!!!

Can I take your order??

weeeee.......see what I mean about the black!

Which brings us to the bath tub before dinner on this particular night. Gus looked like a chimney sweeper when he came inside he was black from his head to his toes!

Lily and Camryn flashing a smile for the camera!!

Gus and Will having a deep conversation! I love both of their expressions in this picture.

Gus is really into what Will is doing and Will seems like a big brother explaining it all to him!

Hanging out with Daddy while Mommy enjoys a few more boiled crabs!

Round 2.......

Techno Baby

Can we say techno baby?? My cousin set up a computer for my grandmother and Gus decided to show them how it works. Some nights he and Jake sit at the computer and watch Playhouse Disney so he was thrilled to be able to sit at the computer like a big boy and watch Playhouse Disney and Sid the Science Kid!!

Not sure who is telling who what to do here.....Gus or Marshall!

Dancing to the "Hot Dog Dance"

Crazy times.......my 80 year old grandma has a super swift computer and my 1 year old is working it and watching it!

WE LOVE GREAT MAW

What a yummy little ham we have here....this was right before we left to head back to TN when we were down in January....Pinki gave Gusley his first bite of pound cake. What a week of first this was!

Kisses for Great Maw!! He was something else with his kisses and he was bias and only gave to Maw. I guess he knew she needed them the most having just lost her husband. Sweetness all around!!

The three amigos!!

Sunny Day in Houma

More backblogging......This was after my grandfather's funeral, we spent the day with my grandma and tried to make the best of the situation. It was a beautiful sunny day so we did a lot of playing outside too.

Such a good baby, just went with it..so out of routine and schedule, but he did well.

Mom and Gus taking a much needed break.

In Maw's backyard....we have a picture of me in this very wheelbarrow!

Gusley and I soaking up the sun!

"Flying"

What a day...this was after Jake has spent the night in the ER with me and Aunt Sarah, Gi-Gi and Paw so graciously kept Gusley while we were there till the wee hours of the morning...I love how they are in the same position!!!

WOW...what a rollercoaster of a week we had....

Well.....just when I thought I would be able to catch up on my blogging, life as I knew it was about to change for a week. I will give the condensed version as I would need a totally separate blog for the entirety!



Saturday, January 10, 2009~Today started out to be a good day...Gusley woke up clapping. We have never really shown him how to clap and he woke up doing it so now the song of the day is "If Your Happy and You Know It"! Then the phone rang at 11:30-11:45am, it was my grandmother, my grandfather has passed away back home in Louisiana. Irvin, your accomplishments and stories will never be forgotten, I think you did a great job of etching those war stories into our brains! You will be sadly missed and I am ever so grateful that you were able to meet my son, Gusley Norman and we will never let him forget the nick name you gave him at a mere 5 weeks old, "No Fuss Gus"!! Mom and dad are out the door and on their way down by 12:20pm. I have to commend Jake for a moment. At this point he took over so that I could get my bearings and deal with the news. Thank you, Jake. You were such a huge help at that time. By 3pm we were pulling out of the driveway going drop Buttercup off at Nanny's Kennel. Thank you, Nanny for allowing Buttercup to stay with you on such short notice. We really appreciate your accommodations for her! 4:18pm it is freezing cold outside, raining and we are on I-65 headed south to Louisiana. The ride down was not bad at all. Since the weather was so dreary, it was darker than usual at that time and in turn Gus slept a little more that other trips. It is now 1:45am and we are pulling in to Gi-Gi and Paw's driveway.......ready for bed! Once we get Gus out of his seat, of course he wakes up and since it is new surroundings he has to check things out! I believe we were finally settled on our air mattress and fast asleep by 3am.



Sunday, January 11, 2009~Happy 1st Birthday Vivian!!!! Today was Vivian's first birthday and her party. Although we were in town for such a sad occasion, we were glad to be able to celebrate Vivian's birthday with the family. On our way to the party we stopped at Maw's to visit and reflect on Irvin (my grandfather) and all his witty remarks, proud moments, war stories and to just reminisce. It felt good....much needed after the car ride down there knowing what we were going for :-(. Vivian's party was so sweet, all princess themed, and she was the bell of the ball!! Gus really enjoyed himself at the party and was able to play with and make a few new friends!! Not to mention, he had his very first taste of Ice Cream and Cake! He loved it!! Lucas got an awesome Jeep from Santa so he took Gus for a wild ride in the neighborhood!! The Jeep is complete with seat belts and a real radio!! Gus really enjoyed the ride and was ready to drive by the time it was all said and done! Maybe next year! After the party we headed over to Gi-Gi and Paw's for Sunday night supper....Jambalaya and green beans...yummy! Another first for Gus...Jambalaya!! Not sure if I mentioned anywhere in this blog, but this week there were a lot of firsts for all of us!! After a long day, we all tucked in a little early....11:00pm! Not our usual bedtime, but we were up visiting and taking pictures and having fun!





Monday, January 12, 2009~Today we slept in a little...8:45am! I woke up with and an awful pain in my upper right abdomen and chest and I could not take a deep breath. I just passed it off as sleeping wrong and/or on an air mattress, but after taking Tylenol and getting no relief, I figured it must be something a little more serious, but I still went on about my day dealing with the pain. Jake was bound and determined to take a spin on the mini bikes so Gi-Gi and Gus came out on the deck and watched us ride around the yard....Gus loved it!! After a few rounds I pulled up and parked in front of Gus and sat him on the bike with me....he immediately grabbed the handlebars and his face lit up like a Christmas tree!! I decided I would take Gus for a spin on the super mini bike, but I would just push it myself with my feet (no throttle)! He LOVED it and so did I....hearing his little squeals of joy!! We took the morning rather easy since I wasn't feeling up to par. Had a nice lunch with Gi-Gi and Paw...Pizza Express...a local favorite of the Cenacs'! Our afternoon was spent visiting, then we headed back to Maw's...by this time the pain was almost unbearable so Mom suggested Jake take me to Urgent Care and they would watch Gus. Off we went, little did we know what kind of night this would turn out to be.



Upon arrival at Urgent Care we were seen rather quickly. The doctor had me lay down on my back and I thought I was going to die, suffocate, hyperventilate, etc...it was horrible. They did a chest x-ray and recommended I go to the ER. **For those of you reading this that live in Houma, if you do not already know this please DO NOT GO TO TERREBONNE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER EMERGENCY ROOM. I wish I had known that before. I truly believe Chabert would have been better (if you can imagine that). Anyway, after 8+ hours ( 2+ of which I was waiting to be seen), a filthy room, an ultrasound, a CT Scan and several doses of pain medication later, I was diagnosed with pleurisy and we were sent home at 2 am. Of course, they give me a prescription and the only two drugstores open are clean across town, so we head over there to be told that the computers were down and it would be about 10 more minutes..........3am we are home and Gus is still fast asleep. Thank you Sarah for making the trek across town to bring the breast pump, picking up Gus and waiting for the milk and taking him home with you and Gi-Gi. That really meant alot and I could rest knowing he was in good hands. Thank you Gi-Gi and Paw for keeping Gus nice and comfy and snuggly in bed with y'all until he woke! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!


Tuesday, January 13th, 2009~Today was my grandfather's funeral. I woke up feeling a little better, but I still could not hold Gus for long periods of time and my arms were sore because the nurse stuck me 3 times before she was able to get a vein......anyway, we made it to the funeral with about 2o minutes to spare. Gusley was a little exhausted and really wanted me, but Jake did a great job of keeping me out of his sight during the funeral. Thank you, honey. The most touching moment of the day was when we were at the cemetery, the priest was saying his blessings and I was holding Gus, we were right at the casket and Gus just put his little tiny hand on the casket just about the entire time...I lost it at that moment...what a sweet heart. We went to Maw's after and that went well, Gus and I took a small nap together then we were ready to eat! I was finally able to satisfy my Wingstop craving that night! It had been waaaaaay too long and I enjoyed every bit of it!!



Wednesday, January 14th, 2009~Today I was still not feeling much better so I made an appointment with our old family doctor. Jake could not leave town without satisfying his craving of CeAna's down in Dulac. Gi-Gi, Jake, Gus and I headed down the bayou for lunch and it was delicious as always. Gus had his first French Fry over there. He did not know what to do with it at first, but he soon learned that he sure liked the taste!!! Jake and dad had to get back home for work so they left about 2:30pm to head back to Tennessee and mom took me to the doctor. The doctor told me that I had been misdiagnosed and I did NOT have pleurisy, but that I had a sprain/strain in my chest cavity. There are several criteria one must meet to have pleurisy and I did not have any of them. WOW! He gave me a shot and I began to feel better by late afternoon. Gi-Gi kept Gus so that I could go to the doctor and after the doctor mom and I went to Maw's for a visit and we ended up staying over there until about 9:30pm, but we had a nice visit and lots of laughs....something we all needed.


Thursday, January 15th, 2009~Mom, Gus and I all slept in until 10am. We were exhausted to say the least!! We headed over to Maw's for some more visiting, which I am so thankful for, because Gus was just a doll. He developed a deep love for Maw and she was the only person he would give open mouth kisses to all week! We would all ask, but she was the only one! I guess he knows where his bread is buttered!! We had a pleasant afternoon visiting and did not want to leave, but at 4:00pm we drove out of town headed for the hills! Of course, there was just one more stop we had to make.....Cafe du Monde for beignets...Another First for Gus!!!!


Friday, January 16th, 2009~HOME SWEET HOME at 1:14am. I am so thankful that I work from home and Gusley and I were able to just stay in our pajamas all day and unpack at our own pace. Well he stayed in his all day, I had to get out to the grocery store for a few vittles as the cupboard was bare!!


Now that you know what kind of week we had, I'm sure you can see why we are so behind on the blog. That is my goal for the week....CATCH UP!

Christmas Eve at Maw's

Here is Gusley at 8:15pm on Christmas Eve...out like a light! He did manage to get some energy about himself and wake up for the festivities and lord was it a Christmas to remember!! Funny, silly, sentimental...it had all the high points to be expected at Maw's, but we love em all!!

Told you he woke up.....hanging out under the tree!! The bows on the gifts were his favorite!

I'll take that one!!

Maw and Irvin opening one of their gifts!! Irvin had just gotten out of the hospital the day before with pneumonia and wanted to be a part of the party...very special night for all of us!!

We love you Irvin!

Mommy and baby in front of Maw's tree!

A few more snip-its!!

Opps!! I forgot to include these in the last post! Just a few other ways we entertained Gus while at Maw's! Jake took him for a stroll down High Street. Seems like yesterday Jake and I were taking Buttercup for strolls down High Street!



Dad even took his turn and took Gus for a looong walk around the neighborhood.....bet you can't guess where they stopped?? At the local dentist....who gave Gus his first toothbrush!! Ironically, Jake and I had a toothbrush exactly like this for Gus' stocking, but someone forgot to pack their toothbrush (no names to be mentioned) so he (opps! just gave it away) had to use the one we packed for the stocking! Good thing the dentist was open on Christmas Eve!!!!!

And when all else fails....daddy's sunglasses seem to keep him happy for a little while!! (He broke mine on the way home!)

Come on Down.....to Louisiana!

12.23.08 - We left Tennessee at 6:15am. At this time we were uncertain as to whether or not my grandfather would be home for Christmas since he had been in the hospital for a week battling pneumonia, fluid on/in his lungs, and a few infections. By the time we made it to Houma, he had been discharged and was sleeping peacefully in his bed in his house. I know that must have made him feel a little better. We were really looking forward to the annual Christmas Eve party at Maw's since we missed it last year due to me being "with child"!! I'll be posting those a little later this evening!

Here is Gusley's reaction to the early departure!!

Our first stop was Maw's house. Being that she and Irvin are 80 and 88, respectively, the house is really not too childproof. At first, I thought it would be a nightmare, but we made the best of it. As you can see, Gusley found the portable oxygen tank carrier and used it as a "push toy" if you will!! See I told you we made the best of it!!!

He did a lot of sitting on laps and riding in his little red car while we were there. I love this picture of he and Maw. She looks really calm and content considering the week she had just had.

This is what we drove up to....Marshall decorated the house for Maw!! He is so sweet and made sure that we would not pass up the house with all those lights!!!!

Gusley's First Christmas Card!

My Grandma mailed Gus a Santa Claus Christmas card the other day and he just loved it! I think that the pictures speak for themselves!!

It is 1:56am and I should be sleeping since we are leaving for Houma at 5:00am...yikes!! The good news is that mom is doing the driving so hopefully I will be doing some sleeping if a certain little someone allows!!!

Nighty, night...don't let the bed bugs bite!

This is for you Aunt Lisa....he has already gotten plenty of use out of the bib you sent up for him!! Thank you sooo much and we can't wait to see you!!!! Merry Christmas and all our love!

Gusley and Great GrandMAW!!!

While we were in Houma we made several trips to Maw's house for a visit. Always an emotional visit, but at the same time a very heart warming visit. I guess it is the immense amount of love she has for all of us, but more so for Gusley since he is named after her father. These were just a few of the touching pictures Jake and I captured during our visits. Gusley really enjoys visiting with her and showing off all his new tricks!! Jake and I love to just sit back, sip on a can Coke and watch the love flow......this makes us very proud so be able to witness something so special.

Gusley and Maw playing peek-a-boo!! Both of them are so full of love and excitement for each other. I love it!!

So proud that he can stand up in his swing. Yep, he has both feet off the ground and in the swing!

Hanging out under the footrest of the recliner watching PBS!

Everyday is a happy day for Maw when Gusley is in town!!