Prayer Request

Well folks I've reached the end of my rope. I'm tying a knot and trying to hang on but I need some help. You probably already know I've been having some knee issues. Went to see 2 docs and had knee surgery back during the summer. Knee was great for about 3 weeks. It's all been down the crapper since.
While I was going to see the doc in B-ham my finger and neck started bothering me. Doc said not to worry. So now my neck, back, hip, knee, ankle, elbow, wrists and a few fingers hurt. The last straw was this morning when Brad had to come pull me up because I couldn't stand myself up off the toilet.
I am looking for a different doc to go see since I wasn't all that please with the one in B-ham and it's a long trip there and back. Pray that I will soon be able to find a good local doc that can help me out.

Stay tuned for updates and a long post of pictures from our TN vacation and Christmas. Oh, and they've started building Mema's new house!!

ER

Not exactly how I planned to spend my night. Thursdays at my house are supposed to mean I watch others at a hospital on Grey's Anatomy, not visit one myself. It started about 5:45 with JoAnna vomiting (in the car on the way home - yea!). We were in the ER by 8:00 with hives everywhere. Poor baby even itched in her ears. Of course the ER doc didn't test to see what caused it, but he did make it better. Well, let me tell it like it really is. The doc looked at JoAnna and the nurse made it all happen. They are awesome and I say that not only because my BFF is one, but because it's the gospel. Docs sign their name but nurses bring the magic. So after a few hours of monitoring her and making sure the steroid and benadryl are working we finally get to head home. She was a trooper while we were there! We have an appointment to see Dr. Wood Monday morning.

Moo made it all better

We've been having fun lately.

Doing a little of this and a little of that.

Even dabbled in a bit of potty training. She's not quite ready even thought she does have the hang of using the phone and sitting on the pot.

We made our first family trip to the fair last weekend.

She loved the swings!

And riding the train with Gran-Gran too!

We've tried our hand at eating spaghetti

And we are still working on the spoon. But she gets the job done even when it's not so pretty.

All of this and a trip to see the Tuckers and Bethany's birthday party made a little girl very tired. Maybe we can get those pictures in next time around. And there is a big surprise for Brad in the making so we'll have pics from that too. Y'all pray for my orange and blue soul.

Happy football season

Not much going on around the Chandler house these days. Just sitting back watching our little girl grow so fast. She is starting to say new words as we go along. Saturday at Madison's birthday party she said hot dog. Made sense to us since that's what she was eating. Oh, and happy birthday to Madison too. She's now 11 and is almost grown! Hard to believe she was so tiny when Brad and I got married. Back on track, we now hear a lot of "ut oh" and tea and "pssss" (please). She's excellent at picking out people she knows in pictures. And oh boy does she know where her belly button is. Cutest thing was a few weeks ago Brad asked her where her hair was. She knew and pulled some of it up. I asked her where Daddy's hair was. She patted him on the top of the head and continued to pat all the way down the side of his head until she found some. I laughed until I peed (which used to be funny in itself, but now not so much).

She's getting into dress up stuff and tv more. Her favorite dvd right now is an old Sesame Street alphabet show. Old like 1970s with Lena Horne. She was a little forced into playing dress up a few weekends ago with Mary Grace and Bethany but she's enjoyed it since. We've bought her a few dress up stuff and I made her a tu-tu this past weekend.

Dressed up at Mimi's

Watching Bert and Ernie

Trying out the tu-tu at Mane's

We call this her "all pimped out Hawaiian doc" look



Update since surgery

Knee surgery went well and I've not had the swelling or pain that Dr. Hester thought I may. That's great for me! But he did say that even though the pathology report says it looked to be one type of degenerative joint disease he's afraid it's the beginning stage of rheumatoid arthritis. He says only time will tell for sure what it is.

While at my check-up in Montgomery we received a phone call that Mema Moore's home had burned. This is what we found when we got there.

Completely gone. Everything. Heartbreaking to say the least. They've done very well since. They are staying in a travel trailer that was set up in the back yard. JoAnna thinks that is the neatest thing to be able to run from one end of the house to the other in about 10 steps. And jumping on the bed is now her new favorite activity. If y'all would pray for their sanity during this time it would be greatly appreciated. Papa forgets very easily that the house is gone and will make comments like he didn't need JoAnna to buy him a new cap because "I've got a closet full in the...oh wait, it's gone." We laugh to keep from crying. I think the hardest will be when it's time to decorate for Christmas and Papa realizes the rocking reindeer that sings "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" is gone. He loved to push the hoof and listen to it go! But those things can be replaced and they got out of the house with the two most important things...each other.

Dear R. Knee,

Dear R. Knee,
You have really been a pain in my butt. And my back. And my legs. So, I think tomorrow I will go have you fixed. And if by chance you decide you don't want to, or can't be fixed, then I will replace you. That is a promise and a threat. Doesn't matter to me which way you take it. You will be allowed to bother me for a little while longer, but after an ample recovery time you better be straightened out. I mean literally, I'd like to be able to straighten my leg. Thanks in advance, Monica.

We've been up to alot and nothing all at the same time. Someone at my house likes mashed potatoes, but is still learning how to fee herself. Sometimes the hand shovel works and sometimes the spoon.

I attempted to thin out our toy surplus but JoAnna had a different idea. I went to get a box for storage and when I came back in this is what I found.

And she had a time playing in the box. All went well until she tried to get out and realized that her legs were too short to get out on her own.

As you already know she loves outside and especially playing in the dirt. I think garden time in the evenings is her favorite. She walks around with her little blue bucket and scoop. Her job is to scoop some dirt from one row and dump it in the next. I'll be ready when she can use a hoe, but of course by then the garden won't be so much fun.

BEACH

JoAnna experienced the white sandy beach for the first time this past weekend. She absolutely enjoyed every minute of sprinkling the sand on herself and letting the waves run up her legs. I enjoyed the day myself.

Happy 16th birthday to JoAnna - 16 months that is. Brad hates it but we di wish her a happy birthday on the 9th of each month. Growing so fast, I'm sure it will feel like no time at all before she'll be 16 for real.

JoAnna's GranGran bought her a big pool so maybe she won't have to swim in the bucket any longer. She did seem to enjoy it though.


Looking forward to this weekend. We have a day trip planned for the beach. I'm all bubbly inside just thinking about it!

Trying it out

After several days not not being able to access blogger on my cell I've decided to try the app. We'll see.

The first blog attempt was from the river Memorial Day. JoAnna went out for the first time on the boat. Absolutely loved it. Even got in a quick nap. Was even happier when we stopped to play in the water.




My next attempt was the other afternon when JoAnna decided she wanted to play in the dirt.


She had a ball. And she had dirt in all her cracks and crevices.


So like any good country mama would, I stripped her naked and sprayed her off with the hose before going inside.

trying to keep up

At this point that's what I feel like I'm trying to do - just keep up. So many changes since my last post. The little girl has gone from no teeth and not very mobile to 12 teeth and running all over the place. She had her 15 month check-up May 10th weighing in at 21lbs 3oz (25%) and stretching 30.5in tall(50%). Of course her head was in the 75% range at 47cm since she's got that big ole head like her Daddy. The only concern Dr. Wood had was with her vocabulary since she's only saying a few words. So there's us something to work on before we go back in August.

For anyone who doesn't already know, I will be going back to visit the doctor in Birmingham first part of July to check on my knee. It's been bothering me for well over a year and I'm ready for it to stop hurting. I had some labs done Tuesday to check and make sure this new medication isn't damaging my liver. Hopefully not.

I leave you with a picture of her "reading" a bedtime story to her daddy and I will try to do better with blog updates since I now have the new phone and can post from bed (like I'm doing now). Goodnight all!