And then there were FIVE!!

It is the moment that you have all been waiting for...my brother, George Edward Hornbuckle, has finally joined us! This has been the best weekend and I can't wait to tell you all about it! Mama went into Labor on March 12th and when she went to see Dr Gleason, she was already dilated 4cm so he decided to help her along the next morning if she did not go on her own that night. The next morning, Friday the 13th, her and Daddy woke up extra early to go to the hospital. I was still in bed so Nana and Papa took me to school at my regular time.
They checked in at the Maternity Unit Entrance and UAB at the same place that they went when they had me. They were so excited about everything that was going to happen that day. There were lots of people there waiting on George's arrival! Mama, Daddy, Nana, Papa, Mimi, Grandpa, Miss Becky, Miss Deloris, Aunt Betsy, Uncle Robert, Rob and Matthew. They all sat in the waiting area anxiously awaiting the news! Everyone thought that it was best that I stay at school until later so that I could keep my routine.

George was born March 13, 2009 at 12:43 pm. He was 6lbs 7ozs and was 18 3/4 inches long! Such a wee little baby! He cried immediately which was music to Mama and Daddy's ears! After all of the thoughts and prayers, George was perfect and everyone was so thankful!
The labor was much easier than it was with me and since he was healthy, he was allowed to stay in the room during his bath and measurements. Meanwhile, everyone came back to the room to sneak a peek of him and to take lots of pictures. Mama and Daddy were so happy!
Dr Gleason was absolutely wonderful and was so proud of George! He stuck around for a while visiting with our family and keeping an eye on things. He is such a great doctor and Mama says that she would not go to anyone else.

The nurses that did his measurements were really nice and explained everything that they were doing. They had a constant audience but I am sure that they are used to that.
All of our family gathered around Mama and George so that Mama could show him off. It was so wonderful to have everyone there! I hope that he knows just how many people really love him! Nana was the first one to hold him but we did not get a picture of her. I did not want to leave her out though.
Mimi and Grandpa were so proud! George will be the one to carry on the family name since he is a boy. Mimi worked on his cross stitch announcement for his room while in the waiting room. She made one for me like it but his is for a boy.
Uncle Robert was in charge of the video since Mama and Dada were busy doing other things. We were very appreciative of having George's first moments of life documented. Rob liked looking at him.
Papa loved on him for a little bit. I am sure that George will be like the rest of us and say his name before anyone Else's. He has that effect on all of us!
Grandpa looked at George adoringly secretly dreaming of his basketball career. We think that he will be just like Daddy and be the star! He has a little while before he can dribble and shoot but as soon as he is capable, I am sure that he will have a basketball in his hand!
Then is was Mimi's turn for some snuggles. Nobody in our family had ever held a baby that small! He weighed just over a gallon of milk! She thinks that he is going to have red hair like our Uncle David!
Miss Becky and Miss Deloris came in town for the day as well. They are not really related but they might as well be. Nana has such good friends that love us all so very much! We are very lucky to have such an extended "family."
Then it was my turn to meet my little brother! Nana and Mimi bought me an "I'm the big sister" bracelet. I wore it to school the whole next week for all of my friends to see.
I was so happy to see him and wanted to touch his head so Mama let me. I was so sweet and it touch every one's heart at how gentle I was with him. I have never really been around little babies except for my cousin, Matthew, but I did really touch him.
I was just as wonderful as everyone imagined that I would be and proved to everyone that that I have a natural ability to be a big sister. I think that George is very lucky to have me in his life!
I could not keep my eyes off of him. At times, I was a little confused about the noises that he was making but all in all, I was just perfect.
Then came the extra fun part...I got to drink juice from Mama's cup! I was not really thirsty but it was too much fun drinking from her drink. I like cranberry juice!
George's Godparents are Miss Weldon and Mr Brian. They came by to see him after work. They could not have been more proud!
The first night went off without a hitch and George could not have been more perfect! Mama fed him every 2-3 hours and he did a much better job with that than I did.

Tante and Freddy came by for a surprise visit and it really touched Mama's heart! Tante is my special person but I am glad that she loves my brother too!

They traveled all the way from New Orleans! We are so lucky to have them as friends!

Robert, Betsy, Rob and Matthew stopped by on their way back to LaGrange. They were so proud of our newest addition!

The room that Mama was in was huge so there was plenty of room for us to play! We took a small break in the action though to take a picture of all of us grandchildren. Rob wanted to hold George so I let him because I am such a good sharer!

Nana and Papa were so proud to have all of us there together for the first time! They say that their cup runneth over!
I came to visit my brother everyday to make sure that they were doing everything that they needed to be doing. That is what a big sister is supposed to do. Day 2 of his life, he was circumcised so he was not feeling very well. I gave him a hug and a kiss on the forehead and then he was feeling much better. I was glad I could help him out! We took our first family photo right before we left the hospital.
Nana and Papa took me back to our house so that I could get the house ready for my brother to arrive. The bow was on the mailbox and the house was very clean. I played with my toys to make sure that they were all in working order for him to play with.

When babies are small, they like to be swaddled so that they feel secure. Mama and Daddy have that skill mastered and George is so thankful. He is as happy as a bug in a rug when he is wrapped up like a burrito!

I love my new brother so much and love to give him hugs! I know that being a big sister is a huge responsibility so I am going to take it very seriously.

Okay...enough about George...back to me! Mama and Daddy had their parent teacher conference with my teacher last week and I passed with flying colors! I am very age appropriate! I also am saying Mama a lot now, although, I still prefer Daddy. I am so busy!

Let it snow!

Boy was this a crazy weekend! This white stuff started falling from the sky and was all over the ground! I will tell you more about that in a minute though. First, I will tell you about my love of buckles! I love to try to put them together all by myself. I am very independent and Mimi says that it reminds her of my Uncle David. Just to name a few of my favorite buckles...red car, my high chair, George's bouncer, George's car seat and my car seat. I am getting really good at it! Mama and Dada are just hoping that it will take a while for me to figure how to get out of the buckles!I spent the night with Mimi and Grandpa on Wednesday night because Dada went to Cleveland and Mama had a midterm and needed to study. Maggie was so happy to see me and we had a wonderful reunion. I think that she likes me because she knows that she will get more people food when I am around. She helped me feed the "ish."
The next morning we got up and dressed to go to school. I had fun playing with Maggie and her doggie door. I escaped from my house one time but have not done so at theirs yet.
Then it was time to say our goodbyes and Maggie gave me some kisses! When I got to school, I laid down at the front door to pitch a fit (which I have gotten really good at doing) but Mimi told me to get up and that it was time for me to have some fun with my friends at school. I followed her instructions and ended up having a great day at school.

Saturday Morning, Mama and Dada took me to Brookwood mall for a little exercise. Mama really wanted some Five Guys Burgers and Fries so we thought that we would kill two birds with one stone. I had so much fun riding the escalators with Dada. We would go up and down, up and down, up and down...well you get the point. He was a really good sport about the whole thing! Saturday afternoon it was really dreary but I do not like to be cooped up in the house so we went to the park anyway. I had a lot of fun chasing and popping the bubbles from the bubble wand.

Sunday was when the magic happened. This is actually my third snow but the first time that I was really aware of all that was happening since I was only about two months old for my last snow.

I was not really sure what to think of it all but I at least gave it a whirl. We ended up getting about 3 inches, which is enough to cover my boots!

I walked around in it for a little bit but quickly decided that I had enough. Mama tried to get me to taste it but I had no part of that. I shook my head at her. I have started doing that when I do not want to do something. We went inside after that.

A little later, we tried it again and Dada walked me around the yard. I still was apprehensive. He made a few snowballs for me but I was not really amused. I did not cry but I also did not smile. That stuff is cold you know! I think that next year, if it snows again, I will enjoy it much more and who knows, I may even want to build a snowman!
Dada bought Mama a steam cleaner this weekend and forget the snow, this box is what was really fun! Dada cut a window in it for me and put me inside and it was hours of fun! We played peek-a-boo and I brought a few toys in there with me. It was the perfect fort!

After nap, it was snack time with Dada. I was such a good sharer and Dada liked having me snuggle up on the couch with him. I would eat a cheese-it and then offer one to my sister, Dada and then Mama. Good times...Good times!

My hair is really getting long and you can probably tell in the prior pictures, it was in my face a lot! Mama made it her mission on Sunday to get me used to wearing a bow in my hair. I kept taking it out and she kept putting it back in! They are going to ask Miss Hope and Miss Ora to keep up her hard work at school as much as possible to see if I can get used to wearing one. By the end of the day Sunday, I was much better about leaving it alone and Mama was very happy. I look really pretty with a bow in my hair don't you think! As you can see it was another busy weekend! On top of everything that I did, we also got a lot of things done around the house to prepare for George. I helped by playing in his room and making sure that it was okay for him. I liked climbing up on the bench and looking at myself in the mirror of his vanity. There was also a buckle on his changing pad that I had a good time with. We are still playing the waiting game! Mama has another appointment tomorrow and is hoping that Dr Gleason will induce her sooner than later but we will have to wait and see. We just can't wait for my brother to get here!

And they Sprinkle George with Gifts!

This weekend was great because we attended a sprinkle in honor of George hosted by Miss Lee, Miss Weldon, Miss Heather and Tante! It was called a sprinkle instead of a shower because we received lots of things that have to do with boys and it was just a small intimate group of close friends. You see, when Mama was expecting me, she and Dada were so lucky to have everyone give them everything that they needed as far as big gifts and lots of girl things but after Sunday we have lots of blue for him! Tante flew in fro New Orleans and Miss Lee Drove in from Destin. It was a very special day to have all of Mama's best friends there!
The sprinkle was hosted at Miss Heather and Georgia Jayne's house. Georgia Jayne was there to help me entertain everyone. Miss Heather was in charge of everything and did a wonderful job! She had the help of Sara Reeves and Mrs. Stuckey, her mother-in-law. Thank you for helping make George feel so special Miss Heather!The food was fabulous and the decorations were adorable! It was the perfect setting for George's sprinkle! Mama loved all of the blue since our house has been all about the pink thus far! She had everything labeled so that we knew what everything was. Of course, Mama still had to tell me because I can't read yet. Funny isn't it...I do a great job on the blog!
Aunt Betsy came in town from LaGrange just for the sprinkle but got to spend a little quality time with me! I was glad that she was able to make it!

My favorite part of the day was the yummy Pettifores! They had his initials on the top of them in blue icing and I probably ate 4 or 5 of them. They were so wonderful. I could get used to going to these type of things if they have yummy sweets like these! Nana and Mimi had a lot of fun with everyone as well! I was getting a little restless during all of the pictures so I was able to finagle Mimi's keys to keep me happy. Mama and Dada do not let me play with keys anymore because they heard that they can be very dangerous.
I have heard that I may regress a little after George gets here so I thought that I would give it a little practice by hanging out in the Exersaucer for a bit. GJ did not mind me playing with her toys and I thought that it was really funny to be back in a baby toy!!
When we got home after the sprinkle, we showed Dada all that we got for George. He was very impressed and immediately got to work washing and folding everything. There is not much time left and Mama is doing something that they call nesting so things are getting done quite quickly around the house!

Then everyone sat around me in a circle and I laughed and carried on! Nana showed them how cute I look with my hair in a rubber band but it was only for a second because I took it out pretty quickly! Mama's goal is to get me to keep my bows in my hair over the next couple of weeks because she says that my hair is driving her crazy being in my face all of the time. I can almost pull it behind my ear though!

Sha Sha had fun sharing my love seat with me. I am a good sharer so I let her sit there. She is very special to me because she is my Godmother's mom...that makes her my Great Godmother!

I thought that I would give some of George's new things a whirl and started by trying on the hat a sweater that Sha Sha knitted for him. I think that blue is my color. What do you think?

Then I tried on the Sunshades that my Aunt Maggie gave him and I think that I look pretty cool! I wear my sunglasses at night so I can, so I can...

This was such a wonderful weekend and I feel very lucky to have so many people love my family! As the big sister, I want to thank everyone who helped make George's weekend a success!

The Weeks of Love!!

This has been a great couple of weeks! I have been able to get out of the house because the weather has warmed up some and have found that I am liking this swinging thing more and more every time I try it. Mama also had another ultrasound of my brother, George, and he is doing great! He is getting really big and time is drawing near for him to be here. I think that I am going to like being a big sister. I have a good role model in Gretchen!
While I realize that Valentine's Day, for most, is but for only 1 day, I was lucky enough to have a couple of weeks! It started with staying with Mimi and Grandpa for a night so that Mama and Dada could go through all of my things to see what was appropriate for George to use. While I was there, they gave me my Valentine presents. I was given several books and this really cool dog that sings and moves his ears. I am really good at finding the right buttons to push to get him going! That day we went to The Summit for a secret mission for George and while we were there, I got to ride the shuttle with Grandpa. By the time that we got home, we played a little, ate dinner, got a bath and went to bed.
The next morning, I woke and ate a good breakfast. I loved the strawberries, PopTart and my beloved bananas!
I was also able to show off me skills at using my fork! I am getting really good at the whole fork thing. Spoons are a little harder because once I get the food on the spoon, I flip it over to put it in my mouth. That means that if it is anything other than something like oatmeal or mashed potatoes, I kinda dump it in my lap. I am learning though and that is all that matters!
Then it was time to get ready for church and Grandpa and I took the little extra time to do a little jig! I love to dance. At school, we have started Creative Movement on Tuesdays and I love it. I have started waving my hands in the air like I just don't care when I hear music.

After church, they dropped me off at my house and Nana and Papa were there! I spent about 30 minutes running to everyone one at a time and giving them really big hugs. I really know how to tug at their heart strings! I love having them circle around me with all of their love! After nap, we went to the park and I had fun swinging again! I like going to the park because there are other kids my age and lots of "Sisters."

My new favorite game is playing "Where's Anne Harman?" I have been playing it for a while now with my loveys and curtains but now I am taking it to another level by covering my eyes! Just an example...Where is Anne Harman? (Look at the picture above)

Here she is!!!!! (Again, look at the picture above!) I think that I am so funny!

Valentine's Day continued with my school party! That morning I had my 15 month well baby appointment with Dr Stacey. I weighed 25 pounds 13 ounces and was 33 inches long! I am still off of the charts for height but everyone says that they expected that with parents like mine. The only thing about having that appointment the same day as my party is the Mama did not realize that I was getting my MMR that day. I did really good during the shot but felt really lousy the rest of the day. At the party, I enjoyed my first real brownie! It was yummy! The room was decorated with pink and hearts everywhere! Mama bought heart Balloons for everyone and they were a hit!

All of my school friends were there and their Mamas and some Dadas. My Dada was able to come and I was glad because I was his valentine! I was not able to stay at the party for the entire time but I was able to enjoy it some. All of my friends gave me fun Valentine cards and I gave them princess cards with a heart sucker. I also gave them to my Grandparents and some people at Mama and Dada's work! When Mama and I got home, I snuggled with her on the couch and took a nap for about an hour. After that, I ate, bathed and then went to bed. I was really tired from the long day!

Saturday was officially Valentines Day! I started off the day by helping Mama and Dada exchange cards. They thought that I was really cute when I handed them their cards with my big smile! Since it was a special day, Mama and I shared some ice cream for breakfast! What a treat! It was a great day to go to the park again and I showed Mama and Dada how good I am getting at climbing on the Jungle Gym! I also got to wear my Crocks that my Dada bought for me! I walked around looking down at them a lot and Mama said that it reminded her of her Nana (my Nana's Mother) who she misses very much!

My best friend, Georgia Jayne, was there too and I showed her a thing or two! Since I am a few months older I show her the ropes! We wished each other a happy Valentine's Day!

Sunday, we went to lunch with my extended family. Nana's brother's children were in town. They are originally from the Philippines but live in Arizona now. They are in the army. Mama had already met Joseph before but she got to meet his wife, Emily and daughter, Jamie Lee and her other cousin Jun Jun (James.) I was glad to meet all of them. We ate at the Cracker Barrel and I loved the fried chicken, carrots and mashes potatoes that I ate!

Then is was off to the park again! Papa had fun pushing Nana and me in the swings! I showed them around everywhere since they had never been to my park before. They were very impressed with my knowledge but if the truth be known, a little nervous when I showed them my Jungle Gym skills. I like it when they go to the park with me!

GJ, Miss Heather and Mr Curt showed up at the park and so I got to hang out with some friends too. I had fun playing with their stroller and unzipping my jacket! I am starting to venture out of the playground area to head for the track. I really get good exercise out there!

Nana and Papa

Hi there! This weekend was so much fun because I went to Tuscaloosa to spend time with Nana, Papa and Heidi! We had the best time together which I am going to tell you all about!
I first need to talk about my obsession with my sister's food and water. I love to feed her by hand and luckily, she is very patient with me and lets me do it. I have also started the trend with my "Aunt" Heidi. What would they do without me there to make sure that they are eating. I am such a good helper! I just do not know how they could eat before I started to help!

Thursday, I got home from school and Mama and I shared a banana! They are my new favorite food and I just can't get enough of them! I am very impatient when it comes to eating them though and can down a whole one in about two minutes! Gretchen likes to try to share them too but I do not like to share my prized bananas! I also love to take all of the things out of Mama's purse and then put them back in. I can put on my lipstick (Chapstick) and brush my hair all by myself.
The glasses from Mrs Potato Head just crack me up! I like it when Mama and Dada put them on and then say HELLO!! I thought that I would give them a whirl since Mrs Potato Head likes them so much. As you can tell, I am very amused!

Then it was time for the weekend! I do not have any pictures to share so I will just have to tell you all about it. If I get a few, I may be able to add them later so check back. Dada was going up to Mr Bradley's for the Biannual Guys Weekend so he dropped me off at Nana and Papa's on his way. Mama spent the weekend in Birmingham doing absolutely nothing for the first time since I have joined the family. While Dada was hanging out with his friends and Mama was relaxing, I was getting spoiled Rotten by Nana. Friday night we ate dinner, played with my toys, I took a bath, read some books and then it was time for bed. It was just us chickens because it was the last weekend of hunting season. Saturday, we got up and ate breakfast and then we had a play date with a family friend and her grandson. He was really nice! I had so much fun playing in the backyard. Like my sister, I love their backyard because they have a slide and lots of room for me to run around. We also went to Target, where I finagled a couple of new toys with my sweet smile. Who could say no to me?

Sunday, when I woke up Papa was home for the hunting camp and I was so glad to see him. It was a big surprise because I did not think that I would see him but he could not stay away knowing that I was at the house! I make their day when I give them hugs and shoot a smile their way. We played that morning and then Dada came and picked me up and took me back to Birmingham. I went straight down for my afternoon nap and then told Mama and Dada about all of the fun that I had this weekend. I also told them that I missed them a lot but was glad that they had a weekend to rejuvenate.