My GrOwNuP gIrL

Having a little girl is the best thing ever!! Not only do I get to fix her hair everyday, but I look forward to picking out her clothes and dressing her up everyday. I adore dressing her up in dresses, cute flip flops, jean shorts and tanks, etc. Shopping for her is much easier than shopping for myself, so the girl has more clothes than her daddy and me put together. That's saying a lot because I bet her daddy could wear a T-shirt a day for three months and he still wouldn't have to worry about laundering any of them!

One morning this week, I decided to let Koko Bean wear one of her dresses I bought for this Fall. Actually, this time, she insisted. When I put it on her, I melted. Not only was she super adorable as to be expected, but she looked grown-up!! My little girl has lost that baby-like appearance and is starting to look more like the toddler she is- almost preschool!

I hope Dad realizes he better stay in shape because this pretty little girl is going to be a knockout. Despite her cuteness, this sweet little girl has been sort of whiny and needy these days. She hates being away from either of us, cries when we leave the room, and is back to sleeping in our bed. I am hoping this is a phase. She also has a separate playroom full of toys in our new house, but never plays in it. In our old apartment, she played in her room for hours. Even though we've lived here for over a month, Koko Bean still asks to go home. I'm also hoping this is a phase. For now though, I will enjoy all the extra cuddles and the fact that she needs both of us. One day, I will look back on this time and miss it.



pIgTaiLs, pOoLs, and PopSicles

The day I found out I was having a little girl, I couldn't wait to dress her up and fix her hair. I remember my mom fixing my hair when I was a little girl. My golden locks had grown down to my rear, and it would be a fight every morning for my mom to brush and usually french braid my hair. On special occasions, we would wake up extra early so Mom could use the waver (much like the crimper) on my thick, blonde hair. All of Mom's hard work paid off in the haircare department because I ended up snagging the Best Hair Award for our senior class awards. It wasn't exactly "Most Likely to Succeed," but my mane was head of the class.

Now that Koko Bean's hair has finally come in a little thicker and longer, I get to make her sit through sessions of combing and pig tailing. I'm glad it's long enough to pull out of her face during these hot summer months.

Speaking of Summer, we have been enjoying it as much as we Midwesterners can. Koko Bean loves to swim in her blow-up pool with her cousin of the same initials, KM. When KM comes over, the girls get to playing, fussing, fighting, and giggling. The other day, we got to keep KM all day so I was able to take some great pictures of all the fun they had.

Koko Bean also developed a love for another summer treat- POPSICLES!! She doesn't love just any popsicle though. She only likes the blue ones.

There's so many new things this girl is doing and saying, it's so hard to keep track. I try to remember them and think it would make for good blogging, but after a few minutes, the cuteness it topped by something else new and exciting she does.

Some of my favorite phrases of hers right now are the following:

"Flex bit me. Sfank(spank) him."

"I wanna hold ya." (I want you to hold me.)

"Open sesame!" (Anytime an elevator door is about to open or daddy has her down tickling her, she says this.)

Mom- "What do you want to eat for dinner?"

Koko Bean- "CEREAL!"

Koko Bean also has some favorite tunes right now. She has a Sesame Street CD player that plays various kids' music. Her favorite track is "Old McDonald." As soon as it is over, she quickly clicks through all the other songs and returns to "Old McDonald." At night, as Daddy rocks her to sleep- a tradition that I think will never break- she and Daddy sing "I dropped my dolly in the dirt." Her favorite part is the "wa wa wa wa wa" part.

Those are just a few things Koko Bean has been up to these days. This little busy body never rests and definitely keeps us on our toes every minute we're with her. I'm so proud of her for everything she's accomplished and it just keeps getting better.

 

Koko bean's photos

Korbin MaKenna

Koko's Kritters

Last February, we had to say goodbye to our sweet, loveable and smart American Staffordshire Terrier, Reese. Reese was one of Korbin's first words. She called him "Breese." Reese had to go live with a new family in Oklahoma because of the breed discrimination laws where we live. It was a really bad experience for us because Reese was Koko Bean's Daddy and my "first born." I was always a skeptic when it came to his breed until he came into our lives. He was the most trainable, well-mannered pup we've ever had. The worst thing about him was that he had a bit of "Mississippi Leg Hound" in him, but only if you were male.

The other furry kid in our house stayed with Grandma and Grandpa for the last six months. Chloe Belle Kersey came into our lives six months after Reese did. She was born December 28, 2005. Chloe is a Rat Terrier. We paid a whopping $50 for her and if you asked Koko Bean's daddy, he would tell you it was way too much. Chloe is what some may call, a spaz. She's deathly afraid of car rides, is constantly on the hunt for squirrels and perches herself on the back of a couch like a cat when she's inside. The first time I met Chloe, she was brought into my office at Wal-Mart, and immediately dropped a load on the office floor. You see, up until then, I was going to get her smaller sister. When she sashayed in the office and took charge like that, I knew she would be a perfect sister for Reese. She held her own with him and the two were best friends. We recently welcomed Chloe back to the city when we got our house. Now, she has a yard full of squirrels and even a chipmunk to terrorize.

(This picure was taken about a year and  half ago. Notice Chloe peeping the squirrels.)

Being the "Ellie May Clampet" that I am, I decided we needed another critter to add to our zoo.

Name: Flex Iron Morrison

Birthday: May 14, 2011

Colors: Tricolor (black, tan and white)

Weight: FAT!!

Height: Short

Breed: Flex is a composite breed called a Mini Bull. (A mixure of Olde English Bulldogge, French Bulldog, American Staffordshire, and American Bulldog.)

At first, Flex was the laziest, most docile canine I've ever met. We didn't think his demeanor would ever fit his name even though his body type certainly did. Now that we have Chloe back, he's a whole new dog. Instead of wanting to be held all the time by Mommy, he wants to chase and nip at Chloe. Chloe usually rebuttles with a nip of her own along with a stern teeth-bearing growl. Koko Bean has really gotten to like him as well.

She plays with him, chases after him, disciplines him, and even gives him kisses. There are times though, that I have to get on to Koko Bean for smothering him too much. For instance, today, she was sitting on him as he gasped for air. She also thinks that picking him up by his throat is standard procedure in puppy care.

I love having dogs in the house. When I was growing up, there wasn't a time that I didn't have a dog or two. I want Koko Bean to appreciate animals just as I do. (The only exception to my appreciation would be snakes and cats.) Cats are gross and poop inside on purpose. Snakes- well snakes are serpents, like the Devil. They're slithery, sneaky, slimy-looking creatures and as far as I'm concerned they have no place on this Earth. I'll stick to furry, fun-loving, squirrel-chasing, spastic pets of the canine variety.



Head, shoulders, knees, toes, hand, foot, and mouth.

In two and a half years, Koko Bean has had two, what I call "major," illnesses. She had RSV (http://www.cdc.gov/rsv/) when she was thirteen months old. She had been coughing and had a lot of mucus behind it. We got to the point we took her to Children's Mercy where the doctor made me feel like a completely inadequate parent. First of all, I have always administered Silver Biotics since she started daycare at eight weeks old. Purified silver is a great way to boost the immune system and/or naturally help the body recover quicker from infection. When I had told the doctor about this, he made a HUGE deal about how it wasn't approved by the FDA and how I was basically poisoning my daughter. He then taught us how to hold our daughter down, squirt drops of saline in her nose, then suck it out with an aspirator. Boy, that was fun. Let me tell you. I was later reminded by my boss, who is a chemical engineer, that you can also put the silver in her nose. It burns less and is antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial. We were told by the doctor that RSV can last up to five weeks due to the fact that the debris in her lungs will eventually break up causing a cycle of more coughing and mucus. Needless to say, I continued the silver remedy and the RSV lasted three whole days.

The second virus happened this last week. Thursday night, Koko Bean woke up around midnight and continued to wake up every hour, needing a drink. She was also very hot to the touch. I thought maybe she had a fever and continued to give her fluids at her request. I'm not one to just shove Tylenol or other over-the-counter meds down her throat as fevers are the body's way of fighting off the infection. The more Tylenol given, the less likely the body is to respond to it. I finally decided she was uncomfortable enough, she needed it.  Unfortunately, the Tylenol didn't work, so the next night we were off to Children's Mercy due to the fever not subsiding.

At Children's Mercy, everyone was very nice. Korbin was given some Ibuprofen to lower her 102-degree temperature, was diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth virus, and we were sent home with some narcotic pain med. Let me tell you. The last two bits of this statement were two big shockers. One, what the you-know-what did my child get into to contract such an awful sounding virus and two, what? Narcotic pain meds!!??? This was the same hospital who told me giving my daughter 10ppm of purified silver was poisonous??? Ha!

The next day, I was home with Korbin and all seemed better. Her fever hadn't come back and I did not have to give her the narcotic. I was afraid to honestly. However, the ulcers in her throat from the virus still hadn't gone away, so all she wanted to do was drink. As long as she was drinking and peeing, I was okay with it. She played and played and it seemed like she was well on her way to recovery.

Saturday, three days after her first fever, the pain was back in full force. We had read the third day was going to be worse but we had no idea how bad it would be. Not only would Koko Bean not eat, but she wasn't drinking. Therefore, she wasn't peeing.

That night, we decided to give her the narcotic. Little did we know what a fight it would be. Both of us tried to coax, bribe,and force the medicine down her, but she was more stubborn that a mule. Like her momma, Korbin is anti-medicine. She hates the taste of any liquid medicine and often gags and spits it out just as soon as it hits her mouth. Now I know what my mom went through with me. After fighting with her for about an hour, we decided to make the two-minute trip back up to Children's Mercy.

This trip for me, was more frightening than the last. I was really worried they would have to hook Koko Bean up to an IV because I was afraid she was already dehydrated. She was lethargic and her skin was puffy. The worst case scenario for me was the IV. The worst case scenario for Koko Bean was yet to come.

In order for the pain in her throat to go away, the medicine had to be taken. As Daddy held her in his lap, and one nurse held her cheeks and her arms above her head, another nurse slowly but surely squeezed the medicine into the side of her little puffy cheeks. I sat to the side, looking away, and weeping as my baby girl screamed with all her might trying not to swallow the liquid being squirted into her mouth. Usually, I'm okay with shots, and even small "boo boos," but this was too much for me. As tears ran down my face, I looked at the nurse. She looked at me and said, "Mom, you okay?" I nodded and she sent me a sympathetic, "I know honey" look. The truth was I wanted my mommy.

After about thirty minutes the narcotic had been absorbed in little Koko Bean's body. All of a sudden this little girl, who had been quiet and sickly, turned into a chatter-box-itchy-face toddler. As she asked us question after question,( "Mom is this black? Dad, is that your shoe? Mom, is this my drink,?") she scratched and tugged at her face and pajamas. Although it wasn't a funny situation, she made us laugh hysterically with each question and each erratic rub of her face.

Koko bean enjoyed an orange Popsicle, some red drink, and Dad's sprite before we were finally sent home. She fell asleep on the ride home, and we finally got some rest. To be safe, I stayed with her again that Sunday and Monday, so no other kids at daycare would be exposed to this horrible virus. I will give it to Koko Bean though. She is a tough, resilient little girl. She has bounced back 100% and you would never know that she was diagnosed with Hand, Foot and Mouth virus... and let's hope that's the last time we see its ugly face.

Don't bug me!

Koko Bean got to move into her first house last weekend! We couldn't be more excited.

She has been taking over the place, running, jumping, sliding, and throwing some great kicking temper tantrums on the hardwood floors. Let me tell you, I'm glad to be out of the apartment's third floor. It's very hard to tell a two-year-old not to play.

Of all the fun places in the new house like her playroom, her bedroom, the huge basement, the front room (that has no furniture in it right now,) and the living room, I think our favorite is the backyard.

However, our little Koko Bean is afraid of bugs. I'm not talking just big giant horseflies, and spiders and such.I'm talking ants, June bugs, and anything with more than two legs.

With that being said, our first order of business was to shoot the bugs....

with a tiny water squirting gun from a Sonic kids meal.

The water gun only held about a tablespoon of water, so needless to say, I was busy running in and out of the house filling it so she could shoot more bugs. The only bugs she approves of are our "Tinker Bells," as she calls them, who fly around the backyard only at night!!

Mom's lessons

BuffBlonde Mama is two and a half weeks out from her very first Figure Competition. I started training seriously for the competition in late January. When the commitment was made, everything changed, and it was like starting a second full time job. In addition to six-day-a-week workouts, critical changes in the diet, and more trips to the grocery store (to buy fresh,) I still have my regular full time job, and of course, Koko Bean.

On Mother's Day, but instead of doing what I said I would do, which was just enjoy the day, it started off rocky. I guess I expected more than I should have expected. Koko Bean woke up around 7am, which was completely unusual for her. Daddy was tired from trying to console her all night as she is still a restless little sleeper. Daddy can't let her cry.She is spoiled rotten. I ended up getting up at 7am fixing breakfast, cleaning, going to the gym, and even got in a little nap. The day ended better than it started I suppose.

Then today, I left work for just a few minutes to go take a check to the company from whom we're buying a house. I dropped off the check, then headed to the gas station as I was on "E." As I was driving down the street, another driver decided to jet across the busy street right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, skidded, and "BAM!" My airbag deployed as I clipped the back end of her shiny black Mustang Cobra Convertible. All of a sudden, after all the buildup from the day, the week, the month, the anticipation for the months ahead, and the accident, I lost it.

My thumb was throbbing from either the actual airbag or the plastic from the steering wheel as it burst open in front of my face. Thankfully, I avoid my mom's advice, in sitting up straight and close to the steering wheel, so the airbag wasn't even close to my face as it exploded. However, the smell was nauseating, plus it was about time for me to eat. I sat there and cried, but it wasn't a real cry, like a sobbing cry. It was a "trying to cry because I'm so stressed out cry."

As I was waiting for the police, I started to get angry. What if Korbin was with me? What if I was injured? Why would the other driver think she could make it across the road on such a busy street at such a busy time? I was in disbelief. Did this really happen? I knew it was NOT my fault, but man, why now? Why ever?

After all the paperwork was filled out, my car was towed away, and the claim was filed with the insurance company, I started to settle down a bit. I realized this was going to happen no matter what I tried to do to stop it. No, Korbin wasn't with me. There was a reason for this. I needed this slap in the face.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm supposed to be everything, do everything, etc. I can't. I can't keep my house clean for crap, no matter how late I stay up to clean it. I can't do 2 hours of cardio everyday no matter how much I want to lean out for my show. I can't always hold Korbin when she wants me to hold her, although she takes precedent, which is why the house is never clean. I can't stay at home with Korbin like a lot of my friends can with their kids. I can't always answer everybody's emails about supplements in a timely manner. I can't be a perfect "wife," mother, competitor, career woman.

This little incident today made me realize that I can't control everything that happens in my life. I have to let Him be my guide and do what He needs me to do. I fully believe I am fulfilling my calling to teach and preach about health and fitness. I KNOW I'm supposed to be Koko Bean's mommy. Everything else is up to Him. I am excited to see what He's got in store for me. The possibilities are ENDLESS!!