http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody recent pleonast.com entries by user mel_ody en-us http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=594531 Some of you know, but I thought I share with everyone! :) Due date as of now is May 10th, 2009. 2008-11-03 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=590441 It has just rained this week in Zimbabwe and so there is a search to find seeds for the brethren to plant in hopes that the rain will continue through the spring and summer months and they’ll be able to harvest some crops this coming year. Please pray for the rain to continue and that seeds can be found! Thanks! It will be such a blessing to so many people! 2008-10-22 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=585545 Finally posted some pictures of the going ons in September. My parents flew over from South Africa for a visit so we organized a Maydell side of the family reunion. We stayed at a cabin in Helen, GA for a few days and did some sightseeing! (A beautiful place BTW!) Then my parents stayed with Jeremy, Indi, and I for awhile. We had a great visit. We, of course, had to take my parents to the beach as that is one of Indi's favorite places! Indi got quite attached to the grands...it was sad when they had to leave. Well, hope you enjoy the pics! 2008-10-09 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=577049 It’s been a really busy month, but a lot of fun. My parents are currently staying with us and I’m loving the time with them and the fact that they get to interact with Indi. Before my parents came down (they stayed with my older sister first), we all met at a cabin in Helen, GA for a family reunion. My sisters and their families and my brother all came and it was neat for everyone to be together. However, germs were passed around and poor Indi got an awful cold. I was worried my parents wouldn’t be able to see Indi as her usual self, but she’s a lot better now and has actually surprised us with how quickly she’s warmed up to my parents. She is just so much fun these days. It’s totally weird having this little person follow you around, wanting to help you sweep, take clothes out of the dryer, empty the dishwasher, clean up her own toys, etc. Of course, everything takes longer to do, but it’s worth it most days. She’s learning new words a lot and she understands... 2008-09-18 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=558474 I’m still trying to grasp the fact that my little girl turned one today. It has been a year filled with so many blessings, joys, learning experiences, frustrations, lack of sleep – one of the most fulfilling years of my life. I have loved watching and experiencing all of Indi this year. I’m am so grateful to my husband for working hard so I can stay home, and so thankful that God has blessed our family in this way. Indi’s birthday party went so well yesterday! We had just over 40 people come to the beach and join in the festivities! Poor Indi clung to me through her entire party (except for when I put her in the waves) and cried during the smash cake event because I wasn’t holding her. Those of you who haven’t seen her with me…imagine a baby monkey and how it clings to it’s mother in the first months, being carried everywhere… There’s been times when I can let go of Indi and she’ll stay on me because she’s wrapped around me and holding on so tight! It’... 2008-08-04 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=555902 Still don't have our video camera, BUT I remembered that my old digital camera took silent film... Sorry about some of the bumpy video! I thought she was going to take 3 steps, then realized I wasn't far enough back so I had to scoot backwards! Ha! 2008-07-28 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=555741 Last night Indi took THREE steps before promptly falling on her bottom. Of course by the time we started cheering, she had ‘fallen’ and so for the next five minutes all she did was stand and fall on her bottom, repetitively while laughing and screeching! Funny girl! AND, of course this was the week we borrowed the video camera to a friend…we thought it would still be awhile before she ‘walked.’ Pretty soon I’m going to have to buy her some shoes (although I’ve heard that even though a child can walk barefoot, it takes awhile for them to get the hang of it with shoes on). Poor child will probably hate them, as I’ve never put any on her. I probably should have, but the ones that we’ve been given just never fit – she has weirdly shaped feet! I guess if I’m going to expect her to wear shoes outside, I will have to as well… :( If it weren’t for those nasty fire ants… I never wore shoes growing up (well, except for walking into the church building and out of... 2008-07-28 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=554224 It’s a little less than 2 weeks till Indi’s birthday so Jeremy and I have been finalizing details for her party. We have most of the invitations out, although not all – hopefully today though. We decided on an evening beach party. The kids can enjoy the water without worrying about the sun and we’ll have some volleyball, soccer, and Frisbees out there too, for some fun among the older ‘kids!’ J Indi, of course, won’t have a clue about the occasion, but as Jeremy and I like to think, this is more a celebration for US, surviving the first year! :) I can’t believe how much she has grown and how quickly. Although, sadly her hair hasn’t grown much!!! Well, and her weight too! I weighed her a couple of days ago and she’s only 17.8 lbs… Her pediatrician said we shouldn’t face her forward in the car seat until she reaches 20 lbs! What a pain! I was on the phone with my mom yesterday and she checked my baby book to see what I weighed at a year. Well, she had m... 2008-07-24 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=550850 So, I'm listening to some distant thunder and I realized that 3 years ago today (and almost to this minute), I, along with my wedding party and others, sat on this island waiting out a thunderstorm under a tarp, praying that no one would get struck by lightning! By the end of the evening, we were all safe (although very wet), the rehearsal continued, and a rainbow appeared. We took that as a sign that the wedding was still meant to be... :) Tomorrow is Jeremy and my three year anniversary! He is wonderful, but I won't gag you with details! :) We are not doing much to celebrate on Wednesday, but Thursday Jeremy has taken off work and we are heading up to Juniper Springs to go Kayaking. It's a 2 hour trip by car and then a 3-4 (depending how much I paddle! :)) hour trip down stream. Last time we went, I was 7 months pregnant... I have never been a part from Indi this long. I'm always amazed how eager Jeremy and I are to get home when we're on a 'date' because we miss her. This s... 2008-07-15 http://www.pleonast.com/user/mel_ody?l=5&entryID=547257 Yesterday we took Indi to the Temple Terrace July 4th parade and we had a really good time. Indi was a little concerned at first with all the screaming kids wanting beads tossed at them, but after awhile she seemed to enjoy the event and even got her own beads! Later in the evening, she experienced her first fireworks! She loved the sparklers and kept trying to grab it… However, she seemed concerned with the spinners and fountains, but once they burned out she kept waving her arms and clapping for more. :) All in all it was a fun and relaxing day! Oh, and her 3rd tooth (her first one on top) broke through yesterday! Indi is now officially 11 months. So, we’re starting to think about her first birthday party – that is SO crazy to me! The other thing I’m trying to accomplish is having her scrapbook caught up to date by her 1st Birthday. I’m as far as April on the calendar, so I’ve got a bit to go still. It would help if I could work on it during Indi’s nap, but the ... 2008-07-06