Alabama bound

I awoke Friday morning at 5:00 on the dot. I tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but my bladder would have nothing of it. We had to be up and ready soon anyway, so I figured I might as well start getting ready for the day. As I began to put lotion on my leg, I noticed it. About three inches directly below my knee was what appeared to be a small slug that had crawled underneath my skin and set up shop. It was surrounded by at least a dozen tiny purple worms. In reality, it was part of a vein bulging out from under my skin, and there were purple squiggly lines all around it. Great! Just great! We are leaving for the airport in an hour and I now have a worm in my leg.

This is how our trip to Alabama began, so I knew it was going to be an interesting one. Boy, was it interesting! The kids were wonderful on the plane and in the airport. They were so excited to see Mimi that they couldn't stand it. We all made it safely home (after losing my dad in the airport), and the kids dug out every toy they could find. My mom had bought each of them a new swim suit, towel, and flip flops, so they had to model.

Saturday started out with a bang. While playing in the drive way, a policeman and family friend pulled in.

He stuck out his head and said, "Everything ok?"

"Oh yes!" my mom said.

"Somebody dial 911?" he continued.

"Oh...did that go out?" my mom asked.

"Yes, it went out! Was it Obie?" the policeman asked.

"No...it was the kids this time!"

What my mom didn't know was that the last time we were at her house (when my dad was in the hospital in January) Bubba called 911, and they had called back to check on us.

What I didn't know was that my dad had dialed 911 only a week earlier and someone came to check on them. So... this was the third 911 call from my parents house!
Saturday evening Bubba, Baby, my mom, my sister, and I went to my 2nd cousin's wedding. It had rained for days, so the outside event wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Located in someone's backyard, we crossed the swamplands on our tiptoes, trying not to get mud on our toes or in our sandals. The kids were doing great (all things considered)! Just as everyone stood in silence for the bride to walk down the aisle Bubba screams, "POTTY!! POTTY!" I immediately motion for my mom to take him because I knew Baby would start screaming if I left her, but it didn't work. Baby instead started screaming for my mother, so I ushered her out directly behind my mom and my squirming little boy. We looked as if we just realized (after seeing the bride) we were at the wrong tent wedding held in the pouring rain and were trying to make a quick exit. Immediately I begin scanning for a restroom and see a porta-potty. I try to discreetly tell my mom that he won't use a porta-potty because it is too nasty and smelly. Because of his sensitivity to smell, he would vomit before using the restroom. So... my son pees behind a pick-up truck at my cousin's wedding. Can you tell I'm from Alabama yet?

Sunday was no less eventful. We jumped up Sunday morning in time to make it to river church, again in the pouring rain. (If you don't know what river church is, I will need to explain in person). We start out on the boat, but the rain starts to blow so we ran under the pavilion just before it began. After church we met the rest of my family at the marina for breakfast.

After naps, the weather had started to clear, so we took the kids outside to play. Bubba was riding his tricycle up and down the long drive as Baby pushed a tractor. Just as she got to the end of the drive, she hesitated, then continued into the road. I began to quickly walk down the drive and yelled at her to get out of the road. Once safely in, I talked to her about going in the road and Evander drew a line in the drive that they shouldn't cross. I didn't think of it again, because this has never been a problem for Baby before. Not long after sitting back down, I see Baby cross the forbidden pink line and immediately jump up.

When I realize that she isn't stopping I began to jog down the drive yelling her name. My mom and Evander are also yelling for her to stop and come back. Then I see it... a gray SUV topped the hill and was heading straight for Baby. I, then, begin screaming frantically and took off down the drive. My mom said she never saw the car because she was focused on Baby, but I saw it coming right for her and she wasn't moving. They didn't see her because they were talking to one another and now she and the big yellow tractor were in the middle of the road, but I was still too far to reach her. Immediately thoughts flash through my mind. Are they going to hit my baby?

Finally they notice me, a pregnant woman hauling ass down the drive way, and begin to slow, but they still didn't see Baby. She was bent over, and I really don't think they could see her over their hood. I determined that the car and I would reach her at the same time, so it was anyone's game. Just at that moment, Baby stood up, saw the car, and took two steps into the driveway. I was right... the car and I did reach her at the same time. They slammed on their brakes, and I scooped her up. All I could do was cry. I held her in my arms and sobbed. Two seconds later and she would have been killed, or we both would have been injured. I really wasn't thinking of it at the time, but I would have jumped into that road for her.

We all made it safely home, and I watched as my little slug became a giant earthworm with purple knots. After getting everyone settled, I called the doctor yesterday and they told me to come in immediately. Once the doctor examined me, she determined that I needed to have a Doppler done of my leg to determine if I had blood clots. Thankfully, I am OK! We are all back at home, snug in our beds, waiting for what will happen next.