Daniley went to the dentist for the first time last week. For about 20 seconds, she was a little uneasy. Then the hygeinist started showing her all the utensils, and it was only about 20 more seconds until Daniley had her convinced that SHE needed to run the tools. She filed her nails, shot water across the room, and looked around with the mirror.




She did GREAT during the entire visit. She can't wait to go back to the dentist, which is a good thing, because she has one CAVITY! :-o

Here are the rest of the beach pictures.

We took our first family-of-four vacation last week. We went to Fort Walton Beach. It was loads of fun. I don't really find traveling with a baby all that difficult. You just have to pack a little extra. Here are some pictures for now. But I intend to upload more. There is nothing on this Earth better than vacation with my little family! I look forward to many more!
Hunting for crabs
A goober
A wiener no I mean WINKER
A Happy Camper
Here Comes Trouble
Definition Of Cute
Two BEAUTIFUL kids (even if I must say so myself)
Also known as 2 daddy's girls...
And one cozy, very happy family

Our first park trip...Danslen was just 2 weeks old. Daniley actually TOOK the picture. She's a very talented photographer!! I love these girls. They're a handful. But I have really big hands!!

Daniley likes to get my camera and take pictures. Luckily I wasn't the target this time. But I'll refrain from saying who it is. He/She may recognizer him/herself though.

For desperate moms....
Babies sleep very well on the countertop when the dishwasher is running. :-)

Our first dinner for four....We went to Lucia's, about a month ago. Actually the baby was exactly one month old. It was lovely, spending time with just the four of us! And yes, my child has pigtails...they are so stinkin' cute. However I finally cut her hair back short and she looks MUCH cuter with shorter hair.

Cousin James holding Danslen. He was very interested in her and did a great job holding her.

This is what 3 great friends looks like having dinner with kids. We always have a great time. However conversation doesn't get as deep with 3 kids at the table. ;-)

Daniley is absolutely excstatic about joining the Connell Motorcycle Club on her very own motorcycle. Her first ride was to Honey & G-Paw's house last night!

MEMORIAL DAY
First, I say thanks to my Pawpaw Raymond and Pawpaw AJ for serving in wars. I also thank ALL the military today for your sacrifice so we can be the great United States of America!
Mooving on, there was too much down time for my liking. So we headed over the TreeTop. It was pretty fun. I didn't get to be as adventurous as I wanted, well, cause I have a newborn. :-) But it was a blast. I wish the putt-putt was a little more animated. The "green" is sort of boring. But until we get to Florida, it will have to do.

So here we are...my first day back at work. It's going unusually normal. Although I wasn't thrilled about leaving maternity leave I am pretty happy to be back to work. I love this job waaaay too much to even think about being unhappy today! When I came back to work after Daniley was born, she was at BEKare and we had previously dropped in several times for play dates. I was totally comfortable with her there so I had no issues going back to work. There was all the excitement of a new place, new friends, new everything. Today Danslen and Daniley are both at my Grandma's, where they will be staying, and I'm just a phone call away from the direct line in to their "classroom." :-)

Bless my Grandmother's heart....she is so wonderful to those kids! I'm not sure if she loves them or if they love her the most. To top off dropping in TWO kids for her to handle, we (perhaps on bad timing) took Daniley's passy away yesterday, hopefully for good. We went through mourning at naptime, complete with crying, losing breath, screeching, body stiffening (she'd get all straight and tighten all her muscles), it was pretty bad, although brief. Then at bedtime I expected another breakdown, but to my surprise, we had no issues. I told her, "I'll bring you your passy right after you go to sleep." She rolled right over and went right to sleep. LOL. I'm such a bad Mom. ;-)

This weekend was Alabaster's CityFest. We don't really go for the music, but instead just for Daniley (now, the "girls") to have something fun to do. The music was so loud, even way in the back at the kid's area, that I was actually concerned about their safety & health. Daniley jumped in the inflatables until her cheeks were what I call "fat kid red." After about an hour we went to get something to eat. While we were deciding Daniley started crying that she wanted to go home. I think she was seriously overheated. So we skipped the $5/cup lemonade and headed for Chick-fil-A for dinner, a shake, and some air-conditioned playtime. I was glad to see at 6pm the kids' area was still going strong. I think next year we'll plan to arrive even later. We had a great time, even though it was brief.

While Daniley was jumping and riding the carousel, we got some great shots of Danslen...and here they are. :-)

My in-laws moved into their new home tonight. I am so excited for them. They have been through so much in the past 35-or-so days. It has been a challenging time for them, as well as for me. I basically came home with a new baby and two in-laws all at once. The timing of the tornadoes could not have been worse from my perspective. My attitude, hormones, and emotions have been up and down, and all over the place. I am returning to work Monday and I really don't know where my maternity leave went. I am so sad that it's already over. When I think about it I find myself crying. After Daniley was born, by the end of 6 weeks I was ready to go back to work. This time I'm really not ready at all. But life needs to get back to normal, and "work" needs me. I do have lots of vacation time left for this year. I hope that I can take some time off to relax, something I don't do very often. I scheduled a vacation at the beach so I can sort relax and de-stress from everything that's been going on.
Honey and G-Paw have moved just down the street and I could not be more thrilled about that. I have always wanted them out of the Grove (Pleasant Grove, that is) and I'm sad that the tornadoes blew away their home but I'm thrilled "home" for them is now Alabaster. I never DREAMED they would live in Alabaster...well maybe I did dream about it, but never thought it would be reality. We are actually close enough that Daniley can ride her bike there (tricycle for now). We took our first trip there yesterday via 4-wheeler. It was so lovely.
Honey and G-Paw are great in-laws--and since I know you are reading--I love you very much....but I'm not gonna miss you for a little while. ;-) I know you are looking forward to some QUIET TIME which I KNOW you have not gotten here. Daniley is wild as a buck and Danslen cries when it's time to go to bed. I know you haven't gotten any rest since the tornadoes and I wish I could have taped up Daniley's mouth for the past 35 days. LOL. We wish you all the best in your new home. This is an unexpected time in your life for a new beginning. But it's very exciting nonetheless!!

Side note: Daniley is about to drive me INSANE and I can't get enough snuggles from Danslen. Anyone who wants Daniley to spend the night....just ask. :-D LOL.

A few months ago Dan didn't show up at home on time. I am not a worrier, so I didn't call. Finally he rolled in a few hours later. Upon questioning, I got nowhere. Finally he admitted he went to look at a bike. The next day, he told me at 5am (on my off day, when I was still half asleep) he'd be going to buy the motorcycle he looked at the day before. I cried. I was scared. I know he's not an idiot but he has a need for speed ("I'll run it as fast as it will go just once" he once told me.) I was less than thrilled but figured "This is better than another woman."

Upon talking with his parents, his mom told me she used to ride a bike too. I was shocked. His Dad talked me into calming down, as Dan just needed a project bike. "Projects make him tick" he told me.

Advance 3 months. Mothers Day. We all show up at my mom's, Dan and Danson on motorcycles. Then my mother gets on my brother's bike and takes a ride. She tells us "I used to have a motorcycle." There I sat, shocked again. Both of our mothers should have never told me they rode bikes. That was clearance.

I generally don't take a "backseat" in life, so I finally asked for my own motorcycle. He opened up the paper and the perfect one was listed. It's a pretty low-powered bike, not much better than a scooter. You can't get on the interstate with it or you'll get ran over. I intend to ride it between Alabaster and Shelby, on country roads ONLY. If it scares me too bad, I might just get rid of it. But in the meantime, I thought I might join Dan in doing some things that HE likes. I hope he waits up on me......

Daniley drives this thing around like a Nascar driver. She knows how to change the gears, including using reverse. She and James got on it and Honey just wanted me to put it into low (= slow) gear. I tried to explain that Daniley knows how to change the gears so it's no use "putting" it anywhere. After she nearly had a heaButrt attack, hopefully she realized Daniley could accurately drive this thing. She'll have it floored and let off just inches from cars, walls, etc. LOL. She hasn't hit anything yet. We had no injuries, just fun!

Daniley went for her first real pedicure. She let the polish dry without messing it up. However, after it was dry, it stayed pretty about 4 hours, because when she walks she scrapes her toes across the floor at times and the polish comes off. Oh well, it was fun!

Everyone always wants to know how Big Sister is adjusting to the new arrival. The first week, she tried to ignore her totally. She spent a lot of time that first week with family and didn't seem all that interested in coming home. Then she was thrust into reality and her adjustment has been pretty good. She hasn't seemed to be doing anything for extra attention (except singing Old MacDonald at the top of her lungs when adults are talking). She is acting the way she always has acted. She has told me a time or two to "Put Danslen down and talk to me." She has even been nice to her. She does get wild and jump around near her at times. We have to make her calm down but she graciously complies. When Danslen was about 2 weeks old, I had laid her down on my bed. Daniley was in the living room and Honey (Dan's mom) and I were in the kitchen cooking. We turned the corner and Daniley was holding Danslen, headed in to the living room. Honey saw it first and gently said DANILEY DANILEY DANILEY DANILEY, making sure not to yell so she wouldn't drop her. When questioned, Daniley stated she grabbed her feet, pulled her to the edge of the bed, SOMEHOW (this is the part I can't figure out and don't want to) got her off the bed, into the correct carrying position, and walked her out of the room. She didn't quite have her head supported totally but she was actually doing everything perfectly. Although Honey and I both nearly had heart attacks (and a good lesson), Danslen seemed perfectly happy with the tote.

This is not how I like to blog. It's equivalent to CRAMMING. Save it all for the last minute then do it as fast as you can...
April 21--birth of Danslen Jane Connell
April 24--Easter
April 27--in-laws lose house in tornado
April 28--in-laws move in
May 7--Crystal's Wedding (out-of-town adventure)
May 8--Mothers' Day
And all the regular stuff in between.... Most each of these events have their own post now but they aren't necessarily in order. Things have been really hectic. Yesterday I went to Shelby to pick up Danslen (I worked, Mawmaw kept her) and while there I took a nap and spent some time on the farm just to gather my thoughts. My emotions with everything going on have been all over the place. Seems like one minute I'm happy and the next I'm sad. I've had a little more going on 2 weeks post partum than I had prepared for. However, things seems to be settling down, at least for now. I had a great time in Shelby yesterday where I walked, rode the gator with Brooke and Daniley, checked out the woods, watched my now-grown brother pull up trees with a tractor, and visited with my family. I also ate Mawmaw's cooking which really deserves a post all by itself. As I was spending time down there I had a series of random and unrelated thoughts.
--Money can't buy happiness; it comes from within.
--That true friends never fade is untrue...when a friendship is more trouble than its value, it's time to move on.
--I love Dan Connell Jr. and when duty calls he takes care of business. It doesn't matter what you think about it either.
--I LOVE Dan Connell Jr. Wait I already said that.
--I love that Daniley plays on the farm and has experiences there rather than sitting in a classroom all day. When I picked her up yesterday she was on Pawpaw's gator getting mad at the "aints" (ants) while watching him burn a huge pile of trees and brush. I'm pretty sure she inhaled no air, just smoke. She was dirty, with grocery store feet, and her fat cheeks were red and hot. I reminded me of me from times past. I love that there is lots of family to see her and spend time with her, and for a minute I wanted to move back home.
--There's no place like home. Now I will get to Crystal's wedding, the last of events to share.

First, IT WAS AWESOME. I had such a great time. Daniley was the flower girl and she was soooo cute (well I might be biased). She did great (in my opinion). When she got to the end of the aisle she did a little "dance" with each flower throw. She got applause. Then, at the wedding, she was tearin' up the dance floor. Even when the music went off, she kept dancing. Then Ring-Bearer Blake joined her and they looked as if they'd been practicing for months! (Turn your speakers on.)


Then here she is when they called for people to give toasts. She screamed into the microphone. Scared people to death! Me, for one.

In my pictures you will see a "Lovelady Sweets" sign. I made it! Yep, that's right.

Here are my new baby photos...
Langley Studios www.photoshootusa.com

And a few horizontal ones...

Photos by Langley Studios www.photoshootusa.com
My mom and stepdad own Langley Studios and took these pictures in their back yard. They are all so beautiful. I made two of the dresses shown (not the pink frilly one). The green with bright polka dots dress was her Easter dress this year.

We arrived home from the hospital Saturday before Easter. Daniley stayed with my dad where the Easter Bunny visited, and then went to church with my grandma. Then our families all met up at our house with lunch. We enjoyed a nice meal together and then had an Easter Egg Hunt. It was really a lot of fun. In one picture in the slideshow, you can see when Daniley got around near the strawberry patch, she had to take a break from the eggs and eat all the red strawberries along the way. That kid is just like I was when I was little. I robbed Mawmaw's patch every time I could find a red berry. Daniley loves her Dad's garden....and her Dad.

Birth day:
Here I am, at my biggest:

And ...Dan was sure tired after that delivery!

Danslen's Birth - create a slideshow

When I get all my pictures uploaded and catch you all up, you won't be able to reach the end of my blog....one of my maternity leave goals was to kind of 'get caught up' on a few things, one being getting my pictures organized, burnt onto DVDs, and put in the organizing box Dan gave me for Christmas IN 2009!! Still hoping to get that (among MANY other things, including painting a room or two) done....

Honey and GPaw have been living with us since the tornado blew through. Honey has been a big help, helping me with the dishes, laundry, and dinner. I know Honey and GPaw are stressed out. Not only are they dealing with the loss of their house, but there's a 2 year old Sugar Booger (becoming better known as "Crackhead") jumping around the house, singing Old MacDonald and Mary Had a Little Lamb at the top of her lungs, among other things. I have to know when you get in your 50s your nerves can't be like they were in your 30s. So I feel pretty sorry for GPaw especially, who seems to just want some quiet time. With that said, Daniley lives at 471 Oakwood Lane and life for her must go on. Thankfully Dan Jr. set Gpaw's TV up in the bar, and there's a comfy couch in there, and now half a sleep number, so it's ideal living conditions. (LOL, yes I'm kidding!) In addition to all the tornado drama, I'm on maternity leave, so there are a lot of emotions I'm having right now dealing with everything. This is not exactly how I had planned my days at home but no one can "plan" an emergency, else it wouldn't be an emergency.

I have to take this time to recognize my family who have called me numerous times to check on me and in-laws. My sister offered to spend her Saturday helping them pack up their house or do anything I or they needed. My sister-in-law (Brooke, Danson's new bride) even offered to cook and bring in dinner for everyone, perhaps for them because she is familiar with my cooking, or perhaps for me because I had just had a baby. ;-) My dad offered to bring his dually and pack up their leftover belongings. My mom has called to check on us numerous times, and my grandmother has done the same. I have to thank EVERYONE for your love and concern. Every day I love and appreciate my brother (wife included!!!) and sister more and more and I hope when they have been in need I have been there for them, and when they are in need in the future I can live up to the example they have set!

I hope soon things can get back to normal. Honey and GPaw are moving out of the Grove and are beginning to look for a new pad. I'm excited about the future. I think they are going to come out ahead, after all the dust settles. The plan is for them to get somewhere in between our residence and Dan's sister's. I'm thrilled about the closer location, not that any number of miles would ever stop us anyway!