The Duff Family

Happy Halloween!!!!!

2009-11-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!! Hayden really got into trick-or-treating this year. There were a few incidents where some costumes scared her so much that she wanted to go back home. Hayden dressed as a flapper from the 20s and Mary was a butterfly. If you ask me, she looked more like a ballerina. I think that most of the girl costimes for her age look more like ballerinas because they all seem to have tutus underneath them.

Don't you love the heels??

What a face!!

I love this picture!!

Hayden and Granny

Hayden was a little wild after all of the candy.

It's Pumpkin Carving Time with Granddaddy

2009-11-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

My dad came over so that he and Hayden could carve a pumpkin together. As you can tell, they had a blast.

Hayden took this picture of my dad all by herself.

Hayden loves getting her picture taken.

My mother thinks that Hayden was imitating the pumpkin.

This would have been a great picture if Hayden could have kept her eyes open.

It's Pumpkin Carving Time with Daddy

2009-11-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

Hayden and Jason spent one afternoon carving our Halloween pumpkin. Thankfully, it was not stolen like last year's was.

I think Hayden was excited.

She called the inside of the pumpkin - "cheese."

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-11-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

We took our annual pumpkin patch trip with the Lambs to Honeysuckle Hills Farm this year. This was our 4th year to go, but our 1st time at Honeysuckle Hills. There was so much to do and the kids had a great time. Hayden and Drew ran around like crazy.

Mary enjoying the pumpkin patch from her wagon. The wagon was great for carrying pumpkins, purses, diaper bags, etc. I may start taking it with me to the mall. Ha!

We are not sure what Drew did, but Hayden was not happy about it. Is this a snapshot into their future?

We tried do hard to get a picture of the girls surrounded by pumpkins, but it proved rather difficult.

Hayden and Drew with their annual pumpkin patch photo.

They had this trampoline-like contraption that the kids could bounce on. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

This is my favorite picture. Where did Hayden go?

Sarah and her youngest, Zach

Love this picture of the girls. Of course, hayden's eyes are almost closed.

They had this hysterical ride called the "Cow Train". It was basically a bunch of carts being pulled behind a 4-wheeler. Hayden and Drew were in line to ride when Jason had the bright idea that Mary wanted to ride, too. So, I was the lucky one to get to ride along with her. The kids loved it, but I thought it was rather scary.

Drew & Daisy

Mary, Bessie & me

Hayden & Honey

This and That from Fall 2009

2009-11-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

We have had a crazy fall so far. Here are a few pictures of the girls' latest antics.

I am not sure if any of the cookie made it into Mary's mouth or if she just rubbed it all ovrt her face.
Go Titans!!

We sent Hayden to her room to clean up and she fell asleep surrounded by her mess.

Hayden loves to play dress-up. She decided to wear every piece of jewelry that she could find at one time.

Go Tigers!!! Don't you just love Mary's Memphis cheerleading uniform.

Yes, those are KISS pajamas that Mary is wearing.

My parents' new dog, Keigh-Lo. She was a rescue dog from some sort of drug raid...hence, the name.

Aren't they adorable?

Hayden loves to play dress=up with all of her winter hats, scarves, etc. She really loves getting Mommy and Daddy in on the fun.

Hayden made this hat at pre-school. One day, Mary came out of Hayden's room wearing her new hat.

Hannah's 5th Birthday Party

2009-11-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

Jason's niece, Hannah celebrated her 5th birthday on September 30th and we were in Memphis for her party. The entire Duff family came out to celebrate.

Mary was getting pretty tickled by her Uncle Todd. Her laugh is contagious.

Mary and Aunt Leanna

A great picture of the birthday girl, Hannah.

Jason and his sister, Regina

Mary and Jason's grandmother, MaMaw Duff

Mary and Grandpa

Mary and Mimi

The girls hugged the pinata before they attacked it. Once the candy started to fall, Todd helped finish off the pinata. Hannah was so upset when she realized her pinata was destroyed and could not be repaired.

I love this picture.

The girls posing for everyone.

2009 Summer Highlights

2009-11-04T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mary loves her little chair and she has the best smile.

Hayden and Grandpa playing with Barbies and her My Little Pony cd player. Hayden's look is priceless. Sometimes, I wish she was not so much like me.

Mimi, Grandpa and the girls.

Auny Regina can make Mary laugh so hard.

Mary loves to play with Casey. I am not sure that the feeling is mutual.

Mary's First Birthday Party (Finally)

2009-11-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

Mary's first birthday had a cupcke theme. Mary actually had her own oversized cupcake to dive into.

Hayden helped open presents.

When Mary was born, the brother of my friend, Maggie was in town. Matt always visits Maggie the first part of August. The night before she was born, we all went out to eat and Matt made the comment that he would meet Mary on his next visit. Evidently, Mary wanted to meet Matt sooner than he planned. It is now tradition for Matt to attend her birthday party.

Mary, Maggie and my friend, Sarah's son, Zach.

Mary really attacked her cupcake. She actually broke out in a rash on her face from the icing.

Birthday Serenade

2009-09-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

My mom's birthday was on Friday, September 4th. We took her out for breakfast and Hayden decided to serenade her with "Happy Birthday." It was so cute that Mom asked her to recreate the event so she could record it. And I promise to update pictures from Mary's 1st birthday real soon. I really promise.

Happy First Birthday, Mary!!!!

2009-08-10T05:33:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Mary!!! I cannot believe that she is already one. We had a great party last weekend and I promise that pictures will be up soon.

Fun with Water

2009-07-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Hayden playing in her pool and with her new Slip 'n Slide.

I thought that I would throw in a picture of Mary, too.

Hayden's 4th Birthday - Part Two

2009-07-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hayden had a Lady Bug themed party simply because it was the cake that she picked out. I absolutely loved the cake and he cupcakes. I used a local White House bakery and it only cost $30. How great is that??

Too manypresents....

"Happy Birthday to Hayden...."

Hayden and her second cousin, Hannah.

Zach Lamb really enjoyed the party. He slept through the whole party.

Hayden and Andrew cruising in the Jeep.

Leanna and Hannah

Hayden's 4th Birthday - Part One

2009-07-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? Hayden turned 4 years old on June 15th. My parents were gracious enough to let us have Hayden's party at their house, as they have every other year. They have this great large covered porch that is perfect for her party. This is the first year that we invited Hayden's friends to her party so we rented a princess castle bounce house.

Hayden really loved it and we could hardly get her to stop bouncing long enough to open presents.

Even the adults got in on the fun.......Leanna and I

Hayden showing everyone her forward roll that her second cousin, Hannah taught her. She was so inspired that we ave now signed her up for gymnastics.

My sister, Cheryl and her two oldest, Abigail and Andrew

My favorite picture ever of myhusband. Let's just call him Superman!!!

My aunt, Lynna

My mom exiting the bounce house. I was laughing so hard at them.

Abigail and Andrew trapped Lynna and my mother and would not let them leave.

Hayden and Granny

Hayden and my friend, "Aunt" Maggie

My Beautiful Girls

2009-06-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hayden is turning into quite the big sister, Mary is now crawling and cruising everywhere. Her favorite destination is Hayden's room. Hayden actually loves it when Mary wants to be in her room. She always asks if Mary can stay and she wants us to leave so zshe can play with her sister by herself.

Welcome Zachary Alan Lamb!!!!!

2009-06-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day, my best friend, Sarah and her husband,Justin welcomed a son, Zachary Alan Lamb. He weighed in at 7 lbs, 11 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. He is adorable and will definitely keep his big brother, Drew on his toes. I was lucky enough to be there and here are a few pictures.

Of course, his proud father was texting the good news immediately.

The happy parents (not sure what was going on with my camera)

Mother's Day 2009

2009-06-24T11:34:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Mother's Day with a cook-out at my parents' house. Along with my parents, my grandmother, my sister and her family were there. The kids played hard and it was nice to all be together. It doesn't happen as often as we would like.

It was hysterical to watch Addie Mae, my 2 year old niece push Hayden around.

Hayden returned the favor by giving Addie Mae a lift in the jeep.

This is not quite as scary as it looks.

I love this picture of my sister, Cheryl and Mary.

Zoo Trip

2009-06-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

While Jason and I were on vacation, we decided to take the girls to the zoo. We had a great time right up until the heavens opened up and the bottom fell out. Hayden and I were soaked and had to change clothes. Luckily Hayden had spare clothes in the car, but I had to buy a Nashville Zoo t-shirt to change into.

Exhausted at the end of the day....

Soccer 2009

2009-06-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Spring Soccer 2009. Hayden was a bit more interested this season, but by mid season, she enjoyed being around her friends, but not playing soccer. Hayden has decided that she wants to try gymnastics, so we are signing her up once a week. I will keep you posted on how that goes.

This and That

2009-06-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hayden is turning into quite the big sister. We have our occasional jealous spell, but Hayden really seems to have settled into her big sister role and is very protective of Mary. She is always wanting to feed Mary and help out whenever she can. I cannot believe how grown up she is becoming. I am so proud, but sad at the same time.

Such a happy baby!!!

Mary and Addie Mae

Here are some pictures of Mary when she was first learning to crawl. She is crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything now. I forgot how many things a baby can get into.

Hayden and Jason's New Hobby

2009-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Jason got a Wii for his birthday and Hayden is definitely a fan. Here are some pictures of Jason and Hayden boxing. Hayden looks like she is dancing.

Easter Part Three

2009-06-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and the girls

Uncle Todd and the girls, as you can tell they are quite fond of him.

Hayden acting silly

Visiting with Shanda and Dave

Easter Part Two

2009-06-21T18:09:00.001-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt and Lunch with the Bistolfis

Cousin Aileen and Mary

Mary was a huge fan of Aileen's fiance Bradley.

Jason's cousin Dina and her girls, Isabella and Jules

Hannah and Hayden

Mary and Uncle Todd

Easter 2009 - Part One

2009-06-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy Easter weekend. We went to Memphis and celebrated the weekend with the Bistolfi and Duff families. Hayden searched for Easter eggs with her cousins at Mamaw Bistolfi's house. It was great to see everyone, but here are some pictures of all of our adventures.

Baking cookies with Mimi

My two little bunnies

Hanging out with Uncle Todd and Aunt Leanna (or Aunt Lina as Hayden calls her)

Hayden showing her muscles and acting silly

Stay tuned for many more pictures!!!!

Mary's Baptism

2009-06-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

On March 29th, we celebrated Mary's baptism with our entire family. It was a wonderful service performed by Rev. Rob Hunter Dunbar and Rev. Denman Frazier. It was the first baptism by Rev. Dunbar. It was very special to have him perform the service because he was also there minutes before Mary was born.

Here are some more pictures during everyone's visit from Memphis for the baptism. As you can tell from the pictures, Hayden and her uncle Todd had a ball. She was pretending to be a cowgirl and he was her horsey. She also offered to give him a lift, but didn't understand why he could not get on her shoulders.

Our Latest Adventures

2009-06-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

My parents decided to teach Hayden how to climb her first tree. It must be a right of passage to learn to climb a tree at your grandparents' house. I always loved climbing this one particular tree at my grandparents' house, too. Hayden now tells me that the tree belongs to her. I wanted to share a few pictures with everyone.

The girls are really getting big. Hayden is so grown up now. She is really trying to be the best big sister. Anytime Mary makes even the slightly whimper, Hayden is the first to check on her and she is always offering me advice about what Mary needs. Here are a few pictures of the girls hanging out around the house and with my friend Maggie.

Happy Birthday to Hayden!!!

2009-06-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish Hayden the happiest birthday ever. She turned 4 today. I cannot believe it. We had a party for her on Saturday and I promise to post pictures soon. I promise to post pictures from the last 2 months soon.

Kerry Simmons (10/31/1948 - 04/23/2009)

2009-04-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

My uncle Kerry, my mother's brother passed away this morning. He will be missed terribly.

Happy Birthday!!!

2009-04-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to wish Jason a "Happy 34th Birthday!!!!" Sorry, it has been a while since my last post, but things have been busy and my uncle Kerry has become unexpectedly ill and is in the hospital. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers and I promise that I will post some new pictures soon.

Pictures of my Girls' Latest Adventures

2009-04-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a few outtakes from our drive back from picking Hayden up in Jackson after her week in Memphis. We were so excited to have her back. There are a ton of pictures from her adventures on Todd and Leanna's blog which is linked in our Friends section. I still haven't fixed the date on our camera, but hopefully, I will get that fixed soon.

Hayden had her first spring soccer game and I am happy to report that she seems to be much more involved this season, at least so far. She actually scored two goals in her first game. She was so proud and I wish I captured a picture of her reaction when she scored. She held up her arms and yelled "Score", well after a little prodding from her mother. It was still funny. It was also picture day and of course, Hayden was running and fell. She actual did a forward roll as she fell. She skinned up her knee, hand and her forehead. It was my fault for letting her run on the sidewalk in cleats. I also forgot to put sunscreen on either of the girls and as you can see from some of the later pictures, their faces show the evidence.

Here are a couple of pictures of Mary enjoying the game. I forgot a hat for her, so we borrowed Addie Mae's, my 21 month old niece.

Hanging out at Granny and Granddaddy's house

After soccer and hanging out at my parents' house, my niece Abigail spent the night with us. Hayden adores playing with Abby and Abby, whi is almost 10 is a real trooper for hanging out with Hayden and Mary. Hayden is already asking when Abigail will be back.

A few pictures of Hayden on the way to church with her sunburned cheeks that match her dress.

Lucky for us, Mary loves her saucer, which gives us a break every once in a while.

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-04-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends got married on March 14, 2009 and I am finally putting up some pictures. Congratulations to Shanda and Dave Wicker, wishing them a lifetime of happiness. We had a great time and here are a few pictures from the weekend. As you can see, I somehow never got a picture of half of the happy couple, the groom. Sorry, Dave!!! Also, please ignore the date on the pictures. It is a new camera and I haven't set the date yet.

Me, Shanda, Kelly Morphy and Sarah Lamb

Justin and Sarah Lamb

John and Hollie Long

Better Late than Never

2009-03-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

I thought that it was about time for an update. Here are some updated pictures of the girls. Mary is growing so fast and has actually crawled a little bit.

Hayden's Memphis Trip

2009-03-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hayden has been in Memphis this week visiting Jason's family. We miss her terribly and I promise to blog more later, but wanted everyone to visit Todd & Leanna's blog to check out pictures of Hayden's adventures so far. There is a link under our "Friends" section. From all of the fun that she is having, she may never want to come home.

Six Month Check-up

2009-02-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

Mary went to the doctor for her 6 month check-up last week. She weighed in at 14 lbs., 9 oz., 25 1/4 in. long. She is now in the 10th percentile, which is a definite improvement. Hayden at the same age was 15 lbs. and 25 1/2 in. long. I thought that Mary was longer, but not quite. Imagine how long Mary would have been if she was full term. Dr. Collins officially took Mary out of preemie status and we are now starting baby food. Wish is luck, I am trying peaches tonight.

Jason and I have been working like crazy. I can't complain about being busy with so many people out of work. Jason's family came to visit over Valentine's weekend. we had a great time getting to see everyone. I promise to put up pictures soon and to be a much better blogger.

Six Months Old

2009-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it, but Mary turned six months old today, It seems like just yesterday that I was shopping the dollar bins at Target. She is growing and discovering more and more each day, She has mastered turning over. She is actually more adept at turning over from back to front than from her belly to her back, which is unusual. She loves playing in her saucer and has discovered that it has a mirror. She is definitely like her sister. Hayden always loved to look at herself in the mirror. Who am I kidding? Hayden still loves to look at herself in the mirror.

We went to Memphis over the weekend to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of one of my best friends, Shanda and her fiance, Dave, We had a great time at their couples' shower. We drove down with Sarah and Justin and spent the night at Jason's dad and step-mom's house. The girls stayed with my parents and I missed them terribly. It was so beautiful when we returned on Sunday that we took the girls for a walk and Hayden played at the neighborhood playground. It was a great day!!

Hayden has been playing dress up with her new princess dresses. Jason's grandparents started her collection with a new dress and six pairs of princess slippers. She kept wanting me to tke pictures of her feet. She is so funny.

Mary is definitely my child as she has learned a new trick. She is a full fledged thumb sucker, We are trying hard to break her of this new bad habit, but every time we give her a pacifier, she immediately takes it out of her mouth and replaces it with her thumb. It took me until I was 6 years old to stop.

Last Christmas Post Just in Time for Valentine's Day

2009-01-30T19:33:00.000-08:00

We finshed our Memphis Christmas celebration with food and presents with Grandpa, Mimi, Uncle Todd, Aunt Leanna, Aunt Regina and Hannah. As you can tell from the pictures, Hayden is still going through Christmas detox. She doesn't understand why she doesn't still get gifts every day.

Leanna & Mary:

Regina, Hannah and Mimi:

Todd, Hayden and Mimi:

Hayden and Hannah:

The after-Christmas crash:

Christmas in Memphis - Part Two

2009-01-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

Here are more pictures from Christmas with the Duffs!!

Darlene & John:

Granpa & Mimi:

Hayden & Uncle Todd (Jason's step-brother):

Christmas in Memphis - Part One

2009-01-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry for so many posts at one time. Maybe, I have learned my lesson. We celebrated Christmas in Memphis with the Duffs and the Bistolfis. We went to visit Jason's grandmother and his cousins while we were in town.

Mary and Mamaw Bistolfi, Jason's maternal grandmother:

Mary got to play with Jason's cousin Cathy. She was so fascinated with her that she couldn't quit laughing.

The Duffs actually delayed their Christmas celebration until we and Jason's cousin's family could get to town. We went to his Aunt Darlene and Uncle John's house and got to see Jason's grandparents and cousins. We had a great time, as you can see from all of the pictures.

Check out Mary's bib that her Mimi and Grandpa gave her.

Jason got Mary to laughing so hard, she could hardly breathe.

Hayden and her cousin, Hannah:

Santa comes to Town

2009-01-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

Santa came to the house and left lots of goodies for the girls. Hayden really got into it this year and Mary was just along for the ride, literally.

Hayden got a new bicycle, which she has been riding around the house due to the cold weather.

Okay, so Santa might have gotten a little out of hand this year. We are going to need to have a talk with him next year.

Mary actually looks a bit frightened by the entire proceedings. She cracks me up.

Mary and Gran-Gran:

Christmas Eve at Gran-Gran's

2009-01-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas festivities always begin at my grandmother's house, Gran-Gran to all who meet her. Her are a few pictures from the night. As you can tell, it has gotten much more difficult to take pictures now that we are a family of four, six if you count the dogs.

This was when Mary really started getting her personality. She giggles quite a bit. I think that she gets that from Jason. Ha!!

Hayden and my mom, Granny:

Hayden's Christmas Party

2009-01-30T18:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry that it has taken so long to post Christmas pictures, but hope you enjoy!! We'll start with Hayden's school Christmas party. The first picture is of Hayden's teacher, Ms. Pace.

Talented Aunt Leanna

2009-01-30T17:52:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to show everyone the adorable ornaments that Jason's sister-in-law, Leanna made for the girls. She is so talented and makes all kinds of wonderful gifts for Hayden and Mary. She also made Jason and I an ornament, but I forgot to take a picture of it. Here are pictures of the girls' ornaments.

Leanna also made a beautiful wreath when Mary was born.

I wish that I had an ounce of her talent.

My Apologies

2009-01-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

I am sorry, but I promise that a new blog post is coming soon. It has been quite hectic over the last few weeks.

Visit with Santa

2008-12-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hayden had her visit with Santa today. She was too shy to sit on his lap, but did request books for Christmas. She must have panicked.

This & That

2008-12-06T15:53:00.001-08:00

Mary loves to laugh and smile now.

The kids watching a movie at Gran-Gran's:

Granny & Mary:

Aunt Cheryl & Mary:

Action Shot

2008-12-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist. These pictures were too cute.

Thanksgiving in Memphis

2008-12-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

Please prepare yourself. There are a bunch of pictures. I guess that is what happens when I wait over a month to post a new blog. I need to be better about it, but I guess life just happens sometimes. I always say that I will update "tomorrow" and tomorrow comes and goes with no update. We went to Memphis for Thanksgiving. It was Mary's first visit and there were many people to meet. Hayden had such a good time while we were there, she didn't want to leave. She kept asking if she could go to work and stay with Grandpa.

Hayden with Lennox and Allie or Lennie and Alex as Hayden calls them:

Mary with Grandpa:

Hayden always has the best time playing with her Uncle Todd. He is so great with both of the girls. Hayden and Uncle Todd:

Leanna is always entertaining the girls. She is really great with them, too. I think Hayden is going to be so jealous when Todd & leanna have their own kids, She is quite possessive of them both. Aunt Leanna and Mary:Mimi and the girls:

Mary finally got to meet the family. Here are some pictures of Mary and everyone.

Mamaw Duff:

Pa Duff:

Aunt Lisa (Jason's mom's sister):

Aunt Sherri (Jason's mom's sister):

Katie *Jason's cousin):

Several of our friends came to visit us while we were in town so they could meet Mary and see Hayden. We have some great friends that we don't get to see enough. We need to stay in town for a week so that we can see everyone.

Dave:

Shanda:

Bryce:

Cindy:

My best friend growing up is Sara Shelton Brock. She and her husband live in Memphis and it never fails that on every holiday, we are in opposite cities. When she is visiting family in Nashville, we are in Memphis and vice versa. This year, we met at a Pilot gas station on the interstate so we could see each other. Sara & her husband, Jason with Mary:

Hayden obviosly loves the camera. Some pictures of the girls:

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T18:09:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share some pictures from Halloween. Hayden was a cat this year. Forgive her makeup, but I am new at Halloween makeup application. Hayden made quite a candy haul and was exhausted at the end of the day. She really knows how to turn on the charm when there is a reward.

Hayden trying to recover.

Kung Fu Pandas 2008

2008-11-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

We went to Hayden's soccer party last week. The team got together to celebrate a great season and receive their trophies. Her trophy actually has her name on it. One of the player's grandmothers made these great soccer bears for everyone. Their team name was the Kung Fu Pandas as you can see from the bear's t-shirt. Here are a few pictures from the festivities.

Have you seen me?

2008-10-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Call the police, our pumpkin has been stolen! When I got home yesterday, I realized that our pumpkin was missing. It was at the bottom of our stairs leading up to the porch. I know kids steal and smash pumpkins, but I really thought that they waited until after Halloween. I am pretty ticked off about it.

Back to Work

2008-10-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hayden's Soccer Picture:

Hayden's Pre-school Picture:

Such a great big sister:

Well, I returned to work on October 13th. It was really hard to leave the girls. We have actually done pretty well getting ready in the morning. I just have to do quite a bit of prep work the night before. Mary is getting so big. She weighed in at 8lbs., 13 oz. last week. This puts her in the 5 percentile for weight, which means 95% of babies her age are larger than she is. At least, we have finally made the charts!! She has actually slept through the night a few times. She is spitting up quite a bit though. They say her stomach can't handle more than 3 oz. at a time. When she does wake up, it is usually because she has spit up. I am so paranoid that she is going to choke in the middle of the night.

My uncle Kerry & Mary:

We went with the Lambs to the pumpkin patch at Ring Farm. The kids had a blast on this tubular slide and seemed to enjoy the hayride. As you can tell, we had a bit of trouble getting them to pose for a picture together. Drew led us all around the corn maze and it was a good thing because, the map was terrible.

Hayden & Drew:

Hayden & Justin:

Hayden & Daddy:

Hayden finished up soccer last Saturday. She reallyenjoyed it. Although her favorite past time was chasing her shadow during the games, but at least she got out there. Better luck next time. Her coach has the patience of a saint. Hayden really loved him and will miss him. She is always asking "Where's coach?"

Jason and Hayden carved pumpkins this weekend. I think they turned out pretty well. Here are some before & after pictures.

Holding her head up:

Doctor's Visit

2008-09-29T21:18:00.001-07:00

We took Mary to the doctor last Thursday and she weighed in at 6lbs., 13oz. I was sure that she weighed more than that. I can't believe that she is almost 8 weeks old and we have almost reached her due date. God obviously had a different plan for her early arrival. I think it may have been just to knock me out of my comfort zone. Mary is trying really hard to turn over. She amazes me everyday. Hayden is definitely jealous, but handling her new sister very well. We finally tool the bed rails off of Hayden's bed and so far, she has not landed on her head. I will keep everyone posted. Our family is truly blessed. I am having such a hard time even thinking about leaving them and going back to work. If we could only win the lottery. Here are a few updated pictures.Hayden & Granny

Gran-Gran & Mary

Maggie & the girls

One Month

2008-09-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Mary is already a month old. Here are some of the latest pictures.

Mary seems to really enjoy her swing. I need to post some pictures of Hayden at the same age like Nicole did. They look exactly the same to me. I would have a hard time telling which one is which. The only difference to me is that Mary is smaller.

Hayden at the playground in our neighborhood:

My sister gave her this bodysuit. It cracks me up. It is amazing how many people ask if a baby is a boy, regardless of how much pink she has on.

Aunt Regina and Mary:

Hayden had to have her picture taken since Mary was having hers made.

Jason thought that I was so cruel for taking this picture. Mary is actually in Hayden's baby doll's stroller. I couldn't resist putting her in it.

Our First Week at Home

2008-09-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

It has been a great first week at home. Mary went to the pediatrician on Wednesday and she weighed in at 5 lbs., 8 oz. What can we say, our girl loves to eat. Hayden seems to love having a little sister. She is very protective of her and always tells us to "be careful" whenever anyone touches her. The Lambs came for a visit on Labor Day and Mimi & Grandpa came to visit over the weekend as well. Here are a few pictures from our week and by a few, I mean a ton of pictures.

Leaving the hospital:

Mary's temporary bassinet (we bought it on Wednesday and it was recalled by the manufacturer and had to be returned on Monday):

Mimi & Mary:

So sleepy: Just hanging out:

Bath Time:

Check out the size of that pacifier:

Aunt Cheryl & Mary:

Andrew & Mary:

Abigail & Mary:

Going to Granny & Granddaddy's house:

Check me out:

The Cousins (Abigail, Mary, Andrew, Addie Mae & Hayden):

Hayden's First Two Soccer Games (You have to love the enthusiasm):

We're Home!!!

2008-08-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mary is home. YEAH!!!! I will post more later, but wanted to let everyone know that Mary was discharged from the hospital this morning.

Test Results

2008-08-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Mary passed her car seat and hearing tests with flying colors and is clear to leave on Friday. So, Jason and I are officially in house preparation mode. Wish us luck!!

Mary will be home on....

2008-08-25T15:34:00.001-07:00

Friday. She is doing great and is ready to come home immediately, but her doctor wants her to stay at the hospital for seven days following the last time they gave her a dose of caffeine. That was last Thursday at noon. I am hoping that they will let her go sooner, but whatever is best. She is so active and it is amazing how much she has already changed. I will keep everyone posted. Thank you for all of your prayers!!

Home Stretch

2008-08-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Mary is already two weeks old. She has made much progress over the last few days. On Friday night, she weighed in at 4 lbs., 1/4 oz. Four pounds is important because it means that she can be moved from the isolet to an open crib. Check out her new bed:

One of the many bonuses of the new bed is getting to wear clothes. Although her first outfit was technically a Baptist t-shirt, the first outfit that I put on her was "a little black dress."

She is definitely crying & screaming much more now that she is out of the isolet. I guess being exposed to cold air helps her to cry. I haven't heard her cry since she was born. Who knew how exciting a screaming baby could be? The bottle light bulb seems to have finally gone on. She is really starting to take her bottle. She took all of her feedings by bottle today. They actually removed her feeding tube. Here is a picture of her beautiful face free of any cords & tubes:

We are trying not to get our hopes up, but the nurses told us tonight that there was a good chance that Mary would be discharged by Tuesday. Can you believe it?? Everyone keep your fingers crossed. Mary still has to pass her car seat test, hearing test and keep eating from her bottle. The car seat test is when Mary is placed in her car seat for the time it will take to drive her home from the hospital. They monitor her vitals and make sure that she remains stable.

The nurses in the NICU have been so great!!! Here is the art project that they put together for Mary:

Hopefully Hayden is still this excited once Mary comes home!!

Holding Pattern

2008-08-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by saying that Mary is doing fabulous. She weighs in at 3 lbs., 15 oz. as of today, which is almost her birth weight. Unfortunately, I feel like we are in a holding pattern waiting to reach our final destination. She needs to put on more weight and master taking a bottle to come home. Mary is eating once a day from a bottle, but it takes her quite a while to make it through the feeding. The longer it takes her to take the bottle, the more calories/energy that Mary burns causing her to lose weight. In order to maintain and gain weight, the nurses have to take it slow with bottle feedings. So right now, the two criteria to get her home work against each other. Some days it can be quite frustrating and some days are more emotional than others. I just want her home.

We are balancing time between Mary and Hayden, which seems wrong on so many levels. I feel guilty when I am with Mary because I am not with Hayden and guilty when I am with Hayden because I am not with Mary. Hopefully, we will have Mary home soon and we can spend time together as a family.

My parents have been absolute life savers. They are either driving me to the hospital, visiting the hospital or babysitting Hayden. We would be in such a mess without them.

One Week Update

2008-08-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Mary has been here for a full week. She is doing better and better everyday. They have taken the oxygen away. They feel that this will no longer be an issue and have actually turned off the oxygen intake monitor. They are trying to work on Mary eating from a bottle and Jason got to feed her today. She actually gained an ounce and now weighs in at 3 lbs. 12.5 oz. They are also letting us hold her every time that we visit now, which has been a change. My parents got to hold her last night for the first time. Here are a few pictures.

The Latest

2008-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

All is going as well as can be expected. Mary's weight seems to be stablizing and she is taking more formula everyday. She has been put back on oxygen because she has had a few episodes where she has stopped breathing. According to the doctors, it is perfectly normal for preemies around age 3 to 5 days to have this happened. They sleep so deeply that they stop breathing because their brain does not yet have the ability to tell the lungs to take an involuntary breath. I Wednedswish they had warned me because it certainly scared the heck out of me. She is still under the jaundice lamp, but her color looks much better today and they are hoping to take her out from under it by tomorrow. We can't wait so that she can actually look around again. They keep her eyes covered and she gets quite frustrated when we are talking to her and she can't see us. We are also hoping to get to hold her tomorrow. They have been trying to let her rest, so we haven't been able to hold her since Wednesday morning.

Here are a few updated pictures.

Hayden had her first soccer practice on Tuesday. Jason said it was quite entertaining. I think she had a great time and here are a few updated pictures of Hayden:

The Stork made an early delivery

2008-08-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

For those who have not heard the news, Mary Amelia Duff arrived on Sunday, August 10th to everyone's surprise. The scary part is that I was only 32 weeks, the great news is that Mary is doing wonderful. She weighed in at 3 lbs., 15 1/4 oz. and was 18 inches long. My water broke on Sunday morning and despite all of their best efforts, my labor could not be stopped. Of course, my water broke in Target and poor Jason had to come into the women's restroom to get me once I realized what had happened. I didn't realize that they can delay the baby's birth up to 8 weeks even if your water has broken, but they can. We actually thought that my labor had stopped, but as soon as we talked everyone into going home, Mary decided it was time to make her debut. Luckily my doctor was on call and at 4:39 PM, Mary was here.

She is going to have to stay in the NICU for a few weeks, hopefully only 2 weeks. It was definitely the scariest moment of my life because it was so early, but her lungs seem to be fully developed and once she learns how to take a bottle, we can take her home. Evidently, that skill comes along around 34 weeks. Here are a few pictures and hopefully her next shots will be at home. Thank you to everyone for their prayers & well wishes!!!

Baby Update

2008-08-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

I went to the OB yesterday and we have reached the 32 week mark. Wow, time flies. According to Dr. Moran, we should expect Mary no later than 38 weeks and possibly as early as 36 weeks. Only 4 to 6 weeks to go. I am officially in panic mode. I am more panicked this time than I was with Hayden. We have so much left to do.

I am now also beginning to have one ultrasound and one non-stress test each week. I had an ultrasound this morning. It was pretty quick. It is what they call a BPP ultrasound. The tech told me what that stood for and I have already forgotten. Basically, she just checked the heart rate, lung development and amniotic fluid. She said everything looked great. My amniotic fluid has dropped slightly, but not by an alarming amount.

We also got more ultrasound pictures. I am going to be able to fill up an entire photo album with ultrasound pictures before Mary even arrives.

Latest Ultrasound Picture

2008-07-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest. Mary weighs in at around 3 pounds. Amazing how they can figure that out.

Simmons Family Retreat / Baby Update

2008-07-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I know it has been a while. We have been busy getting ready for Mary's arrival and I am way behind schedule. The good news is that the crib is back together, so she has a place to sleep. We have had a few symptoms of premature labor, but according to Dr. Moran, nothing to get excited about. We go back for another ultrasound tomorrow, so we will have a better idea of what is going on. In about 2 weeks, I will start going to the doctor twice a week. I will have an ultrasound each week and a non-stress test each week to help us determine when Mary will make her debut.

We spent the weekend at Center Hill Lake visiting with Mom's side of the family. It was great to see everyone. We haven't see most of the family since my grandfather past away in 2003. It is amazing how difficult it seems to get together when it really shouldn't be. Hayden had a blast and was attached to my niece, Abigail the entire trip. Here are a couple of pictures. Hopefully, we will have more soon.

Sadie, Andrew, Andi, Addie Mae & Hayden

Hayden and Abigail

Also, several have decided to compete in our own version of the Biggest Loser: Mom, Dad, my Uncle Kerry, my Aunt Shelia, my Uncle Richard and Jason for a $300 prize. The contest ends on October 31st and I am keeping track of the results. I will keep you posted on the standings.

Latest Doctor's Visit

2008-07-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

I met my new OB at my last appointment, Dr. S. Houston Moran. My other doctor no longer delivers babies, so at 26 weeks, I had to switch to my new doctor. He seems very nice and I think I am going to really like him. It is just going to take some getting used to because I loved my previous OB, plus I felt so comfortable with him since he delivered Hayden.

Mary is doing great, her heartbeat is strong and everything seems on schedule. It sounds like Dr. Moran is going to wait until closer to my due date to schedule the C-section. With Hayden, we scheduled the C-section at about 30 weeks. We will see when Dr. Moran will pick the day. I am now going to the OB every two weeks, so I go back to the doctor on Thursday. I will let you know what we find out.

Beach Vacation

2008-07-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

We just got back last week from Orange Beach, AL. We went along with the Lamb family (Justin, Sarah and Drew) to enjoy the beach for a few days. We had an absolute blast. It was definitely an experience with two potty training 3-year olds. We actually rented a mini-van, which was quite nice. I am not compeltely opposed to the mini-van option anymore. It was great to have everyone ride together and definitely helped on gas. The kids did great on the trip down and back with no accidents. We decided to break the drive to Orange Beach into 2 days. We drove to Prattville, AL on Friday night. Leave it to us to go the Bass Pro Shop, so that the kids could see the fish.

We finished up the drive on Saturday and even had time to hit the beach Saturday afternoon. We ate dinner at a new restaurant called the Hangout. It had a huge sandbox for the kids to play in and had a great time. I love that places realize that when you have a 1-2 hour wait for a table, it is in everyone's best interest to have entertainment for kids. Otherwise, no one is happy. The kids were so tired that Hayden actually laid down at the table to take a nap.

As you can see from the pictures, we enjoyed the beach & pool on Sunday and Monday. Jason was kind enough to watch the kids during naptime, so Sarah, Justin and I could go lay out in the afternoons. Monday also brought a tornado. Who knew that tornadoes hit the beach, too. We at the Original Oyster House where the kids fed the fish on Sunday and at Lulu's on Monday. Lulu's also came complete with its own sandbox for the kids to play in.

Tuesday had to be the hottest day that we were there. We stayed by the pool all day. We were able to get some great pictures on the beach and did some shell hunting. We ended up ordering pizza, which is definitely the way to go with 3-year olds. We may not even try restaurants next time. We took the kids to ride go-carts and I think Jason had more fun than everyone. He got in trouble for causing other go-carts to wreck. Although Hayden had her eyes covered most of the time, she seemed to love it.
We got back on Wednesday, July 2nd. I hate that it is over and can't wait to go back. Although I felt like a beached whale at times, it was not as hard to get around as I thought it would be. If you want to see more pictures, go check out the Lambs blog.

Party Time

2008-06-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

We had Hayden's birthday party last Saturday. Everyone had a great time and Hayden received lots of great presents. All of the kids had a blast playing and riding in the Jeep 4-wheeler that my parents have. Jason's family made the trek from Memphis. Thank you again to everyone for making Hayden's 3rd birthday special.

Some party pics:

Hayden and Addie Mae:

Opening presents:

Blowing out my candles:

Swinging with Grandpa:

Chow Time:

Riding with Drew (First date preview):

Hayden and Andrew:

Hayden's Birthday & Father's Day

2008-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hayden's Birthday was on Father's Day this year. Jason and Hayden both had a great day. I have many pictures to post and will hopefully do that tonight.

Hayden got roller skates. She s actually more coordinated than anticipated. She tends to do better, if we help her less. We also signed her up for Fall soccer and she also got a miniature soccer goal for her birthday as well. My parents got her a baby doll that you can feed, etc. She has been real sweet carrying her around and taking care of her. Granny & Granddaddy are trying to get her ready for Mary's arrival.

We are also knee deep into potty training. Hayden is doing so well. We still have good days and bad days, but every day is getting better.

Happy Father's Day to everyone. We hope you had a great day!!

Mary Amelia

2008-05-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all!!! We just wanted to thank everyone for all of their thoughts and prayers over the last week. For those who do not know, Jason's mom passed away very unexpectedly on May 18th. We are all just taking it one day at a time. It still seems so surreal.

We also wanted to let everyone know that we have decided on a name for our upcoming arrival: Mary Amelia. Mary is in honor of Jason's mother and my grandmother. Amelia is just a name that Jason and I both loved. Thank you again to everyone. We love you all.

The Results are in...

2008-05-14T05:58:00.000-07:00

We went for our ultrasound on Tuesday and found out that we are expecting a little girl this fall. Although most everyone thought we were going to have a boy, we are very excited to have another little girl running around the house. I have ultrasound pictures that I am trying to get scanned in, so I can post them out here.

The next step is trying to get Hayden to understand what is going on. We keep telling her that she is going to be a big sister, but she doesn't seem to understand.

Our Busy Week

2008-04-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

Things have been crazy around here this past week. Jason's mom, sister, Regina and niece, Hannah came ot visit last weekend. We had a great time and as always it was great to see them.

We also went to see my niece, Abigail play soccer. As you can tell from the pictures, Hayden had a great time. We definitely need to look into her playing this summer. The White House league starts at age 3, so she should be able to play. From what I understand, it is Chaos Theory at that age.

We have also really been enjoying the warm weather. As you can see, Hayden is a bit of a ham for the camera.

Hopefully, this picture isn't a glimpse of Hayden's future. Ha!! As always, hope everyone is doing well.

Jason's Birthday

2008-04-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Jason's birthday was yesterday and I just wanted to say Happy Birthday again. I love you.

Doctor's Visit

2008-04-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

We went to see my OB/Dr. Miller this morning. We listened to the baby's heart beat and everything is going well. We made our ultrasound appointment for May 13th, so we will hopefully find out if we are having a little girl or little boy.

Jason's mom, sister and niece are coming to visit this weekend, so I will hopefully be posting some pictures of the girls next week. Have a great weekend!!!

Our First Blog

2008-04-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that it is time to jump on the blogging train. We have been quite busy working on potty training this month. Hayden seems to get the idea, but it just too stubborn to always cooperate. She must get that from her father. HA!! I uploaded an updated picture of Hayden. She is getting so big. Hope all is well with you and yours.