Well, I am sick (again). Once I finished my last medicine, my eyes started running (again) and my nose got all stuffy (again). Daddy and Mommy got stuffy too, and Daddy felt so yucky that he stayed home from work. Well, I started feeling pretty yucky and school had to call Mommy to let her know that I had a 104 degree temperature. Daddy picked me up and took me to the doctor right away! Now I have more medicine (my ear infection came back) and am taking infant Motrin and Tylenol. I don't like having a fever, it makes me feel pretty tired. Mommy is staying home with me tomorrow (I can't go back to school until I am 24 hours fever free), so I will get to cuddle with her and stay in the house during these rainy days. I don't know where you all are, but it feels like the sky has been leaking for a long time. And now there is water, water everywhere (kinda like the book I have). This weekend is "Good Friday" and "Easter." These are more days with funny names that I don't understand. All I know is that Grandma and Grandpa are coming for the weekend. I am not sure if that is why they call it "good" Friday. I don't know what "Easter" means either, but Nana, Uncle Rob, Aunt Jeannie and James will be here along with Grandma and Grandpa, so "Easter" must mean "really good Sunday." Mommy told me that we are celebrating Jesus Christ, and since we talk about him every night during my prayers, it must be a really important celebration. I am going to wear a special dress and go to church to see all of our new friends to celebrate Jesus.

Mommy went on another business trip last week. This time she want to Arizona. She said it was "west" of here, and although I don't know what "west" means, she kept pointing to my left. I keep looking for it on my left, but all I see are the normal things in the house. And, when she was gone I did not see her to the left either. Maybe this Arizona place is invisible! Anyway, she wrote me a story while she was gone. I liked the story and I liked it that she wrote it for me. I know she misses me when she is gone, but it helps me know she is thinking about me when she reads the story. And boy did her story sound like fun. Her friend, Trekker, who is with her made it sound like a grand adventure. I hope that I can go with Trekker and Mommy on a trip sometime.

Here is the story Mommy and Trekker wrote, just for me:

Dear Abigail –

My name is Trekker and I am with your Mommy on her business trip. She asked me to come with her anytime she is not with you so I can keep track of our adventures and then tell you all about the places we go and things we do. We will write home to you when we can, but more than that we will come home and share our tales as our gift to you when we return. I know, I know, some kids get shirts or toys when their mommies and daddies return from trips. You might get these sometimes too, but the stories are your special gift.

Mommy got this idea a long time ago on a business trip when a “plane talker” told her all about the stories he writes for his kids when he is away. His gift to them is to read the stories when he gets home. He went into great detail about how much his children love the stories and look forward to him returning home so they could all enjoy his tales. Mommy was reminded of that long-ago event when the nice people at USAirways announced that there were free books in the seat backs on the airplane (Come Fly With Maizie) and thought it would be really neat to write stories for you. Don’t worry, she got you a book since you already love Maizie. That will be an extra special gift after this trip.

The other reason your Mommy asked me to come with her is because she loves you very much and misses you when she is not with you. She thinks of your smile and giggle and wonders what new thing you are doing. She often sees little girls on her travels and can’t help but think of you. She wishes that she could hold you and kiss you and show you all of the sights she sees in person. I help her feel closer to you and by writing my stories she feels like you are here with her.

To get places, we go on an “airplane,” something that has lots of chairs (kinda like the ones in your “SUV” – sport utility van). There is a tiny walkway between the seats and even some seats are right next to each other. Everyone files into this little van-like thing down a long hallway. Some magic person starts talking and every person puts their diaper bags (they look like diaper bags to me) by their feet or above their heads. I don’t know what’s above our heads and at first I was worried that something might fall on our heads, but nothing did yet. Anyway, then it starts moving, but after a bit, it gets really loud “vrooooom,” and we start moving to the sky! My stomach felt a little wobbly but it was fun.

We are in a place called Phoenix visiting a really big building with loud machines that go “ratchety ratch” and “swooshity swoosh” and lots of people with odd toys over their mouths. Boy is it hard to understand them when they talk, it’s all muffled and sounds like “ra ra ra ra ra.” I am not sure if this is a new language that they use with those toys over their mouths, but it doesn’t make much sense to me. Everyone also wore white coats, nets that went on their heads, big plastic glasses (not as cool as your sunglasses) and plugs in their ears. Mommy did not have the fancy shoes like everyone else so she had to wear rubber shoe covers. They kept falling off and she had to walk really funny!

After the meeting during the day, everyone went to dinner at a local restaurant. Boy did we have fun. There were 16 people there, it was a really big table! We had Mexican food and Mommy ate too much. But, when Marie, the nice lady who works with Mommy, suggested that they get ice cream, Mommy was in for an adventure. They drove back to the hotel (in their big yellow car they got from the car rental company) and asked for a close ice cream shop. They found that one but decided they wanted something different so went driving. They were on their way to Cold Stone and pulled into a lot with a wonderful place called “Swensens.” It’s just like Friendly Ice Cream in Dayton. They each ordered a sundae and ate every delicious bite. Someday Mommy and you will have ice cream, it will be lots of fun. Mommy actually was remembering how she, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa went out for ice cream the night before you were born.

The next morning, Mommy got up at 4 am Phoenix time (this is 7 am your time, we will go over the differences in time later). It was very early but she was excited to come home to see you. She and Marie had to wait a very long time in the airport line, but made it on the plane to Chicago. Then they had some lunch at the airport and flew in a plane one more time to Dayton (that is where Nana, Uncle David, Papaw, Uncle Rob and Aunt Jeannie live).

Boy was Mommy glad to be home to see you!

Happy Leap Day! I have heard that February 29 only happens once every four years. I don’t quite understand why that is but I bet that would make it hard to count your birthdays if that date does not exist for a couple of years in a row. Since I don’t think my birthday is on this “Leap Day” and since I can’t count yet, I am not very concerned. I am also sure that Mommy and Daddy would help me count and would celebrate with me anyway. Every day seems to be a celebration in my world. Today, though, is significant to me because Mommy came home from her first business trip! She left on Tuesday night, so it has been a long, confusing time for me. But Daddy is pretty amazing and we have had a great time together. I have slept well and enjoyed the time with just the four of us (remember Mr. Fancy Pants and Bella!). I am still not really into the bottle and Daddy has had some interesting experiences with me eating in the morning and before bed. First, I am used to nursing with Mommy for these two feedings, and as much as I enjoy eating my cereal with a spoon, I am not really interested in eating with a spoon for these feeding times. The first night he held me in his lap and tried the cereal. He had as much cereal on his clothes as I did and we both had more on us than I had in my mouth. The next morning he tried a bottle. I did not cry and I really did try but it’s just not something I want to do. Luckily Miss Nancy feeds me shortly after I arrive at school so I just needed a little to tide me over.

Each morning when I woke up I did look all around for Mommy. I did not understand that she was not going to be there. I kept looking around for her (especially now that I understand “object permanence,” a concept that helps me know that a person or object still exists even though I do not see it. This is why I always look to the floor when I drop a toy from my high chair! I used to just drop it and figure it was gone forever!

The other reason today (or yesterday and tomorrow, technically speaking) is important is that Mommy and I left on our global trip one year ago. As I mentioned already, this day did not exist last year so I don’t quite understand, but I will let it go. This trip is what started this journey, “the amazing adventures of little miss sunshine.” I don’t remember the trip that well, I just remember that it was warm and safe in Mommy’s belly and that she had the time of her life. I hope someday she and I can take a trip and she can really show me all the sights and sounds like what we enjoyed on that trip.

We have a web cam up and working! I still don’t quite understand how it works, but I hear Grandma and Grandpa on the computer. We have calls a couple of times a week. We have had some technical difficulties, but are now able to see and hear each other, how fun.

I already told you that I move myself in my crib at night. Last week I woke myself up (and Mommy and Daddy) because I guess I swung my arm in my sleep too and turned on my mobile. Daddy heard the noise in his sleep and asked Mommy how in the world the music turned on. When Mommy came in, I looked up at as if to say “I don’t know what happened, but the music came on!” She giggled, turned off the music, turned me over and moved me back to the other end of the bed. I went right back to sleep!

I can eat with my hands now! Mommy read that if I try to take the spoon when being fed and if I try to get at people’s plates when they are eating, I might be ready for finger foods. Duh! Of course I am. She gave me some pieces of bread and I used my new skill, the “pincer grasp” and ate it off my high chair tray! Then they bought some Cheerios (the real kind!) and I love them too. It’s a whole new world for me. Now at school I can eat my Cheerios along with the rest of my food. A big step for a growing girl.

March 8, 2008
We got busy and were not able to get the last update up before more exciting things happened. I know, you understand that exciting things are happening all of the time so we are constantly keeping up with them.

Last Saturday, Mommy and I went to Columbus for Anna Greenlee’s first birthday party. Boy was it fun. There were many kids there and I just love watching other kids. Anna had a great time with her presents, although it seemed that she had the most fun with the paper the presents were wrapped in. I completely understand this because I like to carry around plastic blocks and bang them on things. It does not take so much to entertain us, we can entertain ourselves. Mommy gave me a little bit of Anna’s cake (not the icing, don’t worry), boy was it good! I can’t wait for my first birthday, I hear that I get to put my hands and face into my very own cake. I can just see Daddy’s face when I make such a mess.

I have my first ear infection. I have been coughing at night so Mommy took me to the doctor on Tuesday. She thought that there might be some congestion in my chest. Nope. But, we did find out that I have ear infections in both ears. I guess this is a common thing for little kids like me. I did not complain about my ears though, so Mommy felt really bad that they did not know. That’s okay though, I got some good tasting medicine that I get to take every morning and night.

It snowed again and Daddy, Mommy and I played in it this morning! Daddy pulled me in my sled then Mommy and I made a snow angel. I am still not quite sure of this wet stuff outside, but Daddy and Mommy really seem to enjoy it, so I guess it’s fun. Mr. Fancy Pants went outside for a minute too, but Bella was smart enough to stay inside where it’s warm. Since we are in “blizzard-like conditions” and have the potential for “convection snow,” we are not going out to do errands today. Yeah, an inside day where we can play and play.

Next week is busy again, as Mommy is going on another business trip on Tuesday night. Daddy has a busy week at work but I think he is excited to have some time with just the two of us. We will let you know how it goes!

We hope you are all safe and warm wherever you are.