Tales of a Southern Belle

Sometimes...

2012-02-01T13:57:00.000-06:00

a little extra caffeine does the body good.

It is clear I am in no mood to be at work today. I have listened to enough endless nonsense chatter that I want to bad things to my coworkers. Not to mention the things I dream about doing to the guy 3 cubes down chomping on ice. He does it EVERYDAY after lunch. Let's like God is testing me to really see if I will kick him in the mouth.

If only there was a little something stronger mixed in my D.P.

Worth the Wait

2012-01-31T12:15:00.000-06:00

After Christmas, I decided to hold back some of Cecilia's toys she got so I could pull them out when we were tired of playing with what we already had or needed something new when ~~trapped~~ enjoying the weekend at home. I read where another mom did this and I thought it was genius!

Sunday when we just couldn't color another page or play anymore babies, I pulled out one of her Christmas toys. It was a tent and tunnel that my aunt and uncle got her and she loved it!

I had to crawl thru it a few times to show her how it was fun (yes I fit. barely) but then she got the hang of it.

She even got her daddy to join the fun!

Last night after a few passes thru the tunnel, she wanted to put it up because she had discovered another new toy under the bed.

(excuse the pjays at 4pm. Daddy/daughter day consisted of staying in pjays all day. It's how they roll)

When I got it, I didn't really think it was a boys toy but after putting it together and seeing it, it kind of is. Oh well! She loves all the noises it makes and all the things you can push. She played with it off and on all night so who cares if it is boyish. We don't have to be all babies and tea parties.

I'm so glad I held a few toys back. Having something new to pull out in our desperate times was just what we needed not to go crazy.

Weekend in Pictures

2012-01-29T12:42:00.000-06:00

We've had a nice weekend so far just hanging out and spending some time together.

Everyone enjoying their "me time."

Cecilia and I breaking out the coloring books.

Clearly I enjoy the coloring books a little more than her!

Daddy throwing Cecilia in the air. Her FAVORITE thing to do with Daddy. Mama has a stroke each time!

Ending the night with a little family play time in C's room...

We even found Minnie on our potty this weekend.

I though this would get her excited seeing her BF on the potty but it didn't. She picked her up, looked to see if she had done anything, then sat her back down and walked away. If Minnie and chocolate aren't going to get her to go, I'm not sure what will.

Time To Get Serious

2012-01-24T13:30:00.003-06:00

I thought we were on our way to having an early potty going kid. That was until one day she stayed home with Daddy and things haven't been the same since. He swears he did nothing but she hasn't sat on the potty since.

That was until I pulled out the big guns...

stickers and M&M's.

It's time we nip this in the bud and get out of diapers! I'm tired of dodging flaying legs and arms at EVERY diaper change.

She can tell you when she is wet ("I poop!" Says that for both) and has started pulling at her diaper so I'm digging in my heels and getting this kid potty trained!

Last night was night 1. I told her I would give her a sticker for sitting on the potty (since she now has a fear of it, I need to reward) and M&M's for doing her business. She kept pointing at the M&M's and I had to tell her no less than 50 times that she couldn't have them until she used the potty. I'm hoping her love for chocolate out weighs her fear of the potty. If she is anything like me, she can hold out 1 day but not 2.

We made a little progress last night and she actually sat on the potty. Of course, she about came unglued once her cheeks hit the seat but we praised her and gave her a sticker (which she wore to bed and was still looking for this morning!).

Can't wait to see what night 2 holds. If we don't get some type of progress, I'm afraid Brent and I will tear into the M&M's. It's rough having chocolate in the house that's not yours. They taunt me and I have no will power against chocolate. (and my dad is thinking, 'you are your mother's child.')

Dullville

2012-01-19T21:12:00.000-06:00

We haven't had a lot of exciting things going on at the Miller household. I was out of town on business a couple of days this week so I haven't wanted to do much but hang out with Cecilia. I still hate leaving her but the return is so sweet! To hear her scream with excitement and bounce up and down when I walked in, made my day.

In other boring news, I FINALLY ordered Cecilia's 1 year book. Only a year behind but no biggie. In my defense, I've had it done for at least 8 months but hadn't ordered it. Oh well, that really doesn't make me sound better either. That just points out how lazy I am.

I got it today and it turned out so good! I'm so pleased with it and have already looked at it twice.

Almost gets me excited about working on her 2 year book. Almost.

Sun Kissed

2012-01-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

Ok so I'm not sure what happened last night but apparently I hit "Publish Post" instead of "Save Now" so my crazy ramblings got posted last night when they weren't supposed to. If you happened to jump on here early and saw that I apologize. I was trying to write but Brent had the latest trash tv show on and I was caught up in that. Plus I was having to yell and him and the dog to cool it and stop wrestling around. I have no idea what I wrote or if it made any sense. So I'm sorry if you wasted your time reading it.

Now that I have that out of the way, I will try to put something together that makes sense.

I have found a new product (thanks to my WONDERFUL hairdresser) that I am just wild about! You may be thinking hair product but you would be wrong. It is actually a self tanning product. It's called Tan Towel and I am LOVIN' it right now.

I was a tanning bed junkie during my college years but after marriage and a baby, I have no time really to lay in the tanning bed. I'm always trying the latest lotions that promise not to turn you orange and fast results. But I never like the results and I feel like I smell like tanning lotion all day. Spray tans scare me thanks to the Friends episode where it goes terribly wrong for Ross and there is no way I'm going to let some young size 00 girl airbrush me while she judges my stretchmarks and muffin top. No.Thank.You!

So every time I get my hair done, I ask my hairdresser if she would get in the airbrush business. She is only person I show off my muffin tops to. She is one of my mom's best friends and been in my life since day one. There would be no judgement.

The last time I brought it up, she told me about Tan Towel. My mom got us a box and I tried it for the first time Saturday. It promised to be easy and show results in 2 to 4 hours. Let me tell you, that was the EASIEST self tanning I have ever done and after 4 hours I was 1 to 2 shades darker! I couldn't believe it!

I have used 2 more towels since Saturday and I'm pretty pleased with my color. Brent even noticed that I had lost my Casper look! The directions say to apply 2 to 3 times a week to maintain but I'm thinking in the winter I may just use 1 a week. I made a few rookie mistakes but nothing that can't be covered by clothes.

We have only been able to find it at the beauty supply shop and on HSN.com. They are cheaper at the supply shop but I'm hoping I can catch it on tv sometime and get a better deal than on the website.

So if you are needing a quick and easy tan without the tanning bed, grab some Tan Towels. They work like magic!

Resolutions

2012-01-09T12:15:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm fully aware that I'm 9 days into the new year and just now starting my new year resolutions but I needed some more time to think about what I wanted to accomplish this year (and continue popping chocolate peppermint candies like an addict pops pills before declaring better eating habits!). I hate setting goals that fall to the wayside by mid January. I get bored easily and lose focus. I wanted to set real goals that I know I can accomplish.

So here is what I have so far...

1. Eat better. I'm not a horrible eater but lately I have been addicted to sugared cereals, too many cokes a day and french fries. Oh and the chocolate peppermint candies I mentioned above.

I would say lose some weight but I don't want to hear people say that I don't need to. You people have no idea what goodness lays beneath my clothes! But I know that if I will get better a few pounds will come off. Of course I could just go exercise but its highly overrated and I'm highly lazy!

2. Get on a budget. Brent and I had been on a budget a few years ago but Cecilia was born and she came with LOTS of medical bills that first year so we got off track. I was tired of wondering where money was going so a budget helps us to keep track of that and helps us not to overspend. I'm WAY more excited about it than Brent. He thinks they are a good idea until he wants something outside the budget but we each get an allowance so he will just have to save up! :)

3. Chill and relax. I have a bad habit of hitting the door at night in full force. I'm always doing something (cleaning, laundry, straighting things that are just going to get destroyed 2 minutes later by a toddler, etc). I typically never sit down much or take time to really be with Cecilia and Brent. It drives Brent nuts! On a typical night when he is there you can hear him say "sit down," "what are you doing now," "will you just relax. that doesn't have to be done right now." "will you please sit down." And even when he isn't there, when I run to do something I can hear his voice echoing in the walls! :) So I've decided to just relax and play more with Cecilia instead of jumping up every time she goes off by herself to play.

4. Read more. Before Cecilia came along I was known for reading at least 3 books a month. It was all I did when I had spare time. I miss reading and wanted to get back into it. Thanks to my parents, I have a NOOK tablet and I will be reading whenever I get the chance!

Short list I know but they are important to me and I'm hoping as the year progresses I will set more goals. I already have a few in mind but don't want overwhelm myself and get discouraged and give up. So for now this is my list.

Christmas 2011: The Finale

2012-01-03T11:45:00.001-06:00

Friday around lunch, we left to go to my in-laws to celebrate Christmas with them. With New Year's falling on a weekend, we were able to spend more time that usually with the fam.

Saturday, my mother-in-law made appointments for all the girls to get pedicures. My pedicure partner was my niece.

She was a hoot! While the lady was massaging her legs, she asked her how it felt. She replied, "wonderful!" HA! Then added a"'wonderful da-ling." I lost it! What 5 year old says that! :)

Cecilia had a good time hanging out with her cousins and watching 'moo-bees' together.

Sadly, I don't have very many pictures because a lot of the weekend we slept in, laid around and did a whole lot of nothing. I tired to take a few pictures when we were opening presents but Cecilia kept trying to take Aubrey's and Nora's toys so I had my hands full.

We did get a surprise when we woke up Monday morning to snow! Luckily it wasn't too bad yet but it did snow on us most of the way home.

There were cars off in the median everywhere and thankfully we weren't one of them.

And our trip home was more enjoyable because Cecilia got a portable DVD player from Brent's parents.

I had forgotten how quiet a 4 1/2 hour trip could be without a kid screaming for 4 hours of it. The thing has changed my life!

Christmas 2011: Part 2

2011-12-30T00:14:00.000-06:00

We are so glad Santa got his second wind because boy did he deliver!

She was so shy at first and couldn't believe everything was hers. It didn't take her long though to get it because then she ran around like a mad woman!

After all the excitement at our house and a VERY long family nap, we got dressed and went to have Christmas at my Nanny's.

Playing with her new house with Aunt Leslie.

Monday night, we headed to my Granny's for our 3rd Christmas.

Dancing to one of her new musical books!

And our last Christmas with my family was at my parent's on Wednesday night.

Favorite gift of the night...Mickey Mouse couch. Nothing else mattered after that.

Well except the kitchen accessories Aunt Leslie and Uncle Mayo got her.

We have had a busy but wonderful Christmas this year. Even though it was spread out, it was so much more enjoyable than running around from house to house in one day. This year has by far been my favorite Christmas and its still not over! We have Christmas with Brent's family this weekend. Love celebrating for a whole week!

Christmas 2011: Part 1

2011-12-27T13:21:00.000-06:00

Our festivities started Friday night at my parent's house. My brother flew in on Friday so we were ready to see him! We haven't been together since his wedding back in April so we made a trip down to Franklin to welcome him home.

Cecilia warmed up to him pretty quickly and the two played the majority of the night.

She even scored a few early Christmas gifts from my mom's co-workers.

(excuse my child's chipmunk cheeks. She shoved a WHOLE piece of chocolate in her mouth right before I took this.)

Saturday morning, Cecilia and I made a cake for later that night...

and cookies for Santa which had to be taste tested after her nap (hence the crazy hair).

Again with the cramming of food in her mouth! They must have been good!

On Christmas Eve, we went out to eat with my family and did a little last minute shopping/browsing at the mall. We came back to our house for dessert and we had a little gift dropped at our door.

Santa's elves had dropped off some Christmas pjays for Cecilia to wear.

She wasn't near as excited as her mama was about the gift. Oh well, maybe another year!

We ended our night at the 11 o'clock service at our church. This is one tradition Brent loved growing up and wants to make sure Cecilia has the same tradition. I had visions of her sleeping through the whole thing but that didn't happen. She was buck wild and wide awake! My mom went with us so she bounced from her to me to Brent to back to her. Heavens! I was for sure after the service she would fall asleep on the ride home but again my dreams were crushed! She was up until about 12:30am! Santa almost didn't come because he was too tired and couldn't stay awake any longer but thankfully he found a small ounce of energy left in him and was able to leave goodies at the house.

Our festivities are to be continued...

From Us To You

2011-12-21T20:38:00.002-06:00

At Least Somebody Can

2011-12-20T21:37:00.000-06:00

It seems that one of Cecilia's teachers is lovin' her some Pinterest. Look what we got today as a gift from Cecilia...

they took her fingerprint and made them into reindeer. One for each of us. Cute right? I've seen this all over Pinterest and thought it was adorable but knew there was no way Cecilia would let me stick her finger in paint. Remember grandparent's gift?

Then we also got a Christmas card from her...

Tell me how they do it? How do they get her to do things I so badly want her to do with me?

Sorry Chuck. You are NO Friend of Mine!

2011-12-20T12:23:00.003-06:00

Friday night I thought it would be a good idea to take Cecilia to Chuck E Cheese. There's lights, buttons, balls, pizza, everything a kid could ask for!

We went pretty early to beat the crowd and all seemed to be going smooth. Cecilia was loving the movie clips they were playing, watched Chuck do his thing on stage and ate her overpriced pizza. Then it was time to play.

I let her pick what she wanted to do first and this was her choice...

She loved it! Even rode it twice.

We move on to another ride she picked out similar to the one before but this one had a passenger. I didn't think she would ride but she sat in it with confidence but the second it started she screamed and cried! I wish I could show the picture (this is a picture of a picture) better because you can see the fear in her eyes!

I didn't even realize the ride took her picture but I'm so glad it did. It is hilarious!

After that, she was DONE with Chuck E Cheese. We tried several different games that had buttons and balls but she only freaked out and screamed! Good thing Daddy is still a huge kid at heart and could use all our tokens! At least we walked away we a handful of cheap prizes that were lost before we ever got the car!

Oh well, its about making memories whether good or bad!

Radical

2011-12-19T07:58:00.000-06:00

Every year I make these big elaborate bows (or try) for each Christmas gift. I have been trying to master these bows since I was 12 under the watchful eye of my mom who is the true master. I've gotten pretty good over the past couple of years and LOVE the way to packages look but this year I just wasn't feeling it. So I dug and hunted around my craft room for different items to dress up my packages.

Here's what I came up with so far...

Very simple but I thought they turned out pretty cute. I'm also changing things up by just using 2 different wrapping papers instead of 4 or 5. Brent told me I was being radical (ha!) but he only knows big bows in our house so anything different is weird to him.

Watch out people! The Miller's are shaking up Christmas gift wrapping! :)

Teacher's Gift

2011-12-16T12:00:00.001-06:00

Oh the joy of racking your brain for the perfect teacher's gift! I always have such a hard time coming up with gifts for Cecilia's teachers. I don't know them well enough to do personal gifts but yet I don't like being super generic either.

So what's a mom to do? Why get on Pinterest of course!

I saw a super cute idea to make magnetic message boards out of a cookie sheet. Here was my supplies...

I had the hubs get his power tools out and be manly by drilling two holes in the top of the pans. I then spray painted them. While they dried, I cut the teacher's initials out of scrapbook paper. A little Mod Podge and ribbon and voila...magnetic message board.

Super easy (and cheap) and hopefully they will enjoy them! I think I see one for myself in the near future. Perfect for the hubs To Do List!

I'm ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille

2011-12-15T12:12:00.000-06:00

A couple of weekends ago, we had a little photo shoot at my parent's house in hopes of getting a good picture for our Christmas cards. I never have high hopes during these little shoots I plan because I never know the mood in which my child will be in.

I threw together a little backdrop using some white panels we have along with a wreath my mom made. I wanted to keep it very simple because I wanted Cecilia's bright dress to pop. We had a few different props for her to play with but she ended up sticking with just one. She did fabulous despite a short nap and it being dangerously close to dinner.

So here's what we got...

I didn't worry with panty hose or shoes because I have finally learned my limits and didn't want to press my luck.

I was so happy the way they turned out and that my dad's love of photography keeps me and Cecilia from having breakdowns at a professional studio!

Quotes

2011-12-13T12:15:00.000-06:00

I found a few quotes on Pinterest today that I thought I would share.

This quote has my name stamped all over it. I'm definitely not where I thought I would be/planned 10 years ago but I keep reminding myself there is a reason why I'm where I am.

I laughed at this one because I thought I was dying the ONE time I tried to run! My brother and husband had convinced me running was the way to go instead of walking. NOT! I almost passed out after 1 minute. I started seeing spots, my lungs burned and my legs turned to jello. I'm sure I was quite the sight! I haven't run since.

This also has my name stamped all over it!

Is it bad that I feel this way about 80% of the people I have to work with?

Or when her dad calls to tell her on his way to work.

Perks

2011-12-09T12:15:00.001-06:00

So I'm finding out my job has a few little perks around the holidays. It's called yummy gifts from my suppliers!

I received my first gift basket early this week from a supplier in Cincinnati. They were complete geniuses and ordered "The Best of Cincinnati" gift basket. It had all our favorite places that we like to stop at when we are Cincinnati.

Brent was thrilled when I walked in the door especially when he saw the Skyline chili! It was the best gift EVER!

That is until I got this beauty yesterday...

A Omaha Steak package! SCORE!!!!

Look at all the loot...

Steaks, burgers, seafood, potatoes and chocolate cake! CHOCOLATE CAKE!!! This vendor spoke right to my heart!

Cecilia loved it too because there was a new toy in the house, the box!

Man, if this week is any sign of how the holidays are going to be, then I don't want it to end!

Rudolph With Your Nose So Bright

2011-12-07T20:08:00.000-06:00

Last night was Cecilia's school Christmas Program.

I wasn't sure how she would do and I expected her not to stay on stage but she made this Ma proud!

She stayed on stage the entire time and for the most part did what she was supposed to do. I loved watching them because half of them looked shocked and the other did as they were supposed to. My cousin's daughter, Gwyneth, is in Cecilia's class so we loved getting to see her perform too.

Cecilia's shocked look...

Her class was so cute with their noses painted red and their reindeer antlers.

This was our first of many Christmas programs and I'm so glad it went so well!

Tis the Season To Be Busy

2011-12-05T12:15:00.000-06:00

How is it Monday's arrive so quickly but Friday's take FOREVER to get here? Maybe because our weekends are always busy and time passes by in a blink.

Saturday, Cecilia and I loaded up early and headed to Franklin to drop in on the Christmas for Christ event my parent's church was having. I hated not participating this year but I was suffering from guilty mother syndrome so I decided not to shop. Around 30 kids showed up and were so excited about their new clothes, shoes and toys. Even though I didn't shop, it was still fun going and seeing everyone run around grabbing clothes left and right! It is always a crazy morning but well worth it!

Since Brent had to work, we decided to stay in Franklin for the day to hang out and work on our Christmas card photo.

Cecilia loves being at my parent's running around, climbing the stairs and this trip, playing with Dawson...

Dawson is a ~~lot~~ little rowdy for Cecilia so she prefers to boss him around from the other side of the gate.

We played and laid around most of the day while we watched my mom decorate for Christmas. It takes her days to decorate and wears me out just watching her decorate every corner of the house!

After dinner, I was needing a little something so my dad whipped up a chocolate shake.

And naturally what's mine is hers...

Sunday, was full of church, napping, playing and shopping for our Angel Tree kid from work.

And as if we couldn't pack one more thing in, Cecilia and I made cookies last night.

She loves sitting on the counter while I cook dinner so I thought she would get a kick out of actually helping me.

I was correct and really really enjoyed the fruits of her labor!

What We're Lovin'

2011-11-29T12:20:00.000-06:00

Playing with our Veggie Tales Nativity scene...

Warm Christmas socks...

A little girl's curiosity...

Watching Christmas classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas...

and liking it...

Watching a little girl get hysterical when she realizes you can't always fast forward the commercials...

Her daddy gets the same way! :)

Packed

2011-11-28T12:25:00.002-06:00

Like every Monday after Thanksgiving, my work pants are a little tighter and my eyelids half open but that only means we had a wonderful holiday!

On Thanksgiving, my parent's hosted dinner for my mom's side of the family.

Cecilia had been/still was sick all week so she wasn't much for the festivies. She was super clingy and not in the mood for visitors but I did get her to enjoy our little time outside around the firepit where roasted marshmallows for smores! Best Thanksgiving dessert EVER!

And to keep her happy, Pap gave into Cecilia's Mickey Mouse addiction...

I had already declared no more Mickey earlier in the evening but when they both came up MIA, I busted them upstairs glued to the computer. Grandparents never listen! :)

Friday morning, Brent had to head off to work (at a normal hour for the first time in 6 years!!!) and I stayed home to decorate the tree. I'm not a Black Friday shopper, so staying at home sounded lovely to me! I did, however, hop online at Toys R Us Thursday night to enjoy some of their sales. No crazies, no lines it was perfect and everything should be delievered end of this week first of next!

Cecilia thought she would help with the decorating this year.

But I quickly had to distract her with Beauty and the Beast because she was mistaking the ornaments for her play balls and keep trying to throw them!

Saturday, we had lunch at my Granny's and I have not one picture because lunch was during nap time and we all can imagine how well that went! Needless to say we didn't get to stay long but at least we got the visit for a little while.

And to finish off our weekend, Sunday Mom and I took Cecilia to see the Muppet movie.

We had a little time before the movie started so we stopped by Barnes and Noble.

To say Cecilia was in heaven is an understatement! She picked up books every corner we turned! We managed to find one that held her attention pretty good, Beauty and the Beast no less.

We made it to the movie and Cecilia did fantastic! Between the Muppets and the popcorn she had a blast! There were times she would sit totally still with her eyes glued to the screen. We left about 20 minutes before it was over which I thought was pretty darn good for a 20 month old!

Can you tell she was super excited?

Back to the Monday grind!

Give Thanks

2011-11-23T12:10:00.000-06:00

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought I would compile a list of some things I'm thankful for.

*My family. I have an amazing family who has supported and cheered me on for 28 years. Without them I wouldn't be the person I am today and I'm not sure I would be able to function without them. My parents and Nanny have come through for Brent and I in some big ways regarding Cecilia and for that we could never say enough thank yous to them. We are beyond blessed to have family close that is willing to take vacation days or rearrange their schedules to help us.

*My husband. He has stuck by me for 9 years and even though I'm crazy 85% of the time, he still loves me and willing to spend his life with me.

*Cecilia. I wanted nothing more than to be a mom and she has made that possible. She is a dream come true.

*My friends. Not everyone can say they have friends that will come running when things get bad but I'm lucky that I can. I have a small group of friends that has always opened their arms wide when I needed them.

*My job. It may not be my dream job but I like it and these days I'm just thankful I have one.

*Our troops. They sacrifice themselves and their time with family so that I can feel safe at home with mine. They give up everything for people they don't know and for that we should all be thankful.

*Brent's job. This year I am so very thankful that Brent got a new job right before the holidays. We can now enjoy the holidays together instead of him leaving mid-day to go home a sleep so he could be at work by 2am.

This is by no means my whole list but a list of things I don't often give thanks for. It is so easy to take things for granted so I hope we all take time this week to reflect on all the good things we have been given.

Happy Gobble, Gobble Day!

I'm A Big Kid Now

2011-11-18T12:15:00.001-06:00

I am not a coffee drinker. In my 28 years, I've tried it twice and it almost came back up both times. There is no amount of creamer/sugar/additives you can put in it to make me like it. My ENTIRE family drinks coffee as if it is the only beverage ever around and I can't stand the stuff!

Or at least until now.

Yesterday was a bit chilly around here and I had suggested to Brent I needed some hot chocolate. He was thinking the same thing only he wanted coffee, aka Starbucks. I'm not a big fan of Starbucks' hot chocolate but I was willing to suck it up so we didn't have to drive across town in rush hour traffic.

When we got to Starbucks, we realized they were having a 2 for 1 holiday drink promotion. Being the tightwad I am, I decided to try one of the holiday drinks since it was free. I picked the one that sounded less coffee-ish and had mocha (aka chocolate- my second love) in the name.

Meet Peppermint Mocha...

I didn't think to take a picture when I first got it (mainly because I had an active 19 month old trying to stick her hands in my drink and wanting a "bie"!) but imagine 2 inches of whipped cream and chocolate shaving on top. It was surprisingly good. Think peppermint bark (my FAVORITE candy this time of year) but hot.

Who knew all you had to do was add a LOT of whipped cream and chocolate for me to like coffee! I felt like such an adult! Brent was so proud of me.

And I was proud of Cecilia for sitting in a coffee shop being the best kid ever!

She sat next to me playing with her notebook and some blocks Starbucks had sitting out. Who knew it was so toddler friendly!

Now that I can semi stand coffee, maybe we could be one of those urban couples who sits in coffee shops, smart phone and newspaper in hand chatting about whatever it is they chat about while there kid sits quietly with their own drink playing with their smart phone.

Or we could be the couple that wrestles the hot drink away from the toddler who insists that she needs a drink while trying to look like we have it together and not spill the hot drink all over the table next to us. Yeah that sounds more like us.

K & K

2011-11-15T00:01:00.001-06:00

I remember the day she was born. I was 7 and anxious for her arrival. I remember sitting in the tiny waiting room with the rest of my family wondering what was taking so long. It's when I believed babies just appeared.

When she was finally here, she was the greatest thing I had ever seen! She was just like my baby dolls but real.

I always had to be around her. If she was at my Nanny's house, I rode my bike over there because I felt my Nanny couldn't handle her without me. I loved when my aunt and uncle let me come over to play and when she got to come to our house, I was in heaven!

She was such a happy kid...

always laughing and being silly.

I remember her potty training days and having to watch the 'potty movie' a million times. To the point that we were all singing the ridiculous potty song. (I'm singing it right now in my head!) I didn't think things could get any better.

Then his guy entered our lives...

Spitting image of his daddy and the sweetest little boy I had ever seen!

He taught me the importance of keeping things covered up on little boys when changing their diapers. I'm not sure who screamed louder, me or him that day.

We would sit on the couch snuggling with his 7 blankets watching The Rugrats movie over and over. His favorite foods were cereal, ham and Doritos. My Saturday mornings were spent watching his baseball and basketball games.

I've watched them grow all these years...

and I wonder on a daily basis where the time has gone.

Today, Kelli turns 21.

And Kristopher turns 18.

They are quickly turning into adults and as much as I want time to stand still these days, it won't. So I guess instead of wondering why they still aren't babies, I will raise my glass and celebrate this big moment!

Kelli, Happy 21st Birthday!

Kristopher, Happy 18th Birthday!

I love you both and hope you each have a fabulous day!

Travel/Brithday/Surprise

2011-11-14T12:05:00.000-06:00

This weekend we headed to Indy to celebrate our niece's 1st birthday.

I feel like it was just last month that we got the text that my sister in law, Kaci, was in labor.

Nora's party was owl themed so I made her this little outfit...

I'm attempting more sewing projects and I thought this one came out pretty cute. She actually got a lot of cute owl outfits. Who knew owls were so popular.

Cecilia finally warmed up to Nora after dinner.

She was so funny trying to tickle her and play.

Of course at the house when Nora wanted to play, Cecilia would have nothing to do with her. Even threw a MAJOR fit when I was holding/playing with Nora. Jealous much? But she made up for it giving Nora a goodbye kiss when we left dinner. A good Kodiak moment had either of our husbands thought to pull out a camera.

We had a really nice visit with Brent's family and celebrated the news of a new arrival come June! Nora will be a big sister this summer and we are all excited!

*For those of you who for a second thought it was me who was expecting, I will slap you. With 3 girls in my Sunday School class pregnant, my best friend and now my sister in law, I refuse to drink the same water as them. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

So Much Like Her Daddy

2011-11-11T12:15:00.000-06:00

Cecilia is a very good mix of both Brent and I. For the most part, she looks like me and occasionally acts like me but it seems that she takes after her daddy too.

Like unable to focus on eating when the tv is on...

and enjoying the milk after her morning cereal...

Do I really need two Brents in my house?

I Missed It

2011-11-08T12:39:00.000-06:00

It seems that Christmas is here. I had no idea that Thanksgiving had already come and gone. I missed the turkey, the dressing, the desserts and the whole bit! I didn't even get to complain that I shouldn't have eaten that second piece of chocolate pie!

Oh wait. It' just November 8th? Oh well by the HUGE Christmas tree greeting me at Wal-mart along with Christmas carols playing in the background coupled with everyone running around like idiots, I could have sworn it was Christmas Eve.

I know you are going to tell me (like my brother did) that Hobby Lobby has had their Christmas stuff up but they don't count. They put their Santa hats on while I'm still trying to figure out why bathing suit are made so your hind end hangs out.

I've even read where a few people are pulling out their Christmas decorations this week. Come on! You have to get through one holiday before you start on another one.

Maybe I'm just getting all worked up because I have been doing a little Christmas shopping already and I feel all out of sorts. I usually don't Christmas shop until, uh December 20th and shopping this early is throwing me off.

I like my holidays and I like celebrating each one individually. So I may take Brent's advice and chill on the Christmas shopping. Our reasons are different (he is not enjoying watching money fly out quite so early!) but maybe then I won't be burnt out on Christmas spirit December 1.

Ma vs Mama

2011-11-06T20:59:00.002-06:00

For some time now, Cecilia has called me Ma. She's heard her daddy call me that from day one. The funny part is, sometimes I'm Ma and others I'm Mama.

Usually Ma comes out in our everyday interaction, especially when she is trying to get my attention. You can hear Ma being shouted from across the house or across the aisles at Wal-Mart. She whispers it when we are laying down to go to bed when she can't see me in the dark. Ma is her everyday.

I am Mama during sweet, affectionate times. When the tears come, Mama is the one who makes everything better. It's who she asks for during the day when I'm not home. Mama is her love.

Whether it's Ma or Mama she knows what each means and that no matter what name she calls out, I will love her deeply until my last breath.

Much Needed

2011-11-05T21:56:00.000-05:00

I had a crazy week at work this week and it left drained. I was barely functioning on Friday and I needed the weekend badly!

We've spent most of the day in our pjays watching cartoons, doing housework, playing and taking LONG naps.

We managed to get dressed to go run some errands this afternoon. I've got a few projects on my list so I needed supplies plus I'm trying to get my fall centerpiece together.

Still needs some work.

We continued our day of laziness with a group snuggle while watching Beauty and the Beast and staying up way past bedtime.

I'm so glad the time changes tonight! I just hope my daughter knows to sleep that extra hour!

Min Mouse

2011-10-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the main event. We got all dressed up again, grabbed our treat bag and headed out to snag some treats.

Cecilia couldn't get out trick or treat so we had to settle for boo.

She was pretty excited!

Brent had to work so we decided to trick or treat in my parent's neighborhood. It worked out really well because most of their neighbors are people I have gone to church with since I was younger.

Our first stop.

She wasn't 100% sure of what she was supposed to do but after the 2nd house she caught on. A few houses let her pick her own candy out and you know what she went for every time? M&M's! I can proudly say I have raised her right!

One of their neighbors is a dental hygienist so along with candy, Cecilia got a sweet new toothbrush!

We had a lot of fun trick or treating and even made it down to my friend's house despite the wall to wall trick or treaters. I have NEVER seen so many kids in one area! There were kids at their door non-stop! I'm so glad I don't live there!

Later, we came back to my parent's to have dinner with my grandmothers. They love getting to hang out with Cecilia and see her in action. They even sat together to watch an episode of Mickey Mouse.

Our sugar high didn't last long and we were both pooped by the time we got home. Thank goodness this only comes around once a year!

Pre-Game

2011-10-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last night we took Cecilia to a Halloween festival at my parent's church. This meant we had trial run on the Halloween outfit.

We are going as Minnie Mouse and look how thrilled we were...

HA! I tried to paint her nose but what little she let us do didn't look so hot. Sticking with my vow last year, I made her outfit again this year. Luckily it wasn't too hard making a skirt and her head piece AND I got super lucky that Hobby Lobby had a plain hot pink shirt that was a perfect match to my material!

There are still a few more things I need to add to her outfit to make it really look like Minnie's dress but she wasn't digging it all last night.

I'm pretty excited about Trick or Treating tonight! Hopefully Cecilia is too!

Better Late Than Never

2011-10-24T20:56:00.000-05:00

So we just got around to buying some pumpkins today. I had big plans on going to the orchard and getting some but things kept coming up and we haven't been able to go. Good thing there was a place just around the corner that still had a ton and because of my tardiness, they were half off!

Cecilia took .2 seconds on finding one just her size. She ran around the place looking at all the pumpkins and trying to pick up the bigger ones. It was hilarious listening to her grunt trying to lift them.

We came home with 2 to paint/carve and 2 to decorate with.

Brent dug right into carving his. Of course, he had a little help.

I thought he did a pretty good job. Very spooky.

Next it was Cecilia's turn to decorate. She almost didn't want to do it. For some reason she was hesitate about painting even though she pretends to paint all the time.

Finally after 10 minutes, Brent convinced her to paint and then she didn't want to stop. Go figure!

Her finished product...

I have been craving S'mores here lately and the other night I told Brent I really needed a fix. Guess what he came home with tonight...

The perfect nightcap.

Snot Rags and A Smoker's Cough

2011-10-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

Oh the joys of having a child who suffers from allergies! Cecilia's nose hasn't stopped running and Friday night woke us with at 12:30am with a smoker's cough that kept us from sleeping for 2 nights. It doesn't slow her down but we stayed indoors for the most part all weekend.

I hated that it was such a nice weekend and we couldn't play outside but even the small amount that we were out she came home coughing up a lung. I hate that babies can't have cough syrup but at least what we can give her has finally kicked in and has helped.

I always try and do or try something new to keep us entertained when we can't get out. This time we tried a new snack...

popcorn! And girlfriend LOVED it!

Her and I shared a bowl only I think she ate half the bowl!

Sunday we stayed home from church since we still were recovering and cabin fever made us do funny things...

Luckily, we snapped out of it just before some friends came over. They had just gotten back from a trip to New Orleans and they never come home emptied handed.

Please notice the new Wormie. Ha! We have added this to our stock pile so when the current Wormie bites the dust we have a standby.

Here's to hoping we have a snot free week and that my eye cream starts kicking in.

Friday Night Date

2011-10-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

Brent had to work a little longer than expected Friday night so that gave Cecilia and I an opportunity to have a date night.

She tried not to act too excited...

but then just couldn't contain it.

Our first stop was Toys R Us. I went in thinking I would let her get whatever toy (within reason) she picked up and held on to. We walked up and down every aisle looking at all the toys that made noise and lit up. We round the corner to find a bin full of balls. She goes straight to it and digs deep to find this...

Of all the things she could have picked out, she picks out a 2 dollar toy. Its made with the same kind of material as Wormie and he/she/it has made the bedtime must have list. Wonder if I'll always get out of Toys R Us that cheap?

We then went to grab something to eat. I decided to go to Sonic because A. Brent hates Sonic so I never get to go B. It was the only place I could contain her and not get embarrassed if she acted a fool and C. I knew Cecilia would get a kick out of eating in the car.

She was on cloud 9 when I put her in the front seat and immediately started pushing all the car buttons and pretended to drive. She had so much fun and even sat still to eat.

We finished the night with a little car jig.

It doesn't take much for her to start breaking it down when she hears music!

I love our little dates/girl time. I will one day be put on the back burner when friends and boys come into the picture but I'll have these memories to fall back on.

A Mood Changer

2011-10-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a hard parenting day. Cecilia was in an ill mood, kicked and hit and screamed for about 45 minutes when we got home. Nothing made her happy, I had my own issues I was dealing with and my nerves were shot. Not the best way to start the week.

Today, the mood was different. She was so happy when I picked her up and in a really good mood. It must have been the visit from the firemen at school and the goodies they brought.

She played with her hat and chattered the whole way home.

Somehow we managed to come on with 2 hats so someone requested that I put one on too.

I think it's nice that the firemen took time out of their day to come to Cecilia's school. I'm sure the kids loved it! It's clear mine did!

All Weekend Long

2011-10-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

Today is my dad's birthday and we have celebrated all weekend long. He and my mom went with us to Cecilia's fall festival on Saturday and then we went to Rafferty's afterwards for dinner.

Given Pap some birthday lovin'.

To wrap up the night, we hit up Stakz (imagine that!) which just so happens to be located right behind Rafferty's!

Sunday after church, we headed down to my grandmother's for a birthday lunch for Dad. We had a spread like usual and stuff ourselves!

We had to head outside for some playtime to run all that food off and to hopefully wear Cecilia out.

I would love to say my child fell asleep before we hit the end of the driveway but that wouldn't be true. Instead she screamed most of the way home and wouldn't take a nap. FUN TIMES! Needless to say we had a few meltdowns, 1 timeout and an early bedtime.

Fall Festival

2011-10-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

Today, Cecilia's school put on a fall festival for all the kids of the school and the church.

The weather was perfect today to have something outside and we were excited to have a fun fall activity planned.

There were lots of games and activities for the kids.

She loved picking the ducks out of the "pond" for a prize.

And the winning activity was the bounce house they had for the little ones!

She went down the slide a million times!

Cecilia was a little unsure when we first got there. I'm positive she thought she was going to have to stay because all her teachers were there and wanting to talk to her. She finally figured out that we weren't leaving her and she had a really good time. Actually we all did!

Playing Mama

2011-10-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Cecilia is starting to really enjoy her dolls these days. So much so we had a few little lessons tonight on baby care taking.

First, the proper way to put the baby in stroller (or the push toy that we are using as a stroller for now). Bottom first not head...

Second, how to carry a baby. She was already pretty good at this but added the patting of the back while walking to calm a fussy baby.

Lastly, how to swaddle a baby. This one is going to take some time. She was way more interested in the blanket than the baby at this point.

Dolls was one of my favorite things to play as a child and it's fun to see Cecilia have the same interest in dolls.

Side note: the reason my child has no pants on is by the end of the day she is a no pants kind of girl. They just get in the way.

In Good Company

2011-10-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

Early this afternoon, we rolled back into town after a weekend with Brent's college friends. We've been getting together with the same group for 6 years. This year was a little different though because 3 of the 4 couples had a small one and our weekend was spent waking up early, chasing them around and making sure they were happy. Very different from our sleeping late, playing corn hole all day and sitting around a fire until early hours of the morning. Oh how kids change everything!

Our hostesses have a daughter close to Cecilia's age so they played with one another most of the weekend.

Cecilia and Maci

Cecilia had a blast playing outside.

She carried that bucket filled with rocks like a pocketbook all morning long. It was hilarious!

Maci was such a good hostess. She shared her toys and let Cecilia play with whatever she wanted to.

Cecilia came out of her shell and let Matt swing her,

then later she walked off with Ally to go look at the frogs.

Cecilia wasn't the only one playing and having a good time. Her daddy and his friends sat up a shooting range and played with a new gun then later rode 4 wheelers.

A certain someone got really upset when her daddy left on the 4 wheeler and didn't take her. So guess who got a couple of trips around the yard.

Even though the 3 of us can barely hold our heads up, we loved hanging out with everyone and hate that we don't get together more. We were already planning our next visit. The funny thing is we were planning it more around what the kids would like to do more than what we like to do. Funny how our minds change so quickly.

Cel-E-Brate Good Times!

2011-10-07T12:25:00.001-05:00

To celebrate Brent getting a new job (YEA!!!!), my parents took us to eat at Olive Garden Wednesday night. Really, it was just a good excuse for them to see this little face...

The food is always good and we only had a few meltdowns and I only had to threaten to escort Cecilia out once. She is catching on that I mean business.

And no celebration is complete without a trip to Stakz!

I know this picture is blurry but it shows Cecilia's personality right now. We told Cecilia to look at the camera and she leans forward with a smile and said 'hey.'

I switched things up this time from my normal birthday cake, chocolate and sprinkles to have a little Neapolitan. Yumm...

We are so excited about Brent's new adventure and hope this a step in the right direction. The only downer, no more discount at Target. :(

On a side note, Cecilia had her 18 month check up that same day. She got 3 shots and did not take them so well. I had put a skirt on her to make things easier and so there wouldn't be anything rubbing up against them. Well after we got in the car she lifted her skirt, looked at the band aids and starting crying. She did this all the way home and all night! It was so funny to watch her run around playing then stop lift up her skirt, point to the band aids and then let out a small cry.

checking out her band aids

Even after the band aids came off, she would point to the marks and let out a little cry. If that's not dramatic I don't know what is!

Are You Ready for Some Football!

2011-10-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

We had our first Colts' Monday night football game and we were geared up!

We got dressed for the occasion and I made a well balanced dinner of chili cheese tots

and chili dogs!

I went a little lighter with just a regular hot dog and cheese tots.

The cheering section.

We didn't pull out a win but the cheering section had long given up on them by that point. This may not be their season with the star QB out but maybe we can start cheering for my team (the Niners) this year. They are long overdue a good season.

Which End is Up

2011-10-02T20:47:00.000-05:00

Our week has been so crazy, I'm not sure what day it is. I was out of town on business on Thursday and Friday. Home on Wednesday with a sick kid and being out of our routine always throws me off.

I hate traveling for work because the days are long, I don't sleep well in hotels and my inbox is at its max. The only good part about it is coming home to a smiling little face that greets me with a 'hi.'

I have spent my whole weekend sitting in the floor playing or sitting next to her watching Mickey.

She always grows 10 inches while I'm gone.

The weather has been fabulous this weekend but with a smoker's cough and a runny nose, we stayed inside for the most part. We ran some errands both days just so we could see something other than our 4 walls.

Her new thing when I go to take a picture, lean in to the camera and not smile.

Staying in is always good but it makes Mondays so much harder.

JPR Sip 'n See

2011-09-27T12:25:00.001-05:00

Sunday I got to ooo and ahh over one of my best friend's baby, John Patrick. He is seriously the cutesst little thing and such a good baby. The only way you knew he was there was by the group of people huddled together in one area.

The Sip 'n See was after lunch on Sunday so Mom and I just did a few little snack items.

I displayed all the adorable little pictures of him since birth.

And here was the star of the show...

Adorable, right?

Best we could do with 3 little ones. The cute little thing in the middle is John Patricks' cousin. Then I think we all know the crazy one on the far right.

Look at her. So pretty.

Precious Sydney.

Our entertainer, Kellen. He was singing and dancing and saying the funniest things. Cecilia grabbed his attention for a little while and he kissed on her and tried to get her to laugh. Then he asked if he could headbutt her! He is FULL of energy and I got tired just watching him run around.

Abby and John Patrick, Jaclyn and Sydney, Cecilia and I. Can you tell which kid isn't happy?

At the end I finally got to hold John Patrick. A certain someone got a tad jealous but got over enough to give him some lovin'.

Going in for her classic affectionate pat. She was very gentle and sweet but also very glad when I handed him back off.

It was a great afternoon and I would not have been able to do it without the help of my team (my parents!). My dad was so sweet and built me poles (the night before) to hang the drapes behind the food table. What a great guy!

Sunday 9:13pm

2011-09-25T21:14:00.000-05:00

Another weekend gone in a blink. Usually that means we had a busy weekend.

Friday night, we had some friends over for a cookout that we hadn't seen all summer. We are always curious of how Cecilia will act when people come over that she hasn't seen in awhile. She barely missed a beat when they walked in the door. Of course it helped they came bearing gifts.

They were sweet enough to get her Zippity Zebra, a pillow pet.

She loved it! She warmed right up to them and was a charmer all night.

And thanks to Mickey Mouse On Demand, we were able to have some adult conversation.

We finished the night huddled around the fire pit still catching up on what's been going on.

Saturday we spent much of the day laying around because we are in the first stages of cutting some new teeth and that means no sleep at the Miller household. It's ROUGH cutting all our teeth at the same time. We managed to get out late that afternoon after we took a 2 hour nap.

Today, I, with help from my WONDERFUL parents, hosted a Sip 'n See for my friend Abby's son, John Patrick. I loved spending my afternoon looking at that precious baby! He is so stinkin' cute! I will have more to share on this when I get my pictures back from my photographer, aka my dad. He did so much for me today that I wouldn't dare ask for the pictures right away.

Cecilia was a trooper all day; going strong with no nap! I couldn't believe the good mood she was in despite no nap. But we didn't get too far down the road we I looked back to see this...

She was done!

Why does my week seem to always drag but my weekends fly by?

Total Slacker

2011-09-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

I have been a total slacker concerning the blog but it has been a mad house around here and by the end of the day my brain can't function enough to put sentences together. I'm not sure my brain in functioning now but I need to post for "scrapbooking" purposes.

Cecilia my dear, you are 18 months!!!

I look at you and realized I no longer have a baby to hold in my arms. I have an active, spunky, rotten, sweet, funny toddler on my hands!

Since your 1 year post you have gotten 4 more teeth making our grand total 6, you started using a fork to feed yourself, you've used the potty a few times, your vocabulary has increased (too many words to post) your favorite being 'no' and you brush your own teeth.

You love to sit at your table and play and color.

You loved playing outside this summer with your water table and taking walks around the neighborhood.

I think your favorite days are the ones you spend alone with Daddy. There are always new tricks to show me when I get home.

I get this face a lot when you aren't happy and don't want to do what I want you to (like sit still for 2 seconds so I can take a decent picture) followed by a 'NO.' Your personality comes out more each day. Some days it has you and me nose to nose seeing which will break first and other days it has us curled up on the couch together.

You're beginning to like your new class at school. You're learning so much there and we are pretty amazed at the things you pick.

You're a firecracker and we love it! I think we have our hands full in the years to come but that's ok.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last night we went out with the family to celebrate Nanny's birthday at Red Lobster. You were in a great mood and entertained us all!

I think by the end of the night you had cleaned 4 plates! Who knew you could eat sooo much!

You opened up at the end of dinner and played around with everyone including the people at Red Lobster.

We ended our night as always at Stakz.

There is nothing like a little birthday cake with triple chocolate topped with a few sprinkles!

The birthday girls.

We had lot of fun hanging out with family doing what we do best, EAT!

Grandparent's Day

2011-09-13T16:25:00.003-05:00

On Sunday, Brent and I fixed lunch for our parents (his were down for the weekend) for Grandparent's day.

He grilled the pork chops while I cooked veggies. We had a nice lunch and Cecilia managed to be very sweet and adorable for everyone. She had an audience the whole day and was loving it!

We gave our parents these little signs as a gift...

(excuse the background. I forgot to take a picture so I had Mom bring it when she picked me up so my legs was the best I could do )

It was supposed to be of her footprints but someone has a phobia about her feet. I tried for a week to get her to do it and she screamed bloody murder and curled her toes each time. I even tried in her sleep and she woke up crying. She wouldn't even let me trace them. She freaked as soon as I put her foot on the board.

I finally had to wait until she was in a deep deep sleep to get her foot traced. The child is nuts! What makes it worse is I walked in Friday at school to find a picture of her footprints. I was ticked! I asked the teacher if she cried and she said Cecilia was a little hesitate but didn't mind it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! I gave her my story about how she acted all week for me and you know what she said, 'well maybe you should just bring it us next time and we will get it done.' Why yes, actually you can have my child for the next 16.5 years because clearly she will behave for you!

After lunch was done and gifts were given, playtime was necessary.

Cecilia had so much fun/attention that when everyone left, she laid in the floor talking to Wormie the rest of the night.

New Playplace

2011-09-12T16:25:00.000-05:00

We have found Cecilia a new playplace...Sam's!

She stood and played with this kitchen for 20 minutes! She turned the knobs, pick up the phone, put the phone back and turn the knobs again. She did it over and over and over. Guess who has a kitchen on their Christmas list?

We finally get her away from the kitchen only to have her do this in the book aisle...

She loved the oversized coloring books!

Who knew Sam's could be so fun for kids!

Not Playing Nicely

2011-09-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

Playtime got a little rough yesterday at school. Cecilia was on the receiving end of someone not knowing how to play nicely.

(notice small scratch on right eye)

I thought nothing of it until I put her in the bath and noticed 2 more places...

she got mauled! :) Brent wants names so he can lay down the law with his/her parents. Ha! I told him he might not want to get too riled up because we have no idea if Cecilia provoked it. She has been a little sassy lately so I wouldn't put it past her. I've witnessed her sitting on some innocent little boy's head just trying to relax on a mat. Bless his heart! He didn't see her tush coming.

I would like to have seen it though because I'm sure Cecilia's reaction was extremely dramatic. If Colt bumps her at home, she acts as if she has just been shot. She knows how to work the dramatics. (note my parent's are both saying 'wonder where she got that?' as if I had anything to do with it.)

Back to the Grind

2011-09-05T19:59:00.002-05:00

Our good times continued to roll Sunday afternoon when we headed to Adventure Science Museum. I went a lot as a child on school trips and thought it would be fun for Cecilia because of all the buttons she could push.

Clearly she was excited.

There was an area just for her age which turned out to be wonderful! She enjoyed this little area the most since everything was just her size and it was contained so we didn't have to be right on her.

We ventured out to see what else the museum had to offer. Buttons, buttons and more buttons to push!

My child (and husband) was in heaven! She screamed when we pulled her off the piano but I promised her there were WAY more buttons to push.

She got over it quickly when she found a set of stairs she could claim and when her and Daddy got in the back of an ambulance.

We ended our trip back in the kid area for one last play. She loved climbing in and out of the train and of course pushing/pulling whatever she could find!

That night, we headed to the Konow's to hang out with some friends while my parent's watched Cecilia. It was a night of good food and catching up with everyone. I didn't take a single picture because I was too caught up in all the talking! That's what happens when you put a group of girls together!

Monday was spent hanging out huddled under blankets (thank you rain for bringing cold weather!) taking long naps and watching Mickey. We managed to clean ourselves up to go to dinner with my parents to celebrate Brent's birthday.

But now its Monday night and I have to go back to work tomorrow. Staycation is over and I must get back to waking up WAY too early and spending WAY too much time on picking out an outfit each night. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

The Paintin' Place

2011-09-04T07:58:00.002-05:00

Saturday's activity took us to a cute little place here in town to paint pottery.

I wasn't sure if Cecilia would be in the mood or not to cooperate but after a warming up a bit, she painted like nobody's business.

She bounced between Mom and I a few times before finally settling and painting her masterpiece.

She kept getting distracted by the paint on her hands and her arm. She would paint a second then stop and point to the paint on her arm. It was clearly bothering her.

As you can see, I just let her go to town with the paint. I wasn't going to force her to try and create something. I wanted something that she did all by herself. I don't think the people that work there could quite understand that. They kept asking if I was going to put her hand print on it. I had to tell them several times, no I was going to just let her be.

Cecilia seemed to have a good time so I think we will be back to again express our creative side.

Staycation

2011-09-02T21:34:00.000-05:00

Brent and I took a few extra days off this week to hang out as a family and have a little staycation.

Night 1 we spent at the ballpark to watch some baseball. This was Cecilia's first trip and we did it up right!

We had a balanced dinner...

and followed it up with a healthy snack...

Nothing better than nachos, french fries and funnel cake!

I laid a blanket out for Cecilia and I and she had the best time!

She played with the toys we brought plus LOVED watching the kids run around in the grass area in front of us.

She lasted the majority of the game but the heat and exhaustion reared its ugly and it was time to go.

Day 1 included a trip to Jackson's Orchard. Cecilia is finally old enough to enjoy all the fun things they have to offer.

Like driving the tractor...

Discovering the kid slide...

She surprised us both by LOVING The Cider Slider.

We both took her down several times and finally lured her away with the promise of ice cream.

We had a really good time and enjoyed having the orchard almost to ourselves.

Today was also Brent's birthday. He is the big 3-0! Its funny how birthdays change after kids but he swears he has had a great day. I've let him picked everything we've done so he has enjoyed a fried apple pie at Jackson's, lunch at Zaxby's, playing in the pool and Papa Murphy's for supper (I tried to get him to eat somewhere nicer, like a real restaurant, but he didn't want to. Ha! Such a simple man.). I'm noticing most of the activities involved eating but that's ok, its what he wanted.

Now, I'm ready for bed because I've got 3 more days of staycation and fun activities.

What I Did Before...

2011-08-30T19:59:00.000-05:00

Over the past 17 months Brent and I have said a thousand times we don't know what we did before Cecilia. In an instant our lives changed (for the better of course) and would never be the same. But tonight I have reflected on what my life used to be like.

1. My house was not littered with random toys that somehow never seem to make it in their appropriate place.

2. When I opened my cabinet doors sippy cups and all their accessories didn't come flying at me like they were spring loaded.

3. I didn't have to convince a 17 month old that getting dressed is a MUST before going out in public.

4. I didn't sing songs like 'it's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Its fun inside. Its fun inside.' or 'hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog.'

5. Cheerios, Goldfish and dried milk were not part of my car's decor.

6. I didn't say 'no ma'am' a thousand times a day or get it told back to me.

7. I didn't have to grocery shop as if I was running a marathon, rounding corners on 2 wheels while a toddler screams at me from the cart.
8. When the house was quiet I didn't have to run frantically around the house to see what was getting destroyed.
But then 17 months ago I didn't have tiny little hands that reached out for mine. Or someone who ran to me at the end of the day looking for a hug. Or a tiny little face that gets as close as she can to mine to whisper to me when we are saying goodnight. My house wouldn't be filled with a little girl's laughter or her sweet voice yelling 'Ma.'

I may not remember much of my life before Cecilia but I do know my days are forever changed for the better and I wouldn't trade these days for anything.

2011-08-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

I'm exhausted and thankful I have a day to recover. That is unless tomorrow is just as packed as the last 2 days has been.

Last night we had a last minute dinner date with my parents. We ate somewhere new in town and Cecilia showed herself to all those in the restaurant. She was the devil's child and let everyone know her new (spoken) word, NO.

As if I was asking for more punishment, we decided we had to get some frozen yogurt. Thankfully stuffing her face seemed to sooth her ill mood. She was WIRED! The place was pretty much empty so I didn't care that she was laughing and squealing at the top of her lungs. She was having fun and I was tired of telling her to cool it.

With the shift in mood I thought the evening was taking a turn for the better, until we departed ways with my parents. She cried and screamed the entire ride home.

It made it worse that we were riding side by side with my parents and every time we stopped, we rolled our windows down and my dad would talk to her.

She'd smile but as soon as we rolled away, the screaming started again. Needless to say we went straight to bed when we got home.

Today we enjoyed a day outside in the water.

Her new water table.

A gift from my parents, Cecilia loves it! So much so, that we had round 2 after dinner.

Daddy joined in on round 2 and keep this chick happy!

And the BIG news of the day, Cecilia used this bad boy today...

We aren't serious about potty training yet but wanted to introduce it. As soon as I got it out she sat on it and has been throughout the day. I put her on it before bath time because running water always gets things going. And I will be dang if she didn't go!

I yelled and praised her. Brent came in and praised her and she stared at us. Apparently it was no big deal for her. Who knows if this will stick but it was a big day for us.

I'm not the only one exhausted. After her big day outside and all her accomplishments, she was too tired to sit and watch Mickey.

I see a long nap on our schedule tomorrow.

Her Best Friend

2011-08-25T12:25:00.001-05:00

Cecilia has come attached to something we call "wormie." Its not really a worm; more like a caterpillar.

Wormie is squishy with a 1000 little hairlike things all over his body and is made of the material that as soon as it hits the floor, it will collect a million germs and whatever other particles are floating on any given floor.

She loves the silly thing and takes it everywhere! I freak out of course in public because lord knows what funk it will pick up if she drops it.

This is our second Wormie. The first one didn't make it too long and was decapitated when playtime with Daddy got a little intense. It didn't phase her though, she just packed the two pieces around.

Mothers dream of their little girls becoming attached to cute, frilly little dolls. I was no different. I slept with a doll WAY longer than I should have and I was hoping Cecilia would find a doll she loved just as much as I did mine. But instead she has found a bacteria magnet to give all her love to.

What a Weekend

2011-08-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

Friday night I pleased my husband and went to eat Chinese with him. I'm not a big Chinese buffet kind of girl but he hasn't been in a long while and the craving was there so I gave in. Little did I know, Cecilia would love the place!

She cleaned her full plate, charmed our waitress and was the best kid!

Saturday while Brent went to work, Cecilia and I headed to Franklin to get my hair cut and hang out with my parents.

My hair has been bothering me the past few months so it was time to do something drastic.

I haven't had my hair this short in, uh, 9 years. This would be the 3rd time in my entire life I cut my hair off. At that rate no one ever thinks I'll actually go through with it but I need a change every now and then.

We spent the afternoon playing at my parents and then decided to go with them to a cookout their Sunday school class was having. I had a good time visiting with everyone from my old church and Cecilia had a blast playing with all their fun games.

Pap telling her how to play cornhole.

Then of course she found a game with balls and it was all over.

By the end of the night, she had warmed up to everyone and was giving out high fives, byes, and kisses. I'm so glad she was in a good humor and made the whole evening enjoyable!

Today, her and I went to church and spent the afternoon napping, playing and watching her new favorite show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And now I have to accept the reality that tomorrow is Monday and Mondays mean work.

I Don't Understand

2011-08-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things in this world that I do not understand.

I don't understand young people taken from this world before they have had a chance to live life.

I don't understand nature completely destroying a town leaving thousands homeless with nothing more than the clothes are their backs and their memories crumbled around them.

I don't understand people killing one another just because they were mad.

But what I really don't understand is mama and daddy's abusing their kids.

I have heard a new story everyday this week of some mother or father abusing their child and not having a reason other than they didn't know better or they were just tired of caring for their disabled child.

My heart has been extremely heavy the past few days thinking about these children. I have wanted nothing more than to run and scoop these little ones up and tell them that they are special and loved and they didn't do any thing to deserve the abuse they received.

I'm not sure what runs through people's heads and maybe I don't want to know. I do know that whether I come home to this face...

or this one...

my love for her is the same.

Yes my patience are tried and tested lots of times but every parent's are. And if its something they can't handle I wish they would let someone else love their children because no one, especially children, deserves to feel anything less than special.

I know this isn't a fun, light hearted post but that's just not the place I'm in right now. Sometimes I need to get things out that bother me.

Gee Smurf

2011-08-14T21:24:00.001-05:00

The weather has been unbelievable here. We have enjoyed sunny, cool days that beg for outside play. I bought Cecilia some sidewalk chalk a few weeks back and it has been the best $1 I've spent!

She stands at the door with her chalk bucket thrown over her arm like a pocketbook and yells until someone takes her out.

Yesterday was an interesting chalk day because instead of writing on the concrete, she colored herself.

From head to toe she was blue! She even decided that she should color her mouth blue. She became very upset when I had to do the sweep to get the chalk out.

And today was much of the same...

She only does this with the blue chalk so maybe she is just trying to tell me she wants to be a smurf.

This Is The Way We...

2011-08-09T20:58:00.001-05:00

brush our teeth.

Cecilia loves watching me brush my teeth and will typically open her mouth for me to put the brush in her mouth. I figured this would be the best time to get out her toothbrush.

I didn't even have to show her how to use it. Girlfriend knew exactly what to do!

Tonight she even added turning on the water in between brushes to rinse her brush! Just shows how much she takes in.

5 Years

2011-08-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

This post is pretty much for Brent.

Can you believe it? 5 years.

Seems so long but yet I still remember the day I became your wife.

I was not a nervous bride. I was a happy, excited, let's get this show on the road bride.

I remember walking down the aisle, dying to see you.

We had been planning this day for a year and a half and it was finally here! I was ready to be living within an arms reach of you instead of the long 3 1/2 hours.

I don't think I'd ever seen you so happy either. You were all smiles that day!

We said our vows and promised to be together through the good, the bad and the ugly. And oh how we have had our share of bad and ugly! But we have also had some amazing good!

I always tell you that there is no one else I would rather be married to and it's true. I can't imagine living life with anyone else. We have our differences but being the same would be just plain boring!

We have fought tooth and nail to get to here and I am just as excited about today as I was 5 years ago. I will probably even replay the whole day all day! But I never want to forget how I felt standing in front of you hands locked ready to face with this world with you.

Brentie, I love you and can't wait for many more years with you!

Happy Anniversary!

High five!

Adjustment

2011-08-02T16:15:00.001-05:00

Cecilia has adjusted well to her new "big girl" class. Her teachers say she is doing great and she seems to enjoy the new group of kids.

I was so sad she had to leave her other teachers but we have since found out that 2 of them have moved up so she will have them again! One of them just got approved to move yesterday and she called me on her way home to let me know the good news. We were both so excited and I know Cecilia will LOVE seeing her face again!

As a parting gift, I made necklaces for each of her teachers.

I have such a hard time thinking of little gifts for teachers and I was so glad I saw this idea. They were super easy to make and I think they turned out pretty cute! So cute in fact, I made myself 2 different ones!

I'm really glad Cecilia is doing so well in her class. Change can be tough on little ones but she seems to be excelling! We've already noticed that she plays different, looks different and her personality has even come out more. Its so crazy how much has changed in just a few days! I can't wait to see at the end of this school year how different she will be!

Its Ladies Night

2011-07-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

And oh what a night we had!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday and to celebrate I took her out on a date. My original plan was dinner and a movie but it became clear that she wanted Cecilia to go with us. So plans changed and the Gee went with us for girls night.

Mom picked Olive Garden as her restaurant of choice and I did not mind one bit! Cecilia didn't either. She loves her some pasta!

The newness has finally worn off and we were able to walk right in which was great because I wasn't sure how Cecilia would do. We haven't had the best luck recently with her in restaurants. She refuses to sit in a high chair and HAS to be nosey with everyone around her.

To keep things calm, she sat in the seat next to Mom and entertained us with her silliness...

She sat like this for a good 2 minutes. Mom and I were dying!

Olive Garden never disappoints and after a quick walk around Hobby Lobby, we hit up Stakz. No birthday is complete without sometime of dessert! I'm soo glad that place isn't too close.

I think a good time was had by all. Cecilia for sure because she was wired and up WAY passed bedtime.

Happy birthday Mom/Momoi! Thanks for letting us help you celebrate you turning 40! heehee

Whirlwind

2011-07-28T11:58:00.000-05:00

To say the past week has been rough is an understatement. It was just not my week. I was a mess at home, a few people got a little personal at work, I backed into Brent's truck (leaving a mark!) and we had to say goodbye to Brent's grandmother.

It has been a whirlwind that has left us wondering which way is up. We are surviving on little sleep and it is amazing we can even function.

Although those kinds of weeks can be hard, it is always nice to spend some quality time with family and reconnect.

Cecilia really enjoyed her cousins, Aubrey and Nora. She followed Aubrey around every where and always wanted to know what she was doing. I told Aubrey to let me know if she bothered her and she never did. Sweet girl!

Aubrey desperately wanted some one to push in the cart at TJMaxx and surprising Cecilia was up for a ride. It was the cutest thing until Cecilia got ticked because she had to get out. I can't keep her in one but apparently Aubrey had the magic touch.

We were able to catch up with old faces and see lots of new ones...

like this little guy. Best baby EVER! So laid back and happy.

Cecilia interacted with Nora more this time around and really liked playing with her.

Cecilia and I even snuck out to have a little date and alone time. She is getting to wear she prefers to sit like us in either a chair or booth. That night we sat right next to each other and talked and ate our chicken nuggets and fries.

We are already missing family but know we will see them soon and have lots more play dates with cousins just our size!

Sweet Baby

2011-07-20T21:12:00.000-05:00

At the crack of dawn this morning, my friend, Abby, welcomed her new baby boy to the world. John Patrick was a tad early but doing fabulous! He is sooo sweet, adorable, precious, tiny and I loved getting to hold and rock him! I would love to show a picture but I don't show pictures before mamas have their chance to share their new love.

On the way home I thought about how precious newborns are and was in new baby mood. Then I walked in the house to toys from wall to wall and a wild child! I then made a mental note to call my doctor about getting my tubes tied! Just kidding! Or am I?

Just the Two of Us

2011-07-18T08:35:00.000-05:00

Cecilia and I had a rare weekend where it was just us all weekend long.

We enjoyed a friends date on Friday night with Jaclyn, Corey, Sydney, Jamie, Natalie, Jackson, Meghann, Carter and Grayson. We grabbed a quick bite to eat then headed to the square in Franklin to listen to music and hang out.

Cecilia had a good time listening to music and watching everyone!

Her and Sydney got up and showed us how to dance...

They, well Cecilia, seemed to enjoy each other a little more this time around and we had a great time despite the heat!

Instead of driving back home late, Cecilia and I had a sleepover at my parent's house. All that dancin' got her so hyped up she then put on a show for us for an hour! Thank goodness she picked Saturday morning to be her sleep in morning because I was pooped!

We stayed for a little while at my parent's playing and hanging out until it was time to go home for a nap. Apparently Cecilia just couldn't handle that much partying on Friday night because she slept for 3 1/2 hours! Her current record and I was able to get the house cleaned and got to do some rearranging. It was fabulous!

The rest of our night consisted of Wal-Mart and playing /destroying the house I just cleaned. I have no idea what her deal is but her mission in life is to see how many toys/books/kitchen spoons/whatever she can get her hands she can spread across the house. I was trying to get out the door Sunday morning for church and noticed 4 of the 6 rooms in my house were covered with toys! I have no idea how in an hour she managed to do that much damage! At least she knows how to pick up her toys and put them away.

I topped our girls weekend off by making her favorite meal...

hot dog and mac n cheese!

And by having my dad bring this little beauty up...

I have had this table and chairs for as long as I can remember and I thought Cecilia would enjoy it.

Clearly I hit the nail on the head! She has loved having this in the house and loves to sit and color or read. Who knew such a simple thing would make her day!

Brent finally got home late yesterday afternoon and crashed our girls only weekend but we were glad to see him!

Big Gee

2011-07-15T08:27:00.000-05:00

Today was day 1 of Cecilia's transition into her new class at the end of the summer. By August 8th she will no longer be in the nursery but the toddler class with a whole group of new faces.

During the next couple of weeks she will be taking naps on her mat (today was the first day..slept like a rock for an hour and a half!), spending time with her new teachers and then finally spending most of the day over in her new room.

It is a bitter sweet move. I LOVE her current teachers and they adore her but it's time for her to grow. I'm so very thankful that my cousin's daughter is still in that class. I have made it a point for the girls to see each other just about every day by stopping by to say hello and to talk to her. I'm hoping this will help with the transition. She is used to being spoiled in her current class and I'm pretty positive that won't happen in the new one.

The change won't be easy (I have already been warned in the letter home!) but she will do fine and I'm sure love this class as much as her current one. She will have more kids her size to play with and be able to do more fun activities.

I am bound and determined to not look at this as 'oh my gosh my baby is growing' but as 'oh my gosh let's celebrate this new change.' We have children so we can watch and cheer as they grow older and learn new things and I don't what to dwell on the fact that she won't always be this small. If I let myself, I might as well check myself in at the looney bin!

Family

2011-07-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

We made an unexpected trip to Brent's hometown this weekend. We were packed and headed out of town in under an hour. It's what you do when family calls and says we need to rally.

The weekend was full of cranky babies, sleepless nights and mama's on edge but it was worth it.

We got a see this cutie...

who then made our little cutie a tad jealous...

She did not want her daddy holding Nora without her.

The two got to play and giggle...

and by the end of the weekend Cecilia really liked Nora and cried when I picked her up when they were sitting next to one another!

We were also able to achieve a group shot of the girls in their coordinating outfits...

One day we will get them all looking at the same camera smiling!

Balance

2011-07-06T17:45:00.001-05:00

We were able to manage a nice balance of fun activities with lots of down time over the holiday weekend.

Friday night we went to my friend Jennifer's husband's work for a cookout and to watch the community fireworks.

Cecilia did really well for no nap and staying up WAY passed her bedtime. She loved watching the older kids play and run around. She was even able to get off my hip for about 20 minutes while Betty Jane toted her around!

Sidebar: Looking back at this picture no wonder she was called a boy several times! She had a red bow to complete her red, white and blue attire but Brent decided to draw attention to it and she plucked it right out! They both got in trouble.

The fireworks were great and Cecilia seemed to enjoy them as much as a 15 month old can. We considered it a success since she didn't scream or cry!

Saturday, Brent and I went to a Red's game while Cecilia had a sleepover at my parent's.

I debated all week on whether or not I wanted to take her but decided it may be too much for her right now. I realized in about 2 seconds of sitting down that it was the best idea I had had. It was so stinkin' hot on Saturday that the devil sat right in front of me! I saw so many little babies with red cheeks having meltdowns that I patted myself on the back for making the right decision. I told Brent I would not be going to anymore day games. I do NOT do hot weather!

Sunday after church we picked up Cecilia and headed to the house for lunch and our afternoon nap.

While we napped, Brent got Cecilia's pool set up so we could have a little swim later that afternoon. She was pumped...

She wasn't too keen on the pool at first and wouldn't get off my lap but finally I just sat her in the water. After the initial shock, she was good with it.

We will definitely get lots of use out of the pool this summer!

Brent had to work the 4th so Cecilia and I played a little and cleaned a little. We had a very relaxing day and she was able to get more than 5 inches from my face!

Once Daddy got home it was complete silliness! She discovered that the rubber duck from the day before still had water in it. This lead to Brent spraying her down with it and her thinking it was the greatest thing in the world!

She would run away from him laughing and clapping then run back to get sprayed again.

She was soaked when it was all over and she could have cared less!

And Brent has been the parent of choice these past few days. She only wants him to put her to bed and crawls in his lap more than mine at night. Maybe, just maybe, we are getting over our clingy stage.

It was a great long weekend and only wished every weekend was 3 days!

Stages

2011-07-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

We are still dealing with this new stage that Cecilia is going through and if I make it out alive it will be a miracle!

I know at some point all kids are clingy to one parent or the other but I feel Cecilia's is beyond that. She barely lets me move an inch away from her. If we aren't touching, she screams at the top of her lungs and turns bright red. The other morning I drove away as she stood at the door screaming and crying.

Not the best way to start the day.

Brent says she chills out pretty quickly and I know it is just a phase but it is about to kill me!
On the flip side of the drama, we end up having these fun, sweet little moments between her and I.

The same day she watched me drive away, we sat in the floor that night and played and giggled. As I rocked her babies, per her request, she got up patted me on the back (her new way of showing affection) and gave me a big open mouthed kiss then patted me again.

I know one day I will be begging for her to want to be around me and longing for the days that we sat in the floor and played dolls or read books.

But right now she is making it hard to feel good about going to work or anywhere for that matter.

10 Years Ago...

2011-06-26T13:30:00.000-05:00

I graduated high school. It was a very emotional time for me. About a month before graduation, I realized everything was about to change. Not just moving out of my parent's house but my friendships.

My senior year I had grown close to a group of people that to this day I still love very dearly. With school coming to an end, I knew my relationship with those people would forever change. Even though we were all headed to the same college, I knew it wouldn't be the same. We would find other friends/groups that more fit our style. Plus we were just growing up. It's what happens.

Last night though, we all got together one more time at our 10 year high school reunion. I still feel like it was just a month ago I wore that blue cap and gown and walked across the stage to accept my diploma.

I wasn't that jazzed about going but went anyway hoping to see a few faces I haven't seen in a while. I really didn't think anybody would change that much over 10 years but there were several times I was pointing saying "whose that?" "did they graduated with us?"

I played the awkward 'oh my gosh! I haven't seen you since high school. What have you been up to?' game. I HATE the catch up game. My life always sounds extremely lame and then there is the point of not knowing a good time to walk away.

I pushed through and made the best of it. It wasn't a horrible night. Started off like a lame high school dance; everyone sitting around waiting for that one brave soul to get the party started. I declared at 9pm that we were either going to get off our tails and have some fun or I was going home. We got off our tails.

More people joined the dance floor and we partied like we were back in high school. And I may or may not have lead the train around the room with a long line of my classmates behind me.

At the end of the night, I can say I had a pretty good time. And my date?

Seemed to meet and greet more classmates than me! I love when I drag him to things and he ends up getting to know more people than me! My little social butterfly.

I wish I had more pictures of our little group but I was busy rockin' it out or to be more accurate lazy. I guess I'll have to stalk Facebook under my mom's account to see if anyone got any good pictures.

False Alarm

2011-06-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

10:53am Tuesday morning about 2 hours after Brent has dropped Cecilia off at daycare: "Kacie, this is Ms._______ from daycare. Cecilia is fine but we think she may have thrush."

"Thrush?"

"Yeah. We just sent one baby home with it and we think she has it."

"Ok. I think I know what that is but not sure."

"It's like a yeast infection in your mouth."

"Well isn't that fabulous."

"Yeah." Cue awkward laugh.

"So I guess I need to come get her?"

"Yeah."

10:56: I call my village babysitter, aka Nanny. No answer.

10:57: Call my mom asking if she knew where Nanny was. No clue.

10:58: Call Nanny again leaving a message that went a little like this...'Hey Nan. I'm hoping you are just in the bathroom and can't answer but I really need you to. (pause) Ok well, run to the phone if you are there. (pause) Ok well, call me. I really need you.'

I jump in my car and head to BG to get Cecilia. On my way, I call Brent and give him the scoop. He googles thrush to see what we are really dealing with because well tha's what we do every time the daycare calls with yet another random virus/disease they think she has. We are a little confused on how she could have gotten it but who knows. She catches everything.

I get halfway to town and my phone rings. Ahh...Nanny. My saving grace. I give her the run down and ask if she feels like a playmate. No problem.

Have I ever said how much I appreciate and love my Nanny? I am soo very lucky to have her around.

After dropping C off, I call the pediatrician's office to tell them what's going on and make an appointment to see her the next day. I get a call a few minutes later from the doctor's office saying it is pretty impossible for her to have thrush at her age. Hmmm that's interesting.

I ponder the whole situation all day and decide I'm going to watch her over night and see what develops. Wednesday morning..no little white bumps in her mouth.

I cancel her appointment because we already had a check up scheduled for today and I didn't feel like taking a healthy baby to the doctor 2 days in a row.

The doctor confirms today no thrush. She is healthy (can I get a hallelujah!) and a late bloomer on the teeth. She did have some little red bumps on her upper body but the doctor didn't seem to think it was anything. Maybe just a reaction to something.

The only true thing wrong with her is she is...

(applying chap stick)

completely...

rotten...

to the...

core!

I am so thankful this time it was just a false alarm. I knew thrush wasn't possible but the bumps worried me only because they came up all of a sudden. I just knew it would be some random disease that only comes from Africa but it managed to jump the ocean and land on my child!

Luckily they are gone now and my child is virus/disease/funk free! That is until she goes back to school tomorrow! :)

Father's Day

2011-06-21T07:31:00.000-05:00

Sunday was a day filled with lots of sleep and pure laziness. Cecilia's sleep was a little out of whack for some reason and she ended up starting her day around 10:30. It was fine by us because we were able to have a rare morning of relaxing.

Once she woke, I told her she should go wish her daddy Happy Father's Day. She looked at me with a shy smile, looked at Brent then walked over to him with her arms out and gave him a kiss and a hug. It was the cutest thing and a great way to start his day!

Cecilia got her daddy a box of his favorite candy, Sour Patch Kids as part of his gift because she knows how much he loves candy. She was dying for a piece so he opened up the box and let her have one. It took her .02 seconds to spit it out...

She smacked her lips for a little while after trying to get the taste out. She tired a second time but it ended in the same result.

When we finally got motivated to get ready for the day, we took Brent to one of his favorite lunch spots, Zaxby's!

I was nervous we would have a repeat of Wal-Mart and Target but she was on her best behavior. She charmed everyone there by waving and smiling.

After a short nap, we headed to Franklin to have dinner with my parents. Mom and I were cooking since the boys cooked for us on Mother's day. We had quite the fest and were almost too full to eat the Sundae pie Mom had made...almost. I do believe a few men in our family had seconds.

We had a nice time visiting, playing with Dawson and telling him to shhh and we even got to Skype with my brother.

We didn't get too far down the road before we saw this...

We have had a lot of fun this weekend and she just couldn't handle it anymore!

Cecilia was blessed with one special daddy.

He showed me early on (before we were even dating actually) that he would be good with kids when he picked up a baseball and started throwing to a couple of little boys he barely knew. The interaction between the 3 of them was priceless. He had no idea I was watching but that scene has stuck with me all these years.

Despite knowing nothing about little girls, he has hung in there playing with dolls, getting her ready every morning and putting up with a lot of pink!

Because of my special relationship with my dad, I'm excited that Cecilia has the same loving, involved dad like I had. There's not a better moment in the day than when she realizes her daddy is home and runs full force at him. They brighten each other's day.

Let's Review

2011-06-19T22:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday!

Thursday night I went out with a group of girls to celebrate Jaclyn's birthday.

We met at 440 Main here in town and enjoyed a nice night out just us girls. We topped the night off with a trip to Stakz for dessert. I'm going to gain 50lbs because of that stupid place!

A few of us girls being silly trying out the new pose.

There haven't been too many birthdays that Jac and I haven't celebrated together over the past 20 years. Thanks to her sweet sister, I didn't have to miss out on this one.

Operation No More Paci: Mission Complete

I am proud to say Cecilia hasn't had a pacifier in 15 days! It hasn't been easy and they haven't been great days (like Friday when she screamed bloody murder in both Target and Wal-Mart) but we are living pacifier free! She seems to be doing fine without it. We've noticed that she is a lot more clingy to me but who knows if that has anything to do with the pacifier. Brent wishes I would bring it back when we have moments like we did in Wal-Mart but I refuse. I would rather be that annoying mother with the screaming kid in aisle 5.

John Patrick

Saturday Cecilia and I went to Abby's baby shower to celebrate John Patrick's arrival here in a few short months. The shower was so cute and there were lots of little ones there! I was able to meet a new little face and hang out with some friends we don't always get to see. We are like our own little baby boom with us all either having little ones or expecting one.

She Kissed the Pavement

Well we got our first big fall out of the way.

We had just got out of the car at my parent's house after the shower and my hands were full so I let Cecilia walk. She caught a glimpse of my mom, got excited and forgot to pick up her feet.

BAM!! She hit the pavement, head bouncing off the blacktop. I yelled, dropped my bags and ran to her.

She screamed and we ran in the house to assess the damage. I just knew it would be horrible. I started sweating and pulled her away to see how bad it was.

Bad but not near as bad as it could have been. No scraps somehow, just a bruised forehead, a red nose and a minor place above her lip. She cried for maybe 3 minutes then acted like nothing happened. I didn't cry but at every moment flinched thinking she was going to get hurt again.

I think falls are harder on the mamas than the babies.

Playtime
After the fall, we enjoyed playing with Dawson when he wasn't busy resting.

My cousin Kelli came over to hang out and play with us since we haven't see her in a while.

Cecilia put on a HUGE show that left us laughing so hard we were crying.

That's not where your bloomers go!

She hadn't had a nap all day which usually makes her a real peach to be around but Saturday it only made her funnier!

We had a full past few days and today was a nice slow day but more on that tomorrow.

Puppy Love

2011-06-12T21:17:00.000-05:00

Colt has finally come to terms that Cecilia is here forever. He tried to deny the fact but it was no use. She hunted him down and made him love her.

No longer does he run when he sees her coming for him. He braces himself and let's the lovin' begin.

Colt won't be the only one receiving her special love anymore.

This little guys has joined our family.

Well not so much our family as my ~~parent's~~ Mom's.

Dawson joined the family today and Cecilia liked looking at him and loved on him to make him feel welcome.

Poor little guy has no idea what is in store for him!

A Real Lady in Training

2011-06-07T21:23:00.000-05:00

Classy.

Cecilia came home Friday knowing how to blow bubbles with her spit and how to gargle her spit. I'm positive that was not the lesson at school for that day.

She loves to lay on my legs and gargle her spit.

I'm raising a real classy gal.

Operation No More Paci.

As if Friday wasn't entertaining enough with the spit, I decided the pacifier had to go. We made the rule when she turned 1 that we would only give it to her at nap time and bedtime. Well that didn't always happen and I was tired of looking at her with one in her mouth.

Bedtime Friday night was pretty bad which I knew it would be. However, Saturday was ROUGH! We had gone with my mom to look at a puppy and it was the LONGEST hour in the car in my life! Cecilia screamed the whole time and I got car sick trying to turn around to entertain her.

Not a good time!

The only thing good about it was watching Cecilia interact with the puppy. She LOVED it and I can't wait to see her with it.

Everyday since then has just been an encore...

Arts and Crafts.
Cecilia has found my paint brushes. She likes to dump them on the floor, pick out a few to carry and carry them all over the house.

She gets SUPER ticked when I put them away. But hey at this point, I'm immune to crying.

It's only Tuesday and I feel like haven't slept in 8 days and I'm not even the one crying and whining non stop.

Friday are you here yet?

Oh Me. Oh My.

2011-05-30T21:31:00.000-05:00

This long weekend has been packed with activities that has left us thankful today was not a work day.

Friday, we had dinner with a friend then spent some time by a nice cozy fire outside and enjoyed catching up.

Saturday, Brent hauled us all over town going to consignment shops, the farmer's market, Stockdales and Hobby Lobby. Most of those not being his thing but he was sweet enough to take me.

That night, several of the girls I graduated with got together for a little pre-reunion gathering so our spouses could have a meet and greet. Our 10 year high school reunion is coming up and we wanted the guys to know at least a few familiar faces when we drag them to the reunion. We had a really good time and as always the Konow's were wonderful hosts.

Our fun continued into Sunday when after church we had a spur of the moment cookout with some friends. I wasn't prepared for the heat and melted into a puddle within 2 seconds of being outside.

Thank goodness I had good excuse to stay inside! Cecilia liked being outside but she is just like her mother when it comes to the heat...attitudes come out in full force when the body temp raises!

We ended the cookout with a trip to Stakz for some frozen yogurt. Sadly, the cool treat still didn't do anything for the attitude.

'Enough!'

After two days full of activities, we took several of these today...

I even indulged in a few naps myself because I did not handle my 5 am wake up call very well.

It's back to work but the joy of a long weekend brings a short work week.

Monday Came All Too Quick

2011-05-23T11:21:00.002-05:00

Here it is Monday and I'm left wondering where my weekend just went. I feel like it should still be Friday which is only going to make this week even longer.

Staying true to my Friday afternoon ritual, after picking up Cecilia at school, her and I ran about 1,000 errands in town that ended at Wal Mart where she proceeded to yell from the time we got there until the time I wheeled her out in the parking lot ready to glue her lips shut! I'm not sure why she has started to yell but it is ridiculous! She yells for the fun of it when she is playing, she yells when she doesn't get her way followed by throwing the nearest thing she can get her grubby little hands on (i.e my groceries in this case) and she yells to get my attention. I forgot half the things on my list but I was ready to get out of there.

Saturday ran a bit more smoothly. Brent had so kindly made plans for me in the yard helping him mulch the house. I was looking for a good excuse to get out of it because it was supposed to be super hot and humid and well, girlfriend doesn't tolerate the heat so well. But my mom volunteered to come up and take Cecilia out while we mulched. There went my good excuse.

It turned out that I didn't melt into a complete puddle and I was able to catch a few rays while I waited on Brent to haul the mulch to me. Cecilia had a fabulous time running around town with my mom and going to the park to watch the older kids play.

The night ended with a trip to another frozen yogurt place here in town. Because Cecilia wasn't too fond of the frozen yogurt the last time I figured she wouldn't like this as well. I figured wrong. She downed the majority of MY treat. Next time she will be receiving her own bowl.

Sunday I watched a lot of this...

Now that the walking is mastered, she is everywhere!

Sunday night we watched a little bit of the Billboard awards and Cecilia breaking out all her moves!

She makes me so proud by knowing to throw your hands up when one dances. Classic girl move. At every song she would do a little jig. Brent and I laughed at her all night! It almost made up for the demon possessed show she put on at Wal Mart.

Walking On Sunshine

2011-05-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

It was perfect outside and I need a little exercise so I put Cecilia in the stroller and Colt on the leash and we took off for a walk around the neighborhood. Cecilia loved being outside, pointed at various things and watched parents enforce free child labor.

About halfway (more like a quarter of the way) into our walk, my lazy dog decided he couldn't take anymore walking. I was either going to have to drag him the rest of the way or hold him. He weights as much as Cecilia and there was no way I could push a stroller with a 24 lbs baby inside and carry a 24 lbs dog 1/2 mile. It was time to get creative.

I decided to lay Cecilia's seat down and threw the dog in. Colt wasn't too found of being that close to Cecilia but at this point he didn't care.

("let me tell ya about my best friend..")

Cecilia loved Colt being that close since he rarely lets her touch him. She loves him so much and the feelings just aren't mutual.

Once he caught his breath, he was out! It was cute while it lasted.

I tried to get a picture of Cecilia's good time but every time I put the camera in her face she turned her head or looked away from me. She loves me so.

I Am Second

2011-05-17T07:21:00.000-05:00

This is a must see site... http://www.iamsecond.com/

I have so much respect for the celebrities who have made the choice to stand up and live and share what they believe. My two favorites are Josh Hamilton and Tony Dungy. I have read both their books and have been a huge fan of both since.

When you've got some time check it out. Make sure you have plenty of time though. Usually when I sit down to just watch one, I look up and it has been an hour!

These Boots We Made for Walkin'

2011-05-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

Cecilia is finally upright!

She decided last week that she was going to start walking and does 85% of the day.

She is still wobbly but that doesn't stop her and when she falls, she gets right back up.

It won't be long before she is full time and then I will have my hands full!

She also decided last week that she would extend her vocabulary and tries to repeat everything we say. So far we have gotten her to say Colt (our dog), cracker, blue, dog, hello, book, and baby (this one was all on her own). We are working names but its not going so well. She just looks at me a smiles. Small steps.

A Whole Lot Going On

2011-05-09T21:03:00.002-05:00

This weekend was jammed packed full of events.

Friday night Jason had his graduation from Georgia Tech. We were sad that we weren't able to go but we were definitely there in spirit!

WAY TO GO UNCLE MAYO!!!!

That same night, Brent, Cecilia and I headed to Brent's hometown so we could spend some family time with his family. We had a very low key weekend (just the way I like it) and even stayed home to watch the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

On Sunday, we all got together for lunch to celebrate all us mothers on our very special day.

We tried to get a picture of all 3 granddaughters but it didn't go so well! As soon as I sat Cecilia down she tried crawling to me. If she sat still, Nora moved. Aubrey was the only one we could get to look the same in every picture!

This was the best I got and Cecilia looks constipated! Oh well! I'm hoping Kaci got at least one good one.

We headed back early so I could spend some time with my mom. The trip home is never as quick as the one there. By hour 2, we were all going crazy and getting very bored. Cecilia had had enough of her car seat by then too!

We finally made it home and enjoyed a nice cookout at our house with my parents. My Dad made the fixins and brought the meat for Brent to grill. Mom and I couldn't ask for anything better than not to have to lift too many fingers!

We topped our night off with a trip to a new dessert shop, Sweet CeCe's. Brent and I heard their advertisement on the radio on the way home and knew we had to try it. It did not disappoint!

I was once again blessed with another fabulous Mother's Day and showered with many texts, wonderful gifts and cards!

To bad my daughter wasn't as thrilled with me as I was with her! :)

The Park

2011-04-30T20:51:00.002-05:00

Today I loaded up Cecilia and we headed to the park to enjoy the beautiful weather. It was perfect and I couldn't stand spending the whole day in the house.

Everyone else in town had the same idea but luckily our little spot wasn't crowded.

We sat and had a snack as we watched the ducks play in the pond.

Cecilia loved the park and I think we will be hitting it up a lot this summer!

Paparazzi

2011-04-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

I've been borrowing my dad's camera for about a week. He has the mega camera with big lens and big flash. I LOVE it and borrow every chance I get. And I usually keep it for as long as I can as well!

There hasn't been too many times over the past couple of days that I haven't had the camera in my hand taking random shots (I think I took like 60 something within a matter of two hours).

Brent walked in the other day to me laying on the floor camera in hand clicking away. He looked at me and said 'so is this what you are going to be doing these days?' Why yes, yes it is!

Luckily, Cecilia doesn't care and goes along about her business as if a camera hasn't been in her grill for the past 6 days.

She is such a good sport and now knows how celebrities feel!

Poor girl can't even eat in peace.

The paparazzi has done its job this week so the camera has to go back. If not, we could have a 1000 pictures of Cecilia playing with her toys.