Winter Storm 2009

Like many in the south, we woke up to a winter wonderland! Of course Ella was sooo excited. I could barely keep Ella inside until after breakfast. We had to search high and low to get enough clothes on the kids to make me feel like they were ok to go out in the wet, cold snow. Luckily someone gave Ella snow bibs and she has galoshes, so she was set. Miller on the other had was a different story. He had on Ella's leggings (for layers), the closest thing he had for waterproof pants, which were not waterproof at all, just lined. He had on leather shoes (i knew they would keep his feet dry) that were two sizes to big, but at least his feet would be dry. Then about the only thing his fleece coat did for him was collect snow and make him more cold and wet. All that said, we definitely spent more time getting ready than we did outside!

This is the happiest Miller was in the snow experience.

Ella in her snow gear.

The beginning of Miller's falling apart. He did not quite get into the snow experience.


Ella's first snowball.



This picture is just for your entertainment... This picture is right after I got Miller up from his nap yesterday. He slept in a short sleeved t-shirt and pants (no socks). Do you see how soaking wet his hair is! This picture just makes me laugh!

We Are Back

Well, I must admit that I am very disappointed in myself in my lack of blogging! Everyday at the end of the day I feel a little guilty about yet another day going by with no updates. But, I am now ok with the fact that I might blog every other day or only once a month and it is ok. My intentions are definitely to post as often as possible because so much goes on here that I want to share, but that is just not realistic these days with two children who only take one nap!

So, on my first blog back from my blogging hiatus, I debated, do I go back and fill in or do I just start with today and go forward like I did not miss a beat? I decided on a little of both. I have missed so much since the first of the year that I could never really catch up, and honestly I know you want to know about now. But because I do have high hopes of printing this blog for our family (mostly because Miller does not have a baby book) I have chosen to start back with this.

This blog usually comes when a baby turns one, I am only two months behind. Not to bad for number two...

It is hard to believe that Miller has only been with us for a year! How did the time go by so fast???


8.4 lbs 20 1/2 inches long

And who could forget those first two weeks in the hospital?




3 Weeks Old

9.1 lbs 22 inches


7 Weeks Old

12.11 lbs 24 inches


4 Months Old



17 lbs 27 inches


6 Months Old

20.7 lbs 27 1/2 inches


9 Months Old

23.6 lbs 29 3/4 inches


12 Months Old

27 lbs 31 1/2 inches

Miller's Favorite Words at One
Mama
Dada
Papa
Sage
Diaper
Tractor
Please
Thank you

I cannot believe how fast the time goes!!!

Ella's New Skirt

I don't think I have ever dedicated a post to sewing, but I was pretty proud of myself with this skirt. This is the first thing I have made without a pattern! (Well I kind of used a shorts pattern, but the skirt part was all on my own!) You might see pictures of Ella in a few of these skirts this summer. I just think it so cute and so easy! And you can tell that Ella loves it too. All she wants to wear are "beautiful dresses" and "ballerina skirts"

Happy Birthday Miller!

Friday night was Miller (make-up) 1st birthday part. And I have to say, it was worth the wait! I think it was the happiest night of Miller's life. It was like he knew that everyone was there for him. Miller is a typically a pretty happy baby, but Friday night he was thrilled. From all of these pictures you will feel like you were there!






Happy Birthday Miller!


Miller thought the first piece was going to Ella. Because he had already had birthday case (see previous post) he knew what he was missing.




Looks like Miller loves cake, not a crumb left

Miller definitely got into opening presents (at Christmas he really did not care about it, so I did not know how he would do)



"I make dirt look good" Thank you Aunt Wellon and Uncle Stephen


The hit of the night was Elmo Live.





Even Papa was enthralled with Elmo.





Ella and EG dancing with Elmo


This was the best birthday ever!

Flexibility

You always hear the number one thing in being a mom is flexibility. And boy are we learning that with Miller. Miller had his first birthday Dec 31! I just cannot believe he is one! But that is for another post. We had Miller's birthday party planned for this past Friday. Murray and I were so excited about the party. Family and a few family friends were coming over and it was just going to be a fun time. I had found the perfect cake for Miller. He has all the sudden developed a love for tractors and loves saying "trac-torrrr". So after searching and searching I finally found a cake decorator at Bruno's to make a cake with a big John Deer Tractor on it. I just could not wait for Miller to see that cake and with a huge smile on his face say "trac-torrr".

Thursday night I went to bed feeling, not at the top of my game, but did not think much about it. But through the night I heard Miller coughing in his sleep. And every time I woke up to Miller's coughing I was feeling worse and worse. Friday morning I woke up feeling awful and Miller was not any better. Sadly, we had to cancel his first birthday party:( We were all so sad! I think the most depressing part was going Friday evening to pick up the (cutest ever) birthday cake that we were not going to eat. We came home and put it straight in the freezer. Ella was such a champ through it all. She had been so excited about Miller's birthday party and his cake that we searched high and low for, so she was so sad not the eat the "big" cake. Fortunately, Bruno's gives a free smash cake if the cake is for a first birthday. So Ella and Miller got to eat the "small" cake.

You sure could not tell by the way the Miller devoured the cake that he was feeling under the weather!


Hmmm, not to sure about this cake...

Miller's first bite was very cautious and polite.

It was all digging in after that.

Meal of Champs

Why after my long break from blogging am I starting off with a picture of an eaten casserole? It is because even after two days thinking about this picture makes me fume! I will start from the beginning...

There are a few things that I feel Mommy guilt about. One is that if Murray I do not eat with the kids, they often end up getting not the best food. Usually grilled cheese, rotisserie chicken or turkey dog and some sort of vegetable. And if it is a special night end the meal with cheese or mandarin oranges. (This is also usually what is on the menu for lunch most days). Last weekend Murray was in a wedding and we had something every night, so the kids had the usual all weekend.

Murray went out of town on Tuesday. Most of the time when Murray is gone I do not cook. But, because I was already feeling bad about what the kids had been eating, I decided to make a dish that could last us Tuesday and Wednesday night. That way we would have a real meal and I would only have to cook one night.

Tuesday afternoon during naptime I fixed dinner I decided to do it during naptime so that when the kids got up I could play with them and would not have to cook while they were holding onto my leg crying (mostly Miller). When they woke up it was all ready. I was so proud of myself. We had to run to gymnastics before dinner to pay for Ella and I was going to pop it in the oven right when we got home. It was all too easy!

I knew when I pulled down in the driveway after going to the gym that something was not right. From the windows in the garage door, I saw a light. This might be normal for some houses, but not for ours because the the crazy wiring we have no lights in our garage right now. So I knew this light had to be coming from inside the house. My first thought, was 'oh no, the breaks-ins from Homewood and Mountain Brook have moved to Cahaba Heights.' But I realized there would probably be more doors open than just the inside garage door. So I quickly realized that I must not have pulled the door all the way shut when we rushed out the door. I did not give it much more thought until I got upstairs to put dinner in the oven and saw this! Sage had come in the house and eaten our entire dinner!!! I was so mad and still am when I start thinking about.

So guess what the kids had to eat? Grilled Cheese, frozen broccoli and mandarin oranges. Meal of champions!