M(4)+D

FAQ

2012-01-12T15:02:00.001-06:00

Or, possibly just some asked questions:

Q: Where did you get the name Dean? (OR, why didn't you use another M name?)
A: Dean Mark was the name we had chosen if Mia had been a boy. And if Micah had been a boy. So, it's been around for awhile. The middle name is obvious. Dean came from a good friend of the family that passed away a few years ago. You see, Mark's grandfathers both passed away when he was quite young and he doesn't remember them. Dean was the guy that filled in those roles. He was the guy that was with Mark when he shot his first deer. He was the one that liked to tease and have fun with him. He was a fantastically wonderful man. We miss him.

Q: How is it having a boy?
A: It's great. We feel more than blessed. So far, other than the obvious fast diaper changes, it hasn't been too different. Dean is quite the flexible, happy baby, but I think that's more to do with his third child status than being a boy.

Q: How is Austin? What are you doing there?
A: Austin is wonderful. We are so thankful God has brought us here. We are working on God's team to bring God's name to Austin. Starting in our neighborhoods first. We are trying to meet all our neighbors and form relationships as well as enjoy our missional community. A missional community is a group of people intentionally living life together in order to know Jesus and make him known. It's loving each other as Jesus would have us so that others will see His love. We feel blessed to be partnered with God in this.

Q: What does M(4) + D equal?
A: I pray that it equals a family seeking to make God's name great. I pray it equals love, obedience, service, and determination.

+D

2012-01-04T21:23:00.000-06:00

August 1st started out in a rush. I woke up early and quickly realized something felt really weird. In my groggy state, I stumbled to the kitchen, made coffee and started a roast in the crockpot before I realized what was different:

I was having contractions. Coming 5 minutes apart.

They weren't very strong. They didn't last very long. But because I wanted a vbac, I knew my doctor wanted me at the hospital when my contractions reached 5 minutes apart. So, I timed. And they remained. I took a shower. And they remained. I called the doctor and he said to come in. And they remained. I called our sweet friend, Hope. And they remained.

We headed to the hospital and... well, they spaced out. About 15 minutes apart. We checked in to the hospital anyway since they were expecting us and for the next few hours they remained at 15 minutes apart.

Wherein I cried and asked to be sent home, since I was barrelling toward another c-section.

My sweet sister and niece were almost to our house anyway, so they decided to come for a visit. So they played with and watched the girls while I tried to rest and nap -- all the while contracting every 15 minutes. We played. We ate. We laughed. We went to Amy's Ice Cream. And watched Food Network. It was a fantastic time with some of my favorite people. It would have been even better if those annoying contractions wouldn't have kept coming, especially since they kept getting stronger.

We went to bed much too late, but we didn't want to leave the fun. Mark joked that my water would break around midnight. I told him he was mean and fell asleep.

Until 11:50pm. When I leapt from the bed as fast as a 9-months pregnant lady can leap.

My water broke.

Mark is some kind of prophet.

Doctors were called. Sisters were informed. And the road to the hospital was driven again. Where this time I would check in to stay and finally meet my little man.

I met the absolute best labor and delivery nurse in the entire world. And saw the on-call doctor again (my doc had the night off). They were both very encouraging when it came to the vbac. And the natural birth I hoped to have. They let me roam the halls and walk and move around as much as possible. They completely made the experience. After praying for months for a great L&D nurse, it was amazing to see God's answered prayers.

The labor experience was tough. But God is good. Mark was amazing. We prayed together and he read scripture over me. He encouraged me and didn't let me quit even when things got hard. It was such a sweet time of proclaiming that I needed God to get through the pain. And I needed Mark, my God-given husband, to support, protect, and love me. For such an independent and self-sufficient person like me, it was humbling and a huge learning experience. I wouldn't trade it.

My mom came in around 9.5 centimeters. She jumped right in and helped me through the last bit. She was amazing. And then it was time...

The doctors and nurses let me take control. It was the coolest experience to feel my son being born. And then he was there. And he was healthy. And he was ours. And my first words were "Thank you, Jesus."

Dean Mark born 8/2/11 at 6:26am. He was 7lbs 9oz and 21inches.

He got to hang out on my chest for almost an hour. It was easily one of the best experiences of my life.

Micah funnies and more

2011-07-01T13:24:00.002-05:00

At night we let the girls have a turn with praying. For at least about a month now Micah's prayer has gone something like this:

"People eat people eat people eat. Red blue people eat people. Amens"

Which (I'm hoping) is loosely translated to:

Dearest Heavenly Father,

Please let all the people of the world, no matter their color or creed, have enough food to eat.

In Your Son's precious name, Amen.

Either that she's into cannibalism. Let's hope for the translation.

*********************************************

Lately, Mia has been making up her own praise songs. Which is possibly one of the cutest and sweetest things in the history of cute and sweet things. Here's her song from today:

"Lord, you are everything,
and you are so good,
and you are so healthy
that you can get us up
and bring us to Heaven.
Lord, you are so good."

Right after I wrote that down, this funny exchange happened:

Mia: Hey Micah! Did you know you can pray to God and ask him to come into your heart and wash away your sins?
Micah: YEAAAAH.
Mia: Would you like to do that now?
Micah: YEAAAAH!
Mia: Okay, let's pray.
**both girls fold their hands and close their eyes**
Mia: Okay, say what I say. Dear God, please come into my heart...
Micah: Dear God... a heart
Mia: And wash away my sins. Amen
Micah: AMENS! (Pats her tummy) God in my heart!
Mia: No silly! Your heart is here in your chest.
Micah: Yeah. That's my belly button!

(I'm thinking she didn't quite understand the gravity of the situation.)

Mia Funnies

2011-06-30T22:35:00.005-05:00

So, a bit of a back story to this Mia Funny:

Back when Mia was potty training we started calling her underwear "Big Girls". For several reasons really: 1.) Neither of us liked the term "panties" and 2.) It made her even more excited about being a big girl (and, thus, play along with going in the potty).

Anyway, the term stuck.

SO! The other day, we are sitting around the table at breakfast and Mia is thinking really, really hard about something. Finally, she says...

"So, Mommy, if Micah and I are big girls.... [dramatic pause] Does that mean people WEAR US?!"

She immediately busts out laughing. She's a silly girl. I think we'll keep her.

Go West, Young Man

2011-06-02T14:33:00.008-05:00

Closing day at the old house (I just realized Mia isn't too happy)

I think it all started about a year ago. There was this vague feeling of uncomfortableness. We couldn't quite place our finger on it, but both Mark and I couldn't get comfortable where we were. We talked so many nights until midnight or later trying to figure it out ourselves -- and praying over it -- but we would come away often more confused than we started. It was a general feeling of unease that followed us around and crept into our day to day lives. It was distracting. It was tiring. We thought at first it was related to our own crappy attitudes, but even after a concerted effort to change that... it remained.

Then God began slowly moving our friends away. One family at a time were called to other places to do other things. I felt called to leave the dance studio which was gut wrenching. We began to feel like an island. So in addition to this uneasy, uncomfortable, discontented feeling, we began to add the feeling of loneliness.

It was during this time that we also lost Pumpernickel.

There was really no doubt that God was calling us to grow closer to Him.

Sometime around summer of last year, we began to feel called somewhere else. Where that "else" was, we weren't quite sure. But we were certain it was something God wanted. We believed it was Pearland, TX -- a city about 30 minutes from where we lived and 30 minutes from where Mark worked in Houston. It made so much logical sense -- Mark's hour-long drive would be cut in half. There would be greater opportunities for me and the girls if we chose to dive into homeschooling (that's a whole other post!) and everything was just so close and convenient without moving too far from family. Brilliant! Sign us up! Let's sell this house!

But, no. It wasn't right. It felt awkward. Like we were trying to force ourselves into a round hole when we were clearly square pegs. We took a break from pursuing Pearland and began praying. And that's when a seed began being planted in my mind...

That seed grew sometime in the fall. We came to visit friends in Austin and take in a Longhorn football game (Hook Em!). And for the first time in a very long time I breathed a sigh. It felt comfortable. And right. But, made absolutely NO sense, whatsoever. The feeling continued to grow when we visited The Austin Stone to see a friend play in the worship band. Strangely... he wasn't playing that day. But at some point during the worship my heart did a flip-flop.

We were being called here. I was sure.

We began podcasting. And praying. And praying some more. Nothing made sense to be moving here. There weren't jobs in Mark's line of work. It was more expensive -- too expensive. Our family wasn't there. By this time I was also pregnant. But it remained a thought and desire in my mind and began to grow in Mark's as well.

At the end of 2010 a friend of ours posted a list of questions to consider as the new year was starting. Questions about being obedient. About who we were earnestly praying to accept the Gospel message. About truly being stretched and grown. And about praying for God to do something "impossible."

We started praying through these. And decided to take a praying trip to Austin to see where God was directing us.

The rest, as they say, is history. While we were in Austin, Matt Carter, the main preacher at The Stone, was talking about Heaven and Hell. He mentioned that we have a choice to make -- are we going to live full-out for Christ, being radically obedient... or feel content to sit around and play church. Truly, we have no idea how many more days we have left on this earth... why not make in impression for the Gospel today?

It hit us. Realistically, if we live to be 70, we have 40ish years left. As fast as these 30 have gone... I imagine the next 40 will be just as fast. Or faster. What were we doing wasting our time when we knew what God wanted?

So. That was the where. But the how? That was the problem.

But Mark's amazing company said he could work from home in Austin. And continue in the same job. With the same amount of money... including just enough of a bump that made living in Austin possible. God paved the way.

And so we got our house ready to sell. And did it ever sell. Now, we lived in a market that was slow. 6-12 months was about average for a house to be on the market. We put ours up on Monday, February 21. We had our first showing Wednesday, February 23. An offer on Thursday, February 24. And all negotiations were done on Monday, February 28.

You read that right. Our house sold in a week. Our God is the God of impossible.

God was gracious and gave us a long period before out closing date (especially because sweet Micah was having surgery to have her tonsils removed!). And so, April 16th was our moving date. We were headed west.

We had a pretty specific list of things we needed in a house here in Austin and a smaller budget for their very busy rental market. And God provided it amazingly. The house we ended up renting was one that had been on our list from the beginning, but included absolutely no pictures. Until the day we were on our way to find a house. And it was exactly what we needed. And even includes several things we wanted. God is good.

So we're here. We love our house. We're getting plugged in with old friends and meeting new ones. We're starting to see where God is leading us in the mission of reaching Austin -- one of the most unreached cities in America. And it's exciting. Scary, yes. Daunting at times. But that uneasy feeling that had plagued us...

Has been replaced by a peace. We can't wait to see what He'll do next.

News... well, sort of

2011-06-02T14:21:00.003-05:00

So, so much has happened since I last wrote. Ridiculous amounts... but I guess that's pretty much what happens when it's been, oh, almost 6 months? Yeah. Sorry about that.

First, foremost, and most excitedly -- We are adding a third child to the family. Yes, most people who would even read this blog would already know this. And I'm insanely late in reporting this news as he is already 3/4 of the way cooked. We're due in early August and are thrilled and so are the girls. Poor third child. I'm sorry, baby.

Oh, you caught that? Yes, HE. We decided to find out this time and the girl we were both totally expecting to have turned out to be a boy. A boy! We are calling him Manna right now, to continue our theme of bread names in utero. He has a name. It shall be revealed at birth.

(I'm actually still in a wee bit of denial that it is actually a boy. I saw the ultrasound, but am afraid it was wrong! Hopefully not, as there is a lot of blue around here right now...)

So far, little man has been very healthy. And head-down. Praying this stays the same.

Mia totally called it from the moment we found out we were pregnant -- she knew the baby was her brother. She did the same with Micah. It's a wee bit freaky, actually. Micah is thoroughly freaked out by the baby moving in my tummy, but likes the idea of the baby.

Secondly, we moved. Across the state. To Austin. There is a long story surrounding this that will be typed out momentarily and hopefully published tomorrow. I want to make sure I get it right. But let's just say that God has been totally rocking our world and blessing us in ways we couldn't have imagined. And stretching us in ways we couldn't have imagined. And... well, just basically calling us to be radically obedient. Good stuff. Good stuff all around.

Thirdly, I still haven't thought of a better blog name. I'm awful guys. I threw a bunch around with Mark and got nuthin'. Please help. I like to think I'm creative, but honestly... I'm just not.

Creativity Escapes Me

2011-01-25T14:37:00.002-06:00

I need help, people. Much help...

We are wanting to change the name of our blog. We want to take our last name out of the title.

One problem, though:

I have no creativity left. None.

Do you have any suggestions? Help?

Bueller?

A Holy Day

2011-01-23T14:56:00.002-06:00

So a couple weeks ago, I had one of those days that just make you want to go back to bed and start over.

I was running late to meet a friend. Then I forgot some items that I needed to return, and since we live so far from the store, and I happened to be going to said town... I really needed to turn around. I got pulled over (got a warning, whew). Drinks were spilled. Snacks forgotten. Fits thrown (by the children and me). And then I got caught by the longest, slowest train ever. No seriously, I timed it -- nearly 10 minutes of waiting. My phone started working funny. My kids threw fits in the store. And the Lowes lady was rude to me. And we were late for naptime.

All this by 2pm.

I was starting to wonder if there was a hidden camera somewhere.

But then, from the backseat my sweet Mia started singing a song she made up: "Holy, holy, holy is this day! Holy, holy, holy is this day!"

At first, I have to admit I was terribly annoyed by the incessant repeating of this phrase. Until it started to sink into my consciousness. Yes... this day is holy. This day was made and set apart by God. He planned everything that happened. He knew the drinks that were going to spill and the rude ladies before the day even started.

And you know... really, in the end, all these issues were there to teach me one thing:

No matter what happens: "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Rejoice over spilled drinks and lateness? Yep. Rejoice over stops from a police officer and long trains? Of course! Rejoice over fits and rudeness? You got it.

Why? Well, for one... Because I am fortunate enough to have a drink. And a friend to meet. And police officers that protect me (sometimes from myself. And trains moving means someone has a job. And fits means I've been blessed with incredible children with amazing willpower. And rudeness means that I was blessed enough to shop at the store in the first place.

But most of all, because God was right there with me through it all. A heartbeat and breath away. And He loves me enough to let me stumble around for awhile so I will realize He's right there.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T14:56:00.000-06:00

Praying your Christmas is filled with God's love and peace.

Thankful

2010-12-03T12:39:00.004-06:00

A quick poll to see what makes the members of our household thankful.

Micah:
* time-out (uh, what?)
* Drink
* Chair
* Teacher
* Curious George

Mia:
* Jesus
* God
* my dogs (we don't have dogs... I'm confused)
* That Jack feels better up in Heaven (Jack is their Granddad's dog that recently died)

Melissa:
* Naptime
* Having a God that loves us enough to leave his Heavenly home to save us from ourselves
* Adequate food, warm house, clean(ish) water, and the freedom to believe what I choose

Mark:
* Everyone being healthy after months of sickness

Streamlining

2010-11-17T14:32:00.002-06:00

The last year or so my goal in life has been streamlining.

I looked up one day and realized I was stressed, unhappy, and didn't look forward to the next day. I knew something had to change. I had to make my life less hectic. I had to stop the constant busyness and the pressure to do everything. Start spending less time on things that don't matter, that have no lasting significance. I didn't want my children to look back and not remember me playing with them. Or that I was stressed because the house was messy. I wanted to show my girls how to have balance... except that I didn't know how.

Thus, I had to go bare-bones. First was to get things decluttered and organized so I didn't spend my time merely stepping over piles or moving junk from room to room. I had to figure out what was really important, and what I was only hanging on to. Then I created some systems to make my life easier. The most helpful was a cleaning checklist. I am someone who likes to mark things off as I complete them and I also tend to be easily overwhelmed when I can't remember what needs to be done. The cleaning checklist saved my life. I feel accomplished having marked off the task, and I can easily see what needs to be a priority.

It's been an interesting process and I'm still working on it. But I now find myself with time. I never had any time before. I have worked on projects I've put off. I've had time to iron. I've had time to sit and play with my kids for hours. It's been amazing. Streamlining my life has lowered my stress levels significantly and has made our house (I think) a cleaner, happier, more peaceful place.

And now... I see I'm finding time to blog again. I am very happy about this! I just hope there are a few people who still read. ;)

So, hopefully you'll see me around more. And I'll probably be streamlining the posts as well: one or two quality pictures versus a ton. Some more writing about what we're doing, which is what I like best. More of our thoughts and passions. I hope it's something everyone enjoys. :)

Pumpernickel

2010-07-26T23:15:00.005-05:00

Lately it hasn't been the lack of time that has kept me from this blog (though, that has certainly been an issue). It's just that I couldn't find the words to write. What do you say when you just can't seem to write about the biggest thing in your life?

It all started June 4th. I had an inkling. Things didn't seem... right. And either I was going crazy or a certain something was... late. A test was taken and, though I expected otherwise...

Two pink lines. I was pregnant.

Quick calculations put the baby due in early February and we scanned the internet for bread names (as is the tradition). And we had baby #3. Pumpernickel.

After the initial shock, we were quite excited. We dreamed about tell the girls. Mia had been asking about babies and requested a baby brother to be born soon. I couldn't wait to feel the baby kicking, talk (fight) about names, and pick out the baby's verse and special song.

And then we went to the doctor. During the ultrasound the baby showed to be measuring a week behind. No worries! said my doc. Based on your chart this is highly likely. We'll scan you again in a week.

But something didn't feel right. I tried to be positive but something kept nagging at me. Something was wrong.

And something was... we lost Pumpernickel just 3 days later.

It doesn't matter that he or she was the size of an apple seed; it was our baby. I loved that baby with everything I had. I dreamt about him or her. I could literally feel the baby in my arms.

And then it was gone.

Even now, more than a month later, I struggle to put into words how I feel. The best way I can describe it is just that feeling of something missing. My arms feel empty. My heart is missing a little piece. Every time Mia asks when we are going to have a baby, my soul aches just a little bit more.

There hasn't been a time when my faith has been tested so greatly. Have I been angry? Sure, at times. Who wouldn't be? I had already dealt with infertility... why this? Why now? Have I been depressed? Yep. Denial. Frustration. Devastation. But one thing has remained -- hope.

Right after the miscarriage started, I was sitting outside talking with God. And I asked Him -- "Okay, what's up? Why me? Why now? Can you give me just one answer?" And He clearly replied, like a breeze over my soul:

"Because I am the same today that I was yesterday."

And it's true. He was there the day before when I was thanking Him for this precious gift. And He was still there even when it was taken away.

My heart learned something new that day -- how to choose to praise. Is it truly praise if we only do it when things are going great? going OUR way? Or does it become more real when we lift our hands and voices when there's pain? There were times when I'd grit my teeth and stomp my feet. I didn't want to praise Him. But I had to. Because He is the same.

I pray that God uses this hurt. I pray that Pumpernickel's short little life isn't in vain. And you know... that's all in my deciding. I can choose to be bitter and angry, but what good does that do? Yes, I still grieve. There are still tears and my heart feels a bit empty. But I choose to say -- "Lord, Blessed Be Your Name."

"Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow." Jeremiah 31:13

Crickets, crickets

2010-03-06T22:34:00.003-06:00

Hello readers!

Um... hello? Hellllooooo!

Oh, right. Yeah. If I was reading a blog that hadn't been updated since NOVEMBER I don't think I'd be checking in often either.

Sorry about that.

What's going on, you say?

Well... Not a lot. Mia turned 3. Micah turned 1. I realized that as much as I'd like, I am unable to slow life down. Time seems to be speeding up and these precious girls we have been blessed with are growing up at lightening speed. It's totally unfair.

And so, in that spirit, I have been trying to really look at what is most important for each day and only work on that, so as to spend more time with my girls. Laundry, dishes, and paying bills still seem to be here, as is my need to talk with others (aka, Facebook) blogging seems to have fallen way down on the list. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend time with these characters?

Oh the love.

Not sure why exactly she was using stickers at Micah's chair... I'm sure she was up to something.

Micah is, as usual, intense. Her love is intense. Her rage is intense. Her joy is intense.

So, as you can see, we've been busy. I hope to blog more. Make more time between everything else. I do love looking back at our older posts. Seeing the things that they've done. I don't want to lose that... so, here ya go. Posting. :)

Micah the Maniac

2009-11-08T13:43:00.004-06:00

Micah's personality has come out in the last couple months... like a hurricane she blew past the baby and is now constantly into everything and looking to discover what else can can crawl into/under/through and get stuck.

Her most favorite pasttime? Finding things on the floor to eat. Even if you've just swept, she'll find something. Her finger dexterity is pretty stinkin' amazing, I do have to say that, but I fish something out of her mouth no less than 20 times a day. No exaggeration.

She started crawling at 6.5 months. She's now, at 9 months, walking and pushing things around the house. She likes to try to throw herself off your lap or out of your arms. She still loves being upside-down. She'd rather feed herself than be fed and loves to eat real people food. She only has 2 teeth completely in (with another that just broke through yesterday) but she manages to eat pretty much whatever she wants.*

Here's a vides that shows her in all craziness. Enjoy!

* Including half a newt. That was fun to pull out of her mouth. Blech.

Stuff to say

2009-10-12T23:08:00.002-05:00

So it seems that I often have these musings, realizations, and thoughts throughout the day, with no real outlet to get them out. My 2-year-old and 8-month-old aren't too interested in Mommy's random thoughts as much as when I'm going to give them their respected beverages. Mark often says that I don't get enough of my quota of words out during the day and he's assaulted with the leftovers in the few precious hours we have together at night.

So, to help with both these issues, I'm thinking of writing here every once in awhile. Anyone opposed to that? Leave a comment with your thoughts...

So here's the first installment in Melissa's Musings.

Today I was working out with Jillian (i.e. I was doing the 30 Day Shred) and during one of the exercises she makes a comment (that goes something like this, because I can't remember exactly):

"When it starts getting uncomfortable, that's when it matters most."

And I started to think about true that is. Not just in exercising but for life in general. I think back to all the times where I was just plain uncomfortable and it seems that's where the most good came out of my life. Where I grew the most and became closer to God.

Moving away to a college where I only knew one person was uncomfortable. But without moving to UT and joining Phi Lamb I wouldn't have the relationship with God that I have today (or possibly any relationship with God).

Our first year of marriage was uncomfortable. Quite uncomfortable. But the foundation of fighting through the rough periods brought us to a place where we know each other deeply. We realized what it really means that love is a choice. We learned how to interact, communicate, and how to fight. We learned how to love the other person in the way they needed to be loved.

Colic was uncomfortable. There are no words. But, in some weird way, I think it made me a better parent. It gave me patience (that I greatly need right now as I still find myself running out). It gave me a frame of reference to what bad days really are (at least she isn't screaming at us all the time). And I really understood unconditional love... because I loved this kid, no matter how many hours the screaming went on.

Obstructive sleep apnea + a newborn was uncomfortable. But God, did I learn about myself. I learned to let people help me. I learned that I am not superwoman. I learned that sleep really is kinda important (imagine that!) . I learned that I don't have to go it alone. That God is there for me but so are so many other people. And to just get over myself, already. And also that I hallucinate when severely sleep deprived.

So... are you in a position that feels uncomfortable? Hang in there. It will be one of those times that matters the most. Look for the blessings and the lessons. Cling to God's promises, because even if it doesn't feel like it at the time, He's there. Looking back at all these uncomfortable times in my life, I can see God in every one of them. Whether He was just holding my hand and getting me through or pushing me past the point I thought I could endure.

You gotta be uncomfortable sometimes to see real results.

Miss Sassypants

2009-10-12T22:45:00.003-05:00

So lately Mia has become quite the sassy girl. I'm not sure who she thinks her mama is, but it's not going over well. Though... I have to admit some of the things she comes up with are quite funny. Here's some of the latest. And yes, these are all real quotes.

Mia: NO! YOU are the kid and I am the adult! You sit in the car seat and I'll drive and then we will NOT leave the zoo.
***

Mia: Mommy! The sun is up! It's time to wake up!
Me: Mia, the rule is you stay in your room until your clock says 7.
Mia: Well, it's 7 somewhere.
***

Mia: Mommy! It's time to wake up! The sun is up. (sense a theme?)
Me: Mia, honey, it's completely dark in your room.
Mia: (goes and opens her closet door) Well, it's light now.
***

Me: So, Mia, what was your favorite part of dance class?
Mia: Um, Mommy? I'm on the phone here.
Me: Mia, that wasn't polite (blah blah blah)... and how was I supposed to know you were on the phone? You aren't holding a phone.
Mia: I'm on the bluetooth. So Granddad about those ducks...
***

At the zoo a helicopter flies overhead...
Random zoo guy: Hey kids! Did you see that airplane! Pretty cool, huh?!
Mia: (walking off, thankfully) *sigh* That wasn't an airplane, that was a helicopter.

Cute Mia

Crazy Mia... A ball for a hat! Craziness!

Sassy Mia mid-eyeroll

Sea Center

2009-09-23T12:56:00.003-05:00

So we had to check out the Sea Center in Lake Jackson. We've heard a ton about it and since Mia has pretty much been in love with fish for forever, it seemed like a good choice. If you haven't gone, I highly recommend it! It's free and it's so calming to sit and watch the fish swim around.

Mia can't stop smiling watching the fish swim around.

Looks like we have another fish-lover!

Dory and Nemo/Marlin!

(You have no idea how long it too me to get this picture...)

Mia talking to the turtles.

At the Sea Center, octopus seems the obvious choice of snack.

Mia and Mommy working on the fish rubbings.

The obligatory family picture... with both girls crying. It was lunchtime and naptime.

Picnic in the park

2009-09-23T08:22:00.003-05:00

Or just in our backyard.

These are from back in May... I'm trying to catch up obviously. But they were too good to pass up! Enjoy!

So it was a lovely day in May; too lovely to stay inside. So we packed up some lunchables that I'd found as a steal at Kroger and headed outside!
(also -- I'm trying the captions above thepictures this time, as the spacing has been weird. Just a warning!)

Eating outside? With an oversized Strawberry Shortcake sticker? Awesome!

Micah almost foiled the plan of outside eating by taking a freakishly long nap. Never fear, just cart her outside in the carrier, swaddle and all!

Mia gives the picnic two thumps way up!

Micah awakes and stretches to find herself outside and a bit confused.

Dancing with a cookie? Oh yeah.

Happy girl

Oh grass! Where have you been all my life? I shall eat you now.

We are alive!

2009-07-20T22:14:00.008-05:00

So yeah... the computer saga lives on... Hopefully we have something figured out that will work for us better.

Mia's surgery went well. It's amazing the difference in the child. Now that she's sleeping, it is like somebody switched her. She is (mostly) agreeable and helpful and only throws 5-6 fits a day, as opposed to an hour (well, she is still a 2-year-old. can't expect miracles, right?).

Mia did really well during the whole ordeal. she was very brave and didn't cry at all when they took her back (without us! ack!). She was very upset and out of it when she woke up which was so sad! She rebounded quickly, though and was even able to go home the same day, which they said doesn't always happen with kids her age. But within a week she was doing much better and at two weeks she was herself again. Well, herself several months ago at least.

We tried to take some pictures to make it fun and seem like an adventure. Enjoy!

On the way to the hospital very early in the morning... documented proof that she actually fell asleep in the car!

Micah joined in the car naptime, too.

Mia playing with all the new toys with Grampy. She did so good for not having eaten!

Micah wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she liked it.

Modeling her much-too-big PJs.

TRACTORS!

The aftermath...

This is after the morphine. Sleepy girl.

Car ride home... poor baby

Cute things

2009-06-09T14:32:00.002-05:00

There are the times when your kids do such amazing things that you never want to forget them but they happen so fast you don't have a camera nearby. Here are some of those moments.

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Mia has learned "The Lord's Prayer". She loves saying it and I was even able to get it on video (grrr, stinkin' videos). This is how she starts out:

Our Father, You are in Heaven...
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Micah has learned to growl. She does it all the time, especially when eating her feet or trying to eat your face. We call her "The Micah Monster". It's a fitting name. She's also "Micah the Lion." Her love is ferocious.

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As much as you try not to compare them, it's impossible. Micah, at 4.5 months, give or take, is way, way more talkative than Mia ever was. Sometimes I'm already asking her to "Give mama a minute" or "You are hurting my ears!" She's intense with her love and joyfulness and wants to express it AS LOUDLY AS POSSIBLE!

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Now that Micah can roll over both ways, she wants to be on her tummy all the time. No matter that the day before she learned to roll over she hated her tummy, it was the worst place ever, the end. Now it's awesome and rolling over is the best thing ever. Little monkey!

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Mia still loves to repeat everything you say, except now she has an even better memory (oh dear!). The other day, I had finished my 30 Day Shred video (Level 2 baby!) and was telling Mark about it.

Me: This level has a lot more arm work. It has been well-established that I have zero upper-body strength. I think my arms are going to fall off.

Mia: Oh mommy! I hope your arms DON'T fall off!

and later...

Mia: Hey Mommy, when do you think your arms are going to fall off?

It probably doesn't help that my Uncle Ed only has one arm...

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Mia is convinced that I am on T.V. She has decided that not only am I Vanna White, but I'm also Jillian from the 30 Day Shred. Rock on!

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The other day we were going through the alphabet (in random order, cause Mia totally calls me on it) and quizzing Mia on letter sounds. It went something like this:

Us: Mia, what does "Mouse" start with. Mmmm-Mmmmm Mouse?
Mia: M!
Us: Yay! *and falling all over ourselves because of course she's the cutest thing to walk this planet*

So we got to R. She correctly identifies that rainbow starts with "r." Then she informs us:

"R means 'back-up'"

I was thoroughly confused until Mark pointed out that R is for 'Reverse'... as in the car. Duh! She got that one from Granddad.

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Micah is still not a big laugher. She laughs, oh she giggles. But she just doesn't think we're that funny. What does she laugh at? Being thrown up in the air! Being held upside-down. And, of course, being scared. As in, look away from her; then turn your head at her really fast and shout "BOO!" or pretend to sneeze. She's startled for a minute and then she laughs.

Isn't It Ironic... Don't ya think?

2009-06-03T15:25:00.002-05:00

So, irony of ironies, Guess what is Micah's new favorite pastime?

Oh yes, the baby who would not under any circumstances flip over in the womb now loves to be upside-down .

Stinker. That's my little upside-down baby for ya.

What's up?

2009-06-02T09:53:00.001-05:00

So 2 months is a long time to go without blogging. What has been going in that time? Here's a recap:

There was a wee bit of this...

And then there was this (aka, the best night of Mia's life... hopefully more on that later)

Mia wishes there was more of this...

Then Micah had a question... Yes, Micah?

Ah, yes, that's a ceiling fan. You think it's the best thing ever.

And then she started doing this.

There was a lot of this. Still is.

And then some more of this. This is her "I'm sleeping, don't bother me" face.

And now there's lots and lots of this.

And, of course, there is always this.

There's been a lot of practicing. She's still alllllmost there.

Baby dedication day. And Mother's Day. Awesome. And I think that's Granddad's arm.

And if we are good there are special treats

There ya have it. About 2 months worth of blogging. Whew! I'm exhausted!

Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

2009-06-01T14:55:00.002-05:00

Survivor. Oh yes, we have been in survival mode around here.

Around the time of our last post... about 2 1/2 months ago now, things started getting a bit hectic around the Davenport House (as if life with a toddler and an infant wasn't enough). Mia started fighting sleep -- naps, bedtime, middle of the night, you name it. Not only was she fighting going to sleep, but she often woke up several times a night. So our nights looked a lot like this:

Get Mia to bed around 8pm. Put her back in bed every 10-15 minutes until 10pm-midnight (or later!). Wake up 2-3 times after that and put her back to sleep. Get up at 7am. Lather, rinse, repeat. And fall asleep in your coffee.

Oh, yeah, and did I mention that Micah doesn't sleep though the night? Like most babies? Yep, we're pretty tired around here.

Anyway, we tried everything -- punishments, spanking, taking away special treats, locking her in her room, sitting by her bedside, short naps, no naps, freakishly long naps, earlier bedtime, later bedtime, etc, and so on and so forth. Nothing worked. It was all a recipe for disaster and frustration on all our parts. Obviously, something was wrong.

We mentioned this to the physicians assistant at her doctor. She said that sounded like she was dropping her nap, to give it a week or so and it'll work itself out. And take this zyrtec.

Nope, nada, zilch. Except now we had to buy zyrtec.

So we went to see her pediatrician and mentioned this all to him. Plus a host of other symptoms (snoring among others). He referred us to an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) doctor in Houston. After some internet searching and asking around Mark and I were pretty sure what her diagnosis would be, but were torn in hoping for it...

We went to the ENT last week and our suspicions were confirmed. Mia has obstructive sleep apnea caused by very large adenoids and tonsils. She has to have them out. (and she doesn't have allergies in his opinion, ditch the zyrtec! yay!)

The surgery is schedule for June 16th. We're still quite torn about everything. Obviously no parent ever wants their child to undergo surgery. But she (and we) can't keep going on like this either. The ENT was great... he pointed out a bunch of symptoms that we didn't even realize were related and promised us a a "very different kid" when it was all over and done with.

We love our Mia. Desperately. But man... a kid who sleeps would be nice.

So we wait in survivor mode. A good night she sleeps though the night (but alas it isn't "good" sleep so she isn't rested by any means). An average night she gets up 3-4 times. Rough nights it's about every hour.

So there ya have it. That's the reason for the lack of posts. It's hard to write when the computer screen is fuzzy from lack of sleep.

First Haircut

2009-03-24T14:32:00.006-06:00

I'm trying to catch up on some big Mia things. There will be more Micah pictures soon, I promise!

So on March 14, 2009 at 27 months Mia had her first haircut. It's amazing we were able to go that long! But her hair just grew in a very nice shape. Honestly, it has looked like we've always cut it, what a lucky girl. I'm not thinking Micah's old-man-receding-hairline hairdo is going to do the same. Sad.

But, alas, her hair was getting quite scraggly and she had an important event coming up, so we had to make the first cut. She was so brave and sat very still the whole time. She even let Cassandra blow-dry her hair! Her hair style is exactly the same, just a bit healthier.

The before

So excited to be sitting in the big chair!

First cut

Loving the after-styled look.

Side-view of the "flip"

Back-view. Maybe I'm biased, but I think her hair is gorgeous.

Micah was there, too. She was underwhelmed, at best. Or maybe she was just embarrassed that she was still in her PJs?

Jesus Loves Me

2009-03-19T19:43:00.005-06:00

You talk. And you talk. You talk, talk, talk about being kind. About helping each other. About Jesus and God. About doing to other what you would have them do to you. Being a great big sister. How much Jesus loves us... etc, and so on and so forth*.

There are so many days I wonder if it's all for me. If it's just me talking to hear myself speak or because I don't get enough adult conversation during the day. And then this happens and you realize... she really is listening. And more than that she's getting it.

Thank you, Lord.

The words might be a bit hard to understand, but Mia is singing "Jesus Loves Me" to Micah... a song she likes to be sung to her when she's feeing sad or sick. What you don't know is that this particular day, Micah had a little cold. Mia was trying to help her feel better.

PS -- I love that Micah gets bored about half-way through and looks the other direction. Ha! Stinker.

* Gotta love a Canoy throw-back.

Sisters

2009-03-18T06:35:00.004-06:00

Before Micah was born we were a bit worried to see how Mia would react to her... the little squeaking thing that has all of a sudden taken all of Mommy's time, attention, and energy.

We really shouldn't have worried so much about that.

Honestly, the problem we've had is Mia loving on her TOO much. Sure, we have our moments where Mia is upset because we can't do something for or with her, but she's angry with us, not Micah. She wants to love and hug on her all day. She talks to her and tries to help her feel better when she's upset.

Just yesterday, they were both up on the counter while I was trying to get some meat marinating. Mia was showing me an ouchie on her arm and Micah was looking at the lights in the kitchen (they are apparently quite cool). Micah started fussing and Mia went into her dialog to help her feel better, "It's okay, Micah. It's okay. Mommy making dinner, Micah. We need to eat. Mia has an ouchie on my arm, Micah. It's okay."

So sweet. Not as effective as she hoped, but sweet nonetheless. :)

Pictures!

blurry, but sweet

Mia kiss her? all day long!

She loves to do tummy time with her.

So wise

2009-03-12T12:29:00.003-06:00

So many of you know that Mia loves Dora. It's a nice little deal we have where Mia gets to watch 30 minutes of TV and I get to a.) take a shower b.) clean the house c.) stare off into space or d.) all of the above. Love.

Anyway, in Dora there is a "bad guy" (and I use that term quite loosely) named Swiper the Fox. His main goal in life, apparently, is to swipe people's stuff. No good reason given, just likes to steal. You stop him by saying "Swiper, no swiping!" three times. He says, "Oh man" and everything goes back to normal.

So that's the backstory.

The other day Mia was playing in her room with Mark and me. They were about to make a fabulous train track when Mia decided she needed to share her toys with Swiper, who was hanging out in the living room. She made several trips with different toys before announcing:

"If you share with Swiper, he doesn't need to swipe your stuff."

Wow. I wonder why Dora hadn't thought of that...

Today she's been carrying "Swiper" around in her hand and sharing all her toys and showing him her puzzles. She declares that Swiper is nice now.

That's pretty smart, Mia. And quite compassionate. Her big and loving heart amazes and humbles me sometimes.

PS -- we never mentioned this to Mia. Honestly, neither me nor Mark had thought that the way to solve all Swipers problems was merely to share with him. And I have a psychology degree. Way to show me up, kiddo.

Micah's one month!

2009-03-11T14:07:00.008-06:00

Or she was almost a month ago... ah well, here's her stats anyhow.

Height: 22 inches (75-90%)

Weight: 9lbs 10oz (50-75%)

Head: 39cm (75%)

Which: Wow! She was born at 18.5 inches (which was probably closer to 20, but still!)!

And she left the hospital at 6lbs 8oz. That's over 3 pounds in one month! Go Micah!

And she has a big head. Who would have guessed? She didn't get that one from me. But yay! We'll share hats.

I'll try to take pictures every month. Here's her first and a comparison to at birth.

She's about 1 week here and still wearing preemie clothes.

1 month. Chillin on the couch

This growing business is hard work, yo.

A day in the life...

2009-02-26T13:57:00.001-06:00

While I was nursing Micah, Mia was playing "pretend". Apparently she was pretending to be me. This is her idea of what I do:

* First she fed and burped her baby.
* Then she put the baby down in her swing and said, "I be back one minute baby. I go to dryer now"
* Gets clothes out of "dryer" and folds them.
* Baby wakes up and she gives it a bath, changes diaper, clothes, etc.
* Feeds baby and watches Oprah (which I have only done ONCE since Micah was born... weird).
* Puts baby down, fixes lunch
* Burps baby

Wow. I am really, really boring.

A blog about Micah

2009-02-24T21:26:00.005-06:00

Micah is one month old! How is that even possible? This has been the fastest month of my entire life. I have to say that though the tiredness and everything it's been a pretty fantastic month. Micah likes to sleep and eat and drive Daddy crazy by taking awhile to go to sleep at night. She rarely cries. She loves to watch her big sister and her big sister loves her so much (maybe too much sometimes...).

All in all, things have gone pretty smoothly. We all would like a bit more sleep, but eh, it's a small price to pay. I honestly am amazed at the amount my heart has grown to include this wee one.

I have lots of catch-up to do on pictures. Here's a start:

Life can be so hard sometimes.

Happy in Daddy's arms

Headed home -- and showing off the present big sister Mia got for her.

Sisterly Love

Mia's World

2009-02-24T21:00:00.003-06:00

Mia has been talking up a storm lately. When they say there is a language explosion, they really mean it. Some of the things she's been coming up with are really funny. I'll try to share some of them from time to time.

Scene: Mia and I were looking at a picture of a zebra

Mia: A zebra! Zebra running!

Me: Oh? Where is he running?

Mia: Granddads.

Me: Granddads?

Mia: Yes, Granddad needs zebra.

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Scene: Mark, Mia and I were eating dinner and talking about kids.

Me: Hey Mia, who are Mommy's kids?

Mia: Mia!

Me: Who else?

Mia: (thinks for a minute) Daddy!

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Scene: Mia and Daddy are playing Hide and Seek. Mark hides in the office and Mia finds him. Mia then goes to hide -- always in the SAME exact place that Mark hid.

Mark: Wheeeeere's Mia? Is she in the kitchen?

Mia: NO! In the office!

Mark: Hmm... not in the kitchen. Maybe she's in the bathroom!

Mia: No, in the office!

Mark: Oh no! Daddy can't find Mia! Where's Mia?

Mia: Daddy! Mia's in the office!

Obviously we need to help her understand the game a little more.

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This one is a bit more serious. We've been talking a lot about praying and the things we can pray for (when someone's sick, something we're worried about, etc). Well one day Mia had an icky (kicky in Mia-ese) nose and I was explaining to her that we needed to not touch Micah's face or hands because we could get her sick. Here was her prayer before lunch:

Dear Lord, thank you for this day and this food. And please help baby Micah not get sick. Jesus name Amen!

Wow... that spoke volumes. She's really understanding it and putting it into practice.

Mia -- Our greatest prayer for you, sweet girl, is that you'll love God with all your heart and call on His name. You are obviously well on your way. We can't wait to see how you'll grow in the years to come.

Cheesin' after naptime

Helping her baby do "tummy time"

Beautiful Girls

2009-01-29T14:21:00.006-06:00

Laurie has once again outdone herself. Here are some sneak peeks at some pictures she took of our girls yesterday. Sleeping angel

Sisters

More to come!

Updating

2009-01-28T15:05:00.003-06:00

Hello! How as it been one week?! I'm back to the land of the almost-mobile and almost-human. :) The recovery from Micah's birth wasn't nearly as bad as I thought, but it wasn't enough for me to deem c-sections as the way to go... not by a long-shot.

So, yes, Micah never turned and we ended up having a c-section. It... was... interesting. Talk about a way for God to completely take away my ability to control things and rely on Him. In the end, we realized that it was 100% the way to go. Micah ended up being in a very awkward position with one foot down and one foot either curled to her body or stuck completely to the side. It would have been a very difficult birth to say the least and would have most definitely resulted in a complication to her and me. We are grateful beyond measure that we had a safe way to deliver her.

And she's perfect. She's been passing all her tests with flying colors and is regaining the weight that newborns always lose. She's a good eater and sleeper and is quite sweet. We are so in love.

On her name -- We chose Micah based on two things -- the meaning and a special verse. It means "Who is like the Lord" and we just loved that meaning. No one is like the Lord in His goodness, mercy, and love. Second Mark and I both love Micah 6:8:

"He has shown thee, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of thee. But to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

Mark and I both feel that this verse sums up what God loves to see His children striving after. If we can follow this verse then we are also fulfilling the greatest commandment to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37). If we are doing justly and loving mercy, then we are loving our neighbors as ourselves. If we are walking humbly with our God, then we are loving God.

This is our prayer for our sweet Micah.

Emily was a name that we both really loved -- but Mark more. :) We wanted an "E" name so that Micah would have the same initials as Mark. We thought that with a more masculine first name, she needed a feminine middle name and Emily fit the bill.

We haven't posted more pictures of her because our crazy computer has decided to stop working. We're getting it fixed and are hoping to quickly post some pictures soon. How frustrating! But there are plenty of pictures and we can't wait to share them!

It's a...

2009-01-21T19:03:00.003-06:00

...GIRL!!! Welcome to the world, Micah Emily!

Stats:

7 lbs 2.3 oz

18.5" tall/long

January 21, 2009 at 7:51 am

Micah was not happy about being evicted from her cozy home!

Here's the happy Mommy.

Micah meets Grammie and Grampy.

Micah meets Nonnie, Granddad, and her big sister, Mia.

Mia helping Daddy hold sweet Micah.

Guest Post by: Mark (aka Daddy)

Last Day

2009-01-20T16:58:00.002-06:00

Marble is still breech. Crazy child! We're guessing he or she just didn't want to be upside-down. :) Our c-section date has been changed to tomorrow morning at 7:30am. We're nervous and excited to meet our new munchkin -- little troublemaker! :) We'll post with all the details as soon as we can.

I'm not sure about Mark, but I've learned quite a few things through this time:
1. Nothing is ever a guarantee.
2. Hanging upside-down off a couch is an interesting experience.
3. Prayers are always answered -- they are just sometimes answered with a "no."
4. Perspective is everything. There are people who have it better, sure, but there are people that have it way worse. It's time to be thankful for what we do have -- a healthy child and a safe way to deliver him or her.
5. God will walk us through anything.

Today, I took Mia to the park for the last time as an only child. We ran around, climbed, and played on the swings. She did several things for the first time -- climbed the chain ladder and slid down a very tall slide! What a big girl!

Climbing up for the first time.

Posin' on the bridge

Having so much fun

Oh Marble...

2009-01-16T08:26:00.002-06:00

Marble has still decided to be breech. We had our external version on Tuesday and the baby did not turn even 1/4 of the way around. I'm still doing all my exercises, but he/she doesn't seem to want to move out of his or her cozy place.

We are a bit frustrated and disappointed, but we know that in the end coming home with a healthy baby and mommy is what's most important.

We are scheduled for a c-section 1.22.09 at 5pm. 6 days until we find out who this little trouble-maker is!

Continued prayers for Marble's health, a safe and smooth surgery, and a speedy recovery are much appreciated.

Marble Update

2009-01-09T07:31:00.002-06:00

Well, we haven't really updated on Marble in awhile. Probably because we keep getting so far behind on the other posts and... let's face it, a baby in utero isn't really all that exciting.

Or is it?

Marble has turned out to be quite the drama queen (king?). About 5 weeks ago, we went to an appointment to find out that I was measuring small and they couldn't find the heartbeat at first. They did, but it was a scary couple minutes! We had an ultrasound 2 weeks later and found the baby to be just fine.

And now. *sigh* On Wednesday we went to our regular appointment and found that the baby is breech. We're 37 weeks as of today which makes us full term and could go at anytime. Which means... this baby needs to flip over or I'll have to have a c-section. There's still time, and 2nd babies do tend to flip later than the 1st, but we're worried nonetheless.

I'm working on all the positions and stretches and exercises that I can find to help turn the baby. We're also scheduled for an external version on Tuesday, but we're hoping it will not be needed as it comes with its own risks and can be uncomfortable.

But, in the end, we know that only God can turn this baby around. We're praying, believing, and stepping out in faith that God will turn this baby around in His timing. Will you please join with us in our prayer?

We do have pictures from our ultrasound... but they are awfully hard to tell what they are. So... you'll have to wait a couple weeks for the real thing. :)

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2009-01-06T07:52:00.006-06:00

Christmas?

Or here's the promised pictures from Christmas with my family!

The yearly family picture taken by the self-timer on the camera. Mia's blocking Marble. :)

Deuling cousin present opening... Cloe won.
Bubbles!

Oh yes, this is so nice!

Cuddle time with Grampy.

And this was before the lunch-induced turkey coma.

Eating together at Cloe's table and getting to watch PBS. Could it get any better?

Joining the converation at the adult table.

Playin' soccer!

A tag-team effort for Cloe's 4-wheeler. Cloe is the gas, Mia steers. Maybe Santa needs to put this on his list for next year?

That's a whole lot of granddaughter right there.

Aaaaaand the lollipop picture. Cause Mia asked.

Tiny Dancer

2008-12-30T10:05:00.005-06:00

Since we found out that Mia was a girl, it has been asked whether or not she was going to take dance. I really, really don't want to push her into anything that I like to do... I mean, what if she wanted to do soccer? music? softball?

Well, I think we might have a dancer on our hands...

The other day we had this conversation:

Mia: (picks up her backpack) Bye mama! I go to dance class now.
Me: Oh? Where is dance class?
Mia: Mia room!

She proceeds to go into her room, pretend to put on dancing shoes, and then stretch. And dance. We've never told her what happens at dance class... she remembers from the ONE class she's watched and that was several months ago.

Some stills of the dancing session... notice the complete and utter joy on her face. I didn't have to ask her to smile once.

Oh, and also... Mia seems to have a bit of soul in her. This is her change in dancing when it was a rap song (we were watching a Christian station that shows music videos). Ha!

And unto us a child is born...

2008-12-28T20:00:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! What a wonderful season -- we always love celebrating the birth of our Savior and contemplating the miracles that had to be in order for Him to get here and to be a sign to us. We love this verse from Isaiah that foretold His birth:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

We pray that He is truly your mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Mia had a fabulous Christmas this year. She talked of it being Jesus' birthday and sang "Happy Day to you" (Mia's version of "Happy Birthday") to Jesus every night. How cute is that? She loved giving and receiving presents and all the cookies that went along with the many celebrations that we were blessed to attend. Here are some pictures.

Can we please open the presents now, Daddy?

She was still quite careful opening this year.

Cheesin' and openin' A multi-tasker

Oh yeah. Santa knows what Mia likes. And Mark.

She's awfully confused by the whole thing.

But who cares?! There are choo-choos!

Cookies for breakfast. Oh yeah! The tradition continues...

She did this completely without prompting. She is officially a member of the "dork family."

Mia is approximately 16 quarts.

Oh yes, she is a big fan of the cookies.

We have more pictures from the other celebrations, but they aren't on the computer yet. Soon!

Maternity Pictures

2008-12-21T07:17:00.003-06:00

Back in July, Mia won the photo contest over at Laurie Heath's photography blog. In an attempt to do something fun and different for this baby that we didn't do with Mia, we set up to do a maternity/infant session. See, Marble! All is well!

Laurie is amazing, you guys. If you live in our area, I recommend her so much. The session was way more fun than it should have been! Here's the blog post of our pictures:

http://www.laurieheathstudio.com/blog/2008/12/how-gorgeous-is-this-mommy-to-be.html

Enjoy!

A Winter Wonderland

2008-12-19T12:16:00.005-06:00

It snowed! It snowed! (Though, it was a week ago, and it is currently almost 80 degrees... but that's Texas weather for ya...)

The pictures aren't great because the batteries in our camera died and we didn't have any other recharged. Grr...

Mia wasn't so sure about the snow at first. She hated it and cried and wanted back inside. She got into it later. It must not have been that bad, because she keeps asking for the snow to come back! Poor thing... it'll be awhile.

Mia watching the snow come down because she was NOT going out in it.

Venturing out later. And it stuck!

Crunch, crunch, crunch... Mia loved to hear the snow under her feet.

Part of our front yard

Yield sign in front of our house

Snowman! Yes, made on top of our recycling bin.

Yay! Snow!

Sorry for the lame resolution... we had to use Mark's camera.

Our house the next morning when our batteries were working. Some melted overnight, but it's still pretty.

So pretty! The yard was covered the night before...

Party Time! Excellent!

2008-12-12T08:05:00.006-06:00

We had Mia's party the day after her birthday, but we just rescued the pictures from our camera. We had a "fish" theme... fish hung from the ceiling and walls and blue crepe paper made the "water". We were under the sea! Mia had a great time. She loved the cake the most... she talked about it for days before her party so we actually had cake first -- before presents, before dinner, before even going outside! Hey, it's her party, right? :)

And yes, Mark was at the party. Unfortunately, he was the photographer, as he is much, much better at remembering to take pictures than I am. And we forgot to get a picture of the three of us.

The cake! It's not fabulous, but it tasted good. And yes, it was supposed to look like a child's drawing.

CAKE! The thing Mia was most excited about.

Waiting "patiently" to blow out the candles.

Oh yes, it's not a birthday without cake.

A DORA ROBE!

NEMO!

(and the exact Nemo that we had borrowed from Jared & Gina months ago. I guess it's Mia's now.)

Posin' with Mommy & her new DORA! movie.

BACKPACK!

Out for a ride with Cloe and Jax.

The bellies! They are taking over!

Kristi (due late Feb), Heather (due mid-Feb), Melissa (due late Jan), Laura (due mid-Dec)

ELMO! Tickle Me Elmo -- the original!

Who says "used" presents aren't appropriate? They rock!

Happy Birthday, Mia!

2008-12-05T14:37:00.006-06:00

Two years ago, our little Mia Joy arrived. All the cliches about life going much too fast are true... the past two years have flown past. I still have trouble believing that my baby girl is now potty-trained, sleeping in a big girl bed, using a booster chair, "reading" books and coloring, learning her ABC's and speaking in sentences. It's amazing what they learn in 2 years!

She's become so grown up and we are amazed to see her God-given personality emerging more each day. She is the child who, when she puts her mind to it, will jump in with both feet and never look back. She did that with potty-training and sleeping in her big girl bed. She decided one day she wanted to do it, and she did! She's still awfully slow to warm up to strangers and hates being left in a nursery or at MOPS, but is getting better. She shares well and is very caring towards babies. She's quick with a hug if she sees you are sad and loves to see people happy. She's funny, laughs loud and often, and still loves dancing more than just about anything (she's her mama's girl!). She's stubborn and her new favorite phrase is "Mia do it." But, in the end, those are good things! She is also one smart cookie. She knows all her shapes and colors, can count to twelve (and recognize numbers 0-9) and knows most of her letters, too. She amazes us everyday, and we are so blessed that God gave her to us. She is definitely "Our Joy".

But enough of the sap... on to the pictures! Here's Mia at 2, with 1 year and just born for comparisons.

Mia's 2!

Happy girl

ONE YEAR:

JUST BORN:

Going to the chapel...

2008-12-01T20:41:00.006-06:00

My baby sister, Lindsey, got married! I participated as Matron of Honor (yikes, that sounds old) and Mia was an honorary flower girl. Which just meant that she got to dress up and be in pictures but she didn't have to walk down the aisle; we didn't think that would work out so well! Mark was all-around awesome and kept up with Mia through all the craziness and helped anywhere needed. We all had a blast and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. Get ready for ridiculous amounts of pictures...

Beautiful bride and not so excited flower girls... it was lunchtime!

Nonnie & Granddad -- they were such a help!

Family of 3.5

It was actually cold in November!

Awww! Mia loves her "yinze"

Running down the hill... she'd run, crash, run again. For about a hour. She's a maniac!

The Krebs

Sisters

That's Lindsey!

Watching birds -- or Mark's attempt to get Mia (and himself!) some rest.

Two-steppin' with Grammie & Grampy after the bride and groom left.

Back to normal

2008-12-01T20:34:00.002-06:00

I took an unintentional blogging break in the month of November because the month was just craziness. I planned a surprise birthday party, helped plan a bachelorette party, got wedding stuff together, helped plan Grub & Games at church, traveled to Fred and arranged flowers, walked in a wedding, hosted Thanksgiving, and planned Mia's 2nd birthday party... not to mention that in the last 2 weeks of October I planned or helped plan a wedding shower and a baby shower.

It was intense.

So sorry for not letting you know that I wasn't going to be around. I kept meaning to post something and it just never happened. Unfortunately, blogging didn't always rank as high on the priority list. Sad!

Pictures coming now! I'll put things up in order o when they happened.

"What's a cheerleader say?"

2008-11-09T21:29:00.003-06:00

This one is for David...

We had to. It was too cute! And matched her costume. Thankfully she's in the parroting phase and repeats anything you tell her. Which can also be bad...

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T06:48:00.005-06:00

We're not sure how it's already November and how Halloween has already come and gone. This year seems to be going lightening-fast. I'm guessing it's the combination of pregnancy and a very (very!) active toddler.

Every year for Halloween, we go to a local church that our church partners with quite a lot. They have a Fall Festival with music, games, free food, door prizes... honestly, they had me at free food! Mia had a fabulous time, though she was still trying to figure out what exactly was going on... play a game? get candy? It didn't take her long to realize it was a good deal! Mark and I helped out by working some booths and I even won a door prize! That never happens. :)

But you want to see pictures, right? We went as a family of rabid UT fans. We're fans, but not this much, for sure!

AHHHH!

Go Horns!

Posin' with the Daddy.

Mia and Mommy

(and yes, I am 6 months pregnant in the photo... I'm not exactly sure where the belly is. It is there, I assure you.)

The fam. Mia is over pictures and ready to play some games already.

That's a good daddy right there. :)

Mia won Nemo! Totally better than candy.

I'm not quite sure she's gonna be a cowgirl. Sorry, Aunt Lindsey.

YAY HALLOWEEN! IT IS THE BEST FUN EVER!!!

Enjoying what happens to be her 3rd lollipop her entire life.

Mia funnies

2008-10-21T06:56:00.004-05:00

Mia has exploded with her language and is quite funny these days! Here are some snippits of stories I hope you find funny. And pictures at the end, if you need to just scroll past all those words..

***********************************************************************************

During the hurricane evacuation, we slept with a monitor on during the time we stayed at Nonnie & Granddad's. We normally don't do this, because she is a loud sleeper, but we found out some interesting things... like Mia talks in her sleep.

Or sings.

One night I was woken up to "D-d-d-d-d Dora! D-d-d-d-d Dora! Dora, Dora, Dora!"

And then snoring. She was asleep.

***********************************************************************************

Recently, some neighbors gave us some plastic food that Mia loves. Mixed in was a My Little Pony and some bowls and cups and such. She has taken to feeding that pony every day. She takes two bowls and pours them back and forth. I finally let curiousity get the best of me and asked her what the pony was eating.

Cereal.

***********************************************************************************

Mia is obsessed with trains. She cries when they leave. So to avoid this, I told her that kids in other towns wouldn't get to see the train if it stayed here. She totally didn't care about that. So, I told her that our friend Jax, who lives the next town away, wouldn't ever get to see the train.

So now, no matter what town or state we are in, trains that leave go to Jax's house.

***********************************************************************************

Mia loves babies. She is especially loves our friend's baby, Leah. She now believes that the baby in Mommy's belly is Leah. We've tried to convince her otherwise, but she's adament. She maintains that position even when Leah is here. huh.

We do, actually, allow her sugar every once in awhile. We aren't completey mean! Here's the aftermath of a Hershey Minatures.

Yay! Sugar! num, num, num!

Oh, sugar crash, I feel you already.

By Popular Demand

2008-10-21T06:43:00.004-05:00

Okay, for some reason people want to see belly pictures. Here you go! I admit we haven't been that good about taking pictures... we usually get one in every 2 weeks or so. I have more, but they are on our camera. Of course.

22 weeks (and yes, about 4 weeks ago...)

FAQs about this pregnancy:

Q. Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?
A. No, we didn't find out. We'll see in January (or February if this child is comfy).

Q. Come on! You must know!
A. No, we really don't.

Q. Will you continue with the "M" theme?
A. Not necessarily. We didn't quite mean to start it, we just really liked the name Mia. We will choose names that we like, regardless if they are M's or not. I know, I know, therapy forever, but I'm sure the child will recover.

Q. So... what are the names?
A. As with Mia, we aren't telling. We are open to suggestions, but mostly nod and smile for all of them, so don't get your hopes up or feelings hurt.

Q. Why Marble?
A. So, since we may not continue with the "M" theme when it comes to names, we decided to give this kid an M nickname. It continues with the bread theme we set up with Mia (ya know, bun in the oven? ha? no?). And it's cute.

Q. How is Mia handling everything?
A. Well, she knows that there is a baby in Mommy's belly. And she loves babies. Maybe too much? We read her a lot of books and talk about it a lot, but I'm not sure she knows that this baby will come out eventually and will stay around. (And cry.) The scariest thing, though, is that she's quite attached to Daddy and does NOT like it if he holds any other child. That could get interesting. I think she'll do okay, though.

Q. Are you still dancing?
A. Yes, and will most likely through 34 weeks (out of 40) when we break for Christmas. My doctor says it is fine. Yes, he knows I'm jumping. The baby is well protected in there. And, I danced until 36 weeks with Mia and she's okay!

The week before...

2008-10-12T21:07:00.002-05:00

So, the week before Ike was one of those crazy weeks where you wonder what else in the world could happen. Oh, yeah, a hurricane! Here's a rundown...

Monday: Oh crap! Big storm. Cancel dance classes Tuesday-Friday. Doom, destruction, woe!

Tuesday morning: Oh, storm going to Brownsville! How silly, we are fine. la la la, let's forget about watching the news.

Tuesday afternoon: What?! Storm moved north? Like, here? Why? Stupid Ike. Start watching news again...

Tuesday evening: Car crash (a whole other story). Car crunched. In Mia's words, "Mommy, honk, honk, boom!" Not my fault. Everyone was fine, though. Except poor Viv the Vue.

Wednesday: Need to evacuate. Start preparing house. Argue with insurance, can't get a rental until late Wednesday (which was too late). Prepare house some more. Deal with whiny child. Prepare house. Figure out which belongings we don't want blown away. Pack clothes. Do laundry. Pack food... etc, etc, etc. Borrow truck from friends to evacuate (Thanks guys!).

Wednesday night: Leave around 8pm. Get to Austin around 12am. Sleep, for goodness sake.

Thursday: Get pulled over by cop because of expired inspection (as in almost a year expired, which we were warned of before we borrowed said vehicle... they never got pulled over, we did. We're lucky!). Thankfully get a warning. Play at Zilker Park for awhile, buy groceries in unbelievably packed HEB. Unpack and watch The Weather Channel.

Friday: Go to get car inspected. Go to Jiffy Lube... car fails. Bad tires and low brake fluid. Get brake fluid. Wait 1.5 hours for tires at Discount Tire. Go back to Jiffy Lube, wait another 30-45 minutes (have Starbucks). Finally get legal car. Laugh at reports getting blown over by wind.

Saturday: Hurricane comes through. Carport falls on house.

Hurrication

2008-10-06T21:00:00.007-05:00

2 blogs in one day! Aren't you special?

So, despite the frustration of having to leave our house and the anxiety of not knowing what will be left when we returned, we actually had quite a good time in Austin. A hurrication if you will. :)

Mia's makeshift table and chair
(and I can't figure out why this picture is flipped... it isn't in the original form. Help me out!)

Mmmm... Evacuation food. Canned green beans, frozen noodlely meaty stuff, and canned fruit of some variety. Classy.

Mia and Melissa waiting (almost 2 hours!) at Discount Tire. Mia is thrilled.

A choo-choo! A choo-choo!

Getting ready to ride the train at Zilker.

Anyplace with sand is alright with Mia.

Possibly the only time she's smiled while swaddled.

Dog's water = prime splashing location

Granddad's "Ducks" (swans, actually, but eh, close enough)

Mark's idea of playing: setting stuff on fire with Jared and getting very dirty.

Sand! Rocks! Love!

Extreme close-up of the cuteness

Belated update

2008-10-06T20:52:00.004-05:00

So obviously we are home. I never updated you... I thought I did, but the archives don't lie, do they?

We got power back late in the afternoon on Wednesday, September 24th and "moved" back into our house on September 25th (a birthday present for Eileen?). We left our house on September 10th. So it had been 2 weeks + 1 day since we left. Crazy.

Mia was anxious to get back to her house and her bed. Throughout the two weeks she kept asking, "Mia's house?" and then when we got back and the power hadn't yet been restored she'd walk around saying, "Mia's house broke. Lights broke, ice broke, tv broke..." Obviously, she was trying to process everything that was going on.

But, we are thankful beyond words that we are able to get back to normal. There are so many people that are still living in hotels or finding other houses because their house was damaged... or simply gone.

Texas Swimming Pool

2008-10-01T21:18:00.005-05:00

Who needs a swimming pool when you have a cattle trough*?

A personal pool? Awesome!

Enjoying the water

Cheesin' for the paparazzi

* The cattle trough had never been used and was clean. We wouldn't just throw her in a trough that cows had been using!

Holding Patterns...

2008-09-22T22:02:00.003-05:00

Yeah. Sorry about the no updating thing. We are still without power in our house (10 days now... or something?). We've been out of our house for 12. We've been staying with Nonnie and Granddad who have a generator that runs the whole house and room for us. Though, it's not run for the entire day, so Internet time is scarce.

As soon as we have power we're moving back in since everything is livable and I'll get back to updating you more often on the adventures of M-4.

Many people have been asking us how we are doing. Well, I think our emotions swing from being incredibly, ridiculously grateful for how blessed we are (cause it could have been a lot worse) to being very weary and frustrated and just plain tired. We're ready to go home, obviously. This experience has been such a roller-coaster.

But, I think it has given us a whole new compassion for people that have been displaced from their homes. I mean, we're working on only 12 days, and we've been living in really nice conditions, considering. I cannot even imagine the frustration, helplessness, hopelessness, and weariness of having to stay out for weeks and stay in overcrowded shelters. My heart goes out to everyone in that position. Please keep praying for everyone in the Houston/Galveston/Beaumont area as we try to get back to "normal." Or maybe just how things were with a little more compassion, patience, and appreciation.

Ike's Aftermath

2008-09-16T07:35:00.002-05:00

I apologize for not updating sooner. I think that the week was just so much, and there was so much updating by verbal words, that I couldn't bring myself to type also. Here's the scoop.

Ike roared through our area, but to our east... which meant we got the much less destructive side (which does seem like an oxy moron when it comes to hurricanes doesn't it?). We thank everyone who prayed... in the end we needed them!

On Saturday, we got a report that our neighbors carport blew onto our roof. From the first reports from my father-in-law (which were given to him by his brother), it appeared that parts of the carport might have actually impaled our roof. Mark and I prepared ourselves to not have a home to go back to, all the while praying that it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

Throughout the day, we continued hearing reports... better and better! As it turns out, not even a single shingle was missing, damaged, or scratched. The parts that fell on our roof were so heavy that Mark's brother could not remove them himself (and he's not a puny guy, people!). Amazing. Thank you, Lord!

So, yes, we have a home. Our fence is damaged in one spot and we have limbs everywhere. Power has not been restored but we are thankful for running water. Our family has been able to take care of our freezers so we haven't lost too much food. We'll be headed home today to assess the damage and begin clean-up. More than likely, it'll be awhile before power is back on, so we'll be at Mark's parent's house.

Please continue to pray for the Houston and Galveston areas. People have lost their homes and lives. And it's becoming a scary places at times with looting and people losing their minds. Pray for peace, patience, and that things will return to semi-normal soon.

Baby's First Evacuation

2008-09-11T10:41:00.002-05:00

Ah, Ike. Thanks for wanting to visit the Brazoria County area. It is a very nice place but, well, you weren't exactly invited.

Hurricane Ike, as of now, as his sights set on our little slice of Texas. Yes, it could still move back south and yes, it could pull a Rita and head to East Texas. But for now we have already headed out and are safe in Austin, TX.

Our house is boarded up, and we are preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. Please send your prayers to whoever will be affected by the hurricane.

I'll update with more information as we have it and with some fun pictures, too!

Meeting Marble

2008-09-03T16:33:00.005-05:00

I haven't written a lot about this pregnancy. Possibly because let's just be honest... a cute toddler is infinitely more exciting than the antics of a fetus or the hormone-induced ramblings of the mom.

But mostly because, man, this pregnancy just never felt real. I mean, yes, I was sick, I am hormonal, I have heard the heartbeat... but it has never really sunk in. It just happened so easily, ya know? I mean, we thought about being pregnant and bam! 2 pink lines. It was so much harder and there were so many more struggles, tears, and questions trying to get Mia. I guess I had a hard time actually believing my dreams of conceiving easily actually happened? That God blessed us that much?

Apparently He did.

Meet Marble. The cutest little Skeletor baby ever.

Marble putting its fingers to its* mouth.

Laying on its side... the head looks like it is on a pillow of sorts. You can see the arm and ribs.

Look Ma! 2 hands!

Laying on its stomach.

* We have decided to keep the sex of this baby a secret, as we did with Mia. It is much easier to write "it" for the baby rather than he/she or his/her all the time. We apologize if this deeply offends anyone and humbly ask them to come up with a better neuter pronoun for the English language.

Mia Newt!

2008-09-02T20:48:00.002-05:00

Guest post by Mark (aka "Daddy")

This is an example of the randomness of Mia.

Tonight, after her bath, 'jaybird' Mia and I played in the living room with some new soft nerf-like balls that Melissa bought (for just $0.25!!!). We threw them to each other, at each other, and then we counted them. Mia pretended to be Zee (our dog that now lives at my parents house) and started putting one of the balls in her mouth. Then she suddenly remembered that we had Zee's blue ball outside. So we talked it over and decided that Mia should take this ball to Zee at Nonnie and Granddad's house. So we get her dressed and then go outside to get the ball for Zee.

On the way back in, we notice a newt on the wall in the garage. I point out the 'lizard' on the wall and when I got inside I told Melissa about the 'newt.' Mia then breaks the news to us that she was, in fact, a newt. I asked Mia if she could walk on the walls. She started thinking and then told us, "Mia wall, Mia newt." I told her that I didn't understand and she started to get upset. She was pointing to her room, so I asked her to show me. She points at the letters on the wall - "M" "I" "A". Then she tells me again, "Mia wall, Mia newt." I just about fell on the ground laughing... since her name was on the wall, she thought she was a newt!

(I don't know if this is actually that funny to you, but I was very impressed with her reasoning... which probably says a lot about me!)

Boston Trip Part Deux

2008-08-28T20:53:00.003-05:00

Ahhh... the cuteness, it cannot be contained!

Make way for Ducklings

The real things!

Shiloh taking in the action.

Preparation for the Frog Pond

A pond?! In the middle of the park? Insanity!

Hey, look over there!

Ah, I have run out of time and my computer isn't cooperating. Maybe more later. Or possibly you are tired of Boston pics. Meh, we'll see what this weekend has to offer.

The Ulricksons!

2008-08-26T15:24:00.006-05:00

This past weekend Mark, Mia, and I (and Marble, of course) travelled to Boston to visit our friends, The Ulricksons. We had a fabulous time seeing Matt, Amy, and Heidi after 15 months and meeting Shiloh for the first time. The girls all got along well and played like they saw each other all the time. We got to see the beautiful city of Boston, walk through the parks, splash around in the Frog Pond, play at Waldon Pond, swing at the park, and even had some fabulous adults-only dinners!

We have tons of pictures. I tried to keep it to one blog, but with so much cuteness in one house it was impossible! Look for more cuties to come!

The first of many yogurty snacks at the Ulrickson house.

Storytime with Mark

Swingin' good time

Heidi swinging high

Mia enjoying having a swing-buddy

Shiloh taking in the action

Mia making a complicated meal involving running the blender and pouring it directly on the burner in Heidi's kitchen.

Taking care of baby Shiloh (aka Ninoh in Miaease)

Bathtime is more fun with friends!

Mia loving the water splashing out

Accessorize!

2008-08-19T16:38:00.004-05:00

It's been a bit since I've updated. We've been stuck in a world of a crying, hurting baby; Finding Nemo; darkened rooms; yogurt; and desperate pleas to eat something, please, Mia.

Mia has Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. Oh yeah. It's so sad, poor baby.

ANYWAY! Before the "disease" that took over our lives happened, Mia was obsessed with hats. Hats for her, hats for daddy, and wanting hats for Mommy. She has yet to learn that hats just do not fit Mommy. Alas, she remains undaunted in trying to accessorize the entire family.

See? Hats make every outfit better!

Oh yeah, converted another one.

Though, I think this one looks much better on me. Don't you think?

Over-sized men's sunhat and over-sized orange Lego... the hottest accessories for summer.

Welcome to the World...

2008-08-12T13:19:00.004-05:00

Huge congratulations to our friends Jared and Gina! They welcomed their first child, Leah Elizabeth, yesterday. She is gorgeous and we cannot wait to get our rhyming girls together to create some mischief. ;)

We couldn't be happier for you guys! Enjoy your new blessing. :)

(Seriously, go see their baby girl... she has quite the head of hair and is so cute and tiny!)

Flower Girls and Marble Update

2008-08-11T15:41:00.005-05:00

Ah, weddings. The loveliness of the bride, the excitement of the groom... and the always interesting antcis of the flower girls. My younger sister, Lindsey, is getting married in November (yes, I'm in the wedding, and yes, I'll be 30 weeks pregnant... yikes) and Mia and her cousin Cloe are the honorary flower girls. I stress honorary because since Lindsey is a brilliant bride, they will not be walking down the aisle, but will still look stinking cute in their dresses with daisies in their hair.

Marble update -- I'm currently 15 weeks 3 days pregnant (but who's counting?) in what is quite possibly the fastest pregnancy ever. Its literally flying by, which scares me because maybe it'll catch up to me in the 3rd trimester? yikes. Anyway, we heard the heartbeat again today -- such a lovely sound! The "big" ultrasound is scheduled for 3 weeks from now, though we will not be finding out the sex. Sorry, guys, its way too much fun to torture you! My weight gain is okay (read: I actually gained weight this time) and everything else looks wonderful!

So you are telling me that you are picking my dress out for me?

Hmm... I guess this'll do.

Ooooo! I look pretty!

Kiss the pretty baby

Posin' -- ya think she's used to taking pictures?

Cloe

Cousins!

Be My Escape

2008-08-08T15:40:00.003-05:00

It seems that no matter your position or current place in life, you just have those days. You know the ones... where you spend half the day contemplating a dash to Mexico or dreaming of the grass on the other side of the fence. It doesn't really matter how amazingly blessed you realize you are, or the realities of said grass. Just sometimes the monotony, frustrations, and ruts of this grass just seem to be too much.

I tend to think of life in song. Is it the musical lover in me? Who knows... but this song has been my theme song the last couple of days:

And I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity
and I've been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there's no way in knowing where to go, promise I'm going because
I gotta get outta here
I'm stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get outta here
And I'm begging You, I'm begging You, I'm begging You to be my escape.
"Be My Escape" by Reliant K

It is the ruts we let ourselves fall into due to our own doubts, insecurities, and just plain listening to the voices in our own heads that get us here. It makes it to where we can't get past all this junk to enjoy the moment, or just realize that no matter what is going on in our lives we are more blessed than the millions of people grieving, starving, or fighting for their lives.

But we still need escape. God has promised to be our escape. I find myself half-praying these lyrics sometimes, begging God to rescue me from what I've created in my own life. Rescue me from myself. Its funny, though... I want him to just swoop in like Superman or Batman or something and fix it -- all the while I go on about my life making that same rut deeper and deeper. It occurred to me today... that just doesn't make sense.

It is up to us to make that first step. He does promise to be our escape. He's there ready, willing, and more than able... we just have to actually sit down and allow Him to do it. To open our minds and hearts and possibly break them down a bit. I have tried so many other forms of escape on those days -- Sonic runs, talking with friends, surfing the Internet, blogging... and they aren't bad things, really. But they are temporary fixes. I'm happy for a minute and then I spill the apple juice twice and drop the high chair tray on my foot. And it all goes away.

But those days I actually sit down with God and pray, read the Bible, and just think about the amazing life He's given me? Oh yes, that's an escape.

** I realize that this is a departure from our normal blogging program. I hope you've enjoyed it... but if you haven't, pictures and Mia-stories will return, I promise! **

Imagination Station and Belly Explosion

2008-08-03T23:00:00.003-05:00

So, at 20-months, Mia's imagination is starting to emerge. Is that early? I have no clue... you'd think I'd know these things considering I, ya know, studied it in school. I believe its early, but then again its not full-blown imagination either. Mainly just the idea that she could pretend to be something else.

So lately, she's started acting like she's a dog. She now crawls on the ground and barks and everything. But at first she kinda, crouched down? And kinda said "woof". She seems to be in pain but she's really a puppy dog.

A video! (Please excuse the very, very high-pitched narrarator. That's how you talk to dogs, right?)

And, our other child. Who is making my belly explode at exponetial proportions. There has been a request for belly pictures. From more than one person. So... if you don't want to see my belly, stop reading, though it is a clothed picture, so its not that scary.

The belly! At 14-weeks. Yes, I'm sure there is only one in there. And yes, I'm due in January.

So either the whole "You show earlier with your 2nd" is true or this is the biggest fetus ever. Scary. I'll go with the first.

Saturday in the Park...

2008-07-29T22:36:00.004-05:00

Or Tuesday... whichever.

Here's some pictures from tuesday at the park. I didn't get any of her sliding, though, bummer.

Playing in the sand... favorite activity at the park.

Poser

Flying the spaceship

Cheese!

Chillin in the swing... looking at the trees

Okay, this is way more fun than actually swinging! Wee!

The show must go on...

2008-07-29T22:02:00.002-05:00

So this video was taken in May... but I just remembered it and it is just too good to pass up! Our friends Jared and Gina were over for dinner and it was about time for Mia to go get dressed for bed. We told her she could dance one more time then it was PJ time. This is the fit that resulted...

Yes, it may seem mean that we are laughing... but she's still dancing! While screaming! That's just funny, people.

And she wasn't hurt by the resulting crash into the refrigerator.

Start the Therapy Fund...

2008-07-26T08:40:00.003-05:00

We've had Marble's first pictures for quite awhile now... but in typical second child fashion, we just haven't got around to scanning and posting them. Considering that this will more than likely be a middle child, we figure that it's just one of the things he/she will talk about in therapy later*.

But without further ado...

Introducing Marble!

The first picture was taken at around 5 weeks... and obviously was a bit too early. The second picture was taken a mere 1.5 weeks later... and look! A baby!

The small oval dark spot in the middle of the picture is the baby... or where its growing, anyway.

Tadpole baby! Picture taken at 7 weeks 3 days. Aw, what a cute little blob.

*Just joking. Kinda. We're both middle children... so we joke a lot about middle-child syndrome. We figure we will at least be able to bond with this child over it.

blah, blah, blah

2008-07-23T14:40:00.003-05:00

I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with watching Mia learn things. It's especially fun because I learned all about childhood development in school, but now I get to see it in real life. Lately, Mia's been really interested in starting to understand imagination and that things are separate from her. She gives her rocking horse drinks from her cup, helps her "baby" swing, "talks" on the phone to Daddy (though, no one is actually on the phone!), pretends to drive both a choo-choo and a car, and many many other things that surprise us every day.

She's really been working on her words lately. Here's a list of the things she can say. As of today she'll be 20 months in 6 days.

Mama, Daddy, Nonnie, Carter, Kendall, Jax, Katie, dog, woof-woof, kitty, meow, bird, duck, quack, pee-pee, poo-poo, juice, eat, thank you, please, fish, choo-choo, on, off, up, down, night-night, yellow, blue, green, purple, pink, red, church, no, yes, book, George, Elmo, home, uh-oh, bubbles, Zee, Jack, swing, blanket, Mia, horse, bye-bye, this, pretzel, eye, nose, Brooke Bear, baby, ice...

I'm sure I'm missing some.

And she's saying sentences! Her first was, "choo-choo uh-oh!" because she saw a picture of a train derailment. She now says:

Daddy home!
Zee eat bubbles!
Daddy (Mama) bye-bye.
Daddy uh-oh!

Amazing!

Flying with Christ

2008-07-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

Well, it's here again! Chrysalis season. The time in our lives where everyone is busy, busy, busy working or helping with Chrysalis flourneys. Mark is again the lay director of the community, so we've had lots of stuff coming our way. It's been exhausting and fun, and we can't wait to see the changes that come in the lives of the youth.

We have one (1) weekend down, three (3) to go. I worked the first one, just this past weekend in Danbury. It was awesome. The girls had a great time and grew closer to God. There was one point where I was in the chapel praying and could hear the girls singing in the conference room. Wow! Is there a better sound? To hear those girls (and women and a couple of dudes, too) lifting their voices in praise to God.... wow. It hit home for me -- that is why we do this. Why our house is a wreck, and everyone is tired, and poor Mia has to go to a babysitter three times a week for awhile. It's eternal stuff. Kingdom stuff.

And it's all gonna be worth it.

In Mia-news -- she's learning new words everyday and stringing together sentences. I have been meaning to write a list of the words she can say... hopefully this week.

In Marble-news -- we heard the heartbeat! And so, at 11 weeks (12 weeks tomorrow) things are looking good. :)

Memories...

2008-07-14T20:35:00.004-05:00

Mia had some fun walking down memory lane recently. We had our Bumbo chair returned so we could give it to another friend. In the meantime... she enjoyed a little playtime.

We couldn't believe she could still fit either. And then she decided to have a little driving fun in the bumbo... video at the bottom.

Mia enjoying her bumbo circa April 2007 (4 months)

Enjoying her bumbo circa July 2008 (19 months)

Climbin on in...
Ahhhh, this is the life!

Mia has a secret...

2008-06-29T16:55:00.009-05:00

Mia is going to be a big sister!

Yep, another baby Davenport is on the way. :) We're due January 30, 2009 and can't wait to add to our family. We're about 9 weeks along right now. I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot about the newest addition to the clan.

And yes, this one has a nickname, too. We're calling him/her Marble -- it's a bread, so it stays with the "ciabatta" theme. And its an "M" so the kid won't feel left out.

And no, we aren't finding out the sex nor will we disclose names. It's way too much fun torturing everyone! lol

World Traveler

2008-06-23T07:58:00.008-05:00

Its been way too long. A lot has happened (obviously) since our last post. Most notably, was that Mia made her first trip to a foreign country! What a seasoned traveler for a 18-month-old!

Mark had a conference in Calgary, and we weren't really doing anything, so we figured why not? We got us some passports, packed ourselves up, and headed north!

It was a fabulous time. The weather was amazing, if shocking. It was about 46 degrees and rainy most of the time we were there. But it cleared up for the weekend and we were able to visit Banff. It was honestly one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen!

Canadians have "Fries Supreme" as side dishes at Taco Bell. Weird. But Tasty.

Sliding at the Children's Museum.

Can you tell me how to get... How to get to Sesame Street? And, ya know, take a nap?

Posing at the zoo

The view of downtown Calgary

We're here!

My little fish wanted to get in the freezing cold water.

Daddy & Mia

The fam

Hills?! Must. Run. Down.

The most fun ever

Weeee!

The Canadian Rocky Mountains. Simply breathtaking.

God's creation

I is in ur piktur bloking ur view.

One of the most beautiful places on earth.

Congratulations, Uncle Luke!

2008-06-04T07:29:00.005-05:00

Last month we travelled to Fort Worth to see Mark's brother, Luke, graduate from TCU. It was a fabulous, albeit way too short, trip.

Sorry about the lack of blog updates... I shall try to be better.

Hanging with Granddad & Uncle Matt

Quality time with Mommy

Why?! Why does it have to be so long?!

Ooo, ducks!

Getting a better view.

Ack! It quacked! Run away, run away!

Pretty ducks

Working at the Car Wash, Yeah

2008-05-06T09:42:00.008-05:00

We took advantage of some warm days to (play in the water) wash Mark's car. Mia, being the big helper that she is, wanted to get in on the action.

oooo, this car is dirty.

Heee! Water!

Close inspection of the puddle. Puddles rock.

Got to get some soap and water.

Look! Bubbles!

Working on the hubcaps.

Doing the detail work.

Blech, that car made my hands dirty.

Cleaning the car is fun! I'm a big helper!

Edible Paint

2008-05-06T09:15:00.005-05:00

Mia loves to paint and draw... but she's still at the point where she likes to eat everything -- crayons and anything paint-like. So, in a flash of brilliance, we decided to use yogurt for fingerpaint. LOVE.

The artist in action A closeup of the masterpieceSlimy and fun!Oh yeah, its good to eat, too.

Hair Do? Or Hair Don't...

2008-05-06T08:48:00.004-05:00

How do you make a Mia happy? Why, put Mommy's clip in her hair!

I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

Aaaaah! My hair looks awesome!

Haha! You have no clip!

Mommy & Mia with crazy hair.

THIS IS SO EXCITING!

Dancing Fever

2008-04-20T21:39:00.003-05:00

So sorry for the lack of updates. You'll find an Easter post below! Its recital year! That means we've been working hard getting our dances ready. Thus, there really hasn't been a lot of extra time. Sorry! Things will get back to normal (whatever that means) after Saturday -- Recital day!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-27T12:10:00.005-06:00

I have started this blog several times, but haven't been able to post it because the pictures wouldn't load, or the Internet would eat my post... you know how it goes! Here's another try...

The Easter bunny sure knows what Mia likes!

Oh. This bunny thing again.

What?! Fish! Maybe this bunny isn't so bad afterall.

Checking out the loot.

Get your eyes off my basket, woman.

Yay for Easter!

Mia's first egg hunt. She did great!

She loved to put the eggs in her basket.

Family Easter pic... too bad I wasn't ready for the picture. :)

Mommy and Aunt Lindsey! So fun! Can I have my nap now?

Continuing the Tradition

2008-03-25T12:15:00.005-06:00

Its a Garrett family tradition to go to the Zoo on Spring Break, so Lindsey and I decided to continue the tradition and took Mia last week to see the animals with Lindsey's friend, Jenna. Mia had an absolute blast! She loved the fish (of course) and making elephant noises.

Mia watching the fish swim.
A fish! A fish!

Watching the seals saying, "A fish! A fish!" Well, close.

Mia, Mommy, and a sleeping lion.

Mia checking out some odd cow-type things.

Mia making elephant sounds.

Giraffes! They were so close.

Munching on a cracker and checking out the merecats.

Mia watching the groundhogs and getting a bit sleepy. And some random lady. Hi, lady!

Lindsey and Jenna being groundhogs.

I can see clearly now

2008-03-17T06:56:00.004-06:00

So, finally, Mia is able to face forward when we ride in the car! The experts agree that its best if they are 1 year AND over 20 pounds before making the switch. It is undeniable that its safest facing backwards at anytime, we are aware of this so no arguements there. But Mia was getting quite bored with facing the seat and with our long drives to get just about anywhere... it was time. Thank goodness she finally hit the mark!

Here are some pictures from the first time we took a ride with the new view.

Wait a minute... something isn't quite right...

Huh, I can see things!

Look over there!

This is the best ever!

Don't let your babies...

2008-03-14T12:46:00.003-06:00

grow up to be cowboys. Or cowgirls for that matter.

So Mia is obsessed with horses. And her boots. She carries them around, hoping that I'll put them on. Even if she is already wearing other shoes. And despite the fact they are a little too big... and its 7am. These pictures are a bit older... it took us awhile to get them up but I couldn't pass them up! They are way too cute!

Thanks for the new boots, Aunt Lindsey!

Me? A cowgirl? heck ya!

Silly, Daddy. Who needs clothes? These boots speak for themselves!

Mmmm... boots! How I love thee.

15-month Stats

2008-03-03T13:37:00.002-06:00

Oh, how Mia hates the doctor! As soon as we were escorted into the examining room, she starting crying (read: screaming), clinging to my neck, and waving bye-bye. She wanted O-U-T. Dr. B, God bless his kind soul, had to examine her on my lap, and it took both of us to hold her down. I hated it, but its for her own good! We tried to ease her into it, but it was a no-go.

She got one shot and yeah. You would have thought the world ended.

Then I told her we were going to see Jax later and all was well*. Until she saw her band-aid. She totally milked it the rest of the day. And yes, I totally fell for it.

Because of all the screaming and writhing, I'm not sure we got an accurate height measurement, but oh well.

Stats!

Height: 30 1/4 inches (50%ish)
Weight: 21lbs 4oz (25%ish)

So yay! We turned her carseat around! We broke the 20lb mark. :)

Pictures another day. Laptop #1 died, and we have to get laptop #2 set up. Until then, go to the Ulrickson's blog for cute pictures of Shiloh Joy!

*she didn't end up seeing Jax later, as he went to the babysitters. But it was okay because she got to sit in his chair without sharing. Sweet!

Dancing Mia!

2008-02-20T22:57:00.002-06:00

Here's the promised video! All prettied up and stuff.

Also, take notice... She falls at the last beat of the music. Cracks me up everytime! Its like she planned it that way.

Newness

2008-02-19T23:05:00.003-06:00

Yes, updating! I didn't realize it had been so long. I have good reason, however, why it has taken me so long to get a post in. First, Mark wouldn't let me post just any video... it had to be all prettied up (love you, baby. And I'm working on it.). Second, we went to Austin for the Phi Lamb 20th anniversary. (FUN!) Third, Mia came down with a stomach virus. Fourth, then I came down with a stomach virus. Blech.

I am back. Here are some new things that Mia is doing now that I would be completely remiss not to write about.

* Everything that is laying down, on the floor, or otherwise not in motion is apparently asleep to Mia. She makes snoring noises.

* She loves to give everything and everyone "eskimo kisses". Her bears, her wind-up fish, Mark and I. Just today she gave her friend, Carter, the sweetest eskimo kisses. Ah... we've joked about an arranged marriage... but maybe?

* She is obsessed with her bouncing zebra and rocking horse.

* She cannot get enough of dancing. Now, I know what you are thinking... yes, Melissa, you totally "encouraged" that. But I didn't! I never once encouraged her to dance when she wasn't already. She just naturally does it. She's quite good, actually. She sways with the beat and is very consistent. She dances several times a day, going to play her Fridge DJ more times than I can count. Its way too cute.

* She loves being naked!

* She only wants to be outside. Yes, I am so being repaid for this, as I was the child always outside. From the moment she gets up to when we force her to go to bed she is at the door, pointing and hoping that I'll oblige. She hates coming inside, and asks to go for a walk either in her regular stroller, the jogging stroller, or in the wagon. Some days we go on three or four walks a day! Zee loves this, as you can imagine. :)

* She loves to see herself in the camera. So much so that you can barely get a picture of her anymore. She won't stand still long enough for you to snap the picture before she starts to come look at the camera.

A picture... for your enjoyment.

Outside = Awesome!

These Boots are Made for Walking...

2008-02-04T10:36:00.000-06:00

Memories....

I remember playing in my daddy's boots. So, its only fitting that Mia had a great time playing in Grampy's boots. So cute!

Let's see if these fit...
Yep, perfect! I think I'm going to need a little help with that, Grampy. Please?
Grampy's boots are the best. :)

Making Connections

2008-01-24T21:45:00.000-06:00

Wow. Lately, Mia has really been making connections in her world. She's able to point out different objects and animals in her books (rabbits, owl, bee, spider, bear, elephant, clock, and etc). And when we come to an object that we have in our house she points very excitedly toward that item. For example -- if we find a horse, she points to her rocking horse. Clock -- to our clock on the wall. Spoon -- to the kitchen, etc.

She's also finding some different ways to communicate her needs and wants. When she wants something to eat, she'll go to the fridge and point. "mmmmm," she says. She asks for juice now when she's thirsty, even when its really milk she wants. She's working on "milk" but she usually says "mama". Smart girl, since milk came from her mama for the first year of her life.

But the thing she communicates most is to go outside. To do this, she goes and bangs on the door. If you say anything other than "yes! right now!" she collapses into the door and cries like you just took away her best friend. Even if its, "Yes, lets get your shoes." *Sob*

Its so hard being 1.

She's gotten really funny, too. She'll "talk" and babble and then just laugh. She's telling some funny stories, we just can't understand them. Bummer. We have some videos, but they are currently hiding out in the camera. I'll post them soon.

Crazy to think how far she's come in a year. And where she'll be next year. This parenting thing is certainly a fun ride!

You Know Your Husband is Cheap When...

2008-01-21T11:31:00.000-06:00

I'm totally stealing this from Amanda Carroll, but its just too good to pass up.

These were Mark's firsts words to make when playing with Mia's magnetic letters.

Yup, Think Cheap Now.

And possibly a little OCD? Maybe?

I'll do it myself!

2008-01-11T09:27:00.000-06:00

Mia has become really independent these days (become? These days? Yeah... haha. She's been independent since day 1).

Anyway... We've been letting her learn to use the spoon. Its been reeaaallly messy, but fun. Here's a fun new video of Mia using the spoon for the first time.

Enjoy!

We have to spell "H-A-I-R" because if you say the word, she automatically touches her hair.

Oh, and yes, she did get some in her hair. Though, not as much as I expected.

This is so much easier!

Language Emerges

2008-01-09T21:15:00.000-06:00

Mia's language has been really blossoming lately. Its so fun to watch her try to talk. She's hungry for knowledge and really wanting to label everything. From the moment she gets up until she goes to bed, she's pointing at everything, waiting for us to tell her its name. It's crazy. She's getting to be such a big girl.

Here are the words she can say now:

Dada, dog, down, choo-choo, juice (which is strange, cause she rarely gets juice), cheese, shoes, tree, truck, Granddad, church, stick, and can make an elephant sound. Though it sounds like she's blowing raspberries, but that's not the point.

* Edited to add -- Duck! How could I forget duck?

Did I miss any?

Strangely, she won't say Mama, eat, or drink. The three words that would be most helpful.

Merry Christmas!

2008-01-04T21:19:00.000-06:00

Okay, forgetting that it's January already... here's our Christmas post!

We had a fabulous time. Mia had more fun opening her presents this year (as opposed to last year, when she either slept or cried, lol) and she had so much fun hanging out with everyone. Mark and I have been so blessed with amazing family and friends who made this Christmas amazing. Possibly the best ever.

We talked a lot this year about how amazing Christmas is. Usually, Easter is the more focused-on Christian holiday. As it should be, given that's when Jesus died for us. But really... look at what happened at Christmas. A virgin birth. Mary not being stoned for being in her "condition." The King of Kings being born in a manger... showing that he's the "every man" king. Being rescued from a maniac king. A star shining brightly, leading Magi to the manger. Shepherds being greeted by angels. Talk about miracles. You can't write a story like that. You know its God working when so many miracles come together at once. It always makes me marvel at the awesomeness of God.

But anyway... on to what you really came here for -- Pictures!

(dude, if you only knew how hard it was to choose only a handful...)

Whatever Grampy is saying... Mia thinks its pretty funny!

Mommy, can I open my presents now, please?

Cloe, this is the sound an elephant makes.... *insert elephant-like noise here*

Mia loooooved the fact that her legos included a present. A present in a present! You can open it all the time!

Grammy & her girls

Chillin' at Momo's. Best seat in the house (she's not spoiled at all, is she?).

The girls at Nonnie & Granddad's. Abby and I didn't get the memo as to which camera to look.

Mia is just about done...

Mia caught her second wind (or third, or fourth).

Wee! A butterfly! In a book! It doesn't get much better than that.

Yay! Plastic fruit! Can you open this, please?

Rubber ducks are the best!

The hippo laughs! Just like me! That's the funniest thing I've seen all day!

Forget the ABC book... look I have paper!

Heh, a Zebra that bounces and spins! Fun!

Christmas is the best ever!

Christmas 2007

Christmas Miracles, indeed!

2007-12-27T14:50:00.000-06:00

HUGE congratulations to Mike and Liz! After almost 18 months of waiting, they became the proud parents to Mark Garrett, born and adopted on Christmas Day!

We are thrilled for you guys. Prayers are answered... you are living proof!

Our Christmas was awesome... more on that later. :)

Its my party...

2007-12-18T09:20:00.000-06:00

So if a picture is worth 1,000 words... this blog post is worth 11,000. I'll let them speak for themselves. Enjoy!

All this is for me?

No way!

A little playtime with Madalyn

The cake -- Thanks Laura!

The cake we actually let Mia eat

Butterfly Cookies (sense a theme here?)

Mmm, squishy!

Dude! There's sugar in the frosting! Frosting is the best!

Cake is awesome!

Chowing down on some cake (notice the frosting, the only part with actual sugar, is gone!)

Washing it down with some milk

One Year

2007-11-29T14:36:00.000-06:00

At 2:43pm today, Mia was officially 1 year. Its amazing, how much they grow and change in a year. She's now walking, starting to talk, understanding what you say to her, answering questions, and asserting her own personality and likes and dislikes. She's a little person now!

She's gone from this:

To This:

She looks like she's up to something...

In her spunky new hat

I'm a big girl now!

Of course, right after that picture... the hat was off. :)

Happy Birthday, Mia Joy. Your name is fitting. You have brought so much joy to our lives this year. We pray your next year be even more fun. We can't wait to watch you grow and change.

End of an Era

2007-11-27T13:08:00.000-06:00

And, just like that, we are done nursing.

Technically, we've been done for a week. I nursed Mia for the last time on Monday, November 19th. It was a sweet time... we turned off the TV and just cuddled and talked. Mia seemed to sense something was up because she nursed for longer and didn't claw, pull my hair, or try to poke my eyes out. It's a lovely memory.

The plan was to continue nursing Mia until her 1st birthday on the 29th... but she wasn't asking for milk anymore. She wasn't even coming to me or excited when I asked her if she wanted to nurse. Once she shook her head "No" and continued playing with her books. So I figured she was ready.

She hasn't had any trouble adjusting. She drinks her cows milk out of her cup. There have been no tears, no fights. Its really been a lot easier than I ever expected.

My baby girl is growing up.

Puny Pony (and other things)

2007-11-13T09:40:00.000-06:00

Hi! Still here. Between weaning and Mia's changing nap schedule, I haven't really had much blog time. She's decided that napping for more than an hour in the morning is for the birds. Plus, she's had a cold for a couple weeks. Thank God she's feeling better now. Mark is sick, now, though, so I'm hoping its not going to come back around to us!

Weaning is going waaaay better than anyone ever expected around here. For a girl that hated all things cup and bottle-like, she sure has taken the switch pretty well. This week, we're only nursing one time a day. We dropped the night-time feeding first, since she's able to go to bed easily when I'm at dance without nursing (has for months, since she wouldn't take a bottle). We'll see how it goes tonight. But this morning, if I hadn't offered it, I'm pretty sure she would have been fine without nursing. huh.

Here's some pictures of her first ponytail. Its pretty puny... but it gets the job done! And her hair out of her eyes.

Not so sure of the pony...

Oh I look cute? Okay, pony it is!

She's realized she can take her pants off if she steps out of them... uh oh!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-02T09:44:00.000-06:00

Mia had a fantastic first Halloween. We don't really do a lot of celebrating, cause we don't like some of the evil aspects of the night. But who doesn't like some good clean fun with some awesome dressing up time?

She started the day in a shirt from her Aunt Nora that said "Who needs a costume when you're already a princess?" Then she changed into her ladybug costume for the Community Baptist Church's Fall Festival. We had a FUN time! She played some games and laughed at all the crazy costumes. Mark and I had fun too. You can't beat their food!

This shirt has a point....

Waving to her subjects

Mia and Mommy... does that make her the queen? lol :)

Aaaahhhh! Attack of the giant ladybugs!

Cutest. Ladybug. Ever.

Trying to snap? Summoning her servants?

Nursing Musings

2007-10-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

Um... where has this year gone? Can it be that Mia will be 11 months soon? Was it just last year that I was heavily pregnant and thinking I couldn't get bigger (but did)? Yeah, apparently when you have a baby the world goes into warp speed. I was warned... but I didn't really listen, I must admit.

Its been on my mind lately because the time is coming... weaning. I'm going to start weaning Mia when she turns 11 months... a mere 8 days away. I'm torn. A part of me is relieved -- finally, a break! Some time away! Not having to plan every single day around when Mia will want to nurse. Since she decided that bottles were the worst thing ever to happen to breastmilk, I haven't been away from her for more than 5 hours when she was awake. I need some time to myself. I need a night away with my husband. I need my body to belong to me again.

But the other half? The other half of me just aches at the thought of it. I'm going to miss our special time. I'm going to miss being able to provide both nutrition and comfort. It's one of the only times that she cuddles, my little Miss Move-and-groove. And it's one of the last things tying her to being a baby. My baby. She's already taking steps. Trying to talk. Giving attitude (okay, so maybe she's been doing this for awhile...).

I had such a hard time learning to nurse. I joke that I've had every problem in the book except one (knock on wood)... but it's not really a joke. It was rough. There was blood, sweat, and tears. In those rough beginning months, I would count down the days and months until I was finished with nursing. "Only 11 months 2 weeks left." "Just 9 months, you can do this!" I'd tell myself. Now its just around the corner, and I'm in shock. I didn't enjoy the first 2-3 months of breastfeeding, I must admit. I only did it because I'm incredibly stubborn. But now?

Now, I'm glad. It's honestly one of the things I'm most proud of in my life. That may sound corny... and if it does you probably weren't around in the beginning. You didn't see how hard it was. You didn't feel the pain. See the trauma. Sit up late at night while she ate for hours. Fed her every two hours. Got infections. And blisters. Bitten. Rejected. Clung to.

And in the end? It was worth every second.

Fall is in the air

2007-10-13T08:31:00.000-05:00

Its fall! Well, relatively speaking. The calendar says so, but in true Texas fashion the temperatures haven't quite caught up.

Anyway, Mia and I caught up with some friends at the local pumpkin patch recently. We took some of our own pictures and had an amateur photographer take some as well. Mia had a wonderful time! Pumpkins are so much fun, apparently. Here are the pictures that I took.

What is this thing?

Oh! Pumpkins! Pumpkins are funny.

Ya know, seeing all these pumpkins really makes you think about life...

Brings a whole new meaning to putting your foot in your mouth.

Tyra said to look "fierce."

Yum, pumpkin stem. Better than pumpkin pie.

Let's see... nope, this one isn't quite round enough...

This one is too big....

Let's get this one, mommy!

This pumpkin makes a great drum! Tap, tap, tap.

Being outside? And pumpkins? This is the best day ever.

M(4)+D

FAQ

+D

Micah funnies and more

Mia Funnies

Go West, Young Man

News... well, sort of

Creativity Escapes Me

A Holy Day

Merry Christmas!

Thankful

Streamlining

Pumpernickel

*Crickets, crickets*

Micah the Maniac

Stuff to say

Miss Sassypants

Sea Center

Picnic in the park

We are alive!

Cute things

Isn't It Ironic... Don't ya think?

What's up?

Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

First Haircut

Jesus Loves Me

Sisters

So wise

Micah's one month!

A day in the life...

A blog about Micah

Mia's World

Beautiful Girls

Updating

It's a...

Last Day

Oh Marble...

Marble Update

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Tiny Dancer

And unto us a child is born...

Maternity Pictures

A Winter Wonderland

Party Time! Excellent!

Happy Birthday, Mia!

Going to the chapel...

Back to normal

"What's a cheerleader say?"

Happy Halloween!

Mia funnies

By Popular Demand

The week before...

Hurrication

Belated update

Texas Swimming Pool

Holding Patterns...

Ike's Aftermath

Baby's First Evacuation

Meeting Marble

Mia Newt!

Boston Trip Part Deux

The Ulricksons!

Accessorize!

Welcome to the World...

Flower Girls and Marble Update

Be My Escape

Imagination Station and Belly Explosion

Saturday in the Park...

The show must go on...

Start the Therapy Fund...

blah, blah, blah

Flying with Christ

Memories...

Mia has a secret...

World Traveler

Congratulations, Uncle Luke!

Working at the Car Wash, Yeah

Edible Paint

Hair Do? Or Hair Don't...

Dancing Fever

Crickets, crickets