The Millers

Life Lately

2012-02-10T20:30:00.000-06:00

We have been just plugging along in life with a 3.5 year old, 2 year old and .5 year old. Our days are full and we are constantly laughing around here by what these little people do and say. Sometimes the days just seem so repetitive, but I don't want to forget because I know we are going to turn around and we'll be plugging along in life with a 12.5 year old, 11 year old and 9.5 year old.

Emma Ann continues to be such a sweet, sweet baby. I continue to be so thankful for her gentle and easy going disposition. She's so go-with-the-flow. And who doesn't love a sleeping baby! We finally broke her from the swaddle last month and she's definitely a side or stomach sleeper. Must have paci and lovey! She loves those loveys and I think it's so sweet how she tucks it in the crook of her arm when she sleeps.

They are building a house right next door. Several times a week in the late afternoon/evening, Hannah Cate suggests that we go "watch the show". So we set up our theatre seats for the big production.

These two love each other - fiercely! Sometimes the fierceness comes out in sweet hugs and sometimes it comes out in other not so sweet ways! But they are quick to make up and go right back to playing.

Maddie has developed quite the sweet tooth and she's not exactly shy about it!

Tea parties have become a popular thing at our house. Check out Hannah Cate's form! The last few months with Hannah Cate have been so much fun. She's just genuinely a sweet little girl. Her concern for others blows me away. Sometimes her concern turns to fear - for example, we'll often let Clive and Gabby out in the front yard to stretch their legs and run around in the open lots across the street from our house. Hannah Cate gets so worried about them when she can't see them or if she thinks they might run off. I can tell she's going to be a touch on the sensitive side. She's a bit of a girly girl (likes to have her hair done and nails painted) but she can throw a ball with the best of them. At the end of each day, Matt asks her what her favorite part of the day was. Tonight she said her favorite part of the day was going to Chick-fil-A with Daddy. I acted like my feelings were hurt that her favorite part of the day wasn't spending time with me, to which she promptly responded, "But I love y'all both"! So sweet is that girl!

Even Maddie can be prim and proper when it's time for tea! Most of the time she's just our little ball of energy and she keeps us in stitches with the things she says. Her vocabulary has absolutely skyrocketed over the last couple of months and she's in that repeat everything stage. Just tonight as I was putting on her pj's she told me "the tag goes in the back" because she's heard me tell Hannah Cate that so many times (since Hannah Cate can put on her own panties and pants). I never would have guessed Maddie was actually paying attention! You can often catch Maddie "riding her horse" around the house - which really just means she gallops around instead of walks. I hardly even notice anymore because it's just so her! She can be a bit clumbsy, so we often say "Maddie, are you okay?". Now I can hear her throughout the house after she's tripped or run into a wall, saying to herself "I'm okaaaaay".

This guy has found a new home at our house. He's got a strong place in my memories from my childhood. He came from my grandparent's house - my Dad's parents. My Grandmother went to be with Jesus several weeks ago. I've never felt such peace about someone going to heaven. Her mind is now whole again and her body fully restored. I have no doubt that when she met her Savior face to face that He said to her, "Well done, my good and faithful servant". And then I'm sure she proceeded to talk His ear off! I will always remember her when we pull out this "craft clown".

Emma Ann has sprouted two teeth. And she gets to play dress up with the big girls from time to time!

I'm afaid she's going to be crawling before I know it. She's perfected the roll and can just about make her way to anything she wants around the room. Sometimes her hair has a definite tint of red, but I think it's more the light than anything. People tell me a lot that they think she's going to have red hair, but I think she's going to be just like her sisters with brownish, blondish locks.

She turned 7 months last week.....time is just absolutely flying by. Can you tell she's a happy girl?

I don't mean to make it seem like it's always smiles and giggles and sweet harmony around here all the time, because it's not. But you didn't come here to hear about our bad days, did you?

Maddie's Birthday Celebrations

2012-01-27T22:14:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Maddie and her little two year old life!

We started at home on her actual Birthday with balloons and a present.

And a pancake breakfast.

Then we moved the party to her school with cupcakes for her class. Here she is with her buddy Beckton.

I dropped the cupcakes in the parking lot before I ever even made it into the building. Thankfully, a room full of two year olds don't care if they are pretty or not.....they just want the sugar! This sweet girl included!

On Saturday night, we had a special celebration of Maddie with our family at B and Pops house in Orange Beach. In trying to think about what kind of cake Maddie might like for her Birthday, I couldn't think of anything else but her current obsession - The Elf! Even well into January, she was still asking about that elf everyday, wanting to know where he went. She really loved that thing and got so excited to find him every morning. I just couldn't think of anything else that was more fitting for her at this point in life.

And she loved it!

How old are you Maddie-girl? She worked on getting those fingers just right for days!

Opening a few presents. This necklace was especially a hit! Santa brought Hannah Cate a necklace for Christmas and somehow forgot to bring Maddie one too. What the heck, Santa? Don't you know little girls fight over necklaces! I bet he won't make that mistake again! Thank goodness for Mary Rose and the Birthday necklace!

The clothes where a hit too! Doesn't everyone need to immediately "try on" their new clothes?!?!

Life just wouldn't be the same without our Maddie. So thankful we get to do life with her everyday - she sure makes it fun!

Lunch Break

2012-01-20T12:53:00.001-06:00

Work-from-Home lunch breaks look way different than Work-from-Office lunch breaks!

Mine involve the sweetest little lunch date!

Don't you just want to skip lunch and eat her with a spoon?

I hope all babies are as loved as this one!

Smile like it's funny.....

2012-01-19T12:57:00.000-06:00

Remember when I mentioned that the whole "Say Cheese" thing is disastrous for us?

I've found another solution and it works like a charm. I tell Hannah Cate to "smile like something is funny" and it's perfection almost every time.

Of course, the best pictures are the ones you just happen to catch.

But that's not always realistic, so my new trick is working in between!

Looking back at that old Halloween posts reminds me that I've got to do some kind of Christmas recap - even though it's January - I can't let Halloween make the blog and not Christmas!!

Maddie is T.W.O!

2012-01-11T18:23:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Maddie-girl!
I'm so thankful for this day, the day you became a part of our family two years ago! You are shaping up to be the fun one. You are always on the go, always into something. You are also our little lover - quick to give out hugs and kisses (tisses as you say). You are proving to be pretty outgoing too - you never meet a stranger. I can't tell you how many of the ladies at your school have come up and told me how much they just love you and your great "Maddie hugs". You make everyone feel loved and important - I cherish that about you. You've got an aggressive side, but it usually only surfaces when "Sissy" is around. She aggravates you and you are quick to make it known! Thankfully, you are quick to make up and say you are sorry when you ~~pull her hair, pinch her, scratch her, hit her~~ have a disagreement. At the same time, you love each other so much. You are almost always willing to share with her. I know you love her because when I ask you what your name is, you say "Hannah Cate". You also love your other sister, the one you call "Bebe". I don't think you even realize she actually has a name! I wouldn't exactly say you are gentle with her, but you do love to love on her and smother her with kisses. She loves you too and always smiles when she sees you coming. Oh how I can't wait to watch the three of you grow together.

I love you Maddie and am proud to be your Mama.

Six Months!

2012-01-06T22:08:00.000-06:00

How can it already be six months??!!??!!

Time is just flying by. It's such a hard thing because I love to watch them grow and hit new milestones, but I miss their tinyness as it escapes away.

Two weeks ago I feel like I woke up and no longer had a little baby.

Sweetest Emma Ann,

I am so thankful for your precious life. It's no secret that your Daddy and I have not been the best planners when it comes to growing our family. People say we are crazy and look at us like we have lost our minds - but I'll take it, because our craziness means that we have you and I wouldn't trade you for a million days of sanity. You are one loved little baby girl. You make it so easy to love you and impossible to get mad at you - even when I'm still getting up with you in the middle of the night! I prayed that you would be an easy baby and the Lord answered my prayers ten fold. You have defied easy with your laid back personality and ability to go with the flow. Even with your big sisters constantly picking at you, wanting to hold you and taking your toys nothing seems to phase you. Most people don't think you even know how to cry (but I assure them you have your moments). You have the most precious wide mouth smile that melts my heart. I cannot imagine our family without you and I cannot wait to watch you grow. For now, I'm going to soak up your sweet snuggles and baby breath because I know I'm going to miss these days when they are gone!

I love you Emma Ann!

Mama

Christmas Card Rejects

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

I'm really behind. Who knows if I'll ever catch up. I'll try, but be warned that I might give up!

Getting a good picture of all five of us is a challenge. Thank you to my sister for hanging in there with us and helping us get a keeper for our Christmas card. As frustrating as it can be in the process, there are always some hilarious and some sweet shots that don't make the cut.

Thankfully we got a pretty good shot of all five of us in one sitting.

It's a good thing, because I'm not sure I could have convinced Matt to give it another try!

What Must She Think?

2011-12-07T21:10:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I just wish I could get inside of a baby's head and know what they must be thinking. All these big people moving around them at what must seem like warp speed.

In sweet Emma Ann's case, she has some not so big, but bigger than her people, constantly moving around her. Constantly in her face. Constantly kissing her. Constantly loving on her.

Thankfully for me, EA is pretty expressive, so I like to think I get a peek into that sweet head and what she must be thinking.

For example.......

"Really, Mom? I'm the baby here and she's climbing on my shoulders? Are you just going to stand there with that thing attached to your face or are you going to help me out?"

"Girl, that bow! Don't you think that's just a tad to big for your little head? I'll talk to Mom for you about that one!"

And really, what I pray she thinks is that she loves to get to be a part of this sisterhood that is developing at our house. She sure smiles a lot when they are around!

Future Photog?

2011-12-07T20:59:00.001-06:00

Hannah Cate has developed quite the fascination with my camera and I'm thinking that we might have a future photographer on our hands.

I'm so thankful that she caputred this sweet moment with my baby girl. I'll treasure it forever!

Littlest One

2011-11-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

I could just eat this little one with a spoon!

She's my little buddy. I feel like we are connected at the hip sometimes.

She continues to be such a joy and such a sweet baby.

Laid back almost doesn't do her justice.

I whisper in her ear all the time that she's the best one we have (for now).

Her sisters are giving us a run for our money - but I know it won't be long before she joins in on their antics.

For now, I'm just going to soak up her almost four month old easyness!

Staller

2011-11-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

This little girl has become a master staller at bed time. She'll pull out all the stops! Her latest thing is to ask about a million questions when I'm trying to leave the room and turn out the lights. The other night she was just peppering me with questions and I couldn't get a word in edge-wise. Finally I was able to tell her that she could ask me one more question and that was it and we were going to bed. I told her that she better make it good. She must have sat there thinking for about a minute, coming up with one last question that she just had to ask before she closed her sweet eyes to go to sleep. She looks over at the lamp on her bedside table and says "Uh, where did y'all get that lamp?". STALLER!

Maddie Goes to School

2011-11-02T21:52:00.000-05:00

My sweet Maddie girls started school this week. Just look how big and proud she is with that bag!

She has been wanting to go to school like "Sissy" for awhile now. I took her with me one day to drop off HC and she cried when she realized she wasn't getting to stay! Our problem was HC's school didn't offer a 3 day program for Maddie's age and we didn't want them going on totally different days. So, we found Maddie a new school. It's not ideal going to two different places, but hopefully we'll just do this for one year. Maddie's school is so sweet and I've been really impressed with the staff and how kind they have been to my baby girl.

She's our spit-fire and I'll be honest and say that I was a little worried about how she would do. So far we've gotten nothing but glowing reports from her teacher!

On her first day she walked right in and never even looked back. I couldn't believe it. So proud of my girl!

The Halloween that kept on giving....

2011-11-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

I thought Halloween might never end at our house! We went to a total of four different Halloween functions over a span of three days. We definitely got our money out of these costumes!!

Hannah Cate continued to ask where our costumes were, so maybe next year I can pull off a family theme of some kind. Don't hold me to it!

On a side and slightly un-related note - I would like to talk to the person that came up with the idea of telling children to say "cheese" when taking a picture. It's so, so bad! Maybe it's just my children, but the end result is not good, not good at all! I've got to figure out a way to wipe it from their memories!

Find the Light

2011-10-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

I still have a lot to learn when it comes to photography, but I'm reminded when I look back at pictures of Hannah Cate when she was a baby that I have come a long way! We bought a DSLR camera before Hannah Cate was born - one of our best purchases. But even better than the camera itself was a workshop I attended last summer in Birmingham (Click Workshops). I really think it was as good, if not a better investment than the camera - because now I really know and understand how to use my camera outside of the Auto setting.

Probably the most important thing I've learned about shooting in Manual is that it's all about the light.

Today I was taking some pictures of Emma Ann - I put her in the bumbo seat for the first time and wanted to document. I started off with her back to the window. The pictures looked pretty good, but a little dark for my liking.

Then I thought - it's probably better if I switch this around and put my back to the window - so much better!

Same settings on my camera (ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/200 shutter speed), same room, same time of day just a quick change of position and ultimately a much better use of the light.

Add a little editing to my "better light" pictures and we are good to go!

I was doing so good....

2011-10-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

and then we had to go and move! And now it's been almost a month since I have blogged. Yikes!

We are tired around these parts. All of us!

I came into the kitchen today to fix my lunch and this is how I found Maddie. Matt had been giving her lunch and she fell sound asleep. She slept like this for an hour!

Moving is hard work and I still don't feel like we are really settled. But we are getting there and I'm hopeful that I'll be back to a normal blogging routine really soon!

A Great Reminder

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I love about moving is the chance to clean out, purge and go through papers and pictures that have been tucked away.

While cleaning out my desk this morning, I found a card that my Dad gave me before Hannah Cate was born. I'm really not a "save every card I receive" kind of person - but this one was special. It struck a cord with me - not the card itself - but what my Dad hand wrote on the inside.

The card itself says something to the effect of, "So many good times are in your future".

Dad wrote:

So many happy times

So many trying times

So many loving times

Cherish them all - before you know it she will be grown and gone!

I just couldn't help but think that must be exactly how he feels. He is speaking from experience. He's no more than turned around and both of his girls are married and he's taking gifts to our baby showers. I'll guarantee you that he doesn't remember the crying and whining and late night feedings as much as he remembers teaching us to ride a bike, dance recitals, my softball games, Emily's band trips and proms. He probably does remember the rate at which $20 bills flew out of his wallet - maybe those were the trying times he was talking about! I bet he felt like a walking, talking ATM.

I'm thankful for this reminder to cherish the time with my girls. I know that in the blink of an eye I'll be writing my own card!

Barnes family ~ 1981

Me and Dad at HC's baby shower - April 2008

Randomness

2011-09-18T22:41:00.001-05:00

Emma Ann laughed this week for the first time. She was laughing at Hannah Cate shaking her Auburn shaker in the back seat. It was one of the sweetest sounds ever. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more....me or Hannah Cate!

Speaking of Auburn....sad day yesterday. It stinks to lose when you are so used to winning.....18 games was a long time ago! I told HC that they lost and she said, "They lost? They not doin' right!". That's right, baby, they not doin' right at all!

I've been cleaning out my email inbox and it got me started on "unsubscribing" to many of the junk emails I get daily, weekly, monthly. There is something so satisfying to clicking that unsubscribe button! I feel more organized and clean with each click!

I decided at the beginning of the summer that I wasn't even going to visit the Pinterest website. I didn't want to know what it was about, didn't want to know what I was missing. Then I started shopping for a new kitchen table and thought the little that I knew about Pinterest meant that it might help me in my search. So last week I caved. I signed up and IT.IS.ADDICTING! So many great ideas, so little time (and money)! However, I found an idea that won't cost me any money or any time (at least not any more than I would have spent anyway). I'm in desperate need of a haircut, so I'll be taking the iPad with me to my next visit and we'll see what master Lee thinks about this for me....

I can't say I'm the biggest Jessica fan....but I do love that cut! Thank you Pinterest!

The other day, Hannah Cate was playing with our home phone. She was pretending to talk to someone and had just wrapped up her conversation. I asked her who she was talking to and she told me she was talking to Mimi (my Mom). Then she proceeded to tell me - "I need to call her back, no, I'll just text her!" I guess that's just a sign of the times!

We are moving! We bought our current house (our second home since we've been married) in April of 2007. That was pre-kids. Looking back, I'm amazed that we couldn't see a little farther down the road and realize that 1. I work from home and therefore need a home office 2. My family lives out of town and will need a place to stay when they come visit and 3. Eventually we will be adding more people to our family; though they will be little people, they will require a lot of stuff and space (I wouldn't have expected us to predict the warp speed with which we added those people, but that's another story). We are just absolutely out of space. Our master closet has become a nursery. Our bath tub has become a laundry hamper. Our garage has become a playroom/Matt's office/closet/storage/you name it. The space between the wall and our bed (a space just wide enough that I can stretch out my arms and with one hand touch the wall and with the other hand touch the bed) has become my office. Hannah Cate's room is also the playroom (along with just about every other room in the house). You catch my drift, we just need a little more space. We move next weekend and I'm super excited!

Via Pinterest, a friend told me about an incredible site for bows - Halo Heaven.

I was skeptical but received my first order today and the quality is amazing, especially considering the cost. I paid a total of $24.00 for 24 bows. Pretty amazing - especially considering I have paid $8 for the exact same quality of bow at boutiques in town. You have to order a dozen at a time, but you can order assorted colors in your dozen. Around our house it seems like we lose a bow a day, so we can never have too many!

Highly recommend this site!

The other day I "accidentally" upgraded to the new Blogger site. Oh my goodness, it's so much better! So much easier for uploading pictures and formatting - everything is better really! They have a link at the top of my homepage offering to take me back to the old site - um, thanks, but no thanks. Thank you Google for the much improved functionality, I think I'll stay!

How was that for random!

2011-09-12T12:44:00.000-05:00

Some times the days are long. All I see are the toys scattered along what seems like every inch of our house and milk splatter stains on my chairs. I hear whining and crying and arguing over one toy among the 500 others. I feel like I've changed a million diapers, all while wiping runny noses and tear stained cheeks.

Really those are just fleeting moments mixed in with some of the sweetest days of our lives.

I look at these pictures and I can feel a tugging in my heart reminding me that I'm really going to miss these days. The coordinating outfits. The pure joy a few bubbles can bring. Sweet sisters holding hands and giggling together. Long afternoons spent playing outside in the yard. Hilarious conversations only possible with a 3 year old, big bear hugs from a 20 month old and sweet smiles from a 9 week old.

An old boss once told me "Sally, you have to take the grease with the gravy". Just a Southerners way of saying you take the good with the bad. And the truth is, there's a lot more good around here than bad. So I'll take my grease if it means I get a heaping helping of gravy with it!

2011-09-07T21:23:00.000-05:00

Hello.

My name is Emma Ann and I am getting to be such a big girl.

I can hold up my head.

But sometimes I get tired and need to take a rest.

I'm getting stronger everyday and one day I'll be able to run around like my crazy sisters.

My Mama tells me to slow down because I'm growing too fast. I think she better soak up my tiny-ness now because I won't be the baby forever.

L.O.V.E.

2011-09-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

I don't mean to sound overly dramatic, but sometimes I really think my heart might just burst with the love I have for these little girls. And it about does me in when I see them loving on each other.

I can only pray that they will always love each other this much!

2 Months

2011-09-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

This sweet little thing is two months old today! We go for her two month check-up tomorrow, so I don't know how much she weighs or how long she is. But I do know that I just love her to pieces!

Her tempermant reminds me more of Hannah Cate at this age than Maddie.

She cries when she is hungry or sleepy.

She really likes to be held.

She loves her paci - just like both of her sisters!

On average, she's sleeping at night from 10:30 until 6:00.

She's a snuggly little thing.

Loves a warm bath.

Not so fond of tummy time.

She tolerates her car seat for the most part.

I call her Sweety Petey.

Matt calls her EA.

Hannah Cate calls her Emma Ann, but sometimes wants us to just call her Emma.

Maddie now calls her "beebees".

She has started smiling pretty consistently when you talk to her, especially when she has a full tummy.

Her smiles make my day!

Emma Ann,

It's hard to imagine our days before you. You are such a good natured little baby girl. You just go with the flow and for that we are so thankful. I could snuggle you and kiss your sweet cheeks all day long. I am so thankful that the good Lord gave you to us. I promise we will love you and cherish you all the days of your life.

Much, Much Love ~

Mama

We love our Tigers!

2011-09-04T22:08:00.008-05:00

It's that time.....Auburn football and Gameday attire! Thankfully we have a favorite Aunt Janet that keeps us stocked in AU attire!

I'm reminded everytime that I try to take a picture of all three girls together that it's just about impossible!

Oh well, maybe next time!

Hannah Cate says "What happened to #2 and #90? Are we really losing to Utah State?"
We love our Tigers no matter what, but are very thankful that they pulled out their first win of 2011.

We also love our Nini and her Birthday was last week. We celebrated after the game.
She was so gracious to let Hannah Cate help blow out the candles!
This is a pretty great reprensentation of what things are like at Nini and Da's house.....everything revolves around the little girls. They absolutely rule the roost over there!
While I'm on the subject of Auburn.....let me tell a little story about Hannah Cate's teacher and Hannah Cate's Daddy.

Mrs Reid is an Alabama fan.

Matt is an Auburn fan (obviously).

We want Hannah Cate to be an Auburn fan.

Hannah Cate came home one day after school and said to me....."Roll Tide". After I picked my jaw up off the ground, I quickly told her that we don't say those words at our house. I reminded Mrs. Reid the next day at morning drop off that those are not words we say at our house and that she was going to get Hannah Cate sent to time out if she continued her antics.

That same day, here's the letter A "art" project that came home from school:

Pretty blatant if you ask me. Matt couldn't let this one go.

Over the weekend he worked on a little art project of his own and sent it back to Mrs. Reid on Monday with a little note attached:

Fortunately, Mrs. Reid thought it was hilarious and I think Matt has successfully endeared himself to her. I'm sure he's going to have a little something fun coming his way come November!

So her....

2011-09-02T11:07:00.001-05:00

There's just no other way to describe this picture.....we see this face so many times a day!

School Days

2011-08-23T14:27:00.006-05:00

Hannah Cate started back to school last week.

She'll go three days a week this year.

Her teacher is Mrs. Reid.

She went right into her classroom on the first day and didn't even look back.

She's getting to be such a big girl!

Bathing Beauties

2011-08-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

Bath time is a good time because it means Hannah Cate and Maddie are contained - in the same place, at the same time! They will even stay and play when the water has run out.

Littlest One

2011-08-13T18:08:00.005-05:00

While the big girls were away at the pool with Daddy, I got my hands (and camera) on our littlest one. She's so sweet!

My neighbor and friend, Breana, made this sweet pillow for Emma Ann. Such a reminder to pray this verse over my girls on a daily basis!

In no particular order...

2011-08-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a glimpse into our life these days.

At the end of July, my Mom came down for a visit. We spent our time at Matt's uncle's condo in Perdido Key. It was gloriously wonderful and such a nice visit with my Mom.

I managed to just barely get Maddie's hair into a pony tail one day. So cute!

Emma Ann was absolutely in heaven sitting in her bouncy seat on the balcony - the heat and the sound of the waves provided her with the perfect sleeping environment. I imagine it took her back to the days of being in utero!

Speaking of the heat, this little stroller fan has been the best $20 I've spent lately! It's a pretty constant fixture on the stroller and has allowed me to ease back into an exercise routine and not leave Matt with all three babes. Now if I could just figure out how to rig one of these fans above my head!

We have been passing the time in the afternoon with a little sprinkler fun!

Oh to be a kid again and it be OK to run around in your underwear!

Sweet baby girl just gets to watch

Some Daddy time for Maddie girl. I can imagine that they were watching Barney.

Hannah Cate loves to hold the baby. I keep waiting for the excitement to wear off for her, but 5 weeks in and she's still holding strong! She loves her new sister.

Maddie is always up to something funny!

Emma Ann is getting bigger by the day. She's like a chameleon to me. Some days I think she looks just like Maddie and other days like Hannah Cate and then some days I think she looks unique and like her own little person. Some days her hair has a definite tint of red on the sides and other days it's just as dark as can be, just like her sister's hair started out.

This was our first experience with the dress up clothes. It was a hit!

We crossed a major milestone with Hannah Cate a few weeks ago. We finally said goodbye to the pacis for good. Something about having a new baby in the house makes us want to make some adjustments in that department. About the time Maddie was born we started the process of taking them away but just couldn't bring ourselves to make her sleep without them. Since then, they have only been allowed while she's sleeping. We've been talking about the "paci fairy" coming for awhile. Cousin AJ gave Hannah Cate the courage to ask the paci fairy to come. Aunt Emily gave me the confidence to know it wouldn't be that bad. It was overall a raving success. We've had some crying and dragging out bed time, but all in all, not nearly as bad as I expected. My friend Nicole suggested a sticker chart for Hannah Cate to temper the crying and dragging out bedtime - worked like a charm. One of her rewards for getting through several nights was a trip to The Track in Gulf Shores.

A good time was had by all!

It's taken me over two days to actually finish this post! Now Emma Ann is 5 1/2 weeks old and she slept through the night for the first time last night (10:30 - 6:15). Thank you baby girl! I know it was a fluke - but it's amazing what 8 consecutive hours of sleep will do for you. They are all sleeping right now and Matt has gone to do something manly. A few precious moments of quiet....I think I'll go enjoy them!

Family

2011-08-04T20:54:00.007-05:00

Emily, Mick and AJ came to visit last weekend. It was great to have them here. The kids played together well (and hard) and the adults (and Emma Ann) even got to enjoy a nice lunch together while the "big" kids took naps.

My sister loves my girls like they are her own and I love her all the more for that. We sure are going to miss having them close by and being able to meet up in Birmingham for fun weekend visits, but we are excited for Mick's new job at UNC and being able to visit them in North Carolina soon!

At Long Last

2011-07-21T18:15:00.005-05:00

I had big plans for these shirts. They were all waiting at the hospital for the big and middle sisters to get there to meet their new little sister.

But the dreaded fever virus set its sights on our girls and delayed my plans for over two weeks. One good thing....the scenery at the bay is much nicer than that of a hospital room!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T13:11:00.002-05:00

Back so Soon?

2011-07-19T20:57:00.003-05:00

We had a bit of a scare with Emma Ann last week. It all started on Thursday morning. She woke up for her normal middle of the night feeding around 2:45 and then I woke up on my own at 7:45 - that's two hours past when she should have woken me up to eat. I had to wake her up to eat this time. I didn't think too much of it - really, I counted it as a blessing. As the morning went on, I continued to have to wake her to eat. During the times that she was awake, I felt like her breathing was labored and that she was just having to work at taking a breath. A part of me thought maybe I was just over-reacting and maybe she had always been a heavy breather and I was just noticing. I took her temperature (using our temporal thermometer - the one you swipe across the forehead) and it was normal.

Matt had taken Hannah Cate and Maddie down to Orange Beach that morning so that they could spend the night at Nini and Da's house. When he got home, I pointed EA's breathing out to him to see what he thought. He agreed that she seemed a little off. After adding in the other factors of having to wake her to eat and her general lethargy - I decided it couldn't hurt to call the pediatrician to see what they thought. They called me back within about 5 minutes and said that given her age (8 days old) that it would be a good idea to bring her in. We made an appointment for a couple of hours later.

By the time our appointment rolled around EA was back asleep and her breathing seemed a little better. Matt even mentioned that maybe we didn't really need to take her, but we decided we would feel better to get the green light from them. Matt was so certain that they were going to say it was nothing that he just waited in the car while I ran in with EA.

They weighed her and then the nurse took her temperature (rectally this time). I was standing at her head holding her so she wouldn't squirm. I glanced at the thermometer and watched the numbers start to climb right past 98.6. The rising finally stopped at 102.5. I couldn't stop the tears from falling from my eyes. I was scared. I knew whatever was coming next from the doctor wouldn't be good. I'm a mess at this point and my cell phone was dead so I couldn't call Matt and ask him to come in. I take EA (only in her diaper and wrapped in a blanket) and walk out to the parking lot to get Matt. I can only imagine the fear he felt when he saw me standing at the car door, holding our baby, with tears streaming down my face.

We went back in together to talk to the doctor and find out what to do next. The doctor finally came in to do an exam on Emma Ann and talk to us. There were not any obvious signs of what might be wrong (throat and ears were clear). Fever that high in an infant less than a month old is not good and they always want to err on the side of caution. Dr. Wiggins started throwing out things that could be wrong like "bacterial meningitis", "sepsis" and "fatal in infants of her age" and the rest of our time at the pediatrician became a bit of a blur to me. Though it was likely that she had the same fever virus that HC and Maddie had the week before, they had to be cautious since EA was so young. Being cautious involved some scary things - a catheter, spinal tap and a three day stay in the hospital (so much for that 18 month appointment, I certainly didn't think we would be back there so soon).

They did the catheter (to collect a urine sample) and spinal tap at the pediatrician. Then they gave us the samples and sent us over to the hospital to be admitted. The nurses and doctors would monitor EA and the hospital lab would monitor her urine and spinal cultures to make sure there was no bacterial growth. No bacterial growth would indicate a virus that would just have to run its course.

By the time we were admitted and the cultures made it to the lab, it was about 4:00 on Thursday afternoon. Our first results from the lab would come in 24 hours later. They took her away to start an IV that would give her fluids and two different rounds of antibiotics. Her fever continued to rise, getting as high as 105 early Friday morning. They were treating her fever with Tylenol, but it only brought temporary relief and never actually broke the fever. She cried out every time she moved or you touched/moved her because she was so achy from the fever. Between Thursday and Friday, I think we calculated that she had been awake for a total of 30 minutes tops. Those first 24 hours were the worst. Between worrying about her fever being so high, worrying about the cultures and whether there might be some bacterial infection brewing and just generally feeling bad that she was hurting - it was a hard day.

We got our first bit of good news on Friday afternoon when we saw Dr. Wiggins. Her cultures were not showing any bacterial growth and even though the results wouldn't be final until they had been monitored for 72 hours - that was a good sign! It was looking more and more like she had a viral infection. At 48 hours, we got the same news - no growth. Now our goal was to get her fever down so that we could go home.

By Sunday morning, she had been under 100.4 for 24 hours and they let us go home. She still wasn't back to her normal self - but we could tell that she was starting to feel better. I've never been so glad to be back home in all my life. I was so worn out mentally and emotionally, plus I missed Hannah Cate and Maddie so much. Even though we were greeted by some whines and fighting over toys - I was so glad to be back together again as our family of 5.

We are so thankful that the Lord saw us through those hard three days.

We are so thankful for Emma Ann's health.

We are so thankful for the prayers that were offered up for our sweet girl.

We are so thankful for our family and friends that supported us and cared for us in this time of need.

We are so thankful to be home with a bright eyed girl!

3, 18, 1

2011-07-13T22:14:00.003-05:00

3 Years

18 Months

1 Week

We headed to the pediatrician this week for three well child visits. It put into very clear perspective just how close our three girls really are.

The running joke when we left the labor and delivery unit at the hospital last week was that they would see us back in 18 months - ha! Given our track record, we could just about schedule an appointment!

Settling

2011-07-11T10:54:00.008-05:00

Time - it's really all we have these days. It's precious. We have to choose wisely how we spend it and the computer just doesn't get much priority. But there are things that I want to remember about these early days with our three girls. So, while Daddy and the big girls are at the pool and littlest one is sleeping - I have a few thoughts I want to get out - bulleted style.

I got my fast delivery. We got to the hospital at 5:00am. Pitocin was started at 6:00am. By 9:00am I was 5 cm. When they checked me again at 10:45am I could see the look of surprise on the nurse's face and then she asked me to push. I was complete and she started scrambling around to get the room ready. I asked if Dr. Shoemaker was coming and she said "Oh, we don't need him yet". Once the room was ready - about 5 minutes later - she asked me to push again and then quickly told me to stop, left the room and called for Dr. Shoemaker - STAT. Three pushes later, Emma Ann Miller was born, at 11:09am. It was the easiest (outside of the 45 minutes when I really NEEDED the epidural) delivery by far. Makes me think I could have a few more (just kidding, Matt)!

We are on day six of Emma Ann's life and I still don't have a picture of all three girls together. I had sweet little shirts made for them just waiting for them at the hospital. But the big girls never made it up to the hospital room at the same time (Maddie never made it at all). They both came down with some kind of virus - fever, rash, lethargy - so we had to keep them away from the baby. We were all re-united yesterday and I was really glad to have all five of us together for the first time.

We had great intentions of going to the bay late yesterday afternoon to get pictures in above mentioned shirts. Matt was loading up Hannah Cate and Maddie in the car while I was changing Emma Ann's diaper. I thought she had what Matt likes to call a "poot gone bad" but in reality it was just the start of a major poop. In the middle of changing her, the phone rang and it was Hannah Cate's new teacher for next year. She had been calling for a few days and I knew I needed to talk to her, so I answered. Mistake. That's when the rest of the major poop started coming - with no diaper on and all over her "little sister" onesie. Only my hands were there to catch it and all the while I'm trying to carry on a conversation with HC's teacher. At one point, her teacher kindly told me that she understood why she hadn't been able to get in touch with me because she heard I just had a baby. "You just have your hands full" she told me. To which I thought to myself - You have no idea just how true that statement is right now!

Needless to say, we had to reschedule the shirt pictures once again. Maybe tonight

Last night I was able to crawl into bed with Hannah Cate and read her favorite "lion book" (the Richard Scarry book). After reading for awhile, we started to say her prayers. Our routine is that we talk about what to pray for first and then I usually say the prayer and she chimes in as she sees fit. I was thanking God for Emma Ann and that she was safe and healthy and that she's now a part of our family. Here comes HC's two cents - "And thank you that Mommy's belly button is fixed".

Maddie has been super sweet with the baby. She gets excited to see her - screaming out "BAY" every time she sees her.

Emma Ann has the sweetest dimple in her left cheek. I can't wait to see what it looks like when she starts breaking out the huge grins.

After just a few days of being home with all three, Matt is already planning a vacation to Mexico.

There's no doubt that we are busy. There's not a lot of down time around here, but our hearts are full and we are so thankful for this growing family.

Emma Ann Miller

2011-07-06T17:46:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday Emma Ann!

July 6, 2011

11:09 am

8 pounds, 8 ounces

20.5 inches

We are in love all over again and can't wait for the big sisters to meet her tomorrow!

Our Bags are Packed....

2011-07-05T21:30:00.005-05:00

And we are going to have a baby on her due date! I've made it to the bitter end this time (Hannah Cate came at 37.5 weeks and Maddie at 38 weeks) and it's safe to say that we are ready and anxious to meet Emma Ann Miller!

We'll head to the hospital at 5am to start the induction process. I've been prone to longer labors so I'm hoping that maybe since Emma Ann has taken us to the end of the pregnancy that maybe she'll be ready to come on out (maybe that's wishful thinking)!

I think her sisters are ready to meet her too. Actually, I know Hannah Cate is ready.

I don't think Maddie has a precious clue what's about to happen!

I can't wait to see all three of them together and start the process of getting adjusted to our new normal. It's hard to believe we're about to be a family of five!!

Stay tuned for pictures tomorrow of our newest girl!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-03T14:55:00.003-05:00

We've been taking advantage of our baby-less freedom a bit longer and started celebrating early.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-06-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

My birthday was on Saturday. It was a great day! I spent a good portion of the day with good friends - lunching and lounging by the pool (kid free!). And I spent the other portion of the day with my sweet family - dinnering, walking by the bay and enjoying an ice cream treat at Mr. Gene's Beans. Another bonus of the day - no trips to labor and delivery! I certainly prefer that we all have our own separate birthdays!

I've been wanting a new lens (50mm f/1.8) for a long time and it came last week for my birthday! I've really enjoyed using it and seeing the different images I can create as compared to my other lens (200mm f/3.5).

I can't wait to get some pics of our new baby girl with my new lens!

Few Words

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Maddie has proven to fit the mold of a second child based on many things I've read and heard from other parents. The development of her motor skills have come much faster than Hannah Cates did, but her vocabulary is vastly different than when Hannah Cate was her age. Nothing I'm worried about at this point, but it's interesting to notice the differences and then factor in birth order.

She's a woman of few words, but the ones that she does say ususally have meaning and she says them with passion!

The two that we hear the most......couldn't be more polar from each other.

Sweet Maddie says "thank you" right on cue anytime you hand her something or do something that she wanted you to do. It's about the sweetest thing I've ever heard coming from her 17 month old mouth. It's not something we set out to teach her either - she just picked it up along the way and she's more consistent in saying it than Hannah Cate is even now!

Then there is aggressive Maddie, who is quick to remind you (forcefully) that something is "MINE". Her paci, sippy cup, toy, book - most of the time are referred to as "MINE". It's not a sweet "MINE" either, it's loud and proud and in charge.

At least after you give her what's "MINE" she says "Thank you"!

She keeps us in stitches most of the time around here!

Birthday, Baptism and Baby

2011-06-14T07:47:00.002-05:00

Memorial Day weekend was a busy one for us - busy but such a blessing! A couple of months ago I started to think about the things that needed to be done before baby #3 makes her arrival in July. Hannah Cate had been asking "is the baby coming out today" and my standard response became that she needed to grow a little more and that she couldn't come until after Hannah Cate's birthday and party. Maybe a mistake on my part because Hannah Cate's birthday party became quite the topic around our house - who knew that an almost three year old would get so excited and thoughtful about her birthday party!?!?. So, the planning began.

Another item on my to-do list (for a long time) has been to schedule Maddie's baptism. We had Hannah Cate baptized around 9 months and I would have liked to have done the same with Maddie but that was last summer and Mom was so sick and I was in Birmingham with her so much and it just didn't happen. And then I was in the early stages of pregnancy and Mom was still recovering and so in the fall and winter it just didn't happen. Now looking back I think it worked out just perfect. We combined Hannah Cate's (early) birthday party with Maddie's baptism and for the first time all of their grandparents (all 8 of them) were able to make it for one single event.

It was a special weekend and I'm thankful to our family and friends for making it a weekend that we surely won't forget!

Now for picture overload.....I'll try to let the pictures speak for themselves.

Hannah Cate's 3rd Birthday Party

Given that I knew Maddie's baptism was the next day, I knew a party at our house was out of the question this year. I needed somewhere we could just show up. In talking to Hannah Cate about her party - two things came out: she wanted a pink cake (which eventually changed to pink cupcakes) and to "jump". There is a place in town filled with inflatable jumpees for kids - Kangarooz. All you have to do is bring the cake - pink cupcakes in our case!

The birthday girl! I really can't believe she's almost (June 10th is her actual birthday) three! It really does feel like yesterday that we were in the hospital having her.

Olivia is our across the street neighbor and friend. She's six and is a good helper with Hannah Cate. She's good at teaching Hannah Cate the ropes - things like what to carry in your purse, what kind of flip flops are cool and all about what she learned in Kindergarten that day. Hannah Cate loves Olivia!

Sweet Mimi and Papa John (not pictured) made it to Fairhope for the first time since Mom got sick. It was so special to have them with us and a reminder of how much life can change in a year! It's been nearly a year since I rushed up to Birmingham late one night because it looked like Mom was going to have surgery for what seemed like a perforated ulcer in the lining of her stomach. I made it in time for what they expected to be a routine 2-4 hour surgery. Many hours later, the surgeon finally came out to tell us it was worse than they expected and they had to remove her stomach. I honestly kept waiting for the surgeon to tell us "and then we put her stomach back in". No such luck. They found Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in the lining of her stomach and it was too damaged to repair the perforation. She would have to learn to live and adjust to life without a stomach plus undergo treatment for the lymphoma. One of the more shocking moments that I can remember in my lifetime. Here I thought we were at the end of what had already seemed like a long road to figuring out just what was wrong with her - but we were really just at the beginning of a much longer journey. It's been a really hard year for my Mom - but I'm contstantly amazed at her resiliency and incredibly positive perspective. I can't tell you how special it was to have her present with us for these two special events for my children. I know that all three (almost four) of her grandchildren have been bright spots in a dark year - so I'm so glad she was here to celebrate with us!

One of the things Hannah Cate talked a lot about leading up to her party was blowing out the candles. She had been to enough parties and taken note that birthday boy/girl got to do the blowing. She had waited patiently for her turn and was very excited to blow out the candles!

Good job sweet girl! She may have had a little help from one of her friends sitting close by and she may or may not have given him the evil eye. I was just thankful no harsh words were exchanged and no tears were shed!

I wish I had done a better job of documenting all her little friends that were there and all of our family - no such luck! But here's a shot of 1/2 of the people that were there.

Maddie has decided over the last few weeks that I'm her favorite - she has been such a Daddy's girl up until this point. Great timing considering what is just aorund the corner! She's also decided that she loves her paci - went from only sleeping with it to standing at her crib asking for it. Maybe she senses that something is up!

Speaking of Daddy - what a trooper to share his actual birthday with Hannah Cate. The party just so happened to be on his 32nd birthday. He was happy to share and I know he was secretly glad to have all those pink cupcakes for his big day! As if he doesn't have enough pink in his life already!

G-Daddy was there too and got in on some good lovin'!

The end of the "jumping" party turned into a dance party. Hannah Cate latched onto this sweet little girl that was there with her family and they danced and danced. I had no idea she had it in her!

These two we are going to seriously have to watch after. Connor has clearly taken his pick of the Miller girls! Who can blame him for going after the "younger woman"!

Maddie's Baptism

Having one baptized while 35 weeks pregnant with another isn't ideal. But I wanted Maddie to have her own special time. I warned our new pastor that I didn't expect Maddie to take to being handed off very well - especially not to a man. Definitely one of the down sides to waiting until the attachment phase is in full force - versus an unknowing baby. She definitely cried when he took her from me, so he quickly handed her back and all was well again. Her facial expression when the water hit her head was hilarious!

I was slightly stressed over the whole thing - the whole thing being having a toddler that I knew would cry - but in the middle was reminded that the crying didn't matter. The whole point is that we are dedicating to raise this precious child with the Bible and the Lord as our guide. We are dedicating and giving her back to the Lord - out of our clenching grasp and into His ultimate care. It's something I need to be reminded of and pray over daily - not just one Sunday in her life.

These pictures are really not very great. I handed my camera over and I must have had the settings on something funny because there's a weird shadow in most of them. But, they are all we have and so I'll post them anyway.

This face kind of sums up Maddie's mood that morning.

And this one explains why we just don't have many pictures. She just wasn't in the mood for pictures! I'm going to have to put her back in the gown and take her up to the church on a better day for some pictures. Such a sweet girl, but I wouldn't exactly call her a "people pleaser"!

On a funny note - at least funny now, I didn't think it was so funny at the time. I ordered a cake for lunch from a local bakery in Fairhope. Aside from the fact that they really didn't do much of what I asked - they put my name on the cake instead of Maddie's initials! Slight disconnect between the person that took my order and the baker! Dad and Mary Rose picked up the cake for me on Sunday morning but they didn't really think to check the cake before they left. Fortunately, I did take a peek and realized the mistake. They had enough time to go back to the bakery and have them correct their error before church.

Baby Girl #3

Baby girl in my tummy has not gotten much blog time, but her time is quickly coming! I started this post on June 1st, now it's June 14th, and I'm 37 weeks pregnant. I've started to make just a little bit of progress, but I'm really hoping she'll stay put until Dr. Shoemaker gets back from his medical missions trip to Africa! He gets back on June 26, so anytime after that will be just fine with me. I've been amazed at the differences in all of my pregnancies, but none have surprised me as much as the lack of anxiousness I feel for this sweet girl to make her entrance. Sure, I'm big and it's hot, but I know we'll have plenty of time to get to know her once she's here and the truth is that she's just a lot easier to take care of right where she is!

Sweet girl does have a name - that I've just neglected to mention yet.

Emma Ann Miller

Some sweet friends had a shower for us and when we received her first monogrammed things, we realized something so fun about her name.....

Her monogram spells EMA (like Emma). So fun! Matt and I both really liked the name Emma and initially intended on calling her Emma. Then I started hearing the name Emma everywhere and started to wonder if we had picked a name that was too popular these days. Around the same time, Hannah Cate started really calling the baby by her name - except she always referred to her as "Emma Ann". It's kind of stuck and I think we're going to have another double named little girl. Of course the worrier in me has been afraid that Maddie is going to feel left out - being the only one without a double name, coupled with the fact that she's already going to be the dreaded middle child! I guess I'll just go ahead and start her therapist fund now.

All of the girls have first names (Hannah, Madelyn and Emma) that are just names that Matt and I both really liked. They also all have middle names (Catherine, Virginia and Ann) that are special family names. Ann is a name on my side of the family - my Mom's Mom's Sister was Ann. I loved, loved, loved my Mom's Mom. I have such fond memories of her and she was such a special lady to me. Her sister, Ann, had such a sweet spirit and I'm so glad to use her name as a way to honor three very special women - my Mom, Grandmama and Aunt Ann.

I am looking so forward to meeting Emma Ann, but am glad I feel a peace about her coming at her own time and not rushing her. In the mean time, I'm going to soak up these last days with her big sisters and Daddy before we become a family of 5!

Ballerina

2011-06-07T11:04:00.003-05:00

About a month ago Hannah Cate started telling us that she was a ballerina and would do a little turn around move with her hands above her head. I thought maybe it was time to give ballet lessons a try. Nini and Da stepped in and gifted her lessons for her Birthday. They started this morning and I'm not sure I've ever seen anything more precious! Hannah Cate did great and followed instructions exceptionally well - much better than I expected. This is the only class they will let the parents sit in on until the end, so I made sure to get my fair share of pictures. So sweet!

As a funny side note - the teacher kindly pointed out that Hannah Cate's "ballet slippers" were in reality nothing more than bedroom slippers. Oops. Rookie mistake I suppose. We certainly paid a visit to the dance studio's store and purchased her some official ballet slippers for next class!

Reading Buddies

2011-05-07T15:26:00.002-05:00

Hannah Cate has always loved books. Since the early days, she would sit contently and look at books. She loved (still loves) to sit in your lap and listen to a book -even at six months old she would sit through multiple books at once. Now she likes to pick out books at night to read before bed - some favorites at the moment are "The Lion Book" (Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever)and The Jesus Storybook Bible. Now that she's in her big girl bed, I love to crawl up in there with her and snuggle and read for a few minutes before bed.

Maddie has also always shown an interest in books, but in an entirely different way. It's rare that you can get her to sit still long enough to make it through even just two pages - let alone an entire book. She does love books though, she loves to look at them and point and jabber at the pictures. She loves to bring them to you, as though she would like for you to read it to her, though she has no intention of actually sitting to listen. She can pull every single book off the shelf in about two seconds.

I love these pictures of them, sitting so sweetly together. If I could bottle them up and keep them just as they are - I'm pretty sure that I would!

*Side note - do you have Carl's Afternoon in the Park or any of the other "Carl" books by Alexandra Day? We received it as a gift before Hannah Cate was born, from my cousin who has two children that are older than mine. It's such a sweet little book - mostly pictures and few words. If I'm honest, it was never one of my favorites because I'm not great at making up stories as I go - but both girls absolutely love it! If it's anywhere in Hannah Cate's eyesight, she always picks it up to "read". I should have known that a Mom who has gone before me would know exactly what she's doing! I have the other "Carl" books on my list to pick up for the girls. I highly recommend them!

A Tale of Two Sisters

2011-05-05T12:06:00.009-05:00

One of the things that I have loved the most about the last few months with Hannah Cate and Maddie is watching their personalities develop and evolve. They are so different and unique.

Take this picture for example:

This is such a great representation of their personalities. Maddie has absolutely no fear and she knows no boundaries. While Hannah Cate is much more content to stand back and observe, she's much more cautious and reserved.

In many ways, Hannah Cate is so much more like me and Maddie is so much more like Matt.

It's hard to not compare them at every turn - especially because they are so close in age and as we hit these new milestones with Maddie it's pretty easy to remember back to what Hannah Cate was like at that age.

However, especially now with a third sweet girl coming, I want to remind myself to celebrate their differences. Encourage them to embrace the unique gifts and talents the Lord has given them.

The reality of having three girls is starting to hit me. Soon there will be three little heads in that picture!

Miss Manners

2011-05-04T08:56:00.004-05:00

I have been working on manners with Hannah Cate lately - really honing in on please, thank you, no/yes ma'am and no/yes sir.

Yesterday we were talking and she asked me a question - to which I replied back to her with a simple "no". Quickly - she came back with, "Say No Ma'am, Mommy".

A few days ago I was asking her to do something, so I said, "Hannah Cate, will you please.....". She came back with, "Thank you for saying please, Mommy".

I didn't know I was getting manner lessons too!

None-the-less, I think she's catching on!

Maddie

2011-04-24T22:29:00.004-05:00

This girl gives us a run for our money.

She's a wild one.

A free spirit.

She plays hard.

She is fearless.

She holds her own against her big sister.

She's vocal.

She keeps us laughing.

And after she's let you know just exactly what she wants and how she wants it.....she looks at you like this:

And we melt.

Because underneath her wildness, she's really just so sweet.

In all the ways that she's tough and wild and crazy - she loves hard too.

She gives great hugs and kisses - often without being asked.

She has the sweetest smile and laughs often.

She likes to do her own thing, but while in the presence of those that she loves.

She's attached - just as much to Hannah Cate as anyone else.

She's a Daddy's girl.

She is our Maddie-girl and we love her so much!

Pure Fun

2011-04-24T22:18:00.003-05:00

We had our inagural visit to the pool for the summer of 2011 this weekend. Quite different with two mobile and active children.

A good time was had by all!

I see many more visits in our future!

Not So Fast!

2011-03-24T12:20:00.003-05:00

We thought Maddie was ready to drop her morning nap. I put her in her highchair for lunch and left the room to check my email. I realized it was awfully quiet in the kitchen and immediately I knew what I would find......

Poor girl.

Maybe she's not so ready to drop that nap afterall!

I pray I don't forget......

2011-03-24T09:34:00.005-05:00

This morning while sitting on the kitchen counter, helping me make pancakes, Hannah Cate sweetly put her hand on my arm and said -

"Mommy, I love you. You are my best."

Melt my heart. How I love that girl!

Tired but Thankful

2011-03-13T21:54:00.003-05:00

Having two girls so close in age makes me tired.

Thinking about having three girls so close in age makes me more tired.

But then we have days like today with lots of playing and giggling and I'm reminded that I'm really thankful that my girls will never remember a day without each other, without a constant play-mate, without a confidante, without someone to share with and someone to borrow from.

They will always have each other and for that I am so thankful.

I can sleep when they are 18, 19 and 21 (and all three in college at the same time)!

Only the Second Child......

2011-02-11T12:00:00.000-06:00

would know how to eat a sucker at 12 months of age!

2011-02-03T19:20:00.002-06:00

It's a......

GIRL!

From the beginning I really have pictured three sweet little girls.

Three pigtailed and bow-headed girls.

Three little dancers and softball players.

Three little girls walking down the beach holding hands.

Three little playmates.

Three girls that I pray will grow up to be the best of friends.

I really can't imagine it any other way.

Most of the questions today have centered around Matt and how he's holding up. I think he's certainly feeling really out-numbered, but he's a great girl-dad and as soon as he lays eyes on this sweet baby there will be no thoughts of "the boy that could have been". I think his biggest thought now is.....how are we going to pay for all three of them?!?!?!

Thoughts on this Pregnancy

2011-02-02T19:00:00.000-06:00

The honest-to-goodness truth is that I just don't have much time to think about this pregnancy. My thoughts seem to center mostly around - oh goodness, how are we going to do this?!?!?!

I've always had a pretty certain feeling that I wanted to have three kids. I don't think Matt ever spent much time thinking about what he pictured as his family, but he always told me that he was on board. Both of my parents come from a family with three children and some of my favorite memories from growing up are holidays spent with our extended family at my grandparent's houses. I love the idea of that being our house one day, with our three children and their spouses and children. That's way down the road, but it's one of the things I look forward to in life!

One thing I never pictured was that those three kids would all come within three years of each other!

Looking back - I have been pregnant in 2007, 2008, 2009, twice in 2010 and in 2011! That's five consecutive years of sharing my body with someone else. Not to mention nursing.....I'm not even going to count! I haven't had very hard pregnancies, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I'll be glad when this one is over and I can know that I'm done sharing - at least that particular aspect of myself!

I can remember getting to the point (before I knew I was pregnant) when I realized that Hannah Cate would turn three before another baby was born. I proudly announced to Matt that we could be certain that we wouldn't have "three under three". Well, barely! Hannah Cate will turn three on June 10th and baby #3 is due July 6th!

Hannah Cate and Maddie are 19 months apart. Maddie and #3 will be 18 months apart.

The look of pity on people's faces when I explain how old my children are, compared to when the baby is due is priceless! The nurse's at my OBGYN's office might be the best - they politely ask, "now how old is the baby?" realizing that it hasn't been that long since I was there last.

I should have started counting the number of times that people said - "Haven't y'all figured out what causes this yet??". If I've heard it once, I've heard it a million times.

Hannah Cate is really excited about the baby. She says it's going to be another sister and that her name will be Hollis. Hollis is our friend the Nebrig's baby. I've tried to explain to Hannah Cate that we can't name our baby Hollis too - it hasn't sunk in yet.

Maddie doesn't have a clue! Now I wonder if I thought Hannah Cate had a clue when I was pregnant with Maddie.....I kind of think I did and now I think I was delusional!

My Dad saw my sister's best friend's dad at the grocery store (right after we told my Dad #3 was on the way). Dad told him that his 4th grandchild was on the way. Word got back to my sister's best friend who immediately called Emily, mad that she'd heard through the grapevine that Emily was pregnant (with her second). Logical assumption that it surely would be Emily that was pregnant and not me again!

Hannah Cate is still sleeping in her crib. Maddie is still sleeping in her crib. We will NOT be buying a third crib! Hannah Cate will be moving to a twin daybed soon. Once we are through that transition, Maddie will move in with Hannah Cate. The new baby will get Maddie's old room.

All three will be in college at the same time - at least for some period of time.

People are very curious as to the sex of this baby.

I think it's a girl. I picture three sisters and it makes me smile. Matt pictures three girls and he sees lots and lots of dollar signs!

We find out tomorrow.

2011-01-18T19:55:00.004-06:00

1 on 1.11.11

My friend Krista says that when you turn the age of your birthdate (25 on the 25th, 10 on the 10th, 11 on the 11th) that it's your Birthday of the Universe.

I'm wondering what turning 1 on 1.11.11 is.....

Seems pretty special to me!

We love you sweet Maddie girl!

I'm so thankful that God gave you to us!

Walking!

2011-01-18T19:52:00.007-06:00

At 11 months Maddie started taking her first steps. Right before her first birthday she was walking when strongly encouraged. By the time her birthday rolled around, we had a full on walker on our hands!

She's so proud of herself! And we are so proud of her too!

A Tale of Five Ornaments

2010-12-23T16:19:00.010-06:00

In 2006, my family started giving us a "Miller family" ornament each year. They have become my favorite ornaments to pull out each year because they represent our ever-changing and growing family!

Since 2006, the ornaments have changed every year. Either we've been pregnant or it's been one of the girl's first Christmas.

2006

2007

2008

2009

And last weekend my Dad gave us the new 2010 ornament - double change this year......

2010

I'm excited to say that in 2011 our "Miller family" ornaments will be set and not changing!

We'll be a family of five!! Baby #3 due July 6th.

PS - We have absolutely no intention of actually calling Maddie - "Maddie Moo" but I'm glad that now we'll have a reminder for years to come of what her baby nickname was! I also realize (though I'm confident that my Dad did not - men, not into details) that her piece of the ornament was likely meant for a dog (with the paw prints and all). Given that now she's going to be the dreaded middle child, I'm thinking that I probably need to go and swap that out!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T16:04:00.002-06:00

From our family to yours!

Candy Boxes Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for unique, personalized Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

War Eagle!

2010-12-09T19:50:00.003-06:00

We love our Auburn Tigers!

We also love babysitters willing to keep three wild ones during the Iron Bowl. Best money spent in a long time!!

It's Best to Sleep with One Eye Open!

2010-12-09T10:24:00.002-06:00

Because you never know when the sticker fairy might be around!

The Ones that Didn't Make It!

2010-12-09T09:41:00.004-06:00

For goodness sakes it is about impossible to get a picture of a two-and-a-half year old and a ten month old together. I take that back, as seen below, it's not impossible to get one of them together.....it's just impossible to get one that is actually Christmas card worthy!

After trying and failing to get a good picture of them together, I decided this year it would have to be individual pictures of the girls.

Well, Hannah Cate was over it by now and was just cold.....this was the best we could do!

So, we headed out the next day to try again. This time I was more prepared. I promised that if she let me take her picture and if she was good and minded and acted sweet then she could take my picture with my good camera.

Worked like a charm!

That and the promise of an "e-o" or as most people call them - Oreo!

A Little Motivation.....

2010-12-09T09:22:00.004-06:00

I'm terribly late on our Christmas cards this year. I was beginning to think maybe I should just let it go. But then I thought about the five previous Miller family Christmas cards that are sitting in "the box" and how much I love to look back at them each year to see how much our family has changed. Then I thought about how sad I would be in the years to come when I look back and we are missing 2010 - an important year that we added a new person to our family! Then I came across this great offer from Shutterfly for bloggers......no turning back, I had to get it in gear!

I'm excited to use Shutterfly this year. I've used them in the past and was very pleased with the results. I'm a big fan of quick and easy creation of their photo cards and good quality card stock that they offer. Not to mention the wide variety of designs!

We also have a very important first Birthday coming up and I just may have to take a look at Shutterfly's selection of invitations while I'm at it! Maybe I could get really crazy and make a calendar of Maddie's first year!

Thank you Shutterfly for helping me get it together this year. I need all the help I can get!

The Things She Says......

2010-10-28T08:33:00.004-05:00

Hannah Cate is at such a fun age. We are constantly amazed at the things she says and the things she understands at such a young age. She's so impressionable, which really keeps Matt and I accountable to the things we say and the way we treat each other. You can't slip much by this sweet girl!

My Grandmother (Mom's Mom) kept a book of things that Emily and I said when we were little. Things we said at her house and things Mom told her that we said. It's one of my favorite things to look through - such a treasure to have those memories. To this day, Mom reminds us of things that are in "the book". I've known that I wanted to make sure to keep a record of the things the girls say, but I can hardly believe I'm already to that point with Hannah Cate.

One day I'll put them in a book, but for now I think the blog is the best place - plus all of you will get the joy and laughs that we get on a daily basis!

One day the girls and I were in Maddie's room. I was changing Maddie's diaper and Hannah Cate was playing. The day before she had pulled all of the empty coat hangers off the bottom shelf of Maddie's closet and they were sprawled all over the closet floor - there were probably 15 or so hangers laying on the floor. Hannah Cate said to me - "Mommy, who make-uh this mess?" To which I responded, "Hannah Cate, you did that!" She spouts back with, "What are we gonna do with me?"

All of us were in the kitchen one night getting ready for dinner. Matt and I were talking. At one point Matt must have said something to me in a stronger tone than normal and Hannah Cate quickly interjected with, "Daddy, be sweet to Mommy!" We died laughing!

Earlier this year Hannah Cate started participating in prayer time before bed. I would always ask her who she wanted to pray for. Without fail, she always started with Mimi (my Mom) and Papa. Looking back I have no doubt she "knew" that Mimi was going to need those prayers more than anyone else this year!

There is a cross that hangs on the wall in Hannah Cate's room, right above the light switch. One night during her "who are we going to pray for" recital she said "pray for the cross". I thought I was going to cry. Now she asks to pray for the cross almost every night and we thank the Lord for what the cross means in our salvation and we pray for the day that Hannah Cate truly can grasp the meaning. Oh to have faith like a child!

She's not a complete angel, she also asks to pray for her piggy bank!

The last of the prayer time stories - at least for now. During our "who do you want to pray for" time I'll continue to ask Hannah Cate "who else/what else" until she just stops talking. Well, recently she's started listed a few people/things and quickly says, "That's it". I guess you gotta draw the line somewhere!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T16:36:00.005-05:00

Going to See the Tigers Play!

2010-10-03T22:52:00.006-05:00

We left Birmingham bright and early Saturday morning headed towards the Plains. Hannah Cate has been to Auburn several times, but this was her first time to actually go into the game! I knew when we were watching Game Day one Saturday morning and she saw some football footage and completely on her own started yellling "Go Auburn Go" and shaking her liitle arm that we just had to take her to a game this year. That and the fact that "War Eagle, fly down the field" (otherwise known as the Auburn Fight Song) is her favorite song!

We had one excited little girl on our hands!

It was a beautiful day and despite the traffic we got there in plenty of time to see the band, cheerleaders and the team run out on the field! I think it was a bit overwhelming for Hannah Cate, she was pretty clingy but she really seemed to like it too!

We even got to see Aubie pretty up close. This was close enough for Hannah Cate. She likes to talk about Aubie, but she would rather not get too close. She's really never been a fan of mascots or walking/talking characters. I asked her if she wanted me to take her down to see Aubie and she was not interested in the least! She kept wanting to know where he was, I think to keep her eye on him and make sure he wasn't getting too close. Eventually she started saying "Where is Aubie? Aubie not get me?".

It was hotter than I thought it was going to be, so we made a drink run pretty early in the first quarter. Not long after we got back from a break in the shade Hannah Cate looked at me and said "Mommy, I all done War Eagle". Hilarious! I looked at the game clock - 10:24 left in the 1st Quarter. Glad we picked the ULM game and were able to find friends that were not using their tickets who graciously gave them to us! We stayed through the end of the first quarter and were able to enjoy Auburn while most everyone else stayed in the game.

She loved playing on the lawn in front of Samford and sitting on the Auburn sign.

I love this girl so much!

We can only pray that we'll get to replicate this family picture in about 16 years when we are dropping her off for some of the best years of her life!

We headed back to Birmingham to get Moo and show her some of the tricks that we learned from watching the football players live and in person.

And of course spend some time with G-Daddy

When this one heard that we went to the game without her, she couldn't believe it......

But I know she had a good time playing with G-Daddy and Me Rose.

Digging Out

2010-09-29T22:00:00.001-05:00

Sorry to breeze in and breeze out with so little information about my Mom and exactly what is going on. Thank you for your sweet comments, emails, texts and phone calls. And thank you for praying for my family.

A little background - Mom was diagnosed with a fairly uncommon disease in 2002 called Scleroderma. Only about 300,000 people in the US have been diagnosed with scleroderma. There is no known cause, there is no cure and the treatment is minimal.

In August Mom started having some complications from an infected place on her finger (scleroderma related) so she was seeing a physician that was helping her get better. While being treated for the finger, she started having some other issues/symptoms including loss of appetite, weight loss, low blood counts, low blood pressure, etc. This eventually led to a trip to the UAB ER where she was eventually (after a painfully long wait) admitted and underwent many tests. She was discharged within a few days without a true picture of what was wrong, but with plans for additional outpatient tests with a gastroenterologist. Before she ever made it for the additional tests she began to have intense stomach pains. Again we headed back to UAB where they discovered she had an ulcer that had perforated the lining of her stomach. She was taken for emergency surgery very early on a Saturday morning to repair the tear. During the operation they discovered that she had far greater problems than they expected and due to what they found in her stomach (which we now know to be non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma) they were unable to repair the tear and therefore were left with no choice but to completely remove her stomach.

It was a very hard surgery on Mom's body so she was left on the ventilator and taken to ICU following the surgery. She was on the ventilator from Saturday until Monday afternoon and on Tuesday she was released from ICU to a general recovery room. She stayed in the hospital for another week (or so) and was then released to a rehab facility where she's been for the last month (just about).

She's recovering well and getting stronger every day. She's still got her sense of humor and is as feisty as ever. She's still on a feeding tube to help her get the proper amount of nutrition so that her incision can heal. She's learning how to eat and drink without a stomach (she can eat regular food, she just has to eat smaller and more frequent meals/snacks).

I've learned a lot from her. She's a fighter - and I really didn't know that about her. She's stayed so positive, constantly saying that it could be worse (and I'm not so sure about that sometimes). She's so kind to each and every care giver that she comes in contact with - even the ones that could be doing a better job. She has patience and extends grace to everyone. She's strong and I know that is going to help her in the days ahead.

We go tomorrow for her first appointment with her new hematologist/oncologist. He'll help us navigate exactly what needs to be done to fight the Lymphoma. He's already talking chemo, but she'll have scans done tomorrow that will show her doctor exactly what was left after her stomach was removed. I'm praying for no cancer left, no spreading and therefore no need for further treatment.

I'm sorry for those of you reading that were left surprised and uninformed. Thank you for all of your kind words and most of all for praying for us. We believe in the power of prayer and that's what Mom needs the most.

For some light-hearted reading and the source of many great smiles from Mom these days, keep scrolling on down.....

Sweet and Sassy

2010-09-29T21:15:00.000-05:00

This one is just the epiotme of sass these days. Look at that face!!

But she can be really sweet too!

I think we'll keep her!!

All About Maddie

2010-09-29T21:00:00.003-05:00

My itty-bitty baby is getting so big. I mean, I still feel that way about Hannah Cate, so you can imagine my surprise over how big my Maddie is getting! She's such a sweet girl. She still just smiles all the time. She loves Hannah Cate and wants to be where ever she is. She's loud and is starting to "talk" (ba-ba-ba, da-da-da). She's crawling all over the place, room to room. Her favorite place is Hannah Cate's room with all the toys. She's pulling up and just starting to take some steps while holding on. I think she's going to be walking so much sooner than Hannah Cate did (14 months). The girl loves to eat. I don't think we'll have one bit of problem getting her to give up the bottle, she already loves a sippy cup and she would rather eat solids than drink a bottle. We still call her Maddie Moo-Moo and sometimes just Moo. She's not a very good sleeper (that might be the under statement of the year). Her sleeping habits might just seal the deal that she'll always be the baby (wink and a smile). She's always content if she can see your face, otherwise, she'll let you know that she would like to see your face - again, she's loud.

I just cannot imagine our family without her. She's a blessing and we are so glad that she's ours. She's stolen all three of our hearts.

These two sweet girls are going to be our babysitters one day. They come over to our house to play several times a week. They love, love, love Hannah Cate and Maddie and are so sweet to them. We cannot wait until they are just a little older and are ready to take on the girls by themselves!

One day they came over and Hannah Cate was spending the night with Matt's parents, so Maddie had them all to herself. They played and played (and I was able to get some chores done around the house). They called me into Maddie's room and this is what I found:

Maddie thought it was so funny and so did the girls!

2010-08-25T15:41:00.008-05:00

My Mom is sick.

It's hard to watch your Mom be sick and to see her hurt.

The unknown is hard.

I'm at the hospital with her in Birmingham, which means I'm not at home with my family.

I miss them.

It's hard to be away from them.

I'm thankful that I am where I know I am supposed to be - but no matter where I turn, it's hard.

The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Please pray for us.

Life as the Baby

2010-07-22T12:00:00.002-05:00

Hannah Cate loves, loves, loves Maddie. Maddie loves, loves, loves Hannah Cate. The two of them are most content when they are together. Of course Maddie can't really play with Hannah Cate just yet, but Hannah Cate really thinks that she is playing with Maddie. Sometimes at sweet Maddie's expense. We've learned pretty quickly that we can't turn our backs for very long!

But we have learned the hard way in some cases.......

Hannah Cate has developed an obsession with hats lately, but in most cases, she's obsessed with taking them off. She's been saying to Matt recently "hat off" every time he has a hat on. G-Daddy came to play with us on Monday and he received the same treatment. Maddie on the other hand was given the Hannah Cate stamp of approval to wear the "War Eagey" hat (whether it fit her or not).

Hannah Cate has also developed a great fondness for talking to people on the phone. We like to call Mimi and G-Daddy on the phone since we don't get to see them as often. Hannah Cate likes to make sure Maddie gets to talk to them too!

I'm not even sure how to explain this one, other than to say, this falls in the "don't turn your back" category. We were getting ready to go to the pool and Maddie was waiting patiently already loaded in her car seat while the rest of us were getting our stuff together. Hannah Cate grabbed one of the chargers off the dining room table and proceeded to put it over Maddie's face. The funniest part is that it didn't even phase sweet Moo-Moo - no arms flailing or legs kicking. I guess you get used to just about anything around here!

On Saturday I was home alone with the girls and I was trying to get a few things done around here. Hannah Cate was playing in her room and so I thought I would put Maddie in Hannah Cate's crib ("kib") where she would be safe and sound but could still be in the presence of Hannah Cate (again, they are both happier and more content when they are together). I came back to check on them, only to find every single one of Hannah Cate's toys (books, stuffed animals, baby dolls, puzzle pieces, you name it) in the crib with Maddie. Poor girl was practically buried underneath a mound of toys. Would you believe me that she wasn't even crying or fussing? She was actually smiling when I peered over the crib to find her under the mess. So much for safe and sound in the crib. I don't have a picture of this near catastrophe because ~~my camera battery was dead~~ I was just trying to rescue my baby!

As for the big sister responsible for it all. This is the face I get when I ask her if she thinks maybe she's playing a little rough with sister:

Hmmmmm.....what am I supposed to say to that?

We Call her Maddie Moo-Moo

2010-07-15T11:18:00.006-05:00

She turned six months old on Sunday.

All I can think is "ooooooooohhhhhhh" where did the time go?

Half of a year.

In pre-baby days a half of a year was a long time. In post-baby days it goes by in the blink of an eye.

Sweet Sister Maddie Moo-Moo,

You are a true delight. You make our hearts swell with your free-flowing and gracious smiles. I feel better about myself when I'm around you because you are so quick to flash me your toothless (but not for much longer) grin. You have the kindest blue eyes. I can already tell that you are going to have a very gracious spirit. I'm taking in your sweet snuggles as much as I can because I know before long you will be off chasing your big sister and won't have as much time to cuddle. In an instant you stole my heart for the third time. I love you sweet girl and we are so blessed to call you ours.

My love,

Mama

PS- I promise we'll stop calling you Moo-Moo before you start Kindergarten, you have my word!

Beach Trip

2010-07-07T14:45:00.008-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to the beach with a big group of friends. Five families totaling 10 adults and 9 children - we had them outnumbered this year, but next year they'll have us beat! I think the trip was overall a resounding success. It was a way different beach trip than I am used to, but we made it work. It was really great to just get outside of our normal day-to-day routine. Some of my favorite times were after the kids had gone to bed and we just sat out on the balcony and chatted.

Hannah Cate loved spending time with the boys and I think she has officially developed her first crush. She has been talking about Peyton ("Pake") ever since we left. She really does thrive in social settings and loves being around other kids. Every time we left to go to dinner, etc. she would ask "Home to condo?" It was really hard to explain to her on the last day when we were leaving for good that we were going home-home and that "home to condo" was just a vacation. I think she wouldn't have minded staying forever!

Maddie was a little trooper. Sleeping on the go when needed and overall going with the flow. She's really coming into her own and developing her own sweet personality. I'm so thankful for her happy disposition.

Nothing like a little dinner and napping. I think we made a mistake at dinner this night. We went to a place in Alys Beach called George's. Great food, great atmosphere, but we really paid ($$$) for it!

So glad our girls got his gorgeous blue eyes!

Ethan

Thomas (aka T-bug)

Robert

Peyton, Ethan and Jackson

Hannah Cate attempting to play with Finn - he wasn't so interested!

Hannah Cate has developed a great love for the ocean (osh-ee) this year. She loves to play in the waves and screams over and over "waves get me"!

Sweet Maddie. I love this girl!

Loving on my sweet girls!

I did celebrate a birthday that ends with a "0" while we were at the beach. The girls planned a little cake party after dinner that night and it was a good day. Matt surprised me with an upcoming vacation that we'll get to go on just the two of us - can't wait!

Kids playing amongst the local paparrazi!

This was our second attempt at the beach with Maddie. Attempt one officially failed. We were there for less than 10 minutes and hung it up. Day two we went armed with a plan and it was a much better beach outing! Maddie stayed perched in her bouncy on the beach chair and all was good!

Self portrait!

No oil made for great beach and ocean time.

Shands-man. Probably one of the most self-entertaining, wild-man kiddos I've ever been around!

There's nothing like a good nap on the beach! I wish that could have been me!

We had a great time and can't wait until next year!

2010-06-18T15:58:00.004-05:00

June 10th

2008:

2009:
2010:

Her Party

2010-06-15T17:00:00.002-05:00

We had Hannah Cate's Birthday party at our house and I tried to focus the party on all of her favorite things. We had bubbles and sidewalk chalk and all of her riding toys for the kids to play on in the back yard. For her birthday, Matt and I got her one of those inflatable jumping things that will stay at our house and hopefully provide hours of entertainment (so far so good)! Hannah Cate is not a big fan of traditional birthday cake, but she loves chocolate chip cookies, so we had cookie cake and ice cream (chocolate is her favorite). We had her favorite snacks - goldfish, cheerios, teddy grahams, Yorks and mini Vanilla wafers. The weather was great and we all had a great time. After the party, our family plus the Kellum's and Hensley's stayed and we had one of Hannah Cate's favorite dinners - pork tenderloin and rice, plus salad and rolls for the adults. She got lots of fun new toys, books and even some new clothes from her friends and family. It was a great Birthday party and I'm extra thankful for my sweet sister that volunteered to come down early and help me get ready. I never could have made it through the weekend without her. Each time we are together it makes me extra thankful that my girls have each other!

I set out to make sure I did a better job with the camera this year than last year. Definitely a success!

2010-06-10T20:54:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Baby Girl!

Hannah Cate,

I can't believe that today you are two years old today. I can still remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. You have been everything I imagined and dreamed of and more. I feel so privileged to be your Mama and to get to share my days with you. You are quite literally growing up right before our eyes and it's been exciting to see what each new day with you brings. You are such a joy and I love you to the moon and back.

Mama

What a Difference a Year Makes

2010-06-02T18:00:00.003-05:00

One year ago today I took a test that would make known one of the greatest blessings we will know in this life. When I announced to the blogging world that we were expecting again, I left out a tiny detail because I was really too embarassed to admit it. I still remember it so vividly and it's probably a time in my life that I will never forget. I was sitting in my bathroom, the lines had just appeared, I had deciphered that it meant I actually was pregnant, I was in shock but I was smiling and really just about laughing at the thought that I was pregnant again - UNTIL - my still-little-itty-bitty Hannah Cate crawled into the bathroom and into my eyesight. And I lost it, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. I wasn't sad for me, I was sad for her. I felt guilty that I was going to have to split my time when she still needed me so much. She was still so little. How was I possibly ready to love another baby as much as I loved her? My sweet and wise husband reminded me later that we still had 7 months and that Hannah Cate wouldn't be so itty-bitty when the new baby came along. That has proven to be so, so true. As I look back at pictures from the time we found out and now, Hannah Cate has grown so much and has gone from a crawling baby to a running toddler. Not to mention the fact that she absolutely LOVES her sister. The saying "shared joy is double joy" comes to mind because Hannah Cate has truly shared in the joy of Maddie and it's added a whole new and exciting element to having a baby. And the "can I love two factor" has never crossed my mind again since I first held Maddie in my arms. I love her just the same!

My sweet Maddie-girl, I'm so glad that you are ours. I'm terribly sorry that I ever once doubted whether or not I was ready for you, because I love you so and cannot imagine our lives without you. I will forever thank the Lord for the true blessing that you are!

This and That - Hannah Cate

2010-06-01T13:04:00.002-05:00

I realized the other day that my baby girl is quickly approaching the two year mark. How is that? Where did the time go? Even with all that we have going on these days, I still remember the day that Hannah Cate was born like it was yesterday. However, the small details in between, not so much! I thought I would do a quick recap, more for myself than anything, of the things Hannah Cate is saying and doing right before she turns two.

(Feel free to stop reading now because this will likely be boring to most.)

Hannah Cate can repeat everything we say these days. We call her our parrot. Most of the time it's very cute, but I'd be lying if I said there were not a few times when we would rather her not repeat everything we say!

1 week old

Some of our favorite things that she says - in Hannah Cate style:

Paci - sounds like "pas-eye". When she's extra desparate, the "eye" is extremely drawn out!

Sister - sometimes sounds like "sis-tuh" and sometimes like "sissy". Now she has started actually saying her name from time to time. Sometimes just Maddie, sometimes Moo-Moo and sometimes the whole enchilada - Sister Maddie Moo-Moo.

3.5 Months Old

When she first started talking her version of Yes, came out like "ssssss" and always was accompanied with a quick nod of the head. Now, instead of yes, her answer is "K" or "Uh-huh".

Milk (comes out "nuk")

Water (comes out "ag-wah" and sounds very much like Spanish)

One of her first very distinguishable words was outside (ah-side) and she still says it quite often!

7 Months old

Blue ("bwooooo") - the first color that she learned. Only problem is that now everything is blue! We are working on the other colors and she can usually pick out purple and black now too.

I'm Sorry - This is one of my favorites because it's so sweet when she says it. At first is sounded more like "I Sahr" and now now it's "I Saw-ee".

It melts my heart when she says I Love You, which comes out as "I Lov-ee". Sometimes when I say to her "Hannah Cate, I love you" and she doesn't respond back, I'll ask her "Hannah Cate, do you love me?" to which she will respond "I love me". So cute!

Some of her favorite foods are cheese, chicken (chick-uh), rice (yice), green beans, peas, yogurt (yoki), cookies (cook-cook), York Peppermint Patties, bananas (nami) and pork tenderloin.

10 Months Old

She has a fabulous memory. Many times we'll tell her that after her nap we'll go do something and she'll wake up and immediately remind us of what we promised.

She still absolutely loves books. When she plays by herself in her room, the vast majority of the time when I go to check on her she's pulled all the books off the shelf and is "reading" them.

She's a great sleeper. She goes to bed between 7-8pm and sleeps until 8am. She's also been known to sleep-in until 9, 10, 11am. She takes an afternoon nap for 2 1/2 -3 hours. She sleeps with at least 1 of her 4 lovies - Prissy, Theo, Lambie or LaLa - and her green blanket ("bankie").

15 Months Old

We made strong strides towards getting rid of the "pasi" but with the arrival of "sistuh" she reverted back to wanting it all the time. We opted to choose our battles and gave in. Some days are better than others, but it's our goal to only use it during sleeping times.

Her absolute favorite song is "Soul Sister" by Train. Random, I know for an almost-two-year-old. I really can't remember how it came to be her favorite, but it's stuck. Now everytime we are in the car and the radio comes on, she demands to hear "So Sis-tuh". It's really hard to explain to an almost-two-year-old that I can't magically make a song come on the radio! We've also been known to have a jam session to Beyonce's "Single Ladies".

18 Months Old

She loves to write names. Everytime she sees a piece of paper and a pen - she starts calling out "name, name, name" until you give in and let her start writing. After she's "written a few names" then she hands the pen over and starts telling you which names to write.

She can now call all of her grandparents by name, quite a feat given the fact that she has eight! Nini and Da (started out Dee-da), B and Pops, Mimi and Papa, G-Daddy (started out Granddaddy, became Bubba for a little while before landing on G-daddy) and Rose (pronounced "Wose"). She's actually really good with names and remembers names pretty easily now. Maybe it has to do with the fact that we write them all the time!!

21.5 Months Old

Some of her favorite things to do are go to the pool and park and jump (on those inflatable things). She also loves to go to the beach and ocean ("osh-ee"). Last year she was not a fan of the sand and this year she has certainly warmed up to it. She loves to chase the birds ("buh-dees") up and down the beach. She also recently really warmed up to actually getting into the ocean. We played in the waves for an hour one day and she loved it and laughed so much. She would say "wave get me" over and over. I've been so sad about the oil on many levels, but really sad that she's going to miss out on the fun this year since it's already hit our beaches and no swimming is allowed.

She loves, loves, loves her sister. I've been so pleasantly surprised at the transition she has made. She is a great helper and really does love on Maddie every chance she gets. She's a great big sister!

At 18 months she weighed 25 pounds and at 23 months she weighed 26 and a half pounds.

24 Months Old

I really cannot wait to see what the next year brings. I'm naturally sad that our first two years are over and they have literally gone by in the blink of an eye. However, with each new stage that we enter with Hannah Cate I find myself loving her and loving being her Mama even more. Bring on the two's!

Still Here....

2010-05-24T13:32:00.003-05:00

Just busy loving on each other.

Hopefully I'll be able to pull together something more substantial soon!

A Real Live Baby Doll

2010-04-13T16:56:00.005-05:00

Before you alert Child Services on me, please let me first say that no children were harmed as a result of what you are about to see. Now, on to our regularly scheduled program.....

Hannah Cate was given this baby doll stroller for Christmas by her Uncle Lee and (soon to be) Aunt Julie. It's been a hit, especially now that Hannah Cate has a new baby doll to stroll around!

Look at that grin! And sweet Maddie-girl looks pretty content herself!

Sweet Sisters

2010-04-09T16:28:00.005-05:00

I had Maddie propped up on the Boppy the other day, doing a little tummy time and working on those neck muscles (which are getting very strong these days, we call her our little turtle). I guess Hannah Cate had never really seen her holding her head up so well, so when she came in the room and saw her, she just thought it was hilarious! She laughed and laughed and wanted to get up on the bed with "Sis-tuh".

Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T21:36:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful Spring day that was such a good reminder of what Easter is all about - LIFE! Thank you Lord for the resurrection!

Smiles and Ponytails

2010-03-29T20:37:00.003-05:00

We've had a few new things going on around here.

Baby girl #1 is sporting a new ponytail!

Baby girl #2 has been sharing the sweetest smiles!

Out with the old, in with the new!

School Days

2010-03-27T10:47:00.007-05:00

We took the plunge a little earlier than originally planned. If there is one thing I've learned about parenthood.....it's that sometimes it's just hard to plan, sometimes things don't go as expected, so you just have to roll with it. Hannah Cate was enrolled to start at Country Day School in August. Things have been a little crazy around here lately (it's no coincidence that this post immediately follows my post about going back to work) so we decided that it would be good for all of us if Hannah Cate went ahead and started school (really Mother's Day Out) a little earlier than planned.

I hope it doesn't sound like we needed to "ship" her off, because really this is just as much for her (if not more) than it is for us. The girl absolutely loves to play (be around) with other kids and she loves to be outside. Moving on....that was my version of releasing a little bit of guilt.

She'll go to school two days a week from 9-12. The great thing about CDS is that she'll be able to eventually go five days a week if we choose and they even have a kindergarten program. Everyone has been so nice and we've been so pleased with our experience so far.

The first day was a little hard, Hannah Cate and I both cried when I dropped her off, but the tears didn't last long and she got a glowing report when I picked her up. In the two short days that she's been there she has already taken a class picture, participated in a baby parade and worked on an art project that will be coming home soon. I miss her when she's gone but I know this is going to be a place and time that she's going to grow to love. I just can't believe how grown up she is getting!

Here are a few pictures from her first day!

Matt picked her up on her second day and when he got there, she was crying. He asked her teacher (she has two and we already really like them both) what was wrong and apparently one of the little boys in her class had been on a pushing rampage that day and Hannah Cate was his latest victim. Poor girl! Matt quickly told the teacher he wanted her to know from that point forward he would be telling Hannah Cate that if anyone pushed her again she was to push them right back. Oh.my.gosh. I'm sure the teacher just laughed at him and I guess that is every Daddy's inclination, but Hannah Cate and I had quite the different chat about what to do the next time that happened when she got home! A little grace, Daddy, a little grace!

Back to it....

2010-03-11T14:15:00.008-06:00

I started back to work this week. It has actually been somewhat refreshing to be back in somewhat of a normal and predictable routine. I feel a little out of my element without a little structure to my days and since I know maternity leave is not permanent, I have trouble finding structure during that time.

Now it hasn't been all easy and I've missed the dedicated time with Matt and the girls.

But, lucky for me I have an assistant. As you can see, she checks my email and takes my phone calls for me. What a help!

If I can just teach her the difference between the baby monitor and the telephone, we'll be in business!

My assistant unfortunately is not here everyday, but I have an officemate to keep me company. She really doesn't get much work done, in fact she actually sleeps on the job quite often. And if she's not sleeping then she's pretty much eating. But that's okay, I really like having her around and if nothing else, she's really fun to look at! Don't you think she's a cutie?

So I don't really have an assistant and an officemate here working with me, I have two children who just happen to both be under the age of two. I know people wonder how in the world I'm going to work from home with two babies. I wondered that myself, so I hired a nanny. Meet my nanny.

He's done great so far. I think he's going to work out just fine. Plus he's cheap, so I think we'll keep him!

In all seriousness, I am so thankful to work for a company that not only allows me to work from home, but allows me to work from home with two children. What a blessing! And the Lord has provided Matt with a flexible job and a schedule that just absolutely suits our needs for this time in our lives. And then there's Nini and Deeda who so graciously keep Hannah Cate two days a week and will likely start keeping Maddie one day a week. We couldn't do it without them.

It seems chaotic at times, but Matt and I, we are a team and I know we will look back on this season of life and smile and be thankful for the time we had with our babies.

My Girls

2010-03-04T10:04:00.004-06:00

Oh how I love these girls! This picture makes me laugh so hard. Sweet Hannah Cate, I mean, look at that expression. I can only imagine just what exactly is going through her mind! And my Maddie girl, so laid back in the presence of her big sister who is always bestowing her with sweet kisses....that is when she is not poking her in the eye in an effort to show me that she does in fact know where her her baby sister's eyes are!

And speaking of my girls....they are sleeping right now. At.the.same.time. Glory!

I'm not really sure what to do with myself. I have had two cups of coffee (decaf mind you). I have actually eaten breakfast. I'm showered with my hair done and make-up on. My teeth are brushed. My house is clean (relatively speaking). The dishwasher is empty. The washer and dryer are running. The pictures are downloaded from my camera. I've checked my email and even responded to a few.

It's nice to have just a few minutes to myself.

I haven't had much time to write my thoughts on having two babies. It's work, hard work. I had no idea. I thought I did, but I really wasn't even close. Thank goodness for my dear husband. I can't imagine how single parents do it. Matt and I, we are a good team, but it's still hard. Some days I feel like this:

But, it's getting easier. It really seems like with each new day it gets easier. We are getting into a routine and a rhythm and we are figuring this new life out. I'm not sure we are to the point where we are ready to say "Welcome to paradise" (remember this?) but I am pretty sure we will get there!

It helps to have such sweet girls to share this journey with.....they make all the hard days worth it. So worth it!

The Moral of the Story

2010-03-01T20:03:00.003-06:00

About a year ago Matt placed some rocks in our front yard, in a perfect circle, with the plans to plant a tree in the middle. Yesterday he finally decided to go buy the tree and the girls and I went with him to pick it out. He went with the intentions of getting a live oak tree, kind of like this one:

We left with a cherry tree that will one day look like this:

On our way home, Matt said (halfway to himself and halfway to me): "I went to that nursery in search of a big, strapping, manly tree and I left with a sissy, pink, girly tree!"

Poor Matt, he can't escape the pink and all things girl.

So, the moral of the story is, don't let your wife and daughters go tree shopping with you!

BFF's

2010-02-09T15:43:00.010-06:00

It does my heart good to see these three together!

Maddie (2 weeks) Hannah Cate (19 months) Connor (5 months)

Hopefully one day we'll be able to get a picture where they are all looking at the camera. I have a feeling we'll have plenty of chances in the years to come. Given the history that their parents have together.....they don't really have a choice but to like each other!!

And as for these two, they have moved on from picking noses....

To kissing.....

I have a feeling we'll have to keep a close eye on them!

A Day at the Park

2010-02-09T15:30:00.005-06:00

To avoid cabin fever with a toddler, we braved the colder temperatures last week and headed to the park for some play time.

We bundled little sister up

and sheltered her in the car seat and stroller so big sister could play.

And play she did.

It did us all some good to just be outside!

What Books do your Children Love?

2010-02-05T17:12:00.010-06:00

Hannah Cate could be described as a book worm. The girl loves her some books! It's her "toy" of choice and we literally have them scattered all over our house. I'm on the hunt for some new ones because I'm getting a little tired of reading the same ones over and over. Will you share with me the ones that your kids like the best?

Here are a few of our favorites.....

Okay, now which ones do you love in your family????

Big Sister?

2010-02-05T13:24:00.005-06:00

Big Sister has been testing out some of Little Sister's "toys". I have cracked up when I find her giving them a try!

She was literally stuck this time! I heard her whining and went to find her in Maddie's room stuck in the Bumbo seat. I just had to run get my camera before I helped her out!

This time she was literally just chilling and reading her book in the Moses basket. She laughed when I found her and was happy to hop on out after I took her picture. Thank goodness little sister wasn't in there when she decided get in!

Why I am not Blogging

2010-01-31T19:04:00.003-06:00

I've been trying, I really have. Having two "babies" is work, hard work. It's keeping us very busy. Here's just a short and quick example of why I just can't find the time to blog.

Thank goodness they are both so cute and loveable. It makes times like this one laughable!

Hopefully we'll be having less of these type moments and I can tell you more about the good things that are going on around here soon!

Definition of Patience

2010-01-17T13:10:00.004-06:00

If you want to test your patience, try to take pictures of a newborn. Not just any pictures, but really, really incredible pictures! I really haven't had any professional pictures of Hannah Cate done and I decided that I want to start now and get pictures of both of them together. I had no idea just exactly what goes into those sweet newborn pictures I always see. Then couple that with trying to get a 19 month old in the picture with the newborn and you just might pull your hair out. I almost did, but our sweet photographer didn't bat an eye!

Dr. Shoemaker (my OBGYN) introduced me to Aimee Reynolds and it's been such a pleasure to work with her. She is the definition of patience and her work is wonderful! She came over on Thursday to take pictures of both girls. She sent me a "sneak peek" on Friday and I'm so excited to see the rest!

Aimee works all over Baldwin county (and I would assume Mobile) so check her out if you are in need of a good photographer.....I promise she won't disappoint! http://www.aimeereynoldsphotography.com/

Big and Little

2010-01-16T14:03:00.007-06:00

Hannah Cate came to the hospital to meet her little sister the day after she was born. When she came in and saw her, she immediately said "Awwwww".

She really has been so sweet to her and all signs point to the fact that she already loves her little sister.

This was the reaction I got when I walked through the door on Wednesday. What a welcome and way to warm a Mama's heart. I was afraid she was going to be mad at me for leaving her. Of course it certainly helped that she was in such good and fun hands with Mimi and Aunt Emily!

The adjustment so far hasn't been without a few little bumps, but fortunately all the bumps have been directed towards us (the big people) and not baby sister!

Hannah Cate loves to give her kisses and point out her nose, eyes and hair. She likes to remind us to "Shhhh" when the baby is sleeping and she always wants to look at her when she comes into the room or realizes Madelyn is around.

I'm pretty sure we are going to be just fine and based on baby sister's smile in the picture below.....I think she agrees!

I just can't wait to watch these girls grow up together, what a priveledge we have!

Madelyn Virginia Miller

2010-01-15T08:25:00.003-06:00

January 11, 2010
6:35 p.m.
8 pounds 0 ounces
20.5 inches

Sweet Baby Girl!

We are adjusting well and loving on this sweet baby. Hannah Cate has done so well and already loves her sister! I'll be back with more soon.

01-11-10

2010-01-10T21:39:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is January 11th, the day of our second daughter's birth. We'll be heading to the hospital in the morning for a scheduled induction. I'm ready, Matt's ready and according to Dr. Shoemaker, Madelyn is ready too. It feels a bit surreal to know that we'll go to sleep tonight and wake up in the morning and head to the hospital to have a baby!

I can't wait to see how this new and precious life will change our family. I can't wait to see what she will look like and if she will look like her Big Sister. Maybe we'll get a red-head this time? I can't wait to see how Hannah Cate reacts to her Little Sister and I'm just praying for a smooth adjustment for her.

I can't wait to introduce her to you soon.....so stay tuned!

PS- if you don't use Google Reader, you might want to keep scrolling to see our Christmas recaps!