Sisterly Love

Piper loving on Mackenzie.

Mackenzie tolerates these antics.

Nathan, do you see this? Help me!

Things I Want to Remember

Last night we were driving home from dinner with friends and there was a slow county song on the radio. Mac got really quiet and I could tell she was thinking about something profound. Here is how the conversation went down...

"Mom, I miss my daddy."

"I know, I miss him too. Daddy thinks about you all the time. "

"Mom, is daddy on a big boat?"

"Yes, he had to go away and help people, remember?"

"Mom, he is always in my heart."

"That's right."

"Mom, I'm a baby deer."

I guess she had too much dad talk at that point. She also informed me that her dad is like a pirate since he lives on a boat.

Piper Michelle Miller

On April 19th at 11:15pm, the Miller family welcomed Piper Michelle into the world. Nathan, Mackenzie and I had spent the day running some last minute errands before my mom came into town. Around 7:30pm I started having contractions, which was not alarming at first since I had been experiencing them for the past 4 weeks. Around 8:00 I thought it might be a good idea to start timing them, which never actually happened because they were coming so fast. We called Mac's babysitter and once she was picked up we made our way to the hospital.

It took about 20 minutes to get to the hospital, we didn't talk much on the way there other than a simple prayer. Once we checked in and were sent up to Labor and Delivery I found out I was 8 cm dilated. When the nurse told me this news, I wanted to cry because I realized my chance of getting that epidural was slim to none. Fortunately, my contractions were so intense that I couldn't dwell on this minor detail for long. However, I vaguely recall telling the doctor that I could hold the baby in and wait for the drugs. I also tried negotiating with the nurse for her to just leave me alone. Really? What was I thinking?


After 20 minutes of pushing and the most extreme pain I've ever felt in my life Piper was born! She weighed in at 8.5 and was 21 inches long. We were about 97% sure of the name, but wanted to see her before making it official. Piper looks so much like her big sister when she was born.

Nathan was simply amazing, I couldn't have done it without him. He was my rock, he kept me calm during all of the chaos. I can't thank him enough for being there. Forgive me if it sounds too simple, but he was scheduled to be gone during this time. He is going to miss many "firsts" throughout the next year, but he was able to be there the day his second daughter was born.

So far, Piper is the complete opposite of Mackenzie. She prefers to be held, sleeps well and is easily calmed. Mackenzie is adjusting well to her new sister and loves to help out. That's not to say she doesn't have her dramatic moments, but she was having those before Piper arrived on the scene.

Don't Worry

This little girl has been very busy entertaining us lately.

I don't even know what to say about the first video.

The second video is Mac singing a Bob Marley-Brown Bear, Brown Bear remix.

The Diva Goes Hiking

The weather down here has been great the past couple weeks. It's off and on, so we take advantage of the warm days knowing it's not normal to have a high of 68 degrees in January. Last week when I was sitting in the doctor's office for my three hour glucose test Nathan took Mac on a hike. I ended up passing the test and when I got home Mac was very excited to tell me about everything she saw.
We decided to take her out again this morning and she did great. She made a request for her sunglasses, even though it was cloudy, and smiled saying "Sunny don't get me." As soon as she saw me with my camera she asked if I was going to take her picture and started smiling before I could answer. This is highly unusual as I am normally found chasing her down or bribing her with candy for a shot.

Mac loved taking the lead on the path, exploring various items found on the ground and searching for animals. She was really fitting the part and snacked on beef jerky. Nathan and I were discussing how salty it tasted when she chimed in saying, "It tastes so salsy." Of course I laughed and then we heard it 10 more times. I love her sense of adventure, it is calculated, not reckless.

Oh my!

Mackenzie Stories

• The other day I had on a denim jacket and she told me I looked like a cowboy. I spent the rest of the day questioning my outfit.
• While sitting at the dinner table Mackenzie noticed Nathan's tattoo of an Eagle, Globe and Anchor. She told us it was a bird and then tried to feed it one of her pretzels.
• Her favorite day of the week is Friday (can you tell her mom is a teacher?) and will sing "It's Friday, it's Friday."
• We were out to eat and a man came in the restaurant resembling a certain Christmas character and right on cue Mackenzie yelled, "Look Mama, Santa!"

Onto baby news, we found out that we are having another girl! The baby is on track for my original due date of April 24th. I have been feeling her move a lot, mostly at night. The kids at school have finally started to ask questions about my expanding belly. One girl keeps asking if "that baby" is still in there.

Happy Halloween

We'll keep this short and sweet, Mackenzie loved dressing up,

trick-or-treating, and the stuffing her face with candy!

Wilson Street

To the Owner of the House on Wilson Street,

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I am the crazy lady in the blue Honda that drives by your house four times a day. See this little girl sitting in my backseat?

This is my daughter, Mackenzie. She refers to your house as the "big pider house" or the big spider house. We are HUGE fans of the 6 foot, inflatable spider sitting on the roof of your house. My daughter can easily navigate her way to your house by shouting directions from her carseat..."dat way mama" or "dis way mama." Please don't be alarmed or call PMO (military police). We promise to stop stalking you as soon as you take that spider off your roof.

Your Friends on Adams Drive,

Kelly & Mackenzie

That hair

Mackenzie FINALLY has enough hair that requires me to do something with it. I'm not complaining, I'm actually very excited about it! Unfortunately, she is not allowed to wear any bows or clips in the pre-toddler room she is in at the daycare because there are some young ones that still put everything in their mouth.

This is what she looked like this morning.

And this is her hair after a nap, the poor thing has my wavy locks. You can just imagine what she looks like after a day at daycare. Note the new "cheese" face she's been giving me, I'm sure we'll be seeing this a lot.

We flew into Indiana yesterday and I swear all this girl has done is eat! Not that she is too upset about it. We're getting to spend some time with my parents before I return to work and life gets crazy again. Mac calls my mom "Gigi" and my dad "Bubba". I'm not sure where Bubba came from, but I think it is hilarious. Nathan flies in next week for our 10 year high school reunion.

Yum

She is so sweet.

Story Time Dropout

My girl, Mac, is a mover and a shaker. Not much will keep her down, other than a DVD by the name of Happy Feet (which I have seen 4519 times). I am aware of this, so why did I think something as simple as story time at the library would be a good idea? We arrived a little early so she could run around and get that out of her system. She was doing the usual, climbing stairs, dancing, laughing, looking cute and devilish all at the same time. The mother sitting next to me smiled and asked, "Is she always like this?"

Why yes, my daughter is a ball of energy that keeps me going at all times. I looked at her daughter that was a little older than Mac and she was sitting next to her mom. I could have been jealous of that mom and her docile little girl, but as I looked over to see Mackenzie scaling the steps and then celebrating with a little jig, I couldn't help but laugh and feel my heart fill with love.

Story time started with a little song and Mac enjoyed this part as she continued to sing out "yea, yea, YEA!" for a good 30 seconds after the song was over. This made me a little nervous, as I wanted to be respectful of the other parents and children. I guess Mackenzie didn't realize that she was only part of the pre-game show. The woman started reading a story, that was completely inappropriate for this age group, and Mackenzie wanted nothing to do with it. Fortunately, I had my mother-in-law with me so she helped with a swift exit. Good times with the Miller family!

As for the job situation, I received a call on Friday from the school and was asked to come in Monday morning for a second interview with the OT and SLP that I would be working with. Not sure what to think of this......

This and That

It feels like so much has been going on, but when I sit down to write about it, I can't seem to think of anything important. Mackenzie and I are currently in Florida visiting Nathan. We made it a whole three weeks at Cherry Point before deciding to leave. I know some people would just tough it out, but I realized that if we have the opportunity to be together as a family, we need to take it. Next time we are apart will probably be for a deployment and getting the fam together then won't really be an option. Military families spend so much time apart and I'm learning just how stressful it can be.

When Mackenzie saw Nathan she didn't really want anything to do with him. It made us both a little sad. She was very clingy and acted annoyed when Nathan and I were sitting next to each other. Mac would position herself in between us or on top of my lap. Their relationship is so important to me and I want to do everything I can to help foster it, but she's still too young to discuss Daddy. What to do, what to do.

Nathan, Mackenzie and I went to the beach this afternoon. I watched as father and daughter ran around in the sand and everything felt right. I love the beach, it's the one place I can go and forget about every worry. I probably had a smile on my face the entire time. I hope I never forget this afternoon.

See those animals Mac has in her hands? She is OBSESSED with these things. We have found ourselves strategizing on how to get them away from her without a full blown tantrum. Distraction is usually the best route. Sometimes I'll find her playing with them and they will be kissing or she will kiss them, or they will kiss one of her other barn yard animals. Kissing is big right now, I also saw her trying to make the crayons kiss.

First Impressions

Mackenzie had her 15 month check up yesterday with a new doctor. She is actually 16 months old, but who's counting? Since it was our first time at this particular office I had a million forms to fill out. The waiting area wasn't busy so I didn't feel too bad letting Mac run around, as long as she stayed away from the sickies. At one point I was talking to the receptionist when I heard a few girls behind me snicker, next I heard Mackenzie's little giggle she uses to get my attention. I turn around to see her standing on top of a picnic table. She smiled and did her little "haha, look what I'm doing" dance. We were ushered to the examination room a few minutes later. Mac was weighed, measured, and pricked. Her stats have finally leveled off in the average range; weight 24lbs, height 31in. The doctor didn't have any concerns and said I could start using time outs. He also referred to her as a spitfire and told me she'll make our lives more fun. I think that was a polite way to say we're going to have our hands full. I'm okay with that, I wouldn't have it any other way.


Here is some good news for ya, my friend's husband returns from Iraq in March and guess who gets to capture those special moments? That's right, ME!! I can't wait!

Christmas Eve Fun followed by an Early Christmas Morning

Good morning and Merry Christmas from the Miller family!

As you may, or may not know, we are spending Christmas in Atlanta this year. Yesterday was the first day everyone was here. I asked Nathan how he would describe Mac with all the attention she has been getting and he answered with "off the hook." She seems to thrive off all the chaos and will do anything to get a laugh. We went to the Christmas Eve church service and left Mackenzie in childcare. She was fine when I left, but in absolute tears when I got there. I could hear her crying as I walked up to the door. I imagine she became upset when she stopped playing, looked around the room and realized she didn't know anyone. Poor thing, I need to leave her daycare more often.

Couch surfing with Uncle Andy!

After church we came home and geared up for a night of games. Boys vs. Girl and let me tell you, this never ends well. The game was a name game and difficult to explain, so I will spare you the details. The girls never seem to win and I would give anything to beat my husband, just once. He's so obnoxious about winning. The girls lost, twice. Maybe next time?

Typical Miller behavior.

Carrie and Mandy

Dinner took an extra 2 hours to cook, so we ended up eating around 9:30. My husband tried and tried to get Carrie or Andy to eat this lovely piece of chicken skin. And in case you're wondering, yes, I am married to a 10 year old.

We also celebrated Mandy's birthday, she turned the big 2-5!

Mackenzie must have been excited about Santa coming because she woke up at 5:30! I put her in bed with us and she proceeded to roll around for a good hour, but then decided it would be more fun to actually go downstairs to play.

She was back in bed by 9:00 for a morning nap.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Are You Serious?

Before Mackenzie and I moved out to Virginia I remember thinking about how I was going to get certain things done without any help from family/friends/daycare. Simple things like going to the dentist or doctor. Most have normal business hours and wouldn't understand if I wanted to make an appointment for 9:00pm, which happens to be the time my husband will be arriving home tonight (he left for work around4:30 this morning). I don't need full-time daycare, I don't even need part-time daycare, I just need someone to watch my kid for a couple hours....someone I trust.

I must have been complaining about this issue enough that Nathan found a child care center that offers hourly and daily rates. First, I was impressed that he found a joint like that and second, I was excited about the idea of doing something by myself (not that I don't love the kid). I went to check the place out today and my dream of going to the dentist came crashing down. The place sucked, it wasn't terrible until I saw the lady working in the toddler room without any of her front teeth. Of course it would be the room that my child would be in. We left and ditched the packet of information. I better figure something out or I might end up missing a few of my own teeth.

I had the chance to have dinner Tuesday night with some good friends. We hadn't seen each other in months and it was great catching up. Mandy lives in DC so there isn't any excuse for not seeing her more often and Jilly lives in Chicago. I drove home that night thinking about my friends that I don't get to see very often (that's pretty much all of them) and realized how much I miss them! Remember back in high school when you would hang out with your girlfriends at least four times a week? I believe it should still be that way, especially since adulthood and motherhood bring on so many more stressors. What were we stressed about back in high school? If we needed each other then, we REALLY need each other now. I miss you girls!

Happy Birthday Mackenzie

I can't believe that it was almost a year ago that I was laying in the hospital holding our brand new daughter. Nathan was currently working for the YMCA, taking a full load of classes at IPFW, volunteering with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Special Olympics. I don't know how we survived those first few months, it was such a busy time. This year has gone by so fast and brought so many changes.

Mackenzie is turning into quite the big girl. I find myself saying things like, "I'm going to go check on the baby." or "Where is the baby?", when in reality she is no longer a baby. A few of her recent accomplishments include shaking her head no right before she drops food onto the ground or feeds the dog. This girl loves to be outside and has learned that when Cappy sits at the door, she gets to go along for the ride. It's to the point that when I tell her it's time to take Cappy out, she runs to the door, picks up her leash and pretends to hook it up. She doesn't have a lot to say in terms of real words, other than ball. EVERYTHING is a ball and it sounds kind of like baaal. She is kind of picky about adding the l sound, sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. Mackenzie is definitely keeping us entertained, humbled, and on our toes.

Nathan was assigned his job last week and he is going to be............an Air Traffic Controller. He starts school in Pensacola, FL on October 1st. He will be there for a total of 16 weeks, we're not sure where Mac and I will be going. We'll keep you updated as we figure things out.

Check Her Out

Mackenzie has moved from taking a few steps to several. Nathan took this video of her last night. She is holding a photo album that has pictures of her when she was first born, she loves looking at them. Sometimes the room will get very quiet (as a mother, you learn this usually isn't a good thing) and I will find her looking at those pictures.

The second video demonstrates her ability to balance and crawl away from dad. It's hard not to laugh when she falls, she usually jumps right back up. Notice her little butt hanging out of the dress, good thing 10 month old girls still wear onsies!

Picnik

My cousin, Krista, told me about this website called Picnik. It is a photo editing browser that has some of the cutest tools. I was able to play around a bit while Mackenzie took her nap. Here is what I came up with, enjoy! The last picture is my favorite.

By the way, Nathan and I are leaving for a weekend getaway tomorrow morning, hope everyone has a safe, sun-filled Fourth of July!

And the winner is....