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!

Home at Last

Well, we're back home from our 7 week road trip. It was great seeing family and friends, and now I am looking forward to settling down in North Carolina. I have a huge list of things to do, boring things, like finding a pediatrician, signing Mac up for daycare, scheduling the move. Blah, blah, blah, the list goes on and on.

Something happened tonight that really pulled at my heart. Mackenzie and I were taking the dog out when our neighbor was getting home from work. I didn't pay much attention to him since I was juggling the dog and Mac. As he walked up the drive way, Mackenzie about jumped out of my arms. She started yelling, "Daddy! Daddy!" When I set her down she marched right across our yard and into their driveway, the neighbor was already inside, thank goodness. As I took her hand and walked her back to our house she started crying; she thought I was keeping her from seeing her Daddy! My heart ached and still does. How do I explain to a 16 month-old that her Dad is in Florida and we'll see him next month? I wanted to cry with her, tell her I understand how she feels and that it's okay to miss him. But since she has no concept of time or place, we did the next best thing-went inside and built a tower out of blocks.

Onto some Mackenzie happenings, a much more uplifting topic. Her new behaviors include...

1) Shaking her finger at mom, dad, or anyone when they do something she doesn't like. It started with her doing it to the dog and has now transferred over to us. The little girl next door got real close to Mac today and she started waving that finger around.

2) Anytime we are somewhere that she doesn't want to be, she starts saying "bye-bye" and heads for the door. She did this twice today, once at the housing office and again when we walked through the new house.

3) She literally asks for a cookie or "doodie" 25 times a day.

4) For some reason the rooster on the toy barn (not to be confused with our real barn) really irritates her.

5) Mackenzie will always yell "MA" when she is climbing on something. I don't know if she is proud or just wants to see my reaction.

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!

Self Control?

Long story short, we made Christmas cookies and I cannot stop eating them! I have no self control when it comes to sweet things. Nathan, sadly, missed out on the cookie making this year. He was flying back to Cherry Point to pick up the car and check out our new house. I got a call a few weeks back letting me know that our renovated house will be ready on Dec. 24th (today!). I wanted Nathan to check things out before agreeing to take that particular house. The pros; close to the park, all new appliances, big kitchen, garden tub. The cons; still renovating the house right next door to us, muddy backyard. Looks like we'll take it! I can't wait to get back there and see it for myself.

Here are a few pics of the cookie making process!

Creepy Santa and Florida in December

Last year, I opted not to take Mackenzie to see Santa, she wasn't exactly a laid back baby and I didn't care to wait in line for some old guy to hold my crying kid. This year I thought it might be worth while, unfortunately, I was wrong. Nathan kept telling me that she would probably be scared of him, but I didn't believe it, Mackenzie isn't that clingy kind of kid. When we entered the little cottage, she turned right around and almost escaped out the door. Anytime she got close to Santa she would cringe and make a whiny sound. Santa observed all of this, smiled, and said it is very normal. He then went on to suggest, "Mom could always sit on my lap." I pretended not to hear it the first time. Santa then went on to make the same suggestion 5 or 6 more times. Needless to say, I did not sit on Santa's lap, nor did my daughter.

Is this normal? Do "good" mothers sit on creepy Santa's lap for their kids? It was too awkward, I just couldn't do it. I kept thinking about all of the steps leading up to sitting on his lap. I would have to approach him and try to figure out which leg to sit on. Then I would try to, graciously, not apply all of my weight on him. So, it would kind of be like squatting to use a public restroom, only I would be getting ready to have my picture taken, while holding my daughter. With images like that running through my head, there was no way creepy Santa was getting that wish granted. Better luck next time, old man!

Mackenzie and I are currently staying with Nathan in Pensacola, FL. It's strange being somewhere so warm this close to the holidays. We made the trip down here because Nathan was suppose to have his wisdom teeth taken out on Monday. I was being a good wife and thought I should help take care of my husband. Monday arrived and Nathan called the office to confirm that he should have been fasting. The guy told him he didn't need to fast since he was only having his molar taken out. Um, what? Turns out there was a miscommunication somewhere (imagine that!). They suggested having the surgery when he gets back to Cherry Point.

Birthday Antics

I've noticed over the past couple of weeks how difficult it is to do certain things with Mackenzie anymore. Outings that requires a stroller or sitting in a high chair ends up in a power struggle between mother and daughter. On Wednesday my family and I went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday. We had the kiddo with us and things started out smoothly. Mac colored, ate her snacks, drank her juice, looked at a book, you get the idea. I know things are heading south when she starts throwing items on the floor. This usually leads to her standing up in the high chair. Yes, she will stand up in it and attempt to crawl onto the table, but not before doing a little, "I'm so cute" dance. I have been very surprised to learn how many restaurants have broken straps on their high chairs. Surely, my child is not the only one that attempts this...right?

Now I must make a decision.

Option #1-Assuming the strap is broken; sit her back down in the high chair and listen to her whine. Sit her back down, again, in the high chair and listen to her whine. Sit her back down, again, in the high chair, listen to her cry and ask the waitress to box up my food because this will go on ALL NIGHT.

Option #2-Let her out of the high chair, knowing the grandparents will help keep an eye on her.

Option #3-This isn't really an option, but I will include it since my witty husband would surely point it out. Ask the waitress for another chair that has a working strap. Now, I will tell you why this isn't really an option at all. I would be required to take Mac out of the chair, and to a 15 month old, this clearly means they are about to be set free. Putting her in another chair AND strapping her in would not end well for anyone. Can you tell our child is a little on the temperamental side?

If I let her out, does she win? Or do I win, because now I can eat and enjoy my glass of wine?

So, which option did I choose?

Duh.....option #2. However, I did draw the line when she attempted to take off her shoes and socks. And since I was a teacher, I must reflect on this situation, to learn what worked and what I would do differently next time. Next time, I will make sure the high chair has a working strap before placing my kid in it.

This video was taken a few months ago, but it shows off Mackenzie's dancing skills she pulled out on my b-day.

Nail Polish and Snow

Has anyone stopped laughing at that picture of Nathan yet? Me either! I am a little nervous though because he vowed revenge on me.

In my last post I mentioned that Mac has some sneaky moments, well, this is what I found her doing this morning.....

Look at that face! It says, "I know I shouldn't be doing this."

Mackenzie had her first real snow experience on Sunday. She loved eating the snow until her hands froze up. The whole thing lasted a total of 5 minutes. Next time we'll be ready with mittens.