One of Mark's First Giggles

Here is a video we got last night of Mark giggling.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

I have a feeling that we will have to have a gate around it next year!

Thanksgiving

I am thankful Thanksgiving is over! No, really I am thankful I have a big enough house to host Thanksgiving for all of my family all 20 of them. That does not include the ones that were not able to make it. I had fun making cute decorations for the table. I printed off everybody's name and delegated Abby to stamp a leaf over it and then cut it out. We then used earrings from Micheal's (the one's where you can make your own jewelry) to make name tags for the goblets. I made circle cut outs that said, "We are thankful for you" and tied them with raffia around the "thanksgiving colored napkins".


Abby made the cutest place cards with people's names on them. She even put a ring on Ali's (my future sister-in-law).
Emma made darling programs. She got her artistic ability from me. The programs say - Hello, Appetizer, Prayer, Dinner, Clean-up, Games, Good-bye (with a sad face).

My MasterCard Commercial

Washcloth: $1
Mr. Clean: $1.85
Scrubbing Bubbles: $1.57
Windex: $1.98
Paper towels: $1
41/2 Bathrooms: a lot
Paying someone to clean 41/2 bathrooms: priceless

She folded the toilet paper like in a hotel! She even cleaned the plunger - yuck!

Ben Is 9 & Mark's Blessing

Can you believe Ben is 9? We had a little (this is relatively speaking with my family-25 people) family party at our house on Sunday after Mark's blessing. We had a nice brunch outside on the deck since it was beautiful weather. I only gave Ben 2 shirts for his birthday since I know he hates getting clothes for gifts. He did get a cool "Mad Science" (an after school program) registration for the whole month of November and December. They are focusing on space - which Ben loves!

This is Mark's blessing outfit. In the bottom picture doesn't he look like he is impersonating the bad guy from the Austin Power's movies? I don't know his name - I never saw the movies but Mike Meyers plays him as well as Austin Powers.

Halloween 2008

This year for Halloween Emma was a "mom of a newborn", Ben was a "soldier", and Abby was a "table". Abby came up with the idea herself. It was a super easy costume to make. We used cardboard, an old sheet and lots of paper products.

Mark's Halloween costume said, "My First Halloween don't scare me". This was a gift from Aunt Jenny. Too CUTE!!!

Standing On My Soapbox (feel free to skip reading this one - venting)

I have been told on more than one occasion that I shelter my children. Well.... as of Friday I am glad I do. Abby had presentations at her gifted school on Friday. They had to prepare three projects about themselves including a power point presentation. She did a great job. This is a picture of her credo. She wants to be in the Olympics and go to Harvard Law School.

The other children's aspirations were scary. Some girls wanted to be Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, and singers. A lot of the boys wanted to be video game analysts and programmers. Some of their favorite movies and TV shows were Troy, Gladiator, South Park and Family Guy (these are 10 & 11 year olds)!

I am thankful I have such a sweet little girl!!!!!

Mark 1 Month Old

Here is a picture of Mark frowning and wrinkling his eyebrows with Mike on his birthday - one month!


Here is a picture of Mark in his first pair of jeans! Don't you love Baby Gap?



I know - I know, I need to put him on skim breast milk.

I Have Been Tagged

The rules, as provided by Lindsey:

• Link the person who tagged you.
• Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
• Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
  
• Leave a comment to let them know.

1. I don't like to see people chewing gum. I know-I know everyone likes to do it (including me) but I hate to watch people chew.
2. I don't like people to wash their hands in my kitchen sink - I only like certain germs in my kitchen :)
3. I don't like to fill out "thank you" card envelopes addressed to myself at showers. If I can take the time to go and get a present and go to your shower you can take two minutes to fill out my thank you card.
4. I don't like to be behind slow drivers.
5. I don't like to be disorganized.
6. I have to eat breakfast or I am REALLY grumpy.

I tag Emily, Amy, Jenny, Liza, Lisa M., & Cindy
In your spare time!!!!

My Little Athletes & Abby is 11!!!!

Here is a picture of Abby and Ben after their first swim meet of the season. Abby won first place in backstroke out of 21 other girls. She also won 3rd place on freestyle against 23 other girls. Ben won 4th place in backstroke at his first meet - competing with boys who are 9-10 years old, because he is about to turn 9 next month. I am very proud of both of them.




Abby turned 11 and got big girls presents - clothes and books. Ben remarked after she opened all of her presents that she got boring presents this year. I told him that is what big girls like to get for presents. I can't believe she will be in Young Women next year.

I Had Forgotten.....

I had forgotten how time consuming a newborn can be. This blog has taken two weeks and 13 attempts to try to post. Every time I even tried to download my pictures to the computer he would start to fuss that he wanted to eat or be changed.

It has been a totally different experience this time - being older and having older children. I am enjoying the small things a lot more now.

Things I had forgotten:

1. Lack of sleep, but I love being able to go to sleep when the children get on the bus in the morning.
   
2. The joy of nursing - my favorite time is dawn
   
3. How fast they grow out of their newborn clothes
4. When they first smile at you - even though the experts say it is just reflexes - it is still a smile
   
5. Watching older siblings interact with the new baby
6. How many diapers they go through
7. How attached you become to them in such a short time
   

Mark 1 week old.



I LOVE little, baby feet!



The only time he cried in the first two weeks was during bath time. He hated baths. This is the frown he got from Mike. Sometimes when Mike is thinking he will wrinkle his eyebrows together like this.



This is Mark at 3 weeks.

Mark Is Here!!!!

Mark was born on September 25 at 4:47pm. I thought I was going to be able to have him like I had Emma, with no labor pains at all, but that was not going to be the case. I had an appointment on Wednesday and the doctor told me I was 4cm, that night I had a lot of non painful contractions and a lot that morning. I took matters into my own hands and decided I was going to go to the hospital to get checked instead of the doctor's office. I figured maybe they would break my water and I could go into labor. I was checked at the hospital and I was 5cm - still with out any pain so I was really hopeful I could have a painless labor again. They admitted me and broke my water and gave me an epidural at 1pm (note the first picture @ 5cm - smiling). By 4pm the epidural had worn off and I could feel contractions (note the second picture @ 8cm - not smiling). They said it was too late to get more medicine so I did not have a pleasant last 45 minutes. I know, I know I had it lucky but I still was hoping for an easier time.

Mike's first dirty diaper change in 7 years!

Still NO Baby!

Yes, our new addition to our family is refusing to come and join us. I have washed all of his clothes and bedding so he is more than welcome to come and be a part of our family. I started having regular contractions last Thursday but then they stop. I have little non painful ones for an hour or two and then nothing. I do have to admit I am glad he did not come during the concert last Saturday night. By the way, I LOVED the concert. It was so awesome to see and hear that in person. I was so excited. But he was more than welcome to come after the performance was over. Needless to say I have taken long walks every day to help move the process along but that does not seem to help. Maybe he is not coming yet because he knows he does not have a name. Maybe if Mike and I actually decide on a name he will decide to be born.

What do ya think?

Mark David Miller
or
Samuel David Miller

Some Pictures Of Summer 2008

Ben earning his Wolf Badge.

The children at Ocean Breeze Water Park.

Ben with fins at my parents' pool. I love the one where he is getting on the diving board.

Abby milking a goat for an Activity Day activity. I love the second one.



The children at the beach. I LOVE THE BEACH!!!!!

My Bucket List!

A couple of years ago before I turned 30 I was taking a night class at ODU. This literature class was extremely boring so instead of paying attention I let my mind wander to my impending BIG birthday. I started to think of all of the things that I had accomplished up until that time and all of the things that I still wanted to accomplish. I wrote out a list of things that I wanted to accomplish before my next BIG birthday. I typed it up and framed it and put it on my dresser. The list is in no particular order and they are things I would like to accomplish not have to. As I have accomplished the items on the list I check them off.



A couple of months ago the Virginia Symphony called us, as they do every year to see if we want to buy season tickets again. This time I told them there was no way we were going to be able to be season patrons this year because I was about to have a baby. They asked when I was due and said there was a concert in September and asked if I would be interested in just buying tickets for one performance. I asked them what the main piece was going to be - thinking it will be something stupid I have no desire to hear. When they told me it was Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1, I almost feel out of my seat. I could not believe they were finally going to perform the piece I have always wanted to hear in person and it was the ONE performance I was going to be able to attend. So now I am just keeping my fingers and my legs crossed that I will not have this baby before Saturday night so I can mark off one more item on my bucket list. Wish me luck!!!!

Back to School!

I can not believe the first day of school is today. I am usually more than ready for the children to go back. The past couple of summers have passed by so fast. This summer was crammed packed and I did not even mean it to be.

The 1st week - Ben had Baseball Camp
The 2nd week - I had Girl's Camp
The 3rd & 4th week - Ben had swim lessons (Emma was signed up, but she had a broken arm)
The 4th & 5th week - Abby had a Writing Camp
The 6th week - We went to Utah
The 7th week - Ben & Emma had "Nature Camp"
The 8th week - Abby had a Red Cross First - Aid Babysitting Camp
The 9th & 10th week - Ben & Emma had swim lessons
The 11th week - I did not plan anything but pool and beach time.
CRAZY HUH!!!!

I cry every year on the first day of school I don't know why. At least this year I can blame it on the pregnancy and say it is just hormones. This year I told Mike that I love my new house but at our old house I have pictures of the children on the fist day of school in front of our windows all the way from the time when Abby had her first day of preschool. I can see how they have grown every year by where their head met different parts of the house. I guess I will have to start a new measuring technique with this house.

Utah Trip - July 2008

Here are a few pictures of when we went out to Utah this summer.

The first one is of Mike's family at his Grandmother and Grandfather's grave site. We drove to Price,Utah to see where Mike's dad (Dave) grew up. It was a very interesting trip. It is amazing how much life can change in just one generation. Price is a very small coal mining town. He told us stories of when he was just a little boy and how he would go and explore the canyons behind his house, or climb huge rock formations and dangle his feet over the edge. We will never experience some of the things he did growing up and Mike is just one generation away.

The next pictures were taken for a family portrait. I have not gotten a copy of Mike's entire family yet, but when I do I will post it. Abby had the most horrible accidents while she was out in Utah. Right before the pictures were taken she was stung 6 times by hornets, she walked right by a nest. The brave girl did not even cry and was ready to take pictures within a couple of minutes after it happened. Ben and Emma had walked by that exact same spot just a couple of minutes before. If either one of them had been stung we could have said, "Goodbye, to taking pictures."

That night Abby dropped a sparkler on her toe and burned it. The very next day we went on a tour of BYU in Provo and she opened a door on her flip flop clad foot and ripped her big TOE NAIL OFF!!! While I was trying to stop the blood with whatever I had in my purse, she was sitting there still not crying saying she would rather be stung 20 times than have her nail ripped off. I am happy to report the nail has grown to half way up her nail bed. Poor thing - I don't know if I will ever be able to get her back out to Utah!