A Verbal Toddler

Bailey is quite the talker. I need to do a better job at writing down the funny things that she says. Here are some of her latest super cute verbal sayings:

"Oh dear"

"Oh my"

"Oh, that be fun, mom!"

While we were at my parent's house for Thanksgiving, she walked out of her room into the living room the last two mornings where Scott was sleeping and would say, "Hello! Is anyone here?"

"Tasty"

"Little Bell" (Beauty and the Beast)

The infamous saying, "I do it myself," is boldy stated many times a day.

"Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" - Bailey
"Yes, Bailey." - Me
"I'm here." - Bailey

 

I have a feeling that she may do a lot of the talking for her brother.

My Crafts

I have had some time this week to actually work on one of my projects that I wanted to complete while on maternity leave. Here is the bow holder that I found on pinterest to hang in Bailey's room. I am really happy with how it turned out!

Now I just have to decide where to hang it.

I also made a wreath for our door this past Saturday while visiting our friends, Jeremy, Mich, Maddie and Jackson, in Cleveland.

Swiss Fest

I realized that I missed blogging about the Swiss Festival this year. It was a lot different this year for me. Besides attending the parades, I mainly stayed in the house. I didn't even get my "roni boli" this year! Bailey loved riding the merry-go-round and the cars this year though. She still talks about the Swiss Festival and her "castle" (one of the rides) being gone.

Grandma came to the parades with us!

Dancin' in the street!

 

This is what Ethan did most of the weekend!

 

 

We loved having Papa & Grandma close by for the weekend!

 

 

Bailey wasn't sure about Hamlet (aka daddy) at first but loves it now!

 

Organization Miller Style

Now that I have two kids, I am experiencing the ever-increasing need to organize our home. I have found myself running all around the house each time that we leave the house and feeling overwhelmed with keeping the house clean. Needless to say, it is driving me crazy, and it has to stop!

Also, I see the increasing need to write things down. I have always been a fan of to-do lists. They are even more important now. The first thing I have done is make this list of cleaning duties for each weekday that I like to do on a weekly basis:

 

This will help me complete my weekly cleaning without feeling overwhelmed by doing it all in one day. Plus, I feel better when our house remains clean and tidy. Of course, making the beds, doing dishes and all the other daily tasks will happen too. I don't feel so lost that I need to write those down.

 

I will share my other organizing projects as I have time to complete them. We FINALLY get Bailey's dresser on Saturday, so I have some organizing to do in her new room. (Yay!) It's good to use my brain on projects I enjoy during this time in my life too! :) Keeps a momma sane!

Ethan's Arrival

So, I am one of those people that love a good labor story. I used to think it was weird, but I know a lot of people will get enjoyment out of this blog. (Yes, I am talking about my MVNU girls!) I also want to remember the day of Ethan's arrival while it is still somewhat fresh in my memory. He is almost 3 weeks old, so I figured I better get on it.

I woke up at 4 a.m. on September 12 thinking that I was sweating profusely and for my third trip to the bathroom of the night. I didn't think much of it other than the fact that it was another annoying pregnancy symptom so I got out of bed and went into the bathroom. I then realized my underwear was soaked, but the pants I was wearing weren't wet at all. I thought it was odd and started to question whether my water broke. Of course, my water never broke with Bailey so I had no idea what to expect if it did. It is also my luck that it was just a trickle and not a gush. I started to realize it probably was my water breaking when a wet substance still trickled down my leg even after my third trip to the bathroom. This back and forth questioning as to whether my water broke went on for a good hour.

At 5 a.m. I texted my sister because I knew that she would be getting up for a run. She told me I better go to the hospital so that they can check to see if it was my water breaking. I showered and then woke Scott up at 5:30. I told Scott we didn't need to rush but that I thought my water broke. My mother-in-law came over to stay with Bailey and we took off to the hospital around 6 a.m. I was supposed to work that day so I had to tell my boss and my babysitter that I wouldn't be going to work. As I sent those texts, I prayed I wouldn't have to call them all and tell them "False alarm! I just peed my pants!" Luckily, it was the real thing, but I was concerned about that.

When we got to the hospital they verified that my water did break. I wasn't having consistent contractions and they gave me until 11 a.m. to start progressing on my own. I also learned that if your water breaks they want to have the baby out within 12 hours. I didn't progress on my own so at 11 a.m. they gave me pitocin. I was borderline mordified of pitocin because of the horror stories I have heard, but I clinged to the fact that once I got going Ethan would be here in no time... and that is basically what happened.

The pitocin kicked in around 12:30 p.m. and things started moving. At 1:15 they started putting my epidural in. Gotta be honest... I wish I wouldn't have gotten one. I always thought people that didn't get them were crazy, but my back still feels achy from it almost 3 weeks later. I was just so back and forth about it and if I was going to be in labor all day I wanted one. In true Lauren form though, as soon as they got the epidural in I started telling the nurse that I had to push. (So much for the help of an epidural at this point. I probably did get some relief from the epidural, but I feel like I still felt everything.) I had to wait through a few more contractions to push because I wasn't fully dilated. Once I was fully dilated, I pushed through 2 or 3 contractions and Ethan was out at 2:33 p.m.

It amazes me how different labor was with Bailey and Ethan. One thing that was similar was that Ethan's heart rate kept dropping just like Bailey's did. Bailey came so fast that it wasn't as big of a deal, but I had to wear an oxygen mask with Ethan to keep his heart rate up. I was very nervous that they were going to wheel me in for an emergency c-section at any second because of his heart rate. Luckily, he came out on his own crying and healthy.

I fell in love instantly! It's amazing how you can love two people so much!

Bailey's Big Day

Today was a very big day for Bailey. We started off the morning by heading to Creative Edge in Millersburg to get Bailey's first haircut. My friend, Holly Miller, did the honor of cutting and styling Bailey's hair. Bailey didn't really get excited about getting her haircut, but she didn't really act like she hated it either. So, I'll take it! After Holly cut and curled Bailey's hair, she even put glitter in it! Here is a before and after pic:

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

 

The second big thing that happened today was that Bailey got her big girl bed. To start transitioning her before baby brother's arrival she has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor in her new room, but tonight her new bed was assembled. Bailey is spending her first night in her official big girl bed.

 

All ready for her first night in her big girl bed!

 

 

Bailey loves the big girl bed that her Uncle Ben made her. It'll actually be a bunk bed, but for now, only the bottom bed is assembled. Her new room still needs the rest of the furniture and some decorations, but she loves it. Plus, it makes it easier that there aren't a whole lot of things in her room to distract her from sleeping. I'll post more pictures of her room once everything is in order.

 

Bailey told me the other day that baby brother could have her crib. I love that Bailey loves doing big girl things and is already willing to share with her brother! What a fun day today was for Bailey. I am so thankful that she is a child that adapts well to growing up and changing. It happens so fast!





My Photography Debut: The Anderson's

Last Thanksgiving, we decided that our BIG purchase on Black Friday would be a nice camera so that we could take our own pictures of our kids. (This comes after spending a lot of money on Bailey's 1-year pictures and hardly having anything to show for it.) I finally took the time to learn to use the camera (thanks to my good friend Michelle Underwood) without having to always have it on auto and was able to take pictures for my sister. Here are some highlights:

Now that I have a better handle on how to use the camera, I need to work on my editing skills. This was my first attempt at editing pictures. I think I did pretty well for it being my first time and only having free editing programs that really limit what you can do. I also had to seek Mich's help in removing unwanted persons from the background of the first family picture. I think maybe I see something like Photoshop in my future! :)We'll see...

I really enjoyed taking pictures and editing them. I hope I take the time to do this every now and then. If you read this, I would love to practice on you. :) Thanks to my sister for being the guinea pig! I can't wait until next time!

Bailey Turns 2

It is hard to believe that Bailey is 2 years old. We had her party on 4th of July this year. I don't always want to incorporate her birthday with July 4th every year, but sometimes it is bound to happen when your birthday is that close. My parents and Lesli's family were able to come down for the party, and we had Scott's parents along with Ben and Heidi over for the famous Miller (or Yoder) BBQ chicken that Scott's mom is so good at cooking. Scott's mom, along with her brothers, could cook BBQ chicken on racks for the masses! It's soooo good!

Here are some highlights from the party. I used the manual setting on my camera because I am trying to learn to use it correctly. You'll notice pictures of cake time are missing because Scott didn't check the settings and left it on manual to take pictures inside after I took pictures outside. We are in the learning process. :)

 

Grady showing off his new hair cut!

 Hanging out on the corn hole boards!

Bailey, Gavin & Grady eating their "pigs in a blanket!"

Bailey's first set of wheels!

An intense game of basketball! (The adults may enjoy this present more than the kids!)

The onlookers!

One thing I will always remember about this party was how HOT it was. It was in the 90s, and we actually set a fan in our garage to blow on us. Even with the heat, it was a great time spent with our family!



Thoughts from a First Time Potty Trainer

I took the plunge a week ago yesterday to start potty training Bailey. I kept going back and forth about it because she isn't two yet, and I didn't want to make it any harder than it was already going to be. At the same time, she had shown interest in using the potty for a while and even talked a lot about it. Once she started telling me when she would go, I figured that it was time for me to be ready to just do it.

In reality, that was the biggest obstacle... I just wasn't ready to train my little girl to use the potty. Yes, it will be nice to not have the expense of diapers, but it gives your child a new form of independence. Yes, I want my children to use the potty. Yes, I want them to be independent. I just didn't think it would happen this fast! Anyhow, I think having another one on that way that will need to go through all of the same stages Bailey has gone through has helped me not to be too sad about her newfound independence!

So, what is potty training like and how is it going???? IT IS EXHAUSTING, FULL OF HIGHS AND LOWS AND EXHILARATING!!!! It is exhausting having to constantly monitor Bailey for signs that she has to go to the bathroom then make sure she gets there in time. As an example, Bailey successfully went potty at least 25 times in the first 3 days of potty training... what human being uses the bathroom that often??? (I guess the stickers were a good incentive.) It has its highs when Bailey goes a full day without accidents or makes it through a nap or the night completely dry, but the lows come when she has an accident and pees outside of a local produce market right in front of the free popcorn samples. Mostly, potty training is truly exhilarating!!! We have had numerous celebrations that consist of dance parties, stickers and suckers.

Last night was the first night that she has stayed completely dry through the night. I have had many feelings (through the lows mostly) about waiting another month or two and trying again; however, this morning when she woke up dry it solidified that Bailey really was ready to do this. Now that the first week it behind us, I definitely do not want to start over! Bailey is truly becoming a potty rockstar, and I am proud of her newfound independence!

The first band-aid...

The first band-aid is the hardest for mom, but the funnest for the child...

Bailey was in tears after shutting her finger in the screen door, but the tears quickly vanished once I showed her the princess band-aids I had bought!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I finally got around to making my own laundry detergent after my stockpile of laundry detergents from couponing ran out. My co-worker, Monica Bear, first told me about making laundry detergent many months ago and the cost savings that it had. After my sister-in-law, Heidi, started making it, she told me how easy it was to make, and I became even more intrigued.

I only needed to buy 3 ingredients: Fels-naptha soap, Borax and Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. I also purchased a 5 gallon bucket as well as a cool little mixer that connects to my drill.

I probably spent approximately $15 to get started. Everything but the Fels-naptha soap will last me for over 10 gallons of laundry detergent!!!

The hardest part for me was dissolving the Fels-naptha soap over medium-heat on the stove. I don't know if I just wasn't patient enough, but I had it on the stove for quite a while and it still had small chunks of soap in it when I mixed it. I don't think it will hurt the end product, and it's something to work on next time.

My favorite part was using my drill and mixer to stir. So easy, and worth the purchase!

Then I had to cover it and let it sit over night.

After it sat over night, it turned into a gel-like substance. I stirred it and poured it into an old laundry detergent container and milk jugs - filling each container/jug with 1/2 of the detergent and 1/2 water.

The fruits of my labor - a tad shy of 5 gallons of laundry detergent.

I used the recipe off of the the Duggar's website to make my laundry detergent. I have a front loader that needs a detergent with low suds (this is basically no suds), and this worked great in my washing machine. Here is the link if you are interested in making it:

http://duggarfamily.com/content/duggar_recipes/30455/homemade_liquid_laundry_soap_front_or_top_load_machine_best_value

In the future, I will add scent to the detergent, but I wanted to make sure I could successfully make it before buying any scented oils. I definitely recommend scented oils. Although my laundry is clean, it lacks that familiar, fresh scent that I am used to.

SUCCESS!!!!

It's A Boy!!!

So, I realized that I missed blogging about a huge event in our lives. A few weeks ago we found out that we are having a B-O-Y! Before finding out this news, neither Scott nor I cared whether we had a boy or a girl. We had often thought that we would end up with a house full of girls. In fact, when we were putting the nursery together for Bailey, I often thought it was silly that we were making it neutral. In my mind, we were going to have girls.

Scott didn’t want to find out what we were having, so like a good wife, I compromised. We had the ultrasound tech write the gender on a card and stick it in a sealed envelope. The envelope sat in our house for a week and a half before we took it to a bakery. I had Scott hide the envelope from me, because I didn’t trust myself. (I was always the kid looking for my Christmas gifts!)

We got a Litty’s ho-ho cake (YUM!) and had our families over for the revealing. The inside icing would be blue if it was a boy and pink if it was a girl. Before we cut the cake, we had everyone take a pink napkin if they thought it was a girl and an orange napkin if they thought it was a boy. Needless to say, almost everyone took an orange napkin, so we have a lot of good guessers in our families.

When I cut the cake and saw the blue, I may have gone a little ballistic. I think it was because I never imagined having a boy. I know that you can’t determine these things, but I think that’s why I was so shocked and extremely excited.

blue icing

A "Kodak" moment!

I am excited to share the adventure of raising boys with my sister. I am even more excited to watch Scott with a son. Though he has a special relationship with Bailey, there is always something special about a father-son relationship too - just like I enjoy having a special mother-daughter relationship with Bailey.

We feel very blessed with how God is blessing our family, and the Miller name lives on!

Hawaii

Scott and I just got to spend 6 days in Hawaii for our 5 year anniversary, and it was amazing!!! 80 degree weather every day and hardly a cloud in the sky! Scott also scored us a sweet room upgrade where we had a view of the ocean as well as the lagoon/Honolulu. Needless to say, the word paradise was uttered frequently on our trip. We left Bailey at home for our trip, and that was very hard! When we returned, I told Scott that I probably can't do that again for a while. I am proud to say that I refrained from true tears over missing Bailey until we started having flight issues for our trip home. Luckily, it was a blessing in disguise, because we ended up getting home 5 hours earlier than originally planned since we switched flights (and the people at LAX got a great show of a pregnant lady running through the airport).

We did a lot of laying around by the beach/pools around our resort, but we did drive up to the North Shore to see the Dole Plantation, get some Motsumoto's shave ice and look at the beach where the Pipeline is held. We also went to Pearl Harbor, the Aloha Stadium flea market and a luau. It was so fun just to spend the week together and sleep as much as we wanted; however, I never slept past 7 a.m. due to the 6 hour time difference. We made daily goals of staying up at least until 9 or 10 too. Here are some pictures from our trip:

View of the beach from our hotel room!

The Dole Plantation

The Aloha Stadium

21 weeks pregnant

Touring the submarine at Pearl Harbor that was used to fight in WWII

Last night in Hawaii

We had an awesome, relaxing trip. I am already planning our next trip to Hawaii that includes Bailey and her little brother... many years down the road, of course. :)

Kiss It

Bailey's new favorite thing... kissing boo boos. She actually demands it and firmly says "kiss it" until you do! :)

I hope I never forget the funny things that she does and says!

Quick Update

Once again, sorry for my lack of blogging! Between finishing up my last class for grad school and chasing a toddler around, I have little time for activities that I love. Here's a quick update of what the Miller's are up to:

Bailey is talking A LOT! She's a repeater too, so mom and dad have to watch what they say and do at all times! She is even able to hold on and swing on the big swing this year at the park. Yesterday, we tried a big wheel bike for the first time. She wanted to put her feet on the pedals but wasn't able to follow through with the actual act of pedaling. Veggie Tales is also her absolute FAVORITE right now. It doesn't annoy her mother like some other toddler shows, so mom is happy!

We have all been battling the cold, sore throat and flu sickness that has been going on. I am actually threatening to put up a sign on our door that says "No person with any type of ailment allowed" or attach hand sanitizer to the door that everyone must use before entering. Seriously, it has been brutal around the Miller house!

Bailey and I got to spend yesterday with my parents and Gavin and Grady while Matt and Lesli were in Phoenix. It is so fun to watch the three kids play together. Although, Grady and Bailey treat each other like rivals. They look at each other like "I'm watching you... don't you steal my toy." I'm sure this won't last forever, but it is kind of comical for now.

Scott hasn't been traveling as much lately, and he's getting kind of antsy! I try not to take it personal! :) His current clients are in Seattle, Nashville and Lynchburg so of course he wants to travel. Oh, and Scott is also gearing up for "One Shining Moment" next Monday. We are going head-to-head with Ben and Heidi to win the pizza party for March Madness, but Ben and Heidi always seem to win!!! We'll see... O-H-I-O... it's our only hope!

Flu Takeover

There won't be any pictures with this post, because, frankly, you don't want to see it! What has been going on in our lives over the past four days is anything but "picture perfect" moments! Bailey came down with the flu for the first time ever. It all started when she threw up on Scott's back while he was giving her a piggy-back ride on Tuesday night. I went on to find out she threw up in her crib minutes before, but I didn't notice when I went in to get her because it was dark (I know I am a rookie... I thought the smell was that she had bad gas... lesson learned!). I got Bailey to the doctor Wednesday afternoon, and by Thursday she was back to her normal self......

Mom, however, was not her normal self at all. Yes, I got the flu Thursday morning. I woke up and immediately took off for the bathroom... I'll let your imagination take it from here. Needless to say, it only lastest for 24 hours, and as of right now, we are a healthy household. Scott has somehow stayed away from it. He attributes his success to Airborne!! He is lucky considering him, my mom and my brother-in-law Matt are the only ones who haven't come down with some form of the flu since we all spent a long weekend together last weekend. I am glad that I survived my first round of the flu as a mom, but I hope it doesn't happen often.

Look Who's Talking!

This stage is so fun because Bailey is saying a new word every day. Here is a list of some of her vocabulary and what the words actually sound like:

love you (uve you)
bath (bash)
juice (shuesh)
star (dar)
snow (no)
yes (yesh)
coat (coke)
blankie (bankie)

Luckily, she can also say a lot of words right:

hi
bye
mommy
daddy
go
ball
MILK! (always in a loud shrieking voice)
Elmo
book
puppy
oval
two or too (all numbers are two and she says too if she wants something "too")
potty (OK... a lot of times she says poopy but I'm working on it!)
seat
sit
shoe
no (of course)
hot
all done
happy
night night
where are you
papa
mine
you

I have been trying to teach her to say her name, but it mostly sounds like "Beeley." We'll keep working on it! I keep telling myself that I need to write this stuff down, because I know I will forget some of the funny things that she says. Who knows what she will say tomorrow!

What is Bailey Up To???

Bailey got into the baby powder and had herself a good time!




Bailey enjoys making telephone calls, but her conversations usually consists of "Hi. No. Bye."




Bailey enjoys trying to put on her shoes and playing with the flashlight! (Yes, at the same time!)




Bailey is also working on her modeling portfolio with this windblown look... :) J/K

Fully Committed in 2012

Scott and I came up with a New Year's Resolution to do together. Our resolution is to get back on the Dave Ramsey envelopes and start doing monthly budgets again. We were very good at this before we had a child, but since I am the "master budgeter" in our family, it has gone by the wayside with being a mom, working part-time and going to school. Needless to say, I lost my commitment to the whole budgeting process in the last year or so. I am even going to try and pick up my couponing skills again, but that is just a "sub-goal" to our resolution!!! :) God has truly blessed Scott and I, and we always want to be good stewards of what He has given us! It's like Dave Ramsey says... "Live like no one else, so you can GIVE like no one else!"

2012 will also bring my graduation from grad school!!! Though I am excited to be done, I am already contemplating my next steps. Scott tells me I just need to relax for a while, but the thought of not replacing school with something else makes a busy person nervous! The ending of one long-term commitment always means the ending of a chapter in life and the start of a new unknown chapter. Though new chapters can be exciting, I tend to make them scary with my "planning" tendencies. Maybe this time I'll learn and I will just take some time to relax (besides I could blog more).

I got the title for this blog from our church service today. FULLY COMMITTED is the slogan that my church family will be pursuing and living by in 2012. Here is an excerpt from a letter from our pastor: "What if every follower of Christ was FULLY COMMITTED in 2012? What if we were FULLY COMMITTED to our marriages, and FULLY COMMITTED to our families, and FULLY COMMITTED to our church? What if we lived with an "ALL IN" attitude with our integrity, and giving, and serving, and worship, and praying, and witnessing? I think we would see a move of God that is unmistakable, and unprecendented." Powerful questions and words!

When I finish my blogs, I sometimes feel like my thoughts have been all over the place; therefore, so have my words. I guess what I am trying to say is that my ultimate New Year's Resolution is that I want to be FULLY COMMITTED in 2012 with our family's resources and my next steps. More importantly, I want to be FULLY COMMITTED to my God, my family, my church, my job, my school work, and my unkowns that 2012 will bring!

Holiday Recap

The holidays were SOOOO FUN this year! Bailey is at that stage where she actually pays attention to her presents and wants to open them. I think I had more fun watching her open her own gifts more than opening my own (and I got some GREAT gifts)! We had a crazy holiday schedule that consisted of:

Friday - getting together with Scott's immediate family
Saturday (Christmas Eve) - getting together with Scott's extended family during the day and having our own family Christmas that night before we headed to Urbana
Sunday (Christmas Day) - we spent the day with my family (including my sis who made a special trip up Christmas night so she wouldn't miss seeing me... love her) and my grandma as well as the Fagan, Davis & Zakowski bunch (lots of laughs for sure!)

The Monday after Christmas we spent the day relaxing at my parent's house. It was so nice and definitely needed! Bailey really was a trooper during the holidays!!!

We spent New Year's Eve with some of our small group friends. It was another night full of fun and laughs. We ate at the Texas Roadhouse (without the kids... WAHOO!) for dinner. After dinner, we picked up the kids and went back to our friend's house for dessert, LOTS OF COFFEE, and a few intense rounds of Catch Phrase. Girls rock at the "Entertainment" category!

Here are a few pictures of Bailey's Christmas:

First glimpse of the doll house Uncle Ben made for her!

Sitting at her new table (Thanks Papa & Grandma!) drinking her "shuice!"

Hugs for Grady!!!!  What happens next doesn't need to be revealed... :)