Pumpkin Patch Overload

Well, I guess since it's almost Halloween I should go ahead and post some pumpkin patch pics. I LOVE pumpkin patches - I remember being pregnant with Maelie and crying at the thought of getting to take my little on one pumpkin patch fun days. That being said, we tend to go a little overboard. The first set are us and the Bankes' annual trip to Hall's Farm, then we went to the famous Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch with Grammy and Aunt Melisa, then we had one at school. We have had lots of fall fun!!

Maelie and Daddy in the cornfield - we take this one every year!

Driving the tractor and loving it!

The fam

Pumpkin faces

We couldn't believe there was a hippo you could ride on - Maelie thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Outside the pumpkin playhouse - yes, that's a pumpkin stem in her hand. It was the only thing she wanted to take home. She's a cheap date!

Wearing the Hippo costume at the pumpkin patch at school. Have you ever thought a hippo could be so cute?

Showing off the pumpkin she chose

New Favorite Thing...

I have a new favorite thing that Maelie has ever done. Two nights ago she was feeling pretty bad so at 4:15 I let her get into our bed. Her eyes were closed and her binky was in her mouth and she looked her sweetest. I leaned over and kissed her forehead and said "I love you, Maelie" she never opened her eyes, but reached up and patted my cheek and said "I know, Mama." I think that response was even better than I love you, too!

The Pink Stays!

Yea!!! We got to see our baby yesterday and are 95% sure it's another little girl. Maelie has been saying that it was a sister all along, and it turns out she was right. We were even more excited to see how healthy she is - everything looked great and she measured almost to the exact day of her due date. She was pretty shy - for the longest time she had her little knees crossed and her face hidden. That is great in many ways - it could mean that she will be a great compliment to Maelie's personality :) and it also means that because of the way she was laying in hiding they could not look at her heart as well as they wanted to. The doctor assured us that she was not worried about it at all, but since she likes to get a really good look at the heart we get to have another sonogram next month and see her again - yea!

Flutterby

YEA!! Two nights ago I finally felt this little one moving around in there. I love that feeling more than anything. I remember towards the end of Maelie's pregnancy feeling just a little sad that I would never feel her that way again, and am so excited to have 4 more months to feel this little one in my tummy. And, we only have 6 more days before we find out if it's a he kicking me or a she - I can't wait!! It seems like each day I'm SURE that it's one gender, and then within a few days am not so sure. Hopefully, the guessing will be over soon! I will be so excited either way, I'm just ready to know.

P.S. I will be changing the title of this blog eventually, but thought I might wait to see if I could leave the layout pink or not before changing things :)

Am I Forgetting Something?????

No, I have not forgotten that we're pregnant, Maelie has just been up to so much lately and this time the pregnancy has really raced by - I am in shock that are almost half way to meeting this new little person!!! I have been pretty sick for awhile, but it seems to be easing up a little. I still take medicine everyday, but at least the medicine has stayed down :) for awhile, that was not the case. I am so thankful that I have a sweet, compassionate husband and a VERY helpful mom or poor Maelie would probably be malnourished, dirty, and over-Mickeyed. We are so excited to find out if it is a girl or a boy - just a little over a week and we'll know!! I haven't felt this baby move yet, and with Maelie by this point I was feeling her a LOT each day, so we're ready to see him/her and make sure they're healthy, too. Kyle keeps saying maybe that means this will be a laid back baby - we'll see!
I have even felt good enough that Kyle and I went on a little weekend trip this past weekend. We stayed in a really fun place way out in the country that had an underground swimming pool and a gourmet restraunt on site. It was 20 miles from Fredricksburg, so we ate good, slept good and shopped good this weekend! It was great to get away and just hang out together. It was also good to have a little time to catch my breath and really think about being a mom again and get really excited
about our new little one.












A picture of my sweetie on our little getaway!

















After our great Italian dinner















I wish this picture would have turned out better so you could see how pretty and blue the water is. We had a great swim (well, Kyle swam and I sat with my feet in the water:)
You can see more photos of the place we stayed at troisestate.net - it was a great place to stay!

Maybe it's working...

The other day Elizabeth was over and she got sad about something. It really stressed Maelie out, and she wanted to know all about it. I said "Yes, Elizabeth is sad. What could we do to make her feel better?" Maelie's eyes lit up and she said (direct quote, here!) "I know! We can wead her the Bible!" then she ran and got it and the two of them sat on the couch looking for Lazarus and the Tomb (her favorite). I thought it was the most precious thing Maelie had done to date!

30 Things l Love About You!

Today is Maelie's half birthday and she has been doing so many new things I thought I would just list 30 things that I love about/am amazed about Maelie.





1. She's potty trained!! I can't believe how easy it was. She just decided to do it last month and we have been almost completely accident free ever since.


2. She says "God bless you, Mommy" every time I sneeze.


3. The other day I was telling her how pretty she was. I said "Do you know how pretty you are?" She nodded and said "Jesus make me so pretty!" Then there were Mommy tears...


4. She is such a talker! Some of my favorite things lately - "I'm going to give these flowers to Grammy 'cause I'm going to marry her" "it's my favorite in the whole wide world" "is my dada so handsome, just like Henry?"


5. She is obsessed with blue. She would eat anything, wear anything, play with anything blue. It's her "favowite"


6. She loves to laugh. She'll even fake laugh sometimes, but then she gets so cracked up at herself it turns into a real laugh.


7. She knows all of her abc's and the sounds that they make.


8. She doesn't really know that she's a kid - I really think she thinks that she and I are the same age. It makes for some very interesting stuggles and some very interesting conversations.


9. She loves to read her Bible. Her current favorite story is Lazarus and the Tomb.


10. She loves to do it by mysels, but she will ask for help when she needs it, too.


11. She just started saying "I love you, Mommy" spontaneously. Nothing warms my heart more.


12. She is a sweet little friend. Okay, mainly to Elizabeth, but to the people she considers friends she is very loyal.

13. She is so much like her Daddy that even when I am getting a little frustrated with her, I have to smile. She is so smart, so observant, so antisocial at times and she loves to be nekkid:) I love them both!!

14. Even if she doesn't always want to interact with people, she is a people person. Every night she asks who we are eating dinner with and talks about her friends (which always includes adults, too) all the time.

15. She has the strongest will of anyone I have ever met. I pray that it will be a blessing to the Lord as she stubbornly sticks to His word.

16. She loves to have her toenails painted.

17. She carries her "prinsheshes" everywhere in a little purse and pulls them out one by one, making me sing their song each time she does. Thank you, Rebellaires - I know them all!

18. She remembers things that I didn't even know that she noticed.

19. She knows the people closest to hers' eye color, favorite thing to eat, favorite color, etc. and she's working on their favorite prinsheshes.

20. She loves to snuggle when she sleeps in my bed.

21. She's obsessed with shoes, particularly the plastic dress up kind. She'll wear them until her feet bleed if you let her.

22. She is such a funny person. I love it when she is doing something just to make people laugh.

23. She is thoughtful. When Mommy's tummy is sick she always makes me pretend soup to make me feel better.

24. She loves to sing! She is constantly singing lately and I've been amazed at how many songs she can sing.

25. She is getting really good at expressing her emotions. She says things like "that was so much fun" "I'm so excited" "that will hurt my feelings"

26. She thinks I know everyone. Everywhere we go she asks me "What's her name, Mommy?" The cashier at the grocery store, strangers walking by, etc. It has made me a little more social. We now know the Chick-Fil-A lady, the lady at the donut store, several cashiers at Target, etc. by name.

27. She is such a girly girl! That's always the kind of daughter I wanted, but the other morning she came running out to meet me from Grammy's wearing princess jammies, blue dress up shoes, and holding her arms just so to keep her braclets on, and it made my day!!

28. She loves her Grammy. This is great for two reasons - one, that I love the fact that she loves my mom and has someone like her in her life, and two, I never have to worry about leaving her or feeling guilty - she would probably rather be with Grammy!

29. She loves being at church. If we haven't been there in a day or two (which doesn't happen very often) she'll say "I need to go to my chuch!"

30. She's made the last two and a half years of my life so exciting, so filled with love and laughter and joy. I cannot imagine life with out this precious person in it. The Lord blessed me in ways I never even imagined when he gave me Maelie.

Our Family Just Grew!

Well, it finally happened - I'm down to one husband. For a long time people called Kyle's brother, Matthew, my "other husband" because the three of us were together so much. Especially in the early years of our marriage, we spent most of our free time with Matthew. As much as I love him, I always wished for a girl partner-in-crime to help me stop getting outvoted on pizza, Al's hamburger trips, lame guys movies, etc. and keep me company as I sat squished up in the back seat of our Mustang. The minute I met Melisa, my new sister-in-law as of this weekend, I knew that she was it. I have always said that whoever Matthew married would be my best friend no matter if I liked her or not. Because I loved Matthew so much and loved the relationship that he and my husband have, I was bound and determined that I would MAKE myself love whoever he married. Again, the minute I met Melisa I knew that this would be no forced friendship. She is such a sweet compliment to him and to our family, even to the circle of friends that we share. I'm so excited to have a sister and friend for life that I truly love!! The first time I sat shoulder to shoulder with her, squished in the backseat of the Camry, I got warm fuzzies - makes me not even mind being down to only one husband :)

Here are some pictures of her and what is undoubtedly the cutest flower girl I've seen:

Getting ready with Aunt Melisa













Who has the handsomest Daddy in the world?
Maelie!












Getting ready to walk down the aisle.













Who's happier? Uncle Matthew to have a wife, or Mommy to have a new sister? Hmmm, it may be a toss up....

Aren't they cute?!

School Days

Today was Maelie's first day in the Twos Department at school. She looked like such a big girl! It was actually a little harder today than it was going from the nursery to the toddlers - she's definitely not the baby she was on the first day of school last year.

Daddy went to work late so that I could leave the house and get things set up early. He got Maelie up and took her to Chick-Fil-A for breakfast then brought her to school. (She really had a fun morning with him - she's just mad in this picture because I had just put her pigtails in)

So this picture is a sacrafice on my part - obviously Maelie looks adorable, but this is Mommy-got-up-at-4:45 and her make up has already worn off.

Can you read her shirt? It says "Preschool Rocks" and yes, it did! She had a great day. She is with two very sweet ladies who love their babies, as well as Elizabeth, Ava, and several other friends who she's been in class with for awhile. After school, Aunt Kasey and Baby Henwee came to take her to get "special snack" at Chick-Fil-A. I'm sure they are having even more fun as we speak!

Funny for the Day

Yesterday Maelie went to ladies' bible class at church and at one point her teacher, Ms. Tricia, asked if she was poopy. Maelie said "I not poopy, I NOT poopy" so Ms. Tricia went to check the next kiddo. A few minutes later Maelie called out "Ms. Tisha, Ms. Tisha, I found it!" as she pointed to one of her friends. Everyone's good at something - I guess Maelie's good at finding the poopy friend!

Funny for the Day

One of Maelie's new favorite things is to be a naked jay. This is what Elizabeth says when she's naked, so of course, that's what Maelie calls it, too, now. Yesterday she walked into the living room wearing only a bright pink pair of play heels with pink fluff on the toes and said "Look, Mommy, I a naked jay." After I confirmed that fact, she said, "I tee tee in my room" and walked off clomping in her heels.

Why 2009 Will Be the Best Year Ever...

January 2009 - Baby Becera comes on the 20th! Yea! I can't wait to see Lauren as a mom. We have been friends through many of life's different journeys - high school, college, married life - and I'm so excited about the next one - being mommys together!

February 2009 - Baby Davis comes on the 21st! This is like a miracle baby. We have all been praying for so many years for my sweet cousin Val to have a baby and now she is!! She will be the best mom - she was born to be one!

March 2009 - Baby McKillip comes on the 22nd! I was always worried that I might not be as excited about being pregnant the second time, but that could not be further from the truth!!! We are so excited, and Maelie asks to see the baby all the time. She's going to be a great big sister. I can't wait to see all the blessings God has in store for our new, bigger family!

Wordle

I copied this from Jacquie's blog, I hope everyone who sees this does it - it is so fun! At wordle.com they take the most frequently used words on your blog and make this little peice of "blog art." It cracks me up how many of Maelie's are action words and that the biggest one is "said" - I think that sums up Maelie nicely! You can click on the wordle to make it larger.

Sit down in that chair right there...

Okay, so a lot of times I title a post with song lyrics that are usually random or a stretch :) but yesterday at swimming lessons Maelie kept pointing at the chairs by the pool and screaming "I want to sit down in that chair right there" and all I could think about was that stale line in "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" "sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done." Possibly the stalest song lyric ever. Anyway, it made me laugh in a pretty stressful situation. On day two of slimmin lessons, she screamed the entire 30 minutes again, but upped the drama ante by throwing up on the side of the pool twice. She wasn't sick, just ticked. I think all that screaming made her drink too much water. My two favorite quotes for the day (other than the one above) were "I go to Grammy's house, Grammy make me feel better" and "I think I going to throw up." That last one she only said after she threw up - I think for effect.

She did, however, swim under water for about 3 seconds several times. A couple of times it was from me to the side of the pool where she grabbed the side and pulled herself up. She also floated on her back a few times - maybe we're getting our money's worth after all! That swim teacher sure is earning hers!

We are having to miss swim lessons today because I'm going to the Royal Family Kids' Camp birthday party. The majority of these kids are from foster care situations, so they don't necessarily get a big birthday party on their birthdays. So today is everyone's birthday and we throw a HUGE party - it's one of the most fun things I've ever done!! I helped register these kiddos on Monday, so I got to see there sweet faces - pray that they have a great day, a great week, and realize that Jesus loves them.

Slimmin' Lessons

If anyone out there is considering taking a Mommy and Me swim lesson, please read this first. DON'T DO IT!! DON'T DO IT!!! Our first one was today and it basically consisted of me wrestlin 1) Maelie, since she was trying to crawl up me like a cat and 2) my swimsuit top, since she was trying to crawl up me like a cat. On top of that she screamed "Don't do dis Mommy! I can't do dis, I can't swim" over and over for thirty whole minutes. When we got out, I put her normal clothes back on her, gave her two dum dums and she walked to the car telling me she wanted to go slimmin' in Ms. Cheryl's slimmin' pool again. We'll see....

Gimme a Hug!

This has become one of my very favorite things that Maelie says. While she says it she holds one arm straight up in the air. You lean down and she wraps that arm all the way around your neck and says "I give you a hug." She says it in such a "hey, we're buddies, gimme a hug" kind of big girl way - it cracks me up! Yesterday she was asleep in our bed (she wasn't feeling good) and said "I gon't want to!" twice in her sleep. I put my face near hers and said "it's okay, mommy's here" to which she responded, still in her sleep, "gimme a hug" and raised her arm. Is that the cutest thing you've ever seen?!

Funny (?) for the day...

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't think this is so funny, maybe I should think I have a serious discipline problem on my hands, but Maelie cracked my up today. I caught her playing in my make up and told her to put it down. She didn't so I had to go take it from her. She, of course, started a grade A two-year-old tantrum. I said I'm sorry, but you have to obey. She said "I gonna KICK you!" and started walking towards me. I said if you choose to do that, I will spank you and put you in time out, so she cried, walked to her crib, got her binky, then walked back in the living room and said "I sad!" I wanted to cry laughing - sometimes being so verbal is really a drawback!

Happy Happy Birthday

Well, all the pictures of Maelie's actual birthday are on the memory card that I had to turn in for some YCW stuff, and those are the good ones. For some reason we did not get a lot of her at her actual party, but a promise is a promise, so here's what I have...



All the friends feeding the ducks. Actually, we scared the ducks to the other side of the pond, so this is just us throwing bread into the water.













Maelie loves to feed the ducks, even after falling into the pond the first time she ever did it.





















Lala thought this was a picturesque family moment!







This is Maelie about three seconds into the car ride home! She was one tired little friend.

Patience is a virtue...

Ha! Bet you thought you were getting bday pics today. Actually, I have just finished up the two busiest weeks of the year, so they are coming as soon as I can stop and download pics from the cameras. I do have a funny non-Maelie story titled "Why the Neighbors Think I'm Crazy"

I hate squirrels. There is one that has taken up residence in the attic above the kitchen. You can hear him scratching around up there and it is literally driving me crazy. If you know my history and extreme rodent-phobia, you are more sympathetic to this. Kyle walked in the house the other day to find me jumping up and down ramming a broom stick in the ceiling ala the crazy neighbor on friends yelling "I hate you!" I though maybe I could scare the squirrel, but it turns out that trick only scares humans and makes them smile the smile you smile at crazy people. However, today the whole situation took a turn for the worse. I saw him in my yard (the squirrel - I let Kyle come in the house:) I was walking to the car with Maelie in my arms. I gave that squirrel a stare down, but he didn't move. I buckled Maelie into her carseat and looked around for something to throw at him. All I could come up with was a Dickey's BBQ cup that severely missed it's marked. He skittled a bit but kept looking at me. I found a branch that I thought might work, but it had too many leaves and just made a pathetic "whoosh" noise and made the squirrel run a few feet further down the fence. The only other thing handy was an empty paint can on the porch. Frustrated, I launched it with all my might at the freakin' thing. It finally ran off. As I turned around and got back in the car it struck me that there could have actually been people watching this odd interchange and was very embarrassed. That is, until I saw the stupid thing poking his head back over the fence as I drove away. Argh! If anyone knows more effective rodent repellent that throwing paint cans at it, I would love to know. On a related note, if anyone has a bb gun they're not using I would sure love to borrow it...

P.S. I promise BDay pics by the end of the weekend.

Funny for the Day

Yesterday Maelie was supposed to be taking a nap, but Kyle and I could hear her in her crib jibber-jabbering away and jumping. I walked in and said "Why aren't you taking a nap?" She froze and looked at me with big eyes and said "I take my pants off" which actually was her pants AND her diaper. She took them off and then shoved them between the crib and the wall. Thankfully, it was a clean diaper!

Funny for the Day

Last night Maelie asked for an orange and I told her she didn't say the magic word. Her reply was "Meeska Meeska Mickey Mouse." I almost dropped her Kyle and I were laughing so hard.

Hippity Hoppity Easter's On It's Way!

We had a great Easter! Maelie was so much fun this year, except for the fact that Baby Henee is "on airplane, far 'way" and couldn't give her a little competition.


Thanks for the Lamb Ears, Val!











The Fan Club - all these people watching one little girl hunt eggs!












Her Someday-Aunt Melisa gave her this stylin' hat.













The Sweet Little Angel picture...















...and the I'm a Little Stinker Picture.














Playing with bubbles from her eggs.










P.S. If you ask her what Easter is, she says "seesus dyin' on a coss!" It is PRECIOUS!

Oh, I Love a Rainy Night....

...and day! That has always been one of my favorite old country songs, and I really do love the rain. I sleep so great when it's rainy, and apparently Maelie does, too, because she slept for THIRTEEN HOURS STRAIGHT last night!!! I did not hear one peep from her. It rained all night last night and so far, all day today. We have had some fun indoor activities, though. We met Elizabeth and Kelli at the playscape this morning, then had some Mexican Inn with Kyle for lunch. I thought our next step would be a nap at home, but Maelie had other ideas. For awhile I heard her in her crib counting (one, two, six, seben, aheght, nine, ten, eleben, twelebe!) over and over and thought to myself, maybe that's her version of counting sheep. Then I was having a little quite time in the living room and heard this weird noise. I thought Oh, my grief those stinking squirrels are back! But then I tried to figure out where they were and realized it was just Maelie jumping for all she was worth in her bed. I walked in and took the pictures below, then declared her the winner and got her out.

Air Maelie












The face of victory...

A Little Something to Talk About...

Maelie talks more and more lately and it is cracking me UP! I've decided that two (or almost!) is definitely my favorite age. When she's not throwing temper tantrums, she's round the clock entertainment. Here are some recent funnies...

She barfed...in my bed. Not that funny until she finished, freaked out and started rubbing it frantically saying "a mess, a mess" like she was surprised that that came out of her and was cleaning it up. I know, SOOOO gross, but it still made me laugh.

Today on the way to school she said something and I chuckled. She said "I funny, mama. I a funny girl!" I told her that , yes, she was a funny girl and she said "I funny a L-Beth!" which I took to mean "I'm funny to Elizabeth" and cracked up again.

The other day I told her to go put her manger (the Little People one) in her room and she took her time, so I told her she needed to take it to her room because Jesus needed a place to sleep and she said "Seesus sleep in a BOAT!" (Jesus sleeping on the boat and then calming the storm is by far her favorite Bible story) I guess she had me there.

We took her to PetSmart the other day just to browse and she said (in a very high pitched squeaky voice) "Look at all the fishies!" while pumping her arms up and down. Then she repeated the process when we got to the birds. Guess we can save the money we were going to spend on all those upcoming zoo trips....

There are about a million more, but I'll spare you and just show you some pics...


Maelie went to her first school-friend party at Little Gym and had the time of her life!!! She said "aba biday ageen!" (ava's birthday again!) the whole way home.













This is her trying to eat some of her Nemo bubbles.















My new favorite picture ever...













I found a new fella at the movies...












...but my Grandma stole him!

Is that the funnest Grandma ever?
Yes, I think so!!
(And the cutest, too)

The Cutest Little Baby Face

Well, apparently I have slipped and not added pictures to my posts lately. I apologize...here is my peace offering..


This was taken tonight while she and Daddy were playing before bedtime. Is that the greatest laugh face or what? Do you think she really means it?!

















This one was taken at our friends' lakehouse. She and Elizabeth had a great time playing together. I love this pic because I think it shows what sweet friends they are.














Baby Henee made his debut in January (I'm kind of going in reverse order on these) She was mildly interested in him at times, but most of the time doesn't pay any attention (which I suppose is better that being jealous or being too rough with him. The other day I asked her where Baby Henry was just as Kasey walked down the hall and Maelie chased after Kasey instead of pointing to the baby I was holding. I think she might be confused....















THis is probably one of my all time favorite pics. They did not have the nursery open right before Christmas so Maelie came to service with us for the first time since infancy and did an amazing job. This is her reading her Bible to Mickey during the sermon.

Eat More Chicken?

There is nothing really major to report on in our lives, but this weekend it has slowly dawned on me what a good kid I have. I think Maelie is known to many as a wild child, and she does have more personality than your average 22 month old (actually, she has more personality than some 28 year olds :). But lately she has been so much easier to "handle." I've felt like maybe the cagillion spankings I've doled out may actually be paying off. I know that there is still much work to be done, and surely there will be rough seasons ahead, but for now I'm really enjoying these moments of obedience. She's definitely defining her boundaries, but if you ask her to do something a lot of times lately she'll look at you for a minute, then you repeat your instruction - maybe with an added "or you'll get a spanking", and usually she'll say "A Kay!" and do it. ( I will probably so pay for this tomorrow - those of you who read this are welcome to laugh at me when she throws herself on the floor definitively ended this smooth stage!) I'm really proud of the little girl that she's becoming.

One thing I particularly think is precious these days is her obsession with Grandma Dane. She talks about her all the time, and since I think she one of the greatest people ever, I love it! You can ask her "Maelie, who do you love?" and she loves to list off the people in her life. Lately Grandma Dane is one of the first and often repeated several times. She thanked God for her 3 times tonight, and I thought it was the cutest thing ever.

Other important 22 month old accomplishments include: counting to 15 by herself, speaking at 7 word sentence (that doesn't happen a lot, but when it does it blows me away!), sharing very willingly at times, doing the "piggies" all by herself (the other day in the car she took her socks and shoes off and said "Piggy mock-it, piggy mock-it, wee wee wee wee wee and cracked up laughing) asking to go to bed fairly often and getting in her bed with little to no tears, wearing big girl panties for the first time, saying a prayer all by herself (when I overheard that I almost fell over and I almost cried) and perfecting her Chick-Fil-A order: "Chicken minis, white milk!" She says that as we get on the highway in the morning, then yells it from the backseat when we're ordering. I think she says "white milk" because when you order milk they ask you if you want white or chocolate, so I started saying white milk as I ordered to save that step. It cracks me up and makes me think maybe, just maybe, we eat at Chick-Fil-A too much....

Well, this is an interesting blog to write. Every other post I've ever written has been upbeat and happy. Looking back on that, it makes me feel very blessed. But I'll tell you ahead of time, this one is a little different. Last weekend, Kyle and I were so filled with joy and excitement as we plopped an "I'm the Big Sister" shirt on Maelie and set out telling our family that we were expecting a new baby. Our bubble was burst so shortly after when the doctor's office called on Monday to tell us that we had lost the baby. I still haven't wrapped my mind around all the feelings I have about this. On one hand, I know what an amazing God we serve. I know that He loves us and wants good things for us, has good plans for us. I know several people who have lost babies at birth or shortly after, and I don't think I could go through that. I also don't think I could have handled knowing this baby even more intimately as months past and then loosing him/her. So in a way, I've tried to think that maybe our sweet Lord spared me even more heartache in the end. But it still hurts, and I still feel like someone died that I loved and never even got to see. I think it's even more evident why funerals are so important - for the closure, for the honoring of those we loose. It feels so weird that I lost someone so important to me, and some people don't even know. Some people that do know treat me like nothing happened and it's all just weird.
However, even as I write this I hear Maelie playing in her crib and know that I am very blessed. I have also had my eyes opened even further to the many blessings that are all bundled up in Kyle. He has loved me, supported me, cared for me and mourned with me in a way that I will never forget and that make me love him even more. I know that in some ways this has been harder for him than me. I can't tell you how many precious ladies have some to me at church/YCW with encouragement, "I've been through this " stories, just to tell me they're sorry, thinking about me , love me. It has all made this process more bearable to feel so surrounded by love and sisterhood and I know that men don't do those things or talk about things that are so hard sometimes. So, if you pray for me, please remember to pray for him, too. Anyway, I may or may not post about this again, but those are just some things I needed to get off my chest and "out there."

Jesus Loves You This I Know

I have never known desperation. Never been hungry, thirsty, in need. And then I had Maelie and I am so terribly desperate for her to know the Lord. It is such an awesome burden to know that I have a had in molding that tiny heart and leading her to Him. I know that each of us are ultimately responsible for our own decisions, but I want to stand before my Father and tell Him that I did everything in my power to show her His love, His goodness, His sacrifice. She can be such a little wild woman that I think at times I overlook her sweet and tender side, but lately she has done some things during our family Bible time that remind me that none of us are all one way or the other and though they are small things they have blessed me so much as I see her learning about Jesus.

The other night she was playing peek-a-boo with a towel on her head and it fell just so that it looked like a little Mary looking at me from under it. I told her that she looked like Mary, Jesus' mommy (I have to differentiate because she really loves Mary and Martha). Shethought that was funny so we got a baby Jesus for her to hold. She wore it the rest of the night and to our bed for Bible time. Then when we said our prayers she kept it on and laid down face first with her little praying hands. It was so precious. I wish I could have taken a picture, but it would have been totally inappropriate in that moment.

She loves to look at the people praying in her Bible. Mary, Gideon, Jesus, she finds them and says "payin'" and makes her little praying hands. She likes it when Daddy prays, but lately after he's done she will hold her little praying hands up and say "pay". She likes to say her own, too. We say thank you for all the people who love us by name and the cutest thing is when she says "ank oo henee, safe" (Thank you for Henry, her soon to be born baby cousin, and keep him safe).

Twice lately we have tried to put her to bed with out our Bible time because we've been out so late, but she does not stand for that. When I went into her room tonight because she had been crying in her crib for a while and was clearly not going to sleep she said "Bible, Seesus." How can you resist that? We had her Bible time and said our prayers and she went down so much easier. What a great reminder that your day is not complete and your sleep not as sweet if you haven't said good night to our Heavenly Father.

In the Blink of an Eye Time Goes By..

I looked at my calendar today and realized that Maelie is about to be 20 months old. Its seems like ever since she turned 18 months old I have stopped focusing on the months - it almost just seems like a countdown to 2, which is just way too crazy. Here are some great things about Maelie at 20 months old:
She talk so spontaneously. She will say things on her own that you didn't even know she could say yet. We were counting eight crayons the other day and when we were done she said Nine! I was very surprised.
She speaks in complete sentences or phrases a lot. She has been saying "Thank you, mama" "Where is it?" "Here it is!" and things like that for a few months, but now she says "A Mammy? On't Know. A her house" (Where's Grammy? I don't know. At her house)
She is so silly! She will hide her own hand in her sleeve and play peek-a-boo with it and thinks it's hilarious. She has decided that she loves sunglasses. She puts them on and says "piddy" or "so cool" It seems like she may avoid self-esteem issues....
She knows when she pottys in her diaper and does not like it! I'm so excited about that . She has been sitting on the potty whenever she asks for about two months now, but it is more just for fun that using it for what it was intended for, but her saying "Poop" and patting her diaper makes me think maybe we should get a little more serious.
She is very hot and cold. She can be the sweetest little thing, putting her arms around you and giving hugs and kisses just for fun and obey you so well one day, and the next day the word of the day is MINE! and we are throwing tantrums on the floor. It must be so hard to be a toddler!!

Here are some pics:
Maelie and Elizabeth love to play pretend night-night. It's a funny version of peek-a-boo and they crack each other up!











Looking "so cool" in her glasses! She loves to put them on by herself.












I love this picture because it is probably one of my favorite dresses on her, but also because she has Mickey and Minnie with her. They go most places with us these days.

For All That You've Done I Will Thank You

Who else feels a little caught off guard that it's almost Thanksgiving? I wore a tank top out one day recently, so it still feels a little weird to be planning on turkey and dressing. I'm still excited, though. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite actual holiday. I love the Christmas season, but the actual day can be overwhelming and a little bit of a let down after all the hype. Thanksgiving, however, seems to be a purer holiday. Just bring over some food, watch some football, hang out. Well, the past few Thanksgivings have been that way. I just have a really hard time with the word "no" but two years ago, sweet Kyle put his foot down and said that from then on we would reduce our Thanksgiving obligations from 4 to just one. It has been so nice. It is really hard to feel like you're letting someone down, but it has been worth it. Our first several Thanksgivings as a married couple we ran around so much that we ended up missing most of the actual dinners and ended up at Whataburger at nine o'clock at night starving. In honor of the holiday, here are ten things that I am SO Thankful for...

1) My Precious Husband. I am so thankful for the man of God that he is and the way he really applies that to everything that he does - at work, as a husband, father, friend. He is one man who really walks the walk.

2) My Marriage. I am so thankful that her we are, seven years into it, and our marriage seems better than ever. So, while I listed above that I am thankful for Kyle, I am also thankful for the relationship that we have and how it opens my eyes to the way that Christ loves me. In no other relationship do you feel such total and unconditional love and acceptance - the freedom to truly be yourself all the time - good and bad.

3) My Maelie. Good grief, that is an understatement! She is so precious. And such a surprise! She amazes me with her humor, her bravery, her wildness. These are things that are so not me, but I love to watch grow in her! I think being a mom to someone like Maelie brings those qualities out in me a little, too. She is also so sweet and girly. She has several times lately put her arms around my neck to pull me into a hug and then just patted my back with her sweet little hands.

4) My Family. That is one thing I love about this time of year - that it really makes you stop and prioritize just how important your extended family is to you. I love having everyone together - we have a really big family so it is not often that we are all under one roof! It brings back so many good memories of my childhood. This Thanksgiving could also be the last one for a few years that we have all of my smaller family unit here, so I am especially thankful for that.

5) My Friends. I am so blessed to have so many sweet friends in my life. I really feel like we have such a rich life, and I know that is in large part because we are blessed with such rich friendships with people in various stages of life. Some friends have older kids to learn from, some have no kids to remind me what Emilylife is about instead of just Mommylife, and some have kids exactly the same age as ours to help share in the joys and journeys of Mommyhood. I feel like each one is a different glimpse of Christ to me.

6) My Job. This year I am especially thankful for my job. It gives me such an outlet to use the gifts and talents that the Lord has given me in a way that, hopefully, reaches out to others and brings Him glory, to plant seeds in tiny hearts about just how much Jesus loves them. It also puts me in contact with some pretty amazing women, again, from all different paths, who share a common love and a common goal. They bless my life just as much as all the kiddos do!

7) Kyle's Job. Even though Kyle occasionally has to work some pretty crazy hours, I am so thankful for his job. It really seems like he has found his niche. He likes what he does, and most days comes home in a pretty good mood. He also works for great people who we love, and that makes such a huge difference. It just makes all those hours that he is away working and sacrificing for our family go by a little quicker to know that he feels successful and fulfilled.

8) My Church. I try not to give out a lot of personal information on this blog, but I will tell you that I go to Richland Hills Church of Christ and I love that place. It is the first church that I've gone to that I've really felt like was my church family instead of a bunch of people I go to church with. Kyle was nervous when I first started working there that seeing the inner-workings my tarnish my idealistic views of church and in essence, hurt my feelings. However, I feel like quite the opposite has happened. Getting to know the people that work there, how things are done, sometimes why things are done has really made me love it even more. I feel like, while no earthly leadership is perfect, the hearts of the people at this church are really about serving God, bringing him glory, and spreading the Gospel of Christ to as many people as possible and it is really exciting to be working, worshiping and raising a daughter in that atmosphere.

9) My Hope. Is it not amazing that you can look back at all the things that you are thankful for, knowing how so very many things did not make the Top Ten, and know in your heart that it is only the tip of the iceberg? To know that even the things that you aren't necessarily thankful for - like the hurt in your heart for the people you love that are away from Christ - can turn into a thanksgiving because you are so thankful that God knows your hurt and has a love for these people and a desire to call them His that you cannot imagine. Above all, to know that one day you will leave it all to be with Him - I am so thankful for my hope and my future!

10) My God. Now, you know that this one could go on and on, but I will sum up my thankfulness for God by saying that I am so thankful that He is my God, and that I am His. I know that none of the other things would be possible without Him. Even if I had Kyle in my life without Him, I would not be able to fully appreciate all the things that Kyle is without seeing him through the Father's eyes. I would not have a marriage that was meaningful if both of us weren't striving for the same goal - to live a life that brings Him glory, and to take our children and as many others to heaven with us. None of it would matter - the joys would only be a glimpse of joy and the sorrows would swallow me whole without the love and sacrifice of my Father.

I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You...

Well, I know that historically all my blogs have centered around Maelie, but I just couldn't help share this picture of Kyle. Sometimes I think about who he was and who I was way back when we got married, and it is amazing to see how far we've come as a couple and as individuals. I feel like we have grown up together in away, and when I stop to think about the man he has become it astounds me. He is the most precious Daddy to Maelie. I always knew that he would be a phenomenal dad, but watching him actually do it blows my mind. It was part of what made me fall in love with him to begin with, and it's part of what makes me fall more in love with him each day. He is also an amazing husband. I have felt so bad for the past several weeks, and he has so taken care of our family. He has done the cleaning, the laundry, given extra care and attention to Maelie and taken such good care of me. I have been a little frustrated by my lack of energy and the doctors inability to figure out what exactly is going on, and he has just loved on me and assured me that things will get better, I'm not useless, etc. All of this on top of the work he normally does and some extra help he's given friends lately. The most amazing area of growth I've seen in Kyle is spiritual, though. He has really stepped up and become the leader of our household with such grace, wisdom and faith. I think that's why I love this picture so much. When I first started teaching Bible class, Kyle was not that interested. He would help me set up, clean up, anything like that but I think he was a little intimidated by the kids. Over the last few years, he has become more and more involved and he is so good at it. He is great at getting kiddos that don't want to come in the door and involved in class. He is always ready to make towers for the boys to knock down and those little girls have him wrapped around their fingers. It just warms my heart to see him put himself so fully into serving our God by serving these precious little ones that He thinks are so important.


"Mr. Kyle" at work!












I think Maelie is so lucky to have such a fun Daddy!

Oh, What a Night...

Well, this may be a record - two postings in two days! However, I thought this would be the best way to share our Halloween fun. We met the Daddys for dinner at Chick-Fil-A, then headed to church. It was crazy!!! So much fun stuff to do - a petting zoo, carnival games, so much more. However, the girls had more fun on the usual stuff they play on - the slide, the playhouse, etc. Then we headed to James and Linda's house for a little trick-or-treating and wrapped it up by stopping at Carol's for a little Grammy lovin'. All in all, it was a great night!
We started off a great day by meeting Papa at Fuzzy Taco's for lunch. Maelie had oranges, rice, beans and - what else - guacamole!











The little buggy friends at the petting zoo.













"A li -i -ide!" as Maelie would say.













What a little lady!













This is Maelie trick or treating at Linda and James' house. She was so excited about her treat - a box of Dots that made a fun noise when you shook them!











She was pretty tired by the end of it all. Grammy gave her a new Mickey Mouse and she kissed him all the way home, then went to right to sleep with him snuggled up next to her.

Here We Go Again.....

Well, I was just thinking the other day that I either need to start blogging again or just close it out. I was leaning toward closing it out, but once again the Great LaLa has inspired me and I decided to give it another go. About a million things have happened since my last post, so I'll just start with where we are and go from there.

1. I don't know why I love the Fall. I know that part of it is the weather - if you're not from Texas, I'm not sure that you understand what a relief some cool weather can be. Even though this summer was pretty mild, I'm loving the cold nights. I think the air smells differently, too, and makes me remember so many good memories from childhood, through high school and college, and up until now. I think people are wrong to always talk about spring as the season of renewal and starting fresh. The Fall makes me want to do something fun and new....

2. On that point, I started sewing!! I'm terrible at it, but maybe that will change. I made Maelie a little Mickey Mouse book (she is so obsessed with MM), and it was so much fun. I had the kind of Mom who was always making something - cookies, sewing projects, ceramic somethings - every occasion was marked with something homemade and that's always the type of mom I pictured myself being. Breaking out hte sewing machine (after three years in the closet, literally still in the box!) made me feel very accomplished!

3. Kasey and Rob are back in Texas, which is good and bad. Good because it gives us a taste of what it would be like to live close to one another and see each other often, but bad because I think it will make it even harder when they have to leave again. Maelie has really gotten close to them and asks frequently "A Sasey? A Wob? A Ollo?" Ollo would be their dog.

4. Can you believe I made it this far without dedicating a whole segment to Maelie? OKay, I have about a million stories I could tell you about her - she is at such a funny age and is cracking me up constantly. Here are a few of my favorites. She thinks it is hysterical to put things on her head. We'll be in the car and she will say, "Mama, where is it?" I'll look back and her binky, her shoe, anything handy, will be on her head. The first time she did it I laughed until I cried because the expression on her face is so funny - she cracks herself up!

5. She truly is obsessed with Mickey Mouse. On one hand, I think what better to be obsessed with - he's a wholesome guy and his cartoon is very age appropriate and teaches her things I want her to know. But, on the other hand I do get a little tired of her saying "A Pete (a MM character)" when I go to pick her up from sleep these days instead of "Hi Mama" She loves to say "hot dog" (or, ha dohg) which is a favorite MM saying. The other day she was supposed to be napping but when I put my ear to the door I could hear her jabbering away and when I peeked in she was rolling around on her back playing with her binky saying "hot dog, hot dog, hot dog...."

6. My truly favortie new thing she does is praying hands. I have not taught her that - usually I pray over her as we're rocking, but did not think she could really sit down and pray with me yet. The other night after our family Bible time I asked Kyle to pray for us to see what she would do, and she made the cutest little praying hands and looked down at them. I peeked at her while we were praying and she kept them there the whole time. She would kind of look back and forth at Kyle and I, then look back down. It was the most precious things I've ever seen . I know that she learned that at school - go Ms. Heather! She also loves to look through her Bible looking for "sesus." It makes my life!

Some recent pics...

Maelie on our trip to California to see Rob and Kasey. Rob graduated from the language school there and we all had a great time celebrating. Maelie looked so cute that a couple of strangers asked if they could take her picture!









When Kasey got to Texas she wanted to take Maelie to the zoo. This trip was SO much more fun than the last one. The last time we went she wasn't quite old enough to walk and was very frustrated about that - we ended up leaving early. But this time she was great!!! We had a great time. We can't wait to do it again with Baby Henry!







Fun at the Pumpkin Patch! It was a little harder to get good pics of her this year - she is on the go! She even says "gogo!!"











I thought this picture was funny! Especially since her favorite game is Peek-a-Boo. The other day in the car she put both of her hands under her legs and said "Mama, where is it?" I was a little puzzled at first about what she was getting at, but then she pulled them both out and said "Here it is!" and died laughing. Then she waved her hands at each other, said "bye bye" and hid her hands again.





The fam!













Of course, the Pumpkin Patch wouldn't be complete with out Elizabeth!!

No time like the present

Well, almost three months have passed since my last blog. Time seems to fly more quickly and sweetly than ever. I know it sounds so cliche, but I cannot believe my baby will be one soon. Here's a little bit of what life has been like around the McKillip household.

1. Well, I suppose the biggest news is that Maelie has taken her first steps. I have known countless babies in my life, but I never dreamt how my heart would catch in my throat at the sight of my baby on her unsure little feet looking so proud of herself. I've known it was coming for awhile now, but it still made me a little sad. I know each new phase of her life will be even more precious than the last, but this first big one, this moving from babyhood to toddlerhood, tugs at my heart. It feels bittersweet in the best and worst way.

2. She's also learned several new words. She can now say mama, dada, bye bye, hi (this one is probably her favorite. It gets a little embarassing at Target should someone not say hi back, as she repeats it louder and louder. Luckily, she's such a little cutie that most people respond instantly), duck, thank you (or, "ang ooo"), and most recently, baby. She loves her babies and will look ferverously around until she finds one and then kiss it.

3. You know, a lot of researchers will tell you that children don't really have friends until they're two. Maelie and Elizabeth would definitely stump them. They love each other so much, it is probably the greatest joy of my life to watch them. Whenever they see each other, they just light up. Squeeling, "tarydactyl talk," and/or kissing inevitably ensue. Even in Bible class with lots of other babies around they recognize each other and single each other out. The other day Maelie found Elizabeth's paci and, rather than stick it in her own mouth as is the usual case, gave it to her friend. I consider it the first real time Maelie shared. After all, she loves a binky as much as the next gal! Later that night Maelie was in her crib crying as she tried to get to sleep and everytime she cried out her sweet friend Elizabeth would drop her toy and make a bee line for Maelie's room. I cannot wait to see their friendship develop over the years!! Some of the greatest blessings in my life are the precious friends God has given me, and it is a feeling beyond belief to see Maelie receiving that same gift of friendship.

4. Okay, so maybe this isn't a landmark milestone, but Tuesday morning while I was getting ready to go to Bible class Maelie sat in her exersaucer and watched Praise Baby. She has always been immune to Praise Baby's draw. She'll watch Baby Einstein forever, but could care less about the Praise Baby videos I had so hoped she would love. But Tuesday!! For some reason it clicked. Not that I want her watching TV all the time, but watching her sweet face as she sat enrapt listening to praises was a great experience for her mommy. I just watched her for awhile and prayed that His words quoted in the songs and the sweet praise would be embedded in her heart. Little seeds, start growing!

5. Kyle has had to work quite a bit these past few months. There are nights he doesn't get home until after midnight. It is very humbling to see him sacraficing so much for our family. Maelie LOVES her Daddy. One Monday morning after spending the weekend all together, Maelie was crawling past the door. I scooped her up and she got this funny little puzzled face as she looked out the door where we always wait for Daddy to come home and said, "dada?" It was like the door reminded her that he wasn't here.

6. A sweet friend of ours (well, our future in-laws as we like to joke!) have had a very rough time. Christine is pregnant with her second little boy (the first, Jack, is the would-be son-in-law). She has been in and out of the hospital, more in that out it seems, so sick with her pregnancy. Luckily, (or blessedly), Little Samuel is doing well. Please pray that his mommy will get well, soon, too. They are such a sweet family, such a precious example of faith and love. We are truly blessed to know them. Even through this amazingly hard time (literally, I don't know how they do it) they are amazing to watch as they love each other so deeply and trust God so faitfully. Pray for all of four of them, plus their amazing extended family who have pretty much put their lives on hold to serve them. (Doesn't that sound like a family you'd want your precious daughter marrying in to?!)

Christmas is Back!

Ever since I was a little girl Christmas has been my favorite time of year. When I was little I got so caught up in the magic of it all - I mean, seriously, Santa came to visit me at our aparment the first two years of our marriage. I buy a new Christmas tree every year, much to my husband's chagrin, just because I can't stand to walk by a good deal at the after Christmas sales and how can anyone have too many Christmas trees? True confessions - I found one on sale this year (my sixth, but only my third over four feet) the week after Christmas for a GREAT price and snuck it into the garage while Kyle wasn't home. Seriously, it's not just the trees and the lights and all that other fun stuff - though, and I hate to sound judgemental, but you are crazy if you don't think that stuff is the greatest - it's the tradition, the family, the "our family always...", the "when I was little...", the "my mom makes sugar cookies like this..." And this year we got to start our own family traditions! As an adult I still love Christmas, but having Maelie has definitely brought a little of the spark back. I don't even mind travelling all over the world, going to seven family Christmas parties in two days (seriously, we challenge Santa in the milage). It is so much fun to see all these people that we love and don't get to see nearly enough loving on my baby!

She has brought an entirely new perspective to the sweet baby in the manger, too. I think having my own little one has really made it hit home and made me think of Mary in a whole new way and made her so much more real to me. It really makes me appreciate her sacrafice and her faith more. I can't imagine the faith it must have taken to do what she did. I cried when I thought I might not get an epidural - I can't imagine what I would have done if Kyle had told me, Sorry, hon, but I think we'll just have to deliver in the barn. It makes my heart hurt on Christmas to think that we wouldn't have Easter if it weren't for Christmas - that God knew from the moment Jesus was born what would ulitimately happen to him here on earth. Christmas this year has given me an even deeper yearning in my heart for Maelie to know and love Him. I would love to hear from anyone out there what your family does at Christmastime especially to remind your children why we celebrate.

What a Month...

This has been a month of many firsts for us in the McKillip house. Maelie has sat up for the first time, eaten solid food for the first time, taken a bath in the big bath, gotten two teeth, gone from being on her tummy to sitting up on her own, sat in a high chair at a restraunt, sat in the buggy in the store, taken her first school picture, learned how to "give five" and clap....I'm sure I'm forgetting something. It seems like everyday she is doing something new and fabulous. I'm just so proud of her, not just of her accomplishments, but of the little person that she's becoming. She is so sweet, so happy - she just smiles and laughs so much of the time. Everywhere we go, people stop to talk to her, to tell me how pretty she is. She just attracts people. I love how secure she is. She will ususally go to anyone, be happy anywhere. Although when she won't go to someone else and just wants her Mommy, I have to admit that it doesn't break my heart. I love being the person that she depends on, the one she looks for when she's sad or tired or upset. She'll lean towards me, put her arms around my neck and nuzzle her little face into me, and I know that that moment is a gift. Don't get me wrong - she has her moments! She will definitely let you know what she likes and dislikes, but I love that about her, too. She's very opinionated, and it cracks me up.

Through all the joys of being a mommy, I think I have discovered the hardest part. With all this growing and changing and doing new things that Maelie is up to these days, I find it hard to find the balance between being excited about her accomplishments and grieving the end of her babyhood. When I look back at pictures of her in the hospital, the pictures where she's learning the smallest things like how to smile, part of me wants to cry (and sometimes does) that she's getting big. I cried so hard the first time I had to clean out her closet and put away things she was too big to wear. Then I had to laugh! Here I was sitting in her closet with tears on my cheeks, and she was in her crib playing away, babbling and rolling around. I feel like that is a special gift that God has given mommies - it is hard to get too sad about anything when one of the greatest joys He has given you is laughing nearby.

One of the other great gifts of Maelie growing is how her relationship with her Daddy is growing. Every Monday night several other couples and us meet at a restraunt and have dinner. This Monday night I had training at work so Kyle took her without me. I came home at 9:30 to find her in her jammies, with a fresh diaper and a full tummy laying on his shoulder. They both looked so sweet and content, I just stood at the door and watched them for a few moments. He has always been an active Daddy, but I think as she grows his confidence with her does, too. It is so precious to watch the two people you love most in the world bond and love each other.