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.