Fantastic Photoshoot!

Abbie sent us pictures from our latest photo shoot. Here is a sampling. It is hard to pick just a few to show case on the blog, there are so many good ones. You will need to visit this link to see the whole set. They are pretty cute. But really, what do you expect with such good models? Don't forget the password is: Milles

Chronicling Our Christmas Celebrations

We were blessed to have many opportunities to celebrate our Christmas with our Families. Follow along to hear of our celebrations and festivities.

Christmas Eve:

Bethany had fun playing with all the Milles family!
She especially like mimicking Uncle Derek. He can be pretty silly.

We left well past Bethany's bed time. She fell asleep immediately in the car. I tried to remove her hat. But she continually pulled it down over her eyes. Pretty Cute!

Christmas Day:

The day start off by opening the presents Santa left for Bethany at our house.

Once she saw the kitchen, she didn't have much interest in the presents.
Who can blame her. Someone needs to cook around here!

She wanted to put her Elmo ornament on the tree right away!

Here is Bethany with her stash of goods from Santa.

On to Grandma & Grandpa C's House. Actually, Bethany was so in love with her kitchen, she had a little Christmas Melt down when we tried to leave. "NO COAT" "NO Grandma!" "No Grandpa!" It was pretty cute as melt downs go. I am just glad that Santa hit the nail on the head with that kitchen!

Eventually we made it to Grandma's and Grandpa's for breakfast. As the presents were distributed, it was hard to miss Bethany's stack! Wow...that is a lot of stuff! Bethany had no interest in opening the presents. She wanted to cuddle Grandpa & to inspect the other stuff that was already opened! Crazy Girl! Eventually we "tricked" her to open her presents.

After a nice nap, Christmas Evening was already rockin' and rollin'! Grandma and Grandpa M., Uncle Derek & girlfriend Sarah, & Great Aunt Pam and Uncle Chris came over for dinner and good times. Again, I was more interested in my kitchen than all the new presents around the tree!

Seriously...she had NO interest in presents! It was pretty entertaining to listen to all of the ideas we had to come up with to hoodwink her to open up her gifts! :)

Here is a rare moment: Bethany sitting and opening a Leap Frog toy from Grandma!
She loves it!

Uncle Derek and girlfriend Sarah were a lot of fun to have a round. Sarah is here holding Bethany's new Elmo Quilt Cover. It is pretty cute!

Another one of Bethany's favorite gifts from Uncle Derek---her AquaDoodle. She loves it! :)

We hope everyone had a great Christmas with their families and friends. We are grateful for all of the good times and celebrations we were able to be a part of. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful presents. We also just wanted to bring to the forefront of our minds the real reason for the season (pardon the cliche!). But it is, after all, Jesus's Birthday! It is important for us to take a moment to appreciate the significance of that event over all of the pretty shinies that Christmas now-a-days can distract us with.

Presents & Playtime!

I've already gotten to open a few Christmas presents early. This one is from my sitter, Jan. She is always nice to us. She gave me this cool barn with animals! Nice to know that I can hit the other kids...and I still get presents! :)

Here I am going down this mighty adventurous slide at McDonald's!
WEEEEEEeeeee!!!

I always like to proclaim, "But-Fly!" When I sit here! :)

An Ultracool Ultrasound!

click the sonograms for a larger view! :)

Here is Baby2, as we so affectionately call him/her. I went for my ultrasound on Wednesday. Baby2 has all of the necessary parts in the right places. We got to see the 2 arms, 2 legs, a large tummy, head, heart and brain. We didn't look for any distinguishing features to determine if Baby2 was a he or a she. Don't bother looking, the sonographer said she didn't go down there!!!! Anyway, we didn't find out for Bethany, so it is only fair we don't find out for Baby2. No one can claim we have favorites! :) The dr. did up my due date a couple of days. But really, when he did that with Bethany it didn't matter. She still popped out on the latest due date I was given. So I am not holding my breath for an early arrival. (Although, one is more than welcome! I get up to 6 weeks paid off...I'd like to get as much of that as possible! :) )

My blood antibody levels remain at the same level. The antibodies are still present, but not at the "significant" level they were at the beginning of my pregnancy. That is a relief. I will still go for my monthly blood tests before my dr. appointment just to be safe. I have been doing my best to instruct my body not to fight off Baby2. I have all my antibodies standing down! ;-) They can redeploy in June!

We Wish You a Merry D'oh-mas!

Bethany loves her "D'oh" Santa. She loves to sing and dance with him.

P.S. for some reason Blogger puts a second video image on the blog post. I can't get rid of it. So...either ignore it or enjoy our cutie-pie twice as much!

Christmas is Here! :-)

Our Tree is finally up!

Please ignore the lack of a top...I am searching for one like.
I'm either really picky...or all the stores have a very disappointing inventory!

Going in for a kiss!

The first few days the tree was up, Bethany was in awe. Especially since the tree rotates. She will chase "D'oh" around the tree. Then, she'll get stuck when "D'oh" goes to the back side of the tree. She loves to Kiss, talk to, and give drinks to the ornaments. What a loving girl~

Can't forget Elmo!
Bethany loves her Elmo stocking. Especially since it sings (rather loudly!)!!!

Sleepy, Socks, & Straws!

Straws! Bethany has finally mastered the straw. Really, who knew that was a hard concept for little kids. I mean, they have the sucking reflex instilled in them from birth. So, then why is a straw much more different than a sippy cup or bottle? Within the past month-and-a-half, she has figured it out. She was close for a long time, but often would give up sucking before the beverage made it all the way up the straw. Now that she is a master of all straws...she wants nothing but a straw. We went out and bought her a couple sippies that have straws instead of the traditional top. She's so proud of it! :)

Socks! On one of the many occasions that Bethany removed her socks, her daddy very "helpfully" put them back on her. She was really puzzled by them being on her hands. Here she is trying to get them back on her toes! What a cutie!

Sleepy! For a couple of evenings, Cory has caught Bethany and I snoozing away whenever he gets done doing whatever it is that he is doing (usually housework, laundry, dishes, papers, etc.). This time he sneakily took a picture of us sleeping. What a not-so-flattering picture it is, too, I might add! I think the problem is that I often ask Bethany if she is ready for night-night. She will then reply matter-of-factly, "No!" So, I take it she's not ready...plus, I am too lazy to go upstairs to put her away. So, then we both end up falling asleep downstairs. Nothing like fostering good bed-time habits young!

Super Bethany & Super Baby2!!!

Super Bethany:

So a couple of days ago, I put Cory on a mission to buy Bethany some more pj's in a bigger size (24 months!!!). When he came home, he had 2 brand new footed-pj's for our little Slumber-Bee. The interesting thing is that both pairs are boy pj's---one pair is superman & one has dinosaurs. Perhaps Cory's secret desires for Baby2's gender are peeking through. He claims that the store was out of girl pj's. How convenient ! Although, I don't think it really matters; as Bethany is pretty adorable in whatever she wears! :)

Super Baby2:

As you can see in the picture above, Baby2 is cooking pretty good. I am bigger sooner with this kiddo than with Bethany. I grew out of regular clothes around 13 weeks. It is pretty crazy. I didn't need maternity clothes until 4-5 months for Bethany. Other than my size, we have more news on Baby2. We went to the doctor today. We got to hear the heartbeat, it is always a relief to hear the heart. I can't wait until I start feeling Baby2, that way I know that he/she is doing okay in there.

The more important news is that my antibody levels remained the same for this month. They are still present...but not at the "significant" level that they were at the first month. So this is a huge relief!!!! However, by trying to research my antibody-condition online, I've learned that the 16-20 weeks are the time where I could spike with antibodies. As the baby grows and gains more blood, my blood could develop more antibodies to fight the "foreign" body out.

Since Christmas is next month, I only have to wait 3 weeks for my next appointment. So not only will have to wait just 3 weeks in between blood results, but also I get to have my next ULTRASOUND! It will be nice to see how the baby is developing & not to mention it is always a huge relief to see the lil' body parts are all where they belong! We will still appreciate any prayers you have out there to offer...

P.S. I was a busy-bee poster today...so make sure to read the other 2 posts I wrote this evening!

Time-Out!

We haven't really discussed with all of our lovely readers the Milles Family "Time-Out" policy. So...be warned...if you do anything naughty...expect to be in our time-out step.

Here is how it works:

First, you do something wrong. If you can't think of anything, just watch Bethany. She'll give you an idea or two. Perhaps, she will sit in the fire place, bang toys/dishes on the tables, throw toys at people, or even hit someone.

Second, you get ONE warning. Don't worry, we will be very clear. "Lovely Reader, if you do X again you will go to Time-Out." If you are anything like Bethany, then this will either result in a loud NNNNO! or a bunch of tears.

Third, if you choose to do the naughty action again, we will place you on the Time-Out step. The Time-Out step is the bottom step on the stair case. You get 1 minute of Time-Out per year of age. (Although, rarely do we make Bethany go a whole minute. We are suckers and pick her up w/in 30-45 seconds.)

Finally, when your time is up, we will pick you up, remind you what you did wrong & what to do next time. We then will tell you that we love you & give you some really good cuddling.

So, readers, there you have it! The Milles Family Time-Out Policy. Just in case you are wondering, yes, Bethany was in a Time-Out in this picture. She was surprisingly okay with being in Time-Out. I think she was placed here because she threw her sippy cup repeatedly at both of us! Poor Girl

Moody Bethany!

Minute 1: Bethany is happy and dancing with Daddy!

Minute 2: Bethany is upset over something or another!
Poor girl...being 1 is so tough!

Topsy-Turvy Bethany!

Here's Bethany doing 2 things that drive me nuts: taking off her socks & standing in my chair. She'll take off her socks 7 times an evening. I try to say to myself....if her feet are cold, then it is her own fault. Then, I'll end up touching her icy-cold toes and feel guilty. So, then I'll put her socks back on. She thinks it is a hilarious game. And, actually, it is kinda cute, I have to admit...just don't tell her I said that!

She also loves to stand on the chair and make it rock like crazy. But, she knows this is a no-no & will result in a time-out. But what she does when we aren't looking won't hurt her...right?!?!

Kookee-Do'h

Kookee-Do'h! Get it...Cookie dough! Aren't we clever.

Here is Bethany with 2 of her favorite things. Kookees (cookies) and Do'h (Simpsons). Bethany likes to call everything sweet kookee. This ranges from doughnuts, brownies, cakes, cookies, sometimes even pretzels. In this case, she is eating a Kit-Kat. Aren't we just the perfect parents?

She also loves the Simpsons. Sometimes when she wakes up at 4 (!!!!) in the morning, she will cuddle up to Cory and say, "Daddy, Do'h? Daddy, Lala? Daddy, Do'h? Daddy, Lala?" She is trying to solicit some Elmo or Simpsons out of us...but little does she know that our tv play Elmo and/or Simpsons 24-7. (thank goodness.) Nevertheless, it is cute when she asks for them by name. It also cracks me up when a brief commercial for the Simpsons comes on and she has a miniature break down when them regular show comes back on air. What a cute little Do'h-Head!!

Showing Off!!

We just wanted to take a few seconds to show off all of Bethany's amazing abilities. First off, is her amazing communication skills. Well, what do you excpect when you have brilliant parents like hers! The "experts" say she should be able to say 10-15 words by 17 months old. Well, below is a list and it is above average...of course! The "Can Say" list includes words that she will say on her own at the appropriate time. The "Will Repeat" list she will repeat after you on a pretty consistent basis...but she has never said them at the appropriate time unprompted. The "Made-Up Words" are her words that are in her Bethanize language. She uses these all the time!

Then finally, we have the words she'll Sign!

I am sure there are other words that I am forgetting. I've been working on this list all day long. Bethany is also able to sing along to 4 of the songs on the Elmo cd that she insists we listen to in the car...every car ride. It is really cute to listen to her sign along.

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She also makes a little good mama...carrying for her baby. Here she covered Babeee with a bib.

We are still working on proper baby-carrying techniques. I don't think this would fly with a human baby...I will leave all baby-carrying responsibilities to Cory and I when the new baby comes!!!

Bethany's new Baby!

There are a lot of new babies in the Milles household. First, Mommy is going to have a new baby. Now, I got a new baby!!! I like to cuddle my baby, feed my baby, diaper my baby, put my baby down for night-night. I am a good little Mama. Mommy knows that once my baby brother or sister comes I will be a big help. Well, as long as I don't drag my baby bro/sis by the arms & legs...like I do my baby.

The Curse of All Hallow's Eve!

I am beginning to think there is a curse on Bethany when it comes to Halloween. If you recall, last Halloween Bethany was sick! Now for this Halloween, Bethany fell off a chair she wasn't supposed to be standing in at the sitters & scraped up her nose on the fire place. Then Friday evening, after getting her diaper changed, she fell of the changing station as she stood up (again...when she wasn't supposed to). This fall caused her bite her tounge causing it to bleed & she managed to scrape up her chin. After this tumble, she needed to be cuddled and calmed for the next hour, resulting in our festivities to start later than anticipated.

Bethany was supposed to be a fuzzy spider. I made the costume this year. It was kind of a fun processes...it took quite about of time. But since Bethany wasn't in a festive Halloween mood, she wore the costume for all of 30 minutes while we visited Grandma and Grandpa. Since we started later, we didn't get to the mall to trick-or-treat as we wished. Grandma Milles came by to trick-or-treat with Bethany, but Bethany refused to put the costume on again! :-( So it wasn't a perfect Halloween, but she was a cute spider while it lasted. Poor Cory, hates the fabric I used for the costume as the shiny pieces can still be found all over the house. I don't think I really realized just how much Cory HATES all forms of glitter and shiny slivers of Spider Costumes! Oh well, lets hope the baby is a girl...then we will have him out-numbered 3-to-1 & glitter will be here to stay! :-)

New Baby!!!!

Bethany will soon be a big sister!

Well, not too soon, as the little one won't make its arrival until May. But it was go quickly as the first pregnancy seemed to zip by us! Things are progressing really well. We do have an extra concern for this baby. The doctor said there is an extra blood condition that we need to be attentive to. I have some extra anti-bodies in my system that could potentially cause problems; however, the stats are in our favor & it is unlikely to cause any problems. The doctor today actually said my anti-body levels went down from last month, that is a major blessing!!!! I will continue to have monthly blood work in order to monitor my levels. If they anti-bodies increase to a dangerous level, then we will potentially need to have an amniosintisis or at the very worse the baby will need a blood transfusion. So, we would definatley appreciate any and all prayers you can throw our way.

Back on the positive...we are so excited to welcome another little Milles in our household. Sometimes it catches me off guard to think about toting around 2 kiddos around everywhere. Bethany has been such an amazing blessing that we just can't wait to meet our next little miracle!!!

Piggy Tails!

This little piggy is just too cute for words!

Look at her hamming it up for the camera, how appropriate with her new piggy tails!!!

She is absolutely adorable!!!!!!!

Attached at the hip!

My poor Bethany has gone from being attached via an umbillical cord a short 16 months ago to attached to the hip. The past week or so she has been extremely clingy; wanting to be held or cuddled by Mommy as much as possible. How can I resist her "Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy" as she grabs my legs with all her might. It make my heart melt knowing she loves and "needs" me so much! But it is getting hard doing everyday, mundane task with a almost-toddler in tote! Poor Cory, he can't even get a hug or kiss anymore without causing her to have a nuclear meltdown.

"A--noi-ed"

Hmm...despite all the toys around me. I want something at the bottom of the toy box. But my puny arms don't have an adequate length to reach them...

NOI! NOI! NOI! NOI! NOI! NOI!

See...it is right there mommy...
NOI! NOI! NOI! NOI! NOI! NOI!

Finally, I got the farm...but it isn't making any noises. I don't possess the dexterity to turn on the sounds. I need help with the sounds.

NOI! NOI! NOI!
Finally, I get to play!

(editor's note: If you didn't quite get the moral of this story, I will explain for you! Bethany has her own little language. If she wants something---anything---she will repeatedly state, "Noi! Noi! Noi! Noi! Noi!" and point to the object of choice. It will be the only thing she says until she gets what her little heart desires. Although, she is pretty good at signing and saying "Peasssss" when prompted to say, "please!" She is just too cute!!!!)