SNOW

We had a surprise snow storm today. It was cool to have it, even though it won't be sticking around. The kids were able to play in it and sled down a hill in the neighborhood. Grace got to see her first snow, as if she knows what to do with it or know how much fun it is to play in. It certainly didn't take long for her little cheeks and nose to turn red.



Steve had the pleasure of pulling Haley down the hill on a homemade sled.

Two Month Checkup

Well, Mommy and Grace both made it through the first round of shots at her two month appt. Wow! I knew that I was going to be emotional, but I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to see someone hurting my baby. I know that they are giving her vaccinations for all the right reasons, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Now for the current stats:
Height 24.25 inches
Weight 11 lbs 13 oz

Her weight is now in the 70% range of the charts, height is in the 90% range. She is growing just great and the doctor said everything looked perfect. After chatting with doctor about amount of breast milk I am getting when I pump, she is thinking I may not be producing enough for her, even though she seems very content when she eats. So I am now taking fenugreek and drinking 'mothers milk' tea to see if I can get even bigger boobs...Yippee! Whatever I need to do to make my baby happy and healthy.

FIRST SANTA

Not the most exciting event for Gracie, but she is going to have to realize that she is here for our entertainment. This will probably be the only sleeping on the lap of the ever merry one that we will have. Next year will probably end with a wet spot on the old red suit and lots of tears.

One Month Old

Wow! Where does the time go? I can't believe that my little bundle is one month old already. She is changing everyday and I am enjoying every moment.

We have moved into our new house. We have been here a week now and still settling in. A few more boxes need to be unpacked and the remodeling can begin. Steve has already been busy redoing one bathroom and painting the family room. It is nice to be in our own home finally.

INTRODUCING................................GRACE

Here she is the much anticipated introduction of GRACE MARIE MILLER. Grace weighed in at a trim (not) 9 lbs. 7 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing very well and want to thank everyone for the well wishes they have received.

And the waiting begins

Here I sit on Maternity Leave. The doctor told me to quit working last Friday. So I did what I was told. I have had no twinges of labor at all. I think that she is not going to be here until Oct. 11th still. Not sure why I think that is the day, but a gut feeling I have had for a while. And my doctor said last week that I will not be going over a week over my due date without intervention. So, really the latest I will probably deliver is Oct. 12. Wow! That means no more than 12 days from now I will have my baby here.

Update on the house. Found out today that the bank wants to close and be funded by Oct. 15. If we don't then we have to pay them a per diem for every day after that. Unbelievable. So we are waiting to find out if this is all going to get done in time or we may have to see if bank will extend dates....Closing on a house doesn't happen in 15 days...!!!

HOUSE APPROVAL!!!!

OMG. We finally got approval on our offer on the house. Now the inspection is going to happen on Thursday and we should be home owners by the end of October. Here is the house...www.rmls.com search # 9052476. It should still come up even though it should be officially off the market at this point because we are buying it!!!

Now I can't believe that I will be moving with a newborn. Gracie is due to make her appearance on Oct. 5. Wish us luck!!

Week 36 Appt.

Went to doctor appt. this afternoon. I am 1 centimeter dialated, head is down. Doctor said she touched the head. I realize that I can stay this way for weeks, but I am happy that there is some kind of progress. Now I go to the doctor every week.

I am getting so anxious to meet Grace, I can hardly stand it. 3-4 more weeks to go (hopefully).

Gracie's Room (and Haley's)

We have finally put the crib together, got the mattress and decided to use the dresser for the changing table. It should work perfectly. The other side of the room, which at this point is still kind of a mess, is Haley's bed and nightstand for her to use whenever she is with us. It is all coming together, but thought I would show you the progress....
Thank you to Mom and Kelli for finding the awesome bumper and quilt. It is perfect.

I know Amelia, it is not a belly picture. That is coming soon.

Update

As of today, I have 48 days left until my due date. That means I am less than 7 weeks (I hope) from meeting my Grace. This pregnancy has been awesome and amazing. I know I am saying that now before the last month, which everyone keeps telling me is the worst, but I think that even if I am miserable I will be enjoying it. Sick, huh?

Well, the weather is supposed to get hot again for the next couple days. Looks like it is going to be only two days, which should be completely doable. I will just be camping in front of the A/C at home.

My sister and Carrie and Pat put on the greatest shower for me a couple weeks ago. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing that. I spent this last weekend going through all of the wonderful gifts that I was given for Gracie. She is going to be one sharp dressed infant that is for sure. I should have taken a before picture of the baby room.

I am still working on getting the baby/Haley room all put together. We bought a dresser at IKEA on Sunday, it is now full. We still need to put the crib up and figure out a changing table. Progress is being made.

OMG it is f-ing hot!

What the heck? We live in the Pacific Northwest. It is not supposed to be 106 degrees outside. My ankles are ready to explode. The baby in my belly is not liking this heat either. We spend our time at home in the bedroom in front of the A/C unit.

On the bright side (if this is a bright side), it is supposed to cool down into the 90's by the weekend...woohoo!

Happy 4th of July!!

I can't believe that it is the 4th of July weekend already. This year is speeding by. Steve and I are going to have a whirlwind weekend. Chris and Jessica are heading our way tomorrow from Alturas. When they get here Steve, Chris, Jessica, Haley and Tyler are going to go on a jet boat ride on the Willamette River. I am opting out due to the bun in the oven and as anxious as I am to meet Gracie, I would like to wait for her to cook longer. Steve and I have been on the ride before and it is a kick in the butt. I think the kids are going to love it.
We are going to bbq at the house that night and then get up Saturday and head to Long Beach for the fireworks on the beach. We will be visiting family, playing on the beach, and eating lots of holiday food. Can't wait.
All the kids are heading back to Medford on Sunday. We always hate to see them go. Just seems like a long time between their visits and they change so much when they are away.
I am going to try to remember to take the camera and will post pics after the weekend.

Pregger update: I am 26 1/2 weeks done. Gracie is quite the gymnast so far. Constantly making me aware that she is in there. I am feeling good.

Being Pregnant is Amazing!

All throughout my life I have always listened with no real enthusiasm to mothers that talked about being pregnant, now I am experiencing exactly what they have been talking about. It is amazing. I have a little girl growing inside me. I feel her several times during the day. She is poking, kicking and punching my insides and I LOVE IT!! It is really surreal to think about most of the time.

In 3-4 months I will be meeting this little Gracie in person and I can't hardly wait. I wonder what she is going to look like. Will she be a mix of Steve and I or look like Steve's youngest daughter Haley (that is what I have pictured in my head). Will she be a blonde butterball like I was? Or will she have red hair from Steve's side? Oh, the possibilites are endless...

Busy Week!

Steve and I are going our seperate ways, for a few days. Steve is going up to Seattle and possibly California to attend auctions to find cars. Don't feel too bad for him, he may be able to squeeze in a round of golf with some of our car buddies in Seattle.

I am heading to Detroit on Wednesday morning for a business trip. I am not looking forward to it at all. It is to attend a business meeting that could be done on a conference call. I am flying over 7 hours each way to sit in a meeting for one day. Ridiculous!!!! And I have been having problems with my feet and ankles swelling already during my pregnancy. I hope my ankles don't explode when I am mid-flight! I did get a pair of lovely compression stockings that I will be wearing on the flights. Hopefully that will keep the swelling down and minimize any discomfort.

Baby Registry!!

I am overwhelmed to say the least. Trying to figure out what my little bean is going to need when she gets here is incredible. I can't thank my sister enough. She has been pointing me in the direction of some stuff that should be very helpful. I now have successfully finished a Babies r us and Target registry. Any other mothers can put their input in as well if you think I have forgotten anything. I am always up for advice.

It's a girl!!!!

The little bugger growing in my belly is a girl. All of her parts and pieces are growing and developing as they should be. We are both so happy!

So Grown Up!!

I feel like a true grown up this weekend. Steve and I put in an offer for a house! I am trying to be patient, but it is going to be hard. It is a short sale, so the negotiating could take 45-60 days. Being patient is something that I sometimes have trouble doing.

This is my first house buying experience, so it is very exciting and stressful. Steve has owned many properties in the past, so he is an expert. It should be a fun adventure. There is definitely some work and improvements that we are going to want to do over the next couple of years.

So much going on...

Well, just thought I would ramble on a bit about what is happening in our lives.

Marlee Ann or Moofer (as she is referred to by her Dad) is doing awesome. The amazing doctors at Emanuel took out a softball size tumor out of her. At this point they are thinking they got all the cancer. If her scans come back negative she won't even have to have chemo, which is an absolute blessing. Please keep her in your good thoughts. So far that is working miracles.

We spent a great weekend in Long Beach during Loyalty Days. I will try to post pictures this weekend. It was fun to go the parades that I went to as a child. I can't wait to take my own child.

We are going to be looking at 6 more houses tomorrow with our real estate agent. Hoping that one stands out and we can put in an offer. Keep your fingers crossed. I would really like to move before the baby is born.

And of course, the little bean is growing away in my belly. I am 18 1/2 weeks pregnant and my only real complaint is swollen ankles (cankles). I am lucky at this point that that is my only issue. Definitely counting my blessings.
The 'big' ultrasound is scheduled for May 20, so stay tuned to find out whether the little bean has an innie or an outie.

Doc appt. update

Went yesterday to see my doctor for 16 week check. I got to hear the heartbeat which made me feel sooooo much better. I have not felt pregnant and not been feeling any flutters yet, it was very assuring to know that the bean is doing good.

Now I am waiting to schedule my ultrasound in 3-4 weeks. Because of my advanced age...Please!, I have to have a level 2 ultrasound to look for abnormalities. They have to clear it with my insurance company before I can schedule it. Geesh. What a pain. So sometime between May 11 and May 22 we should find out if it is a boy or girl...Can't hardly wait.

16 weeks and counting...

Well, I am 16 weeks pregnant and time feels like it is standing still. I want to start feeling the baby and really looking pregnant so I can get all the creepy attention. Just kidding about that last part.

Steve and I did buy a crib and changing table yesterday. It is 14 year old jenny lind and is pretty cool. It is not put together or I would post a pic.

That is about all that is going on. I am waiting to hear from the lending company on getting pre-approved to buy a house. Hopefully this week we will get seriously looking and get a house before the baby arrives.

It has been a little while...

Thought I would at least let everyone know that we are still alive. We have not really been up to much. Steve's youngest kids, Haley and Tyler, were here last week during their spring break. The weather sucked, but I think a fun time was had by all. We were able to squeeze in a quick trip to the coast, which is always fun.

Next weekend the family is going to Lincoln City. We are all really excited to go. Shopping, gambling, relaxing and eating are on the agenda.

Meet Tucker

Since Maggie had to go back to live in California because of allergies, Bubba has been very lonely. We got him a kitty to keep him occupied. So far they are not the best of friends, but progress is being made.



This is his favorite place to sleep.



Bubba and Tucker

OMSI Trip

Last weekend Tyler and Haley were able to come up for a visit. We took the opportunity to meet up with Matt, Carrie and Owen at OMSI. Fun was had by all!



The highlight of the day was the fire alarm going off in OMSI, having to evacuate and two firetrucks came. It turned out to be something on fire in a garbage can. Needless to say, we stayed long enough to see the firetrucks and firemen and then headed to Red Robin for lunch.



Haley also had fun that weekend doing my hair...What do you think?

Christmas 2008

I had said I would post pictures from Xmas a while back. Finally, here you go.

Bubba and Maggie could hardly wait for Santa to come.



Fireman Dale was very surprised to find out that Owen was really Santa!



Fun was had by all when Pete and Karla treated us all to lazer tag and arcade fun!!





Owen is trying to take off with his Haley...



Stay tuned for New Years and OMSI trip pics...

Holy Moley!

I can't believe that it is snowing again. We woke up on Friday with about an inch of wet snow and now it is snowing again. It is supposed to start raining later tonight, but this is just weird. I am starting to feel like we are living in a completely different place. I love the snow, so I am not going to complain. I just don't want 14 inches again.

Happy New Year

This has become a bitter-sweet holiday for me. I love that we are going from one year to another (even though this holiday seems to come faster every year), but it comes with a memory I would really like to forget. I feel like this is a good sounding board for me so here it goes.

It is 1:19 AM on Jan. 1, 2009 and I am in tears. Even though I just spent an awesome evening with Steve, Julie, Nick, Tyler and Haley, I can't help to think about the loss that we suffered a few years ago. As we cheers'd in the new year with cider and champagne I started to cry. I miss Daryl. And I hate that he had to leave us the way he did. It makes me mad that we will never be able to talk to him again or see him again. I hate that he will never meet his beautiful grandchildren.

Yes, I have had a couple cocktails and I am feeling extra emotional, but they always say your true feelings show when you have been drinking.

I love you Daryl and I hope to see you again someday!!!!