Introducing our new friend...

Thats right. Our new friend is Thomas. Nora is OBSESSED with choo choos. EVERYTHING is a choo choo. Cars = choo choo. Two crackers put together = choo choo. Sugar packets at restaurant = choo choo. You get the point. This obsession has been going on for awhile and since we really did not have a choo choo in the house, I felt bad. So guess what we got today?!?! A choo choo. What has Nora done since we brought it home? Played with her choo choo. I don't forsee this obsession ending anytime soon. I guess for now, her babies will be getting a break =0)!

Sick

Nora is sick today. I think this is one of the few times that she has had a fever and only the second time that giving her medicine hasn't knocked it back down. She has a runny nose, is very congested and just flat out does not feel well. Looks like we will be making a trip to the doctor come tomorrow morning. Poor girl. I hope this case of the yuckies doesnt stick around too long. =0(

Naptime

Nap time has been quite the struggle around this house for quite some time. For some reason, out of the blue one day Nora decided she was going to fight taking her nap. One day turned into two, etc. etc. The problem is that she will nap for anybody but ME. I have tried to analyze the situation and determine what happened to cause this, but I have yet to figure it out. After several days of listening to hours of crying I had finally decided it was just something that was not going to happen but that no matter what she was going to stay in her room for no less than two hours. Today (I dont know if it is because she is sick) she FINALLY went down for a nap!!! I am HOPING and PRAYING that this silly little battle has been conquered and she has FINALLY realized that naps are a good thing... Afterall nothing breaks my heart more than hearing my baby screaming for hours on end. Pleeeeassssseeee God let this be the end!

Happy Birthday To The Best Daddy Ever!!!

We hope you have a GREAT day!!! Love Nora, Mama and baby bean!!

Cookies

Somedays you just feel like having a cookie. Today was one of those days for Nora!

It's Real...

Today was my first doctor's appt. for Biddy number 2. I don't know why, but up until this point with both pregnancies I have always had this surreal feeling. Like I really am not pregnant. I guess seeing a heartbeat and hearing from a real live person rather than looking at some lines on a stick makes the difference.
The visit went great. This was my first time to go to this office and meet this doctor so I was a bit nervous. The doctor had come highly recommended by several of my friends so I had a good feeling all would be well, but it was still a strange place with strange things going on. Much to my surprise we had a sonogram. With Nora I basically had to beg at 12 weeks to have one after we had yet to hear a heartbeat. I cannot believe that at such a young age something can be so alive. The doctor said everything looked and sounded good.
We discussed locations to deliver (since I have 5 to choose from) and I told her the recomendation from my previous doctor to deliver at the closest hospital to my house due to Nora's quick arrival. Unfortunately the closest hospital to my house has a reputation of being full and therefore you being sent to another hospital to deliver so we will not be going there. She suggested that we go to Shawnee Mission Medical Center instead for two reasons: 1) If I do indeed have another FAST delivery and she is unable to make it they have a OB doctor in the building 24 hours a day/7 days a week and 2) Her office and home are closer to Shawnee Mission Med Center so even if I did go to the closest hospital to my house once I arrived there I would have to wait on her to get there.... makes sense to me so I guess although it is a bit further drive bitty number 2 will making his/her arrival at Shawnee Mission Medical Center.
Now begins the waiting game.... Will bitty be a boy or a girl?!?! Hmmm I cant wait to find out!!!

I love...

I love diet coke,
sweatpants,
being able to sleep in.
I love a clean house,
things in order, 
and having control over my life.

I love being pregnant,
planning for said baby
and having to anticipate the sex.

I love shopping,
decorating,
scrapbooking,
and taking pictures.

I love summer,
warm temperatures,
sitting in the sun
and swimming.

I love going on vacations
and spending time with family.

I love the freedom to do as I please.

I love my husband

I love all of these things,
but mostly I love my little lady!

Sad...

I have to admit that I am mighty sad. Why? Because today is yet another holiday without friends. Yet another time where I am unable to make fun, crafty things for Nora to give to her little friends. I want so badly to make new friends, but so far I have had NO luck. It came so easily in Lawrence. The people I worked with were also in a Mom's  group filled with great gals. For being one, Nora had sooo many friends and I LOVED it. We always had people to do things with and parties to go to. Sometimes it seemed like we had TOO much to do. Little did I know six months  after we moved that I would miss this so much or that I wouldnt be able to just pick up, move over here and find new friends pronto. I hate it. We have tried. We have joined a mom's group here. It is big, filled with activities and a lot of fun. Problem is is that the activiities are during the day, during the week and therefore if I want to do them I have to skip work for the time being and work late to make it up. Unfortunately that does not work well and therefore we are not consistently able to go to the same things over and over again. We are that mother daughter pair who feels akward everytime we come to an actiivity because we arent part of the "group".
I am hoping that when the weather becomes warmer that we can make new friends. We live in a great neighborhood with a TON of kiddos so that is my hope. I also hope that we can get to know some people at our mega-church (another adjustment I am having to make). Until then, I guess I will just have to revert back  to a few years ago when it was Ryan, me, and no friends to do anything with. Gosh starting over IS really hard!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

From our house to yours, Happy Valentines Day!!!

(Thanks Aunt Stacie for the shirt... we LOVE it)

Naples

We just got back from vacation. We went to Naples, FL. It was beautiful. Ryan's parents have spent the winter down there (lucky ducks) so we took a long weekend to visit them. Much to my surprise Nora did well on the plane and only had one melt down when we had a layover in which we stayed on the plane and most everybody else got off. Aside from me feeling somewhat yucky (thanks to the pregancy) pretty much the entire time we had a blast. It was SOOOO nice to escape the freezing cold weather for a little while but awfully miserable to have to come back! Here are some pics from our trip.

Nora and her Daddy going in the ocean .

Nora LOVED playing in the sand! She was quite the little ham for the camera too!

Nora would not walk on the beach by herself. I guess she was unsure about the unsteady ground. Not walking did not stop her from getting where she wanted. She just reverted back to her means of transportation from a few months ago!

Nora LOVES water. I was not one bit surprised when her Daddy dunked her and she LOVED it. She quickly learned how to get her Daddy back though and used her bucket to dump water on his head. She thought she was pretty funny when she did it!

The Miller's have an announcement to make.....

Yep thats right!!! Nora is going to be a big sister! We are all so excited and shocked at the same time. Could be interesting to see how the princess of our house tolerates a new baby. Hopefully her shirt is right. Something tells me it just might not be! I guess we will find out soon enough (we're thinking the first part of October).

And then there are moments like these...

This morning I was doing laundry and Nora was in our living room. I came out because I kept hearing her say "oh man, oh no". When I came out to see what had happened Nora had tried to drink my Diet Coke and instead it spilled. No fears though, because she had already gotten a towel out of the cabinet and was cleaning it up!!! When I asked her what had happened she responded "elp me". Oh silly silly girl! It's moments like these that just make me love you even more!!!

Who Needs A Gym When You Have Kindermusik...

My oh my... my little girl is a maniac. Today was day two of our Kindermusik class. Last week Nora LOVED it, but was a little on the wild side. This week, I was hopeful that it would not be something completely new and she would calm down. Well I was WRONG. Nora was a MANIAC.
The room where Kindermusik is held  is in a church and has soft gym mats on the floor, full length mirrors on an entire wall AND pictures of farm animals on another. Perfect set up for an 18 month old to stay focused, right? HA HA! Needless to say I spent the entire 30 minutes chasing my litlte lady around the room while she either A) Kissed herself in the mirror B) Pointed at ther reflections of the other kids in the mirror and asked "whos that"? C) Ran around the outside of the circle like a maniac while all the other kids participated in the activity or D) Pointed at the various pictures of farm animals on the wall and made the noises that corresponded with them. Fun times let me tell you.
I have never felt like Ive had an entire room staring at me like I did tonight. I was doing my best to try to get her to participate but in the back of my mind I know that if you go after her she thinks its a game and she runs. If you catch her she drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes, you try to get her to do something that involves sitting still and she screams at the top of her lungs, etc. etc. Honestly, I know that if I choose to sit and participate in the activity ultimately she will come back to the mat. Unfortunately the teacher's philosophy is different.
As if the actual class wasnt torture enough.  As we are getting ready to leave another mother says to me "shes got a whole lot of energy, huh"? My response, "Yeah, nonstop" What I really wanted to say was SHUT THE ________ up lady. If you think you can do a better job, you just step right in and do it. I will wish you the best of luck"!
Hopefully next week will be better!!!