Retiring a Nickname

After some consideration and talk with family, we've decided to retire the nickname "peanut" and eliminate it from the running for our new little bun in the oven. Just like in sports when a player comes along who is so great and contributes so much to his or her game the team retires his or her number, we feel that the original "Peanut" in our life is so great and has contributed so much to so many lives, that it just wouldn't be right to recycle her name.

So, just who is this very special "Peanut" in our lives? Why miss Meghan of course!


(really, what child could live up to this?!)

Meghan, you are one very special little girl (getting bigger everyday, actually) and we love you and miss you very much. You will always be the original "peanut" in our lives, and now you'll forever be the ONLY "peanut" in our lives :).

We still aren't sure what to call this new little one. The runner up in the pole right now is tadpole -- we'll see if that sticks. None of them are particularly resonating with us right now -- I guess choosing a nickname is something organic that just has to happen on its own. Regardless of what this baby is called, he/she is also very special and unique and bound to bring lots of joy and love into lots of lives -- just like "Peanut" :D.

**Just a footnote, when Lauren nominated the name "Peanut" she did not know that there was already such a special "Peanut" out there

Snow Day

We got to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the middle of the week today thanks to a snow day :). A nice way to spend Millie's 15-month birthday! She has her 15-month check-up next Tuesday. We're anxious to see how much she has grown!

Breaking the News

As with our first pregnancy, we had a lot of fun announcing our new addition to our families. We waited until Christmas to make the announcement to make it extra special. Lauren and Jason were the only ones who knew, though apparently the timing of baby number 2 had been the topic of conversation for my family for quite some time. (Making it all the more challenging for Lauren to keep our secret!) I don't think anyone was expecting the news so soon :)!

We sent a special package to the Reithels containing these pictures:

Slightly hard to read the message (it wasn't easy getting Millie to sit still for pictures!), but we attached a note to be sure that they knew what was up :).

At the Ross' we had Lainey help Millie open one last present that just happened to be hiding. Inside was the same t-shirt that Millie is wearing in the above pictures. So, Lainey got to read the news first and then share it with everyone else. We were lucky enough to capture it all on video. I got Lainey's reaction and Jason got everyone else (he was ready!). Grandpa Ric's reaction was the best by far :D! Please excuse my appearance -- not my most attractive morning!

Nicknames

Well, we got a few early nominations for the new baby's in utero nickname. Grandpa Ric nominated "chickpea 2", Lolo and Jason threw "peanut" into the ring, our friend Emily (aka Will's mom) offered to loan us "jellybean" or "jb" for short and we added "apple" (the current size of our little one according to babycenter.com and a word Millie can say :). Voting is open in the poll to the side and there is still time for additional nominations :).

They Do Exist

They do indeed make serious gloves for little munchkins :). And lucky for us they were deeply discounted and they should still fit next year. Bring on the snow!!

Millie vs. the Snow -- Round 2

We've had plenty of snow around here so far this winter, but today was the first time we ventured out in it again after the first big one. I would say Millie won this round -- she loved it! Of course, the snow wasn't up to her knees.... that probably helped a little with mobility issues :). She added a pair of bone fide snow boots to her gear over the holidays, all she's missing now is a really good pair of waterproof gloves. I'm not so sure they make those in munchkin size. The pair she wore today were at least fleece lined, but her hands still got wet pretty fast. She didn't seem to mind though. You can hear her chattering away to herself as she explores the driveway.

Question

It has been determined that the new baby needs a nickname between now and the time he/she is born. We refer to him/her as "the baby" but we also still refer to Millie as "the baby" so it gets confusing! Any suggestions? We aren't going to find out whether the new one is a boy or girl until he/she makes his/her appearance in the world, so we need a gender neutral name :). Perhaps if we get enough suggestions, we'll do a poll...

Big Sister

Tell me Millie isn't going to be a fabulous big sister!! She was giving Bitty Baby lots of love tonight, she must have been having trouble falling asleep :).

Bath Time

Millie has been luke-warm to downright cold towards her baths pretty much her entire life. Lately, she's tended more towards cold. We had a breakthrough tonight though. Mind you just minutes before this video was shot she was screaming at Scott because she did not want to get in the tub. Somehow we found the right combination of "toys" and were able to convince her that bath time can be fun!

One More New Thing

I started this blog back in the Fall of 2005 when Scott and I bought our first house in Monroe, MI. I intended to chronicle all of the big and small events that go into "building a life" with your spouse when you are first starting out. I made all of one entry. For whatever reason, I just didn't get into journaling our daily lives -- then Millie came along. We had moved away from both families and this was a good way to keep everyone up-to-date during the pregnancy and it's been a fabulous way to let friends and family both near and far see Millie as she grows up. So, our posts have become a little "Millie-centric." But, this is still about building OUR life and not just a forum to display Millie. I hope, in the new year, to get better at relaying not only Millie's milestones, but also Scott's and my own as well as our collective milestones as a family.

That being said, there is one more new thing in all of our lives that we've been waiting to share with blog-land. Come mid-July of this year, our family of three will become a family of four! We are beyond excited about welcoming another little one into our lives and can't wait to meet him or her. We've been talking about babies a lot to Millie and telling her that there is a baby in my tummy (hence her current interest in babies and tummies...). We know that she is going to be a very loving and sweet big sister.

There is a lot more on the horizon for us in 2009 and we can't wait to share each piece with everyone!

New Things

Some new "skills" and likes Millie has developed in the past month or so (in no particular order)

• Millie has discovered ketchup -- and LOVES it! It's finger licking good and is acceptable on just about any food. She can even say it -- KeKa
  
• Millie has discovered bubbles -- and LOVES them! When she wants bubbles she "blows." She likes it when we blow them on the carpet because then they stick around for a while and she can pop them -- which she has also started saying
• Millie likes to blow her nose (and actually does a decent job of it when we hold the tissue for her). When she wants a tissue she blows air out of her nose (not to be mistaken with bubbles which is air out of the mouth....)
• Millie has a very reliable "yes" and "no" -- the "no" is no surprise, but I'm happy she has a reliable yes response too. I can ask her if she wants something and she will either confirm or deny. Her "yes" is a head shake and a "yeah" or "k"
• Millie says "woof woof" (in the cutest possible way of course) for dog now
• Millie joins in the pretend sleep game by laying down and "snoring"
• Millie pretend sneezes, and thinks it's hilarious
• Millie pretend cooks, eats (complete with sound effects) and feeds us her creations
• Millie pretend washes her hands at her new kitchen set (and washes the dishes), again complete with sound effects (gee, I wonder where she gets that from?!)
• Millie hums in tune with the coffee grinder and squeals along with the tea kettle (she attempts to whistle too...)
• Millie loves food and loves to watch us prepare it -- she likes to sit up on the kitchen counter and "help" and taste everything of course!
• Millie likes to sing -- usually about the things around her. She has a very nice "Leo" song
• Millie shows us her tummy now
• Millie has been saying "baby" a lot and likes to play with her baby dolls -- giving them bottles and putting them nigh-nigh
• Millie tells us when she is ready for nigh-nigh (semi-reliable)
• Millie is a great communicator, using words, signs, gestures and sound effects -- she adds new words almost every day now
• Millie loves to offer food, and then snatch it away just as you are about to eat it ... she also really shares her food well
• Millie likes to wear a purse on her arm and when she does she says "bye" -- she does the same when she puts on one of our watches
• Millie likes all things mommy -- my food, my clothes, my shoes, me...
• Millie also likes daddy's food -- did I mention she's a foodie?
• Millie likes to brush her teeth with me
• Millie likes to put on lip balm
• Millie gives excellent lip smacking kisses :)
  

Ketchup!!

Helping prepare cauliflower

trying out my shoes -- this was great fun!

waving "bye bye" with Scott's watch on

A Little More Christmas

It's taken us a while to finish our Christmas 2008 report for a couple of reasons. One because we did so much and there are SO many pictures that we've had a hard time figuring out how to condense it all into an enjoyable recap for everyone and two because we are now the proud parents of a VERY active toddler who does not make sitting at the computer for an extended amount of time easy (and we of course would rather be playing with said busy toddler anyway!). But, our little one is now taking a much-needed nap and most of the other household duties are done, so I'm going to give this a shot :).

I believe Scott made it all the way through Christmas day in his update below -- which leaves a lot of time to cover! Friday was a relatively quiet day in terms of our schedule. I had an appointment in the morning that took me away from the house for a few hours. In that time Millie took a nice walk with Lainey (which became part of their morning routine). Grandma Lainey finally got to try out the sling and it was a success! Millie got a birds-eye view of the neighborhood and got to talk Grandma's ear off and snuggle up when the wind came and Grandma got in a the bonus of carrying an extra 18 pounds on her walk!

Turns out Millie wasn't feeling so well and was running a fever when she got back from her walk. She spent the rest of the morning snuggling with Scott until I got home after lunch. Friday afternoon/evening was supposed to be girl's night out while Scott and all the uncles headed to a Pink Floyd tribute concert (and Grandpa enjoyed a little quiet!). The girl's made it to the bridal shop to see Lauren in her wedding gown (BEAUTIFUL! And yes LoLo, it's the right dress, stop looking!) and for me to try on the bridesmaid dress (also very lovely). Millie's Tylenol was wearing off though and her fever was returning, so we decided to skip dinner out and go home. We still got to enjoy an all-girl's dinner -- Grandma's pizza followed by sundaes :) -- and of course each other's company. Millie was up-and-down all evening, but eventually got comfortable enough to fall asleep for the night.

Millie woke up from her nap (see what I mean about it being difficult to find time to write?!) - Scott takes the helm.... The Pink Floyd tribute by "El Monstero" was great. They do very faithful renditions of "The Wall, "Dark Side of the Moon", and the "Wish You Were Here" albums plus some other assorted favorites. They use costumes, props, and even a few pyrotechnics. Pretty impressive for a tribute show. I went once before a few years ago and they have definitely added some things to the mix. It was a great show and it was nice to get out for a concert - thanks for the invite Brandon!! They are doing 10 shows next year. I would highly recommend it even if you aren't a huge Pink Floyd fan. You will know more songs that you expect and if you have any appreciate for rock muscianship and sweet guitar solos, you will come away satisfied. Also, it is at the Pageant in St. Louis, which is a GREAT place to see a show.

Scott and Millie went to run errands, my turn again! Saturday was another quiet day at home. We were originally supposed to have lunch with our friends April and Mike and baby Malia, but April had to cancel because she caught a stomach bug over Christmas and still was not feeling well. We were going to have to cancel too because Millie woke up still feeling pretty miserable herself, so while we were sad to miss April and Mike this trip, we are glad that everyone took the time to get better. And Millie did eventually start feeling better. Her fever finally broke and the familiar twinkle came back to her eyes. Which was good, because Saturday night was the night of our annual holiday dinner out. This year the whole Ross clan trouped to Eleven Eleven Mississippi on Laffeyette Square downtown. As always, it was a great dinner -- the food was excellent, the setting was perfect (a private room that allowed Millie to get down and roam as she pleased), and lots of great conversation. Millie got to try steak, hallibut, shrip and corn bisque (she really liked this one!) and a little bit of flatbread! We took full advantage of our 3 hours in the room and enjoyed a leisurely dinner that left us all feeling stuffed! While there, my dad made a lovely tribute to his parents and gave all of us kids one last Christmas present. As usual, it was a very special night.

Sizing Brandon up :)

Sharing dessert with Christian (bananas for Millie!)

Apparently Millie was paying! (with MY money!)

hanging with Mommy

Being a big girl :)

The whole crew :)

Sunday brought a visit from the Hedenbergs! Talk about an old-fashioned Ross-style Christmas :)! Complete with little ones running around. It was great to see Patti, Bridget, Ben, Leslie, Grace, Luke and Drew! It was Millie's first time meeting Ben and Leslie and their kids. I thought she would be much more drawn to the kids than she was, but it was Leslie who captured her heart! Really, she gave everyone a little bit of love and attention, but Leslie got the most :). Millie knows a mommy when she sees one! She didn't seem to pay much mind to Ben ... ;). It was another very nice afternoon that left us all in need of a nap :).

introducing the babies :)

look at that smile!

still smiling!

playing dolls with Grace -- Gracie really is a great big sister :).

Millie also knows a Grandma when she sees one!

Good at spotting Auntie's too!

Sunday night we had to say goodbye to Brandon and Jason as they had to go back to work in the morning. We were so glad that we got to spend so much time with them!

Monday we said goodbye to Christian as Grandma and Grandpa took him to the airport to head back to Denver. Scott headed out to an appointment and Lauren and I ventured out to the Magic House where we met Bevin, Robert and Cal (along with Mrs. Mulvaney and Maura) for an afternoon of fun. And fun we had! The Magic House was PACKED!! (It has recently re-opened from renovations and there were lots of kids on vacation who needed to get out of the house!). We were able to find the rooms dedicated to the littler children where there was a little less chaos. That meant we missed the famous static ball, but I'm sure we'll make it back there again some day. Millie loved the sand table and the water table, not to mention the slides! She wore LoLo out!! It was a great time that allowed LoLo some one-on-one time with Millie -- which she throughly enjoyed!

Playing piano in Fairytale Land

the first sand table -- Millie didn't want to leave here, we had to convince her there was lots more to see!

room full of giant legos!

more sand!

Cal liked the sand too :)!

water play!

the slide! LoLo was usually climbing up it with her!

Monday night, it was my turn to start not feeling well. I was running a low-grade fever and alternating between the chills and the sweats (pleasant, I know). Fortunately, Scott had gotten a lot of the packing done before his appointment so there wasn't too much to do. I went to bed early and Millie played with Grandma and LoLo while Scott made some final preparations for our travel. He was able to walk Millie to sleep and bring her up to bed.

We had an early wake-up call Tuesday morning and headed out to the airport for our flight home.

waiting at the airport

We were lucky to have a direct flight home (no fear of losing our luggage!), so we were happy about that. Our flight was uneventful. Millie slept for a bit and made friends with the flight attendant. We had a bumpy landing that left us all a bit quessy and a VERY long hike through the airport to get to the car, but all in all it was a good trip. I still wasn't feeling well, so we stopped at an urgent care facility on the way home -- turns out I had strep :(. So, we made one more stop at the pharmacy to get my antibiotics and finally made it home by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day was spent resting and not doing much else!

We've been very fortunate to have the past five days at home -- all three of us. We've alternated between being lazy, going out and running errands, and getting chores done around the house. It's been great! We had snow on Wednesday which gave us the perfect excuse to hunker down in the house and not do much at all (giving me a little more time to get back to normal....). Friday, Millie went to Stephanie's for the day so that Scott and I could REALLY clean the house. When we were done, we enjoyed some grown-up time and went to lunch and shopping. It was very nice to be able to spend some time together :). And, we discovered that post-holiday sales + gift cards = fun and guilt-free shopping! We found some GREAT deals and were able to get new clothes for everyone! I'm actually still blown away by the sales -- great for me, but I'm not sure what they say about the economy...

Tomorrow it's back to work and school for everyone. 2009 has already started out to be a great year and we are confident that it's going to continue that way!

That pretty much wraps up our vacation -- lots to see and do! There are MANY pictures that I didn't post. I was going to make a slide show, but even that was turning out to be 10 minutes long and I didn't think anyone would sit through the whole thing! So, instead, here is a link to our Picassa Album where you can view them all. The album contains pictures from our camera, my dad's, Lauren and Jason's and Christian's! Enjoy! Here's one last one that's one of my favorites: