Days with the Grays

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

We have so much to be thankful for! A beautiful, healthy, happy daughter, eachother, our family and friends and so many other gifts God has blessed us with. Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite Holidays! I love getting together with my family and laughing and making new memories. I'm thankful every year that my Gramps is healthy and able to be with us and spend time with his great granddaughter. Not many little girls get to know their great grandfather's. I love this time of year and everything it stands for!

look what the Thanksgiving Turkey brought me!

watching football with Daddy

TOUCHDOWN!!!

saying the Blessing

that's a full plate!

at the lighting of the Lawrenceville Christmas Tree

my first visit with Santa of the season didn't go so well

Meeting Baby Beeps

2010-11-15T14:46:00.001-05:00

One of my very best friends had her first baby, and I couldn't wait to get to Birmingham to meet him. Carter Blake Whitson was born on November 11, 2011. He is absolutely adorable!! Millie Kate calls him Baby Beeps. She kept wanting to hold him and hug him. She also wanted to sit in all of his swings and bouncy seats. I'm a little sad that they don't live closer to us, but I hope Blake knows how much we love him and look forward to watching him grow!

happy Mama

Halloween!!

2010-10-31T23:45:00.000-04:00

As always, Halloween was a very fun day! That morning we went to Baby Madeline Macdonald's Baptism and then Halloween night, Trick or Treating with our best friends, The Greleckis. Ryan dressed up as Pooh's bestest friend, Christopher Robin, and Parker and Chase were Tigger and Eeyore!! It took a couple of houses for the kids to get the hang of trick or treating, but once they got it, they didn't want to stop. Stephanie and I use to trick or treat in Yawn's neightborhood when we were little so it brought back a lot of memories and it was so special that now we have our own kids that get to trick or treat together!

after church photo shoot

"if you're happy and you know, then your face will surely show it"

making a face like the jack-o-latern

loving on Prelsey

Tigger and Pooh

all the babies

The Hundred Acre Wood gang

the cutest spider ever!

Christopher Robin frolicking with glee

ready for some candy

Tigger and Eeyore

I need MORE candy

having a cookie with Papa Bear

Trunk or Treat

2010-10-31T22:48:00.001-04:00

Trunk or Treat was so much fun this year! Millie Kate was the most adorable Piglet ever! And Brian was a pretty cute Winnie the Pooh! He went all out on his costume and made his own Pooh ears, honey pot complete with Bits O'Honey, and a tree from the Hundred Acre Wood. We came in Third Place for our trunk!

The cutest Pooh and Piglet there ever was

Precious Pink Piglet

taking a little time out for a "nack"

The Benich family

helping pass out candy

picking up the leaves

Halloweekend

2010-10-30T22:30:00.000-04:00

Halloween weekend was a very fun and busy weekend. Friday night we went to the Benich/Reuter clan to the Chattahoochee Nature Center for their Halloween Hikes. It is a spooky trail where you get to meet different animals and they tell you about their habitat. Saturday we had Trun or Treat at church and then that night Brian and I went to a Halloween party at the Greleckis. I love Halloween and it was such a fun and festive weekend!

Wade

All ready for the hike with her flashlight in hand

Millie Kate crashing the Reuter grandkid picture

cute little witch

Pooh and Piglet

The Prom couple

Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh

The Bestest of Friends!

Pumpkin Carving/Half B-day!

2010-10-25T18:55:00.000-04:00

MTSU Homecoming

2010-10-24T17:37:00.000-04:00

Lightning, our awesome mascot

Cheering during the parade

My pretty girl

Junior Blue Raiders

so cute!

MK hugging on Charlie

sweet Clay

On our way out of town we went to the pumpkin patch

walking through the hay maze with Katie

it's so heavy

New Crib

2010-10-13T17:24:00.001-04:00

Since Katie and Mason will be getting a new baby brother soon, we needed to give them back their crib, so Baby Owen would have a comfy place to sleep. Millie Kate was very eager to help her Daddy put it together and didn't even seem to notice the change!

Old crib

helping Daddy put together the new crib

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-10T16:57:00.000-04:00

The Fair

2010-10-03T16:39:00.000-04:00

Fall Festival

2010-10-02T14:20:00.001-04:00

Millie Kate had so much fun at her 1st Fall Festival. Her best friend, Madelyn came up and they got their faces painted, rode a train, and painted pumpkins. Millie Kate slid down her first jumpy slide and went on her first pony ride! What a fun filled Fall day!

searching for treasure in Captain Hook's Treasure Hunt

Duck Pond game....she loved taking all the ducks out and then putting them pack in

taking a break

Millie Kate with her Kanga

Madelyn and Millie Kate

getting her face painted

train ride with Miss Katie and Madelyn

Pumpkin painting

First Pony ride

wwwhhheeee!

Daddy and his girl

MK is 17 months!

2010-09-25T17:35:00.001-04:00

We are just having a blast watching our baby grow into a little girl! She is so funny and is always doing something to make us laugh. She is obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but only the "Hot dog" song. She walks around saying "hot dog" hot dog" all the time! She'll grab the remote and bring it to you and ask for hot dog. She loves to dance and is so cute when she shakes her little bottom to the songs. She's started twirling and walks around on her tip toes, I think ballet is in her future!

Papa Bear's Car

2010-09-24T13:32:00.003-04:00

Millie Kate had so much fun playing in Papa Bear's car. She knew exactly where the keys were suppose to go, even though she'd never been in his car before, and she was really upset when we made her get out!

I love my Auntie Steph!

2010-09-23T22:11:00.002-04:00

Aunt Steph was in town and Millie Kate had so much fun playing with her. She brought Millie Kate her first tutu and MK thought it was great. She was so cute twirling and dancing in it. They had fun tickling each other and playing doll house. Millie Kate is so lucky to have such a fun Aunt!

giving kisses

Ultimate Play Date

2010-09-22T20:34:00.000-04:00

During the Summer, East Cobb Park had these fun play dates with a free concert for kids! We only made it to a couple because it was sooooo hot this summer, but the two we went to were so much fun. Millie Kate loves music and would get up on the stage and dance. When she was worn out from all the dancing, we'd go over to the swings for a little relaxation.

Go Big Blue!

2010-09-18T17:13:00.003-04:00

We love football season. It's one of our favorite times of the year! Even though we're not able to go to as many games as we use to, we still show our support by getting dressed up in our team colors, getting together with friends and watching the games on t.v. It's hard to find MTSU games on t.v and when they are, they seem to lose, but we're still Blue Raider fans no matter what! Maybe one day Millie Kate will decide to go there and maybe even cheer like her mommy!

MK and Aunt Crysie while watching the MTSU game

showing support for her Daddy's favorite team!

practicing her stunts....her uniform use to Wendi's little girl, Katie's

Parker turns 2!

2010-09-11T22:14:00.000-04:00

Parker truly is a miracle and it's been amazing to watch him grow and develop the last two years. He's a precious blessing and we love him so much!

Chase, MK, and Parker hanging out in the tent after the party

Just being Millie Kate

2010-09-11T18:08:00.004-04:00

Here are some cute pictures of Millie Kate just being her silly self. She loves clothes/shoes and trying to put them on, still love purses and now she's really into computers!

Fun with Pops!

2010-09-08T21:38:00.004-04:00

Brian's dad works a very busy schedule and we don't get to see him as often as we all would like, but he makes an effort to see her whenever he has a free moment even though he works 6 days a week. When he does get to see her, he makes the time count and plays with her and does whatever she wants him to do! She has him wrapped around her little finger! She's a very lucky little girl to have such a nice Pops.

having tea

BFF

2010-09-03T17:13:00.003-04:00

Millie Kate and Madelyn are the cutest little girls together. The actually play together and interact with each other, which kids their age don't usually do. Katie and I really enjoy getting them together and watching them play. They really are the best of friends!

having dinner together...they kept eating off eachothers plates

16 Months

2010-08-25T22:06:00.006-04:00

Millie Kate is at such a fun age right now. It is so entertaining to watch her play and figure things out. She is still in love with babies and her favorite toy is her stroller. She pushes it around all day, even if there isn't a doll in it. I found her the other day trying to get in it herself! She's also discovered her lawn mower and she when she's not pushing the stroller, she's mowing!! Her new favorite song is "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys. She'll be in her car seat and just start singing "ba ba ba" it's so cute! She is now signing (and saying) water (wawa), eat, and bath. She's also saying "up" and "down". She'll pat on the sofa or a chair and say "up" when she wants you to sit down next to her. One of the cutest things she does right now is put her finger over her mouth and say "sshhh" when a baby or doll is sleeping! She's learning something new everyday and warming our hearts along the way!(hehehe)

she loves her tea cups!

Millie Kate puts her pants on her head and my mom sings "pants on your head, pants on your head...looking like a fool with your pants on your head". MK thinks it's hilarious!!(please ignore the 70's Gold chair in the back ground)

eating TCBY all by herself

doing a little reading

mowing the carpet

Our Silly Millie

"ssshhh, baby's sleeping"

First Day of Preschool!!

2010-08-16T16:40:00.005-04:00

Millie Kate's first day of school was a very big deal for the Gray family. I ordered her a special crayon dress from Etsy, she got new shoes, new socks, a new bow, 2 new lovies, and a special first day of school breakfast!! Brian and I took the day off from work so we could take her and be there to pick her up. She cried a little bit when we dropped her off( I cried a lot)but from what I heared she didn't cry for long. My mom said she spent a lot of time in the playhouse and in the little chairs next to the books. It's so hard for me to believe that I have a child in preschool. I have babysat and nannied for so many families that have been a part of the Mt. Bethel Preschool family and my mom has worked there for over 15 years, and it's just so sureal that we're starting this chapter in our lives. My baby girl is growing up and even though it makes me a little sad, it mostly makes me thankful, excited, and overwhelmed with joy! Here's to a great start of an 17 year adventure! Millie Kate, I hope you "learn a lot and have fun"!

eating her First Day of School breakfast

her bag is bigger than her

here we go....

Meet & Greet

2010-08-13T16:12:00.001-04:00

We went up to the pre-school for Meet & Greet to meet Millie Kate's teachers, get acquainted with her class room and meet her new friends! We are so excited that Millie Kate is going to be going to Mt. Bethel's pre-school. She'll be going Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 to 12:30. Her room will be right next door to my mom's so she'll be able to check on her through out the day. Pre-school played a big part in my life because that is where I met my bestest friend, Crysie! After meeting her for the first time in our 2 year old class, I went home and named all my dolls, Crysie. We've been friends ever since!! We're hoping that Millie Kate and Parker will be in the same class one day too and make friends that they'll have for a lifetime!!

Parker and Millie Kate

Millie Kate and one of her new friends in the playhouse

her new friends

she loves the playhouse

sitting in her favorite spot!

Celebrating Pops' Birthday!

2010-07-28T22:48:00.001-04:00

Pops came over on his day off to celebrate his birthday with us. Brian grilled kabobs, sweet potatoes, and asparagus and picked up Pops' favorite pie from his favorite restaurant, The S&S Cafeteria! Millie Kate seemed to enjoy the chocolate pie too!! Hope you had a very Happy Birthday Pops!!!

trying a Popsicle

enjoying a story

"give me some of that pie"

time for a bath!

Fifteen Fabulous Months

2010-07-25T21:25:00.000-04:00

Oh what fun we're having!!! Millie Kate is turning into such a silly little girl. She is always making us laugh! She dances all the time...to the radio, the t.v, and even our ring tones. She loves music!! Her favorite song right now is the Itsy Bitsy Spider and she tries really hard to do the motions too. When she wants you to sing it, she moves her hands back and forth up over her head. It's so cute! She loves playing Peek-a-Boo with her hands and she's blowing kisses all the time and actually following through on them. It took her a while to figure that out. She's still into baby dolls and purses and now she loves any kind of little seat. As long as it's little enough for her to climb on, she wants to sit in it. She can sign "eat" and "hungry" now and we're still working on "thank you". She's having so much fun with my parents and I think they're having fun with her. My dad takes her on walks up the street everyday and she looks forward them. When she's done eating breakfast, she gets down and walks to the front door, all ready for their walk. We are so blessed to have them watching her and she is one lucky little girl! I hate being back at work, but knowing that she's with them makes it so much easier. I don't know what we'd do without them!

Playing Peek-a-Boo

Giving her Cabbage Patch Kid kisses

sitting in her tent

reading with Daddy in the tent

nakey baby climbing the stairs

sitting at her table(which was my mom's when she was little) having "tea"

she keeps her purse on by walking around with her arm up in the air

in her box with her purse, necklace, and mirror

Blake's Baptism

2010-07-18T18:22:00.002-04:00

Amy and Ben's baby boy, Blake, was baptised at Mt. Bethel and we were lucky enough to witness this blessed event. He was so tiny and precious and did a great job. I don't think he made a single peep. Congratulations Amy and Ben, and of course, little Blakie! We love you!

the adorable Barnes family

the whole family

proud Mama

Aunt Crysie and Uncle Ryan with Blake

I had to throw in a picture of MK, she looked so cute in her watermelon dress

Aunt Steph and Blake

Aunt Steph turns 29

2010-07-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

Steph came in town so we could celebrate her birthday with her. It was great getting to spend time with her and help kick off the last year of her twenties!

Steph's friend Jessica was even able to come by

helping Aunt Steph open her gifts

the beautiful Birthday Girl

letting Aunt Steph see what she got

Moving, Marshall reunion, and 4th of July

2010-07-05T22:40:00.003-04:00

The weekend of the 4th, we were busy moving and Millie Kate and I attended the Marshall Family reunion in Helen(my camera battery died so I didn't get too many pictures). It was such a busy and tiring weekend that we barley found time to watch fireworks. But we did make it up to Mt. Bethel to watch the Indian Hills fireworks show and it worked out perfect. There was a small crowd and no traffic and we were able to show Millie Kate her first fireworks show. We might make this a tradition!

helping Dada

Madelyn came over to help pack

trying to get to the food table as fast as she can

she made it

Uncle John, Gramps, and Aunt Margaret

Kanga and MK

Gramps and Millie Kate

4th generation Marshalls

my mom and dad

14 months!

2010-06-25T14:04:00.007-04:00

This month Millie Kate starting walking and standing up on her own!!! She loves baby dolls and playing on the stairs. In fact, it seems that the stairs is where we spend most of our time, as you can see from the following pictures. She loves going through bags and walking around with her purse. She is walking all the time now and gets better everyday. She is into everything and keeping us on our toes. We've discovered Barney, and get so excited and start dancing every time we hear the song. She'll actually sit and watch it for 5 whole minutes! Millie Kate is becoming such a little girly girl and we're having so much fun watching her little personality develop!!

if there is ever an infant seat sitting around she has to crawl into it

3 of our favorite things...stairs, baby doll, and sunglasses

watching Barney

Meeting Baby Bree

2010-06-23T22:17:00.002-04:00

Cecelia Bree Benich

June 17, 2010 1:11pm

8lbs, 20 inches

After being out of town for almost a week, we were finally able to meet Bree! I was dieing to see her and kiss those chubby cheeks. She is so cute and was so quite and content while we were there, even with Millie Kate attacking her and trying to hold her. It was so fun that Valerie and Madeline were able to be there at the same time and we were able to get our girls together!

our girls

I promise she was just trying to hug her

Madeline and Bree

sweet Bree wearing one of MK's newborn outfits

it looks like she is waving

Valerie and Bree

Father's Day Weekend

2010-06-21T21:07:00.005-04:00

Millie Kate and I got home from TN unpacked, packed and got back in the car with Brian, to go Lake Martin, AL to spend the weekend with my dad, sister, and brother-in-law. Steph and Mack invited us to come stay at the Magnus' lake house for Father's Day weekend and it was so nice. We got to spend some quality time with our dad and with each other. Millie Kate really enjoyed the boat and even had her first tubing experience!! She wasn't really sure what to think about and just sat in my lap and didn't make a sound. She held her hand up like she was waving, but that's about it. It was so cute! We even got to make ice cream, which is a fun family tradition that we have. It was a great trip! After we got home from the lake, Brian's family came over for dinner and we had so much fun having dinner and playing Catch Phrase, which we seem to do now every time we get together. It was a great weekend celebrating our dad's and celebrating Brian, who is a fantastic daddy to Millie Kate. He is so hands on and involved in her life, and she couldn't be blessed with a better daddy. She is one lucky little girl!!

we turned her car seat around for the first time, so she wouldn't get so hot in the car

enjoying the boat ride

she wasn't too comfortable in the life jacket

Papa Bear and MK

making ice cream

since it was Father's Day, he got to lick the paddle

Auntie Steph and Millie Kate

getting ready for her first tube ride

look at her little wave

Pops and Millie Kate

giving Daddy her card

Cheri(Brian's cousin), Pops and Millie Kate

giving Daddy kisses

Brian with his Dad and MK

A Big trip to Tennessee!!

2010-06-20T22:22:00.009-04:00

**Warning...there are a lot of pictures on this post**

Millie Kate and I made our first trip alone up to Nashville to visit Wendi and her family. Millie Kate did great in the car on our way up and back. While we were up there Millie Kate decided it would be a good time to start walking!! We weren't there but 15 minutes before she took her first step!!! I wasn't even in the room when she did it. Wendi, Katie, and Mason saw it before anyone else. Brian was so upset that he wasn't there to see her first steps. It was so crazy how she had shown no interest at all and then all of sudden she was walking!! It was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen. We had such a great time up there just hanging out and playing. It was too darn hot to go anywhere, even the pool. Katie and Mason love Millie Kate and are so sweet with her. Robin and her boys came over to play one day too. I was excited to finally meet Charlie! He's so cute. And our friends Jason and Mae came over one night to see us too. It was a great week and we look forward to seeing everyone again soon. And we're really looking forward to meeting the addition to the Shanks family that is due in December!! Another adorable baby to love! :) Thanks for having us Wendi! We had such a great time!!

some of MK's first steps

she loved this window and would sit on it all the time with her baby doll that Aunt Wendi got her for her b-day. She loves it!

Katie, Millie Kate and her baby

more steps...love the tongue

and more

feeding the baby

Katie taking MK for a stroll

Katie on the jungle gym

cute pregnant Wendi about 14 weeks

Millie Kate loved crawling into Charlie's carrier

Charlie Mac

of course MK wanted to give the baby hugs

Clay and Millie Kate.....so cute

Robin and Charlie

the whole bunch

Clay and Charlie

hugging Charlie's feet

bath time!

I love this picture of Mason

sitting in the window talking on her phone

silly Mason

just playing

one of my favorite pics of MK

she loved pushing the baby stroller around

look at all her babies

sweet Olivia (Jason and Mae's little girl)

MK and Olivia

Millie Kate kept going over to Uncle Brad and laying her head on his shoulder. She'd go play for a little bit and then go back to him. It was so sweet!

Cute Ian

Chase's Baptism

2010-06-13T17:52:00.001-04:00

Crysie and Ryan asked Brian and I to be Chase's God Parents and we were honored to accept the position! He looked so cute in his little white tux and did a great job during the service. When it was his turn to be baptised, the congregation started laughing as he tried to dive into the Baptism Font. Congratulations Baby Chase! We love you!

after the luncheon we went to the pool to cool off

Look, I'm Standing

2010-06-10T14:32:00.001-04:00

We'd been trying to get Millie Kate to stand alone for a couple of weeks and she'd do it for a seconds and then sit back down, never long enough to really get a picture. I guess the water made it a little easier because she was able to stand up for about 10 seconds or so!! We were so excited!!

Eating with a spoon

2010-06-06T20:05:00.002-04:00

Millie Kate has been showing a lot of interest in trying to feed herself. She actually does a pretty good job of getting most of the food in her mouth. Here are some pictures of a successful applesauce feeding! Oh and please ignore the Christmas bib that she has on.

Blake Shaw Barnes

2010-06-03T20:20:00.001-04:00

Blake Shaw Barnes

6/3/2010

5lbs 10 oz

19 inches

Ben's mom with her first grand baby

adorable Blake

Ben's sister with her new nephew

Amy and her bundle of joy

Dede and Blake

Congratulations Amy and Ben!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T17:18:00.002-04:00

We started off the holiday with a great church service that honored the men and women that have paid the ultimate price for our country. It was a very moving service and didn't leave a dry eye in the place. We then headed over to the Yawn pool for some swimming and grilling. It was just like old times plus a few husbands and babies added to the bunch. Stephanie and Mack even came into town for the celebration!! Despite a little t-storm, it was a fun and festive day.

blowing kisses

the boys playing in the rain

Amy was on bed rest but made it out for a little bit

A Day in Asheville

2010-05-29T23:33:00.001-04:00

We went up to Asheville for the White Family Reunion. Brian's grandmother was a White and married a Gray! It's a very colorful family!! We had a great time seeing his aunts and uncles and all his cousins and their kids. Brian has a pretty big extended family and they are so much fun to be around. Millie Kate hadn't seen most of them since the reunion last year when she was only 6 weeks old. After the reunion we went to a near by park to celebrate Brian's cousins son, Coleson, second birthday! It was such a hectic day, but we were so glad to get to spend time with everyone!

walking around with Daddy

my cute dress and shoes from Pops

Madison Ross, Brooke Johnson, and Taylor Gray...Brian's 1st cousins once removed

Millie Kate wasn't so sure of her cousin Shawn at first

Brian and MK with his cousin, Melissa, and her daughter, Pearl (6 months)

Brian's cousin, Shawn, his wife Tracy, and their daughter, Taylor, with MK

Pops with his cousin Debra

Millie Kate with her 2nd cousin, Taylor Gray

Brian with his cousins, Chuck Johnson, and Shawn Gray

David Johnson, Brian's 1st cousin once removed

Millie Kate and her Great Uncle Jim Gray(Pops' brother)

Chuck and Millie Kate on the seesaw

Millie Kate with Susie and Taylor...she loved Taylor's necklace

Millie Kate's 2nd cousin, Pearl

Coleson, playing ball at his birthday party

Millie Kate and Taylor really liked each other!

Pool Time with Taylor!!

2010-05-28T17:50:00.002-04:00

The storms stayed away and we were able to spend the day at the pool with Taylor and Tiffanie. Matt was there too, but we didn't play with him! The girls were so cute in their swimsuits! Millie Kate loves the pool and really liked the baby pool. She would hold onto the side and walk around in the pool. She's turning into a little fishie!

having a little snack

MK is 13 months!

2010-05-25T17:35:00.004-04:00

I think this month has been the most fun so far. Millie Kate is changing everyday and does some of the cutest things we've ever seen! She is always dancing. Cher seems to be her favorite right now, which makes her Pops very happy. She even starts to bounce up and down when my phone rings! She gives kisses all the time, she has just started signing "please", and she lays her head down on the table or even in the bathtub, when you say "time to go night night". She has become even more attached to her lovies and wants to have them with her when you get her out of her crib in the morning. She has also started sucking her thumb a lot more than before. She has 10 teeth now, 3 of which are molars. She's working on standing by herself, but really doesn't have much interest in walking yet. She loves to push her push toys around and put things in them if she can and she loves pulling things out of bags or baskets. She LOVES babies and every time she sees one she reaches for it and tries to hug and kiss it. It's so cute! I wish she could stay this age for a few more months, but I think that at every stage and then I end up loving the next one even more!!

A visit with Madeline Macdonald

2010-05-21T04:36:00.001-04:00

Kriya and I made a little visit over to the Macdonald's so Kriya could meet Madeline and we could visit with Val and take them some food. It just happened to be Madeline's 1 month birthday too! I took a few pictures, but of course I'm sure they didn't turn out as good as the ones Kriya took. Madeline is so adorable though I had to post the ones I have.

Music and a little Swim

2010-05-19T16:44:00.001-04:00

MK and I met up with Crysie and her boys, DeDe, and Kanga, at East Cobb Park for a Tiny Tots & Tunes class they were having up there. We were having so much fun and it was such a pretty day, so we decided to continue play date over to DeDe's for some lunch and a little swim. DeDe was so sweet and went to a lot of trouble to make sure the water was warm enough for the babies. Millie Kate loves the water and had a great time playing with the watering can Kanga brought for her. Chase even got to get his feet wet for the first time! What a fun day!!!

DeDe with MK and Chase

DeDe with all the babies

please excuse my redneck baby, we didn't have her swimsuit

Aunt Crysie walking MK around the pool

Chase in the pool for the first time....look at that adorable smile!

all this fun made for some tired kidos!

First Chocolate Chip Cookie

2010-05-16T23:20:00.004-04:00

We had dinner over at Brian's dad's house and his cousin, Cheri, came and brought Millie Kate her first Chocolate Chip Cookie!! It was no surprise that she loved it! She shares that with her Papa Bear.

first bite

"hey, this is very yummy...

...so I'm going to shove the whole thing in my mouth"

what a mess

all done!

Brian's dad had gotten Millie Kate her own little desk to keep at his house. He was so excited to show it to her he even bought her a coloring book and a big box of crayons.

this is what she did when we first put her in it

but after a little lesson from Pops...

she got the hang of it!

Taylor's 1st Birthday Party

2010-05-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

The last baby of the bunch, sweet Taylor, turned one! Her party was so cute and fun. We had a great time celebrating with her and watching her eat her cake. Happy Birthday, Taylor! We're so glad you were born!

her cute birthday banner

MK playing with the push toy

Taylor, waiting for her smash cake

Ansley, Abbie, and Nicholas watching Taylor dig in to her cake

MK, Taylor, and Madelyn

Our group of girls!!

Our 5th Anniversary!

2010-05-14T11:04:00.001-04:00

For our 5 year anniversary we decided to take a short trip to Callaway Gardens. Neither of us had been there before and we didn't want to go too far since Millie Kate would be spending her first night away! We had a great day of biking, boating, lunch, touring, and swimming. That night we had a nice seafood dinner at the hotel. It was so nice to be away, just the two of us. It was amazing to me how quickly you remember what it was like BC(before children). Thank you Brian for 5 amazing years. They have been the best and most fun years of my life! I love you! A&F

cute chapel in the woods

on the bike trails

the view of our hotel from the boat

one of the 1,000 butterflies in the Butterfly house

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T11:42:00.002-04:00

Steph and Mack were kind enough to host Mother's Day lunch for my mom and I this year. We headed to B'ham in the morning and enjoyed a lovely day with the family. Lunch was very yummy and the weather was gorgeous. It was a perfect Mother's Day! Thanks Steph and Mack. I know it was a lot of work having us all there. I really appreciate it!

Kanga and MK having tea

Kanga and MK playing piano

My beautiful niece, Lolabelle

Mom with all her girls

This was the beginning of MK's obsession with holding your hands and walking. Thanks Uncle Mack!

giving my girl kisses

The Gray Family

The Magnus Family

Sister Hazel!

2010-05-08T23:22:00.002-04:00

Woodstock was having a free Sister Hazel concert in their downtown park, so we thought it would be a fun night out. We met up with the Estles, Howells, and Tiffanie(Matt was at another concert and Taylor was with her grandmother), brought dinner and had a great time. Millie Kate even got a new chair for the occasion! Sister Hazel was big when we were all in college, so the music brought back a lot of memories for everyone. The kids were all so good even though it was a late night. We love free Summer concerts and are looking forward to the next one!

Millie Kate in her new chair

"okay, I'm done"

MK with Abbie's sunglasses

Mr. Chris and MK

Ansley's crazy hair

Abbie's crazy hair

Abbie and Madelyn Magna Doodleing

Tiff, the Hazelnut

Not sure what to say about this picture!

Just a Swingin

2010-05-07T23:13:00.000-04:00

DeDe and Pa Pa(Crysie's parents) gave Millie Kate a swing for her birthday! Since we don't have a yard, Brian found a way to hang it up on our back porch. Well, MK loves it! It's so nice to have the swing right there and we go out there everyday so she can swing! Thanks DeDe and Pa Pa!!

A week with Francie

2010-05-07T18:22:00.000-04:00

I've been baby-sitting for the Lefkowitz's since before Francie was born. Steph and I use to tag team baby-sit for Leah and Jake when they were tiny. I was lucky enough to be asked to stay with Francie for a week while Ben and Camile were in Greece. I hadn't spent time with Francie in a long time since she is 16 now and is past needing a baby-sitter. I was so excited to have the chance to spend a whole week with Francie and for her and Millie Kate to finally meet. It was really weird to see Francie holding my baby especially because it doesn't seem that long ago since Francie was MK's age. Francie is a great kid and so much fun to be around. I hope we're able to spend time with her again soon!!

talking on Francie's iphone

Millie Kate loved Otis...not so sure he felt the same way

at the yogurt place for the 2nd time that week!

Francie's friend

One Year check-up

2010-04-30T18:08:00.002-04:00

Millie Kate's One Year check up went really well. She weighs 18 lbs (10 %)and is 28 inches (25%). She is a little girl! The Dr. said she looks great though. She can eat everything now except peanut products and we still have to wait to turn her car seat around since she's not 20 lbs yet. We also discovered that she has her two top molars coming in! Dr. Muller said that is a little strange that she's getting those before some of her other teeth and might refer us to a pediatric dentist at her next appointment. Other then that, she's developing right on track!!! YAY!

The Best of Friends

2010-04-26T17:08:00.003-04:00

Katie and I took the girls to story time at the library and then she and Madelyn came over for lunch and some playtime. I love watching Millie Kate and Madelyn play together. They are both so cute and almost the exact same size, developmentally do the same things and they actually interact with each other. Millie Kate always trys to kiss and hug on Madelyn. The are going to be the best of friends!!

having lunch

I love this picture of Madelyn

and this one too

Millie Kate giving Miss M kisses

"Can't you see I'm on the phone"

a time out for some reading

nothing is more fun than playing in the bathroom

Where is MK???

Millie Kate is 1!

2010-04-25T17:35:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's already here. Millie Kate is one!! I don't even see how it's possible. It feels like it was just yesterday that I saw her red, chubby, smushed face for the very first time. This has been the most amazing year of my life. I've been dreaming about being a mom since I can remember. Stephanie and I spent countless hours playing dolls and pretending to be mommies. I always tried to imagine what my babies would look like and how much fun being a mom would be. I always knew that's what I wanted to be when I grew up. Millie Kate has made that dream come true. However, I never imagined how truly wonderful it really is. I've looked at Millie Kate everyday this past year in amazement that she really is my baby and she's what I've been dreaming about my whole life. Although, she looks nothing like how I pictured my little girl would look, now I couldn't imagine her any other way. She is a living doll to me and being her mommy is the best gift I've ever received. Looking into her gorgeous blue eyes literally takes my breath away and I thank God for her every single day. She has showed me what true unconditional love is. I am loving seeing her silly and adorable little personality emerging and can't wait to see how she grows and changes as she transitions from being an infant into a toddler. Happy Birthday Millie Kate. I am so glad you were born!!!! :)

seeing the balloons the Balloon Fairy brought for her

enjoying her birthday muffin

Pappa Bear with the Birthday Girl

The 24th is my Uncle's birthday also. He was kind enough to share some of his cake with MK

Clapping as we sang "Happy Birthday" to Uncle George

relaxing in her pool of balls from Dede and Pa Pa

Uncle George reading his pickle card (he loves pickles)

Kanga with the Birthday Girl

Millie Kate's 1st Birthday Party!!

2010-04-24T14:00:00.004-04:00

Poor Millie Kate had the worst weather for her party day, but the good thing is she didn't know any different and everything turned out okay. We had her party at a near by park so there would be more room for everyone and we thought it would be fun for the kids to play on the playground. However, it was stormy all day and as her party was starting the temp dropped what felt like 20 degrees. So everyone was wet and cold and huddled together under the pavilion. Our friends and family were so sweet to tough it out and come up to celebrate MK's big day anyway. She loved her cake and ate about half of it. We finally had to take it away from her in fear that she would eat the whole thing. Even though the weather wasn't what we had wished, it was a special day celebrating our sweet baby girl with our close friends and family. What more could you want?

flower cupcake cake

helping open her present

A Ball with Pops!

2010-04-21T22:41:00.002-04:00

Brian's dad (Pops) came over for dinner and brought Millie Kate a huge fun ball to play with. He knows how much she likes balls! She had a great time with Pops and was even able to try some hummus, which she loved!

she fell backwards and decided to just lay there for a while

Madeline Ann Macdonald

2010-04-21T14:57:00.000-04:00

One of my close friends from high school, Valerie, and her baby. Valerie and Mark didn't find out what they were having or share any name possibilities so everything about Madeline's arrival was a fun surprise. She came a little earlier then expected but was a healthy 6lbs 7oz and was 20 inches long! She is beautiful and I know she's going to bring them more joy then they can ever imagine! Congratulations Macdonald family!!

MK & SJ

2010-04-16T22:01:00.003-04:00

We had such a fun time at the Moore's house on a nice warm day, swimming in their pool. It was our first swim of the season. Millie Kate loves the water and would stay in it all day I think. It was Sally's first time in the pool and she thought it was a little too cold still.
When Sarah and I were little we would always call each other to see what the other one was wearing to school and we would try to match. So, for MK's birthday, Sarah and Sally gave her a dress that matched one that Sally has. We had to take pics of the girls in their matching dresses, but Millie Kate just wanted to hug the baby(even thought it looks like she's trying to strangle her) and I couldn't get a good picture. But they still looked so cute in their matching dresses!!

Trip to B'ham

2010-04-14T20:52:00.003-04:00

Steph a few days off from work in a row so my mom and I thought it would be fun to take Millie Kate to B'ham for a little visit. We went to lunch, did a little shopping, and had fun at the Botanical Gardens. It was a short trip, but so nice to spend time with Aunt Stesanie! Thanks for having us Steph!

Dinner at the Grelecki's

2010-04-10T22:00:00.002-04:00

A fun night at the Grelecki's with the Jones'. Millie Kate had fun swinging and later going through all of Parker's toys and crawling in cabinets. I think Parker went to bed early because I didn't get many pictures of him.

swinging and talking on the phone

Gabe and Millie Kate

giving Gabe kisses

"what's in here?"

Swinging with Madelyn and Taylor

2010-04-07T15:33:00.002-04:00

We took advantage of this warm day for some swinging with our friends!

Millie Kate and Madelyn sharing a swing

Miss Madelyn Grace

Cute little Taylor

A visit with Grandma

2010-04-06T22:52:00.002-04:00

Grandma and Poppy (Crysie and Amy's grandparents) were in town so we went over to the Yawn's so MK could spend some time with them. It's always great seeing Grandma and Poppy!!

Grandma and Chase

Up From the Grave He Arose!!

2010-04-04T22:54:00.001-04:00

Easter is my favorite Holiday and it was even more special this year because Millie Kate was here! Last Easter I was 38 weeks pregnant and barely could make it to church. This year I had an adorable little girl to dress in her Easter Best, sing the beautiful hymns with and hide a basket for. My parents hosted a lovely lunch and Brian's dad was able to join us which was so nice. The only thing that would have made the day even better is if Steph and Mack had been able to join us, but overall it was the perfect day to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior!!

her basket from Pops

cute little bunny

reading her book in a big girl chair...she loved sitting up there

she found her basket from the Easter Bunny!

Gramps, Carolyn, and Trevor

Matthew playing with MK

Some Ballet and a Good Book

2010-04-02T22:32:00.003-04:00

Dying Eggs

2010-04-01T21:14:00.000-04:00

Steph was in town and she and my mom were over for dinner so we thought it would be a good time to introduce MK to the fun tradition of Easter Egg Dying. Steph and I always enjoyed doing this together every Easter season. Well, I don't know if she'll be invited to partake again because she and Brian got a little crazy and mixed all the colors and it was very stressful for me! Somehow the eggs still turned out pretty, but it was touch-n-go for a minute there. Millie Kate of course loved dying eggs and can't wait to do it again next year.

Millie Kate and her daddy reading the directions together

Steph's precious pink egg

trying to eat the egg

the finished product

"OH, that was soooo fun"

Playing at the Park

2010-03-31T16:02:00.004-04:00

We enjoyed some nice Spring weather with some friends at the park. Millie Kate loves to swing, which is good because the only things she can really do at the park since she's not walking yet. It's always fun when we can get together with MK's little friends and be outside!

MK and Taylor

Abbie and Ansley

MK and Ansley swinging

Taylor

Taylor and Ansley in the mulch

Wade's Choo Choo Party

2010-03-27T23:44:00.000-04:00

It's so hard to believe that Wade is 2 already! It has gone by so fast! Little Wade is fascinated with trains these days, so Kriya and Beau threw him the perfect party complete with his own train. He was in aw by it and I think got off long enough to have some cake and was right back on! I loved watching the joy in his face while he rode that train. It was priceless! Millie Kate really enjoyed it also and found it to be the perfect opportunity to wave to all her adoring fans. It was pretty cute. She also had fun in the ball pit and the swing that were in the back yard. What a fun day! Happy Birthday, Wade, we love you! :)

Millie Kate with her pink conductors hat on

The Birthday Boy

blowing out the candle on his train cake

The Benich Family

wow, he actually took time for some bouncing

Conductor Beau

11 months!

2010-03-25T23:41:00.001-04:00

Wow, this one was hard for me! Not just because she would not sit still and kept squirming out of her seat, but because I knew it was the second to last one. Millie Kate has changed more in the last month I feel like then the past 10 months combined. She is trying to talk and says "dada", "da" for dog, and "du" for duck. She has finally started doing some of the signs I've been showing her for the last 7 months or so. She'll sign "milk", "all done", and "more". I'm so excited that is starting to pay off!! We're still working on "please" and "thank you". She is still waving to everyone and everything. She waves when we leave a room, go upstairs, get out of the car, or even when she hears the front door open and close. She loves food and will eat anything you put in front of her. Some of her favorites are peas, bananas, blueberries, and broccoli rice casserole! She is really noticing Presley now and wants to hug him and give him kisses all the time. She thinks balloons are the best toy ever, that is why you see one in almost every picture! She has discovered that she can climb the stairs and is really keeping us busy. We are having so much fun with her right now, everything she does makes us smile and laugh. What joy she brings to our lives!

this is how she spend most of the photo session

time for a nap

Mini petting zoo

2010-03-24T21:37:00.000-04:00

The Learning Express had the Little Red Barn petting zoo at their store and I thought it would be fun to take Millie Kate up there to see the animals since she is starting to recognize some of them. We met Tiffanie and Taylor up there and had fun walking around on such a pretty day. The lambs were the cutest, but they kind of scared MK when they started baa'ing and jumping around!

Spaghetti

2010-03-22T21:52:00.004-04:00

Millie Kate had spaghetti for the first time and she really seemed to like it. I'm not sure how much of it actually went into her mouth because she had it all over her including her feet!! We took her straight from her high chair, stripped her down, and put her in the bath!!!

Madelyn's party

2010-03-20T21:37:00.001-04:00

Sweet Madelyn had her 1st birthday on such a beautiful spring day! She looked so precious in her special birthday dress and was so cute when she stuck her foot in her smash cake. It was such a nice party and we enjoyed celebrating with her and all her little friends!!

The Howell Family

Abbie and Millie Kate. They LOVE each other!!

the girls having a picnic together

Taylor

The group of girls. Millie Kate is next!!

A nice warm day!

2010-03-19T23:13:00.001-04:00

The weather was so beautiful we decided to have our play date at the park. Millie Kate loved swinging with Parker and Jack and had her first picnic. After the park we went by the Moore's and had a play date with Sarah and Sally. They were in town from Birmingham. It was fun seeing how much Sally has changed in the last few months. She is such a beautiful baby. We ended the day playing outside on the deck with Daddy. Hopefully the warm weather is here to stay!

MK and Jack

pretty Sally Jane

Millie Kate with her eggs

digging in her buggy for something to hand to Daddy

she kept pulling stuff out of her cart and handing them to Brian

pine straw is so yummy

Not a thing to wear

2010-03-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

Millie Kate loves pulling things out of stuff. It doesn't matter what it is, she loves emptying out bags, drawers, cabinets, baskets, etc. She would empty out the drawer and then want Brian to put the pants back in just so she could pull them out again. We thought it was the cutest thing and I could have watched her do it all night. The funny thing is, I did the exact same thing with the same dresser when I was her age, but then I fell a sleep in my pile of clothes!

eating her tights

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T22:38:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why, but I love St. Patrick's Day!! I like preparing Irish dinners and green foods the whole week prior to the holiday. I make Watergate salad, green jello, limeade because it's green to get us in the spirit. I was so excited to have finally have a child of my own that I could do all this cheesy stuff for, even though she was too little to even know what a big dork I am. That might be a good thing though!!

enjoying her green eggs and green applesauce

reading a St. Patrick's Day book to Presley

at Wednesday Night Dinner, where we had Corned Beef and Cabbage.

sleepy girl

A Day with Parker

2010-03-05T16:29:00.004-05:00

going on their first stroll together

cute baby Chase

their first bath together

Mommy's Little Helper

2010-03-04T16:23:00.001-05:00

Ansley's Party

2010-02-27T18:20:00.002-05:00

Ansley was the first in the Baby Girl Boom of 09! It's so hard to believe that she's already one. Time sure has flown by. She had a sweet little party at her house and her mommy made the cutes and yummiest penguin cupcakes and smash cake for Ansley. It was fun to have all the babies together again and to celebrate Ansley's special day!

Taylor

Madelyn

enjoying her cake!!

Tiff and Taylor

Abbie's helping her sissy open presents

Us with our girls! Madelyn will be one on 3/17, then MK on 4/25, and last but not least, Taylor on 5/12!!

Millie Kate is 10 months

2010-02-25T17:35:00.003-05:00

Millie Kate is so much fun these days and is always making us smile! I love this age. She still loves clapping, but now she's into pointing and waving. She waves every time someone leaves a room or we say bye. She's pointing to things she wants and things we can't figure out what she's pointing to. She loves music and bounces up and down when a song she likes comes on. She's crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything. She is keeping us on our toes! I love seeing how her little personality is coming out and can't wait to see how she changes in the next couple of months.

Busy as a Bee!

2010-02-24T10:15:00.001-05:00

My days are now filled with following Millie Kate around and keeping her out of the dog food! She is into EVERYTHING!!! I put her down on her blanket with all her toys and 1 minute later she's crawling through her barn door on her way to explore. I can't keep her contained anymore!!

Escaping!

she loves shoes

discovering the stairs for the first time

now onto the kitchen

yum, dog food...my favorite

Just one of the boys

2010-02-19T16:35:00.005-05:00

Crysie hosted a play date at her house, which was very brave since she has a 7 week old! We had so much fun and Millie Kate held her own with all the boys. Wade was even sweet enough to share his trains with her. We can't wait for the next one!

Millie Kate eating Wade's train track

sweet Parker

Wade and Millie Kate having a little chat

Millie Kate "walking" with the walker for the first time!!

Parker sharing his Jack-n-the Box

Millie Kate eating Wade's Thomas the Train. I hope he didn't see this!

playing so sweet

Millie Kate and Jack

Parker giving his little brother love pats

Jack and Parker

Kriya and Chase

Wade making a basket!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T23:15:00.000-05:00

We had a great Valentine's Day this year and Millie Kate made it even more special. We went to church for a special sermon on marriage and love and then to lunch at Olde Town with my parents. After lunch we went by Harry's to pick up something special to make for dinner. We exchanged presents and play with MK and once she went to bed Brian started on making us a romantic dinner of Lobster Tail and Steak. It was so yummy and to make it even more romantic, we watch "An Affair to Remember" which is one of my favorite movies! It was a fun and special day and the perfect end to my Birthday weekend!

reading her Valentine from Kanga and Papa Bear

our family photo

messy face

our romantic candle light dinner

A Trip to the Aquarium and Birthday celebration

2010-02-13T22:29:00.000-05:00

While the Shanks' were in town, we decided it would be fun to take the kids to the aquarium. It was cold and snowy and the aquarium was packed, but we still had a good time. I was surprised at how much Millie Kate seemed to enjoy it. I can't wait to take her back when she gets a little bigger. After the aquarium we went to Red Robin for dinner and then back to our house for ice cream cake. It was the perfect end to a great birthday!

Katie and Mason watching the fishes

Katie, Mason, and some random kid(Brad is in the background) looking through the glass

this little boy came out of no where and started kissing Millie Kate, more like made out with her. It was so funny and a little disturbing at the same time.

I LOVE this picture. Katie is so sweet to Millie Kate

Kanga and MK

Millie Kate cheering me on while I blew out the candles

showing me the necklace she gave me

the magazine basket is her favorite thing to play with these days

A visit from the Shanks

2010-02-12T22:55:00.000-05:00

It just so happened that Brad had a work convention in Atlanta the weekend of my birthday! They trucked through the snow and made it down here safely! We had belated Christmas with them, went to the aquarium, and out to dinner. Katie and Mason are so great with Millie Kate and love playing with her. It's so cute! We loved having them and look forward to another visit soon.

waiting patiently for their arrival!

Aunt Wendi and Millie Kate

thanking Aunt Wendi for her Christmas present

she was all about sticking that tongue out

playing with Mason

Katie and Mason were so cute and crawled all over the floor with Millie Kate

Katie playing with her American Girl dolls

playing Wii

Looks uncomfortable

2010-02-09T16:39:00.002-05:00

I don't see how she falls asleep like this...

Playdate at Taylor's

2010-02-06T16:15:00.001-05:00

It was so much fun getting all the babies together again for a play date. It was the first time since the First Play date back in June when they were all so tiny. Wow, how things have changed!!

Abbie showing me her teeth

Madelyn and Taylor

Ansley and Taylor

Millie Kate watching her buddy, Abbie, dance on the table!

Millie Kate and Ansley sharing drinks

Madelyn and Ansley sharing a carrot

Taylor, Madelyn, and MK

sweet Taylor

Millie Kate was feeding the baby a carrot

Millie Kate, Ansley, and Madelyn

Ride 'Em Cowgirl

2010-02-03T15:21:00.001-05:00

My parents have this little wooden rocking horse at their house and Millie Kate LOVES it! It's so cute to watch her smile and laugh everytime she's on it!

Ryan's Belated Birthday Celebration

2010-01-31T12:57:00.001-05:00

Ryan Grelecki's birthday was on the 24th and they were in Savannah celebrating Grandma and Poppy's anniversary so we had to celebrate the birth of Ryan the next weekend. We had a great time just hanging out with the babies, watching Parker walk the furthest he ever had and watching the Miss America Pageant. We made a game out the pageant and the losers had to take a shot of whatever concoction the winner came up with. Well, of course the winner was Ryan and the concoction was disgusting! Apparently I didn't get any pictures of the birthday boy, sorry Ryan. And Parker left early to go to his grandparent's house, so I don't have many of him either.

little Chase

Millie Kate(9 months) and Jack Javoronok(8 months)

Jack is such a sweet and happy baby, and has the cutest hair

Millie Kate fell asleep on her daddy. She never does that anymore and it was so precious. We later found out that she had a fever due to her flu vaccine that she got the day before

This is the Before shot picture

This is the After shot picture. I think this shot had olive juice, honey mustard, bbq sauce, hot sauce, and some other nasty stuff in it. To be honest, I only took a tiny sip. I knew I'd throw up if I drank the whole thing!

9 month check-up

2010-01-29T12:43:00.002-05:00

Millie Kate had a good 9 month check-up. She weighs 17 lbs and is 26 3/4 inches long. That's 25% for both. Her weight gain seemed to have slowed down a bit, but the Dr. said it's probably cause she's moving around more now and isn't too worried about it. She passed her vision test and did great when she got her two shots!