Cowgirl Millie

Happy Friday everyone!  If you were one of the lucky ones who got to enjoy a spring break I hope it was a great one!  If not, at least the weekend is here and you can relax and enjoy this beautiful weather.  As I type this, I am sitting in my rocker on the front porch while Millie is playing in her bouncer and the dogs are perched up in their pin waiting for visitors to drive or walk by so they can bark at them.  The weather is PERFECT today.  I love that my daughter loves being outside.  If she's ever really fussy and I can't calm her down, I simply take her outside and she's fine.  So it's great being able to just sit here and type while she is perfectly happy and content out here with me playing on her own.

Millie and I just got back from Houston yesterday.  We've been there since Monday helping my mother recover from her rotator cuff surgery she had last week.  She can't life her arm at all for any reason whatsoever for at least eight weeks.  Yuck!  I feel so bad for her because she literally can't do anything.  She's so bored!  Anyway, during the day on Wednesday we got to go to the Houston Rodeo with my dad and walk around all the exhibits.  It was Millie's first rodeo and we had the MOST fun!  And daddy and Claudia bought Millie a precious red bandana dress and adorable red cowgirl boots to wear.  She was the cutest kid there.  No doubt!

Proud Granddaddy!

My little cowgirl!

The smiles say it all

Her first pony ride! 

It's LENT people!

Today is Ash Wednesday and it marks the beginning of Lent.  For 40 days we will reflect on the time Jesus spent in the desert during which he was tempted by the devil.  It's a time of repentance, prayer and alms-giving.  Time for us to make our own sacrifices to keep from being tempted by the devil.  What will you be giving up this year?  I'm thinking of giving up pasta.  I have a great love of all carbs and especially pasta.  Noodles of all sorts.  I could eat pasta for all meals of the day, everyday.  It's a tempting gluttony for me so I must step away and focus on the purpose and that way I know I can do it.  Happy Ash Wednesday!



Millie and me with our ashes



Hi!

6 Months Old

On March 3rd Millie turned six months old.  A whole half a year.  Can't believe it.  She's a tiny person now with a personality, manerisms, emotions, and movements. 

At six months old Millie:

• reaches for EVERYTHING!  I can no longer drink my coffee and hold her at the same time.  No way is that happening!
• has TWO teeth!!!  Her bottom front two teeth have surfaced and made for one cranky baby lately.
• is wearing nine month clothes
• is in size three diapers
• can almost sit unassisted.  She can sit up alone for about 15 seconds then topples over.
• blowing raspberries
• loves to eat carrots.  Doesn't like vegeteble medelies though...
• has been having major constipation issues.  Makes mommy hurt more than her but I think we're finally getting over that hump.
• is finally getting some hair on her perfectly round head!
• does tiny sit-ups.  Abs of steel this girl has!

My favorite things about Millie at this age:

• She likes to grab a hold of my lips and face when she's nursing.  She's very curious about everything. 
• When she is happy she opens her mouth really wide and grins from ear to ear.
• She loves watching the dogs' every move.  She giggles at them all day.
• She makes the sweetest sounds when she's sleepy.  That seems to be when she talks the most.
• She is definitely a daddy's girl.  Her face just lights up when daddy is in the room (his face lights up too when he's around her.  I heart my hubby!).

I took Millie to her first Kindermusik class today and we had so much fun!  I signed us up for the Village course that is going on right now and this summer we will do the sign and sing class.  As an American Sign Language student, I think teaching babies this language is very important for communication between baby and adult. 

I started giving Millie her own spoon to play with during our feeding times as a way to keep her hands occupied so she stops reaching for the food.  She's also teaching herself how to eat with a spoon at the same time.  But it does cause a very large mess...

My heart sings with joy!

Pure love

Pure joy

Purely blessed!

My very own Valentine.

Valentine's Day this year was extra special.  Why?  Because Trevor and I got to spoil our own mini Valentine.  We had such a fun day with our munchkin which began with dressing her in the most precious V-day outfit complete with a custom tutu.  Every girl needs a tutu, right?  Well, Millie has five...no six I think. 

We made red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing for all of Trevor's employees at the Harley shop.  I hear they were a big hit!  I love having the chance to do sweet things for our Gruene HD family.  I love them all!  Then, Trevor took his two Valentines out to lunch at McAdoo's Seafood Bistro. Very yummy fish tacos. 

Later that afternoon Millie and I strolled down to the mailbox and ran into our neighbors and their precious girls.  All three of us have daughters all born in September of 2010.  All within days and weeks of each other.  We took a picture of the three of us with our babies all dressed in their V-day attire which turned out adorable.  I would post it but it's on Tiffany's camera.  Tiffany, if you're reading this will you please email that precious photo?  I'd love to post it!

I hope your Valentine's Day was spent with loved ones and I wish you all the love and happiness that God can give!

I never win ANYTHING... until today!!!

I was so excited while reading my photographer/sweet friend's blog a couple of weeks ago.  She and her friend were planning a Valentine's Day contest and were accepting stories from couples on how they met and/or  their engagement story.  Just for fun I decided to submit.  The winner would receive a neat t-shirt that says "my husband rocks" and also a FREE couples photo session!  Amber has done two photo sessions for us (maternity and Millie's newborns) and I just love her work.  Anyway, I found out today that we won the contest!  It just goes to show that my hubby is truly the most romantic man ever.  :)  Check out Amber's blog post here.  I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day with your loved one!

Love this man!

When life gets in the way

It's a breezy, cold day here in New Braunfels, Texas.  A great day to stay inside and enjoy being cozy on the couch.  Millie is napping and I have turned off the television, eliminating any distractions from my ability to update my blog.  I am noticing how easy it is to get sucked into whatever is on the TV at any given moment throughout the day therefore postponing all things on my to do list in my Mom Agenda.  But, NO MORE!  Here I am writing my SECOND blog update for the day.  Surprised?  Impressed?  Me too!

It's so easy to get wrapped up in life these days that I forget sometimes what my life is about.  It's not about worrying why Millie hasn't rolled over yet or what I'm going to make for dinner or whether or not there's a new episode of The Real Housewives on.  It's about focusing on the people and events in my life and working to build those relationships.  So last night, instead of our usual evening routine of dinner and TV after Millie goes to bed, the TV remained off and Trevor and I sat on the couch and had the most inspiring chat.  You see, in my eyes, my husband is the most intelligent man I've ever known and I learn so much from him everyday.  We always have great conversations but there are certain ones that just strike a different cord.  Last night was one of those talks. 

Trevor is a member of the 2011 class of Leadership New Braunfels.  In a nut shell, it's an organization of local business owners who wish to be more involved with the community and city-related business and affairs. You have to be accepted into this program and it's a huge honor.  Trevor is a member this year and once a month a day is dedicated to visiting local businesses to find out how the community and city work.  What makes NB tick you could say.  Yesterday was volunteer day.  They visited with many local organizations from Habitat for Humanity to Any Baby Can, to Communities in Schools.  Trevor began telling me all about each organization and how inspired he was to continue to volunteer his time and his business to make a difference.  His excitement inspired me as well.  You see, now that I'm a homemaker I find myself with a lot of time alone in my home with Millie, just the two of us.  And don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this job.  There's nothing more important to me than raising my daughter but it does get lonely sometimes.  I have this yearning to do more.  Be more involved.  I've started in the right direction though.  I just joined the New Braunfels MOPS group where I am meeting new friends and Trevor and I just signed up for a couple's bible study at our church where I hope we will meet new people also.  But I'm still struggling to be fulfilled.  I want to do something for the good of others.  And after talking with Trevor last night, I am now motivated to get involved with our school system.  Communities in Schools is an organization that mentors youth at their schools to help them overcome a bad past whether it be abuse, neglect, abandonment, whatever.  Now that I'm a mother, I feel a pull on my heartstrings for children.  I hate to hear stories of children growing up in a household where parents are not parents or children that have no parents and have turned to a destructive lifestyle.  I want to talk to these kids.  I want to teach them about God and what true family is. 

My husband says that all day he thought about me during each presentation.  He feels that I have what it takes to be a great mentor to children.  I hope he's right.  He's my greatest motivator and supporter and with his help, I am going to try and get involved in our community in some way to make a difference.  I don't know how soon it will happen since I do have a five month old with me at all times.  AND I'm not ready to give up any moment with her.  But soon....

So... here's to not letting life get in the way, but getting in the way of life.  Living it and not just going through the motions.