Pretty Lady!

Wuzzup!?!

Bye Bye 2007

What a blast! 2007 was a great year, but now we are ready for 2008. Get in, hold on, and tighten your seatbelt!!!

Wahoo!

Mailee Opens Her First Christmas Gift

SUCH JOY! What a wonderful morning!

Enjoy just a short snippet of the happiness and fun!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Treasure

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas this year was so much more fun than I have had in years! Mailee is not old enough for the "what am I going to get" attitude, yet everyting was new and special to her. She didn't care what was in the packages, just the fun of ripping the paper. She giggled hysterically at each one. What entertainment!!! She was the belle of the ball for the whole family!

We missed those members of the family who could not be with us this year! To you we wish you the merriest Christmas ever!

To all of our family and friends - May you have the childish joy in your hearts as we head into 2008!

White Christmas

It is snowing in Ventura County!

We took Mailee to the snow last night. Well, at least to the Simi Valley Town Center. They have a snow show each night around their amazingly huge Christmas tree. There was a live brass band with players dressed as Nutcrackers playing Christmas carols. It really was a treat for us all. It was so fun to see her run around in the "snow." Mailee loved it!

She is so incredible! What a reminder of the gift of youth. If we live through our children, we get to be kids all over again!!!

Well... Santa has reindeer!

Mailee loves to drive her bus (although usually facing the rear) and this time she wanted to invite her lion to be a passenger. Too bad there isn't enough room for both of them. After trying to get the lion on the bus, Mailee decided Lion will have to "walk" beside!

Practicing to be a Big Girl!

Mailee is getting to be so interested in everything that we do. I guess it is time that she start eating like a big girl too! I am letting her experiment with utensils when eating (although I am spoon feeding her still while she "practices")

Here she is very busily attempting to eat her eggs with her fork! Notice the fork goes from left hand to right hand - Sneaky!

Silence is Golden

OK, so mothers know that by the time you realize that the noise from the next room where your kid is playing has stopped, sometimes it is too late! Silence is scary, you instantly wonder, "Oh Gosh! What is wrong???" You have visions of your beloved baby drinking Drano (even though you have 16 child locks on that cabinet) or floating in the toilet (could the lid have been left up?)

This happened to me the other day. Mailee went from her normal "chatty" self to suddenly silent. I freaked a little, had a small heart attack and frantically ran toward the hallway. Mailee, however, was in the room right next to me and was very busy... READING!

She pulled this book out of her toybox, sat down and was reading it cover to cover! (Notice the box of DVDs in the background that she used as a stool to boost herself up enough to reach the book!)

What a dream!!!

Growing and Growing!

Yesterday was Mini Miss Mailee's 15 month check-up. She is growing so much!!! Dr. Tanya said she is doing very well.

We are up to:

32 inches long - 90th%

(WOW! She was 5th% at birth!!!!)

&

23.6 pounds - 50th%

Amazing!

The doctor's only "helpful hint" was to cut Mailee's milk intake. This milk machine was drinking upwards of 36 ounces a day!!! She just loves her new sippy cups too much! We could have much worse problems!!!

Fa La La La La!

Since Johnny showed me that I can get streaming (commercial free) Christmas music on my computer, and since I work all day on the computer, I pretty much have Christmas Carols going all the time.

Mailee was sitting in her high chair having some Cheerios while I was working. I looked up to catch her dancing and singing along to the carols. She loves to sing along, though she has no words yet. I love that she loves music as much as I do! And she seems to be just as into the Christmas season - Hard to Believe!

(We'll work on not singing with food in her mouth later!!!)

It is Better to Give than to Receive

Yesterday we continued a Christmas tradition that I started last year. Mailee picked out a toy that she likes for a child her age and we donated it to a 1-3 year old boy in a foster care home. I want to grow the spirit of philanthropy in her, especially at Christmas. Each year she picks out a toy for a child her age and gives it to someone in need!

This year she chose a Discovery Toys electric guitar (of course, it would be something musical) We hope that it brings happiness to a little face on December 25th!

Mailee Meets Santa

I promised her that she will grow to love this guy! She doesn't believe me right now!

Gingerbread Party!

Our church hosts an annual Gingerbread House making day as a children's outreach event. We have over a hundred excited children, packed into the sanctuary, busily making candied treasures. Last year, Mailee spent the party cradled in people's arms (Mommy is the MC for the event) This year, she was able to join in the Christmas Treat Fun!!! Grandma came to help her build her own house, but Mailee had demolition plans. She ripped her house off its frosting "glue" base and started eating it right away, even before she got any candy on it!

She is so fun. This year, the Christmas season has so much more meaning. Everything is better through the eyes of a 1-year-old!

I see why Santa likes this stuff!

Mailee, Mommy, and Grandma went shopping and out to lunch this afternoon. Mailee has now mastered the straw and is just so darn cute!

Santa, You and Me have to talk!

Mailee woke this morning to find the house decorated for Christmas. It was fun to see her enjoy all the decorations!

The world is my Dance Floor!

Mommy got some Ugg boots for my birthday last week (good job, Johnny!) and they came in a BIG box. Mailee decided the box made for a great dance floor! Boogie on Tiny Dancer!

First Fridge Art

Mailee seemed very interested in some crayons that she found in a box in the office. I thought I'd let her have a try with them. She created this beautiful piece in the 30 seconds before she thought about how good the crayons might taste! After a bite of yellow, the crayons were put away for a few weeks until we will try again!

Mailee, Make "Ugly Face!"

Mailee's latest game is to copy funny faces we make. Her favorite is "Ugly Face!" The best part of "Ugly Face" is the nasaly sound that she decided goes with it.

She cracks us up! What a ham!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mailee had a lot of fun on Turkey Day at Grandma and Grandpa's house! We shared the holiday with Auntie Em, Uncle Josh and Auntie Michele, Auntie Brean, and Uncle Gabe, along with cousins Kali, Karly, Hannah, and Camille, but the most fun for Mailee was visiting with her cousin, Jacob. He is only 12 days older than her and they were in awe of each other. Jacob woke from a nap to meet Miss Mailee. A typical boy, he hit her to say "hello." :)

I don't think Mailee will be asking for any brothers soon... but after the initial greeting, they enjoyed the company of another little person!

Many Adventures Ahead!

As we have headed into year 2, Mailee and Mommy have switched to a Blog. We hope to easily share our photos and adventures with family and friends. We are having so much fun learning and growing!

On this Thanksgiving weekend, we are thankful for a healthy first year and wish you all to know the happiness of a 1-year-old!