CHUCKIE!!!

So. when I got home from San Francisco, this is the face that greeted me! It seems that the cute, scrinchy smile turned into a mean face. We've started calling Mia "Chucky" after the doll in the movie, "Child's Play".

I know--it's freaky!! She really is a sweet girl, though!

This is more like Chuckie face and rock star face combined!!

She looks like she's going to come across the ottoman and ATTACK!!!

And this is, apparently, what started this face in the first place....Uncle Tony!

Playdate

This last Saturday, Annie had her first playdate here at our house. Her friend, Sarah, came over for a few hours and I was able to meet her mom and dad and get to know them. Annie was so excited. She grabbed her sister and watched for Sarah for about 15 minutes. Once Sarah got here, like always, I didn't see much of either one of them! Mia loves to look out the window in the living room and I thought this is a a cute picture to share......

Annie

A few weeks ago, Annie brought me a note from her teacher. She looked a little nervous as I read it; but it was a note telling me that she was getting an award at the monthly awards assembly and that it was a secret...well, at least it was supposed to be. Annie was reading it over my shoulder!! So, the next morning, I went to her school (with my new camera--which I hadn't learned how to use completely). The first award the principal handed out was the Responsible Student Award. She said that the student was a hard worker, always willing to help her classmates, does her homework and classwork in a timely manner, etc, etc... Then she said that this award is given to Annemarie Kallner!!! I was clapping so much that I didn't get a picture until she was already on the stage!! And then of course I made her pose in the front yard, too, with her awards. We're very proud of Annie, she's been working really hard.

After a few other awards, the principal gave out the "Caught Being Good Awards". During the month, teachers and staff members at Annie's school "catch" kids doing something extra helpful, etc...and then give them a yellow slip to put in a big box. At the monthly assembly, the principal draws four names from the yellow slips and those kids get to go to Shakey's with the principal for lunch. And, yep, Annie got picked!! She was so excited and got to go to Shakey's for lunch (as she said) "ON A SCHOOL DAY, MOM!!!"

Yep, that's my responsible student ;-)

Mia's Tricks

These are Mia's new faces--BIG smiles!! And the girls taught her "Touchdown!!" a while ago

Mia and the Recorder

Recently, Mia got a hold of Samantha's recorder and I was able to get a video of it (on our [my] new camera that our family got us for our anniversary--thank you!!). Let me know if it works because I've never blogged a video.....

Mia and her Binkie

Mia hasn't been a binkie baby for quite some time. When she gets her hands on a binkie this is what she does with it....

I love this picture. I (Scott and I...hehehe) got a new camera for our anniversary and Mia and I were playing with it one afternoon. I was trying to get a picture of Mia and I together and I snapped this one.......

We have been trying to get a good picture of Mia for quite some time, since we can't take her to a portrait studio until spring. I've tried sneaking up on her while she's playing (above), letting her get close to the camera and propping her on the chair (not easy now that she is mobile). We'll keep trying.......but these are cute in the meantime.

Just some random pictures of Mia......What a BIG smile!!

You can almost hear her giggling.....

Until probably a month ago, Mia used her cup more like this than the way she is supposed to...It was better than when I had to hold it while she drank, but she has finally gotten the cup thing down. And now she loves her cup!!

Now, while it doesn't get COLD COLD here, it does get cool enough that we have to bundle Mia up...and Annie has needed a hat and gloves a few times (I know, I know....everyone in Wisconsin is probably groaning and rolling their eyes, I know :-) ). But, I had to show Mia in yet another pink explosion outfit!! Unfortunately, we were only able to find a pink jacket. It's a 12 month and is too big, but everything else was like a snow suit, so as much as it pained me, we put her in it. Then all I could find was a pink hat and mitten set, so PINK PINK PINK!!!! But, she makes it look good.

Back in November, Mia spent some time in the spa with the rest of the girls. I had blogged some pictures before and have finally decided to blog the rest. The first two are Aunt Cathy "catching" Mia with the pool net.....

But, just so no one calls CPS on me, Christina was holding Mia under the water the whole time!!!

Leave it to Uncle Tony to pay homage to Michael Jackson!

UPDATE!!!

So, this time it really has been forever since my last update! We're settling in, finally, and have sufficiently taken over my sister's house with our kids and dog and beds and clothes and stuff.... Sis and Tony have been so gracious and we are so blessed to have such wonderful family. Scott is getting into a routine at Redland's Paint (where he's the manager), but pray for him--I joke with him that he's now 2 years into a mid-life crisis, but we are trying to make the decisions that God wants us to make..... I'm about to pull all my hair out....but what else is new! I'm finishing fall classes through UW and winter classes start at Cal State San Bernardino on January 7th, so not much of a break. Cal State is also on a quarter system (instead of semester) so that will take some getting used to. Mia is doing very well!! She's crawling even faster than before and pulling herself up on everything she can. I think she'll be walking in the next few months. We've had MANY doctor's appointments since we've been here. She's had 3 Synagis shots (to reduce the effects of RSV, if she were to contract it), two flu shots and her one-year immunizations. She's also had an appointment with a Pediatric Gastrointerologist about her reflux. We thought it was getting better because she's not spitting so much, but she has been regurgitating (barfing in her mouth...eewww) and reswallowing. Apparently, that's worse because the acid goes up and then back down, damaging her esophagus. So, he has doubled her Prevacid dose and we see him again in 7 weeks. He also ordered blood work to check her liver enzymes (1, because they were abnormal earlier this year and 2, I guess reflux can cause abnormal liver enzymes). We go do that tomorrow--yah. She's a whopping 21 lbs., 12 ozs. and 29 3/4 inches tall! It's amazing how much she's grown!! She's still a little on the quiet side (except for grunts to let us know she wants something!). But, we're working on that too. She's not in Birth to Three here, yet. Her new Pediatrician wanted to wait to see how she was doing at her 15 month check in January before deciding because she's doing so well. We're officially in hibernation mode again. We go out for the occassional quick shopping trip and to take the girls to school and pick them up. The doctor even said that we could take her out to eat sometimes. It's not as stringent as last winter becasue she's older. Unfortunately, her doctor said that the worst place to take her would be church........she said that lots of people will stay home from work and not go out to eat if they are sick, but that they'll go to church. And when I thought about it, she's right. I've done it! So, we keep her home and are back on a rotating church schedule. Please pray for Scott and I also as we continue to seek God's will in regards to our church membership. We've been seeking His will and I know he will show us His way.......But, yesterday we made our first Urgent Care visit. Mia woke up yesterday with eye boogers and I just thought it was a thing. But then they got worse....Pink Eye!! So, off we went and the Physician's Assistant checked her ears--infected-both of them! I could and couldn't believe it! She had no fever and was in a great mood (except when the PA started to approach her...). For those of you that don't know, Annie did the same thing from the time she was 1 until she was 4--she would get raging ear infections (even perforate her ear drums) and only sometimes would run a fever and never pulled at or complained about her ears. I always felt so bad because we'd go to the doctor's and they couldn't believe I didn't bring her in sooner, blah, blah, blah.... But she never complained! So, I'm not sure if this is a sign that we're in for the same ordeal with Mia....? Today, the pink eye is in both her eyes (of course) and she was a little cranky. Hopefully, the antibiotics will kick in and she'll be better soon!! I think I'm caught up on the pictures, for now. They are not in chronological order (that takes too much thinking!!) and I noticed that the ones for Mia's Wisconsin birthday are a bit out of sync, but it would be REALLY hard to fix. But, you guys are all smart.... ;-) You'll be able to interpret what I mean!!!

Happy Birthday, Mia Part 1

Before we left Wisconsin, we decided to have a birthday party for Mia with all the friends and family that we miss so much. It was such a nice party and we feel so blessed!

Right around the end of September, Mia was doing this thing where she would lean to the side and act shy if someone was talking to her. She didn't do it for too long, but Sarah got a great picture of her doing it!!!