I've been stalking my Weather Channel app until the Easter forecast came up on the 10-day forecast.  I woke up around 3 am after I accidentally hit Russ in the face with my ring.  I think I was actually dreaming that I was reaching over to pick up Millie Janalee.  Anyway.  I knew the Easter forecast would be up by then since it only showed through Saturday yesterday.  So I checked it.  I was disappointed.  The temperature was great...63 degrees!  The 60% rain chance...not so great. 

I've been so excited about Millie Janalee's first Easter.  And I still am.  I'm hoping the forecast changes, and Easter Sunday turns out to be a beautifully sunny day where we can take family pictures outside and enjoy the day on my parents' back deck.  I'm also hoping the Saturday before Easter clears up too, because Jimmy and Roan are hosting their annual Easter egg hunt...and that's always fun to visit with Russ's side of the family while the kids hunt eggs.

I'm also very happy that Kristin and I decided to take some "Spring pictures" last weekend when Millie Janalee and I were visiting.  They turned out super cute, and Auntie Kristin did a great job on the background decorations.  Most of the things you see in the background, she actually made.  If you have not visited her Not So Plain Jayne Facebook page, you must do so now.  She's started her own business, and it is keeping her busy busy busy!  Check it out.  You never know what you will find that you can't live without. [just a little friendly plug]

Uncie Lee pulled a part of their picket fence that he is in the process of replacing for us to use as a background.  Since the grass isn't green yet in North Mississippi, we used their back porch and brick wall.  Then, Auntie Kristin pulled everything else...from her living room, her porch, and her painting room.  I was in charge of getting eggs at Dollar Tree and dressing Millie Janalee.  Millie Janalee wasn't too cooperative at first.  She would not smile for the life of her.  And we all know that this girl loves to smile.  A friend of mine describes it as a "joyful smile."  I love that.  So, I took her inside, fed her a bottle, and let her take a nap.  It ended up being a two hour nap!  To say she was tired is an understatement.  Two hour naps aren't all that uncommon, but they are when she's napping on me half the time and the floor half the time while the rest of us watched Nascar.  Ha!  She woke up ready to play and smile!

She loved playing with the Easter eggs!  I found the cutest site about baby/toddler Easter ideas.  Click here for the link.  Anyway, I have plans for next year for something seasonal...new and fun.  I'm sure by that time, I'll be always looking for something fun to do indoors with a 20 month old.  Gosh, I can't even think that far ahead.  I don't want my baby to grow up!  I dreamed last night that she got five more teeth overnight.  I was so sad!  It's okay.  I woke up and she still only has the one little toofie.

She loved to put an egg in each hand and wave them around.  Then she attempted to put them in her mouth.  When she realized that the eggs were much too big for her little mouth, she settled on licking them.  It was a very serious time for her requiring much concentration.  So funny!  When one rolled away, she was not accepting of any other egg.  She wanted that one that rolled away.  I swear, I could just sit and watch her all. day. long!  It's a good thing I stay at home all day.  So, I can do that.  I am blessed to have this opportunity!  And I do not take a second of it for granted.

The most exciting part of our photo shoot was when Auntie Kristin started blowing bubbles.  I passed a bubbles set at Dollar Tree, and I thought it would be fun to blow them on such a pretty day.  Millie Janalee had never seen bubbles before.  She loved them!  She would just watch them float and giggle and smile.  I can't wait to do this more often this summer!  I'll have to remember to pack some for our beach trip too!

But, what she found most entertaining about those bubbles was trying to blow her own.  Every time Kristin would blow bubbles, Millie Janalee would spit and blow her own.  Then laugh and laugh!  It was hilarious!  It's like she wanted us to know that she knew what to do.  I guess she saw Kristin blow, so she wanted to blow.  I loved it, and I am so glad I got a shot of her blowing her own bubbles...

"I can blow bubbles too!"

Then she would giggle and giggle!

I have a few favorites from our shoot.  I'm NOT conservative at all when it comes to taking pictures, so I think we ended up with nearly 500 shots.  The first set I loved!  And this last set I love!  The others I like too, but the first and last sets are my favorites.  Kristin put together a sweet Easter background, and I dressed Millie Janalee in her sweet lamb bubble.  She sat in Auntie Kristin's sweet owl chair and looked so big.

I could just eat this sweet face up!  Sometimes, I see a picture that gives me a glimpse into our future.  This one looks like a little girl flirting with those little eyes...

I love having Millie Janalee outside on a beautiful day.  I got a little teaser last weekend, and it has been cold ever since.  I just know she's going to love being out in the yard, swinging on a swing, blowing more bubbles, and strolling through the neighborhood.

So, I'm holding out hope that Easter weekend will turn pretty for her.  Because rain means more time inside.  And that's not as much fun.  I told Millie Janalee about the forecast, and she wasn't too happy either...

"What?!  Rain on Easter?"

I'm going to have to study the forecast to find a pretty day for Russ to take her pictures outside in her Easter dress.  Because, I'm basically in love with her Easter frock!  Happy Easter!

Wedding Weekend Down South

I alluded to our destination wedding weekend last weekend.  Well, my oldest cousin married his bride on Saturday in Lumberton, MS.  It could not have been a more beautiful day for a wedding!  Friday night, before the wedding, we were invited to the rehearsal dinner.  My dad officiated the ceremony, so he also stayed for the rehearsal.

Mama and Millie Janalee

Everything was held at his aunt's beautiful home.  I can't remember the details, but it was an older home with so much land!  There was a pond in the back and a fountain in the front.  Dustin and Lee tossed coins into the fountain making a wish.  Ha! 

Dustin and Sheila

My aunt, her sister, and my cousin prepared the food for the rehearsal dinner, and it was so delicious!  Lots of southern food with a "to die for" dessert!  Sadly, I didn't try any dessert.  I was busy with a touchy little bitty.  Millie Janalee was starting to be in the throws of her cold.  Plus she had traveled 5 hours earlier that day.  She was tired and not into the cool evening where everyone was eating but her.  Ha!

Millie Janalee and Uncie Lee

I took her upstairs to the nursery to change her diaper, and my cousin's little girl joined us.  She entertained Millie Janalee with an Elmo jack in the box.  Until it began to terrify Millie Janalee!  Ha!  Anna Claire looked up at me and said in her very soft voice, "Oh no!  She's sca-wed."  I rocked Millie Janalee for a little while, and Anna Claire began bringing stuffed animals to help the "sca-wed" baby.  Then all the "kids" headed back to the hotel while my parents and grandmother started rehearsal.

Kristin and Lee

If you don't follow me on Facebook, you don't know how I feel about our newest purchase.  The greatest travel invention EVER!  I ordered this iPad car hanger on Zulily a while back, and we used it for our trip.  I downloaded some Baby First and Sesame Street episodes.  Oh. My. Goodness!  There was never a whimper or cry.  I didn't use it until Millie Janalee got restless...and at night of course.  She's not a fan of riding in the car at night.  I will never travel without it again! 

We woke up Saturday morning and gathered downstairs for the hotel breakfast.  It was yummy, and the company was fun.  Our family always eats hotel breakfasts in our pajamas.  So what if we range from 24-60 years old!  We are usually the only ones wearing pajama pants and slippers, but that's okay.  We're also the only ones laughing and talking at such an early hour.  Millie Janalee entertained us and everyone else.  We leisurely began getting ready for the 2:00 wedding.

Millie Janalee ready for her first wedding.

This was Millie Janalee's very first wedding!  She looked just precious.  Unfortunately (or fortunately...depending on how you look at it), Russ had to stay home and work.  So I took lots of pictures and sent them to him throughout the weekend.

Waiting for the family in the hotel lobby

My little princess!

The wedding was very sweet.  We all cried as we watched my cousin see his bride for the first time walking down the aisle.  The weather could not have been more perfect!  It was 80 degrees and sunny!  The breeze was blowing occasionally, and the scenery was to die for.  I was devastated that I left my "big camera" charging at my parents' house.  I still had my little camera, and I did a little editing to make the pictures look a little better.  It was the perfect setting for beautiful pictures!

Mama and Millie Janalee

"Well, what happened was..." - Millie Janalee and She She

Kristin and Lee

Maw Maw, Millie Janalee, Paw Paw, and Susu

Dustin and Sheila

The food was great, and we all enjoyed hanging out on the back porch overlooking the pond and huge back yard!  Millie Janalee stayed very entertained.  Oh...I should talk about Millie Janalee's behavior during her first wedding.  I was quite nervous about it as our family does not think it's all that cute to have babies crying or "talking" during weddings.  I actually had a nursery available during our wedding.  Since we were out of town, there wasn't a babysitter option.  When we arrived, I found that there was no side aisle to sit near for an emergency exit.  So, I sat on the center aisle.  I knew it was nap time, so I was hopeful Millie Janalee would take a bottle and fall asleep.  We had a bottle prepared with the air already pushed out, but I wanted to wait until it was needed.  So I gave Millie Janalee her stuffed butterfly to play with while we waited.  As soon as the family began walking down the center aisle to be seated, Millie Janalee was interested.  She wanted to touch them all.  And she did touch a few.  Oops!  Then, she wanted to talk to them.  So I quickly grabbed the bottle and began feeding her to prepare for that nap.  She took her bottle, and finished it just as the father of the bride gave her away.  You know...just in time for the quiet part.  So I began rocking her with her little lovey next to her face.  She burped. [oh dear] and began closing her eyes.  But, she was humming herself to sleep.  Soooo....at this point, we started popping yogurt melts into her mouth to keep her quiet.  Every time she began to hum, we popped another one in her mouth.  She remained quiet through the entire wedding!  I told Mama that if we attend many more weddings, Millie Janalee would blow up like a blimp!  Ha!

PawPaw's boutonniere turned Millie Janalee's play thing.

There's nothing quite as refreshing on a warm Spring day than Diet Coke in a glass bottle!  Kristin and I loved the little touches throughout the wedding.  And, we're big fans of these striped straws...in any color!  I think most impressive were the teeny tiny silver forks for the cocktail wienies!  So cute!  The wedding was decorated beautifully in reds, black, and burlap!  So pretty.

Sisters

Millie Janalee loved her first Spring day!

Maw Maw has only been with both her great grandbabies twice, so we took the opportunity to snap a picture of the occasion.  Trying to get two little ones to pose and smile at the same time...or at all...is always fun!  Ha!  As you can see, Mamas needed to join them.

Anna Claire, Amanda, MawMaw, Millie Janalee, and me

Now, I'll get to my pictures of the bride and groom!  They were so happy to finally be husband and wife!  I didn't see them too much at the reception, because I'm sure they were visiting and talking with everyone.  But, I did get to visit and take some pictures before they drove off.

Casey and Kellie Jo

Tossing the garter...

Leaving...

My other cousin also drove off from her wedding in this classic London car.  I loved the signs hanging in the windows...

Casey's aunt drove them off as they left the wedding.  We blew bubbles as they ran out, and the kids took that into full bubble mode after the formal exit.  Ha!

Following the wedding, our family decided to find a place to eat before our 5 hour trip home.  And some of us wanted to change clothes.  We took a suggestion of a friend and ate at Walnut Circle in Hattiesburg.  It was delicious.  Millie Janalee was pretty overtired, so my mom, Sheila, and I spent our time feeding, rocking, and entertaining her.  She really wants to stay awake and play with us so badly when there's something going on.  Bless her!

After dinner, I spotted a great spot for some pictures before loading up.  Millie Janalee's first Spring day...and probably the last one for a while according to the weather.  She was having so much fun sitting in the grass.

Auntie Kristin even got down there and played a little...despite her severe allergies to all things outdoors.  Obviously, Millie Janalee hasn't developed that grass allergy as of now. 

It was a great weekend wedding family affair!  The only cousin left is....Dustin.  That may be awhile.

First Day of Spring

"Are you serious?!  THIS is what Spring feels like?"

So today is the first official day of Spring.  It is a beautiful day, but it sure doesn't feel like Spring yet.  This past weekend was a perfect Spring weekend.  We loved it and soaked up every bit of it.  Of course, we were at a wedding on Saturday.  But the reception was outside overlooking a gorgeous back yard, fountain, and pond...so it was perfectly perfect for an 80 degree afternoon! 

Since Millie Janalee and I drove over to visit my parents and catch a ride to the wedding in south Mississippi, we enjoyed some grandparent time.  Including a little rocking in Susu's old rocking chair from when she was young.  I saw it sitting in her office, and I knew I wanted to get Millie Janalee's picture in it.  Susu wiped it down and dusted it off.  Then, we took everything outside for a little "photo shoot."  This was the best background we found.  The bush was the greenest thing we saw.  Ha!  Dustin's lab was in the back yard, where all the pretty flower beds are.  Maybe there was some green back there...?

Millie Janalee had the best time sitting in a chair that was just her size!  I can't remember if I mentioned this or not, but she caught my bad cold.  This day was the first real day of symptoms.  It is also the day I tried some homeopathic baby cold tablets.  She acted like she was drugged out all afternoon.  It was so funny.  Bless her heart!  You can tell in her eyes in the above picture that she wasn't her normal spunky self.  Before you ask, I don't know if they work or not because I didn't use them as prescribed.  After she was so out of it this day, I decided not to continue the dosage.  But, I found them at Walgreens on the baby aisle.

However, occasionally, a little spunk would shine through!  This girl is such a trooper!  She is a much better sickly patient than I.  And Russ.  That will make her a wonderful mother one day.  And very pleasant for me to nurse back to health. 

Mama and I took several pictures of her first time in her very own mini chair.  Mama was in charge of catching her if she jumped out, and I was in charge of taking pictures.  Obviously.  Let's just say that my dear sweet, sickly Millie Janalee may or may not have leaped out of the chair and fallen on her little knees.  Until I dropped the camera...causing the lens to dig into the dirt...to catch her upper body.  I'm still not quite sure what Susu was doing at that moment.  Haha!  Just kidding!  I'm younger and my reflexes are quicker.  We'll just go with that!

As this first day of Spring starts winding up, I'm daydreaming of warmer days and greener grass swinging my fun little girl in a swing!  I can't wait to see her giggle and smile as the wind blows her hair and her tummy flutters each time she swings high. 

That all sounded very poetic, didn't it?  Sorry.

Happy Spring!

Eight Months

Believe it or not, Miss Millie Janalee is officially EIGHT MONTHS old as of yesterday!  I never know how it happens, but it does.  I never know where the time goes, but it goes.  Each month sneaks up on me too.  There is just no way that we have been Mama and Daddy to this angel for eight months already.  But, we have.

We barely missed her eight month celebration being on St. Patty's Day, so we dressed in green for the occasion.  Just to note...this is a 9-12 month bubble.  And it is not loose.  At all.  First of all, it makes me sad that she's already that big.  Secondly, I'm panicking that her summer clothes (almost all of which are 12 months) are going to be too small!  My saving grace is that her 9 month pajamas still have plenty of room to grow, so maybe it's just how this brand runs.  Maybe.  Hopefully.

You can see that our monthly photo shoots have taken a turn.  Not for the worse.  Just a turn for the FUN!  Ha!  I barely snapped a couple of shots with the sign in the correct placement before she grabbed it up and started playing.  Ha!  This is how my little busy body rolls.  She keeps those hands and feet going going going!

Let's see...Millie Janalee is still wearing a size 3 diaper.  I don't anticipate moving up anytime too soon.  She's wearing pretty much all 9 month clothes.  She has a couple of 6 month dresses that still fit and that she hasn't worn.  So, of course, those will be worn soon.  Ha!  I actually took her to get some summer dress shoes and a new pair of Keds last week.  Because she just needs shoes on her feet.  Since she's walking and all.  Not!  The shoes are just for this Mama's crazy wardrobe finishing touches.  She's wearing a size 2 shoe...but not for long!  I held off on buying sandals because I was afraid she would outgrow them before she could wear them.  For those of you wondering, yes.  Her big bow headbands still fit.  We just don't wear them as often because her hair is getting longer and thicker, and it ends up looking a bit disheveled.  We've moved on to bow clips.  And they actually stay in her hair.  I was shocked!

She's still not crawling quite yet, but she gets where she wants to go.  She scoots and rolls until she reaches her desired location.  It's so funny!  Most of our time is spent sitting up playing.  She loves...I repeat...loves to hear her voice.  And so do I!  We are now the most vocal table at restaurants.  Ha!  You know, the ones most young people roll their eyes at and say, "If that kid doesn't stop..."  Oh well.  There's lots of joy wherever this girl sits!  She's constantly saying, "Dada.  Dada.  Dadadadada!"  And, we've added a few more babbles to our repertoire: "Babababa," "Gagagaga," "Yayayayaya," and the latest "K" sound.  I'm still feverishly working on "Mama."  She's said it a few times, but not on cue or when I've got my camera ready.  It'll come.  We got our first little toofie this month, and it is steadily growing further and further out of that sweet gummy grin.  I love it!  Millie Janalee's favorite thing to do right now is to clap her hands when we say, "Yaaaay!"  She is so proud.  We have a lovey that she sleeps with.  Every nap and every night.  In fact, we almost left it in Corinth this weekend.  I had a minor panic attack, because that just would've been tragic!  Ha!  It's the sweetest thing to watch her rub her face against the little minky dot bunny ears as she drifts off to sleep.  She can be wide awake and crying...but if I put the lovey up next to her face, she immediately calms down and starts rubbing her face with it.  So stinkin' cute!  The spitting up has slowed down tremendously!  We only wear one bib a day, and most days only call for one burp cloth.  That's something to celebrate!  However, she did enter a phase of spitting her food across the room every time she took another bite.  Smiling and clapping the whole time.  So, maybe I should invest in drop cloths for my floors during lunch and supper.  Ha!  We think her little tongue likes the way her little tooth feels.  Or maybe Uncie Bucket taught her that when he kept her.  Hmmm...who knows!

If you look closely, you can see her little toofie.

We have reached a new height with her sounds.  Literally.  She has found the highest pitch scream in existence.  And she uses it.  Not often, because she hasn't memorized where it is I think.  My sister and brother-in-law got to witness it this weekend, and they said, "Ooooooh!"  Haha!  Yep.  I'm sure she'll save her public debut scream for a nice restaurant.  I'm bracing myself.  I'm trying not to encourage it, but it is quite funny.  Immediately after she finishes her big scream, her face gets very serious and she looks at us like, "Whoa.  Did you hear that?!" 

I think we have also entered into a little bit of stranger anxiety.  Not completely.  But, she certainly changes her tone when a new person enters.  It doesn't take but a few minutes to warm up to anyone, but she knows when someone new comes up to talk to her.  She caught my bad cold this weekend, so she has been a tad bit "touchy" bringing this separation/stranger anxiety to a new level.  Sweet girl!  I don't rush over to grab her from new people.  I continue with my business and let her work it out.  I'm trying to make her pleasant for others to be around.  I gotta admit though.  I'm lovin' when she looks at me to save her.  And I love that I can calm her quickly.  That's just the Mama in me.

So, we're gearing up for our baby's very first Easter now!  We are in full bunny mode!  Millie Janalee, Auntie Kristin, and I worked on a little Easter craft yesterday.  Millie Janalee was SO NOT into it.  But, it is completed.  The Easter bunny has thoughtfully filled her basket, I feel quite sure.  [wink. wink.] And I found the most precious Easter dress ever for her to wear.  It may not make it through the morning without spit up or baby food down the front.  But, that's okay.  It's my baby's first Easter...and she will look adorable.  Drool and all!

Happy Eight Months, Millie Janalee!  We love you more and more each day!