This week, Millie Janalee and I ventured out to St. Louis Children's Hospital for her very first eye doctor visit.  What I planned to be a couple hours out of the house turned into an all day event - 8 hours to be exact. Soon after we moved, I started noticing that Millie Janalee's left eye (primarily) would wander inward when she was focusing on things, looking at me, or playing with her toys.  I mentioned it to Russ, and we both began noticing it more and more.  After a couple calls to our sweet medical friends - a pediatrician and an optometrist, we had a general idea of what it could be.  So I did some research and made an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist just to get her sweet baby blues checked out.  The soonest they could see us was a month later.

And here we are.

I've got to say...she was the absolute cutest thing at her checkup!  The staff just loved watching her walk in, wave, and say "Hey!" to everyone she passed.  She jumped up in the exam chair with excitement and began taking her "test."  I was very interested to see exactly how you check the eyesight of a two year old.  First, she looked at a group of black and white pictures on paper and told the lady what each of them were: a tree, a house, a car, a horse, and a "cate."  Then, the same pictures rotated through on a television screen across the room, and she did the same.  It was after that part, that Elmo came on!  Ha!  Perfect way to get a toddler to focus across the room so they could shine a light in her eyes and give them a good look.  The final part of this section of the exam involved dilating her eyes.  The eye drops did sting a little, so there were tears shed.  It would take 30 minutes for the drops to work, so we were sent out to stroll and get a snack in the cafeteria.

We returned 30 minutes later, and we went back again for another slew of exams.  It was so interesting to me.  Since Millie Janalee can't look in a lens and tell us which one gives a clearer view, they look into her eyes with a light and hold different lenses in front of her eye.  They can see which lens allows her eyes to focus best.  Isn't that neat?!  After the results were verified by a second person, we were sent back out to the waiting room again until the doctor was ready to see us.  By this time it was nearly 12.  Our appointment was at 9:30.

We were called out one last time to see Millie Janalee's doctor.  She went over the results with me and gave Millie Janalee a final look over wearing questionable headgear.  Millie Janalee wasn't too sure, but she did great!  Never whining after 3 hours of sitting in a doctor's office!  [Except for the one time she tripped on the stroller and busted her lip on the ground.  Really.  There was blood.  And it was kinda my fault since I was the one pushing the stroller.]

She's an amazing girl!

And God has a great plan for her little life!  A plan that began playing out before she was even born.  Her little life has touched countless lives and made an incredible impact on this world.  It still boggles my mind how two years of life can do so much for others.  She is an answered prayer who God used for His glory...and He will continue to use her story for His glory!  What an honor to parent her.

We have a hiccup.

As I waited in the waiting room the final time, tears began to fill my eyes as the truth of what was about to happen sunk in.  What my daughter may face in her sweet future.  What all I can't control.  Then I looked around.  Have you ever been in a pediatric ophthalmologist office (or probably any pediatric specialty's office)?  I took one look around and realized that we don't have a problem.  We are indeed blessed.

God's plan for our little angel includes precious tiny glasses.  Just another fashion accessory for our diva.  I mean, seriously.  Take a look at just SOME of the options I had to choose from...

Millie Janalee and I left the office with her little prescription, and headed home for lunch.  After a few calls about insurance and inquiring about a recommended optic shop at another hospital, we were off for our next venture of the day.  I spent the next hour probably texting pictures to my mom and sister trying to make the decision on colors, shapes, and sizes of these sweet spectacles.

And finally, the decisions were made.  Because one color just wouldn't do for this princess.

And y'all.  She's never looked more precious to me in her life!

When her little glasses come in, you will notice something a little different.  And I worry.  Worry about how others will react.  Worry that she will be labeled as handicap.  Then, I take a step back and realize...it IS just glasses.  And people will stare...because she's cute as a button.  And those eyes that everyone is so in love with will be even more special.  We are blessed.

Because Millie Janalee is precious in His sight!  I couldn't love her more.

Party Time for "Minnie" Janalee!

I hope to eventually get back into the habit of regularly updating the blog.  But I'm sure you are tired of hearing my apologies and excuses.  So I will no longer put my disclaimer at the beginning of a post.  Just know I'm sorry for leaving you hanging.  All five readers!

After our fun and full day at Grant's Farm with the family, we came back home and rested a bit.  Millie Janalee took a good nap as we prepared for the final celebration.  A birthday party!  When she woke up, she was able to dress the part thanks to Pawpaw and Susu's birthday present.  While Russ and the guys had already begun the supper preparations, Millie Janalee came out for her party debut!  She was the star of the show after all.

"Well, Uncie Buck.  Tell me what you think..."

"It's my party and I'll dance if I want to!"

We enjoyed visiting outside to the aroma of bug spray and citronella torches.  Have I mentioned that we have a mosquito problem.  Actually more like a mosquito invasion.  However, now that I think about it, they haven't been hanging around as much lately.  Maybe it's the cooler temps keeping them at bay?

I digress.

Russ prepared some delicious sish kabobs (I had to Google that to make sure it was an actual word.) for supper.  We decided to eat light since we had literally eaten lunch shortly before.  The only other food we had was amazing sausage marinated in yummy sauce Dustin and Russ picked out at the General's Store at Grant's Farm.  And cake of course.  It was more than enough!

The chef at work

Lee and Hughes with their own personal Off clip

Visiting and relaxing on a summer evening

I was so happily surprised to see that Hughes dressed for the occasion!  Millie Janalee...being used to the limelight may not have been quite as enthused...

In all seriousness, she loves her baby cousin.  She has adjusted well and loves to talk to him, kiss him, hug him, and share his paci.  She doesn't mind that he takes some attention.  She has just learned to make sure she's near so that we are all still looking at her too.  Haha!

Kissing cousins!

The beginning of lots of trouble I'm sure

If you have been around Millie Janalee any amount of time, you know that she is constantly talking.  Or singing.  Never quiet.  Everywhere we go here, people comment on how talkative she is.  And how cute her bow is of course.  [Side note: Hairbows are most certainly a southern thing.  We are treated like celebrities around here all because of the big bows.]  Back to the talking...which I love.  But I have also learned to tune it out.  Oops.  So Millie Janalee was carrying on and I realized she was just repeating the same thing over and over, and I looked over at her.  "TWO!  TWO!" as she held up two fingers.  I had been trying to help her do this for a while with no luck.  She was just waiting for her second birthday party to break out the skills.  Yes, you are TWO my darling!  Yes you are!

When Russ finished grilling, we all enjoyed our dinner with the birthday girl and prepared for gifts and cake.  Because that's what kids care about at birthdays, right?

My sweet family!

Millie Janalee was the epitome of the proper birthday girl in her big birthday chair.  She smiled politely as we passed the gifts to her.  With excitement and surprise in her eyes, she opened each gift with a gasp.  And an "ooooh" or "aaahhh!"  Then passed it off so that the next gift could be presented. Ha!

She was blessed with so many fun things this year.  Friends and family who mailed sweet gifts to our new home and family who brought the fun in person.  She loved it all!  And, to my surprise, never cried to open the packaging before all the gifts had been opened.  In true Smith fashion, the adults were as into the toys as Millie Janalee was.  We are reliving our childhood though her I think.

When the gifts were opened and displayed nicely on the table, it was time to make a wish!  I lit the TWO candles on her Minnie Mouse cake and we sang "Happy Birthday" to our sweet girl.  And as the song ended, she leaned over and blew out the candles like she has been doing it all her life.  She performs well for an audience.  Ha!

Making her wish and blowing her candles

She folded her little hands after blowing out her candles waiting for a piece of cake.  I'm serious.  She did all these proper things, and I want to make sure I document them so I will always remember.  It was the cutest little thing.  Thankfully Russ actually got a picture of her little folded hands...

I turned my back to get a knife for the cake, and this happened...

Hahahaha!  Hilarious!  Proper and polite no more.  It was her birthday and her cake, so I did what every mother would do.  I let her take a few more bites before cutting a piece for everyone else.  I love those little bite marks!

I served the birthday girl her cake first, and she was ready to dig in.  As if we didn't already know that!

For the encore, Millie Janalee, Kristin, and Dustin wanted to watch "Froyez" (Frozen).  Russ and I gave Millie Janalee her own Elsa gown for her birthday, so she dressed the part as we played the "moooyee".   She only took her eyes off to dance like Else or sing and twirl like Anna.  The rest of us pretty much just watched her watch the movie.  And we videoed her watching the movie.  That's how we roll.

It's like watching a bonfire.

But it's way more entertaining than a bonfire, don't you think?!

Sunday after brunch, the family got ready for the road trip home.  Millie Janalee and Hughes got some quality time in before they left.  She patted his head and hugged him and kissed him...as we tried to keep her from suffocating him.

After a tearful goodbye (more from the grown-ups than the babies), we decided to blow bubbles outside.  Bubbles cheer anyone up.

It was a happy happy weekend!  Celebrating a happy happy birthday!  And a happy happy girl!  I love this little two year old of mine.  God has blessed us.  May he always bless her.

"Minnie" Janalee's Birthday Continues

I think it's safe to say that Millie Janalee enjoyed every bit of her birthday on Friday, but the party had just begun.  Once the whole family was together, we had even more planned for this special girl.  I planned a visit to Grant's Farm for the family.  Y'all know that we have a list of things to do while we are here, and Grant's Farm was on the list.  We had never been, so we relied solely on reviews we found online.  We read from nearly every review to arrive at opening to avoid standing in a ridiculous line.  Boy, how true that was!!  I couldn't make everyone wake up to leave before 8:30.  I just didn't have the heart.  Plus there was a bitty baby involved.  It was just gonna be too much for this crew.  So 8:30ish it was!  We left pretty close to that time.  An accomplishment.

And the crowd was coming in full speed.  Grant's Park is free, but you pay to park.  It was also a beautiful Saturday morning.  The weather could not have been more perfect.  We parked the car and stood in line for a little while to catch the tram (or "choo choo tchwain") through the park looking at the animals throughout and learning about the origin of Grant's Farm.  The tram took us to the heart of Grant's Farm.  Our first stop was the goats.

We paid the $2 per bottle to feed the goats.  We all just walked in the gates and the goats herded to the bottles.  It was very funny.  It took Millie Janalee some time to warm up to the idea, but Uncie Buck dove right in...feeding 4-5 at a time.  Haha!

I'm pretty much like a kid myself and begged Russ to buy some more bottles, because I just knew Millie Janalee would enjoy it more from outside the fence.  And I hate to say it, but [ahem.] I was right!  She needed a little help at first to angle the bottle, but she was pretty mesmerized.  Mouth open and all. 

It didn't take long til she was ready to feed all by herself.  And when she finished, this goat sneezed milk all over her feet.  That was pretty priceless and hilarious!  She looked down like "Uhhhh...that's gross."

We strolled or walked around the area to view the other animals.  I can't remember what all animals were there, but you could feed most of them along the way.  There were also some gigantic turtles walking around that were pretty interesting. 

And of course, the carousel.  Millie Janalee kept asking to ride the "howees", so I did what any wife would do.  Asked Russ for a couple dollars.  Because we wanted to ride!  Ha!  It was a touch and go start, but after a couple rounds of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" she was having A BALL!  She waved to everyone and screamed "Heeeyyy Kay Kaaayyy!" as we passed by.  I was so happy.  And so was she.

We enjoyed the walk through more of the park as we saw ducks, owls, elephants, and more.  Our favorite was by far the kangaroo I think.  I can't believe I don't have a picture of this.  Oh my!  It's worth the trip just to watch him.  I think my brother got video.  If you have never watched a kangaroo hop around and try to reach a leaf off a tree that is just out of reach...you must put it on your bucket list.  You will laugh some pounds off I promise.  Millie Janalee just cackled and giggled her little heart out too. 

Feeding the ducks

Pawpaw and Millie Janalee feeding the birds.  Birds like to attack Pawpaws apparently.  It was pretty funny!

One of our final stops before reaching the Bauernhof was the camels.  Russ and Millie Janalee decided to ride a camel together, and Susu and Uncie Buck admitted they really wanted to ride one too.  I regret not doing it myself.  Next time I will.  I was pretty sure Millie Janalee would not be a fan.  I don't know why I ever doubted her after her horse ride with Susu this spring.

She was just a-smiling away on that big camel!  And she pretty much talks about camels daily around the house now.  You'd be surprised how many camels are in children's books.  Ha!

Susu and Uncie Buck took their turn next and my mom challenged my brother to a race.  The camel leader man informed Dustin that his horse was actually the slowest one out of the lot.  Haha!  Which made it even funnier to watch how slowly he made his rounds.  Doopdeedoo. 

After our nice camel rides, we met Kristin, Lee, and Hughes at the Bauernhof where we were able to rest and grab a snack or drink if we wanted.  Hughes and Millie Janalee needed to eat.  The rest of us had plans for lunch on The Hill.  This was also where Pawpaw trained Hughes how to be at the top of stunts in his cheerleading training.  Kristin may or may not have been near a heart attack.  Ha!

It is only appropriate that St. Louis is celebrating a big birthday the same year as Millie Janalee is. Haha!  Everywhere we go, there are big cakes celebrating the 250th birthday of St. Louis.  So, of course, we posed with it at each stop!

My little family celebrating our girl at Grant's Farm 2014

Just past the Bauernhof, there were stables where you could see some of the official Budweiser horses.  There were also lots of old carriages and wagons to see.  We spent some time petting the horses and talking about how huge they were!

But we didn't even know huge yet!  When you exit Grant's Farm (catching the tram back to the entrance and general store), you walk back across the parking lot if you want to see some of the retired Budweiser Clydesdales.  Those were some enormous animals!  I had never seen one up close.  Millie Janalee was a fan!

And she did not want to leave...

We jumped into the car and headed toward The Hill for lunch.  The babies napped.  And let's be honest...so did some of us adults.  Ha!  We enjoyed lunch at Zia's on The Hill before crashing back at home and preparing for the big party.

That's right.  We hadn't even had the actual party yet!

She pretty much manipulates her way into a lap so she can steal his paci.  She has worked the whole thing out.

It was a fantastic Saturday with family as we continued to celebrate the birthday girl!