Well, the night after our fabulous Hollywood Studios visit Millie Janalee had a rough night.  She was up all night coughing and crying.  In bed with me, sitting in the living area on the couch with me (which was actually my parents' bedroom), tossing and turning.  I took her temperature early the next morning to find she had a low grade fever of 100.2.  I gave her some Ibuprofen and she slept for the next four hours.  The night was so rough that Russ and I were looking on our phones to see if Disney ever refunded park tickets.  They don't, for the record.

After sleeping several hours, Millie Janalee woke up perfectly fine.  She was her happy self, so we decided to jump into another Disney park and see how it went.  I hesitated to use our "day off" so early in case we really needed a sick day.  We all got dressed and ready to go while Russ was at his morning conference.

It didn't take long for Millie Janalee to feel puny again.  My heart hurt for her.  We were already in the park at this point, so we had to either try to fill our day with fun or lose a park day.  The show must go on!  Basically, I carried her through the Magic Kingdom all day, which proved to be quite the arm workout.  She didn't want anyone else.  Just her Mama.  So we rode some rides: It's a Small World, Under the Sea, and Peter Pan's Flight.  She enjoyed the rides and loved looking around, but I knew she wasn't her spunky self.

When Russ got to the park, I had already asked him to bring a thermometer.  I took Millie Janalee to one of the Baby Care Centers (which was wonderful!).  I bought some Tylenol, but waited on Russ so I could check her temp first.  She fell asleep while we were waiting.  When he arrived, I took her temperature and it was back up to 100.1.  One dose of Tylenol and a nap was the prescription from Dr. Mom before making a decision on how our day would continue.

While she napped, we grabbed an outside table at Casey's Corner and ate a corn dog for lunch.  Millie Janalee woke up after a short nap and was ready to go.  My mom and I decided the Tylenol helped her feel better, and it gave her a little while longer before feeling down again.

Playing in the water fountain outside the Baby Care Center

Introducing herself to everyone she saw!

One thing we did learn is that Millie Janalee has never met a stranger.  We have some major "stranger danger" work to do!  She talked to, waved to, ran up to, hugged, and blew kisses as anyone she passed.  They all loved her and she loved them.  We pretty much drew attention to ourselves all week.  Ha!  Running up to this photographer scored us a free family picture in front of the castle, though.

We had originally planned to meet the princesses on this day, but since Millie Janalee's mood was on edge as was her fever...we opted for a short line.  Tinkerbell!  We made it through the line with flying colors.  But, while we waited just outside the room where the fairies were, she began to fuss.  She ran her autograph book up to Fawn (a fairy that none of us knew) and dropped it off before trying to run over to Tinkerbell.  I need to have a talk with Disney character logistics department.  Having two characters side by side is very distracting to a 19 month old.  Especially when she decides she likes one more than the other.  Poor Fawn!  As much as we tried, Millie Janalee never was really interested in her.  I'm sure she's used to that.  Being the fairy you have to meet right before Tinkerbell and all.  It's just a tease really.  Tinkerbell and Fawn both referred to Millie Janalee as a "fast flyer" as she flitted around the room playing with all the background props.

This is when the Tylenol wore off.  At least that's what I'm blaming that public meltdown on.  I ran out of there with the screaming child and left the rest of my family behind to apologize and pick up the loose pieces like a purse, a tote, and an autograph book.  Haha!  Of course, the moment I put her down to walk once we left, she just smiled at us like, "Haha!  I embarrassed you good that time!"  Little stinker!

In all seriousness, she was still quite warm so I knew she had a bit of a fever still.  We were by the castle just in time for the Dream Along with Mickey show at Cinderella's Castle.  Russ, Millie Janalee, and I grabbed a seat on the ground as we waited for it to begin.  Millie Janalee loved it!  As soon as Mickey, Minnie, and the other characters began singing and dancing...she joined them.  Mesmerized.

She, once again, met everyone sitting around her.  When her energy dropped, she plopped down in her Daddy's lap for the remainder of the show.

We decided  now was a good time to leave.  We planned to get Millie Janalee in the cabin for a good long nap in her bed.  But, I couldn't leave DisneyWorld without grabbing Mickey ice cream on a stick!  Priorities.

We did have a magical day at Magic Kingdom, even though it was a little "feverish."  Thankfully, we planned two days at the Magic Kingdom.  So no one was devastated to leave. 

Millie Janalee was asleep in my arms before the ferry even came to pick us up.  She slept through our ferry ride and went straight into her pack 'n' play for a long nap.  She slept at least 2 hours or more.  We had dinner reservations for Hoop Dee Doo Revue at 8:30, so we were thrilled she woke up so happy!  I went ahead and fixed her supper before we left.  That way she could sing and play along during the dinner show.  I knew she would love it!

And she did.

Playing the spoons on the washboard

We have never been to DisneyWorld without enjoying this dinner show.  And this time it was at our resort, so it was so easy!  We rode our internal shuttle over to the Pioneer Hall for dinner.  Millie Janalee clapped, danced, and sang along all through dinner.  She had her own little audience too, of course.  It was a little cold after the show, so we went on back to the cabin.  Originally, I thought we might watch the fireworks by the water and enjoy the electric light boat parade. 

Although suffering a little setback, we still thoroughly enjoyed our day at Magic Kingdom!

As I reread this, I realized it sounds very tiring.  It really wasn't.  Seriously.  Besides being worried about the fever before Russ arrived with a thermometer, I never felt overwhelmed or panicked.  I honestly think the key to taking a young toddler to Disney is to make the choice NOT to allow the day to overwhelm you.  Things are gonna come up and moods will vary.  I am thankful I had done little planning.  I was able to go with the flow and follow Millie Janalee's lead.  I realize that planning is necessary for most Disney trips, but it was in our favor to play it all by ear.  It left me less stressed and I was able to enjoy the day despite a small fever.  Bring lots and lots of little snacks.  Keep the juice cup full.  And put a smile on your face!

In my family, we call that "being a napkin person."  You know, the person who always just brings the napkins to events.  Never really contributing much else.  Ha!  I have recently gained that title.  And I must tell you, it comes in quite handy when you're on the go with a young toddler so often! 

Starstruck in Hollywood

Okay.  So I know I said I did zero planning, but actually I did make two reservations.  Character dining and a dinner show.  I knew that I pretty much had to do that if we wanted to attend either.  My family has been to Chef Mickey before, and I wanted something different.  I found breakfast at the Grand Floridian resort at 1900 Park Fare.  A Supercalifragilistic Breakfast!  It was wonderful.  Very different from Chef Mickey.  It was a calm atmosphere featuring Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and the Mad Hatter.  They came around to the tables for pictures and autographs while we enjoyed a delicious breakfast.  Chef Mickey has all the classic characters, but I knew we would see them throughout the week.  I have no regrets making this decision.  A wonderful experience!  Highly recommend it...especially with very young children.

This was our first peek into what Millie Janalee would be like for the remainder of our character sightings.  I wasn't sure how she would react.  Especially after our Santa Clause experience.  But she was amazing!!  Seriously.  Amazing!

This is pretty much how all the adults looked the entire trip!  Hands full of cameras, video cameras, or iPhone cameras.

Susu and Pawpaw seemed more surprised by Tigger's unexpected appearance than Millie Janalee.  Ha!  He snuck up behind them for a photo opp before visiting with Millie Janalee.

Millie Janalee waved and smiled and blew kisses at the characters as they stopped by.  She kissed Pooh on the nose and gave Tigger a high five.  Alice in Wonderland never stopped talking about mushrooms and hairbows and Tinkerbell, so Millie Janalee thought she was very interesting.  Mary Poppins was as sweet as could be.  She also commented on her cute red bows and loved the kisses Millie Janalee sent her way.

Then came the Mad Hatter.  He wasn't quiet like Tigger and Pooh.  He wasn't sweet and kind like Alice and Mary Poppins.  He was loud and silly and had a giant hat.  Something about that combination didn't set well with Millie Janalee and she was immediately frightened to tears.  She still managed a high five as quiet tears ran down her face.  Bless her!

After our breakfast, Russ had to leave to register for his conference.  In case you didn't know, that's why we came to Disney in the first place.  Russ had a radiology conference at one of the Disney resorts, and we tagged along for fun.  So each morning, Russ went to conference while we played in Disney World.  Then, he joined us around lunchtime each day.

We said our "goodbyes" to Russ, and the rest of us headed off to our first full day of Disney fun!  At Hollywood Studios.  Originally, I worried that there wouldn't be much for a 19 month old to do.  I was wrong.  Immediately, we spotted Pluto and Goofy.  Millie Janalee recognized them from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse I'm assuming, because she ran right to them!  She needed a little encouragement when we first met Goofy and Pluto.  Then the characters switched to Daisy and Donald Duck.  She took  her little autograph book right up to them, gave them hugs, and took pictures.  She loved them!

 

If you've ever been to Disney, you understand that standing in line to see four characters for photos and autographs takes a little bit of time.  It was SO WORTH IT!  So after those introductions, she was ready for a nap.  While she napped, we took a ride on The Great Movie Ride.  Russ met up with us by then also.  She slept right through it.  Perfect! 

By the time she woke up, we were ready to find Mickey and Minnie.  I stood in line with my mom while Russ and Pawpaw took Millie Janalee around to play and explore.  She managed to find some characters on her own.

We also realized that the Minnie Mouse line was significantly shorter than the Mickey Mouse line.  I have no idea why, because HELLO it's MINNIE MOUSE!  We immediately left our line for Minnie's.  I knew we could find Mickey anywhere.  And, OH, how glad I am that we left for Minnie Mouse!  Because there was never a more perfect meeting than that of Minnie Mouse and Millie Janalee.  

I promise!  NEVER.  My mom proclaimed that she could leave now.  She no longer needed to see the rest.  Nothing could top this, and she was right.  Millie Janalee LOVED Minnie Mouse!  She was starstruck.  She hugged her, kissed her, covered her mouth as she giggled with glee, gasped with her mouth wide open when she signed her book, ran to her with open arms to hug her again.  Simply love at first sight between these two!  I will be forever thankful to have this moment on video, and I'm glad Russ was there to see it!  Simply perfect!

After meeting Minnie, we headed toward our next Fastpass+ experience...Disney Junior Live.  We passed Sofia the First on our way and waved to her as well. (No picture of that though.)  There were a few attractions that I will always love simply because of how they planned the wait in line.  Disney Jr. is one of them.  They had Disney Jr. shows playing on various televisions throughout the line, so Millie Janalee was entertained and not squirmy wormy while we waited.  We enjoyed the show...or what little we could see of it.  We were on the first row, and us adults could barely see over the stage to see the puppets.  So I know Millie Janalee probably missed half of it.  She didn't seem to mind much though.  I lifted her up as much as I could.  The music and voices kept her looking for characters.  She knew they were there somewhere.  Bless her.

On our way out of the park, we caught a street show.  A band played and sang while kids danced in the street all over.  I let Millie Janalee out of her stroller so she could break it down!  And she did!  She had a blast meeting new friends, dancing, jumping, and singing along.  She pretty much put on her own little sideshow for those spectators around her.  Hilarious!

So if anyone is wondering about toddlers in Hollywood Studios, I would say go for it!  Millie Janalee had a blast!  And so did we.  No, we didn't ride the Tower of Terror or Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.  We didn't even have time to see Beauty and the Beast or play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. (Remember we got there late since we had our character breakfast that morning.)  But we filled our day completely and had so much fun!  We even got a nap in somewhere.

We left Millie Janalee's first visit to Hollywood Studios with absolutely no regrets!

We finished our evening with a trip to the grocery store for groceries before calling it a night of rest and recouping for our little sickly one.  She was such a trooper!

We're Going to Disney World!

Valentine's Day, we woke up at the crack of dawn to catch our 8:00 am flight out of Memphis.  Anyone who knows Millie Janalee and me knows that we are not "crack of dawn" people.  However, we both woke up just as happy as could be.  Who wouldn't be happy when YOU'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD?!

After we got dressed and ready and let Russ load the car, Minnie gave Millie Janalee all her Valentine's happies.  We didn't get very far as the light up Minnie wand took complete attention away from anything else.  (Best $3 spent ever!)  We would have to open the rest at the airport before we boarded.  She did manage to take her Daddy his Valentine card before we headed out the door.

After opening several Valentine's gifts from Susu and Pawpaw, from Aunt Nana, and from us...we boarded our plane for Orlando.  We had a pleasant flight, and Millie Janalee took a full nap.  I'll spare you the details of our rental car ordeal, but OH MY at the drama.  Eventually, we ended up at our home away from home for the week.

We stayed in the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.  We have never stayed here before, but my mom camped at the Fort Wilderness campground as a teen and we were up for a trip down Memory Lane.  Also, we liked that we would all be together instead of two different rooms. 

The cabin was smaller than I expected, but very nice and rustic.  There was one bedroom with bunk beds and full bed.  Then there was a full bed that pulled out from the wall in the living area.  We also had a full kitchen.  Perfect for a family!  My mom's favorite part, besides her pull-out bed, was the little table and chairs Millie Janalee's size.  Millie Janalee enjoyed them too. 

We began the task of figuring out the transportation system for our resort.  There was an internal bus system, a ferry, and the buses that left from certain posts for the parks.  It was all quite confusing on our first day.  And since I did absolutely ZERO planning for this trip, I had no clue which to take.  Ha!  My parents would learn what it is like to vacation without an itinerary...which I was sure would send my mother to her grave.  We proclaimed it easier to just drive to Downtown Disney to stroll and eat.  I would look at the transportation on a need-to-know basis.

That's just how I roll these days.  Ha!

Millie Janalee enjoyed meeting new friends that shared her title as "princess."  She mostly enjoyed the freedom of walking around after spending all day in car seats and in the air.  The weather was cool but comfortable, and we were all full of excitement for the week to come.

Susu, Millie Janalee, and me

Millie Janalee and Pawpaw

Millie Janalee and I took a spin on the "choo choo".  She loved it.  She blew kisses and waved as we passed everyone.  Then it was time to get off.  Uh oh.  She did NOT want to get off the "choo choo."  She was heartbroken and had a mini-meltdown.  Ha!  I realized then that we would need a "getting off and onto the next ride" strategy for the rest of the week.  Rides are too fun to have to get off!

We enjoyed our time shopping through the Disney shops and stopping for ice cream.  Millie Janalee was happy to be in Disney World.  And so were we!

When we arrived at our cabin for the night, Millie Janalee enjoyed some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse before calling it a night and resting up for our big week.  We knew she would need her rest, because she was battling a cold/cough that began a day or two before leaving town.  Of course!

Tomorrow the magic would begin!  And she didn't even know it yet.

Whew! We're Back!

"Whew!  What a magical whirlwind!"

We arrived home from Disney World this afternoon, and we are slowly getting back into the real world.  I think we are all suffering from a mild "magic deficiency" since our flight landed causing depression and a longing to return!  Millie Janalee was asleep by 8:15 for the first time in forever, and Russ and I are headed to bed too.  Nothing is unpacked, but the pictures have been uploaded.

First things first, you know.

We had an amazing time, and Millie Janalee was BORN FOR DISNEY MAGIC!  There is so much perfection to share, but for now I'll leave it here and go to bed.

Phyllis's Story {God Gave Us Love}

God has a way of providing for His children in just the right time.  I will attempt to share as much of our adoption story as I can but please understand there are some details of her story that are very personal and we wish to keep those private.  So here goes ...

Nick and I married June 18, 2005.  I knew long before our marriage that I wanted children...I've always loved children.  So about a year after we were married we agreed to start trying the "natural" way.  Well a year turned into 2...then 3...then 4....then 5....so on.   We saw several doctors, heard lots of advise (some good and bad), and even had some procedures but needless did we know God had other plans for our family. y.  After 4 1/2 years of fertility treatments in April 2011, we were finally PREGNANT!!!! Excited was not the word...I was one top of the world.  But, I soon began to have problems and at 5 1/2 weeks we lost our sweet little innocent baby.  I did not realize you could love someone so much you had never met.  Devastated was not the word; I can't begin to describe feelings we experiencing individually and as a couple.  Well of course the doctors all said "don't give up...it will happen again...it's a great sign you can get pregnant."  So I tried to remain positive. The days seem to pass more quickly and before we knew it 6 months had passed and there I was PRENGANT AGAIN.  Well of course this time I tried to protect my heart but there is just no hiding the love a mother has a for her child (even if is unborn).  Well as you can guess within a few weeks here we were having problems again.  I tried to remain positive but as a nurse practitioner I soon realized the road we were headed down again. At 8 1/2 weeks I miscarried again but this time there were complications associated with the miscarriage and I found myself admitted to the hospital and in surgery on a Saturday night. The 2nd loss was even more devastating than the first but by God's grace we have survived.  The holidays were hard but with the love of our family and friends we made it through.

Through much prayer and debate about our next steps in our adventure to be parents was dealing with the feeling we were being called to ADOPT.  If you would have told me how blessed we would be just by saying "Yes" to God's will and perfect timing for our family I just might not have believed you.

Many of you will never fully understand the heartache that comes with years of infertility and while I would not have chosen this path for myself I am glad that God chose me for this journey.  Although it wasn’t easy, I wouldn't change a thing.  God definitely made me a better, stronger person through this journey.


On Thursday, August 1, 2013, we received a call from a friend informing us of a potential private adoption.  All we knew at the time was she was 26 weeks along and it was a girl... well that was enough for me.  Two days later, Saturday, August 3, 2013, we met the birth mom and a friend of hers for dinner.  You could tell from the moment we met God had his hand all over this sweet girl and on the precious baby she was carrying.  As we sat and talked for a couple of hours and we shared our story with her she made the decision that night that she wanted us to be this precious girl's parents.  WOW ... we were shocked, scared, excited all in one.  So imagine how hard it was to keep this great secret for 2 months!!!.  



 As the weeks passed and we met with a lawyer and she did the same we began secretly preparing our home for the new arrival.  We made lots of trips to Memphis or Tupelo and late night runs to our local Wal-Mart hoping not to get caught with our purchases.  As we secretly awaited the arrival of our sweet girl we began falling in love with the thought of becoming parents; however, little did we know just how much our hearts would grow once we met Nora Kate.



Nora's expected due date was set for November 3, 2013.  I too am a November baby so I was excited to share my birth month with our little girl.  On Saturday, October 12, 2013, Nick and I went to have dinner with the birth mom and her mother just to catch up and begin preparations for our little arrival.  We arrived home around 10pm and when I text the birth mom to let her know we were home safely her response was quite a shock.  It read, "well I'm at the hospital my water broke when we got home they are keeping me waiting on delivery!"  I immediately sprung into action gathering up a baby bag for Nora (yes I was unprepared I thought I had a little more time) and throwing some things in a bag for us and most of all making sure we didn't forget the car seat!! Off we went to await the arrival of our greatest blessing.  We made it in record timing!!! Glad there was no traffic and no cops!!



The next several hours are somewhat of a blur.  As we made camp in the family waiting room pushing chairs together managing to sleep a few minutes here and there the night lasted forever.  Into the next day time inched by as we waited for the notice of the birth.  Nora Katherine was born on Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 2:35pm.  She weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces and was 18.5 inches long and absolutely perfect.  As we anxiously awaited the time to meet this little miracle my heart was overflowing with love for someone I had never met.  As the nursery nurse placed the infant arm band on my arm tears of joy and sadness filled my heart.  For in this instant I knew my dreams of motherhood were finally coming true yet my heart ached for the birth mother and the decision she was making.  Nick and I instantly began praying for this sweet, innocent, miracle we had yet to meet and we prayed for the birth mother and her family as they began dealing with the hours and days to come.  



It was love at first sight!!!

When this sweet little miracle was placed in my arms for the first time you can tell from the picture it was a very emotional time.  I had waited for 7 years to be called "momma" and as the nurse laid her in my arms and called me momma my heart melted.

In the 10+ years we have been together I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen by husband cry ... but this one topped this list!!! I've never seen someone cry such tears of joy (besides myself).  It's amazing how quickly this little baby has melted his heart!!


After we were able to spend some alone time with Nora Katherine we decided we better share our little miracle with the rest of the family.  As you can see from the pictures below the grandparents were just as excited as we were.  Nick is an only child so this is the first grandchild for his parents who are pictured below.


Even though my parents are a pro at this grandparent thing with little Nora being the 5th grandchild, they were just as excited to welcome this miracle baby we had prayed for, for so long.

So as you can tell, October 13, 2013, will be a day my family will remember for many years.  While the seven years of waiting was hard and often tested our faith, God’s plans had been in the works for many years.  For you see, the number seven means completion ...

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all His work.  Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done " Genesis 2:2-3.

Our family of three is now complete!!!



Happy Valentine's Day!

What a difference a year makes!

 Happy Valentine's from our little family to yours!  Russ and I have never been real big on celebrating Valentine's Day.  It's a year to year thing.  In the past, we may go out to eat at a nice restaurant or not. Depends on the mood.  When we were dating, I'm sure we did it up big.  But I honestly can't remember.  Hmm.  Valentine's with kids is way more fun than a fancy night out and dressing up.  I'm not a big fan of getting all fixed up for a night out anyway.  That's more Russ's thing.  

Does that make me weird?  

But give me time to pull out the paint for homemade Valentine's and take cute pictures of my sweetheart, and I'm on Cloud Nine!

 

We will be spending the day celebrating our family.  And the love that binds us!  Which brings me to one of my favorite quotes: "Love makes a family."  So true!  And Russ and I are incredibly blessed with so many we consider a part of our family.  We are loved!  And blessed forever!

So, how will you spend your Valentine's Day?  If you have big, fancy plans...good for you!  Have a blast!  If you are spending it at home watching the Olympics eating take-out...have fun! And if you are spending today dreaming of the days you will make your own homemade Valentine's with a little one...I'll say a prayer for you!  Next year could be your year!

And then you'll see that it was PERFECT!  Every waiting moment. 

Tis So Sweet to trust in Him!