Our Family Beginnings

18 month photos!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 22:11:00 +0000

A friend of ours is a photographer and she took some awesome 18 month photos of our little lady. Shout out to Justine for being a rockstar photographer, by the way. Makaela didn't sit still for more than 5 seconds and was more interested in the pinecones and the lake than the camera.

I'm amazed at all the moments she was able to capture. XoXo.

On Facebook these profile shots seemed to be the fave :)

I'm happy she shared with us some of her sassy face photos as well. She directs this look at me several times a day. Don't even talk to me about the "teen years."

And this is her famous "Where'd he/she/it go?"

I love the angle on this one.

And this friends, is real life. Hahahah. How DARE WE put her in a chair!

Hey Makaela, where's your nose?

Do you have a fave? I change my mind every time I scroll through!

Pumpkin painting!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 23:49:00 +0000

We painted pumpkins today! And guess what, this year I could actually take photos of the process because I wasn't having to hold her up and stick her hands in the paint like last year ;)

I set up Makaela's little work station in the kitchen and she was anxious to get started!

We used the same Crayola washable fingerpaint from last year, it makes for easy clean up off her skin!

She alternated between using her paintbrushes and her hands...

Look at all the colors! Would you believe that the mess never left her "workstation"? I was shocked (and thrilled).

It didn't hurt that she ADORES washing her hands...

The final product is super cute and she sure was proud of her work!

We are letting her masterpieces dry over night, but we just may get wild and crazy and add stickers later this week. Take THAT Pinterest.

Would you look at how much that little pumpkin has grown since last Fall?!

XoXo.

Update: I just noticed that Google created a .gif using the photos I uploaded....annnnnd it's kind of hilarious.

Pumpkin Patchin'

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 22:12:00 +0000

On Saturday we went to Aplin Farms! We had a great time visiting with the animals...

And playing in/on the inflatables...

I seriously loved the slide and may have overly encouraged that we keep going on it...

We also loved being pumpkin heads...

And when we needed a little snack/drink break, we hopped on the train for a ride through the sunflower fields...

After resting up on our train ride, we took a wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch, and we sniffed beautiful sunflowers...

We hunted for the perfect pumpkin...

Makaela may or may not have grabbed one, yelled "bAWWWL!" (ball) and rolled it aggressively. Oops.

We explained they were pumpkins and she looked at us like we were nuts, and requested a "han" (hand) to hold and continue walking through the field. She tripped and face planted in the dirt approximately 7 times, but who's counting?

Turns out she did know what pumpkins were because a little later she started greeting all of the pumpkins. "Hi Pum Hi Pum!" and then she would bend down and kiss it.

Lottttts of love for dem pumpkins...

And when we told her we had to leave to get back on the wagon, you guessed it, she changed her tune to "Bye Pum!" and the kissing continued...

What a great time we had, and what a different experience from last year. Look how little baby Mak was last Fall!

That little pumpkin butt was just starting solid foods and hadn't even learned to crawl yet. Things sure do change fast!

Who you calling a pumpkin butt??

Order Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 00:29:00 +0000

Last night Tim went to pick up a special new toy for Makaela. She always fusses for a couple minutes when he goes out the door, but last night she tried out a new tactic. When it got quiet, I knew it was time to check on her and this is what I found.

Me: "Oh you want to go on a stroller walk?"

Mak: "Yah! Go, go, go!"

Me: "I wish we could, but remember it's almost night-night time. It's very dark, but let's go on a walk tomorrow morning."

...and then she kicked back in the stroller, and I went back about my business. A couple minutes later I hear the door knob rattling.

I admire your inventive, adventurous spirit kid, but we're still not going on a walk.

Tim enjoyed these funny pictures when he got home, but unfortunately the little nugget was in bed already when he arrived, so she'd have to wait until morning to see her new toy.

And you know what, it was a good thing, because the girl played with her new diner ALL DAY. If she had gotten it before bed, she may have pulled an all nighter.

She has a play kitchen, but this takes it up a notch. This is a play kitchen with seating attached! It is set up like a little diner...so cute. She ate breakfast, lunch and sevvvvveral snacks in her diner today. It took some convincing, but she had dinner with us like normal at the table.

Have I mentioned that? She sits in a normal chair at our dining room table! Like an adult. No booster. No high chair. Totally the big leagues. It makes meal time so cute. Oh and being the sophisticated lady that she is, she insists on always using utensils. Sometimes this means eating a spoonful of blueberries. And if she can't manage to scoop it up, she picks up the item and places it onto her spoon and THEN puts it in her mouth. Yes, that's right, when she had corn with dinner the other night she would pick up one kernel, place it on her spoon and then put that HUGE bite ;-) into her mouth. We were at the table for awhile. Sorry, that was a long side tangent. It's just adorable to witness.

Grandpa and Grandma are going to be proud and love this little diner...keeping the family business alive!

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 12:05:00 +0000

We didn't have to go far to reach Sesame Street. It turns out it was only a block away. Recently, the USO and Sesame Street put on a special performance for military families in our area. Lucky for us, we got tickets!

Makaela has loved Elmo for what seems like forever. Something about him being red, I think, is what drew her in originally, and now she recognizes him on anything - if there is an Elmo book, she wants it, an Elmo plate, she's gotta eat off it and if Elmo is on a commercial, prepare to see a toddler's MIND. BLOWN.

The performance was held inside a gym, we got there early enough that we landed an awesome spot on the gym floor. And let me just say, sitting on a gym floor sure does feel different at 29 vs 9. Yikes. Anyway, when we got there they gave everyone a nice USO bandana and all the kids got a special Elmo light-up-spinner toy. You know, the kind you pay $20 for at a normal event, haha.

That little toy certainly came in handy while waiting for the show to start. That, and goldfish crackers. When do those NOT make a toddler situation better?

Once the show started, Makaela was locked in. It's possible that she didn't blink for the entire 30 minute show.

The show was perfect - just the right amount of singing and dancing. It appropriately focused on moving, and making new friends, go figure.

There were even some parts where Elmo and his buddies came into the crowd. We were on an aisle so Makaela scored some high-fives and a couple pats on the head.

That was really great because throughout the show she had been blowing kisses to Elmo. Probably like 17 kisses, and she seemed to get her feelings hurt when he didn't blow a kiss back! It was cute and sad all at the same time. Perhaps she didn't notice the 75 other kids in the room that Elmo also needed to give attention to ;-)

We were so thankful to have had this opportunity, it really was a blast!! It is all Makaela talked about for the rest of the day. Seriously.

18 month check up and a crappy ending to the day...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 12:12:00 +0000

Makaela had her 18 month check up on Wednesday. Can you believe she is already a year and a half old? I certainly cannot!

She is such an intelligent, affectionate, silly little (okay, not so little) girl.

Right now she is loving:

- Playing at the park or anywhere that she can run free - the more space the better.

- Holding hands ("han") and giving kisses. Kisses for mom, kisses for dad, kisses for her food, kisses for the window - you name it, haha.

- Reading. No joke, she will go days without touching a toy, but don't take away her books!

- Coloring. If you'd like a limited edition Makaela print, send us your address, hahaha ;-)

- Songs that she can act out motions to, like The Wheels on the Bus and Itsy Bitsy Spider.

- Learning! She knows all of her body parts, loves when we count or say the alphabet, and is learning her colors.

- Making decisions. We try and give her choices whenever possible, and she does a great job letting us know what she wants.

And sometimes she likes to play in her baby toys...this girl...

Oh my, how you have grown...

As far as her check-up went, she is healthy! She wasn't happy, but after a sucker, a sticker and a high five from her nurse she was willing to put their differences aside.

Ignore the name misspelling. As we suspected, our girl is growing, growing growing (proportionally! haha). She got 3 shots at her appointment, but doesn't need anymore until she is 4 years old - woo hoo! She wanted to pick off her band-aids until I told her they were stickers for being brave, that just took the coolness level up a few notches and she isn't concerned about her "boo boo" anymore. Within a couple hours of her appointment she was at gym class having the time of her life.

So perhaps you're wondering why the title mentions a crappy ending to the day, well I literally mean there was crap involved. Mak has a little rash on her upper thigh right where her diaper rubs, of course, so we let her run around for a little bit without a diaper...you see where this is going...

Yes, the child has a fashion sense all her own...those are Daddy's socks. She's going for the toddler assless chaps look, I think.

ANYWAY, while I was washing some dishes Makaela was playing with her guitar in the kitchen. I look over to check on her and what do you know, poop right below where she is squatting down. It was hilarious, to be honest. She had 0% awareness of the poop. Don't interrupt my jam session Mom, jeeeeeez.

Thankfully it wasn't messy, so I cleaned her up and she was back on her way...without a diaper, because I ASSUMED she was done. Boy, did I learn my lesson.

About 15 minutes later, she was staring out the back window watching the landscapers cut a neighbor's grass, and I was in the dining room. Suddenly I hear, "kuk-ka" "mama!" So I go in to see that she has crap ALL over her foot, oozing through her toes (nice visual for ya).

We had always taught her to just brush stuff off, like wood chips or dirt or whatever when she falls at the park, welllll that came back to bite me because now she was trying to "brush off" the poop on her foot. Yep, now her hand was covered in poop. The least of my worries was the poop pile on the floor and the poop foot prints on my carpet.

I didn't even have the slightest clue how to pick her up without getting crap all over myself...I thought I had succeeded, until 5 minutes later when I saw my entire arm had poop smeared all over it. LOL. As "crappy" as the situation was, it really made me laugh - it was totally one of those "omg, this is happening" moments.

Needless to say, the rest of our day was spent bathing and steam cleaning the carpets.

She cleans up well, I must admit...

Oktoberfest!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 00:19:00 +0000

Last night we went to Oktoberfest in our neighborhood. We knew what to expect because we had gone last year, so we were super stoked for Makaela to experience all the kid stuff she was too small to enjoy last year.

It was actually a bit "chilly" so Makaela rocked her skinny jeans and her Converse - her first pair of lace up shoes, ah!

And she helped herself to a juice box for the road...

Because the festival was only two blocks from our house, we just strolled on over. Yay for not having to search for a parking spot!

First we walked around and looked at everything, because we knew once miss thang was out of her stroller there would be no going back.

And we enjoyed some not very authentic German food, and beer with Oktoberfest in the name ;-)

There were lots of activities for the kids - pumpkin painting, face painting, zip lines, bounce houses, pony rides and more.

Makaela loved running (and sometimes marching) around, waving to everyone and of course making friends along the way.

I didn't expect her to want to go in the bounce house because a month ago when she was exposed to one it made her nervous, but she surprised me and confidently ran right over to the bounce house and began to climb in!! See ya later mom!

For the most part she preferred to crawl around, but every once in awhile she'd stand up and give a little bounce, bounce.

We were so proud of her for trying something new, and LOVED watching her hang and play with the other kids. It was impossible not to smile from ear to ear.

After the excitement of the bounce house she was ready to go check out the ponies!

"You mean I get to sit ON TOP of an animal?!"

At first she kept saying "moo moo." LOL. Then we reminded her these were horses, and then she was all about "nay nay."

Last time she rode a pony, Daddy walked with her, this time Mama walked along side her girl, while Daddy captured some nice photos.

She absolutely loved it and did not seem hesitant at all. What a happy girl!!

After a couple rounds she started waving to everyone as she passed by. Such a ham.

At the end we told her she could pet the horse "just like you pet Ginger."

She did a great job being gentle and I think her horse friend liked the pets ;-)

After the pony ride, we burst her bubble and told her it was time to go home. Makaela waved to us, said "bah!" and ran off in the opposite direction. Sorry sweetheart, you have to go home WITH us.

She cried most of the way home as Tim and I took turns carrying her because she was wiggling out of control. The only bad part of having fun is that it has to come to an end!

Oh hello, it's been awhile...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 23:54:00 +0000

I knew it had been awhile since I last posted, I think about the blog everyday, but DANG I didn't realize it had been THIS long. It was so nice to receive a text from a friend today saying "hey! we miss the updates!" I LOVE that my friends and family care to follow Mak's journey of growing up!

We had a crazy busy summer that was full of fun trips, and awesome visitors - I'll be catching up with all those photos soon - you'll literally be able to watch Makaela grow through the pictures, it's gonna be great. But for tonight I wanted to share some photos from story time at the library this week!

Mak has been going to story time since she was 6 months old, so almost a year now. Wowzers. When we first started going I was proud that she could sit up on her own. Now she points out the characters in the stories we read, claps and acts out the songs we sing, play dress up and actually understands how to help clean up all the toys at the end of the program ;-)

She loves wearing the dress up hats at story time...and passing them out to other parents and kids to wear, whether they want to or not ;-)

It's been so fun not only watching her grow up, but also watching her pals grow up. We've made some great friends through the program, and are always meeting new people who have just moved to the area. I love that Mak gets to play and learn with her buddies and I get to hang with some cool parents.

I swear this isn't child labor, haha. The kids seriously won't let us clean up the rug, they insist on doing it together. Teamwork!

I'm so thankful for the programs our libraries put on - they do an amazing job!

Alright guys, I'm making some changes with the workload for my job so blog posts will be MUCH more frequent...I may even annoy you. I'm serious this time. Count on it! XoXo

Mak's First Gymnastics Class!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 16:56:00 +0000

Mak went to her first gymnastics class on Wednesday! The first class is free, so I figured we'd give it a try. This particular session is for ages 1-3. I really didn't know what to expect, but I sort of envisioned her clinging to my leg the whole time.

I couldn't have been more wrong. She immediately spotted the slide and went at it.

The videos don't even capture the pure joy and excitement she showed. Omg, it was the cutest thing ever. She ran all around, went on the trampoline, climbed on mats and in tunnels, and of course frequented the slide.

The only time she was a little hesitant was when her teacher was helping her on the balance beam. SO ADORABLE.

At the end of class we played the parachute game. Do you remember that from elementary school? Everyone grabs a corner, flings it up and down and then you run under it. Makaela thought this was the GREATEST. Again, surprising me. I see lots of fort-making in this little lady's future.

Soon I hope to post on everything that has happened over the past month that I haven't blogged, and actually even before that because I was behind back then, haha. Time to play catch up!

Makaela Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 13:05:00 +0000

Last week before bath time, someone decided she wanted to run around naked. Be free little one, be free.

She thought it was the best thing ever, especially when she peed on the kitchen floor. And of course, she slipped and fell in her pee pile while trying to run away. Oh but don't worry, she grabbed herself a wipe and cleaned up her lady parts.

My god, the things she picks up, lol.

Too bad she wiped back to front, we'll work on that, oh and then used the same wipe to clean up the table.

SUCH a helper!!

And after all that excitement, someone decided to swipe an empty McDonald's cup and kick back.

#talkdirtytome

It was between her and ScarJo for the big Soda Stream Superbowl commercial.

And T.Swift just BARELY beat her out for that diet soda ad.

Had to, sorry.

One Year Ago

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 19:25:00 +0000

One year ago today we arrived in our new home state of Alabama. Mak was itty-bitty, and most definitely couldn't take selfies like she can now.

Spare us the talk about camera angles, Tyra Banks.

We've come so far.

15 month WBC and Makaela's Dictionary

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 00:58:00 +0000

Miss Makaela is 15 months old! Crazy huh? In honor of this milestone we spent FAR too much time at the clinic, thanks to a front-desk snafu in which they didn't actually check us in, so the staff didn't know we were there. Good times.

Oh well, what can you do? We are thrilled to report we have a healthy little lady...with a giant head, for her big brains of course :)

And after filling out the 15 month questionnaire at Mak's appointment, it got me thinking about all the words she says, so I thought it would be fun to share Mak's Dictionary...a Maktionary if you will :)

I'll set it up like this:

Mak version of the word - definition/how she uses it

Hiiii - Hi and also a general filler for when things are too quiet

Dee-da! - See ya, bye bye. The girl loves sending off strangers.
Dane-doo! - Thank you! Polite little nugget.
Q-meh - Excuse me. Mostly when we tell her "say excuse me Ginge" because Ginge likes to act as a road block.

Duh-dee - Daddy, often combined with see ya - "Dee-da-duh-dee-Dee-da!" always with great enthusiasm.

MeMe or Mam-ee - Mama. RARELY used. That's the way it always goes, right?

Gigi - Ginger, our dog. Most commonly said phrase by Mak currently is "Hiiiii Gigi Hiiii Gigi Hiiiii Gigi"

ErRah - Rocky, our dog. Usually said as if she is calling him, or when she is looking for him.

WoofWoof - Dog and all other furry looking animals with tails :)

Duck- Duck. And bird. And sometimes large bugs that fly.

AyAn - Elephant. We look at lots of animal pictures, most of the time she just looks and points, but with elephant she likes to try to say it.

Eee-Eee - Monkey. Only used when she sees a picture of a monkey.

A-va, A-va - Vacuum. Sometimes she loves it, sometimes she fears it.

Uh-oh! - Uh-oh. Used when something drops, OR when she purposely lets something go AND if she sees garbage of any sort, crayons, you name it on the floor at a restaurant or other fine establishment :)

Hiya - Helicopter. She loves watching for them and pointing to them, and makes a raspberry noise to combine with the frantic pointing and shouting of "hiya hiya hiya!"

Papa - Papa, phone, iPad. This started because we would ask her if she wanted to FaceTime with Papa. Now all electronics are "papa" whether she is playing a game, listening to music or actually talking to Papa.

Nuh-nuh - No. She often walks through the backyard, looks at dog crap and say "nuh-nuh." Glad she knows her boundaries on that one, haha.

All-guh - All gone! And when grapes are "all-guh" the girl will LET YOU KNOW.

Bebe - Baby. Basically used for anyone that looks under 12. But the cutest is when she loves on her "bebe" doll. Lately she even tries to change her baby's diaper, feed her, put her down for a nap, clap her hands, all of it- adorable.

Buh - Book. She will tear through her stacks of books until she finds the exact one she is looking for.

GUUh - Go! She likes to help and tell the dogs to "GUUh" to their room when we are leaving to go out on an adventure.

Vroo-Vroo - Cars, Trucks, Motorcyles. All things that go vroom vroom, duhhhhh.

CruCka - Cracker. This is said in a very gurgly-deep in the throat way. We think this was actually her first official word.
Haaa-Ttt - Hot. It sure is Haaa-Ttt when we get in the car.
NumNum- Yummy. Chocolate is especially NumNum.

Yaya or Yusssssss- Yes. Usually she just shakes her head VERRRRY slowly. It is the sweetest.

HeyUL - Hi y'all. We just taught her this. She is officially a southern belle.

Makaela really is good at communicating her needs and wants. She also gives a lot of non-verbal cues, either by pointing, signing, and bringing you or taking you to what she wants. Don't get me wrong, we still get the "ehh ehhh" whine but it's not an all day thing (THANK.GOD.)

She is also great at following directions, so it is CLEAR when she is just CHOOSING to ignore our instruction. Yeah, we're onto you smarty pants ;-)

Happy Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 01:28:00 +0000

Happy Father's Day! Makaela loves her Daddy something fierce, and rightly so. He's the greatest.

He makes everything more fun. Makaela laughs harder, smiles bigger and loves deeper because of this guy right here.

Nothing makes my heart happier than when I see these two together. Whether they are having a sing-a-long in the car, sharing pancakes, or playing soccer - every moment is cherished.

Father's Day 2014

My how someone has grown.

Father's Day 2013

I don't say it enough, but thank you for being you Tim. Thank you for always loving me and your baby girl. I love you.

We haven't dropped off the face of the Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 23:54:00 +0000

We really haven't dropped off the face of the Earth. I have SO much I want to blog about but it's been a little impossible this past week. Work has been busy, we have family in town and oh yeah Mak got 3 more molars in one day and there are a few more just waiting to break through. Yep, I'm being a whiny mama, I have no shame.

Makaela has been having a really hard time with this round of teething. From projectile vomiting, to just general all day whining, and no naps, it's been rough for everyone.

But I promise, we've squeezed in some fun lately and I have the pictures to prove it which I will post as soon as I can pull together a coherent thought/post :)

XoXo

Pool days

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 01:04:00 +0000

The pool is open and we are l-o-v-ing it! Each time we go Mak gets more comfortable, and more courageous. She really enjoys the splash area, but also loves when Daddy or Mama takes her all the way in the pool to swim. Mak always has her eyes on the big kids. God, before we know it she'll be jumping right in.

Makaela is a true southern girl now and has all of the must-have essentials for staying safe in the sun, while still having fun.

We really appreciate how easy going she is when it comes to wearing a hat, sunnies, and water shoes. She doesn't love the sunscreen application part, but at this point, she has accepted it, haha.

Oh and we've tried a couple swim diapers - a reuseable one from the Honest Company - LOVE! Granted, she hasn't gone potty in it yet, so we might change our tune if that happens ;)

Also, loving the disposable Lil Swimmers, but they can get a little pricey if we're using them often!

In addition to spending time at the pool, we along with our friends have started to bust out the kiddie pools and sprinklers. The kids are having a blast!

And we have a blast watching the silly things they do and snapping photos of the ridiculous faces they are always making...

Someone thinks they are hot stuff, I won't name names ;-)

Tooth five has arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sat, 31 May 2014 11:42:00 +0000

Makaela had a molar pop through two days ago! Nevermind the fact that she still doesn't have all of her incisors. A top molar - this is officially big girl territory!

Frankly, I'm just happy we have one more tooth down and didn't have a sleepless night. In fact, we didn't even notice until Tim was fishing around in her mouth, so honestly, maybe it popped through days before, haha.

Hindsight, she did sleep A LOT the night before and day of (but who minds that?!) and there has been a LOT of drooling and ~~biting~~ gnawing on things, but it's really hard to know if it's all related, right?

Oh, and that's just us, FaceTiming Elmo. No big deal.

Gotta keep our buddy in the loop, don't ya know ;-)

Adorable things Makaela has been doing lately...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Wed, 28 May 2014 00:39:00 +0000

Get ready for cuteness overload. Turn your imagination on and picture each of these ADORABLE things Makaela has been doing lately. Your heart just may melt...

- Lately, when Mak plays peek-a-boo a majority of the time she covers her ears instead of her eyes. She still seems equally surprised and excited even when she can still see the whole time, haha. I about die when I see those adorable little pudgy hands actually cover her peepers though - usually she pokes her eyeball or pulls down on her eyelid. It is fantastic.

- Lately, when I'm cleaning off the glass table or the sliding glass doors, my little shadow, aka quality control, is two feet behind me pointing to each spot I missed and following up with an "uh oh uh oh." Did I mention when she points, she usually smears her little fingerprints even more on the area I just cleaned? :)

- Lately, Mak loves to push her "be-be" around in her toy stroller. She even plays music for her baby, and kisses her after she drops her on the ground. Such a sweet girl. "Be-be" is definitely a favorite word right now, and refers to anyone that looks younger than 12. In fact, at the grocery store today as we passed a young boy, probably 9 years old, Mak said "be-be!" I heard the boy quietly say to his mom as we walked away "Mom, I think that baby called you a baby."

- Lately, Mak likes to dig through the diaper bag, particularly when we are at restaurants. She loves taking stuff in and out, in and out. The other day when we were at a little Italian place, I had forgotten that I stuck some feminine hygiene products in my bag. I was quickly reminded when she flung one into the restaurant aisle. I locked eyes with a nice, young 22 year old man when this happened. Sweet!

- Lately, Lady M is obsessed with playing outside. Okay, that's not really new. What is new is that she now brings you her shoes when she's ready to go. Sometimes it's the right pair, sometimes it's one flip flop and one Tom. This is an improvement from a short spell of head banging on the door to signal wanting to play outside.

Also, related to outdoor play...someone likes to sneak around to the backside of the house to poop. Red face, grunts and all. Ironically, the backside of the house is ALSO the dog's favorite potty spot. The similarities, just keep coming.

- Lately, our little lady is digging toy cars and helicopters. She pushes them on the ground (and along Ginger's back...) and makes them fly through the air, complete with "vroom vroom" and raspberry sound effects.

Man oh man, this girl is growing up. Who replaced our Baby Mak with a Big Mak? <3 <3

Beach Days

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sat, 24 May 2014 00:22:00 +0000

WTF. I apparently did not hit "publish" when I wrote this Monday. Sigh. Here it is now.

A few weeks ago the mini and I got to go on a girls weekend where we met up with Miss Mel and her mom!

Destination: Fort Walton Beach/Destin/Miramar Beach...I'm not sure I know the difference :)

Mel and her mom were down for a Florida getaway (much needed break from the horrible winter weather they endured!) and they were kind (and brave) enough to invite me and Mak to stay with them for a few nights!

They even tolerated my craziness and allowed me to do THIS to my room to ensure that Makaela would nap. Florida sun is NO JOKE, haha.

Yes, I'm really that crazy. I brought tacks and extra blankets for this reason. Mama loves when baby naps.

Gosh, it was so nice to see those lovely ladies. We enjoyed lots of girl talk, movies (along with drinks, chocolate and kettle corn, of course), tasty meals, REAL STARBUCKS, shopping, and the AMAZING pool and gorgeous beach. Sounds perfect, right? It was.

Mak warmed right up to Mel and her mom (who wouldn't?!). Makaela loved having tea parties (especially when British accents were involved), playing on the balcony with her buddies, splashing them in the pool (when not fixated on that darn abandoned football) and haming it up at restaurants - anything for a laugh.

The beach was perfect and it was the first time Makaela truly warmed up to the whole walking-in-the-sand thing. By the end of the day she was unstoppable - she practically inserted herself into some drunkin' yuppies game of frisbie. I believe they slurred an offer to build sandcastles with her. She threw a tantrum when I made her pick different friends to hang with ;-)

Although we missed Daddy, it was just the girls getaway that we needed. Thank you so much Mel and Mrs. D - can we do it again soon?!

In fact, we loved the beach SO much we decided to drag Daddy down there the following weekend. It's a pretty fantastic day trip!

She was so excited to play at the beach and chase "duck duck duck"s (birds actually) she skipped her nap. That was okay though because she got to kick back in her stroller when we roamed the outlet mall.

Daddy probably could have used a nap though after all the running around he did chasing Makaela up and down the beach. She would have liked to walk directly into the Gulf if we let her. No fear of the waves, none at all. Also, no fear of strangers - she sat right down to a nice lady reading a book. She was ready for story time ;-)

We hit up a yummy pizza spot (I think our pizza weighed 10 pounds) before hitting the road. Mikmak rocked some awesome beach hair. The telltale sign of a successful beach trip, no?

Makaela Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Wed, 14 May 2014 23:55:00 +0000

A few days ago we went out to lunch. Makaela's high chair was mayyyyyybe 18 inches away from the people sitting at the table next to us. Miss Makaela, being the friendly gal she is decided she wanted to meet her dining partners. After all, "hiiiiiiii" is one of her favorite words right now.

So imagine this, she's twisted in her high chair staring these people down (this child will DESTROY you in a staring contest, she has no fear of eye contact) with a huge chubby cheeked smile on her face saying Hi! Hiiii! hhiiiii! hiii. hi iii. Hi! Hiiii! Hi! Hiiii! hhiiiii! hiii. hi iii. Hi! Hiiii!

Me and Tim were giggling quietly, and the little boy at the table next to us, who was maybe 6 years old, started getting shifty eyes after about 50 "hi's" from MikMak. You could tell he was uncomfortable and didn't know what to do. God I wish I had it on video. Finally the mom at the table noticed Makaela and returned the hi and a smile.

That's all it took, Makaela waved, turned back around in her seat and shot an accomplished smile at Tim and I.

You should totally try this the next time you go out for a meal. You, as in the adult. Picture it. Imagine how uncomfortable the unsuspecting patron next to you would be, it'd really heighten their dining experience.

Beware of the stare! Come on, how can you not return a smile to this pretty little thang?

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Tue, 13 May 2014 01:53:00 +0000

We hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day!! I'm still getting used to people wishing ME a happy mother's day. Weird!

I didn't get to spend the day with my ma, but I did get to spend it with my little lady and she made it extra special.

In fact, I got spoiled all weekend long. I don't think I cooked once! We ate a bunch of deliciously unhealthy meals out and it was glorious. Mak even created a little lunchtime art while Daddy and Mama chowed down on cheeseburgers.

We also did a little shopping and a lot of relaxing throughout the weekend. I could not have asked for more!

Saturday night we were hanging in Mak's room and suddenly she came toddling in with a package in hand, and Tim closely behind her. I opened it to find the most beautiful, delicate necklace. Subtle and perfect. I'm surprised Mak didn't try and keep it for herself.

According to Tim he pulled up a couple gift ideas online and let Mak pick by pointing. The girl has great taste already. She knows me well ;-)

Sunday the feasting continued and Mak surprised me with an adorable card. She helped Daddy write, until she tried to eat the Sharpie, that is.

Today, the Mother's Day spoiling continued when I got to sneak out for a manicure, coffee and sushi. Heaven, right?

Seems like Miss Makaela didn't mind a little one on one time with Daddy while I was away...

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful hubby, and daughter. And of course I have SO much love for all of the amazing women in my life - mom, sister, aunts, friends, grandmothers, in-laws. Y'all make me a very happy lady. I hope I can make an impact on Makaela's life like the strong women in my life have done for me <3

Hey, baby bird, don't be a creep....close your eyes when you kiss ;-)

Sensory Sunday Funday: Chalk it up!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Mon, 12 May 2014 00:47:00 +0000

Miss Mel got Lady M chalk for her birthday and we just couldn't wait to try it out!

The best way to create a masterpiece is shirtless, while in a deep squat position.

At first she was mostly interested in hoarding the chalk. I showed her how to drag the chalk along the ground so that color "magically appears." She seemed impressed, but when she initially tried on her own she didn't put enough strength into it so the poor girl didn't see any color. Sad!

At that point she figured maybe chalk wasn't for coloring the patio, maybe it was for eating.

Red and blue tasted the best.

I encouraged her to rinse off her hands in her water table and she got the brilliant idea to drop a piece of chalk into the water. It fizzled. She laughed. I retired the blue chalk and brought out the green.

She took a liking to that green chalk and wanted to get back to business, and what do you know she got it! She figured out how to color!!

Way to go Mak Baby!

So proud of our little Picasso and her masterpiece :)

Makaela Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Fri, 09 May 2014 00:13:00 +0000

Tuesday, May 6th

8:36 AM -Makaela discovers my hidden box of Lindor chocolates. She sneakily takes one and attempts to suck the chocolate out through the wrapper.

8:42 AM - After finishing off her chocolate ball (that I so kindly helped her unwrap) she wipes her chocolate face and hands all over my pants. I'm not in sweatpants, so this sucks.

8:45 AM - She's back at it, climbing into the cupboard. Little does she know I've successfully hidden the chocolates.

8:51 AM - She pitches a fit because I won't open the can of Rotel for her....

8:52 AM - I ask her if she's ready for a diaper change and nap.

8:57 AM - She is cradling a can of peas and carrots and hates me because I will not allow her to take them into her crib with her.

9:00 AM - She's out like a light.

9:01 AM - I enjoy my cold coffee :)

Side by side monthly photos for YEAR ONE!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sun, 04 May 2014 16:03:00 +0000

12 Month Photos! for her 13 Month Update....I know...

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Sat, 03 May 2014 15:53:00 +0000

Makaela is thirteen months old! What a lil old lady! Don't worry girlfriend, we can't believe it either.

It's hard to keep up with all the new things she is learning and doing each day. She's on the fast track and it is so fun.

The thing is, I never posted her "official" 12 month update! You know, the one with the photo of her in a too small onesie and info on her latest doctor appointment etc. I realized this after posting all of her fun birthday details, but never got around to it...so without further ado, haha...

I have to say, I'll be glad to retire that onesie. While I enjoyed doing the monthly updates, I won't be doing them the same way for the months moving forward - I'm going to post "real time" a lot more often and do round-ups here and there when they feel right.

I was pleasantly surprised with how smoothly her 12 month well baby check went. Considering it included her basic check up, then a trip to the lab (for standard tests) and then to immunizations for her age-appropriate shots - I'm just thankful that neither of us had a meltdown!

She really was a trooper. After FOUR shots, and a blood draw from the arm (just like adults! crazy to me!) she got to have her very first sucker. Well deserved, little lady.

The doctor also prescribed her some benedryl to help with her allergies. From what I'm told, "everyone has allergies in southern Alabama." The pollen did get pretty nasty for awhile, and we tried the benadryl for a couple days but didn't seem to notice a difference. It didn't make her sleepy, it didn't make her hyper, it just sort of did...nothing. Oh well, things cleared up on their own a few days later and we got to say buh-bye to the puffy eyes plaguing us all in the pictures below...

And now here we are at 13 MONTHS. Seems like Mak has had a major growth spurt during the past few weeks. Our baby is looking more and more like a toddler. Her legs are getting longer, and thinning out (I'm not ready to say bye to those chunkin' thighs!!) - those oh-so-squeezable cheeks better not go anywhere!

Makaela is starting to make more choices - she lets you know what she likes and what her preferences are, just like a big kid. I can't get over it!

She (seems to) understand everything we say and is turning into quite the helper. She is very good about putting something back or away when you ask her to, or getting a specific toy or book and bringing it to you when asked. She listens (almost always) when told not to touch something. Gosh, the list goes on. It is just crazy because I got so used to her not talking and not being able to precisely communicate her wants/needs etc. that everything she does now amazes me. She is SO smart and observant.

My favorite thing she is doing right now is throwing her hands up when you ask her something and she doesn't know, she also does this for "where did XYZ go?" It is TOO adorable. I haven't been able to catch a good video of it, but in this one she sort of does it, so you'll get the idea...

I also love how she is starting to enjoy cuddling again. Of course it has to be HER idea, but there is nothing sweeter than when she comes over to you and rests her head on you.

And she is growing more and more attached to Ginger. Thank goodness we have such a patient, dog. Love you Ginge!

I LOVE that I get to watch this little girl grow every day. Of course, there are days that are challenging but most days I wish I could share each and every moment because it is so exciting - thank goodness I can capture at least some of the moments on film :)

Hanging with the fellas

noreply@blogger.com (Erin and Tim) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 22:39:00 +0000

Yesterday we went to hang with some friends for a mid-day play session. It was Mak and a couple fellas, and boy oh boy did they have fun.

Her boyfriend got a new buzz lightyear ride on toy that was quite the hit, and surprisingly they all played together on it, instead of fighting for it. I think I hear angels singing.

At one point the boys took turns pushing Princess Makaela around. She had a smug look on her face the entire time.

Good thing her buddies have big strong muscles.

Well who is going to push me now?

Later she finally gave up the seat and realized it was rather fun to push (err pull) her friends around...

Not long after that they decided to pull some books off the bookshelf and climb up and down the slide and THEN Mr. Man tried to give Miss Makaela an open mouth kiss on the lips. It was romantic.

When we got home I told Makaela to tell Daddy how her friend tried to kiss her, and he said "Well tell him I'll cut his BEEP off!" I'm sure you can imagine what word was actually used in place of the beep.

Yep, that's my husband making threats on a toddler. He's probably shining his guns now in preparation of the teenage years. Sigh.