Six Months Old

Our sweet Mills is six months old tomorrow!

Happy half birthday sweet girl!

I thought I would share our baby pics and you can decide for yourself who looks alike.

Daddy Taylor

Big Momma

Mo

Mills

Can We Move On?

How about we just call this week a done deal and move on? Sounds GREAT to me! First, both of my girls are getting over the most ridiculous cold I have ever encountered. Morgan was the first to get it. Correction...my poor dad was the first to get it and so lovingly shared it with all of us. All in all Morgan's case wasn't that bad. I did take her to the doctor and of course we come home with an antibiotic and instructions for breathing treatments. In about three days we are semi back to normal.

Well on to Millie. When I took Mo to the doctor I also had them check Mills head to toe. She had not been sleeping. NOT SLEEPING AT ALL. This wasn't like her. However, we didn't find anything wrong so I feared a few crying it out sessions were in the future. That's never a picnic for anyone. What I didn't realize is that she was obviously on her way to getting sick. Bless her little self she got it worse than anyone in our family. I honestly let hers go too long. I figured she would bounce back like Morgan, but I was so wrong. I let it ride through the new year weekend, but first thing Monday we found ourselves back at the doctor. Might I add we were there with John Marshall too (my nephew). Our appt was 1:45 and theirs was 2:00 so we just did a 2-for-1 special. Poor little Millie and JM both had double ear infections and upper respiratory issues. Mills left with a shot, an antibiotic, a steroid, and instructions for 3-4 breathing treatments a day. Let me repeat in case you missed...3-4 breathing treatments a day. Sweet little thing fought the first two treatments and then just gave up. She's a pro now. I'm happy to report that she is on the mend and I can tell such a big improvement. Yay!

Here is a little tid bit for anyone who has a sick child with coughing issues or even an adult with couching issues. Our doctor of course told me to put a humidifier in Millie's room to help her. I went to CVS and found this fabulous machine for $20.

This is the Vick's Vaporizer. Love, love, love it. You basically put water and the liquid form of the Vicks rub in there. The machine heats it to release the vapors in the air. I have this nasty junk too so I have loved sitting in her room to rock her to sleep. You kind of walk into a wall of Vicks vapor when you go in her room, but it has helped tremendously with her cough at night.

And now on to the saddest part of the week. My brother in law was playing in his high school soccer game last night in Corinth. (There are only 2 weeks left in the regular season.) He went in to score a goal and had a collision with a player from the other team. While colliding, the other player threw in a nice elbow too. Thanks to that elbow, it broke John's collarbone. He had surgery this morning to put a plate over it to hopefully heal faster. My heart is just broken for him. This is his senior year and there are only two weeks left and then playoffs. I don't know if the other guy did it intentionally or not. However, don't think that for two seconds I don't want to go find him and let him have it. I hope his elbow hurts really bad. If not, I can make it hurt. Ok sorry, I don't really want him to be hurt. (maybe) Here is the champ post surgery. (He may hurt me for posting this pic.)

This is just a pitiful week. Could be much worse, but none the less pitiful. Lets just move on. I'm ready to my girls to be 100%, John to have a miracle and be able to play, and for all the Flanagans to not hack all day long.

Happy New Year

Hello 2012! Nice to meet you. I say this every year, but I really can't believe we are beginning a new year. Where did last year go? Oh yeah, Taylor started second year of residency and we added a new addition to the family. That's where it went. At least we can look at a few highlights:

* Taylor started his second year of ortho surgery residency. Let me just say I'm not a fan. At all. Dear UMC..if you see Taylor tell him we said hello! In all seriousness, he loves it. He's learning a lot. (I hope.) I'm just a family person and I want my family together as much as possible. These days, that might happen over breakfast as he's coming in and we are going out. The bright side is we are halfway done, right??

* This doll face entered our lives.

I CANNOT believe she will be six months old on the 11th. I feel like with Morgan, getting to six months was a huge milestone. With Millie, I literally blinked and we were here. What is Mills doing these days? She is eating rice cereal twice a day, and one of those feedings comes with yummy bananas or apples. Chunky monkey cleans the bowl. As of Christmas day, she can roll from belly to back and back to belly. This translates into no more swaddling at night. Sad. She is sleeping through the night, and has been since eight weeks old. (Yes, I'm a Babywise believer.) She is a huge cuddle bug. She's trying to sit up on her own, but I just want her to slow down. I'm pretty sure we've been teething for two months. Come on teeth! So even though she cleans her bowl, she continues to measure in the 25th-50th percentile with weight. She's projected to be tall and skinny. Is this my child??

I will say this...my girls are cute and sweet. HOWEVER, they are NOT laid back at all. What I'm learning more and more is that Morgan is actually more laid back than Millie. What? I just thought Mo was non stop, but I'm pretty sure Mills will take the crown soon enough. Whoever said #2 is more laid back...you lie.

*More with Mo

(Sitting on her new swing set, Fancy Nancy pj's, sunglasses, rain boots, and an iPhone)

This girl keeps us in stitches all of the time. It's her vocabulary and comprehension that blow me away. I can't make up some of the things she says. We have to be so very careful what we say and do around our little sponge. Here are a few of her favorite things...

Purple. The girl is obsessed with the color purple. Santa was nice enough to bring her a new purple fleece that she has worn every single day. She told me she wanted a purple birthday party, purple balloons, and a purple cake. You got it! I cannot wrap my brain around the fact she will THREE on the 22nd.

She really does love her baby sister and she is such a big help. Millie is pretty obsessed with her too. Mills just gets frustrated when she can't keep up with Morgan. I can't wait to watch them play (fight) together. My sister and I are very close now and my prayer is that my girls will be as well.

Mo has a very strict nightly routine. (Poor thing has a tad of her mother's o.c.d. in her.) Don't think you are skipping a step, messing up the words, or getting away with not doing any of it. I tried. I lost. The routine is this:

two books (occasionally we do two puzzles)** five songs in this specific order: ABC's, Jesus Loves The Little Children, Jesus Loves Me, You Are My Sunshine, and then we sing the little song from the book Love You Forever**I have to make up a "Once upon a time..." story involving Morgan**and then we say her prayer. Whew.

So happy New Year from the Mathis family. No I didn't make any resolutions. I tend to not keep them so why bother. At this point, we just take life a day at a time. I know everyone gets sad after the holidays are over, but I do not. Now we are entering the best month of the year...my BIRTHDAY MONTH!! WOO HOO! :) I will leave you with a few Christmas pic favorites....