The Miller Family

Two is Terrific!

2011-09-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Sydnee turned 2 on August 14!

We celebrated Sydnee's birthday a few weeks ago with a birthday party at our house. I can hardly believe she is 2!!!!!!!! Time has flown by so fast and I cannot imagine that in just 7 more weeks we will be adding another 2 little feet into our household. Sydnee has been so sweet with all of the new babies she's been around recently. She is very gentle and soft spoken with them, often saying to them, "It's okay baby. Don't cry." I am praying that she will be a great big sister, helper, and friend to this little guy. However, she might be in for a bit of a rude awakening when she realizes that this baby is here to stay! I know that there will be an adjustment period for everyone and I just pray that she adjusts well and quickly to our new bundle of joy!

Sydnee had a fun party complete with a bounce house, swimming pools, pizza, Elmo cake (by Sydnee's request), presents, and tons of friends and family. We rented the bounce house because Syd loves to jUmP...she jumps all the time and gets those two little feet pretty high off the ground! However, she was terrified of this bounce house! I think it might have been due to the fact that it was 100+ degrees and it was a little hot on her 2 year old feet when Daddy put her in there. Oh well....at least the other kids enjoyed it.

Now that we have had Sydnee bless our lives for the past 2 years, I can't even imagine what life would be like without her in it. She has such a sweet spirit, is so full of life, and sometimes says or does some of the funniest things that make us laugh out loud! We look forward to this adventure with her and can't wait 'till our little man gets here to share in it with us!

Sydnee's new "cheese" face...I seriously could not get her to smile with her eyes open!

She's all about Elmo these days so she immediately fell in love with anything Elmo!

Cousins!

Sydnee picked out this cake at the bakery. She couldn't wait to eat a piece of her "Elmo cake!"

Summer in Pictures

2011-08-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

May
In May we welcomed the newest addition to our family, HATTIE CLAIRE CHESSHER! Sydnee loves her new cousin and I can't wait to watch them grow up together!

Haylie, Aunt Tina, Baby Hattie, and Sydnee

JUNE
Sydnee is now a BIG girl, sleeping in her own big girl bed! She was so excited to get her new room all set up. She has done great sleeping in it, she doesn't even try to get out and explore!

She's so proud of her new bed!
This is how she often sleeps...sideways and with all her animals!

We also had some playdates with our cousins! Makayla, Sydnee, and Haylie loved playing at Funtastic Playland! It was hard to get a picture of all of them together, they ran around that place like crazy!

Haylie, Makayla, and Sydnee took a brief moment to sit while I tried to capture a picture.

We still frequent Sea World for our favorite ride, the carousel (or as Sydnee says "ride horsey).

Daddy and Sydnee stop to take a quick pic with Abby Cadabby!

Sydnee and Daddy love to play guitar together!

Sydnee LOVES the water and has no fear of it (yikes!) so the puddle jumper is our best friend! She is quite the little fish!

After a swim, there is nothing like stopping to smell the flowers on our walk home!

JULY
We spent Grammy's 61st birthday at the lake! These cousins sure enjoy each other. It was non-stop fun!

Haylie, Macee, and Sydnee in matching swimsuits from Grammy!

Cousin love!

We love to feel the wind in our hair while on the boat!

August
I can't believe my little girl is gonna be 2! Where does time go?!? I was trying to capture a cute pic to put on her birthday invitations and this is my sweet little girl being herself... too busy and silly to give me a good smile!

Add caption

Her typical face when I say "say cheese!" or "smile"

But I finally managed to get a sweet pic of this almost 2 year old! I love you and your fun and energetic personality!

Sea World!

2011-07-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few cute pics from our visits to Sea World so far this season. Sydnee LOVES it there and since it is 5 minutes away, we find ourselves there frequently and sometimes just for an hour or so to let Syd burn off some energy before bedtime. We've been a few times with Haylie too and she is so cute to run up and hug on all of the Sesame Street characters. Sydnee, however, likes to just look at them...from afar!

Haylie and Sydnee at Bay of Play

Haylie loved Ernie and Bert. Syd loved them from afar!

Watching the Shamu show.

Daddy and Sydnee...she kept saying "YEA, SHAMU!" as we got closer to enter.

Our favorite ride by far...not sure what this face is all about, but she always wants to "ride the horsey".

This was as close as she would go to Rosita to get a picture.

HOT Days + Cool Water = FUN!

Daddy & Syd at the splash park

Haylie LOVES these characters!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-06-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

We were at the lake for the Memorial Day weekend. We enjoyed relaxing, visiting, swimming, and playing with our cousins. Here are a few cute pics. We also had an early birthday celebration for Max! Happy 2nd Birthday, little man!

Daddy and Sydnee out for a ride.

Bathing beauties: Macee & Sydnee

Sydnee, Macee, and Haylie relaxing outside

Swim time!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Max!

It's a party!

Catch Up Blog=LONG Blog

2011-04-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

It has been waaayyy too long since I've blogged. Things have been a little crazy the past few months and time has just flown by. However, things are beginning to settle down now and I feel that I now have time to sit and catch up a little. Here is a quick look at what has been happening the past few months...

December 2010
Steve accepted a new position within Synthes and was to begin working in San Antonio on Jan 1st! That meant we had to sell our house in Victoria and praise the Lord it sold in less than 2 months! We received and accepted an offer for it on December 22 .

We spent Christmas Eve in Nixon for the annual get-together and had a great time visiting with everyone. Sydnee was excited to see some of her cousins and she enjoyed playing with them and opening presents. That night when we got home, we all opened up one present: Matching PJ's!

Christmas Day was very unusual. We woke up that morning in our matching PJ's and opened presents. Sydnee got a play kitchen with lots of food and fun accessories to go along with it. Steve and I agreed to keep it simple this year since there was so much going on, so we both spent $50 at the mall earlier in the week and got what we needed/wanted. Then, we spent the remainder of Christmas Day packing the trailer with our stuff to move to SA. (Half of our house was already packed in a POD...it was things that we could live without for a few months while we lived in an apartment.)
We moved to San Antonio on Dec 26th. We rented an apartment for a few months to give us time to figure out whether to build or buy. Callee and Isaiah came along to help us move in. Sydnee enjoyed having the company of a friend to entertain her while Callee and I unpacked. Lisa and Chad also came over to help and within a few hours, it was mostly complete!

We looked at a few houses that some builders had in inventory and were eager to get rid of by December 31st or they would take a loss on them for the year. We fell in love with a house that was out of our price range, but decided to try and low-ball them to see if they would accept an offer in our price range since it was so close to the end of the year. We sent in our offer on December 30th and they called us back and asked if we could sign an agreement on December 31 so we did. We were shocked that they even entertained our offer!!! It was truly a God thing and we praise HIM for this blessing!!!

January 2011

Our NEW House!

New Years weekend we had a late Christmas celebration with Michelle's side of the family since everyone was out of town on Christmas day. We had good food and great fun with everyone! We rang in the New Year at our apartment in SA with Scott & Tina. It was quiet but we still enjoyed watching the fire works together from our patio. I think by 12:30am we were all in bed...times have changed!

We moved into our new house at the end of January and we were thrilled to be out of the apartment! Sydnee loved running up and down the stairs and all around her new playroom!

February 2011

Part of our group at Prospect Bowl

Steve and I at top of Prospect Bowl

Steve and I left Sydnee for a few days to go skiing in Telluride, CO with the McDaniel family. It was a nice break from the craziness of moving and unpacking! Our trip was great, however we had a few minor problems...it was -18 degrees when we arrived, our heater in the house was broken, and the sewer line was frozen so no water could be run (that meant no showers & no toilets for 13 people!!!! YIKES!) So, not only were we stinky but anytime a bathroom was needed, we would strap on our skis and ski down to the gondola area to use the public restrooms...a little inconvenient but definitely an adventure!) Since the house was in the 20's because our heater was out, we took the mattresses off the beds and all piled into the living room next to the fire place for some warmth...it was quite cozy! Finally after a day and a half of these conditions, the maintenance man came and fixed the heater and the plumbing so everything was GRAND after that!

March 2011

We are excited to announce to the world that Michelle is pregnant and due in late October!!! We found out in February but waited to share the news with the rest of the world until we felt things were safe (given miscarriage history).

Steve accepted a new job with a new company, Covidien! This means NO MORE CALL! Since he has been with Synthes for the past 4 years, he has been on call 24/7, which made it very hard for us to plan ANYTHING! He now is home by 5 pm and doesn't have to work on weekends! We love this new schedule and feel blessed that God brought us to SA and opened up doors for Steve in this new company!

April 2011

We enjoyed several days at Sea World now that we have season passes and Sydnee LOVES the new "Sesame Street Bay of Play". Each time we pull into the parking lot, she get SO excited and claps her hands and shouts "YEA!!! Shamu, Elmo!" It's so cute to watch her get so excited over something! Her favorite thing as of now is the "horse" (carousel) ride in the Bay of Play. She usually wants to ride a purple one and has to pet it and say "neigh, neigh" as she's on it. However, waiting in line is a little difficult for her, especially when we finally make it to the front of the line and they close the gate until the next ride. She doesn't quite grasp "waiting for our turn" yet, but we are working on it!

Somewhere, somehow, I've misplaced our camera cable that allows me to download pics to our computer so I will hopefully post additional pics soon to this blog, but for now this is all I have. Whew!!!

Happy Birthday Mema

2010-11-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we had a surprise 60th birthday party for Steve's Mom in Corpus. She knew her family was coming in to celebrate but had no idea that some of her friends were going to show up too. We had lots of fun celebrating her and making memories together!

Grandpa, Aunt Donna, and Uncle Jerome came in Friday afternoon and stayed with us then we all headed down to Corpus for the party on Saturday. On the way down, we stopped at the wind farm and were able to pull right up to one of the HUGE windmills. Grandpa had a lot of fun checking out the windmill. It was really hard to get a shot of him and the whole windmill together since they are so HUGE! What a neat experience for all of us!

Sydnee and Grand-Papa cookin up some breakfast!

Aunt Donna, Uncle Jerome, and Grand-Papa with Sydnee

The birthday girl!
(Papa, Mema, Grandpa, Aunt Donna, Uncle Jerome, & Makayla ran in to be in the pic too!)

Grand-Papa with the Grandkids and Great Grandkids
(Josh, Steph, and Makayla, Grandpa, Michelle, Steve, and Sydnee)

Grandpa with wind farm in background

Grandpa had to check it out

Looking up from the bottom

Panoramic shot of wind farm

Panoramic shot of birthday party

Lots of yummy food!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T08:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! In Everything Give Thanks! We are so thankful to God for our precious family, our health, our wonderful friends, Steve's job, our move to San Antonio in a few weeks, and God's constant provisions and blessings for our family.

We spent Thanksgiving Day in Corpus with Mema, Papa, Stephanie, Josh, and Makayla. Sydnee and Makayla were so cute playing together. While we were there, we also celebrated an early Christmas since we won't be together this year. Here are a few cute pics we got that day.

"Hi Ki-ka" (That's what Sydnee says to Makayla)

Helping Papa open his Christmas present.

Makayla giving Sydnee her present.

Sydnee opening her present.

The girls had a blast playing with these bowls. They made for fun hats!

Macee's Princess Party

2010-11-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Macee turned 3 and to celebrate she had a princess party! Sydnee and I traveled to Austin for the day to celebrate with Macee and her friends and family. All the girls dressed up like princesses and they were so cute together (unfortunately, I did not get a picture of all the girls at her party). Here are a few pictures that were taken that day.

Sydnee at home before leaving for Austin.
She was so excited to go as you can tell by the cheesy smile!

Macee the princess got a new bike for her birthday and she rode it like a champ!

Haylie and Sydnee played so cute together.

Macee helping the guys assemble her new doll house!

Max wanted a ride too!

Trick-or-Treating

2010-11-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Steve was working on Halloween night and instead of sitting at the house while truck-loads (literally) of people (not just kids...teens and adults too) were dropped off in our neighborhood to get FREE candy, the McDaniel's invited Sydnee and me to go to their GATED neighborhood and hang out with them where just the neighborhood kids roam. So, we did and Dean insisted that we take Sydnee to a few neighbors to get some candy. (I really think he just wanted to go check it all out and needed a kid to take as an excuse.) There were so many parents that dressed up to hand out candy to the kids...it was really cute.

You would've thought Sydnee had gone trick-or-treating before because she acted like she knew exactly what to do...walk up to peoples houses, take candy, walk away eating it, make a big sticky mess, and grab Mommy's hair while giving her a big hug!

It was hilarious to watch her eat a Tootsie Pop. She didn't let go of that thing till I took it away when it was just a soggy stick. Here are a few pictures of her that night.

Digging for her favorite candy!

Walking down the street while sucking on her tootsie pop!

Trick-or-Treat!

Big leaves=Big fall fun!

Ya-Ba Da-Ba-Dooooo!

2010-10-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sydnee as Pebbles!

Isaiah as Bam Bam!

We had a lot of fun at Parkway's Fall Fest this year. Sydnee dressed up as Pebbles and her friend, Isaiah dressed up as Bam-Bam! I made their costumes and I think they turned out great and the kids looked super cute. I really tried to get a picture of them together, but it was quite a challenge since all they wanted to do was run in opposite directions.

Our small group was in charge of the soda ring toss booth this year so we worked the Fall Festival the entire time and Steve and I took turns watching Sydnee run around everywhere. Some of the highlights for her included riding a tricycle, jumping in the moon bounce, sliding down the BIG inflatable slide, dancing to music, playing on the playground before the festival started, going swimming (well at least attempting too until Mommy caught her as her foot went in) in the ice water pool that held drinks for our game, stealing other kids balloons, eating a corn dog and some Smarties, and just running free!

Although it was a long day, we all had fun! Now, what to dress up as next year???

"Hi Hay-di"

2010-10-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Sydnee loves saying "HI" to everyone and everything. It's so cute to hear her sweet little voice say "Hi ____" when we are walking into a store or playing at the park. Sydnee was able to play with her cousin, Haylie, for a few days when Steve was out of town. She tries really hard to say her name and it sounds something like "Hay-di". We took the girls to a pumpkin patch, the park, and the zoo. Here are a few pics of them playing together.

Rocking together (Sydnee calls it "swi"= swinging)

Playing a duet on the piano

Pumpkin Patch

Haylie Loved Swinging at the Park

Sydnee showing off her tongue

Brushing the goats at the petting zoo

Sydnee and a goat in a stare down.

Caught You Red Handed!

2010-10-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sydnee's already stealing Daddy's money! Let's go shopping lil girl!

She found Daddy's wallet laying on the side table and thought it would be a fun "toy" to play with!

BIG Slide = BIG Fun!

2010-10-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took Sydnee to a few local parks to play on the playgrounds. She LOVED it! We walked her right up to the little slide and she immediately saw the BIG slide and ran right over to it. Steve followed her up the stairs and helped her get on the slide and she slid down to me. I think she has a little bit of her Daddy in her because she has NO FEAR! This has now become one of our new favorite outings that we do several times a week. One day it will be nice to have our own playground in the back yard, but for now, this will do!

(For some reason, she was grinding her teeth the whole time so that's why she's making funny faces in these pics...new teeth on the way I guess!)

New Favorite Play Spot

2010-10-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

One of Sydnee's new favorite spots to play in is the shelving area on our kitchen island. When she became mobile, we took the stuff off the shelves, then when she could walk, she liked to try and take out the shelves, so we removed them. Now it's just an empty space that she likes to sit in and play. She really likes to collect toys and store them in here then sit with them. She also enjoys "hiding" here and popping out to play "peek-a-boo"!

Friday Night Lights

2010-09-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

So far this football season, we've been to two high school football games. Sydnee really enjoys watching all the action of the crowd and the field. We were sitting down front for the St. Joseph HS homecoming game and the cheerleaders came over and cheered right in front of us. Sydnee couldn't take her eyes off them. It was quite entertaining for her! She also likes to throw her toys over the railing and watch them fall! She also loves to watch the band during the half-time show. We usually only make it through the first half of the game and then it's time for bed! Gotta love Friday Night Lights in South Texas!

If You're Happy & You Know It...

2010-09-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

...CLAP YOUR HANDS!!!!!!!!!

Sydnee loves her baths! She loves to splash in the water and play with her toys. In this picture, she was clapping because we were singing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands". This has become one of her favorite songs. She will randomly start clapping and want you to sing it, no matter where you are or what you're doing. She also likes "The Wheels on the Bus" and when you sing "round and round" she moves her arms round and round! It's so fun to watch her and she is learning new things everyday!

Sydnee's Birthday Celebration

2010-08-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sydnee turned ONE on Saturday! I cannot believe how fast this past year has gone. It seems like just yesterday I was in labor in the hospital. I did spend at least an hour looking at pictures and reminiscing about her birth. She has been a HUGE blessing to our lives and I can't even imagine life without her. Sometimes Steve and I wonder what we did before her. She is so much fun and has such a sweet personality. We love spending time together as a family.

She is learning new things all the time. She has been walking for about a month now and is a pro at it. She loves to chase the dogs and Daddy around the house and runs back to me with laughter and squeals if she thinks they are going to "get her". It is so cute! She can say a few words with precision "Mama", "Dada" and a few that are beginning to form, but we know what she means: "Ba" (Ball), "Bo" (Book), "Moo" (Cow). She can go find things for you and bring them to you if you ask her "Where's your...baby, frog, ball, book, puppies, monkey?" She loves to spin around and if you sing "Ring Around the Rosy" she will twirl around and around. She still loves the water and has really enjoyed swimming in her pool in the evenings. She doesn't usually want to go back inside and so sometimes she ends up taking her bath in her pool outside.

She went for her 1 year check up & shots on Monday and is healthy and we are so thankful for that. The doctor was even impressed with her walking skills and with the amount of teeth she has (10 total).

I look forward to making so many more memories with our sweet, sweet Little Bitty (who's not so little anymore!)

Random Pictures

2010-08-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some random, but oh-so-cute pictures of Sydnee from the past few months and weeks that I haven't posted.

Bathing Beauty!

4th of July at the lake!

Sydnee and the dogs cleaning up food on the floor that Sydnee spilled!

Cupcake Shirt

2010-08-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

I've been working on making a cute shirt for Sydnee to wear for her birthday party and I came up with a few different ideas. I wasn't really planning on having a "themed" birthday party, but by the looks of it, Sydnee will be having a cupcake themed party and I guess it started that way because I found some invitations that I really liked and they had a cupcake on it, so I just kinda went with that idea.

I have a friend that requested a cupcake onesie for her daughter's first birthday too. (She and Sydnee are just a few days apart!) So, I practiced with the one I made for Sydnee and then I made hers. I think they both turned out really cute. Let me know what you think...

Sydnee's Cupcake Onesie

Kaylie's Cupcake Onesie

Cupcake T-Shirt

Village of Stone Oak MarketMom Event

2010-08-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my first market day last Saturday and overall, I was pleased with the way things turned out. Since this was my first one, I didn't know what to expect and I made a lot of items to sell, and had high hopes of selling ALL my stuff. That didn't exactly happen but I did at least break even. I still have quite a few items to sell and am thinking about taking them to the next MarketMom event in November, unless I sell them between now and then. I do have a few customers from around here that want to place a few orders so that should help too. I also got a lot of great ideas of things to make.

You can check out most of the items I made by clicking here. One lady that had a booth next to mine, had an embroidery machine and she was busy all day monogramming items for people. I would LOVE to have one and maybe one day, I'll make enough money, I can purchase one for myself! Sydnee would probably have her name mongramed on everything...HA!

Mom took care of Sydnee for me while I was busy Friday night and all day Saturday and I really appreciated the help. Sydnee and Haylie had a lot of fun playing together. Here are a few pictures from that weekend and from a few days before when Mom and Haylie came down for a quick visit so Mom could get her hair highlighted. These girls sure are cute together!

Silly girl!

Sydnee's showing off her walking skills!
Check out all those teeth! (10 total!)

Ball Pit=Hours of fun (not so much for Haylie)

Bath time!

LONG time, NO blog!

2010-07-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hey there blogger friends!

I haven't blogged in a while because I've been super busy starting a new hobby (and hopefully business) called "Butteflies 'n Mudpies" and have been focusing all my extra attention to that. I've been working hard at creating all sorts of things to sell at a Market Mom event in San Antonio next weekend, plus I've had some "customers" from Victoria purchase things also. It is a lot of fun but also a lot of work, especially when I have a little one walking (YES...WALKING!!!!) around. I really only get to work on it while she's sleeping so my days are really busy.

I will be back to blogging once this event is over. I have so much to tell you about Sydnee and how she's been growing! I can't believe she's almost ONE!!!!

Back to work I go....

Seven Years Ago Today...

2010-06-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today I married my best friend and my love! Thank you for asking me to be your wife!

Seven years ago, I knew I loved you but I love you even more today for the Godly husband and father you have become. I love reminiscing about where we've been and things we've done. Here are a few of the highlights of the past seven years...

June 21, 2003- We said our "I Do's".

June 29, 2003- We moved to Chicago to start our "new life together"...remember I cried almost the whole way for leaving behind everything I knew but was still excited for what was to come.

February 2004- We moved to Victoria, TX...we said, "We'll give this place a year and then we're out of here!" Haha...were we wrong, God obviously has other plans because we are still here!
June 2004- We bought our first house. (Happy 1 Year Anniversary!)

October 2004- We adopted our first "child"...our dog, "Xoche"!

April 2005- We bought a new boat! (Happy 2nd Anniversary!) We spent endless hours on the water with our new toy...we also had several insurance claims to show for it, thanks to all of the stumps in Coletto Creek!

January 2006- We expanded our family by adopting our second "child"...our dog, "Nikki"!

June 2006- We took a cruise to the Bahamas & Mexico (Happy 3rd Anniversary!)

June 2007- We took a trip to Cedar Park, Ohio to get our thrill on by riding roller coasters! (Happy 4th Anniversary!)

June 2008- We took a trip to Cozumel, Mexico and went on a zip line through the jungle, repelling, snorkeling, and relaxing! (Happy 5th Anniversary!)

November 6, 2008- Positive pregnancy test!!!!! We were so excited, we told everyone we knew!

November 11, 2008- We experienced heartbreak by having the pregnancy end in a miscarriage.

December 2008- We were nervously excited to know that I was pregnant again!

April 2009- We learned that we would be having a baby girl! I cried and you were grinning from ear to ear!

June 2009- I was "BIG" and pregnant so we celebrated our 6th Anniversary by purchasing our video camera to make sure we could capture as many memories as we could as our little girl grows.
August 14, 2009- We welcomed our sweet gift from God, Sydnee Reese, into the world!

June 18-19, 2010- We enjoyed a weekend get-away together to the Escondida Resort in the Texas Hill Country!

June 21, 2010-TODAY! I thank God for blessing me with an amazing husband who makes me feel so loved and so special each and every day! I love you with all my heart! I look forward to many more years of special memories that we have yet to make!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here's why Sydnee and I think you're the best Daddy...

I delight in watching Sydnee's face light up when you come home from work.
I love that her first word was "Da-Da" and hearing her calling you makes me smile.
Her sweet sound of laughter is music to my ears and you can make her laugh the loudest!
I love to watch you crawl around on the floor with her as she chases you.
Seeing you two cuddle and read bedtime stories before bed make me so happy.
You never leave the house without kissing us goodbye and telling us you love us.
You make life more fun when we are all together!

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the whole wide world! We love you!

SUMO SMACKDOWN!!!!!!!

2010-05-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

We had a blast this past weekend helping Chris celebrate his graduation from nursing school. He and Katie always know how to throw a great party. There was also some Sumo wresting involved in the events and it was quite hilarious to watch. Thank you to Scott & Tina for putting us up in their B & B! We enjoyed visiting with everyone and can't wait to be together again.

NINE!

2010-05-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

Sydnee is 9 months old! She's having a blast crawling around and pulling herself up to stand. She really enjoys cruising along the couches and playing at her table. She's quite a "talker" like her daddy. She loves to hear herself make all kinds of noises, especially when she looks at herself in the mirror. She has 6 teeth (4 on top and 2 on bottom) and she still loves to put anything and everything in her mouth. She also loves to taste our delicious skin from time to time and those little chompers can leave quite a mark! She is such a happy little baby and we love her so much!

HaPpY mOtHeR's DaY!

2010-05-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we headed to Corpus to spend Mother's Day with Mema, Papa, Great Grandpa Stengele, Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Josh, and Makayla. The girls had a great time playing together. The spent a little time in the swimming pool and looked adorable in their matching swimsuits (thanks Mema!). We loved getting to visit with everyone too. Here are a few fun pics of the day...

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-04-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Steve's birthday this past weekend with a little get-together at our house. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a fun time playing outside in the pool. Thank you to everyone who came to help us celebrate: Grammy, Mema, Papa, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Chad, Haylie, Aunt Katie, Macee, Max, the McDaniel Family, and the Gonzales Family!

Daddy and Sydnee

Blowin out candles!
Mema, Papa, and Sydnee

Aunt Katie reading to Sydnee

Macee filling up the pool.

I think Haylie was saying she needs her earplugs so she can swim!

Haylie loved swimming!

Max loved to crawl ALL AROUND!

Macee and Max splashin in the water!

Sydnee and Max

Love the style!

My Cousins, My Friends!

2010-04-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Aunt Nancy retired from AT&T after working there 33 years so she threw a party to celebrate. Sydnee and I drove in to go to the party and we also had a chance to play with some cousins. Stephanie brought Makayla over for a little while so the girls could play together. They had a good time and as always, we had fun watching them.

It's great to have cousins close in age! Oh how I can't wait to watch them grow up together (although I wouldn't mind time passing slowly so I can savor each moment!)

It's Great to be EIGHT!

2010-04-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

SYDNEE IS 8 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!

She is trying hard to figure out how to crawl. From a sitting position, she will usually lean forward getting on all fours and then face plant, but it doesn't seem to phase her too much. She can scoot around to get what she wants but usually gets frustrated when she can't get it fast enough. Yesterday I put her on the blanket to play and before I knew it, I turned around and she scooted herself to where my flip flops were and was chewing on them...ewww!

She is also working on pulling up to stand. I had her sitting in her crib after her nap and she reached up and pulled up on the bars to get her mobile. She was successful but let go of the bars and fell back down. I guess it's time to move her crib down another level! I love watching her "problem solve" as she discovers new things.

I am amazed at what she picks up on. She has a new toy that says "bye-bye" and when it did it the first few times, I would say it and wave "bye-bye". Now every time she hears the words "bye-bye" from her toy she looks at me to see if I am going to wave. Also, she knows the word "more" because we are trying to teach her some sign language and even though she won't sign the word yet, when I say it, she looks at me and at my hands and knows she will get more.
She is also really into feeding herself...which can be quite messy but it sure is fun! (The dogs really think it's great too.)

Before I know it, she will be one! Ahhh, where has time gone???

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears...Oh My! (Well, no bears...)

2010-04-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was beautiful outside...sunny and warm! We couldn't wait to get outside and do something, however, living in Victoria, we have limited access to family activities, but believe it or not, Victoria does have a zoo! It may be 1/100th the size of the San Antonio zoo, but nonetheless, it is a zoo! So, we headed out for a few hours (you really can see everything there in 20 minutes, but we walked at a snails pace) and enjoyed walking around looking at the animals. The tiger was being agitated by some other people and was very active, charging the glass and roaring so he put on quite a show. It was quite entertaining and a little scary at the same time. I think Sydnee enjoyed getting out and watching the excitement. Our favorite animals to look at were the lion cubs and the tigers.

Easter Swim

2010-04-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well, for Easter this year we stayed at home and enjoyed the day together as a family of 3. Sydnee enjoyed some time outside swimming. She loved splashing around in the water and chewing on her bath toys.

I can't wait to get her to the lake house to enjoy the water there. I have so many wonderful memories of the lake and being SO EXCITED to get in the lake for the first time of the season and I hope that Sydnee can have the same kind of enjoyment and excitement that I had while growing up. Hopefully soon we can make a trip there and create some memories that will last a lifetime!

Wild About Fabric!

2010-04-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

So as I was walking around Hobby Lobby the other day, I saw some really cute fabric and thought I'd buy a yard of two different prints and see if I could create something cute. I didn't have any patterns to go by so I kinda created my own from another dress hanging in Sydnee's closet. It took me about 4 hours to make, which I guess wasn't all that bad, considering it's my first! I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, however, I think next time I'll use a pattern and not so much guess work!

I owe a big thank you to Meemaw for teaching me some very basic sewing skills when I was probably 10 years old. I also used Meemaw's sewing machine which Mom said she bought when Mom was a little girl. That machine was obviously taken care of because it still works like a charm!

This dress may just be the beginning to a new found hobby...stay tuned!

My Heart Smiles...

2010-04-04T18:21:00.001-07:00

MY HEART SMILES because I love ALL things girly and since I have a little girl, that is all the more reason to make girly things (tutu's and bows to be exact!) I was at Hobby Lobby one day a few months ago and saw that tulle was on sale so I decided to buy some, with the hopes of making a tutu...little did I know just how addicting this hobby became! I made a red and black one first (Sydnee was pictured in it a few posts back). These tutu's and bows pictured below were some I created this weekend and now I'm looking for any reason to make girly things. I'm sure Steve is wondering how many bows and tutu's Sydnee actually needs, but I figured that one day she will want to play dress up and then she will have many tutu's and bows to choose from. (Actually, most of the ones I've made are for other sweet, little girls, so she really doesn't have that many....yet! HA!

I made the pink and green tutu for my sweet niece, Haylie. I can't wait to see it on her!

Pink & Green Bow

Pink & Green Tutu with Flower Headband

Pink and Teal Bows (a new design that I created and I LOVE it!)

Pink & Teal Tutu

I think she likes dressing up!

Sydnee's Play Dates

2010-03-26T16:35:00.001-07:00

My friend, Kristen, from small group moved to Houston a few months ago and she and her 10 week old daughter, Samantha, came down to visit us and meet Gavin (Ryan and Pam's new baby...see previous blog). They were able to hang out with us for the afternoon before heading back to Houston. We enjoyed catching up and having our babies spend time together. Sydnee was very curious about little Miss Samantha and she kept trying to touch her.

We also had a play date yesterday with some of our other friends; Tarah and her son, Judah; and Callee and her son, Isaiah. Isaiah was born 1 month before Sydnee and Judah was born the day after Sydnee so they are very close in age and it was a lot of fun watching them interact and play together. It was also nice for us moms to be able to talk and enjoy each other's company.

The Boys: Isaiah and Judah

Sydnee and Judah

Happy Birthday Gavin!

2010-03-26T16:22:00.001-07:00

Our good friends, Ryan and Pam Schoeneberg, welcomed their new little boy, GAVIN COLE, into the world on Wednesday, March 24th. He weighed in at 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 21 inches long. Our small group was able to meet at the hospital that night to congratulate the new parents and to meet Gavin. He is precious and has a head full of dark hair. What a blessing it is to all have happy, healthy babies! Praise God for these small miracles!

The Small Group Mom's & Babies

Callee & Isaiah (8 mo), Me & Sydnee (7 mo), Pam & Gavin (NEW!),

Michelle F. & Kayla (4 months), Kristen & Samantha (10 weeks)

{S-E-V-E-N!}

2010-03-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sydnee turned 7 months old this past weekend so to celebrate, here are 7 things about her at this stage...

She can sit up all by herself!
She is rolling from tummy to back and back to tummy (for a long time she would only roll from tummy to back because she hated being on her tummy, but now she's a little steam roller!)
She is very entertained by the dogs and finds them very funny, especially when they lick her...ick!
She lights up when daddy walks in the door from work and kisses her hello.
She is eating really well (3 meals a day, plus 6-8 oz's of breast milk or formula at each feeding).
She loves to jump in her jumparoo and squeals with delight while doing it.
She cruises around the house in her walker and loves to honk the horn with her mouth. Hopefully she won't have a lead foot like her daddy!

She also went to the doctor about 2 weeks ago and here are her stats: 16.3 pounds, 27 3/4 inches long! She's pretty average in all areas and we are so thankful to have a healthy baby! We sure love you Sydnee Reese!

Happy 1st Birthday Makayla!

2010-03-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

Our niece, Makayla, turned one! We were able to help her celebrate at her birthday party. Here are a few pictures from her big event! We love you Makayla!

Stephanie (Makayla's mommy) made the delicious cakes!

Mema with Sydnee and Makayla

Dig In!

The party favors...cookies to paint and decorate.

Haylie helped Makayla celebrate too!

6 Month Portraits

2010-03-09T12:20:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we took Sydnee to what we thought was just a "cheap" photo studio to get a cute and quick 6 month semi-professional portrait taken so we could give them to grandparents, aunts & uncles. We were somewhat unsatisfied at the place because it was more expensive than we originally thought (we spent almost $200 for 8 sheets) and our session wasn't all that great for the price we paid. We actually liked the photos we took of her at home better...and they were F-R-E-E!

So, needless to say next time we'll go back to our friends at Leading Edge Imaging that took pictures of us when I was pregnant and when Sydnee was 2 weeks old. They did a much better professional job for about the same price we paid at this "cheap" place. Here are the three poses we bought that turned out kinda cute. Oh well, at least we have captured this precious moment of her at 6 months!

The tutu she is wearing is the same one she wore in her 2 week old pics...it looks so little on her now compared to back then. My how she's grown soooooo fast!

Sydnee at 2 weeks old!

6 Months Old!

2010-02-25T16:09:00.001-08:00

I know I say it as each month passes, but I truly can't believe how FAST time flies. Sydnee is 6 months old already and it seems like just yesterday I was pregnant. We are having so much fun with her and I love being able to stay at home with her.

She still hates being on her tummy and if placed on it, she will roll immediately to her back. She loves any toy that lights up or plays music; she loves watching the dogs and when they come up to her, she laughs; she loves her baths and kicks water everywhere; and she loves eating, green veggies are still her favorite:, although we haven't found anything she refuses to eat. She is sleeping well. Naps are usually 1.5-2 hours long and usually she naps 3 times a day. At night she's in bed by 7:30 pm and awake around 6:00 am to eat then back asleep till about 8am. She's drooling A LOT (as you can see in the first pic below) so I'm thinking there are more teeth coming soon (not sure how long nursing will continue but I am still enjoying it for now). She loves to hear herself "talk" as loud as she possibly can and she also loves it when Daddy plays his guitar and sings because she will "sing" with him. She is a happy baby and I love each new stage and all that it brings!

Sydnee you light up our lives and we love you so much!

Pam & Ryan's Baby Shower

2010-02-25T15:33:00.001-08:00

Our good friends, Pam and Ryan, are expecting a baby in late March. Our small group decided to throw them a couples baby shower to help them get ready for their baby boy. They live in Wiemar and are very "country" so we had all the babies dress in camo for the event. We had a great time hanging out with everyone. Here are a couple of cute pics of the small group babies!

Pam (mom-to-be) and all the small group kids Blain, Sydnee, Kayla, & Isaiah

Isaiah & Sydnee

I love this one....she grabbed his face and tried to bite it (or maybe kiss it...I'm not too sure)!

Haylie's 1st Birthday

2010-02-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun time helping Haylie celebrate her first birthday at the zoo! The weather was great and the company was even better. Here are a few pictures to capture the fun time we all had.

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!
How amazing...you're already ONE!
What a precious person you've become!

We stayed with Grammy in San Antonio after the birthday party. Sunday was Valentines Day so we had to get a pic of the kids in their Valentine's bib (Thanks Aunt Katie!).

Belly Laughs

2010-01-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

I guess spring cleaning came a little early at our house for some reason. About a week ago, we were cleaning out closets and cabinets and creating big bags to give to Goodwill. Sydnee was in the Baby Bjorn helping Daddy clean out the hall closet. He went to open a trash bag and Sydnee must have thought that it was hilarious! This was the first time I heard her belly laugh for this long.

There is a longer version of the video on my facebook page but I couldn't get it to upload to blogger, so check it out if you want to.

Out With The Old, In With The New!

2010-01-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

Steve and I decided that for our Christmas gift to each other, we would buy a new oven/stove(one without coils)! Well, after Steve did some "research" on the new oven and realized that if we wanted to stick with the same Whirlpool brand, the only oven that would fit to replace our drop-in still had coils. So, that idea turned into looking at all new appliances. We found some that we loved and decided to splurge and go ahead and get them while they were on sale. Then, we started thinking a little more and decided that since the new oven would not fit in the same place without cutting the Formica counter tops a little, we might as well go ahead and put in granite in hopes that when the time comes to sell our house, it would help to have a new kitchen. We went to 3 places to get estimates, Lowes, Home Depot, and Coastal Kitchen and Bath (a local custom place). Surprisingly, Coastal Kitchen and Bath was $10 cheaper per square foot than Lowes and Home Depot, plus we received a free under mount sink and free edging!

We are so please with the way our kitchen turned out! Here are some before and after photos...

This is what it looked like when we first bought it.

A few years later we painted.

New appliances and counter tops!

5 Months Old!

2010-01-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

Sydnee is 5 months old today! We had a well baby check up on Monday and Sydnee is now 14 pounds 12 ounces and 24.5 inches tall. She had to get her second round of shots too and as always, that was NO fun. She ran a fever that night and through the next day, but thankfully she is feeling much better now.

Sydnee has her first two teeth poking thru at the bottom and they are sharp! So, naturally everything she grabs goes in her mouth now. One of her favorite new things is to blow spit bubbles and at first it was cute, but when she did it with a mouthful of cereal, it wasn't so cute anymore. She is trying really hard to roll over but her arm is acting as a speed bump and keeps getting in the way. She is also becoming more vocal. She loves to laugh and "talk", especially when it's supposed to be quiet (like in church or during small group). She went to the nursery at church for the first time last Sunday and did really well. I was watching the screen the whole time expecting for our number to show and we would have to go get her, but it never happened! When we went to pick her up she was laying on the floor with another baby and was just "talking" away. The ladies in there are so sweet and we really appreciate them. Steve and I were really able to relax and enjoy church together.

Sydnee is so much fun and she brings us so much delight! We love watching her grow before our eyes. Sometimes I just want to slow down time because I can't believe how fast these past 5 months have gone!

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-08T10:09:00.001-08:00

The New Year brought about a few changes for Sydnee (and us).

We decided to make her start sleeping in her crib at night. She had been taking her naps in her crib and the only reason she was still sleeping in her pack-n-play at night was because she was still waking to eat once a night and she would lose her paci and wake up so it was so easy to just pop it back in and she would go back to sleep...and so would I. She also was fighting sleep and we were doing everything we could to get her to sleep...walking her, rocking her, bouncing her, etc... However, we decided that it was time for a change.

The first night she did really well. We put her in her crib around 8:30 when she was sleepy but still awake and just patted her for a little while. She eventually fell asleep with a little fussing. She slept all night without waking to eat and we just had to put her paci in a few times when she would lose it and start to wake up. The second night was pretty much the same but it took her less time to fall asleep. Each night she was getting progressively better about falling asleep on her own. In fact, now that we've done it a few weeks she rarely fusses at all when we put her in there and we don't even have to pat her anymore. She watches her mobile and caresses the butterflies on the sides of her bumper and falls asleep. She still wakes to eat usually once in the night around 2:30 and we still do have to go in occasionally to give her the paci but hopefully she will learn to self-soothe and she won't need it.

Another change was Sydnee had her first taste of sweet potatoes. She wasn't too sure about it at first but she eventually decided she liked it. About a week later she tried butternut squash and liked that too. Not sure what will be next...green beans, maybe???

Happy New Year!

2010-01-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

For New Year's Day, Steve smoked a delicious brisket so Sydnee and I decided to hang outside with him for a little while. It was a cool, sunny day so of course we had to wear the shades and leg warmers. She loves being outside so we try to get out at least once a day if it's good weather.

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-07T13:34:00.001-08:00

Sydnee's first Christmas was exciting for us, but she had no idea what was going on. She did well with all of the traveling we did. We headed for Nixon on the 23rd for the annual Christmas Eve Party. We left Nixon late on Christmas Eve and headed to San Antonio to stay with Grammy and celebrate again on Christmas day. As always, we had a lot of fun eating, visiting, eating, visiting, watching the kids play, eating, visiting, opening presents...oh and eating again! Needless to say we ate way too much but it was soooo delicious! Here are a few pictures to highlight the memories that we made.

4 Months Old!

2009-12-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Sydnee is 4 months old today and I can't believe how fast time has gone by. She brings so much joy to our lives. We look at her all the time and say "Isn't she beautiful!" or "She's so sweet!". I can't imagine life without her.

At 4 months old, Sydnee is babbling all the time. She loves to "talk" to her toys, the dogs, mommy and daddy, and anyone who will pay attention to her. She laughs out loud when you tickle her belly or make funny noises. She still loves her swing and it is the "magic cure-all" when she's tired and fighting sleep. She started eating rice ceral and loves it. She loves to sit up and stand with support. She also enjoys playing with her friends that are in our Small Group.

We feel so blessed to have a happy, healthy daughter!

Small Group Kids

(Isaiah, Sydnee, Kayla)

Christmas Card Pictures

2009-12-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

It took us several attempts to get the perfect pictures for our Christmas cards this year. These were a few of the pictures that we took. Sydnee was pretty tired and wasn't too excited about being posed for the pictures, however we managed to get a few cute pictures!

Bath Time!

2009-12-03T19:00:00.001-08:00

When Sydnee was little she hated her baths and would scream through them but now she really enjoys them. We put her bathtub on the bathroom counter so she could see herself in the mirror. The moment I walk her into the bathroom for a bath she gets excited. She loves to kick her feet to splash the water, suck on her wet fingers, and watch herself in the mirror. She even makes an "ooohh, ooohh" sound to show her excitment. Bathtime is one of my favorite times with her!

Yummy, Yummy to My Tummy!

2009-11-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

After several days and nights of wanting to eat all the time, Sydnee had her first taste of cereal for the first time on November 28th. She did really well with it and it seemed to satisfy her for longer periods of time, which meant more sleep for Mommy too! It's hard to believe how fast she is growing!

A couple of days later Daddy was feeding her cereal again and I told him to taste it and without thinking he did...then I started laughing because I reminded him I mixed it with breast milk! He didn't think it was so funny after that!

OPEN WIDE for another bite!

Happy "Pork Loin" Day

2009-11-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Corpus with the Miller family. Instead of turkey, we had a delicious pork loin! We also celebrated Christmas a little early since we won't be together this year. Sydnee was quite fussy so we didn't get very many pictures, but here are a few.

Josh with Makayla and Steve with Sydnee

BOWS!

2009-11-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

I started making bows for Sydnee because I hated paying so much for one bow. I played around with them a little to figure it out and it turns out that it is not all that difficult to make bows. The only thing that is difficult is finding the time to make them. Here are a few bows that I made for her.

San Antonio

2009-11-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sydnee and I took a quick trip to San Antonio while Steve was in Tucson for a business meeting for the weekend. We left early Sunday morning (since Sydnee travels better in the morning...she is not a fan of being in her car seat or in the car) and came back early Monday morning, just in time to meet Daddy at home before he had to go to work again. We always love visiting family, no matter how long we are able to stay. These are a few pictures taken from that weekend.

4 Generations of Beautiful Ladies

Grammy and Great Grandma (Meemaw) with Haylie and Sydnee
Aunt Nancy and the girls

Aunt Lisa & Sydnee
Haylie playing with Sydnee

Random but too cute not to post

2009-11-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

These are just some random pictures I took and they were just too cute and I had to post them.

Sydnee loves to "talk" now and Daddy really makes her smile!

She loves looking into Daddy's eyes
Scrub-a-dub! Sydnee getting a much needed bath at the hotel.

She discovered her tongue and loves to stick it out!

Love the smiles & coos!

Grandparents

2009-11-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

These are a few pictures take awhile back and I am just now getting to post them.

September 26-Grammy loved having all her grandkids together to play with.

Early October- Sydnee with Mema & Papa in Corpus

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

For Halloween we went to Parkway Church's Family Fall Fest. There were tons of games and some good food as well! Sydnee went as a pink poodle and she loved looking at everyone and all the action that was surrounding her.

Callee with Isaiah in his "My Buddy" outfit and Steve with Sydnee in her pink poodle outfit.

10 Little Fingers, 10 Little Toes, The Sweetest of Smiles, and a Cute Little Nose...A BABY is the greatest of gifts that life can bring!

2009-09-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken when Sydnee was 2 weeks old. We had Jason & Paige Stringo (Leading Edge Imaging) come over to our house and take some pictures to create her birth announcement. They did a fabulous job and we were so excited with the way that captured these sweet moments with our precious baby girl. Here are a few of the photos from the session.

This was one side of her birth announcement I love her sweet little feet!
This is my favorite...these two are the love of my life!

She is so fun to cuddle with!

Sydnee's Baby Dedication

2009-09-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Steve and I had the wonderful privilege of dedicating our sweet Sydnee to the Lord on Sunday, September 20th at Parkway Church. What made it even more special was the fact that we had a lot of family here to celebrate with us.

This same weekend, we had a mini-reunion at our house with the "Houston bunch". We've decided Victoria is a great meeting spot for everyone from San Antonio and Houston and I'm sure this is just the beginning of the get-togethers! Here are a few pictures to highlight the fun weekend that we all had.

Sydnee's baby dedication at Parkway Church

(This picture turned out a little blurry...sorry!)

The UT v. Tech game was on Saturday night so we had to watch it and support our team!

Go Longhorns!
Our Little Cheerleader!

A little rivalry & a lot of fun!

Grammy had to get some baby sugar from Max

Lisa & Haylie...beautiful smiles and gorgeous eyes!

Macee had so much fun in the Super Seat!

BIG SMILES from MAX!

I'm not sure who had more fun...Max or Phillip!

All the sweet babies filled the house with lots of laughs & love...
Max & Tina, Grammy & Sydnee, Aunt Nancy & Haylie, Michelle & Macee

Meemaw finally was able to meet Sydnee (who she sometimes calls Stella or Robin...it's hard to remember all the great-grand kids names!)

Labor Day Weekend Full of Love

2009-09-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day weekend Grammy, Lisa, & Haylie came to visit. We had a great time relaxing at the house.

Sydnee loved having Grammy here to cuddle with her all weekend. I think Sydnee slept the best she ever had in Grammy's arms (she went over 5 1/2 hours without eating because she was sooo cozy!)

Haylie & Sydnee

Haylie Relaxing

Sydnee in her "oh-so-cute" outfit from Grammy

Grammy giving Haylie lots of sugar.

Lots of laughs from Haylie

Sleepy Time

2009-08-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

I love to watch Sydnee sleep, which is pretty much all she does right now. She looks so peaceful and I love her precious little face!

Grandpa, Grandma Bonnie, & Great Grandma Visit

2009-08-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, August 22nd, Grandpa, Grandma Bonnie, & Great Grandma came over for a visit with Sydnee.

Grandpa & Sydnee

Grandma Bonnie & Sydnee
Great Grandma & Sydnee

Meemaw, Aunt Stephanie, & Cousin Makayla Visit

2009-08-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Meemaw, Aunt Stephanie, & Cousin Makayla came for a visit when Sydnee was a week old. I can't wait to watch Sydnee grow up and play with her cousins!

Meemaw & Sydnee

Aunt Stephanie, Makayla, & Sydnee

Right before this picture was taken, Makayla tried to hug Sydnee
and actually headbutted her instead...oops!

Uncle Chris, Aunt Katie, Macee & Max Visit

2009-08-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

Uncle Chris, Aunt Katie, Cousins Macee & Max came to visit Sydnee soon after she was born. It was so fun to watch Macee interact with not only her brother, Max, but also with her new cousin! She was eager to hold Sydnee and help her with her paci.

Uncle Chris & Sydnee

Aunt Katie & Sydnee

Sydnee & Macee-both in pink polka-dot PJ's

Macee was such a big helper!

Max (10 weeks old) & Sydnee (3 days old)

Cousins! Macee, Sydnee, & Max...too precious!

Lazy morning

Visitors

2009-08-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Sydnee's first visitors. So many people came to visit but we didn't get a chance to get a picture of everyone. Thanks to all who came to see our sweet girl.

Meemaw & Papa

Grammy (with Aunt Lisa & Cousin Haylie in background)

3 Generations- Lisa & Haylie, Michelle & Sydnee, & Grammy

Uncle Ott

Aunt TT

Uncle Chad

Sydnee with her boyfriend, Isaiah

Callee (Isaiah's mommy)

Megan McDaniel (AKA: "Gigi")

Dean McDaniel

Shay McDaniel

Kim McDaniel

Happy Birthday Sydnee!

2009-08-20T08:08:00.001-07:00

After a very quick labor and delivery, Steve and I proudly welcomed Sydnee Reese Miller to our family on Friday, August 14, 2009 at 12:25 a.m.. She weighed 8lbs 4 oz and was 19.5 inches long. She is perfect in every way and we love her so much!

Daddy gave Sydnee her first bath and she wasn't so excited about it!

Our first family picture.

Going home...what a great feeling!

All Set & Ready to Go!

2009-08-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Steve was super excited to unpack and put together all of Sydnee's stuff! Here are some pics to show what her room looks like now. Everything is ready for her arrival!

Baby Shower

2009-08-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures from my baby shower on July 25th. It was so much fun to have so many friends and family members there to make it so special! Thank you to all of you who made it so memorable!

Me with the hostesses: Shay McDaniel, Megan McDaniel, Kim McDaniel, Heather Bryan, Nikki Marshall, Laura Estes (not pictured...we missed you!)

Lisa & Haylie

Vickie, Stephanie, & Makayla

Belly Pics

2009-07-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures that were taken during our photo session in Port O'Conner a few weeks ago. I think Jason & Paige really captured the moment and how much this special time means to us.

All We Need Now Is Sydnee!

2009-07-05T18:29:00.001-07:00

Sydnee's room is almost complete...all that is missing is her! This 4th of July weekend was the perfect opportunity to stay at home and get some work done on Sydnee's room. We put up the wall quote that we ordered and Steve (AKA: "Picasso") put the finishing touches on all the paintings! It's perfect for our sweet little girl and I can't wait for her to see it in about 6 weeks!

Diaper Shower

2009-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

The very thoughtful OR staff at Detar Hospital gave us a diaper shower on Thurdsay. It was so fun to meet so many of the people that Steve works with in surgery. They made Steve a "Daddy's Tool Belt" fully equipped with all the essential diaper changing supplies, plus a few extra necesseties. He proudly wore it during the shower! Thanks to all of the generous staff, we now have a great supply of diapers and wipes!

Naming the Baby

2009-06-18T20:47:00.001-07:00

We never thought it would be so difficult to decide on a name for our baby girl, but it was a bigger decision than we expected. After all, she is gonna have to live with it for the rest of her life! We tossed around a lot of names and ended up going back and forth between Sydnee Reese and Paityn Reese. After many discussions, we can now officially say her name Sydnee Reese.

Here are some of the latest pictures of her room. Steve has worked so hard on making it perfect for our little Sydnee. We still have some things left to do, but we are so pleased with how it has turned out so far.

3D Ultrasound Pictures

2009-06-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures from our 3D ultrasound that was done at 28 weeks. The umbilical cord is in front of her face and distorted the image a little around her nose and lips, but we were still excited to see her sweet face. I can't wait to meet our precious baby girl!

Her legs were crossed.

Her hand.

Painting the Nursery

2009-06-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

While I was busy shopping in Sugarland on Saturday, Steve was planning a surprise for me. He told me he was painting the nursery, but I had no idea what he had in mind. When I got home, I walked in the room and was so pleasantly surprised to see how much of an artist he was. The painting matches the bedding we registered for. The room is not complete yet, and I can't wait to see the final product!