Halloween and other news...

Baikal had a great time trick or treating this year with Courtney, Matt, and our neighbors Jeff and Katie. She got to wear Katie's costume from last year, a Cinderella princess dress. Her favorite candy turned out to be lollipops which she calls, "pop pops." After trick or treating, her sugar high resulted in a 30 minute dance session to the Footloose soundtrack. After some coaxing, I got her to eat some chicken and drink some milk before bedtime. Halloween was a big hit for Baikal.

In other news, my weekly doctor visit went well. They have scheduled the c-section for Dec. 6th and will take me off bedrest and meds on Nov. 21st. If I go into labor after Nov. 21st, they will go ahead with a c-section at that time.

Merle Chicago Miller turns 10!!!

My loyal companion is now in the double digits! Merle is my first child. I know that she is a dog, but nothing prepared me better for motherhood than having a puppy. It is amazing to think back to the fall of 1997 of when I first got her. My friends and I had just been to a Merl Saunders concert in Chicago. Sometime during the concert, I lost my keys. We were waiting for the AAA truck to let us back into the car when a Chicago Tribune delivery truck pulled up. It was around 3 am and we had been waiting for a few hours. We thought he said, "would you like a paper?" But when my friend Laura approached the car, he handed her a puppy. "I found her eating trash a few blocks back," he said. She was all ribs and smelled horrible. The AAA man arrived shortly after. After a bath and a bowl of food Merle slept for 3 days straight. I brought her back to Atlanta with me and was completely attached. I took her to the vet. She had almost every kind of worm a dog can get. The vet said that her heart murmur was so severe that she probably wouldn't live very long and would never be very active. That was ten years ago. Thanks for the good times Merle!

Shave and a haircut...

Baikal had a great experience at Salon Red Kids. Who wouldn't enjoy half toy store, half beauty parlor???

Mural in progress

Courtney, cousin Karen, and mom all worked very hard on the mural for the next Miller baby. It looks so good! I love it!!! The theme for the room is animals in Asia. There are orangutans, pandas, tigers, and water buffaloes. I think the baby water buffalo is my favorite so far.

Everything is going well

I am so sorry for the delay in post, but our Internet was down for a few days. I had two doctor appointments this week (OBGYN and Ultrasound). Good news is that baby is doing great. He's up to around 4lbs! My labor has been stopped successfully and my amniotic fluid levels are still high, but in the normal range. YEAH! I attribute all of this good news to my mother who has taken over all of my responsibilities around the house and with Baikal and allowed me to rest. I am at 32 weeks (I change over on fridays). The game plan is to continue with the bedrest and meds until I finish the 35 week (Nov. 16th). They will schedule the c-section some time after that. Again thank you so much for all of the cards, prayers, and calls. That has really meant a lot!
The biggest dissapointment of my condition is that I will not be able to attend THE event of the year! My sister-in-law's wedding is next weekend and it is going to be a blast. Matt and Baikal have been instructed to take a full report and lots of pictures for me to post.

Baikal pics

There has been a lot and nothing at all going on here. Matt is taking me to the doctor tomorrow for a follow-up. I figured out that if I take my new meds with food the side effects are less severe, so that was a big help. Speaking of big help, my cousin Karen was here for her fall break last week and was a great help around the house. I don't know how much fun she had, but she certainly added a bit of entertainment around here. She also helped Courtney and my mom finish the mural in the baby's room. Pictures to follow. Here are two pictures that I took of Baikal a week ago and did not get around to posting. Enjoy!

Back on the home front...

I am back at home, getting lots of rest and trying to keep this baby in the cooker. It is funny because I had such a hard time getting Baikal out of the womb and now I have to work to keep this one in. I am on some meds that stop or reduce contractions, although I am still having them sporadically. My next doctor appointment is on Monday. My mom is here helping out which has been great. She has been keeping Baikal. Matt and Courtney have been swapping shifts while I was in the hospital. Thank you so much for all of the kind words, calls, and prayers. It is so nice to know that I have such great support.

Pre-term Labor?

Erin is at the hospital with a little bout of "pre-term labor". She's doing great! Baby is doing great, but seems to have a strong interest in seeing the world. The doctors are working to delay that for a few weeks.

More to follow when Erin returns to home!

- Matt

Too much of a good thing

At today's ultrasound appointment, the doctor informed me that I was carrying a higher than normal level of amniotic fluid. As a result, I am at increased risk for premature labor. Since it is best to keep baby in the womb as long as possible, I will be going to weekly ultrasound appointments to look for signs of premature labor. If found, I may be put on bed rest. For now, I just need to take it easy. Easier said than done when you have a toddler in tow.

Eli's pool

Baikal has really enjoyed her summer spent at various pools. Her favorite activity is to play motor boat. This is where you sing a song about a motor boat and spin her around in the pool at various speeds. She also loves to jump into pool and into her dad's strong arms. Thanks to Noelle for the pics!

Large and Not in Charge

I'm very pregnant. I'm also very grateful for such a great team of supporters. My first thanks goes to my friend Ginny, who came up to Atlanta this weekend to help me get prepared for my little boy's arrival. She had a boy in May, so her mind is still wise with newborn knowledge. I have forgotten/blocked out that part of my brain. Courtney and Matt have also really stepped up and helped out, allowing me to rest and get some down time. I am not my normal perky self right now, but I'll be back.

Hot Days

It was so hot for the past few weeks. Here is how we have spent the time. We went to Mei Lan's birthday celebration at the zoo and enjoyed cake and cold water. The baby panda turned one. Woohoo! We also have been enjoying popsicles and playing in the sprinkler.

12 weeks left to go!!!!

I am officially over being pregnant. My body and mind are gearing up for the next stage already. I guess it remembers what it is in for. One example is my sleep schedule. I have started to wake up at 3:00 am for no apparent reason and am usually up for at least an hour. Tonight I watched the movie In Good Company and cried my eyes out...ahhh hormones. I am not sure of the exact due date, but I'm pretty sure that I have around 12 weeks to go. So let the countdown begin!

The Beach: A Series

Baikal went to the beach.

At first she just played in the puddles.

They were magical.


Then she saw something much bigger: the ocean.


"Let's Go!" she said.

When she got closer, she hugged on to mommy's leg. The ocean was big and she was small.


Step by step, she approached the water.


It felt good to her feet.


She wondered what it would feel like to go in further.




Woohoo! It felt great.

A Great Surprise

Matt surprised Baikal and I with a wonderful gift! He had the front and back yards landscaped while we were on vacation in NC. He even put in a play set, complete with slide and sandbox. It is so great we have been outside everyday since.







It has been really hot here, so we have to water everyday. We have a 30 day water exemption from any restrictions since we have newly planted greenery. Baikal's job is the water the plants. It takes her about 3 hours.

Birthday parties

Baikal was invited to two birthday parties this weekend. She only had enough steam for one of them. She enjoyed blowing bubbles, eating cake, and having a juice box. The next day when I asked her about the party, she replied the following three words: dance, bubbles, and cake. Sounds like the event made in impact.

Miss Independence

Now that she is fully in her toddler stage, Baikal asserts her independence wherever she sees fit. I am trying to encourage this, since baby #2 will take a lot of my attention. We are currently working on having Baikal walk next to me instead of me carrying her or using a stroller for outings such as the grocery store and going to the park. We went to the zoo a few days ago and I did not take the stroller. Keep in mind that I let her pretty much go at her own pace, so there were not too many power struggles. Below are some pictures of that outing. She has also really taken to self-feeding. I've included a picture of her trying to put cream cheese on her toast by herself. She calls this tubby toast.

Rockin' Girl Blog Award

My blog has been tagged as a rockin' girl blog. What an honor! I'd like to start by thanking the academy, god, my family, my dogs, my daughter, and mostly my husband.




To pass on the honor, I'd like to tag www.cederbaby.blogspot.com as a rockin' girl blog. It is hosted by my cousin, Lisa Cederbaum. She documents the adventures of her family, including her husband, Rob, and her six month old baby, Ella.

Lake Junaluska

Last week was our annual trip to Lake Junaluska. It was a great week and Baikal is getting to the age where she can really take advantage of all of the neat things it has to offer. Her favorite two things were the playground and the pool, until she fell at the pool and hit her head at the playground. Oh well, that is the life of a toddler. She was also able to enjoy her first meal at Joey's pancake house, a staple for the week.

Dress

Baikal is now interested in dressing herself. She still needs help, especially in the outfits that she selects. Her current favorite styles are: pants on head, overalls with no shirt, and mom's shoes. Here are some pictures of her fashion sense.