Style, Class, & Grace

Just wanted to stop by and tell about this book. It is beautiful. Simple. But mostly beautiful. Cheers for good old fashion values and beauty.

Worn Out

We have so much fun with our little boy, but sometimes we wear him out! :)

Cousins

For those of you who didn't know, I was pregnant with all five of my sister-in-laws on Dane's side. For Dane's parents, that means 4 grandbabies last year at Christmas, and this year-9! (As mentioned before, getting group shots can be interesting, but we try. :) This photo was taken at Lily's Baptism last weekend!

Playing on the Monkey!

Jude's Uncle Jake got him a monkey with dangling toys. This past week Jude has been falling more and more in love with it. He loves to look at his own reflection in the mirror and "talk" to it! In these pictures we are working on rolling over. Not quite there yet, but he tries. :)




Notice we are also loosing our hair?!?!

Pumpkin Patch

This past week we went to the Pumpkin Patch with Jude's Cousins! Here is just a glimpse of the fun we had. It is always interesting trying to get group pictures. The only one we are missing is Sydney.






This is what Jude likes to do...SLEEP. :) I'm so glad though. Otherwise he's kind of a crabby crab!

Flying Baby!

We were playing with Jude last night and this kind of "flew" upon us! Jude LOVED it!

Hands in the Mouth!

Jude has taken to putting BOTH of his hands in his mouth at the same time, which often results in some choking type sounds. I'm trying to teach him to hold a rattle/teether. Here's how it is going! :)

FIRST ISU GAME!

Here is Jude's first ISU game! It was actually the first one about a month ago. I'm just a little behind on getting the pictures up!

Finding my FEET!

Conversations with Dad

This is what happens when Dad comes home for lunch. Is there any doubt that Jude really likes his dad? :)

Are you Ready for Some Football?!

Two of our favorite fall activities...FOOTBALL and BONFIRES! Here we are enjoying them with the little guy.



Jude's first ISU game. This one they actually won. Jude must be a good luck charm.



Go Jayhawks!












Jude loved the bonfire! He was mesmerized by it! :)

Three Months

Here's a picture! :)

The Smooch! Project

This past weekend, I attended my 5 year class reunion. It was a great to see and catch up with many friends whom I have not seen for a long time. While there, Dane and I also had the opportunity to participate in The Smooch! Project The project is "The heart-lifting effort to collect 10,000 photographs of the affectionately-inclined from around the world."

I love this project. I love the beauty of the photography. I love the beauty of the people. I love the beauty of the motive behind the project.

I don't think our picture is up yet, but if you happen to get the opportunity to participate, I highly recommend it.


http://www.thesmoochproject.com/gallery/6884324_4rXMU#944262875_9vhXo

Stormy Night Adventures

Well, some of you may have heard that our area was struck with tornadic winds and left our town with some damage. However, everyone is okay, and I would say we did our best to turn it into an adventure. The tornado sirens went off about 3 AM. We went to the basement and waited it out. Decided to go back upstairs to get some sleep and an hour later the sirens went off again. Needless to say, we slept on the futon in the basement. Nothing like nursing your child in complete darkness and trying to change them while your husband holds a flashlight....awww memories, right?

We were without electricity for about nine hours and had some limbs fall from the trees, but praise Jesus. We are all okay, and our house is completely in tact.

Here are some pictures of the morning after the storm.




~I have to say that both my husband and my son were troopers cleaning up after the storm. Jude sat in the shade and supervised while Dane and I got the yard all in order~

Another "Jude Sidenote" Anybody have any ideas for getting a brand new infant to wake up during the day and sleep at night? I will try anything. My baby is a good baby at night, he just wants to play when it's sleep time and sleep during what should be play time! Oh, thank goodness for coffee and love.

Jude Azariah Miller

This is a recent picture of our baby! I noticed that my last post was on June 5th. Well, two days later, we welcomed our little boy into the world. Since June 7th, our lives have been somewhat of a blur of sweet moments, sleepless nights, and much much love.

The Pioneer Woman: Mexican Food

These enchiladas and the Mexican rice to go with it are AMAZING! They are totally worth every bit of time and effort it takes to make them. I always make Mexican food at home and then want to go out for Mexican because mine just doesn't taste the same. Well folks, this will make you feel like you want to put on a sombrero and eat up! And you get to keep the tip for yourself. :)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/09/simple-perfect-enchiladas/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/good-ol-basic-mexican-rice/

Memorial Day Weekend

Our weekend was spent being leisurely and enjoying some time in the sun. Yesterday my mom came and helped us start to plant our garden. (Previously, there were some bushes in the space. As you will soon find out, I have a curse when it comes to caring for anything green and these poor darling bushes died right after we signed the papers for this house.) My mother has the green thumb of the family. I do not. So, it is just the beginning of a little flower garden. However, before we could plant the garden, we had to go plant shopping because I didn't even know what beauties I liked/wanted for our space. For now, we decided on deep pink lilies and hastas. I'm thinking we need to add some Delilahs too. Here is my sweet momma and husband getting it all started.





Hopefully I will be able to keep these plants alive. Let's just say, I have never kept a plant alive in my life. I have always resorted to putting them up for adoption, and it is my momma who revives their wilted leaves. Positive thoughts: These are outside plants not inside plants. Maybe I will have better luck...(Oh yeah. Those bushes were "outside plants" too. sigh. :)

A Visit from Friends

I told you I was playing catch-up. Last weekend, our friends Emily and Austin came back from Illinois for a visit, and they brought with them many of our friends from college. There was much chatting, basketball, pool, and ice cream cake! However, I kind of forgot to take many pictures, but here are a few.

The Girls <3

My Boy :)

baby shower and pregnant hot summer days

I'm playing catch-up. Here are some pictures from my second baby shower where I was blessed with great company, fun memories, and lots of stuff for the babes. This is my cousin Becky. She did a little devotional about God's love while presenting baby stuff. So cute! I'll have to post the devo when I get it in case you want to pass it along to some new momma. I know I want to! :) Also, notice the diaper cake?!? Love those sweet things handmade things. Thanks Jenn!

And here I am with the travel swing my mom, aunt, and grandma got me. Thanks! I can't wait to put him in it! :)

We are looking forward to the little guy's appearance. The midwives said I'm far enough along that I don't have to worry about going into pre-term labor anymore. If labor begins, they will just let me go! :) wooo hooo! The irony? The contractions have slowed. However, when he does come, I think we are ready, logistically at least. (Emotionally/Physically may be another story:)This weekend we put together some of his "accessories" and installed the car seat bases into the cars! Come on little guy, we are ready for you! :) Did I mention it's hot and I swell like an elephant and look all blotchy?!? It is very attractive! Fun times. ;)

Update

Midwife appointment went well today. Ultrasound looked good. Must "take it easy", but not on bed rest! wheew! :)

Well, We Made it Another Week!

We had our ultrasound yesterday and the baby seems to be healthy and beautiful...and very much still in there! :) However, we'll know more next week when I visit the midwife. Many people tell me I'll probably go into labor early because of the early contractions. However, I'm not getting my hopes up. I think this little boy just might come late and fool us all...The Miller's are good at being late. No offense Hun. I love you. :)

The little bit that we do know from the ultrasound as of right now:
-Like I said, looks like he is very much still in there. Not dilated or anything.
-Baby's heartbeat is good. 141...and He's got all 4 chambers. Thank you very much for pointing that out Miss Ultrasound Tech. I HOPE he has all 4 chambers. Goodness, nothing like making a mommy-to-be worry.
-We have about a 4 1/2 lb. baby as of right now.
-Also, I made it through my first full day of work since the early labor. Whew, P.E. and all! Let's just say I looked like a very lazy P.E. teacher sitting in my chair to teach, but I think most people give me a break when they see my huge belly. And if they don't, too bad. They should. :)

Other randomness:
We went to the Cheesecake Factory tonight to celebrate Dane's Birthday a bit early. When we were driving back, Dane saw a lady in the lane across from us holding an animal. Being the FARM BOY that he is, he says, "Hey, is that lady holding a baby lamb?" "No, Dane we are in town. It's just a dog." Gotta love my Iowa Farm Boy though. :)

Prayer for Spouses

So, I used to be a "pray from my heart, no written down prayers" type of girl. I used to think prayers were less authentic if someone else had written them down and prayed them. Then, I discovered the book The Power of a Praying Wife and fell in love with the prayers Stormie O'Martin wrote for women to pray for their husbands. Then, I thought about how we pray The Lord's Prayer in church. That one was spoken by Jesus himself; I don't think that's a bad one to copy. And lately, I've been praying the early saints' prayers. I figure these men and women who have lived holy lives probably have thought up some pretty good prayers that I would like to pray. Anyway, all that to say, I found this one on the Internet and LOVE IT for so many reasons. I'm not sure who wrote it. If you are married and the praying type, I think it's a good one for you and/or your spouse to pray for one another.

Lord Jesus, grant that _____________ (insert spouse's name) and I may have a true and understanding love for one another. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May we always bear with one another's weaknesses and grow from each other's strengths. Help us to forgive one another's failings, and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness, and the spirit of placing the well-being of one another ahead of self. May the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us both closer to You through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection. Amen.

-Author Unknown

*I hope this prayer brings you many blessings and much love.

Up and Running Again!

Some may know and some may not...but our latest "news." On Tuesday evening I went into early labor with the little one. I was feeling cramps, but I did not think they were contractions. I had been to the midwife earlier that day and they told me to rest. I was a good little momma and rested. However, the cramps did not go away. I was supposed to call the midwives back if I had 6 in an hour. By the time Dane got home...I had had 12. I still wasn't going to call because I just didn't think it was too much...There is always something weird in pregnancy. THANK GOODNESS FOR DANE! He told me to call the midwives just to check. Well, they wanted me to come in and get hooked up to some monitors that would show the contractions. Sure enough, they were real. Luckily, they gave me a shot and got the labor stopped in time, and no baby yet! wheeew!

I had to go on bed rest for a little over a day, but at my appointment today they told me I could go back to my normal schedule with a few modifications as long as the contractions don't start again. So, I'm trying to take care of myself. I know no one is, but I AM NOT A GOOD BED-RESTER! I like my outside sunshine! :) I'll tell you one thing that makes you listen to your body. The fear that if you don't you will be stuck in your bed until your baby comes!

Thanks all for your prayers and thoughtfulness. You are all so sweet.

As far as the little one: He's doing great as far as we know. He's moving around like crazy and his heartbeat is good. :) We can't wait to meet him. Hopefully he'll be a bit early...just not too early. I know, I'll have my cake and eat it too. :)

Another exciting thing: Because of the pre-labor contractions (which are not so good) we get to have another ultrasound and see the little guy again (which is very good!)

Tomorrow TGIF: I'm garage-sale-ing!

Child of God: A Book of Birthdays and Days in Between

Amazon.com: Child of God: A Book of Birthdays and Day in Between (9781568541785): Gertrud Mueller Nelson: Books

Just thought I would share this baby book. I received it from one of my sister-in-laws in the mail. If you are looking for a baby book to be creative with and make your own, this is the one! :) I love it because it focuses on the religious aspects of your babies growth. It contains Bible Verses, prayers, sections for baptism, first communion, conformation etc. I cannot wait to start working on it for the little Junebug. :) If you or someone you know is going to have a baby soon, I think it's a wonderful gift to give yourself...or someone else...and ultimately the little one you are writing it about. :)

The Countdown!

Look to the right side of the screen. You see what the "baby ticker" says??? 30 WEEKS! That means 10 weeks left...give or take a few days here and there if he comes early or late! Sometimes, this short 10 weeks feels like an eternity. Other times, it seems to fly by. So much to do, yet I can't wait to meet our little guy! :)

Hiccups!

Today is a beautiful day! It is 82 degrees with a slight breeze! I need the swimming pool! :) Beautiful weather = GRILL TIME! Anybody have any good ideas of what to grill? We have done the usual already...burgers, brats, hot dogs, steaks...And we will surely be doing those again. However, if you have any other good ideas, let me know!

Some fun BABY news: Our little guy got the hiccups for the first time today! :) I was teaching a little girl writing when I felt this slight, rhythmic movement. At first I thought, "What is that?" Then I realized HICCUPS! I had to text Dane right away. It's amazing how excited I get for his firsts...even while he's still in the womb. World, watch out when he comes out...I may be a slight basket-case!

Also: As I mentioned before, you can see the baby move on the outside. I didn't think any of the students would notice, but sure enough one did. A boy with autism exclaimed, "Mrs. Miller! Mrs. Miller! Your baby is moving. He's going to break your water! We need to get you to the hospital!" I reassured the student that the baby was just moving and I would be okay. However, I truly do appreciate his concern. I know I'm in good hands! :)

Bridgette's Baptism

This Sunday we celebrated Bridgette Veronica's Baptism.
"I have called you by name and you are mine." -Isaiah 43:1

Friday with the Little Man

You want to know some of my best days? My days with my nephew Isaac! :) This Friday his daycare was closed, so I watched him. We have so much fun!

Here are some things we do:

*play, play, and play some more (We even got to go OUTSIDE this time!)

*Say our prayers....Sometimes Isaac doesn't make it too far, so we pray for his mom and dad to have a good day first! :)

*EAT

*Nap

*Did I mention, we play, EAT, and nap???

I guess our days may not consist of much, but we sure have a good time. :)

Here is a picture of the little guy. I thought he was so funny because he must have been tired. He wasn't cranky or anything. He just put his pacifier in his mouth, grabbed his blanket, and started to head up the stairs. How is that for an easy nap time? Baby Boy Miller could really take some tips from his cousin.

Love you little man!

Pregnancy Pictures

Along with spending some time with family for Easter, we also got some pregnancy and family pictures taken. Lets just say, we had A LOT OF FUN!

As far as news in the pregnancy. I just had my 28

week appointment. The "fun" one with glucola, blood draws, and a shot. However, things seem to be going well, and this little boy is very active! We saw him move on the outside for the first time while sitting in church. Let's just say we had a little trouble concentrating on anything but him! My belly was doing quite the little dance! We sure love him already! :)

Girls Girls Girls!

Meet our Nieces: Bridgette Veronica and Avery Eden!
This is Bridgette Veronica being held by her older brother, Peter. (who is quite the helper by the way.)

This is Avery Eden! I didn't get the best picture of her because she liked to sleep while we were there. :) Don't worry, I got to pick on her a little bit. :)
It was fun to add a bit more PINK in our lives!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rainbow-Clown-Cake/Detail.aspx Remember when I shared this Clown Cake? Well, I tried it out for the first time this past weekend. When we went to see our new baby nieces we brought their brothers a "Big Brother Cake." Here it is!

I think the boys enjoyed it. Their reactions were so funny. Mason loved to blow out the Birthday candles. Who cares about cake when you can blow out the candles, right? :) Peter wanted to make sure got to eat all of himself. Maybe we should have left a little more white space...then Mom and Dad could have some too! :) And Henry, Well, Henry doesn't care what parts he eats as long as it is SUGAR! :) We love our growing family.

New Blog!

Little do my readers know, I have been annoyed by my previous blog (http://brookeanddane.blogspot.com) because my old blog was under my old email address, so every time I wanted to get into my blog, I had to sign out of my new email address. This equals slight annoyance. on my part. So, here it is, my new blog. Everything should be about the same, it just makes life a bit easier for me. I'll pick up right where I left off with the old one! Please become a follower of this one, as I will no longer be writing on the previous one.

~Thanks~