Our Sweet Doggie Ali

Our sweet doggie Ali had to be put to sleep today. Last night she started breathing shallowly and she continued this through the night. We could tell she was in pain and not doing well. She was 10-1/2 years old (pretty old for a bulldog) and had been slowing down over the last few months. Luckily Brian had the strength to take her to the vet and hold her until she passed. I didn't have the strength to go. I said my goodbye's this morning before leaving for work and gave her kisses and hugs and let her know we loved her very very much. The vet said she was likely struggling due to a failing heart from old age. It was good we took her because she was probably in a lot of pain struggling to breathe.

Ali was our little baby girl for 10 years before we got our sweet Mia. Ali was born on the same day I was baptised so she has always been my little angel. She's seen me through some rough times and been there to give me puppy kisses when I needed them. She will be terribly missed. It was so hard to come home to a house without her tonight. Peace to you my baby Ali. We love you and miss you so much.









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Halloween Fun

Mia had a really fun time this Halloween. She kept her costume on and didn't fuss a bit about it. I thought she would be tugging at the head piece but she didn't. She had so much fun helping carve the pumpkins. She stuck her little hand down in there and pulled out the gook. The most exciting part for her was finding out that people were going to actually put CANDY into her little basket!

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Three little words

Tonight I was holding Mia and she leaned in to give me a kiss. Then she said "I-RA-ruh" or... "I love you" <3 Then she kissed me two more times. It was the sweetest thing ever and of course I cried! She has said "I love you" before but only after we have said it a few times to her. This was the first time she initiated it. Oh, how I love this little girl! She's so sweet.

I have tried to get her on video saying "I love you" several times but every time I bring out the camera she quits saying it. Tonight I finally got her on video saying it. It's not her best attempt but good enough to give her mommy butterflies. (Her shirt is dirty from day care :) not from mommy)



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16 month pics

Harvest Festival

Today we went to the Harvest Festival downtown. It was lots of fun. Mia dressed up in her Halloween costume. I was glad I bought her a warm one because with the wind today it was really chilly!!! She got to throw an apple into an apple grinder and drank some apple cider from it, ate some kettle corn, shook the governor's hand at the Governor's mansion, petted his doggie (that was dressed up like a bee), petted lots of different animals at the petting zoo (the chicken with baby chicks was her favorite I think - she was saying "bock, bock, bock"), and watched her friend Lindley ride a pony (we skipped that one this year). What a fun day!!!



The Governor's wife and dog. He was dressed as a bumble bee.

Standing by the pumpkins and mums on the steps of the governor's mansion.

Looking at the mice. She was quite intrigued by them but wouldn't touch them.

This was the cage with the chicken and baby chicks. She was giggling at them and saying "bock bock bock"

Dumpling Festival

Last night we took Mia to a Dumpling Festival put on by a local Friends of China group. This was the 4th annual event. We have gone for the last 2 years. It is so much fun. They serve all kinds of Chinese foods, snacks, appetizers and we even had moon cakes for dessert!

Mia dressed up in her Chinese lantern dress. She was absolutely beautiful, of course! (Like she would be anything less than that! LOL)

LOL. Chowing down on a steamed bun.

Here's a video of her shoveling her rice into her mouth. She REALLY loves that stuff!

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FALL FUN

Mia and I went to my school's Parents As TEachers (PAT) Fall Festival the other night. We went on a hayride and decorated a little pumpkin. Mia was very serious through the whole thing but seemed to have fun.

I bought her Halloween costume today... tee hee...

Dancin' Machine

Tee Hee...


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Potty Training

Well, we have been sticking with the potty training for over a week now. We haven't taken it full force yet because she really hasn't shown the ability to tell us she has to go. Although one day she did take off running down the hallway and I found her in the bathroom by her potty so I put her on it and she did go! We take her and set her on the potty if she wakes up dry, if she has been dry for a few hours, and about 30 minutes after eating or drinking. She has gone almost every time we have put her on the potty. (#1 and #2) Her potty sings to her when she goes so that makes it even more fun. She wiggles and puts her hands in the air dancing to the music. It's really cute! I never dreamed she would show interest in pottying this soon but hey - I'm sticking with it! We'll see where it goes.

Here's a video of Mia so I don't get yelled at! :)

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the cure

I took Mia to the doctor last week because of a suspected UTI. Further testing revealed that was not what it was. But anyway the dr. said her molars were swollen, meaning they were about to cut through her gums. So needless to say, Mia has not been a happy camper the last few nights. She has been fussy fussy fussy. Last night she wouldn't stop crying and fussing for anything! I tried everything with no results. I started thinking she probably needed something to chew on to ease the pain on her gums. Soooooo.... I gave her a pacifier. I presented one to her when we got home from China and she didn't want anything to do with it so I just threw it in her toy box and she sometimes pulls it out and sucks on it for a minute and throws it down. Like a novelty. Well last night she sucked and sucked on that thing and finally fell asleep on the floor with it in her mouth. She has NEVER fallen asleep on the floor in the living room. And she slept really well last night. I took it to the babysitter today and put it in her bag, told the sitter the story (she thought I was CRAZY) but I said "If she gets crabby and nothing else works just try it!" When I picked her up tonight I said... Was she crabby today? and she said "No... she didn't say a peep all day..." because she had the pacifier in her mouth all day... So, some people may think that I am a crazy mom to be giving my daughter a pacifier at 15 months old... but look at this picture I took tonight...



one in mouth, one in hand. and again -- asleep on the living room floor. Obviously this is something she needs right now so I am going to give it to her. She will not be one of those 3-4 year old kids running around with it in her mouth... but for now I am ok with it. Anything to comfort my baby!




oh... and she went poopy in the little potty tonight... but I didn't want to make a whole post about that for fear of embarrassing her when she is 17 and going to prom or something....

Family Reunion

This past weekend Mia and I went to Iowa for a family reunion. Mia had an absolute blast running around. The reunion was at a lodge at a local state park. The other kids were rolling down a hill and Mia really wanted to be just like them. I refused to let her roll down the hill with them, visioning her being trompled by their rolling bodies. So I held her hand and we ran down the hill, then trotted back up. We did this about 20 times and I was tired so I decided to let her venture on her own. She fell and tumbled the first time but she loved it. She ran around all night, even skinned up her little knee one time on the big stone path. She played so well with my sister's two girls. She absolutely loved Riley (the older one). She kept running to her and sitting on her lap, even giving her some kisses. It was so sweet. And her and little Marlee, who is just a couple months older than Mia, were so good together. Here are some cute pics from the day.
Cousin Marlee
















Cousin Riley

















I love how Mia is running in the background.






HAHA. Her face cracks me up in this pic. She was having so much fun running around.



















Rolling down the hill.


























My mom and her 3 granddaughters.

While visiting my dad and step-mom, we took these pics with cousin Riley and my step-sister's son Sawyer. Go Hawkeyes!!!!








Not happy to be taking pics!

Troublemaker

So... this is what I assume Mia looked like today at day care...

Standing in time out after throwing a block at another child!!!

ooooo... my spicy girl!

Tonight for dinner Mia had corn on the cob and grilled zucchini. She loved it.

Gettin' Fancy with Dinner

Today I tried a fancy dinner recipe. It looked so pretty in the picture in the magazine that I had to try it. And it turned out just as pretty when I made it! So since it was so pretty I had to share!

Here is the pic in the magazine.

And here is my version. Isn't it pretty?!?!?!!

I also made zucchini and yellow squash and rice. It was a super yummy dinner!!!

Now for the good stuff.... Pics of Mia!

Reflections

I submitted this picture for the "Reflections" photo contest. Check out the web site to see more beautiful pics!!!

First trip to the zoo

Mia loved the zoo. But she REALLY loved the monkeys. She was not scared one bit standing by that Chimpanzee! LOL She even tried to kiss him!

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Walking all over the place!

Yes - I have enough fashion sense to know this bow does not match her dress... I grabbed it quickly to get her hair out of her eyes. We are in the - bangs or let it grow stage. I don't want her to have a mullet! LOL




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Animal Sounds

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