Jana and Sierra

Happy Birthday Jennifer!!!

2011-10-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, so I know its been a while since I updated. This year has been full of ups and downs. I will post more to catch everyone up later but wanted to Wish my Sister a Happy Birthday! Jennifer is the most amazing, brave, courageous, strong, inspiring (the list could just go on and on) person I know. I feel so blessed to have her for my sister and Sierra to have her for her Aunt. As most of you now she is battling breast cancer right now so when we heard there was going to be a breast cancer walk in Albany today, we knew we would be participating. So many friends and family came to show their support to Jen and all the other women battling breast cancer. The rain held off until we finished, Thank goodness.

Well for some reason I cannot get pictures to post :( Had so many I wanted to post from our walk today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNIFER!!! We love you so much.

How is she 2 already?

2011-01-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Sierra's 2nd birthday this weekend. I can't even believe how fast time goes. It has been a crazy 2 years but I wouldn't change it for anything. Sierra is keeping me busy and on my toes. She loves baby dolls, her new kitchen from santa, coloring and all other things crafty, and of course reading books.

Halloween Party Post 3...Final post

2010-10-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

I tried to get pictures of all the kids dressed in their costumes. I think I got everyone at least once.

The Mermaid, Bumble Bee, Lady Bug, and Cat
The bugs from the garden....butterfly, bumble bees, & lady bug.

Sierra and Aubrey

The super heros of the party...Hulk and Captain America

Most of the kids minus a cat & a butterfly.

Halloween Party Post 2

2010-10-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun things to do at the party.

Pumpkin toss
All the kids made ghost and pumpkin magnets

Aubrey was the cutest strawberry fairy

We decorated cookies.

(Sierra was in heaven with all the sweets she got to have)

And the very last surprise was a Jack O Lantern Pinata.

I think it is safe to say everyone got lots of goodies! It was so much fun to see all the kids having fun.

Halloween Post Part 1

2010-10-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

Dining room table with pumpkin lanterns and the sucker pumpkin
Sierra excited to pull a sucker out.

Cute mini water bottles for the kids.

Snack Table

Sierra had a little halloween party with all her friends and cousins. It was so much fun decorating and getting ready. We had all the kids wear their costumes so that we would get a chance to see everyone dressed up. Here are some of the pictures of the decorations and food. I will post another post with pictures from the actual party.

Down on Papa's farm

2010-09-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sierra loves going to Grandma and Papa's house, but since Grandma isn't home she spent time with Papa this time.

Walking out to see the chickens
Picking flowers with papa

Smelling the flowers

Not too sure what to think about the chickens making all the noise

Collecting eggs

Petting a chick. She kept saying "pet chick" but then when Papa would get it out she would run away. I think she did finally pet it once.

Can you tell Sierra is going to be a little farm girl. She loves being outside and loves animals even more. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day Weekend.

(And yes her hair is always a mess these days. She doesn't keep anything in it and its at a length where its hard to keep out of her face.)

2 months!

2010-09-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

In exactly two months Sierra will get to snuggle with her cousins Hannah, Finn, and Lilly and we CAN'T wait.

Gramma....I MISS YOU!

2010-08-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

She is kind of attached to her "Pac" at bedtime. She only gets them if she is in her crib. As you can see she has one in her hand too. We need to start the weening process but she gets so excited when its bed time cause she gets it so its so hard.

Love the messy bed head jammie days!

Talking to Gramma while riding her horse.

Sierra misses her Grandma so we thought we would post some pics so she could see what we have been up to. We stayed in our jammies today until about 2:00. It was so nice to just relax and have nothing to do this morning. Sierra is loving her horse, she gets all around the house on it. As you can see she was busy on her phone too. She keeps bringing it to me and asking for Gramma!

Picture overload update

2010-04-25T00:03:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I update...so just fair warning this post is full of pictures of everything we have been up to. Spring is flying by and we can't wait for summer. Sierra has been...

...swinging at the park...

...sliding at the park...

...feeding ducks...

...running around at Grandma and Papas house...

...being silly with mommy...

...getting treats from the easter bunny...

...taking baths...

...blowing kisses...

...playing with toys.

I cannot even believe that Sierra is almost 16 months old. Where does the time go?

Here comes Peter Cottontail......

2010-03-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Today we headed over to the Heritage Mall to have Sierra's pictures taken. She was quite the ham and we got so many good shots. The hard part was choosing which ones to get. I wasn't too sure if she would like the Easter Bunny but they quickly became good friends. She really didn't want to leave him. Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring...we are enjoying our sunny days when we get them.

They adore each other

2010-02-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Sierra adores my cousin Bryce.....and Bryce adores Sierra. After a family dinner on Saturday night he pushed her on her pony forever. She has so much fun and was smiling the whole time. She loved it when he would go faster and faster and turn the corners really fast. I don't think she was ready to stop but it was starting to hurt his back. He is such a good second cousin to her and she loves him very much!

Birthday Kids

2010-01-28T16:36:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Sierra's 1st birthday and Finn's 2nd birthday together. They had such a fun party with all our family close by to help celebrate. My sister made the cakes and they turned out so cute...Thanks Aunt Jennifer.

New Years 2010

2010-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

Wow...where does the time go. I can't believe its already 2010. One of my news year resolutions is to update my blog more to keep family and friends updated with Sierra. I am still in awe that she is 1! She changes each and every day and I love it. This past year has been the best year of my life..and the fastest. Waking up to her every morning is the best thing ever. She is such a happy girl.

This is what Sierra is up to now as a 1 year old....

*She says Mama, Papa, Gramma, Finn, Elmo, Book, Up, Bye Bye, & Dada

*She still LOVES books and we read every day. (I have had to hide a few books, cause she wants to read them over and over and over)

*She waves, gives hugs and kisses, plays peek a boo, plays pat a cake, and has the most adorable smile and laugh ever.

*She eats like a champ...except for when she is getting teeth.

*She is so close to walking it scares me.

I look back now and can't imagine what my life was like before her. Everyday I think of how lucky I am to have such an adorable little girl ( I know I am kind of bias).

Happy Halloween to all......

2009-11-01T18:20:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful halloween. On Halloweeen Eve Grandma and Papa came over and I made my very first roast (which was rather yummy) and then they helped Sierra carve her first pumpkin. The pumpkin was almost as big as she was. Then on Halloween we went Trick or Treating to Grandma and Papa's, Aunt Barb and Uncle Brian's, Aunt Pam and Uncle Rick's, and Meggan and Toddy's. Then we came home and had Trick or treaters at our house. This was the first year I had my own place where people actually came. Jaren, Lukas, and Aubrey and Emma came plus some of the neighbor kids. We had lots of fun and I think Sierra enjoyed her 1st Halloween.

My little Pumpkin

2009-10-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

I can't say it enough how much I love fall.....and love taking pictures with fall set ups. Sierra has been such a trooper and lets me take such wonderful pictures of her. I only have one more idea in mind for pictures so after we accomplish that she will be done being a model for the fall. But I have oh so many more ideas for the holidays coming up.

A little about Sierra...she is developing such an adorable personality and I fall more in love with her each and every day. It makes me sad that she is growing up so fast but I love watching her grow and become the little girl she is becoming. Although she is not crawling yet, she sure can get around. She scoots, rolls, and goes backwards on her hands and knees. She eats almost anything we try. Her current favorite would be black beans and of cours avacados are still high on her list.

We had lots of fun with Finn and Aunt Jennifer while they were here, and were sad when they had to leave. We have a couple play dates scheduled for this next month. Sierra loves being around other kids either just watching them or playing with them. I have so many friends and family with children right around her age so it really is a lot of fun watching them interact.

Having some Fall Fun!!

2009-10-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Its been so much fun having Finn here for a week. Today we had a little halloween fun. We played our Grandma and Papa's house and picked out pumpkins. Of course I had to put there halloween shirts on them so I could get a picture. Tomorrow we are going to try to get some more pictures. Sierra and Finn have played so good together and love each other so much. Finn just keeps going up to Sierra and saying "Hi Hi Hi." Hopefully I will get more pictures posted tomorrow after our second photo shoot.

2009-10-03T19:56:00.001-07:00

So with the lack of internet at our new house I have been unable to post or edit pictures for the last two months. We had a busy summer and so far busy fall. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this summer. My baby is getting so big!

Before and After

2009-08-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

So after about 2 months I am finally moved in and getting settled. We had to do lots of painting and cleaning but it looks wonderful now. Thanks to Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Brian, Barb, Breena, Jaren, and Lukas for all your help getting everything done. Here are a couple pictures of the laundry room before and after. Once I get everything decorated I will post more.

Before...A nasty green color with brown floors with green and tan speckles.

After...Tan walls, white cabinets and new laminate flooring!

Off to go unpack and decorate more.

More to come...

2009-07-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

I know a much needed update is due since Sierra is growing so fast and is so much fun. So here is a shortened version and I will do more later this weekend I promise. Sierra is sitting up, grabbing for everything, talking and giggling all the time, loving all her food, and had the best time playing with Cousin Finn when him, Aunt Jennifer, and Uncle Rhino came to visit.

Jills Give Away

2009-07-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

My cousin is having a fun give away to celebrate blogging for a year! She is giving away some adorable necklaces that she makes. Head on over to http://www.barnesfamilylove.blogspot.com/ to enter. Tomorrow is the last day to enter so hurry over. If you happen to not be the lucky winner, she also sells the necklaces.

Sitting around on a Sunny Saturday with Silly Sierra!

2009-06-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

8 things

2009-06-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

My sister in law tagged me on this little blogging game so I thought I would continue the fun.....

8 Things

8 Things I look forward to...
1. Moving into my house
2. Seeing my Sister, Ryan, and Finn
3. Sunny weather
4. Watching Sierra grow and learn new things
5. Decorating my house
6. The day when I don't have to work or only have to work part time
7. Finding Mr. Right :)
8. Taking vacations with Sierra

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Worked
2. Played with Sierra
3. Fed Sierra rice cereal
4. Went a whole day with no soda!
5. Folded Laundry
6. Read about 2 pages of my book
7. Made lists of what I need to do before I move
8. Went to bed so happy that in a week my sister and Finn will be here

8 Things I wish I could do
1. Be a stay at home mommy
2. Buy Sierra whatever she wanted
3. Make time stand still
4. Have more time to do my crafts
5. Stay in my P.J.'s all day for at least just one day
6. Decorate cakes ( I am already looking at ideas for Sierra but I know I will never be able to do what I want...maybe Aunt Jennifer will be here for her birthday :))
7. Play with Sierra all day every day
8. Be able to visit my Sister at least once a year

8 Shows I watch
I actually do not watch T.V. so there are no shows I watch. Here are the shows I used to watch BS (Before Sierra)....

1. Greys Anatomy
2. A baby story
3. Everybody loves Raymond
4. John and Kate Plus Eight
5. Little People Big World
6. Wipe Out
7. What not to wear
8. Extreme Home makeover

So excited....

2009-06-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

I haven't wanted to post anything until it was a for sure thing because I didn't want to jinx anything but...........I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE! I get my keys tomorrow morning. I am so excited and can't wait to get in and start decorating. First though, we have lots of painting to do. The kitchen and bathroom are PINK....and I mean completely pink. The bathroom will have to stay that way for a while because we are talking everything is pink, bath tub, toilet, sink and counter tops. However the kitchen can all be painted. Its going to be so much fun, I can't wait. Keep checking for updated pictures as the work begins.

Congratulations Breena

2009-06-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Breena graduated from high school! It's crazy to think Iused to change her diapers. Since Sierra and I could not make it we wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS! WE LOVE YOU BREENA!

Strawberry Festival

2009-06-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

This year was the 100th Strawberry Festival. Sierra had a blast watching everyone in the parades. We went to the kiddie parade to see Jaren and Lukas and then we watched the Grand Parade down at the lot. I still remember going down there every year so I have started the tradition with Sierra too.

Sierra in her 100th Strawberry shirt from Kristi.
Watching the kiddie parade with Grandma.

My little strawberry girl before going to the grand parade. Isn't she just the cutest.

Getting kisses from cousin Emma. I can't wait till these two girls are old enough to play together. They are going to have a blast.

All tuckered out from a busy weekend.

Its a bird, Its a plane....

2009-05-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

...No, its SIERRA LOU. As you can see Sierra now enjoys tummy time. She loves to put her arms and feet out and balance right on her tummy. Now that we are rolling over though, tummy time might not last too long anymore.

Another month has flown by!

2009-05-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe another month has come and gone already. May was a very busy month for us and it was full of lots of firsts...First sleepover, First time in the grass, First time rolling over, First trip to Portland (which is huge considering how much you used to hate the car), First time meeting some of Sierra's family. The month was also filled with lots of family get togethers and birthdays. Its been so much fun now the we have nice weather and we spend as much time outside as we can. Sierra loves being outside and going for walks in her stroller. All the leaves on the trees and flowers catch her attention.

Ignore the fact that I forgot to rotate the picture.

She loves being outside.

Sleepover

2009-05-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

Sierra had her first sleepover over Memorial Day Weekend! Jaren and Lukas came to spend the night with us. She just loves her cousins.

Jaren did this all on his own. So cute!

Snuggling before bed.

4 Months

2009-05-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe Sierra is already 4 months old. Time flies when your having so much fun and someone to love soo much. She is really starting to get a personality even more than before and is such a good baby. Here are a few of the things she loves at 4 months old

Sucking or Chewing on her hands and fingers
Bath time
Sitting in her Bumbo seat
Story time with Mommy especially Elmo books
Listening to grandma "moo" like a cow and "bark" like a dog
Her babysitter...she gets so excited in the morning when she sees her.
Music
Stroller rides

She is starting to like tummy time much better now and is so close to rolling over. We also got her excersaucer all set up and she is slowly starting to like that more now too.

These next couple months are going to be busy with the nice weather coming, family coming to visit, summer, and all the new things Sierra will start to do so check back for more pictures and updates.

Scrub Scrub Scrub Sierra's in the tub.

2009-04-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Scrub, Scrub, Scrub Sierra loves the tub. Bathtime is such a fun experience for Sierra and I. She LOVES it. She lays in the tub and watches me in the mirror while chewing on her hand. She is just so relaxed during and after her bath as well. I wish we could have bath time everyday!!!

All snuggled up in her towels.

Looking in the mirror watching me.

Sierra's First Easter

2009-04-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Sierra and I are getting into a new routine now that I have started back to work. I like to spend every minute that I am not at work with Sierra so I am finally getting to posting some pictures. These are all from her first Easter. We had a wonderful day spent with family. Sierra was such a good girl and loved all the attention. Thank you to everyone who made Sierra's First Easter so special for Sierra and I. Didn't she look cute in her dress and bonnet.

Sierra in her Easter dress and Bonnet

The Easter Bunny came

Not too sure what to think of the chicks Papa brought.

Much more interested in her hand than the chocolate bunny.

My new obsession!

2009-03-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

Sierra got these adorable BABY LEGS as a gift and I just can't get enough of them. She wore them for the first time yesterday and I had to put the second pair on her today. She looks so cute in them and they make her legs look even longer. I already had the "I love mommy" shirt and they matched perfectly. I just may have to get some more colors of them :)

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!

2009-03-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

Trust me Sierra got plenty of kisses wearing this shirt! How could you resist giving her kisses with such an adorable little face.

Story Time

2009-03-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Of course Grandma gets her turn reading to her too. Sierra can't wait till she can go visit Grandma in her Library and check out books from her.

Sierra loves being read to. After her bath, I swaddle her up, read a couple books, and she goes right to sleep for the night. During the day we lay on the floor and I read to her. Sometimes she lays there and listens to the same books 2 or 3 times.

2 months old

2009-03-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

All dressed up in mommy's favorite colors...pink and brown!

And of course on her two month birthday we had to make cupcakes!

I can't believe Sierra is already two months old. Where does the time go. She is getting to be so big. She smiles all the time and is starting to have a little laugh. She is a very happy baby and I couldn't be luckier. She is sleeping through the night now almost every night and always wakes up smiling. I am dreading having to go back to work and it is creeping up on me very quickly.

Delivering Valentines

2009-02-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Lukas and Sierra
Jaren and Sierra

Aubrey and Sierra

Sierra went and delivered Valentines to her cousins Jaren, Lukas, and Aubrey. Aubrey and Sierra are just 5 weeks apart. I can see lots of sleep overs, tea parties, and dress up parties in the near future with these two.

We wished we could have delivered her Valentines to Hannah and Finn in person but instead we had to mail them.

6 1\2 Week Update

2009-02-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have put an update on here so here goes...Sierra is getting bigger and bigger every day. We tried to weigh her by having my brother stand on the scale with her and then without her and she weighed about 9.6 lbs with clothes on. I can't wait to get her weighed next week. She smiles so much now, and the smile just melts my heart every time. A couple times she has really got going and it was almost a little mini laugh. It was the cutest most precious thing. I am not looking forward to going back to work and it is creeping up on me quicker than I would like. The bright side is I have found fantastic daycare with people I know and trust so that will make going back just a tad bit easier. Here are a few of the most recent pictures. The little white dress is the dress I wore home from the hospital. It fit Sierra around 6 weeks except for the length. When she was laying down flat there was a gap between the dress and the little bloomers.

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

Sierra and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentines Day!

Such a happy little girl!

2009-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sierra is 3 weeks old

2009-01-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting any pictures last week. It's just amazing how time flies when you have a little one but I would not change it for anything. I am loving being a mommy and my little girl is the most perfect thing ever. She did this week discover that she had lungs and had a couple little fits. We have tried lots of new things this week and she is loving her swing, her bouncer, and having books read to her. She is still not too fond of tummy time but we are still working on it. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Already 1 Week Old

2009-01-09T21:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Sierra is already over 1 week old. It has been a busy but fun week and everyday gets easier and easier. These are a few of my favorite pictures from this week!

Sierra Lou Miller is FINALLY here!!

2009-01-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

Sierra Lou was born January 1, 2009 at 6:02pm. It was a long day but as soon as I got to hold her for the first time I forgot about all the pain from that day. She is the cutest little girl ever. After 17 hours of labor, Pitosin, 2 failed epidurals, and a spinal block she finally arrived by C-Section. These are a few of the pictures from the hospital and I will be sure to continue to post pictures because everyday she gets cuter and cuter!!

Santa Visits

2008-12-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

Santa must have thought Sierra would be here by the end of Christmas day because he came to visit her!

Christmas at Grandma and Papa's house

2008-12-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas at Grandma and Papa's this year was lots of fun with all the kids together. Again we were hoping Sierra would be here by then but she wasn't. Everyone got lots of fun gifts and the kids had fun playing with everything. Papa made Jaren and Lukas a grocery store which was a big hit.

Jennifer, Ryan, & Finn Visit

2008-12-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Jennifer, Ryan and Finn came to visit for the holidays. It was a very busy week with lots of Christmas festivities. Above are a couple of pictures of Finn playing with all of Sierra's toys. We were hoping she would be here by the time they left so they could meet her but she has a different agenda.

Sierra's Room

2008-12-07T14:05:00.001-08:00

This is the changing table that Sierra's Papa made her!

Now that everything is set up and ready, we are just waiting for little Sierra to come!