Leila Ballerina

We have had a blast doing fun fall things. Leila and I went to the pumpkin patch with her play group. The kids had a lot of fun climbing on and playing with all of the pumpkins. They had a barrel for bobbing apples but there was no bobbing since swine flu is around! We are getting vaccinated next week.

We also went to her first kiddie costume party at her friend Ryan's house and it was a hoot. Seeing all of those toddlers in costume was adorable. Leila was a ballerina and too cute for words. Her friend Grant was a puppy dog and she kept trying to pet him. Hilarious!

We went today to a party at Gym"boo"ree and she had so much fun. This time Grant was going after her toys and she literally clung to me for dear life scared of him. I felt bad for her but it was so funny, and she is almost 4 months older than him so it was not like he was going to do anything to her.

Tomorrow she is going to Grandude and Granmary's for her first sleepover while mommy and daddy celebrate their 6th wedding anniversary and look for houses. This will be her first time away from both of us so I am a little worried but her grandparents are so sweet to her I think it will be ok. Plus, they are keeping Shrek too so "da" will be there with her for familiarity. She will get to dress up like Leila Ballerina again and hand out candy like a big girl.

We had milestone this past week I have to mention--speaking in phrases! She is joining words together now.

Leila loved the pumpkin patch and making a big mess

Leila and her friends from her playgroup were so good to pose for this picture

Leila had a lot of fun at Ryan's costume party. Her friend Sophie is a fairy in the background and had super-cute couture shoes on

This is Ryan, her cutie patootie dinosaur friend who is going to be a big brother in the spring!

Grant was a very realistic-looking puppy and Leila petted him a few times, which all of the adults thought was hilarious

Here is our ballerina playing monkey at Gymboree

Those aren't bells, they are Leila's bracelets

Mama and Leila Ballerina

Trying to catch a bubble on her finger--so cute!

Sold!

I don't want to jinx anything, but we sold the house (again.) So November is going to be a very busy month! We still do not have a new house in Clear Lake, but hopefully I find one today. Knock on wood everything goes through this time.

Unsold!

Quick update....

Our house went on the market Thursday before last. Sold that Sunday. "Unsold" by Friday (the buyer pulled out.) So we are back on the market. We are considering another offer, so we still think it will sell quickly. And hope so as well.

I went house hunting in the Clear Lake area and saw a lot of houses. Hopefully one of them will work out, but there was not a single house that we had to have. I also saw some homes whose owners could have benefited from a little time watching "Sell this House." Seriously, paint over your unicorns on the wall. Hide your barking dog. And clean out your closets just a little.

Leila update! She used her first phrase today! She said "Nana dog" when I told her we were going to her Nana's and we would see her dog. We are so proud.

A Lot Can Happen in 5 Days

So... last post mentioned some big stuff: moving, illness, walking. Since then, we have some major updates.

First update, moving. Our house sold in less than 5 days. So it turns out all of that time spent watching "Sell This House" was worth it. We have had an exhausting week, cleaning, packing, de-cluttering, organizing. Our house looks better than it ever will again, LOL. But it paid off, since keeping the house clean just about killed us. I locked Shrek outside when the maid came and he overheated and threw up everywhere. We had a showing today, and Leila ripped the metal bins out of the wall, sprinkled pens throughout the house, took the kitchen dishtowels out from under the sink and dumped out all of our things in the bathroom, and then peed on the carpet while I was trying to change her diaper. Going through any more time doing THAT would have been horrific.

Second, illness. I am close to 100% better, still have a nagging cough/congestion while Leila has congestion. Somehow Patrick escaped it.

We are moving to Clear Lake and now have to find a home ASAP. So please keep us in your prayers since this is a MAJOR change and we have A LOT to do. Sadly, we just got our home exactly how we want it, and now we are leaving it! Since this is our first house, I am a little emotional about it, mostly over the nursery where I brought my 1st baby home. That and the fact I am leaving all of my friends behind since I have lived here since 1986. No, it is not like I am moving to a different state, but lets be honest, with a baby it is a big move since you can't just jump in the car anymore.

The good news is that Leila is walking better every day and falls less (which equals less injuries) so we are thankful for each new day! Today she learned how to "dance" so once I get it on video you will have some LOLs. She is also becoming increasingly verbal and opinionated. I am thankful for this as it increases our ability to understand one another. Other words she says are "ba" (bottle), "na" (banana), "mo" (more, also snack), and of course "mama," "dada," and "no," which were among the first. Words she signs include eat, sleep, more, please, friend, and a handful of others.

Here are some pics of our house that were on the internet.

McKinney Family Update

I haven't blogged in a while because we have a lot going on. The biggest news is that we are putting our home up for sale to move closer to Patrick's job. We will be very sad to leave Sienna Plantation and the friends we have made here. Sienna is, in my opinion, the best place to live in the Houston area. We have wonderful friends here and my closest friends live in Sugar Land. There is a group of us who all went through our first pregnancies together and their kids are some of Leila's best friends. But it will be a blessing to have Patrick's job nearby as sometimes Leila is already asleep by the time he gets home.

Other than packing madly, I have been really sick for almost 2 weeks. I caught a cold that developed into an upper respiratory infection that really drained me. Poor Leila has had more than 30 minutes of Baby Einstein a day while I was exhausted--and then when I shut my eyes for a minute she got really mad! She demands a lot of attention for someone so small! LOL

On top of that, poor Shrek has a severe foot infection that requires a lot of care. It does not seem to bother him at all though. If anyone is considering getting a Chinese Shar-Pei dog-DON'T. They are one of the most high-maintenance of all breeds. They have eye problems, ear problems, skin problems, and his foot problem all due to their wrinkles. We love him very much and he has tolerated all of my care very well. He is our #1 dog and Leila just adores him.

Patrick has had to go to Baton Rouge a lot for work and makes the trip in one day. So on top of packing and moving, he is on the road a lot. He also has an Engineering Consulting business that is taking up his time. Since he is so handy, he has been doing a lot of little house projects to make everything look perfect. Patrick knows how to do just about everything so we keep him busy.

Leila is now 14 months old. She is what some Southerners would call a "spitfire" since she is an adorable bundle of energy. Her walking improves every day. She is doing great in school and not only does she not cry when I leave but she actually reaches for her teachers to take her--a huge milestone. She is talking a lot--words include "dada, mama, do (dog), mum-mum (snack), baba (bottle), Ein-Ein (Baby Einstein), mo (more), bow, Nana, turtle," and more I can't think of right now. She is also still signing which is very helpful. Here are some new pictures.

Leila calls balloons "pa" for "pop," as in bubbles pop.

Our little Tiny Dancer--getting her costume ready.

Ready for the game.

They are not just stacking rings, they are her bracelets, LOL.

She loves to wear scarves and hats on her head.

Sweet Shrek, our first "baby." He also demands a lot of attention!