The McKinney Family: walking

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.