Milla: Three Years Later

Another comparison of my family's two Hilton Head trips. Here's Milla in 2005 ...



And then three years later ...

Nice to meet you, buddy!

While we were shopping, some of the funniest moments of the weekend happened. Here's how it went:

MILLA: (While pointing at a mannequin with no head who was modeling spring fashions at Old Navy ...) I want to say, "Nice to meet you, buddy."

GRANDMA: Well, get in the cart, and we'll go over there.

MILLA: (While shaking the hands of three mannequins standing next to each other at the front of the store ...) Nice to meet you, buddy. Nice to meet you, buddy. Nice to meet you, buddy.

Meanwhile, Cassie and I wander to the back of the store to look at baby clothes. Then later, while we were in the clearance section of women's clothes, Milla decides it's time for more handshaking.

MILLA: I want to go find more Nice-to-meet-you Buddies.

GRANDMA: OK, let's go.

MILLA: There's one. (While turning toward it ...) Nice to meet you, buddy.

OK. That repeated a few times, and then we checked out. On to Kohl's ...

After looking at some stuffed animals at the front of the store and persuading Milla to sit in the stroller, we were walking toward the back of the store because Grandma needed a picture frame ...

MILLA: (Noticing a mannequin ...) Hey, grandma, those women have heads!

There was much laughter. Apparently, Milla was so excited about the complete mannequin that she didn't want to shake her hand and say, "Nice to meet you, buddy."

Christmas @ The Hills

We were in Louisville from Sunday until Tuesday afternoon, celebrating Christmas with my family and some friends.


Cate got to share her first Christmas with her Aunt Cassie and Uncle Zac, who were celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple. And she apparently had a lot to tell them about it ...


Cate is no less spoiled for being the second grandchild. Mom bought both Cate and Milla huge stockings ...



... I told you they were huge! Cate can fit in hers with room to spare, and her Grandma filled it with books and toys! (The bottle of lotion she's holding is just an accessory she picked up sometime during the evening, and she didn't want to let go so I just let her keep it for the picture.)

So then on Christmas morning, Cate got to open her stocking ...


Cameras were popular gifts around the Hill household. Cassie and Zac tried to get theirs set up. Then later Milla just dove right in to using hers.





And here is a close-up of Cate and Aunt Cassie loving on each other. Cate had just finished showing off her talent of pulling of her socks.

From the weekend ...

I realize you have better things to do than wonder where my pictures are from the weekend. Well, on this Wednesday morning, here they are. You'll have to excuse me, I was distracted by my new washer and dryer earlier in the week. That and trying to get some order to the house.

So this weekend was a whirlwind of visiting Lexington and Louisville. We got to see a few friends, but there's just never enough time. Mom enjoyed her grandma time with Cate most of Saturday while we were at the UK game. (Yes, they lost. Consider us bad luck. But I promise you we were cheering. Maybe blame the guy in front of us with the UofL hat on ... in Commonwealth Stadium. Oh, that's right, blame the offense for its inability to score.) We stayed up late Saturday night playing cards with Cassie and Zac and then spent Sunday hanging out with them, Kevin, Laine, Milla and Poppy.

I just love that shot (above) of Laine reading to Milla and Cate. Both the girls mesmerized by the book. Sunday was the first time Laine had met Cate because she and Kevin just got back together in August after some time apart.


Through it all, Cate just played. And I'm telling you, she plays hard and just takes it all in.



Grandma and Milla picked out that xylophone for Cate. Milla got a "more advanced" one, but she wanted Cate to have one too.

Creating and refreshing

I channeled my frustrations tonight into making this page. And I feel better.


JOURNALING ON THE PAGE: Milla loves to tell Cate secrets, and Cate seems to just take it all in. Although we'll never know the details of the moments they share, Milla is quick to tell us that she loves Cate and Cate loves her. Well, of course. And I'm glad Cate has a cousin like Milla who wants to care for her and teach her things. This day in July, Milla called Cate her "best cousin." And, yes, she has other cousins!

I was feeling overwhelmed with wife and mother duties, household chores, my day job, all the ideas I have in my mind to one day create ... and the fact there just isn't enough time. Plus, I don't feel that well (headache, sensitive stomach ...) and I'm having a bad blood sugar day.

But looking at these two beautiful girls for the past hour or so was much better than thinking about all that other nonsense. And now I'm going to bed.

One of the best parts in life is that tomorrow is another day. I can start fresh.

jumpin' and chillin'

One little Milla jumpin' on the bed ...


Yes, her Uncle Greg and Aunt Kristin let her jump from one bed to the other after. She stayed with us after the wedding because Greg's mom watched her and Cate while we stayed late at the reception. It was a slumber party of sorts. Although Mom and Kevin forgot to pack Milla clothes, so she had to make do with one my T-shirts. I think she liked it.


So while that commotion was going on, Cate was just chillin' out with Daddy ...

Family Entertainment

This weekend there was much ...

... dancing,


... jumping,


... and cheesing.


And it pretty much just wore Cate out.


But when she was awake, she spent much time chewing. And Milla make sure she wasn't alone. (Notice Curious George and Secretariat.)


And then the next day there was more ...

... interacting really closely.


And that wore Cate out too.



Seriously, this was much of the weekend. When Milla was dancing and running and jumping and riding her big wheel on our walk, Cate was sleeping in the stroller. Between all of this fun, I got to visit with Jodi, although I am completely at terms with the fact my friends like to visit Cate more at this point!

I also went to my high school reunion (A newspaper column on this will follow in the coming days.) and threw Cassie a bridal shower. No, I don't have pictures of any of those things. They aren't quite as entertaining as Milla and Cate. Although, you know, I laughed really hard at my sister's shower.

Sometimes I wonder if she's old enough to get married.

Then I realize she is marrying Zac at the same age that I married Greg five years ago. OK, so they're really OK. In fact, we (being the family ...) even like Zac. Yes, there will be pictures (by me and a professional) from their wedding, which is in like a week and a half.

Greg had a mini-reunion with some friends from his UK days because one of them got married in Louisville on Saturday. Turns out we know the girl he's marrying through some Murray State friends. Small world. Yeah, but none of it interested Cate.

She was our sleeping beauty during the ceremony ...


and the reception ...


and later during the reception ...


Moving on to the rest of the weekend.

"Shine" was appropriate on Cate's onesie Sunday morning. She smiled and cooed for quite some time laying on Grandma's floor. And Milla was right there to be part of it.

cute cousins

Cate made her first trip to Louisville and Lexington this past weekend. And, let me tell you, Milla was glad to see her new cousin. Milla met Cate when she was just days old. And she was interested then, but more from a distance. Well, this time, when little Cate was seven weeks old, was totally different ...


I'm fairly certain all my readers know Milla. But here she is. My brother's daughter. She's 3 1/2 and an absolute joy to be around. In fact, I'm not sure why I don't have a category on my blog just for her. I think I'll start that today.

Milla was really into be close -- really close -- to Cate.


And she liked to be close to whoever was holding Cate, in this case Greg ...


... and in this case Uncle Zac.


I think Cate was beginning to wonder what was going on. I mean, we give her a lot of attention, but Milla was all about Cate. When Cate cried, Milla asked what she needed. A small toy? A blanket? And one time Greg was holding her when she cried and Milla insisted I take her back. I then explained that Greg was Cate's daddy and it was OK for him to take care of her. Oh, and when I mentioned to my mom that Cate's nose sounded slightly stuffy, Milla immediately went to get Cate a Kleenex.

Then there was this sweet but strange moment ...


Milla covered both Cate and herself up with a blanket and whispered to her. I have no idea what she was trying to teach her, but I have no doubt Milla will try to influence for her years to come.