Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the craziest, kookiest kid in town! Who just also happens to be the most adorable child to grace this planet with her presence... We wish you all a prosperous new year and can't wait to share more pictures of our midget's progress. Thanks for your support and kind thoughts! Mazeltov.

Mia Takes Tokyo!

Tell me this doesn't remind you of an old Japanese monster movie?! Mia is obsessed with her new train table and apparently decided that wings would help her to build a better track... There is no end to her cuteness!

Car Chick!

Mia is a huge fan of Daddy's old cars! She insists on hanging out in the garage, playing in the tool boxes and climbing around in the cars. There is no doubt of the depth of Daddy's love, evidenced by the fact that Mia is actually allowed to climb around in Daddy's cars! Here she can be seen preparing for her first drive in her 69 Camaro. After taking a few laps around the neighborhood she recommended Daddy add Nitrous...

Uncle Jesse!

At Mia's Great, Great Aunt Betty's 100th birthday party, she was very excited to see her Uncle Jesse! And no, we weren't reliving the Dukes of Hazzard. hee hee. Mia loves the 'Big Guy' and gets very excited whenever he visits...

Teddy Bear Tea!

Momma took Mia to 'Teddy Bear Tea' at the Ritz, along with Nancy & Madi and Karin & Rhea. Mia loved getting her picture taken with Teddy and enjoyed a proper cup of tea! Our little midget is so refined... Can't you tell? This picture was taken right before she snuck up on stage during the live entertainment!

Wife in Training!

I've got to hand it to Momma, she's doing a fantastic job of training our little Mia to make a great housewife some day... Now if she could just pick up the pace a bit on this whole potty training thing! I'm not sure we can marry her off while she's still in diapers. Hee hee

New Tricycle!

Aunth Cathy sent Mia a shiny new tricycle! The midget is still a touch small, but that didn't stop her from giving it a go... In fact, she couldn't even wait until Daddy was done building it to climb aboard and try peddaling away! Mia is a very luck girl. All of her Aunts, Uncles & Grandparents sent amazing gifts... Can someone say 'spoiled'?!

Mia Hendrix!!

Mia got a lot of great Hanukkah & Christmas presents this year, and has been playing non-stop for days. In fact, on Christmas day she wouldn't even nap... However, this guitar that Mommy picked out sure has proven to be a hit. When Daddy plays classical guitar background music on the Ipod, Mia pulls up a stool and plays along! Everyone likes to think their child is prodigy, so who knows, but she sure does have a penchant for music. Put her anywhere near a piano or guitar and she just has to make music! Let's just hope she can sing better than Mommy & Daddy!

Mia's Diner!

Grammy & Poppa bought Mia a 50's style diner complete with a kitchen / malt shop on one side, and a diner with booth on the other! She is endlessly fascinated with this midget size restaurant and insists on taking all her meals in her booth now... Adorable!

Happy Hanukkah!

Mia loved her first night of Hanukkah gifts and enjoyed saying the Hanukkah Prayer! I'm pretty sure she thought she was going to be getting some birthday cake after she saw the candles being loaded up... Happy holidays to all.

Gear Head Mia!

Much to Daddy's delight, Mia has shown a real penchant for tools & cars! In fact, Mia throws a fit when she can't join Daddy in the garage to dig through the tool box and pretend she's working on her tricycle, or climb around in the old cars... So what could we do but buy her a tool chest of her own?! Mia has been drilling and hammering for hours! We're hoping this will lead to a moto-cross championship by age 5. By 'we', I mean Daddy!

Tubby Time with Daddy!

Daddy was feeling a little tired last week so he decided to take a bath. Of course the Midget decided that she needed a little tubby time as well!! Much fun was had creating make believe beards and hats with the bubbles... There is nothing in the world like quality play time with our little angel.

Hanukkah Glasses!

Mia is busy preparing her Menorah for the fast approaching holidays! Of course she had to don her Mr. Potato Head glasses to get a better view... She has become quite the silly child. Loveable as hell, but silly!

Poor Little Angel...

Our little angel was sick this past weekend and needed some serious Momma love! That made for a special day. In fact, we made all sorts of exceptions. Mia got to watch several hours of the 'Wiggles', which are her favorite thing on the planet at the moment! She also got to have juice, which is usually off limits... Take a look at that sad little face in the photo and you'll understand why we did whatever we could to cheer her up. Poor little midget...

Stunning Beauty!!

On Sunday Mommy & Mia were both feeling a little under the weather, so Daddy drew them a nice bubble bath... Then Daddy captured the most stunning picture!

Adoptee Honoree Luncheon!

On Saturday the FCC honored recent adoptees, which meant Mommy & Mia were the guests of honor at The Golden Bhudda! It was a beautiful event, and Caryl & Abigail were in town for the weekend, so they joined my girls. Mia not only loves Chinese food, but is completely enamored with chop sticks... Look at these stunning women!

Holy Nakedness!

All of you parents can certainly relate that to children, nakedness is next to Godliness! Well, if that's the case, then we've got one seriously religious little girl... Nobody enjoys running around butt naked quite like our free spirited little freak of a child! Tubby time is nothing if not a time to parade around shaking that bootie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a nice relaxing dinner at the Club, so that Mommy wouldn't have to spend her day slaving away in the kitchen... By 'relaxing' I mean that we would take turns taking a bite of turkey, and then chase Mia around, as she wouldn't sit her cute little butt still!!!!

Welcome Home Grammy & Papa!

Grammy & Papa just got home from a 2 month cruise! Boy was Mia happy to see them... It was really sweet to see not only that Mia remembered and missed them, but the expressions on Grammy & Papa's faces when they saw that our little midget is now a little girl! She's grown and learned so much since they left. She had to show off by saying the alphabet and counting for them. Then she totally worked them at bedtime. I'm pretty sure they read about 30 books to her!! So loved...

Good Morning!

The other morning I came into the kitchen to find Mia had lined up all of her bears against the cabinets, and covered them up to ensure they didn't get cold! Could a child be any cuter?!?!

GO BUCKS!

Enough said...

Cop Fetish...

We all know Daddy's not a big fan of the law! Somehow, against Daddy's wishes, Mia has fallen in love with a cop... Kurt & Sue's son Parker always wears his uniform when he visits, and usually brings his cuffs! Mia apparently likes a man in uniform. Here she can be seen being escorted on her first date!! At least we approve of the boy...

No More Tubby Time!

As I may have mentioned, Mia is now obsessed with taking showers! It's great because Momma gets to spend all day with the Midget, while Daddy has to work... So it's a really cool way to end the day with a little party in the shower! She's so much fun.

Poor Baby...

Our poor little midget was sick all weekend... On Friday night Mia vomited in her crib and ended up spending the rest of the night in bed with Mommy & Daddy. Saturday she seemed to be doing better, but we cancelled our evening plans and stayed home just in case. Good call, Susan dropped Parker off for a little play date and Mia decided to vomit all over the couch! We thought that would be the end of it, until she vomited all over the couch yet again on Sunday morning... Suffice it to say that we cancelled our Sunday plans as well, which was a bummer because we were planning on driving up to Flagstaff to take Mia on the 'Polar Express' train. It's crazy how tough she is. If she's not vomiting, you'd barely even know she's sick. Here is a picture of Mia curled up on the couch with all of her bears on Sunday morning... Poor little girl! And poor Momma who had to wash her blankets and bears three different times this weekend. At least we know they're clean!!

Such Changes...

The rate of development is so rapid now that it's almost impossible to keep up. I remember when Mia would mumble a new word every few weeks and were so impressed... Now, she seems to develop a whole new set of skills each day! So let me bring you up to speed. Not only can Mia count to 20, but she also says the whole alphabet. Ok, for those of you who haven't been through this, I realize I may seem a little excitable about such trivial things. But for those of you who have been here, I'm sure you can understand that seeing such developments is nothing short of a miracle! And of course, like all parents, we're convinced our child is an absolute genius! The only down side to all this rapid change is that now Mia has decided she loves sugar!! (and the occasional swear word thanks to Daddy's horrifically foul mouth!) She especially loves ice cream cones... Who are we to deny a kid the little joys of life! Ice cream it is...

LInz Visit!

Brian & Eileen came for a visit over Halloween weekend, and brought along Greta, who is only a few months younger than Mia. Much fun was had by all. In fact, a little too much fun may have been had by the Mommy's & Daddy's, which made the next morning a little difficult... Good thing Mommy's are given to sacrifice! Mia misses her new friend already.

Puppy Love!

Ok, so it's a goat, not a puppy... Still, the midget just absolutely loves animals! Here she is at the petting zoo with her new best friend. It was so cute, she had to brush every last goat in the pen before she was willing to leave. Our little midget overflows with love!!

Enough Halloween Already...

I believe this title sums up Mia's feeling towards the end of the evening on Halloween! Here's the midget trying to get back in through the front door... I believe I heard her mumble, "Enough already, get me out of this damn pig outfit that Mom seems to love so much!".

Niko Love!!

On Friday night cousin Nicholas slept over! Mia and Niko played a little Wii Sports and generally tore up the house. She loves spending time with him, and on Saturday morning the games resumed right where they left off! A very loved little girl that midget...

Happy Halloween 2008!

On Friday night we had our annual Halloween Taco Soup party for the neighbors! It's always so fun to have everyone hang out and go trick or treating together, but was exceptionally fun this year as Mia was able to truly enjoy the festivities! As you can see by the pictures, she grew a little hot and tired of her Royal Pig outfit and decided to go as herself... As always, she was amazingly fun and the belle of the ball!

Halloween at the Club!

Saturday night we attended a great Halloween party at the Club. Beth & Eric were visiting from Milwaukee along with their beautiful daughter Clara. Mia & Clara had an absolute blast palying together for a few days. In fact, now Mia is wondering where Clara is when she wakes up in the morning... Nancy also joined us for the party, along with Blaise & Madi. We took a hay ride, played with all the other kids in costumes and did some Halloween crafts. As you can see, Mia wasn't having the hat portion of her Royal Pig costume... But that sure didn't slow her down!

The Royal Pig!

Somehow the Midget's Miss Piggy costume has been transformed into 'The Royal Pig'... How fitting!

Another Pumpkin Patch?!

Yep, that's right, to ensure that Mia's Halloween is complete, Momma is ensuring weekly pumpkin patch visits through the month of October!! This is one disadvantaged midget...

Nothing like a 95 degree day on the farm selecting pumpkins!

Pumpkin Patch!

Mommy & Mia went to a local farm yesterday to pick out pumpkins! As you can see Mia found just the right one. We are now the proud owners of one slightly lopsided and thoroughly deformed pumpkin!! Halloween here we come... It's almost time to don the Miss Piggy outfit!

Best Friends!

Our crazy Midget has decided that puppies are her best friend! Saying she is obsessed would be an understatement... Too bad for her she's never getting one! We love her and all, but adjusting to her toys taking over the house was hard enough. A dog?!

Growing so quickly...

Mia is learning at a rate that is shocking! Not only can she now count to 14, but she learns several new words each day. Grandma couldn't believe her progress, and it had only been a few weeks since she'd visited last! The best part is that she's a total Daddy's Girl!!!!! When I'm around, she has to constantly be in my arms, hugging, or simply holding hands. Momma tried to take her on a walk this evening without Daddy and she burst into tears! I'd be flattered, except it may just be that she's already learning to be a woman at just 20 months old! Boy they start early... Hee hee

Grandma Visit!

Grandma (Barb) came and spent the weekend with the Midget while Mommy & Daddy got a little R&R in Vegas. Mia had a blast with Grandma. In fact, the night before Mommy left she got out all the Halloween decorations and Mia made Grandma carry her all around the house in the Halloween candy bucket... So cute! Thankfully Aunt Cari & cousin Nicholas also spent time with Mia while we were away, so Mia was assured to have a more partying weekend than if she were in Vegas!

First Beach Vacation - Hilton Head

To celebrate Grandpa's (Ellis) 70th birthday we rented a house in Hilton Head for a week and the whole family came. Minus Chris & Donna and their kids, as they were all sick... This was Mia's first time to the ocean and she absolutely loved it. Every morning she wanted to race down to the ocean to look for puppies! All she cared about was finding puppies and playing fetch. It was so great to get all the cousins together and just hang out for a week of no work and nothing but play time... (Plus lots of naps!) I could get spoiled spending all day with my girls! We had an incredibly relaxing week. Watching Mia experience so many things for the first time is the most rewarding experience for Stacy & me.

Favorite Cousin!

Nicholas has officially laid claim to the title of favorite cousin! Mia has always been fond of boys, but went absolutely nuts over Nicholas while in Hilton Head. When he entered the room she would light up and beg him to pick her up. It was so amazingly cute... She would climb up on him, wrap her arms around him and pat his back while smiling! He was really sweet with her and I can't wait to see their bond grow through the years.

Sand Castle Museum!

On a rainy day at the beach Momma couldn't have the midget sitting inside all day. So true to form, she found a kids museum in town! We had a blast doing crafts, playing with magic sand and playing on the ship. As always, Momma made a rainy day shine!!

Beach Bunny!

Daddy picked up a beach bunny! There is nothing like a walk on the beach with a beautiful girl...

Musical Skills!

Mia is far more musically inclined than Mommy or Daddy... She loves the piano, guitar, bongos, and now the harmonica! Uncle Ryan spent some quality time teaching her the basics and she damn near sounded like Neil Young before the night was over. Only a slightly younger and less cranky Neil Young!

Lounging at Breakfast...

Somewhere along the way Mia decided that lounging on the kitchen counter was the appropriate place to take breakfast... As you can see, she was quite comfortable there! Nothing but style this kid.

First Concert!

On Thursday night we took Mia to her first concert, Playhouse Disney Live! We invited Madi to come along as well for her birthday. We fully expected Mia to lost interest in about 10 minutes since she's still only 20 months. Much to our surprise, she absolutely loved every minute of the show and stayed totally focused! She even tried popcorn for the first time, and Daddy taught her how to shovel it in for maximum consumption!! Madi was a sweetheart as usual.

Breakfast with Diego!

On Sunday morning while Daddy was being lazy and sleeping in, Momma got up extra early and took the Midget to the zoo for 'Breakfast with Diego'. As you can tell by the picture, Mia was a little put off by this freakish boylike character with an oversized head! I don't blame her... But she had a blast playing with Susan & Parker!

Fountian Swimming!

Every Friday Mia has 'My Gym' class. She & Mommy have so much fun playing, and then they head over to Kierland outdoor mall with some of the other Mommys & kids. They have a great fountain and Mia loves to play in it as if she's at the beach... He she can be seen doing what she does best, digging in the rocks!

Playing 'Night Night'

The Midget's favorite new game is something she likes to call 'Night Night'... She crawls onto our bed, buries herself in the pillows and giggles and laughs like you can't believe! It's shockingly cute.

Who Me?!

Mia is fairly close to perfecting her 'Who me?' look... Thought we'd share it for all to see the pleading innocence!

Diaper Change!

Mia is now mimicing everything that we do... She recently decided that if she needs her diaper changed, so must Betty Bear! Here is our little cutie making sure that Betty Bear is clean and fresh. Note the baby wipe in the foreground. She doesn't miss a beat...

Thank You Grandma!

As you'll notice, we're breaking tradition here for the first time. This picture doesn't include the Midget! That's right, we actually took a vacation without our little Princess... Grandma (Barb) was kind enough to fly in to Phoenix and stay with Mia while Mommy & Daddy went to Napa to attend Crush Camp. This was our first official time away from Mia. In fact, we were away for three whole nights, for the first time ever! While the Midget had an incredible time with her Grandma, Mommy & Daddy missed her tremendously... We had a blast with Aunt Cathy & Uncle Ryan, and drank a lot of great wine, but we sure were excited to get home to the love of our lives! Thank you for helping out Grandma, Mia already misses you...