The McMillins

Back at the end of April we went to Phoenix, AZ for a week. Gretchen's parents have timeshare out there so we met them and their friends out there to vacation together. Plus, it was nice to have a free babysitter. ;)

Over the next few days/ weeks we'll share things about our vacation but for now, we'll start with what happened on our journey home and when we got home.

We were scheduled to leave Phoenix, AZ to go to Dallas, TX at 12:40 p.m. but didn't end up leaving until 3 p.m. b/c of the bad weather in Dallas. Anyone remember all that bad weather they had when the dome collapsed? Well... that's when we were traveling there. Once we finally landed in Dallas, our connecting flight home was delayed. They finally decided to cancel our flight around 9:30 p.m. So, we had to stand in line for over 2 hours to try to get a flight back home for the next day.

To make a long story short, by time we finally got a flight scheduled for the next morning it was already after midnight. So, we got cots and blankets from the airport and stayed the night with 2 small children at the airport. Oh.. and Corey had the flu during all of this with a 103 degree fever. Well, Gretchen and Zach stayed up all night and Corey and Leah got some sleep.

So... the next morning we go to get on our flight but they tell us that our tickets are invalid. They had dropped our seats and only had 2 available seats. Well, that wasn't going to work. So, they ended up getting us on a flight at 1 p.m. that afternoon. It was a LONG journey home from Phoenix. We won't ever fly American Airlines again b/c of the horrible service that we received through all of this.

When we got back home, we picked up dinner and went to our house. After we ate, about 20 minutes later Zachariah started vomitting. Zach and Corey went to the doctor the next day and found out that they had the flu. Zach tested positive for it but Corey tested negative. The doctor said that Corey probably tested negative because he was on the back end of it. Gretchen ended up getting a bad headcold later that week but was fortunate enough to escape the flu. WHEW!

So, we are all FINALLY feeling back to normal and now are enjoying spending time with Gretchen's parents and her Aunt Debbie this Memorial Day weekend! We will tell more about our vacation later and will post pictures!! :)

Today is our 3 year anniversary! We can't believe it!

Corey sent Gretchen red roses while he was at work today! Gretchen gave Corey the movie "Fireproof" along with the book "Love Dare".

We are looking forward to many more to come! :)

Last weekend we noticed Leah's eye starting to ooze and become real watery. At first, Corey thought it was pink eye but it's actually just a clogged tear duct. Poor thing wakes up with crusty eyes. We keep putting a warm wet cloth on it and massaging it downward to try to open it up. It seems to be helping.

So far, she's been an okay baby. She's definitely not as good as Zach was as a baby but she doesn't have colic, so we're thankful for that. She tends to get fussy when she's really tired and fights her sleep. Once she's asleep, for the most part, she stays asleep. Some nights she even gives Gretchen almost 5 hours of straight sleep. She's a BIG eater and has definitely grown already. Her 1 month check-up is next Monday. Gretchen thinks she's at least 11 lbs already.

Gretchen has been trying to get ready for her parents coming down for Christmas. She LOVES for the house to be clean and organized whenever we have guests but it's been harder for her to do that with having Leah recently. Fortunately, Corey has been helping out a LOT! She's very thankful to have a husband like him.

Last Thursday, Gretchen had a full day of Doctor's appointments. In the morning she went to her Ob Doctor so that they could check her incision. Gretchen is healing well and can finally drive again. She has lost 30 lbs from when she went in to have Leah until now. She gained 50 lbs with her though.

In the afternoon, she had to take Leah to the Doctor for her 2 week check-up. She has gained 1 lb and 1/2 inch. The Doctor was impressed because most breast-fed babies lose weight the first 2 weeks but she gained. She now weighs 10 lbs 4 oz and is 21 1/2 inches long. She is very healthy and chubby! :)

Well, there was no baby this past weekend and still no baby today. Today is the due date. Next appointment is Wednesday. Corey has off so he can go with her, unless of course she makes her grand entrance into the world tonight or tomorrow. Gretchen is wishing that it would be soon. She feels like she can't get any bigger.

Gretchen went to the doctor on Thursday. She's only dilated 2.5 cm. Her due date is this Monday, the 24th. She has an appointment with the doctor this Wednesday to do an ultrasound. On Wednesday, they'll go ahead and make an appointment to induce her on December 2nd, if she still hasn't been born.

We're really hoping for the baby to be born this weekend but obviously we have no control over that. Gretchen told Corey that this must be his baby because she's procrastinating until the last possible moment, which many of you know Corey is the same way. lol (of course that should be taken light-hearted) Anyway, we'll keep everyone posted!

There's no baby yet. Gretchen is wishing it would happen soon. Her due date is this Monday, November 24th. We'll see what happens in the next few days. Her next doctor's appointment is this Thursday, November 20th. We will keep you posted! :)

Gretchen went to the doctor yesterday. She is measuring normal. The baby is head down (ready for delivery) and Gretchen is 1 cm dialated. We went to the hospital last Sunday just to make sure we knew where to go. It's VERY easy to get to but does take a little time to get there.

Gretchen is trying to get everything cleaned up and organized before the baby gets here. She's planning on putting the Christmas decorations up the first week of November (just in case the baby decides to come early).

We have Zach's 5th birthday party coming up on Nov. 1st. We have his party at 10:30 AM in the morning and then the church is giving Gretchen a baby shower that same day later in the afternoon. So, it will definitely be a busy day.

We have FINALLY decided on a definite name for the baby. Anyone want to take a guess? (those of you that don't know)

Gretchen is 33 weeks pregnant now. She is really having a hard time sleeping still. She can't get comfortable and the baby seems to be VERY active at night. We can't believe how fast time has gone but we are getting so anxious to meet her. We're pretty much prepared for her. There are still little things on her registry at walmart.com and target.com that we need, but other than that we have the big stuff. The nursery is ready. It just needs the baby now!

There's nothing really going on this month. We are going to a wedding this weekend that Gretchen is playing the piano for. Then, Halloween night we'll be going to our church's "Hallelujah Party". Zach wants to dress up as Batman. Of course, the next day is his birthday. He wants a Batman party. We can't believe he's going to be 5 already!!

After doing a lot of praying about buying a new house, we've decided that right now is just not a good time for us to buy a new house. Besides everything that's going on in the economy, Corey's job isn't doing so great with orders, which affects his pay, as many of you know. We feel like between those two things, we really need to be smart about our own finances (especially with a new baby coming).

As far as the baby is concerned, Gretchen went to the doctor yesterday. Everything is normal and the doctor said that Gretchen looks great. She lost 1 lb from her last doctor visit, which she is VERY excited about. The nursery is done and we've got a lot of the basics that we need for the baby, in case she arrives early. The only things that are really needed are the travel system, a diaper pail, and bottles. We're not sure if there is going to be a shower for her but just in case, we registered at walmart.com and target.com. If nothing else, it's a good way to help remind us and keep us organized of what we still need for the baby or for nursing. :)