20 months

I have come to the realization that having a toddler and teaching are two full time jobs. I looked at my blog and figured out that I failed to post a 19 month update. I feel like such a horrible mommy, but I know that Miles appreciates the time I spent with him instead of updating the blog.

With that said...it is time for a monthly update...two months late! :)



Miles is now 20 months. I know, right? Hard to believe that almost 2 years ago God blessed us with this sweet, curious, smart, lovable, funny, amazing little boy. I thank The Lord every day for giving me such a healthy and lively child.

Miles is still 33 1/4" tall and has gained a little weight. He now weighs 29 1/2 pounds.

Here are some of this month's MILEStones:

• I can count to 3 but it sounds like, "Un...doooo....treeeeee"
• I can recognize the letters P, T, S, B, E and A.
• I can identify circles, triangles and a few colors.
• I still love books.
• I enjoy dancing.
• My favorite movie is The Lorax.
• My favorite tv shows are Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Team Umizoomi, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sesame Street, and Yo Gabba Gabba.
• I can say a new word this month=khakher (cracker). **SEE VIDEO BELOW**
• I cry big alligator tears when I don't get my way.
• I like for Mommy and Daddy to hold me when they are trying to get ready to go somewhere.
• I can use a fork and spoon when I eat.
• I am still into everything and anything, especially if I am not supposed to be in it.
• I love to flush the toilets.
• I had my first taste of chocolate and LOVED it.
• I am wearing 3T shirts/tops, and 24 month/2T bottoms/pants.
• I am still in size 5 diapers.
• My favorite game is hide and seek with mommy.
• I am scared of the vacuum cleaner and the dust buster.
• I like to eat fruit cups, Greek yogurt, lunchables, and anything with cheese.
• I still only drink milk in the mornings.
• I can recognize a lot of things and people.

Miles still enjoys anything to do with music, especially when he can make it himself. He loves playing Mimi's piano and Honey's organ.

Miles is a HAM! I wonder where he got it from? :)

He has started to become interested in putting on other people's shoes. His favorite shoes are Daddy's boots, even though he can't walk in them.

This is Miles saying cracker. Sorry it is turned the wrong way. 

This video shows Miles' adventurous side. He may be afraid of the vacuum cleaner, but that is about it. He was running on my parents' pool cover. I guess he figured since he can't swim in it, he will run around on it.

Miles the Veterinarian-Halloween Take 1

Miles loves animals. He even knows how some of them sound. Since he loves them so much, and we had a Halloween event at church to go to, I decided to let him be a veterinarian for NUMC's Octoberfest.

Miles got to go fishing for treats.

This picture says it all...You might see that Miles is a little fuzzy. Well, this is how things are most of the time we try and take his picture. He wants to go go go and doesn't really want to be held unless he feels like being held. In this picture, he wanted to run around the church parking lot!

This is Halloween take 1. He gets to wear his vet costume to Parent's Day Out on Halloween, and then he gets to be something else on Halloween night. Stay tuned for more on Halloween take 2!

October Fun

This month has been busy....full of wedding festivities, Halloween preparations, and family time. Sorry for the lack of posts...It is very difficult with work, training for a marathon, and chasing around a busy toddler boy. With all that said, it is time for a much needed update....so here we go!

The last weekend of September Miles and I went to a BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) painting party at Ms. Lynda Climer's house. She does this every year, and this year was just as fun as last year. Miles even got to paint his own pumpkin!

Miles and I painting his pumpkin.

Miles worked so hard he fell asleep on Mimi.

During the first weekend of October, the Cleek's headed to Ft. Walton Beach, FL for Chris and Ashton Hatch's wedding. Chris is Matt's cousin, so, Matt was in the wedding. I took a personal day the Friday before so we headed up on Thursday evening. Miles did pretty good on the 7-8 hour drive down thanks to Yo Gabba Gabba, Sid the Science Kid, and The Lorax.

We stayed at Waterscape on Okaloosa Island. If you have children, and you visit the Ft. Walton area often, this is the place for you! They catered to kids. They had an awesome pool with a lazy river as well as a splash pool for smaller children.

Miles loved the splash pool.

The view from our condo.

Miles striking a pose before the rehearsal dinner, which was at a Ramada Inn on the beach. It had amazing views!

On Saturday, Chris and Ashton got married at the First Baptist Church. This is Miles and I before the ceremony.

Miles after the wedding. He wanted to get out of that suit!

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At the gorgeous reception, which was held at a convention center. 

While most of our friends and family ventured home to Tennessee on that Sunday after the wedding, we headed over to Seaside to Elaine and Darrell's friends' Steve and Patricia Camp's beach house. I was on fall break the following week, so, we too a little time for some R and R.

I felt as if we were in the Hamptons! Seaside is such a nice beach community. Very pricey, but super nice!

Miles spent the first Seaside beach day collecting water from the ocean in his pails.

He was trying to count his buckets in this picture. 

He also slept for 3 hours one beach day underneath the umbrella. What a life!!

Miles and Daddy enjoying the beach.

Miles loved playing in the sand, which is a big move from his first trip to the beach back in March/April. He wanted to roll around in the sand. Thank goodness for the water to wash off the mess.

The sand isn't the only thing Miles enjoyed on this beach trip. He loved getting in the ocean. It was very calm almost every day we were there. He got to sit in the water and play with the wet sand.

Another thing Miles loved on our trip to Seaside was this bike trailer. In fact, he cried just about every time we got him out of it. Needless to say, I think Matt and I need to get us some bikes and a trailer!

We are very appreciative to Steve and Patricia for letting us stay with them in their beautiful beach house. 

Labor Day in Memphis

On Labor Day Weekend, the Cleek's traveled to Memphis to go see Honey, JoePa, Uncle Joe, Meemaw, Papaw, and Uncle Brandon and Casey (who came in from Lexington, KY for the weekend, too).

Friday night, we went to our favorite Mexican spot, Margaritas. Miles spent his evening on the dance floor, flirting with the ladies.

The next day we hung out by the pool and went swimming.

That afternoon/evening Honey and JoePa took Miles to the first stAte game of the season.

Mommy and Daddy went out to Memphis with Brandon and Casey. We ate at Central BBQ and then went to Overton Square.

On Sunday, sadly, Brandon and Casey left us and went back to KY. But we had some one on one time with Meemaw and Papaw.

Miles and Meemaw read together.

Miles had so much fun on Labor Day weekend. He was exhausted!

1.5 Years Old

A couple of weeks ago (Wednesday, August 28th), Miles turned a whopping 18 months old. I am just in awe of how amazing our child really is. Granted he isn't speaking in sentences like half of my friends' children are or did at his age, but we think he is very smart. We are extremely grateful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving us this healthy child who is such a joy and treasure to all of us.

This month he weighs 27 pounds and is 33 1/4 inches long. We went for his 18 month checkup on his 18 month birthday and Dr. Blake says he is doing great and growing just fine.

Most days he is all smiles.

But lately, he gets very angry and throws fits when he doesn't get his way. He also hasn't felt like himself because he is cutting molars....AGAIN!

He loves riding in the car with his "buddies". Elmo 1, Elmo 2, Grover, and Donald Duck. He is big on stuffed animals these days.

Some of this month's MILEStones:

• I have really mastered throwing fits!
• I have become a terrible, picky eater.
• I know where my bellybutton, nose, eyes, stomach, feet, hands, toes, and mouth are.
• My favorite movie is the Lorax, especially when I can watch it on Daddy's kindle fire while I eat.
• I can say a few small words like, cat, daddy, mommy, side (outside), whas dat (what's that), whun dat (want that), and Ogatine (ovaltine).
• I have been teething very bad this month. So much so that I've had fever several times.
• I am wearing 2t and 3t clothes.
• I love to sleep with my stuffed animal, Scout, who talks and sings to me.
• I love to read books.
• When I do eat, I take forever.
• I love getting my way and will throw a fit unless I do get my way.
• I spend minutes in timeout at least 2 times a week.
• I am mastering climbing onto things.
• I love to play hide and seek.
• I can throw a football.
• I am still in size 5 diapers.
• I can turn on the water faucet in Mommy and Daddy's bathroom.
• I am very curious and always into things, especially drawers and cabinets.
• I know what a lot of things are, like football, Roxie, Luke, chair, moon, sky, tree, lawnmower, and people in my family.
• I can catch onto things very quickly.
• I love to watch videos and look at pictures of myself on Mommy's iPhone.
• I dance all the time.
• I HATE getting my diaper changed. I run every time I see someone with one and I kick and scream until it's finished being changed.
• I like to wear around my pajamas, even though they are dirty.

This is Miles throwing a fit at me because he can't have my phone.

This is a taste as to how smart our little guy really is.

These are Miles' football throwing skills. We were watching the broncos game the other night, and he went and grabbed his football and started throwing it. Matt, of course, was thrilled!

I came home from work one day on a Thursday, which is the day Miles goes to our church's Parents Day Out program. He had on his jammies when I walked in. I was a little concerned, so, I asked Matt, "Did he wear those to school?" Matt said he didn't so I assumed he must not have gone to PDO that day, but Matt said he did. Apparently when Miles and Matt arrived home from PDO, Miles saw his favorite zoo jammies and threw a fit to wear them. So, Matt put them on him and he was a happy camper.

It's Football Time in Tennessee AGAIN.....

Even though summer is coming to a close, we are so thrilled with its end for two big reasons...one is the fact that hopefully it will not be so hot (sooner rather than later). It is hard to keep Miles indoors, knowing he longs to go outside to play. He doesn't understand why we can't go out. So, we have to make do with our time indoors....

He runs around and plays, 

hides from us, 

and enjoys watching himself on video.

The next reason for our end of summer excitement  is a BIG one for the Cleek family.

FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love football in this house.....especially college and high school football.

Last night, we all ventured to Dyersburg (Matt's Alma mater) with the Williams clan. We ate at Alvino's pizza before JCM hit the gridiron for their first game of the season. And get this...Matt actually wore a JCM shirt and stood on our sideline to watch the game. 

Miles thoroughly enjoyed running around on the field.

He also sat in the bleachers and watched some of the game.

Matt was reminiscing and telling Miles all about his former football glory days. I love this picture because Miles looks like he is really listening and taking in all that his daddy was telling him. (A big thanks to Brian Williams for snapping this picture for me!)

We ended up losing the game 51-28. The officiating was pretty one-sided if you ask me, and someone in the Dyersburg stands used an air horn several times when we were needing a crucial down or play. However, we did have 2 kickoff returns for a TD and we all had a blast!