Welcome Kira

We were so happy to get the news yesterday that Kira Janine McMillan had arrived. It was such a fun surprise for our family since we didn't know the sex. I can now admit that I was secretly hoping for a little niece. I can't wait to hit the stores and buy some girly dresses, bows and accessories. She is absolutely perfect and we look forward to so many fun times ahead.


Here is Heidi a few hours after Kira was born. Can you believe she just had a baby? I don't even look this good when I wake up in the mornings.


So proud to be an Aunt again.

One Year Later

Last year on St. Patty's Day we had been home from the hospital with Roman for 2 days. Look how little he was.


Amazing how much they grow in just 1 year. Our Big Boy! And the best of all is that he is finally back to feeling good after a long cold virus. Happy St. Patty's Day.

Roman's 1st Birthday Celebration

My little man turned 1 this past weekend. I can't believe how fast his 1st birthday approached. I spent the last few weeks getting everything organized, planned and ready for his Birthday Party and really wanted everything to be perfect for him. Sadly, Roman came down with a horrible cold virus all week and was not really in the mood to party. You quickly realize that no matter how perfect you plan, in the end all that really matters is your babies happiness. I felt so bad for him all day as he was really was not his normal happy self. But I was reminded that everyone was here to celebrate him and was just happy to be there.

We did a jungle animal theme and we were so happy to have good weather. The day before it was pouring rain and I worried that our friends and family just wouldn't fit inside our small house. Thankfully the sun was out and it was the perfect day to spend outside.




The true highlight of the day was watching Roman eat his chocolate cake. He really hasn't had any sweets until this and he couldn't get enough. I think he inherited the Lietz sweet tooth. It was so fun to watch him experience the joys of dessert.



Pop perfected another cake masterpiece. He made Roman a mini cake and then a big monkey cake for everyone else. They were perfect and delicious.


He got spoiled with lots of fun gifts. Trucks, toys, swimsuits, clothes, a water table, tent and even a swing/slide. What a lucky boy!



It was so fun to have our family and friends here to help celebrate Roman. I always feel so lucky to have such an amazing and supportive family and also such loving friends. All of these people were such big supports during this first year and we are so appreciative of each and every one of them.

Thank you to everyone that helped out, especially my parents, Betty and Bob, Ryan and Lauren and Jason. I couldn't have done it without you. Lauren got stuck making macaroni and cheese for 50. We underestimated the amount of time that it would take and yes, we had some leftovers for a few days.


Happy Birthday, our sweet Roman! You have brought us such love, happiness, laughter and fun. This year has been the best of our lives and we look forward to many more celebrations ahead.

Tahoe With The Family

We headed to Tahoe for a fun ski weekend with the family. We got a great house in Northstar, which was perfect since a shuttle would pick us up and drop off right at the Village. If you haven't been to Northstar in a while, I highly recommend it. They have a Downtown Village that is filled with restaurants, shops and lots of places to hang out. It was great place for my mom and I to hang out since we were on kid duty and didn't ski.

Here are some pics from the weekend.


We loved meeting up for lunch each day.


So many fun restaurants to choose from in the Village.


Roman sported his snow suit all weekend. It kept him nice and toasty.


Scott snuggling up to with a bear.


Scott couldn't get enough of the gondola, so we rode it up the mountain twice.


We had a major snowstorm during eating lunch outside at the top of the mountain.


Pop and Roman dressed alike.


Nana and the boys.


Grammy and Roman.


Scott found a little hill and didn't want to leave. I think he must have gone down it 50 times.

It was so fun to have Scott along on the trip. Roman looks up to his older cousin and is always entertained.

Daily Sports Link

Jason has always had an entrepreneurship spirit (really since the day I met him) and I knew that one day he would venture out and start a business of his own. Through the years, we have gone through many rounds of brainstorming, research and discussing business ideas with each other, but none of them ever seemed right.

About a year ago, Jason felt there was a need for a Sports News website that included all content in one place. He wanted to create a site that would include a collection of his favorite writers, sites, stories, blogs and original content. In addition, the trend of social networking and athletes was becoming more and more popular, so needed to find a way to include access to players too. He asked his good friend, Chris Kelling to join him and together they started the site, Daily Sports Link.

This process has been so fun for me to watch since I have seen it from the very beginning to the launch of the site. What started as pieces of paper taped together is now a fully functioning, amazing site. I cannot express in words how proud I am of him. He works all day in the city, comes home to spend time with Roman and I and then works on the site 4 hours each night. I am not kidding when I say that there are many times when I wake up at 2am and he is still busy typing away. He has the passion and the drive and is willing to do what it takes to make it a success.

Right now Jason's main goal is to increase traffic and viewership to the site, while also perfecting the content. We would appreciate it, if you pass along the site to your friends and family and also let us know what you think.

Please visit: DailySportsLink.com

11 Months

My Big Boy has one month to go before he turns one. How did this time go so fast? I love 11 Months! It is such a fun age. Roman keeps me smiling all day long and is a jolly guy. He is busy, busy, busy now that he is on the go, but it has made him so much happier now that he is mobile. There are new challenges as he wants to get into everything, but I love watching him explore and enjoying new experiences daily.

Here are some happenings from the last month:


His hair seemed to grow overnight. I'm still debating if we should cut it. When dry his hair resembles a gnome and as his Dad styled his hair above it looks a little like a greaser.


Cord Obsession. He is always looking for a cord to pull on and play with. This is what happened when I tried to take it away from him. Our little techie.


Getting into everything, especially things he shouldn't. He played with Marley's waterbowl for about a half an hour. He was a mess and had to be changed after, but had so much fun splashing around.


Loves his cousins. He has so much fun watching them and Scott loves making Roman laugh. It is so cute to see.


Open and Close, Open and Close. Nothing gives him more satisfaction than to Open and Close all the doors and drawers.


Starting to play so much more independently and with friends. I love seeing him figure out how all the toys work.


Our Friday the 13th baby has turned out to be a lucky guy. He won the final quarter of the Super Bowl Square game and took home $165. Thank You Grandpa Bob for picking out a winning square.


He loves bubbles. Here is his playgroup playing with bubbles everywhere.


My Sweetness. I just love him so much. He is such a joy, love and constant character.

An Exciting Day

After 10 months and 6 days, we have a crawler! He has been going a little backwards, rolling a lot and finding a way to get around. However, today it is official. He has moved forward and keeps going. YEAH! Go Roman. We have an appointment with his OT tomorrow and he is going to be so excited. Roman has been working hard and today is a big accomplishment for him.

This video is too much (especially with Marley). Not only does she do a drive-by licking, but also sniffing his bum. It is always comedy around here with this dog. Can you tell that Roman is used to her being a total rascal?

10 Months

10 months was the month of change. Everything changes so fast. My little baby has become my little boy. Every day it is something new and he even looks older. I think his hair grew overnight.


Not quite crawling yet, but definitely gaining interest. Can crawl backwards and now just rolls and rolls and somehow moves his little body to get exactly where he wants.


Loves driving around town in his new car. I have mastered walking Marley and pushing this, so I am proud too.
Hey...a stay-at-home mom has to have some accomplishments in her daily life too.


This is the end of having a clean baby. Let the mess begin. Roman no longer likes me to feed him, but likes to feed himself. He loves eating and I have enjoyed giving him more and more tablefood. Some of his favorites are waffles, blueberries, avocado, bananas and of course, Puffs, Puffs and more Puffs. I am trying to embrace this new phase, even though it drives me crazy to see him get so dirty (but I know this is only the beginning).


I still have a little catnapper on my hands. I have truly tried everything and have come to the realization that Roman just doesn't need much sleep during the day. He sleeps great at night, which is the best. But I get very little done during the day since he only naps twice a day for 30-45 minutes at a time. I am hoping it gets a little longer when he moves to just one nap. He also likes to sit in his crib at night. Now when I put him to bed, he just sits in the corner in the dark. The first time I found him like this it kind of creeped me out, but I guess it is his way of relaxing before he goes to bed.


Obsessed with electronics. Cell phones, remotes and now the cable and stereo equipment.


He loves to chatter all day. He now says, Mama, Marmar (even though it sounds just like Mama), Baba and last night said Dada when Jason left the room.


Happy New Year Everyone! 2010 is sure to be a great year!

LL Vs. NG

The day after Christmas, the men decided to have a football game.

Northgate vs. Las Lomas

Of course, I was torn on who to cheer for since I went to Northgate, but Jason went to Las Lomas. Turns out the cheering squad (AKA the ladies) were more interested in drinking mimosas than cheering, so I was able to cheer for both. Sadly, Las Lomas lost, but I think all the men got a good workout and the ladies had some fun too.




Roman loved cheering for his Dad and Uncle Ry.

Roman's 1st Christmas

A Baby's 1st Christmas is truly magical. I loved all the traditions, lights, music, festivities, parties and fun. You realize that it is no longer about you, but all about making it a memorable experience for your little one. Each holiday this past year has been the best and I can't wait til he gets older and starts to understand more.

Here are some of our favorite pics from the holidays:


This is from Deacon Dave's in Livermore. Truly...the most amazing display of lights I have ever seen on 1 house.


This is a tradition I can't wait to do each year.


Roman got an early Christmas present from Grandpa and Grammy.


Christmas Eve service at St. Matthew's.


We visited the Hiland House on Christmas Eve. The boys loved the trains.


Wake-up Roman! It is Christmas morning.


He asked, "Mom is this one mine?"


Marley was patient as Roman opened up his gifts.


Marley's stocking.


Roman loved hanging with Uncle Tom. Just wait til he hangs with all 3 of them together.


Nana and Pop on Christmas. Happy Birthday POP!


The 3 Grandma's


In reality, Roman could have cared less about any gifts. He was obsessed with bags, tissue paper and tags. Now I know what to get him for his birthday.


Our new resident, A Giraffe!


Scott was an awesome cousin on Christmas. He helped with all the presents and showed Roman how to use them.


Tyler had a good time opening all his presents and got some fun things. Of course his favorite was Cars.


One of his favorite gifts, his new car.


Aunt Lauren was in town. Roman loved his gift!


Roman got to meet Jon, one of Jason's best friends on Christmas morning.


Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!