Tears during bedtime

For Christmas Duane and I got McKenzie a bunch of new books. We read to her every night before bed and today's book was one of her Christmas gifts. I love you so was the book she "chose" to read. As we read through it, each page described unconditional love.. Too sweet...
Then the last page had me in tears.. It read

I can't imagine life before you came along...Me there singing senseless, No meaning to my song.

Call it meant to be or simply blessed fate,you fill my heart with love...and for that I celebrate...

Seriously? I am still tearing up! Perfect mushy book for those saps out there.

Christmas blessings

What a wonderful time of the year. The birth of our savior is tomorrow. What a great gift he was able to provide to all of us,believers and non-believers the truth remains the same.

This year has flew by. Kenzie has gone from a itty-bitty newborn and blossomed into a rambunctious toddler. Blessed.

Tonight we have our annual Christmas Eve party with the extended family. Tomorrow we open gifts with family and we eat out at our favorite restaurant. I cannot wait to see Kenzie get all excited over some of her new things. She starting to really obsess over books and Duane and I picked out a few new ones.


Christmas will always remain very special to me. So to my Father, whom I am eternally grateful for, Merry CHRISTmas. Happy Birthday. Thank you for your gifts of love, eternal life, and grace.

Today? Well? I got my very own Christmas surprise?

I have NEVER pictured myself being the mom of two babies under two. I still haven't figured out the logistics of it and every bit of stress it will entail. But, it is a blessing nonetheless. A non-planned, wonderful surprise.

I KNOW how it happens. But still trying to figure out HOW it happened as we've been pretty careful. Guess God determines our lives and doesn't let our "opinions" interfere with those plans.

So bring on baby number three. Due sometime in late August!

Silent Night

Kenzie met Santa yesterday at the local grocery store. We typically don't do the whole Santa thing, as I want the main focus of Christmas to be on Christ' birth. However, I really, really, wanted the screaming baby picture. It worked just as planned.

Disabled Ernie

The blog has been quite quiet these days. Mainly because for the last 10 days McKenzie has been loading her diapers with diarrhea and was vomiting for a week straight. A trip to the ER and two doctor appointments later we still have no idea why she's been so sick,but I'll spare you all the gory details and leave you with a funny.

Bayleigh has adopted this toy from Kenzie. You see Ernie's head is no longer able to stand erect and it tries effortlessly to do the "hokie pokie" with out making eye contact! The dog? Still fascinated by this particular toy; Kenzie is equally fascinated by chasing after Bayleigh when she's attempting to decapitate Ernie.

Enjoy.

Do you remember?

I totally had to call my good buddy, Alicia, from the mall to have her share in my excitement. McKenzie was given a fifty dollar gift certificate to Jc Penny's and since I am not too fond of character clothes are clothes that have PRINCESS in bright bold colors- we opted for new shoes instead.

What did I find her? Ha. Some brand new LA Gear!! Ha ha! Seriously, that brand of shoes was rockin' in the late 80's when my Mama bought them for me. They were my first pair of labeled shoes and I was in L-O-V-E. Not to mention I thought I was too cool for my own good with some shiny white and pink shoes that LIGHT up!

Kenzie's don't light up, but they're super cute and match a lot of her tans/creme outfits. She was quickly outgrowing her size four brown shoes so the LA Gears came in handy. I cannot stop cracking up!!

Parties and appointments

McKenzie's birthday party was this past Saturday(the 29th). She had a great time and was blessed with lots of cool presents. She demolished her cake in true one-year old fashion. It as a bit of a chore attempting to clean her up at the park, but we managed.

We also had her one year appointment today(the 1st of December). She's doing fantastic. Developmentally she's right on target. She weighs 21 pounds, 15 ounces and is 32 inches long! Tall baby.. Erhmm, toddler. Her doctor told her, "Welcome to toddlerhood!" when he walked in the room.

She had two vaccines. We delayed the MMR vaccine until her 2nd year and declined the flu shot. He's happy to hear that she's bottle free and said NO foods are off limits(Including peanut butter and shell fish). We're going to wait on those two a bit longer. He also encouraged that we stick with the straw sippy cups as they're better for her teeth and speech development. No problems there as little Miss is NOT a fan of traditional sippy cups.

All in all she's 100% perfect!

McKenzie: You're one year old!!

Yesterday you turned one year old. We celebrated the day by having your First Birthday photos taken and we squeezed in your Christmas photos with your cousins, too. We went out to lunch and dinner and you enjoyed some chicken nuggets. You've decided that you don't like when Mommy cuts them and you insist that I give them to you whole so you can bite off chunks like a big girl.

I've enjoyed watching you blossom from a tiny newborn into a face paced, rambunctious toddler. You're personality is shining and those closest to you quickly have learned how stubborn you already are.

You're running circles around us! You're Enjoying pointing to characters in your books at bedtime. Your vocab is increasing and even the photo people heard you VERY clearly say "Ball!" You've learned to hit, which for the record, Mommy and Daddy strongly discourage. You never, ever, sit still unless you're asleep. You drink all your drinks from big girl cups and you're trying VERY hard to learn to use utensils when you eat. You're attached to a silky blanket and that darn pacifier.

Today, 365 days since you came screaming into our lives,I am so proud to be your mother. It's been a face paced, emotionally filled, wild ride. I wouldn't change anything about you. From the moment I was discovered I was pregnant with you I knew you'd bring a very special dynamic into our family. I just never imagined the magnitude of love EVERYONE has for you.

You complete us as a family. You've helped fill a pieces of a broken heart that was left when your sister left us for Heaven. You've been a constant reminder of God's promises and grace to us. You've impacted our lives more than you can even imagine. I love you. Daddy loves you. Thank you for the best year of our lives.

Love always,

Mommy.

Pre-Birthday celebrations!

McKenzie's party is this Saturday. My sister couldn't make it because she's going out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday. So, we had a mini-party at her house to celebrate Kenzie's and Kali's birthdays. Kali will be on the cruise when she turns the big 13!

Needless to say, Kenzie is practically an expert at the whole eating sweets thing. She quickly caught on to how tasty the cupcake was and decided to hold and bite chunks as it is the fastest was to consume these goodies.

I cannot wait to see her with her little smash cake at her real party! Bring on the mess!

Putting baby to bed- Daddy style.

Duane bathed Kenzie tonight per my request. We've recently ditched the bottle so we added a snack with some milk pre-bed to fill her tummy up. After her snack it is her bath time, book time, bedtime.

Duane came down after doing the three steps and a few minutes later Kenzie is screaming. Why you ask?

Well..

1). She was wearing a long-sleeved(non-bed I might add) t-shirt that totally exposes her belly. It came from the give away basket as it is size 3-6 months.

2). She still had her toothbrush in her hand(at least he brushed her teeth)from her bath.

3). Her paci was on our bed. This alone was probably the main reason for her melt down(I know she should be weaned from the paci, but baby steps people!)

4). Her book and alligator xylophone(which was still in the box as it is one of her birthday gifts) was in the crib with her.

5).Our lights were on and the TV was blaring. I wonder why she confused what time it was?!

Needless to say: I turned the lights off, and the TV down. I removed the toothbrush from her hands and the boxed xylophone from her crib. I handed her the beloved paci and off to dream land she went. I left the undersized shirt on for some late night giggles.

I often wonder if he does these sorts of things so I won't call on his services again?

Prayers answered and some Random thoughts for the day.

Oh, where should I start?

My father was released from the hospital on Wednesday! His tumor was removed and the pathologist said it was localized. Great news! It was quite large(the size of a baseball). His surgical site was infected so they re-opened it and he was sent home with a doodad that drains it to help it close independently. I was fortunate enough(note the sarcasm) to see the wound OPEN when I went to pick him up. The nurse was getting ready to re-attach the doodad and had left the room. Fun stuff. He has a home health nurse that changes the bandage and watches for infection three days a week. Other than that, he's back to being in great health!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We're in the process of weaning little miss from the bottle. She's currently down to just one bottle a day of formula(we have a can of Enfamil left, we're cheap, it's expensive- so we're not wasting it. Ha). I've started giving her a bottle about an hour from bedtime so she learns to stop associating the bottle with bed. Tonight we read, "Good night Moon" Really is a classic, great book! She did well with night one. I hadn't suspected it would be an issue as we've never allowed the bottle in her crib. We do the bottle in our bed and when she's done she hits the sack. So, the bottle WILL be gone before her first birthday at the end of the month. Yay, us!

I still a bit shell shocked that I am weeks away from being the mother of a toddler. I mean, she does toddler stuff now- I should have been a bit more prepared for it. Oh, well. Here we come!





*note- Doodad must be a real word, because the spell checker didn't correct me*

First Halloween

As told in pictures!

With her cousins

Ready to go

Eating at church

I got this, Mom!

Faith

On October 3rd my Grandmother was rushed by ambulance to the hospital with a 104 degree fever, a blood pressure of 70/55, and a ton of blood in her urine. She had a raging sepsis infection and her doctors were less than optimistic.

After weeks of roller coaster like emotions, Hospice being called- she starts to prove everyone wrong and decides that despite the fact that her doctors gave her less than a week to go- she'd like to call the shots when she wants to head to Heaven.

Now is not that time. She's eating again. She's recognizing us again and is back at the nursing home. Not the ideal place for her; however, it is our only option as she requires twenty-four hour care and her insurance doesn't cover that.

The exact day she headed home my Father had a doctors appointment. A bit past due, admittedly. He's not a fan of doctors and thinks that because his Father is still happily trucking along at 95 that he will, too.

A few hours after his appointment the VA(Dad's a Vet so they handle most of his medical needs) called insisting that he come to their ER as his blood count was critically low and he was critically anemic.

The whole family heads down there. I do mean everyone:my Brother, my Mom, Kenzie, Duane, and myself. Dad's blood was even lower than in the afternoon and he earned himself a bed on the fifth floor and 3 pints of fresh blood.

After lots of test his doctors discovered that he has a large(expected to be cancerous)tumor in his colon. They're a bit thrown off as benign tumors typically don't grow that large; however, cancerous ones are painful and Dad isn't experiencing any pain. Tomorrow he's scheduled to have it removed and Kenzie and I will wait it out in the waiting room.


Our family seems to be really being tested through trials and tribulations. Sometimes I wonder why everything gets put on ones plate at one time. Each second I remind myself that God is in control of everything. I have caught myself saying that I cannot handle that- but God seems to know my limits a bit more than I do.
I thought that my heart would not ever be able to love again after Zoey was called home- and here I am- completely in love with her sister, while still aching for her. God works in mysterious ways and all I am left to do is pray. Good old fashion prayer is better than any doctors diagnosis. I think my Grandmother's recovery is proof of that.

McKenzie: You're 11 months old today!!

Wow. In one month you'll celebrate your first birthday. I cannot believe how fast you've changed over the past 11 months. You complete our family more than you'll ever know.

Month 10 was a big month for milestones for you. You totally ditched crawling. You learned how to stand up without using something or someone as support. You've decided that walking is over-rated and you've begin to run. It i so cute as you still waddle a bit. You learned to clap along to songs and actually did this task when prompted to do so. You've never been a "parrot" type of baby, so this milestone shocked Daddy and I more than any other.

You're stomping your feet now when Mama sings, "Stomp, Stomp, Stomp your feet, stomp your feet today!" I made that up. Are you impressed? Haha.

You wave, blow kisses, and give high fives! You initiate love ALL the time by hugging and kissing those you're closest with. You absolutely love to kiss and hug on Bayleigh. Bayleigh humors you by giving you big, wet, slobbery kisses. You laugh hysterically and the two of you repeat these cycles.

You can say "No, No, No" but you shake your head yes when doing this. Daddy and I try to tell you that you're confusing us.

You're well on your way to ditching the bottle next month. You're only getting a breakfast bottle and a bedtime bottle. Everything else is in your sippy cup. You also learned to drink from a straw! Finally. You're a straw sucking pro now. You tried whole milk for the first time. Mama bought the Organic kind- you're not a fan of it quite yet. We Keep trying though.

You're fiery personality came out this month, too, with full fledged, toddler style temper fits. Complete with screeching and attempting to slap. You've earned some cool off time in your pack in play for this new milestone.

Nanny got you your first Rays shirt. You're quite proud to support Pop Pop's baseball team as they battle the Phillies in the World Series.

I cannot wait to see what month 11 has in store for us. We love you a bit more every day.

Up she goes

Kenzie has finally learned how to stand unassisted. This was her last milestone to ditch crawling. She's too freakin' cute with her bum in the air, I think!

The quality stinks as we were in the hospitals court yard waiting to visit my Grandmother.

Vote?

For who? I have no idea. I was dead set on one candidate and now I am not so sure.

McKenzie may have decided for us when she opted to tear my mail-in ballot. I was really shocked to see a dozen candidates. Oi. The debates are annoying me; the attack ads are, too. Duane isn't voting for anyone. I've never been so torn in any election. Moral issues are VERY important- but nowadays, the economy is, too.

Eeek! How many days do I have left to decide?

Discovering

McKenzie discovered the ocean today. She was fascinated by its sounds and colors. It is simply amazing to watch her when she first sees something new. Everything we take for granted she is amazed by. With her innocence I am amazed, too. She tried to grab at everything. Nothing was off limits. Not even waves. She didn't understand why she couldn't grab them. It was a bit hysterical. She quickly got frustrated and sat down which meant a nice wet tooshy for me. She rode home in a T-shirt and her diaper. Nice.

Shells and sea grass were loads of fun, too. She had an endless playground of objects she wasn't allowed to put in her mouth to sample.

Walking in the sand.Notice the grabbing?!

Bayleigh has a new best friend.

McKenzie has learned how to feed the dog. The dog gladly accepts McKenzie's new found generosity.

Feeling sentimental

Then McKenzie is quickly closing in on 10 months(only 4 more days as a 9-month old). I am simply awe struck how much she's changed over the last 9 months.
When we brought her home from the hospital, she was this helpless 7 lb 5ounce newborn. So new and helpless.

Today? Her personality is developing every day. She's really a sweet baby. She kisses everything and everyone without being prompted to do so. She's learning to share and will give a toy to another baby without being told to do so.

She's really understanding what she's being asked to do. For instance, if I point and verbally ask for a toy in her hand- the vast majority of the time she'll give it to me. If I ask, "Where's Daddy?" or "Where's Doggy?" She looks and laughs hysterically when she finds them.
I love how independent she's becoming; however, I love how dependent she is on me. She gives back love with each gesture, each open mouthed, sloppy kiss. She's a constant reminder of God's blessings to Duane and I.

Her eyes light up with every new thing learned. She listens and watches intently when we're trying to teach her a new task.
She's an independent soul. A beautiful, intelligent, baby who is changing into a toddler right before our very eyes.

Now

New ways to drive her Daddy crazy

Screaming. She loves to test those vocal cords! I love to instigate her. Enough said.

The video is especially for Kyra!

Catching on quick

Are you sick of seeing videos of each step Kenzie's taking? Ha. I have to share because I am just so proud of her. Plus, it is super cute to see this little nine-month old toddle around my living room!

She still has to figure out how to stand without using something. She's close. Crawling is still her main method of transporation, but she's quite good and FAST at it.

She's also taken a liking to sandwiches. Any kind really. Plain old jelly seems to be a favorite. I buy the low sugar kind without artificial sweetener kind for me and she eats a whole(crust free/ and cut into finger sized bites)sandwich herself. It's making lunch time a bit easier!!

Random Ramblings

Which adorable costume do you think Kenzie should be for Halloween? I am digging the elephant right now. I'd add a HUGE pink bow to the head so no one would mistake her for a boy! Help me decide!

Kenzie had her 9 month visit yesterday. Apparently she weighs 19.14lbs and is 31" inches long. I highly doubt she is THAT long. She is long indeed, but 31", come on!

So, I measured her at home 3 times at got 29." Whose right? I think I am. Ha.





Kenzie's "walking" skills have are improving EVERY day.








Here are some more step videos(taken tonight) for those dying to see her go! These entail more than one step!

She was after a measuring tape! LOL! She crawled for a Weight Watcher calculator and she walks for a measuring tape? Do you sense weight issues in her near future? Haha!

9 month birthday(a bit late)

We're a bit late this month as we were in Oregon for Kenzie's 9th month birthday on August 26th. Hard to believe 3/4th's of her first year has vanished.

Kenzie's personality is blooming right now. She likes to play shy and then flirt with whomever is talking to her.

Her new milestones are taking unassisted steps and standing unassisted for long periods of time. She also can walk with her push toy. She is eating all table foods and chicken and spaghetti prove to be favorites.


She is slowly getting over her stranger anxiety, but very much prefers to be held by Mama or Dada than anyone else.

New words are: Hi and Daddy( I swore I heard her say Mommy, too, but I may be just hopeful) and she is just starting to get the concept of clapping(we're still working on it). We're currently trying to teach her to blow kisses(she gives kisses when prompted to).

9 months sure has flown by!

Let there be steps-

While in Oregon McKenzie got quite good at standing by herself. At the Portland Airport she took her first REAL solid step! It was so cute! Right foot, left foot, wobble- fall. I teared!

She's taking them all the time now when we put her into the stand position. I've been lucky to get one FULL step on camera so far:

So, enjoy!

Granted she's no professional yet. But at just barely 9 months(She celebrated her 9 month birthday at the Oregon Zoo on the 26th) I am quite proud! Enjoy the step and fall.

Germs everywhere!

As mentioned in the previous post, McKenzie has been sick. We finally took her to the pediatrician and she indeed has a respiratory infection. Her prize is a 10 day supply of Amoxicillan(Duane and I are both allergic to this and she seems to be just fine with it).

Her spirits have been decent. Her solid intake minimal. Last night for dinner she did eat an entire jar of Chicken and Sweet Potatoes and a cup of fruit cocktail. She even had 1/2 a piece of veggie thin crust pizza. So, just maybe, she's finally moving on from this silly bug.



I've been praying and pleading with God above that I somehow, someway, avoided this bug. Nope. Yesterday I felt the yucky sore throat and nasal pressure. So, I've decided to attempt to combat it early with a supply of Zicam along with Vitamin C tablets. This stuff is supposed to cut the cold symptoms in half and help prevent it from getting worse if taken soon! So far it seems to be working well. I just hope it STAYS that way. The stuff taste like chewing an aspirin. So, it better be worth it!

Saturday bright and early(730 AM take of time) we leave for the beautiful state of Oregon to visit my in laws! I am stoked. I am not looking forward to the very long flight with a VERY mobile little girl. I just keep hoping and praying that she'll sleep the entire 7 hours of travel time. Wishful thinking, huh? Kenzie is packed(Duane joked that although I packed a billion outfits I didn't even make a dent in her closet) and ready to go. We've got enough baby friendly snacks to keep a daycare fed!

This is the first time McKenzie will meet her Papa and Grandma and I know she'll love it there. I think she'll particularly like Buddy(a cute pup for her to chase)!

So, obviously, I'll be MIA from the blogging world for just over a week!

Mystery Solved and some unrelated news, too!

For nearly a week McKenzie has been sick: snot, some coughing, more snot. All of that with lots and lots of screaming and a low grade fever in between her doses of baby Tylenol.



Back up a few days prior to the first cold symptom and you'd find McKenzie and I at her pediatrician checking on what I suspected was an ear infection(her outer ear was BRIGHT red). She did not have an infection, instead he speculated that she was bit by some random Florida insect. Her doctor asked if I thought she was teething; I said I hadn't noticed any of the traditional symptoms. He looked in her mouth and agreed. No new teeth in her near future.



I assumed that her recent illness and screaming could not have been ear infection related since her ears had JUST been checked. A few days into her cold and a few doses of Tylenol later, the fever and screaming vanished leaving only snot and a cough to remind us that our little bug was still sick.



Well, today, she opens her mouth and low and behold- a TOOTH!



It is her bottom left lateral incisor(what the heck, lol). So now she has 2.5 on the bottom and 0 on top! Hopefully the right will come to make her have some even toofies! Hahah!
Who would have thought the lateral incisors would be coming in before the central tops? This would be in true McKenzie fashion. She never does anything by the book.





In unrelated news:



In addition to McKenzie standing unsupported for short periods of time, she has been caught twice taking one FULL unassisted steps without holding on. It usually goes something like this: Cruise a bit, let go, one wobble step- FALL! Haha!

Here's a short video showing off her standing skills!

Good Bye, Purees!

Kenzie decided that her pureed baby food was for the birds. So, we've been playing around with all sorts of table foods. At first, she enjoyed chewing them to mush and promptly spitting it ALL back out. At least she increased her bottles from 6 ounces to 8 ounces to make up the difference. Well, yesterday and today, she's been chewing and swallowing!

Yesterday's menu went like this( In addition to 32 ounces of formula) Water with each meal.

Breakfast: 1 yo-baby yogurt and a handful of Cheerios's.

AM snack: Baby baked goldfish

Lunch: pasta w/ grated fresh Parmesan cheese, green beans, and a bit of fruit cocktail

PM snack: Some fresh blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe pieces.

Dinner: Beef Stew and Fruit cocktail. I made homemade stew and I gave her the sauce and veggies and potatoes(the beef was a bit too tough for her). She ate quite a bit of it!

So, here's the issue. I need healthy food suggestions! For dinner tonight we're having shrimp so she obviously cannot have that so I think I'll make her some pasta-pickups and she can have the other sides. I also need suggestions for soft, healthy foods that are easy to travel with for when we're on the go.

Thanks!

She's got Rhythm

Kenzie recently started dancing EVERY time she hears music. Adorable. I may be just a bit(a tiny bit) bias, but seriously, it is the cutest thing I have seen in quite sometime! Enjoy!

Eight month Birthday

McKenzie is eight months old today! Four more months until we celebrate her first birthday! Time is flying by. I have NO idea how long she is(she's still quite long as we've had to resort to footless jammies and she keeps outgrowing them) or how much she weighs.

In the past month she's learned tons. She's crawling. She's following us around the house like a puppy dog. She's mastered pulling up on EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. She's not very good at cruising quite yet and falls often when she tries. Today Duane and I bought her a Leap Frog activity table from consignment and she tried to unsuccessfully walk around it. Needless to say, she fell.

She's standing(as seen in the above picture) unsupported for about 5-20 seconds at a time(hence the reason I'm "spotting her" ).

She's waving and babbling a ton.

So, Happy 8th month baby girl!

Camping- Urban style!

This past weekend we made the 3 hour(It actually took 5 hours with a cranky 7 month old) drive to Bell, Florida for a birthday party. The birthday girl wanted to go camping and invited her attendees to do the same.
I haven't camped since I was a kid with my parents. I surely wasn't going to brave the 90 degree temps with McKenzie in tow. So, we spent the day at the springs and camped in the comfort of my God parents air conditioned home. I know, I know, how "sissy" of me. Well we managed to escape the weekend showered and insect bite free.
McKenzie had a fun time showing off her new skill and I had fun removing the dirt from her hands! She sat in the 72(brr) degree water but freaked when we attempted to actually take her in. I am reminded every day what a blessing she is. She really is a sweet, calm natured, little girl. Maybe when she's a bit older and the weather is a bit cooler, we'll try traditional camping.

Watch out World...

She's on the move! This baby never ceases to amaze me. Two days ago(I repeat, 2 days ago) she learned how to go from belly to sitting and get on her knees and arms together. Today? She's learned to put them together and MOVE! She's crawling! She's slow and wobbly and has to be enticed.. but nonetheless.. The kid is moving! Holy cow! I honestly thought she was going to skip this milestone!

She's also got a bit of a shiner from pulling up and falling on our entertainment center! Yay, McKenzie!

This girl loves to eat..

We've been trying all sorts of new food for McKenzie. Favorites are: baby goldfish, Cheerios's, puffs, Little Crunchies, canned organic salt-free peas and pieces of soft fruits(peaches, pears 1/2ed blueberries). She's mastered her pincer grasp(awhile ago) and she totally digs feeding herself. She much prefers this to us feeding her chunkier things, though if it is from our plate she'll eat it.

She's been spitting out the stage 3 foods, so I think we'll stick with the stage 2's and move onto regular table foods when she's ready. I have NO idea why she won't take the stage 3's when she apparently doesn't have an issue with textures. It's a mystery I am dying to solve.

Anymore fun, healthy finger food suggestions would be appreciated. We're not a fan of hot dogs(for obvious reasons). But we're open to healthy baby-friendly ideas!

Friends

Kenzie has them. Two of them actually. They're twin girls who are just shy of 8-months old. They're super sweet and adorable. Plus, Kenzie has been taking mental notes on crawling from her older and wiser friends. We had a ton of fun today at the Florida Aquarium . They have added a new water area that hadn't been there the last time I visited, ages ago. McKenzie, Emerson, and Avery had a blast being splashed by the fountains and the twins had fun being chased by their mom. It is really cool to hang out and watch Kenzie interact with babies her own age. She kept trying to steal one of the girls hats. She's a riot.

see her teethies?3 babies in a conch shell
Still in the shell
Playing- I like how they're bent over, trying their hardest to figure out where this water is coming from.

7 months!

EEK! How in the world did that happen? My big girl is 7 whole months old! Crazy. Well, according to our scale she's about 19 pounds and 27.5 inches!



I love her more and more each day and it really is a type of love you can't even fathom unless you've experienced it with your own children. She's a really good baby. A tad needy- but that is fine by me.

New skills since last month include: holding her own bottle( I still prefer I hold it as I have read- and my pedi agrees that this reduces ear infections in infants) I give it to her to hold when I am super busy and she's super cranky. Drinking/holding her own sippy cup of water! She does best with the Nuby one her Aunt Jenn in Oregon got her. She's pulling to a stand. Does best using us, but she can manage with furniture with some help(not bad for a 6 month old when she started this). Starting to cruise a bit- quite slow and a bit wobbly. She stands with VERY little support! She's babbling Dada and Baba and gives kisses and hugs when asked. She also survived her 1st time in church daycare this past Sunday! Yay, Kenzie! She does NOT crawl. Nor does she seem too interested in doing so. She's quite content to sit and observe or use Daddy and I to climb/roll over! Very cute!

The video shows me attempting to get her cruising on camera- instead she lets go and uses only her chest to balance herself against the futon! Big girl!

Lisa

We've been shopping!

Our little girl has been growing like a weed. We've just boxed the last bit of her 3-6 month's clothes away. So, Duane and I headed out to the outlet mall to shop for some new clothes at my favorite children's stores: The Children's Place and my recent favorite(thanks,Amy)Gymboree.

We bought a few new outfits in larger sizes. I absolutely love shopping for her. Insane. I never imagined that I would be this thrilled to go shopping for another person! But, I am.

I am quite picky about what I like her to wear. I hate, hate, hate character clothing! A lot of people like to mention that McKenzie will resent me not allowing her to wear it when she gets older.. I think she'll appreciate it! Ha. She has a wide array of clothes. We like consignment shops and Target. Wal-mart is not a favorite among baby clothes; they either run way too big, or finding something non-character related on their racks is a rare find.

Is all this clothes talk boring you? Ha. Can you tell I don't have much to post about? At least I shared a cute new picture of McKenzie sporting a new outfit!

Before I sign off for the night(or the week maybe) I want to send out a HUGE congrats to Jan on the birth of Baby Austin(all 9lbs 10 ounces of him)! He's gorgeous!

Enough for now!

Words.

I finally got McKenzie's first words on video. Dada. Figures, right? She says baba, too. I say Mama to her ALL day long and she looks at me like I have twelve heads. I keep reminding myself that it is just phonetically easier for her to say Dada! Ha.

In other news, McKenzie is sick. Yesterday she refused her bottle before nap(she normally gulps this one down). When she woke she was pretty hot so I took her temperature. 101.5. I took her into her pedi, only to be given a list of what could be's since everything looks good( I thought for sure it was her 1st ear infection). So, we were sent home with watch and wait orders. She refused to drink anything from 12-9! Yikes! She was eating solids- and lots of them. Last night her fever spiked to 103.1 at one point(at 3 Am with blood curdling screaming). She woke this morning with a low fever and still no appetite. Her fever seems to be gone- now we wait for her appetite to return. Poor bub!

They DO change overnight.

I was just talking with Alicia about Kenzie's lack of pincer grasp ability. Well, today, she's grabbing using those two little fingers. She's nowhere near mastered this milestone- but well enough to successfully feed her self Gerber Puffs. Which, I may add, she adores! I adore them, too, because they'll always melt before she has a true opportunity to choke. Amen!

.

Just because she's so dang cute

Nope not bias. Not even a smudge! But, seriously, have you seen a cuter 6-month old(other than your babies of course.)

McKenzie is all about mimicking these days. My mom taught her how to do this and she does it with her forearm ALL day long.

Seriously, cute.

Excuse me having her say hello to Heather. A friend of mine asked to see her in action.

Stupid scale

I joined Weight Watchers 2 weeks ago on Wednesday. So far, I've lost a whopping 3.2 pounds. Don't get too excited for me! Ha ha!

I just bought a new digital scale and the thing is a piece of crap. Some days it'll have my weight 15 pounds less- and then others 10 pounds heavier. I never, never get the same result twice. This can really mess with ones weight loss mindset!

In fact, Mom was over, it had her weight 20 pounds higher than our old school scale and 18 pounds higher than the one she has at home. Its making its fancy way back to Wal-mart to screw with someone else's mind.

On a side note: We're buying new bumpers for Kenzie's crib, too. The ones that came with her expensive fancy set(it was Zoey's) fits all weird- and I had to rig it to make it safe. Anyhow, I was taking them off last night to change her sheets(major pain the rear) and two of the strings broke off. Nice. My reward for this- She was up multiple times from bumping her head- or stuck limbs!

Nice..

*edited to add* Which scales are the most accurate? Digital or the old school kind you set yourself each time? I ask because I got another digital and it is about a 5 pound difference from my old school one?!?

Shhh don't tell Duane

Duane never reads our blog. I am not even certain that he has the web address. I just couldn't not share any longer. A friend of mine suggested this idea and she even did the work using her photo shop program for Duane's Father's day gift. I ordered an 8x10 print from Shutterfly and we'll frame it, too. It was just the cutest idea ever. Thanks, Amy, for letting me steal your creativity! So, I bought the letters at Michael's and headed to Saw grass lake to take the shots! I think they came out fantastic! Her eating the last letter is just so stinkin' sweet!

I don't know who will like it more, Me or Duane! Ha!!

So, enjoy a sneak peek and shhh, don't tell Duane!

Three things Meme(second attempt)

Yikes! I tried this before by copy and pasting from Alicia's blog(still haven't a clue how to add the cute little hyperlinks) and the baby got fussy and I logged off. I come back to find it published on my blog but with Alicia's answers. Whew, talk about plagiarism! So, one more time- Here we go!

3 Places I Go All the Time-
The grocery store(way too much for any person in Duane's opinion)
My Mama's
Target
3 People Who Email Me
My Mother
Baby center.com
Weight Watchers online
3 Favorite Places I Like to Eat-
I second Alicia's respect for Subway. Healthy and tasty is a rare find these days
Outback- Mmm, love some steak!
Cha Cha Coconuts
3 Places I would rather be right now-
On vacation with Duane and McKenzie
Shopping at my favorite store with no spending limit
Visiting all my Family and Friends who live far, far away!
3 Projects I would like to get started-
Learn how to take really awesome photos and learn to edit them, too(think Duane would go for a new pricey, fancy camera for me to learn my new task on?)
Like to continue on my new get skinny project
Like to take some random college class to make me feel smart!
3 People who might do this-
Not too many friends on the blogging front so...I'll give you two!
Jan
Sarah
3 TV Shows I could watch over and over
Special victims unit from Law and Order( I get all kinds of excited when USA does some random holiday marathon!)
John and Kate plus 8 is pretty entertaining, too
reality shows

At least the Dog is entertained

We bought Kenzie this nifty new toy. She's not in the least thrilled by it- probably because she cannot grab the ball fast enough and she ends up throwing a fit and getting overly frustrated at her lack of speed. Bayleigh on the other hand. Loves it.

Half way to one!

Holy cow, McKenzie is six-months old today! How can six-months have just slipped by so fast? My how she's changed! We went to on a long walk to the nature park and to the beach and here are some photos!
Happy 1/2 birthday, McKenzie Faith!

Driving to the park

Eating her 6!
Still eating
I'm so strong!

Some one please slap me. In a few months I'll be planning a first birthday- and it's all fast sailing from there, folks. From 1st birthdays to 1st proms! Man, someone have a pause button?

Enjoy

We had McKenzie's photos taken. I think they turned out perfectly. Cannot believe she's closing in on 1/2 a year in 10 days! Crazy!

Stealing Internet

We're moved in. Our Internet is coming to us on Monday. But, not only that, but phone and cable, too! Thank God. I am going a tad stir crazy while Kenzie naps and my cell bill I am sure will be astronomical!

Lots going on around here. Duane is still taking the home buyers class every Tuesday and Thursday- not too much longer and we can start searching for a home of our own!

McKenzie has finally learned to roll. Both ways, too. Literally over night she went from no interest to pro. Rolling over and over. She's mellowed off on practicing but I still catch her doing it from time to time.

She's also getting much better sitting. She can sit for a long time if nothing is distracting her- but if she gets too excited(legs start kicking, arms start wailing) down she goes. We've been doing a lot of practicing with her playing with toys and sitting-because this too causes one to go TIMBER! Hard to believe by the end of the month she'll be a half year old. Gosh, she's learned so much! She has two bottom teeth(though two weeks in and they're only 1/2 way out)!

All and all we're pretty happy. McKenzie is napping in her pack and play and not the swing anymore. Big accomplishment people. She's sleeping in her own crib(another big one)!

Bye for now!

Moving. Again.

Yes, you read that right. We're moving again. The movers will be here any second. I'll be MIA from the Internet front until the 18th when we get our Internet, cable, and phone package!

Be sure to post picture of your new rental as soon as we're able to get online.

On a side note: Kenzie has finally mastered the back to belly roll and insist on doing this all day long!

Ciao for now!

Got Poop?

Kenzie does!! You must have remembered the constipation chats? Poor baby, has a constant running blog about her bowel movements!

It started around three-months. Nothing new really started except the pedi recommended putting cereal in her bottles to avoid the reflux symptoms. Then the solid foods started around four-months and the constipation continued.

For about 5 days, McKenzie has had nothing but her formula(and lots of it, as she's never full feeling since she is used to eating 4 jars of solids). Her poop? Normal! So, apparently, it is just her body getting used to solids. Maybe formed poops are her things on food? I guess it is pretty normal- I just totally did not expect it and it took me for a loop!

I think I'll add some water to her diet to avoid this when we start back in a few days. We do not give foods that constipate as it is: Bananas, rice, applesauce. So, hopefully, this is a thing of the past. Thank gosh it isn't her formula.

What is it with Daddy?

McKenzie is very fascinated by her Daddy .As soon as she hears his voice she just about breaks her neck to find him and then grins from ear to ear. Even at 5 this morning when she awoke to eat- She was just fascinated by the way he SLEEPS! Uhmm, Baby, what about Mama. Ya know the one who drags her half-awake self out of bed to feed you! I have to admit it does really melt my heart to watch them bond!

On a totally unrelated topic. Kenzie is sick. Her first real sickness(she had some unexplained fever about a month ago- but that was the only real symptom). She has a bad cold and a cough that sounds like a barking seal. Poor baby! Her doctors speculated that she has croup- even though she never even listened to her chest! She remains in great spirits as usual! Just our happy-go-lucky baby girl!

For Papa

McKenzie wanted to show Papa what team she's cheering on this upcoming football season. Of course, she is a tad young to verbalize it, but we all know that she is a true hearted Bucs' fan!! I hear the Vikings are playing the Bucs' this season! Hmm. Wonder if we'll win again like we did two-years ago?

So, Papa, from your sweet grand-daughter, Go Tampa Bay Bucs!!

A day at the beach

We went to Fort Destota today to celebrate Zoey's birthday. Kenzie also turned five-months old. Crazy. She also VERY intentionally rolled today. Finally..

Hanging out waiting to hit the waves

Just sitting being cute Let me go, I wanna check this out
OK, this is cold and it sucks!