Visiting Santa

Lori is a great friend. She works at a bank in Odessa. Santa came to visit the bank the other night. Makenzie was able to go and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. Because he is Santa, I think he understood everything she said!! Makenzie did really great with him...although she wanted to touch his white beard!

Little Pete

I have a friend who, like me, struggled to have children. When I went to tell her I was pregnant with Makenzie, she was able to tell me she was pregnant too!!! What a blessing! We were able to go through our pregnancies together which helped when we got nervous! Unfortunately, she is not able to stay home, so I have started to care for her son. Pete is such a sweet baby to care for! I was a little nervous about caring for two babies but it has really been fun. Even Lucy, our dog, loves having Pete over! Last Friday, Makenzie and Pete made eye contact for the first time. They would smile at each other and then look down and then look at each other again. It was really sweet. I hope that Makenzie and Pete become best friends as they grow up together!

Spending Time Outside

I wanted to weed the flowerbed one more time before the cold weather arrived. I decided Makenzie needed some sun too! Unfortunately, the bees also wanted some sun. We didn't get to stay out too long. But we looked really cute while we were outside!

Eating Cereal For The First Time

Makenzie started eating rice cereal this past week. I'm not so sure she likes it!! It is so funny to see her expressions as she eats it. However, Daddy knows not to get too close when she's about to sneeze....ewwww!

Where do I put my pinky?

My beautiful daughter loves to suck on her fingers. The only problem is that she doesn't know where to put her little pinky! Somehow it ends up in her nose!! She looks absolutely adorable but I know she can't keep it there. I love watching my daughter grow! Everyday she learns more and more. Giving her a bath is so much fun! We even had bubbles.

Makenzie's Baby Dedication

Today, we celebrated God's wonderful gift, our daughter. It was baby dedication at our church. Lutherans do not do this, we do baptism instead, so it was a new experience for me. I think it is so important for Ken and I to show that we want Makenzie to grow up in a christian home and become what God has planned for her. She did so well and never cried! Thanks to Feather, we have some really good pictures.

Happy Halloween

On Saturday evening, we went to Renee's to celebrate Halloween. Everyone brought a pumpkin to carve. Makenzie had a very small pumpkin because she is very small too! We had a nice time with lots of food, friends, and fun. Aunt Feather was very helpful to hold Makenzie while her mommy carved the pumpkin (Daddy did not want his hands dirty)!

Nothing Much To Say!

I haven't blogged in a while and I have to tell you that I don't have much to say. My mom had a sore foot last week and we all thought it was a blood clot. However, testing did not show one and so the doctor put her on steroids. She says it feels better. I hate watching my parents getting older. I don't want them to get older. When I was single, my biggest fear was that they would pass away and I'd have no one to lean on. My sister had her husband and kids. My brother had his kids. I had my dog and cat....good to cuddle with but not someone to hold your hand or take you out to get your mind off of things! I'm married now and I still fear what it will be like. However, I know my husband will be there with me through it all. I just hope it doesn't happen for a long long long time! I want Makenzie to get to know her grandparents. My husband participated in the men's bake off today at church. He made a cake called 22 minutes cake. It was really good. Unfortunately, he did not win but I think he should have!!! There was a cake that was in a cat litter box and looked like something the cat had used! GROSS. I couldn't bring myself to sample it.

Flying High!

We made it! Makenzie and I flew to Oklahoma and back without any problems. She did awesome! Most of the time, she slept. When she was awake, she and I talked and played...okay, I did most of the talking. While visiting, Makenzie started to coo more and more. I LOVE it!!! Last night, Daddy was talking to her and she cooed at him. I thought he was going to cry, he was so excited! This is when she starts wrapping him around her little finger...even more! We had a great time in Tulsa. My parents really enjoyed seeing her. My sister and I wore her out with our shopping!! My niece, Madison, who will turn 13 tomorrow, was getting really comfortable holding her. While we were there, we celebrated my Mom's (Sept. 3), my brother's (Sept. 9), my sister's (Sept. 15), and my niece's (Sept. 23) birthdays. My brother and his sons got to see Makenzie for the first time. I love hanging out with my family. We always have such a great time! This year, my brother wanted a pair of nike shox. So my mom painted a pair of her old shoes pink, then we got an old nike shox shoebox and wrapped them up! It was so funny to see his expression when he opened them up! My nephew, Christopher, played a soccer game on Saturday. I was able to see him score a goal. YEAH!!! I am really impressed with his skills, he is getting so good. Last night, we went to Dairy Queen for our usual Sunday meal. Guess who showed up!?! Yep, Grandma and Grandpa. I can't blame them...their granddaughter has been gone for over a week. They were really excited to see her. Who wouldn't be!?!?

Feeling Good About Being a Mom

Well, I think I am becoming more comfortable with being a mom. I had a friend who gave me some really good advice. She said that babies need lots of sleep and that when they are cranky, it is time to put them down for a nap. She also told me that she nurses her baby, plays with her baby until it starts getting cranky, and then it is in bed for a nap. I have tried that this week and it has worked!!! I have figured out when she needs a nap. I also let her cry for a little bit and she fell asleep by herself! I can't believe how simple but soooooooooooo important that advice is. Makenzie and I are going to Tulsa tomorrow (sorry Feather). We had to leave that date because the flights on Saturday were all booked for frequent flyer tickets. I can't wait to see my family. It does make it hard being so far away. And, now with Makenzie, I want her to get to know her grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins! Hopefully, hurricane Ike will not disrupt the flights. I will keep the people on the coast in my prayers. How scary it must be!

Visiting My Family

I think I will get to visit my family next week. Makenzie and I will fly up to Oklahoma. I am kind of nervous about flying by myself with my darling! Hopefully all will go well. Yesterday, the mustang's alternator went and my husband had to replace it. He did it by himself. I'm just so impressed with his ability to fix things. Sometimes he is too smart for his own good!

We Did It...kind of!!

Well, last night was a semi-success!! She slept in her crib until 4:00 and then it was time to eat. The problem that I am having is that she only wants to sleep on her stomach. This has been know to increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). They have a machine that will monitor breathing but I am not sure how much it is. I will have to check it out! Maybe tonight I'll get to sleep in my bed! Makenzie and I are planning to go visit my family in Oklahoma. I think we may be flying. I thought we would drive but I'm thinking it is too long to travel with a three month old. Flying with her is scary too but I will have to get our first flight out of the way. If I were to drive, it would take over 9 hours. Flying is two hours in the air! Hopefully, my sister can find us a car seat so I won't have to take one.

What a difference having a child makes!

It is ten o'clock at night and I'm sitting here wondering if I will make it through the night! We are putting our 9 week old daughter in her crib for the first time. Oh, we have tried in the past, and have never been successful! So, to let my wonderful husband get some much needed sleep, I am going to use the couch tonight. He has to get up to go to work and I am luck enough to stay home with Makenzie. Makenzie is our miracle child...a true blessing from God. We started trying to have children two years ago. I thought we were so lucky to get pregnant only three months after starting this journey. I thought we were so blessed when we saw the beautiful heartbeat of our child at 7 weeks. And, I was devastated when we went at 12 weeks and the heartbeat had stopped. We waited five months before trying for another one and was lucky to get pregnant again so quickly. We were so excited because the doctor thought he saw two sacs...twins!?! We headed to Seattle to catch an Alaskan cruise. It was awesome!! The day we got off the ship, I started losing our second blessing. I was just destroyed....why me...why us...will I ever get to have a child? Then I got pregnant again and my doctor was not taking any chances! I was put on prescription prenatal pills, extra folic acid, and progesterone. As you can see, we were successful and on July 2, 2008, my daughter was born. My husband and I are absolutely thrilled. However, we are also beside ourselves trying to get use to this change!!! We are "older" parents and had been set in our ways! Not any more!!! But, I will tell you one thing...I wouldn't change a thing. I have two angels in heaven waiting for their mommy and daddy and I have an angel here on earth who will be loved by her mommy and daddy. I'll let you know how it goes tonight!