What do you say when you drop something? What do you say when you sneeze? Well, Mackenzie has one word for both situations and it is a cross between Oops and Excuse Me; it is Oops-a-me'. So if you hear her say that she is saying oops, excuse me. :)
She also likes the following words or pharses now:
Ready, set, GO!
Yuckie
Coming
Hug (instead of hold me)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Only My Mother & I
This morning Mackenzie and I stopped by my mother's house to say 'hi' before running to the bank. On the way out to my car I noticed that my mom had her HUGE, old broken television sitting on her roller out next to the curb to be picked up and hauled away. I made a comment in passing that we should get the TV off of the roller before I leave, but she reminded me of how heavy that television was so we left it.
Mackenzie and I left for the bank, and when we left my mom's house it was a muggy 87* outside. On the way to the bank the wind really picked up and the temperature had dropped 10 degrees to 77*. By the time I was done at the bank and on my way home it was pouring down rain and the temperature had dropped another 10 degrees to just below 66*.
Well, wouldn't it just so happen that as I am driving past my mom's house I see her HUGE television flipped off the roller and into the middle of the road. So, what do we do; yup...my mom and I wrestle this extremely heavy television to the side of the road in the pouring rain and in 66* weather. By the time we are finally done I am completely soaked to the bone and shivering. Why do we get ourselves into the strangest situations?
At least we have a cold front :)
Mackenzie and I left for the bank, and when we left my mom's house it was a muggy 87* outside. On the way to the bank the wind really picked up and the temperature had dropped 10 degrees to 77*. By the time I was done at the bank and on my way home it was pouring down rain and the temperature had dropped another 10 degrees to just below 66*.
Well, wouldn't it just so happen that as I am driving past my mom's house I see her HUGE television flipped off the roller and into the middle of the road. So, what do we do; yup...my mom and I wrestle this extremely heavy television to the side of the road in the pouring rain and in 66* weather. By the time we are finally done I am completely soaked to the bone and shivering. Why do we get ourselves into the strangest situations?
At least we have a cold front :)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Yes, No, Maybe
This is a strange topic...it is about pee. Not just any pee, but my daughter's pee and what is going on lately.
Three nights ago Mackenzie half woke up crying and complaining around 2am. I went into her room to find that her night time diaper had become so full that it not only leaked but it SOAKED her, her pajamas, her stuffed lamb and her bed. So I stripped her down, cleaned her up, changed her diaper, put on a clean set of pajamas and took her to Daddy to snuggle with while I went in to change her sheets and clean up the rest of the mess.
After the whole ordeal Mackenzie was so awake that she had trouble falling back asleep, so I then had to stay up another hour getting her back down in her bed.
But wait, that's not all! This has happened EVERY NIGHT for 3 nights now. Just when we have her sleeping really well this starts happening.
So here is the 'Yes, No, Maybe' part. Do I stop giving her liquids before bed? What time to I stop? Can I just give her less? How much less? This is hard because Mackenzie LOVES to drink water and milk and I don't want to tell her, "I know you are thirsty, but I can't give you any water even though it is good for you and keeps you hydrated." Duh, seriously! And she will not stop asking for a 'drink' or 'thirsty' until I give it to her, and if I don't give it to her she will cry which will make her more thirsty and will dehydrate her. Where is the balance? We must find one, and soon!
Three nights ago Mackenzie half woke up crying and complaining around 2am. I went into her room to find that her night time diaper had become so full that it not only leaked but it SOAKED her, her pajamas, her stuffed lamb and her bed. So I stripped her down, cleaned her up, changed her diaper, put on a clean set of pajamas and took her to Daddy to snuggle with while I went in to change her sheets and clean up the rest of the mess.
After the whole ordeal Mackenzie was so awake that she had trouble falling back asleep, so I then had to stay up another hour getting her back down in her bed.
But wait, that's not all! This has happened EVERY NIGHT for 3 nights now. Just when we have her sleeping really well this starts happening.
So here is the 'Yes, No, Maybe' part. Do I stop giving her liquids before bed? What time to I stop? Can I just give her less? How much less? This is hard because Mackenzie LOVES to drink water and milk and I don't want to tell her, "I know you are thirsty, but I can't give you any water even though it is good for you and keeps you hydrated." Duh, seriously! And she will not stop asking for a 'drink' or 'thirsty' until I give it to her, and if I don't give it to her she will cry which will make her more thirsty and will dehydrate her. Where is the balance? We must find one, and soon!
Reaching New Heights
Yesterday was a day of 'Reaching New Heights' for Mackenzie. Well, also for Wayne and I considering how Mackenzie reached those heights.
This far in her one and a half years of life, Mackenzie has shown no interest in climbing or jumping off of pretty much anything. That is one reason I have been comfortable with leaving her bed in crib stage for now. All of this came to a screeching halt yesterday when I stepped into the study for just a moment and when I walked out there was my daughter standing backwards on one of our dining room chairs playing with our golden window treatments. Of coarse, this horrified me and I wanted to say something to her, but I didn't want to scare her and cause her to fall, so I did the next best thing. I ran and got my camera. I took a few pictures then I took her down off the chair and explained to her that chairs are for sitting not standing.
Well, all day she kept trying to climb up on her glider or the sofa or her car that holds her block on the exercise ball...you name it, she tried it. Uggg.
So because of how tall she is and this new found interest in climbing I thought it must be time to covert her bed to the toddler setting. So that is what I did, and much to my disgust and dismay this was MUCH WORSE than the crib setting. First, for an 18-month old the toddler rail looks like it needs to be at least 4 inches higher (right now it is only about 2.5 or 3 inches higher than the mattress). She could just roll right over that rail at her age. I think a two an a half or three year old would be just fine in the toddler bed setting, but eighteen months? Hum? But that is not the bad part. As soon as Mackenzie saw her 'new bed' she climbed up on it and began RUNNING up and down the mattress and giggling. Very unsteady and ready to plummet head first into the toddler rail or the floor. I was so horrified that I changed her bed back to the crib setting and am going to wait on the toddler setting until she is older. So YES DOCTOR...I am waiting. Mackenzie seems to think that in the crib setting she is not allowed to climb out or act crazy. She simply accepts the bed for what it is and sleeps in it and waits for us to come get her when she wakes up.
So that was our day yesterday. How was yours?
This far in her one and a half years of life, Mackenzie has shown no interest in climbing or jumping off of pretty much anything. That is one reason I have been comfortable with leaving her bed in crib stage for now. All of this came to a screeching halt yesterday when I stepped into the study for just a moment and when I walked out there was my daughter standing backwards on one of our dining room chairs playing with our golden window treatments. Of coarse, this horrified me and I wanted to say something to her, but I didn't want to scare her and cause her to fall, so I did the next best thing. I ran and got my camera. I took a few pictures then I took her down off the chair and explained to her that chairs are for sitting not standing.
Well, all day she kept trying to climb up on her glider or the sofa or her car that holds her block on the exercise ball...you name it, she tried it. Uggg.
So because of how tall she is and this new found interest in climbing I thought it must be time to covert her bed to the toddler setting. So that is what I did, and much to my disgust and dismay this was MUCH WORSE than the crib setting. First, for an 18-month old the toddler rail looks like it needs to be at least 4 inches higher (right now it is only about 2.5 or 3 inches higher than the mattress). She could just roll right over that rail at her age. I think a two an a half or three year old would be just fine in the toddler bed setting, but eighteen months? Hum? But that is not the bad part. As soon as Mackenzie saw her 'new bed' she climbed up on it and began RUNNING up and down the mattress and giggling. Very unsteady and ready to plummet head first into the toddler rail or the floor. I was so horrified that I changed her bed back to the crib setting and am going to wait on the toddler setting until she is older. So YES DOCTOR...I am waiting. Mackenzie seems to think that in the crib setting she is not allowed to climb out or act crazy. She simply accepts the bed for what it is and sleeps in it and waits for us to come get her when she wakes up.
So that was our day yesterday. How was yours?
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Camp
Wayne and I have not been on a vacation alone in our entire 7-years of marriage (except for our honeymoon), and neither have we been on a family vacation. More recently we have been feeling the effects of not only wanting to get away, but needing to get away.
Just this last week we received an e-mail that many of the families at our church are trying to go to 'camp' together. Each family would get their own small cabin with a queen bed and a private bathroom, and the cost would be less that it would cost to even drive somewhere these days and it includes 2 nights and 3 meals. I really hope we can go on this camping vacation. There are pony rides for the kids and paddle boats, fishing and hiking; and there is horseback riding, zip lines and other great stuff for the adults. All-in-all, a great family time together. Plus the famous hay rides and bonfires. This trip would be at the end of October and it is less than a few hours drive from home.
Now all I need to do is get Mackenzie those hiking shoes in a larger size :) If we go I will blog all about it and post pictures :)
Just this last week we received an e-mail that many of the families at our church are trying to go to 'camp' together. Each family would get their own small cabin with a queen bed and a private bathroom, and the cost would be less that it would cost to even drive somewhere these days and it includes 2 nights and 3 meals. I really hope we can go on this camping vacation. There are pony rides for the kids and paddle boats, fishing and hiking; and there is horseback riding, zip lines and other great stuff for the adults. All-in-all, a great family time together. Plus the famous hay rides and bonfires. This trip would be at the end of October and it is less than a few hours drive from home.
Now all I need to do is get Mackenzie those hiking shoes in a larger size :) If we go I will blog all about it and post pictures :)
Not only height and weight
Good Grief.
Mackenzie is not only growing in height and weight, but her feet keep growing as well. I feel like she was just wearing size 4 toddler shoes, but somehow she is now in a size 6 toddler shoe. We bought her some nice new casual but cute denim converse type tennis shoes just about 2 weeks ago (size 6) and I can't believe that her toe is ALREADY at the very end. We are going to have to get some size 7 and size 8 shoes at the rate of her feet's growth. Hey, at least she is healthy.
Mackenzie is not only growing in height and weight, but her feet keep growing as well. I feel like she was just wearing size 4 toddler shoes, but somehow she is now in a size 6 toddler shoe. We bought her some nice new casual but cute denim converse type tennis shoes just about 2 weeks ago (size 6) and I can't believe that her toe is ALREADY at the very end. We are going to have to get some size 7 and size 8 shoes at the rate of her feet's growth. Hey, at least she is healthy.
Nights 5 & 6 - I Think?
OK, so I have lost track. I think I am suppose to write about Nights 5 & 6, but there is not much to say. Both the nap times and the bed times have been going GREAT. Last night was the best of all the nights so far. Mackenzie went down at 9:00 with no fuss at all and woke up this morning around 7:30. About 30 minutes longer than she usually sleeps, w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l. What is that, ten and a half hours? Wow!
I think I will stop posting about her sleep habits until there is something new to write about; like transitioning to a toddler bed :)
I think I will stop posting about her sleep habits until there is something new to write about; like transitioning to a toddler bed :)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Projections
And I don't mean Economic Projections or Forecasts. I am talking about my daughter's growth and clothes sizes.
I decided to project Mackenzie's height and weight up through age 3 based on how she has been growing thus far (especially considering the fact that she has ALWAYS been 95%+ and has not wavered at all).
Why? You ask why?
Well, that is a good question and I have a good answer.
Sometimes my Mother or I like to purchase clothes in advance for Mackenzie when they go on sale, and almost every time she has outgrown them before she gets to wear them. For example, Mackenzie was wearing a 2T (that was a little large on her) this summer and we thought that because a child's rate of growth slows down that a 2T would be big enough for this winter. Nope, she is in a 3T now and is slated to be a 4T by December. Thus the growth projection using her doctor's growth chart.
Here is what we have:
December 09 (Winter months): 4T
March '10 (Spring months): 4T
June '10 (Summer months): Tight 4T or Girls XS or Girls Size 4
October '10 (Winter months) Girls XS or Girls Size 4
March '11 (Spring months): Girls XS - S or Girls Size 4-5
The sizes are based on The Children's Place size chart at Katy Mills Mall. So anyone that is looking to get clothes for Mackenzie for Christmas or her birthday please look at the chart above and include a gift receipt. My child is GROWING :)
I decided to project Mackenzie's height and weight up through age 3 based on how she has been growing thus far (especially considering the fact that she has ALWAYS been 95%+ and has not wavered at all).
Why? You ask why?
Well, that is a good question and I have a good answer.
Sometimes my Mother or I like to purchase clothes in advance for Mackenzie when they go on sale, and almost every time she has outgrown them before she gets to wear them. For example, Mackenzie was wearing a 2T (that was a little large on her) this summer and we thought that because a child's rate of growth slows down that a 2T would be big enough for this winter. Nope, she is in a 3T now and is slated to be a 4T by December. Thus the growth projection using her doctor's growth chart.
Here is what we have:
December 09 (Winter months): 4T
March '10 (Spring months): 4T
June '10 (Summer months): Tight 4T or Girls XS or Girls Size 4
October '10 (Winter months) Girls XS or Girls Size 4
March '11 (Spring months): Girls XS - S or Girls Size 4-5
The sizes are based on The Children's Place size chart at Katy Mills Mall. So anyone that is looking to get clothes for Mackenzie for Christmas or her birthday please look at the chart above and include a gift receipt. My child is GROWING :)
Procrastination
That's right, I said procrastination.
Do you ever get so behind on something that you truly dread doing it? For me it is downloading and uploading pictures. I have fallen so behind on this that our camera has over 450 pictures on it; some of them as far back as Mackenzie's first baseball game (Go ASTROS). So here I am downloading the pictures onto my computer so I can upload some of them to Facebook and this Blog and Shutterfly later. Hopefully later doesn't become months from now. Ugg.
Do you ever get so behind on something that you truly dread doing it? For me it is downloading and uploading pictures. I have fallen so behind on this that our camera has over 450 pictures on it; some of them as far back as Mackenzie's first baseball game (Go ASTROS). So here I am downloading the pictures onto my computer so I can upload some of them to Facebook and this Blog and Shutterfly later. Hopefully later doesn't become months from now. Ugg.
Nights 3 & 4
So Far So Good.
Nap time on days 3 & 4 looked pretty much identical to the nap time on day 2, so nothing new to post there. Bed time is where the real difference occurred.
Bed time on night 3 was pretty much the same as night 2, but on Night 4... Wow, what a difference. We did our usual bed time routine, but she was wet so I also changed her diaper. When I was done with that she said, "Rock" which means she wants me to rock her in her glider. I told her, "OK, but in 5 minutes you will be going to bed." So with the lights off I rocked her then I gave her a 1 minute last call for enjoying the rocking so she would know what came next. She said, "NO." So I said, "OK, 2 more minutes then off to bed." That is what we did. I rocked her for 2 more minutes then I laid her in her bed and tucked her in. She didn't make a peep. She just quietly snuggled down and drifted off to sleep. This is very excititng.
I think I will wait to change her bed over to the toddler setting until she has been sleeping well with this routine for at least a week. I hate to mess up a good thing.
Nap time on days 3 & 4 looked pretty much identical to the nap time on day 2, so nothing new to post there. Bed time is where the real difference occurred.
Bed time on night 3 was pretty much the same as night 2, but on Night 4... Wow, what a difference. We did our usual bed time routine, but she was wet so I also changed her diaper. When I was done with that she said, "Rock" which means she wants me to rock her in her glider. I told her, "OK, but in 5 minutes you will be going to bed." So with the lights off I rocked her then I gave her a 1 minute last call for enjoying the rocking so she would know what came next. She said, "NO." So I said, "OK, 2 more minutes then off to bed." That is what we did. I rocked her for 2 more minutes then I laid her in her bed and tucked her in. She didn't make a peep. She just quietly snuggled down and drifted off to sleep. This is very excititng.
I think I will wait to change her bed over to the toddler setting until she has been sleeping well with this routine for at least a week. I hate to mess up a good thing.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Night 2
Night 2 (last night) went GREAT.
Nap time was about the same on Monday as it was on Sunday, but again, she was not upset and slept just over 2 hours.
Bed time was different. We did the same routine with the 5 minute last call for snuggling. She again threw a tantrum, but that only lasted about 5 minutes. I again checked on her every 5 minutes, and she was asleep in about 15 minutes. She slept all night until 7:00am. That is very very good. I am so proud of her.
I pray that today's nap time and bed time go really well.
Once she just lays down and goes to sleep for both (I am hoping this only takes a week or less) we have to change her bed over to the toddler bed conversion and put up a child gate at her bedroom door. The doctor says she is WAY TOO TALL to be in the crib even though she is still young. She could fall out or climb out and hurt herself. So, with the toddler bed she can climb down if she wants to, but she won't hurt herself; and with the child gate she can't just wander around the house. Humm, pray that all of this change goes well and that she chooses to sleep instead of climb out of bed over and over again. Thanks.
Nap time was about the same on Monday as it was on Sunday, but again, she was not upset and slept just over 2 hours.
Bed time was different. We did the same routine with the 5 minute last call for snuggling. She again threw a tantrum, but that only lasted about 5 minutes. I again checked on her every 5 minutes, and she was asleep in about 15 minutes. She slept all night until 7:00am. That is very very good. I am so proud of her.
I pray that today's nap time and bed time go really well.
Once she just lays down and goes to sleep for both (I am hoping this only takes a week or less) we have to change her bed over to the toddler bed conversion and put up a child gate at her bedroom door. The doctor says she is WAY TOO TALL to be in the crib even though she is still young. She could fall out or climb out and hurt herself. So, with the toddler bed she can climb down if she wants to, but she won't hurt herself; and with the child gate she can't just wander around the house. Humm, pray that all of this change goes well and that she chooses to sleep instead of climb out of bed over and over again. Thanks.
Night 1
Sunday night was NIGHT 1 of getting back on the good ol'e sleep routine. I have learned that when sleep is involved you must be consistent not only at bed time, but also at nap time. That way they child (in this case lovely Mackenzie) can distinguish how to fall asleep no matter what time of day or night.
So nap time naturally came first today. That meant laying her in her bed wide awake with her blankie (named 'Bunket' by Mackenzie), her lamb (named lambie) and her bottle of milk (YES, I still give her a bottle of milk). I told her it was nap time and that Mommy was going to go take a nap also; to which she replied, "NO." I then replied, "Yes", tucked her in, gave her a kiss and left the room. She wasn't crying, but she was AWAKE so I went in to check on her and lay her back down and remind her that it was nap time about every ten minutes. It took her about 40 minutes to finally fall asleep, but when she did she was out for over 2 hours. Not bad, especially since there was no crying involved.
Bed time was a little trickier, but went very well also. After dinner, tooth brushing, hand washing, pajama changing, night time prayers and kisses Mackenzie was given her 5 minute last call for snuggle time before bed (I like to give her a 5 minute last call so she knows what is coming next). Again, when I put her in bed she said, "NO." And proceeded to throw a tantrum in her bed. I went back in to her room every 5 minutes to calm her down and remind her that it was bedtime, and it only took her just under 30 minutes to fall asleep. AND...she slept all night until 6:00am. Good job, Sweetie. :)
So nap time naturally came first today. That meant laying her in her bed wide awake with her blankie (named 'Bunket' by Mackenzie), her lamb (named lambie) and her bottle of milk (YES, I still give her a bottle of milk). I told her it was nap time and that Mommy was going to go take a nap also; to which she replied, "NO." I then replied, "Yes", tucked her in, gave her a kiss and left the room. She wasn't crying, but she was AWAKE so I went in to check on her and lay her back down and remind her that it was nap time about every ten minutes. It took her about 40 minutes to finally fall asleep, but when she did she was out for over 2 hours. Not bad, especially since there was no crying involved.
Bed time was a little trickier, but went very well also. After dinner, tooth brushing, hand washing, pajama changing, night time prayers and kisses Mackenzie was given her 5 minute last call for snuggle time before bed (I like to give her a 5 minute last call so she knows what is coming next). Again, when I put her in bed she said, "NO." And proceeded to throw a tantrum in her bed. I went back in to her room every 5 minutes to calm her down and remind her that it was bedtime, and it only took her just under 30 minutes to fall asleep. AND...she slept all night until 6:00am. Good job, Sweetie. :)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Just When Things Were Going Well
Just when things were going well with Mackenzie's sleep routine and sleep habits it all cam crashing down. Remember 3 weeks ago when she was sick for 5 days, then I was sick for 5 days; a total of 10 days thrown off our routine? Well, that did it.
Before then Mackenzie had been going to bed on her own every evening and sleeping through the night. No problem. She even enjoyed the routine. It was wonderful.
Since then, she S-C-R-E-A-M-S, throws tantrums, stays up ALL NIGHT screaming for Mommy to hold her or to sleep with Mommy. We went to the well-baby exam and everything was great. The doctor said there was no physical sign for her getting up at night, so it is a terrible case of the 'I Want's' that was reinforced when she was sick (because Mommy held her and she slept with me during those 10 days. Uggg. Apparently that was a mistake on my part). So her old bedtime routine makes her mad and she just throws a tantrum; that is until today.
Yes, today is a NEW DAY. That's right. We are going to do what we did the first go round and get Mackenzie sleeping in her own bed all night again. It only took 2, almost 3 nights to accomplish her new routine last time, so I am PRAYING that it only takes 1 or 2 nights this time since she knows what we are doing and where we are going with all of this.
I don't believe in the full Cry-It-Out method, but I do believe in a very structured routine that starts at the same time and ends with her in bed at the same time every night. Also, if she cries I believe in allowing her to cry for up to 5 minutes then reassuring her that we are here and we love her, but everyone is sleepy and it is bed time.
PLEASE PRAY with us. We need all the help we can get.
Before then Mackenzie had been going to bed on her own every evening and sleeping through the night. No problem. She even enjoyed the routine. It was wonderful.
Since then, she S-C-R-E-A-M-S, throws tantrums, stays up ALL NIGHT screaming for Mommy to hold her or to sleep with Mommy. We went to the well-baby exam and everything was great. The doctor said there was no physical sign for her getting up at night, so it is a terrible case of the 'I Want's' that was reinforced when she was sick (because Mommy held her and she slept with me during those 10 days. Uggg. Apparently that was a mistake on my part). So her old bedtime routine makes her mad and she just throws a tantrum; that is until today.
Yes, today is a NEW DAY. That's right. We are going to do what we did the first go round and get Mackenzie sleeping in her own bed all night again. It only took 2, almost 3 nights to accomplish her new routine last time, so I am PRAYING that it only takes 1 or 2 nights this time since she knows what we are doing and where we are going with all of this.
I don't believe in the full Cry-It-Out method, but I do believe in a very structured routine that starts at the same time and ends with her in bed at the same time every night. Also, if she cries I believe in allowing her to cry for up to 5 minutes then reassuring her that we are here and we love her, but everyone is sleepy and it is bed time.
PLEASE PRAY with us. We need all the help we can get.
Friday, September 11, 2009
18-Month Well Baby Exam
Today was Mackenzie's 18-month well baby exam and it went GREAT! That is, after we waited two hours to see the doctor and having Mackenzie S-C-R-E-A-M while the doctor attempted to look in her ears and mouth. She looks wonderful...perfect.
Height: 35.5 inches (just under 3 feet)
Weight: 30.5 pounds
Percentile: 95%-100% for both
Teeth: 16 teeth (all but her 2-year molars)
According to the Doc Mackenzie is ready for her bed to be converted to a toddler bed because of her height...falling out of the crib is NOT and option. She will also be ready for a small tricycle at Christmas (Mackenzie was happy to hear that).
One precaution, everyone must know how old Mackenzie is before they watch her. Because of her height and her advanced vocabulary and her trying to potty-train she is on track with average 3-year olds (kids twice her age). Because of that people could treat her like she is older and reprimand her as if she is older, but she's not...she is only 18-months. So listen up, if you are hanging out with my kid, she is ONLY 18-MONTHS OLD, please treat her accordingly; just like you would treat a child half her size. Thank You.
A Loving Mom,
Natalie
Height: 35.5 inches (just under 3 feet)
Weight: 30.5 pounds
Percentile: 95%-100% for both
Teeth: 16 teeth (all but her 2-year molars)
According to the Doc Mackenzie is ready for her bed to be converted to a toddler bed because of her height...falling out of the crib is NOT and option. She will also be ready for a small tricycle at Christmas (Mackenzie was happy to hear that).
One precaution, everyone must know how old Mackenzie is before they watch her. Because of her height and her advanced vocabulary and her trying to potty-train she is on track with average 3-year olds (kids twice her age). Because of that people could treat her like she is older and reprimand her as if she is older, but she's not...she is only 18-months. So listen up, if you are hanging out with my kid, she is ONLY 18-MONTHS OLD, please treat her accordingly; just like you would treat a child half her size. Thank You.
A Loving Mom,
Natalie
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Terrible Two's
Can a child go through the Terrible Two's early?
Seriously!?!??!?
From the time she was born Mackenzie has always been very even tempered and did not get upset easily, but that has changed as dramatically as switching a light switch from OFF to ON in the middle of the night.
Just over a week ago now Mackenzie began throwing tantrums. Not just little, "Umm, I'm upset" things, but full out throwing herself onto the floor, kicking and screaming. And she will not quit, no matter what I do, for anywhere from two minutes to an hour straight. And better yet, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the tantrums. I am not telling her, "NO" or stopping her from doing something. I am not refusing a request or ignoring her. Actually, I spend most of my time just giving her love and care and concern as I always have and in the middle of doing something as simple as walking down the hall she will visibly become mad and throw herself on to the floor. The rest is history. I can talk to her, offer her various things (toys, snacks, drink, hugs, kisses, read book, go potty...), I ask her to tell me or sign what she wants, and NOTHING works. She simply has to get it out of her system. Then, when she is finished, she is happy as a lark; almost as if nothing ever happened. And, this happens 2, 3, 4, 5 and even 6 times a day! Uggg.
I really do hope this IS the Terrible Two's because that means there is an end in sight, and maybe she will be done with this stage of life BEFORE the other kids start their terrible two's, or before she is 18 years of age; whichever comes first.
For now, I just have to love her through it.
Seriously!?!??!?
From the time she was born Mackenzie has always been very even tempered and did not get upset easily, but that has changed as dramatically as switching a light switch from OFF to ON in the middle of the night.
Just over a week ago now Mackenzie began throwing tantrums. Not just little, "Umm, I'm upset" things, but full out throwing herself onto the floor, kicking and screaming. And she will not quit, no matter what I do, for anywhere from two minutes to an hour straight. And better yet, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the tantrums. I am not telling her, "NO" or stopping her from doing something. I am not refusing a request or ignoring her. Actually, I spend most of my time just giving her love and care and concern as I always have and in the middle of doing something as simple as walking down the hall she will visibly become mad and throw herself on to the floor. The rest is history. I can talk to her, offer her various things (toys, snacks, drink, hugs, kisses, read book, go potty...), I ask her to tell me or sign what she wants, and NOTHING works. She simply has to get it out of her system. Then, when she is finished, she is happy as a lark; almost as if nothing ever happened. And, this happens 2, 3, 4, 5 and even 6 times a day! Uggg.
I really do hope this IS the Terrible Two's because that means there is an end in sight, and maybe she will be done with this stage of life BEFORE the other kids start their terrible two's, or before she is 18 years of age; whichever comes first.
For now, I just have to love her through it.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
18 Months
I was going to write this yesterday when Mackenzie hit her 18-month milestone, but time just slipped away from me.
Wow...Mackenzie is 18-months old. That is 1 and 1/2 years; ALREADY.
There are moments when I feel like she was brought into this world just yesterday, and other moments when I feel as though she has been with us forever, but no matter how I look at her life with us I still find it hard to believe that my precious baby is already 18-months old.
She has turned our world upside down in the most wonderful way imaginable. Almost as if life before her was actually upside down and life with her is now right side up.
Anyway, we have not taken her to her well-baby check up yet, so I don't have height and weight statistics, but if she is still on the same track as before we know she will be in 95%-100% for both. I will post after that visit. :) I think about how I was almost always the shortest and smallest person in my class at school, and I realize that there is a good chance that Mackenzie may almost always be the tallest person in her class...lol, that makes me smile. Especially because I always wanted to be the tallest, and I had it in my mind that I would be at least 5' 10" but maybe closer to 6' as an adult. Hahaha, all 5' 3" of me.
Here are some updates. If Mackenzie is not teething she sleeps through the night in her own bed without any problems. She is trying to cut her final tooth before her 2 year molars, so we should have a teething break for a while. When she wakes up in the morning the fist thing she asks for is "bunket" which is her blanket. She LOVES playing with the dog, and giggles the entire time. She also enjoys a riveting game of Peek-A-Boo as long as you act like you have no idea where she is when she is hiding under her blanket, then she can pull out the big reveal with a HUGE SMILE on her face. She loves to eat, but has definitely lowered her food intake some. Last night she found that she really enjoys using chop-stix. That was a sight to see :) She runs at an amazing speed for such a little tyke, and she enjoys spilling her blocks out on the floor so she can then lay down in the middle of them and roll around. Pretty funny if you ask me. She loves to pray and always closes in a loud AMEN. She is a typical Girlie-Girl: loves SHOES, JEWELRY, MAKEUP, NAIL POLISH, and PURSES. She also wants a bike and a baby doll. She hugs and kisses all of her toys and rocks her glow worm to sleep on a daily basis. Oh, and when no one is around or she has warmed up to whoever is there...she is a jabber box; talk, talk, talk.
All in all, I LOVE my sweet little girl and couldn't imagine life without her. Happy 18-months, Mackenzie.
Wow...Mackenzie is 18-months old. That is 1 and 1/2 years; ALREADY.
There are moments when I feel like she was brought into this world just yesterday, and other moments when I feel as though she has been with us forever, but no matter how I look at her life with us I still find it hard to believe that my precious baby is already 18-months old.
She has turned our world upside down in the most wonderful way imaginable. Almost as if life before her was actually upside down and life with her is now right side up.
Anyway, we have not taken her to her well-baby check up yet, so I don't have height and weight statistics, but if she is still on the same track as before we know she will be in 95%-100% for both. I will post after that visit. :) I think about how I was almost always the shortest and smallest person in my class at school, and I realize that there is a good chance that Mackenzie may almost always be the tallest person in her class...lol, that makes me smile. Especially because I always wanted to be the tallest, and I had it in my mind that I would be at least 5' 10" but maybe closer to 6' as an adult. Hahaha, all 5' 3" of me.
Here are some updates. If Mackenzie is not teething she sleeps through the night in her own bed without any problems. She is trying to cut her final tooth before her 2 year molars, so we should have a teething break for a while. When she wakes up in the morning the fist thing she asks for is "bunket" which is her blanket. She LOVES playing with the dog, and giggles the entire time. She also enjoys a riveting game of Peek-A-Boo as long as you act like you have no idea where she is when she is hiding under her blanket, then she can pull out the big reveal with a HUGE SMILE on her face. She loves to eat, but has definitely lowered her food intake some. Last night she found that she really enjoys using chop-stix. That was a sight to see :) She runs at an amazing speed for such a little tyke, and she enjoys spilling her blocks out on the floor so she can then lay down in the middle of them and roll around. Pretty funny if you ask me. She loves to pray and always closes in a loud AMEN. She is a typical Girlie-Girl: loves SHOES, JEWELRY, MAKEUP, NAIL POLISH, and PURSES. She also wants a bike and a baby doll. She hugs and kisses all of her toys and rocks her glow worm to sleep on a daily basis. Oh, and when no one is around or she has warmed up to whoever is there...she is a jabber box; talk, talk, talk.
All in all, I LOVE my sweet little girl and couldn't imagine life without her. Happy 18-months, Mackenzie.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Animal Sounds
Mackenzie has been learning her animal sounds. We checked out a book from the library called, "Old McDonalds Farm", and yes, you sing the song with the animals.
She now knows the sounds to the following animals:
Dog - woof woof
Cat - meow
Chicken - cluck cluck
Cow - moo
Frog - ribbit
Sheep - baah
Pig - oink oink (sound through the nose)
Horse - neigh
Duck - quack
There may be more, but I can't remember. It is really fun watching her do the animal sounds. She really gets into them.
She now knows the sounds to the following animals:
Dog - woof woof
Cat - meow
Chicken - cluck cluck
Cow - moo
Frog - ribbit
Sheep - baah
Pig - oink oink (sound through the nose)
Horse - neigh
Duck - quack
There may be more, but I can't remember. It is really fun watching her do the animal sounds. She really gets into them.
A Day In The Life
I was told I should post about one of Mackenzie's recent days, so here it is.
Mackenzie has been teething very severely recently as she has 4 teeth coming in at the same time. Two of the teeth have emerged, so we are just waiting for the last two. After those come in we should have a teething break before her 2-year molars...when those last four molars are in we will be done with the teething; hallelujah.
Because of her teething she has been having two or three nights in a row where she is completely unable to sleep, then two or three nights where she sleeps great. The night before my birthday was one of those sleepless nights; thus brings about A-Day-In-The-Life of Mackenzie.
The day after she didn't sleep (my birthday), Mackenzie had a wonderful day. She woke up. Ate breakfast. Watched Signing Time and Elmo Potty Time. Got dressed for the day. Went to lunch at La Madeline for my birthday where she saw her Grammy, Granda and Auntie Kelly. Took a two and a half hour nap. Ate a big lunch because she wouldn't eat at La Madeline. Played with Mommy and the dog. Went with Mommy to return a sprinkler and purchase a new one. Went to dinner with Mommy and Daddy at Hasta La Pasta where she ate and ate and ate. Doesn't that sound like a great day :)
Mackenzie has been teething very severely recently as she has 4 teeth coming in at the same time. Two of the teeth have emerged, so we are just waiting for the last two. After those come in we should have a teething break before her 2-year molars...when those last four molars are in we will be done with the teething; hallelujah.
Because of her teething she has been having two or three nights in a row where she is completely unable to sleep, then two or three nights where she sleeps great. The night before my birthday was one of those sleepless nights; thus brings about A-Day-In-The-Life of Mackenzie.
The day after she didn't sleep (my birthday), Mackenzie had a wonderful day. She woke up. Ate breakfast. Watched Signing Time and Elmo Potty Time. Got dressed for the day. Went to lunch at La Madeline for my birthday where she saw her Grammy, Granda and Auntie Kelly. Took a two and a half hour nap. Ate a big lunch because she wouldn't eat at La Madeline. Played with Mommy and the dog. Went with Mommy to return a sprinkler and purchase a new one. Went to dinner with Mommy and Daddy at Hasta La Pasta where she ate and ate and ate. Doesn't that sound like a great day :)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
What are you doing?
WARNING:
This may be a TMI post for some of you, but I think the majority of you can handel this.
Yesterday morning Daddy was taking a shower and Mackenzie left the living room where I was and headed into the bathroom where Daddy was. I guess Wayne couldn't see what Mackenzie was doing from where he was because I heard him say (in kind of a loud voice), "Mackenzie, what are you doing?"
I figured that was my queue to go find out what might be wrong, so I was surprised when I walked in to find Mackenzie sitting on her potty. I said, "Look, Honey, she is going potty." When she was done I then took off her pant and her diaper to see what she had done, and she had actually gone poo in her diaper while sitting on the potty...all by herself! Now we just have to work on getting her pants off BEFORE she sits on the potty.
I am so proud of her. :)
This may be a TMI post for some of you, but I think the majority of you can handel this.
Yesterday morning Daddy was taking a shower and Mackenzie left the living room where I was and headed into the bathroom where Daddy was. I guess Wayne couldn't see what Mackenzie was doing from where he was because I heard him say (in kind of a loud voice), "Mackenzie, what are you doing?"
I figured that was my queue to go find out what might be wrong, so I was surprised when I walked in to find Mackenzie sitting on her potty. I said, "Look, Honey, she is going potty." When she was done I then took off her pant and her diaper to see what she had done, and she had actually gone poo in her diaper while sitting on the potty...all by herself! Now we just have to work on getting her pants off BEFORE she sits on the potty.
I am so proud of her. :)
Thursday, July 23, 2009
New Post
Actually, I don't have anything new or exciting to post, so this will just be a mish-mash of random thoughts.
Mackenzie has been sleeping really well at night and nap time for quite a while now. I, however; am still catching up on my sleep. Any day now I will wake up completely refreshed and feel like a whole new woman :) Last night Mackenzie went to bed at 7:30 and woke up at 7:00 this morning. That is a good long rest.
Oh, we got some rain last night. Very exciting. Our grass actually looks mostly green today due to the rain, so I hope and pray that it rains some more this week and next week. We had to treat our yard for chinch bugs because they were quickly eating all of our grass root. Now to work on getting our grass to GROW...hence the need for rain.
I can't really think of anything else to type and Mackenzie is taking a nap, so I am going to go take advantage of this time. I'll write soon. Bye for now.
Mackenzie has been sleeping really well at night and nap time for quite a while now. I, however; am still catching up on my sleep. Any day now I will wake up completely refreshed and feel like a whole new woman :) Last night Mackenzie went to bed at 7:30 and woke up at 7:00 this morning. That is a good long rest.
Oh, we got some rain last night. Very exciting. Our grass actually looks mostly green today due to the rain, so I hope and pray that it rains some more this week and next week. We had to treat our yard for chinch bugs because they were quickly eating all of our grass root. Now to work on getting our grass to GROW...hence the need for rain.
I can't really think of anything else to type and Mackenzie is taking a nap, so I am going to go take advantage of this time. I'll write soon. Bye for now.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Potty Time
OK, I think it is time to at least begin the potty training with Mackenzie. She is just too in tuned with herself to keep putting this off. We already have a princess potty, and we just checked out Elmo's Potty Time from the library, but beyond that...I don't know.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Hot Soup
So the other day I fed Mackenzie hot tomato soup for lunch. She LOVED it and quickly caught on that it was called "Hot Soup". At the same time, Mackenzie imagination and play pretend have stepped up quite a bit. She is playing 'tea party' and 'dress up' and 'Mommy & baby' a lot these days. So it shouldn't have surprised me when I was giving her a bath yesterday and she decided to play pretend. Guess what she decided her bath water was...that's right, "Hot Soup".
Monday, July 13, 2009
So Fast.
It is hard to believe how quickly Mackenzie is growing up. Yes, she is still only 16-months old, but compared to the little baby she once was that is a big girl. Of coarse, when she is 16 years old I will be saying the same thing.
This morning when I was washing my face Mackenzie said, "Soap". We took turns saying soap when she decided to change it up a little and said, "Wet Soap". How fun, and she was correct. It was wet soap.
Sleeping is still going very well. She has cried out a few times in the night the last few nights, but I think it is because she is cutting yet another tooth, and it is a sharp canine tooth. Ouch! She now has 13 teeth. Watch out; if you are not careful she might try those teeth out on you.
Also, just the other day she realized how fun it is to RUN. Her run is so cute, almost like a hop step instead of a run, but it is pretty fast. And of coarse, she still LOVES dancing and "Outside". She is up to signing over 100 signs in American Sign Language and can carry on a pretty good verbal conversation too. Some days she prefers 'baby talk' and only uses real words to ask for something, but other days it is all about showing off her vocabulary.
Oh, and she is a girlie-girl. She tells me when she wants to wear a dress. She walks around in one of my high heel shoes almost all day. She is mesmerized by ear-rings and painted finger nails. And the other day Wayne caught her 'prising and prancing' across the room with her hands on her hips. How cute is that.
I sure enjoy my little (big) girl. Oh, and she is wanting to potty train. She wants to, not me. She runs up to me and says, "potty" just before she wets her diaper. If she didn't get to do that she will run up to me after she has wet her diaper and says, "Wets". She hides if she is other than wet, and she loves her potty. I guess pull-up are on the near horizon for the Sherwood home. How do you even begin potty training?
This morning when I was washing my face Mackenzie said, "Soap". We took turns saying soap when she decided to change it up a little and said, "Wet Soap". How fun, and she was correct. It was wet soap.
Sleeping is still going very well. She has cried out a few times in the night the last few nights, but I think it is because she is cutting yet another tooth, and it is a sharp canine tooth. Ouch! She now has 13 teeth. Watch out; if you are not careful she might try those teeth out on you.
Also, just the other day she realized how fun it is to RUN. Her run is so cute, almost like a hop step instead of a run, but it is pretty fast. And of coarse, she still LOVES dancing and "Outside". She is up to signing over 100 signs in American Sign Language and can carry on a pretty good verbal conversation too. Some days she prefers 'baby talk' and only uses real words to ask for something, but other days it is all about showing off her vocabulary.
Oh, and she is a girlie-girl. She tells me when she wants to wear a dress. She walks around in one of my high heel shoes almost all day. She is mesmerized by ear-rings and painted finger nails. And the other day Wayne caught her 'prising and prancing' across the room with her hands on her hips. How cute is that.
I sure enjoy my little (big) girl. Oh, and she is wanting to potty train. She wants to, not me. She runs up to me and says, "potty" just before she wets her diaper. If she didn't get to do that she will run up to me after she has wet her diaper and says, "Wets". She hides if she is other than wet, and she loves her potty. I guess pull-up are on the near horizon for the Sherwood home. How do you even begin potty training?
What?
Is God trying to tell me something? Seriously.
I have had three people over the past two days tell me that I need to get pregnant. The strange thing is that every time someone says this to me I get a thrill that runs through me...almost like my body is saying, "What a great idea."
Then, last night Wayne told me we should go ahead and have more kids. Yes, WAYNE said that. Can you believe it? Then he followed up by saying we should have four or five. OK, so maybe he was a bit out of control for him, but maybe not. God must be moving in our hearts to make room for more.
So, what do you think? Is it time for more? :)
I have had three people over the past two days tell me that I need to get pregnant. The strange thing is that every time someone says this to me I get a thrill that runs through me...almost like my body is saying, "What a great idea."
Then, last night Wayne told me we should go ahead and have more kids. Yes, WAYNE said that. Can you believe it? Then he followed up by saying we should have four or five. OK, so maybe he was a bit out of control for him, but maybe not. God must be moving in our hearts to make room for more.
So, what do you think? Is it time for more? :)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
We've Been Busy
I know it has been a while since I have blogged, but what can I say...we have been busy. Busy in a GOOD way.
First, I have really been working the Young Living Essential Oils, and I LOVE them. I have seen AMAZING results from my customers (especially in the area of arthritis, pain and skin conditions - most of my customers deal with this). Hopefully my next round will be focused on personal prevention and nutrition, but who knows. I am excited about an in home party I am leading (my friend is hosting) next Wednesday. So fun.
Second, Mackenzie is SLEEPING. No more of this waking up in the night stuff either. She is really sleeping. For about a week now Mackenzie has slept anywhere from 9-11 hours straight through the night. I want to get a full month of this under our belt before we do anything silly like an overnight trip to anywhere or staying out late. This needs to be her routine. Another great thing is that we no longer need "tricks" to put her to sleep. No more driving around in the car, no more drinking a bottle, no more rocking and singing. At nap time I just tell her that it is time to take a nap, I give her a big hug and kiss, I tell her that I love her and I lay her in the bed. Mackenzie then flips over onto her tummy with her bottom stuck in the air and falls asleep within 5 minutes. We do the same thing at bedtime, but first we have bedtime prayers with Daddy and night, night kisses. This has been an AMAZING breakthrough, and the perfect storm for us. The day I started giving Mackenzie 1/2 oz of NingXia Red drink and changed her sleep oils formula is the same day she started sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG. I also consider her age and the half 'cry-it-out' routine we started (only needed 3 days of that). Praise the Lord.
Onto other news, we had to get a new battery in our car. No big deal; it was just DEAD, but since it was still under warranty that didn't cost us a dime.
Also, Mackenzie LOVES swimming. Or at least being held in the pool acting like she is swimming. So much fun. It has been really hot here (100* plus), so we have to swim in the morning or the evenings, but that's OK with us.
Well, that is all for now. Take care everyone and come back soon for more blog reading.
First, I have really been working the Young Living Essential Oils, and I LOVE them. I have seen AMAZING results from my customers (especially in the area of arthritis, pain and skin conditions - most of my customers deal with this). Hopefully my next round will be focused on personal prevention and nutrition, but who knows. I am excited about an in home party I am leading (my friend is hosting) next Wednesday. So fun.
Second, Mackenzie is SLEEPING. No more of this waking up in the night stuff either. She is really sleeping. For about a week now Mackenzie has slept anywhere from 9-11 hours straight through the night. I want to get a full month of this under our belt before we do anything silly like an overnight trip to anywhere or staying out late. This needs to be her routine. Another great thing is that we no longer need "tricks" to put her to sleep. No more driving around in the car, no more drinking a bottle, no more rocking and singing. At nap time I just tell her that it is time to take a nap, I give her a big hug and kiss, I tell her that I love her and I lay her in the bed. Mackenzie then flips over onto her tummy with her bottom stuck in the air and falls asleep within 5 minutes. We do the same thing at bedtime, but first we have bedtime prayers with Daddy and night, night kisses. This has been an AMAZING breakthrough, and the perfect storm for us. The day I started giving Mackenzie 1/2 oz of NingXia Red drink and changed her sleep oils formula is the same day she started sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG. I also consider her age and the half 'cry-it-out' routine we started (only needed 3 days of that). Praise the Lord.
Onto other news, we had to get a new battery in our car. No big deal; it was just DEAD, but since it was still under warranty that didn't cost us a dime.
Also, Mackenzie LOVES swimming. Or at least being held in the pool acting like she is swimming. So much fun. It has been really hot here (100* plus), so we have to swim in the morning or the evenings, but that's OK with us.
Well, that is all for now. Take care everyone and come back soon for more blog reading.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Kids Eat Free
I was curious what restaurants in our area have KIDS EAT FREE options, so here is what I have found.
La Finca Mexican Restaurant 1520 S. Mason Road,
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, all day. One kid’s meal per adult purchase.
Las Rosas Mexican Restaurant 21810 Kingsland Blvd., 2310 Hwy 6 South,
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, all day. One kid’s meal per adult purchase.
Cici’s Pizza 811 S. Mason Road,
Every day, all day. Kids 3 and under eat free pizza and salad buffet.
Victor’s Mexican Restaurant1939 Fry Road,
Tuesdays, after 5:00 p.m. Kid’s meals are 99 cents with adult purchase.
Luby’s Cafeteria 485 S. Mason Road,
Wednesdays after 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, all day. Kids under 10 eat free kid’s meals.
Black-Eyed Pea Restaurant
Kid's Eat Free on Tuesday evening from 5:00 p.m. until close. One child's entree free with each adult entree purchased, kid's 12 and under.
Candelari's Pizzeria
Kids Eat Free Monday - Wednesday. Receive a Little Buddy's menu item with the purchase of any regularly priced adult entree or pizza. Dine-in only.
Pappy's Cafe
Monday Nites from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Kids 12 and under Eat for 1.99 cents. *Two Kids Meals per Adult Entree Purchased.
Prince's Hamburgers
Kids eat free on Wed.after 4:00 pm with adult meal (one free per adult purchase)
Ray's Grill
3 years and under complimentary for Sunday Brunch Buffets only.
Sam's Boat
Saturday and Sunday 11am - 3 pm. Two children per adult please. Sam's Fountains location only.
La Finca Mexican Restaurant 1520 S. Mason Road,
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, all day. One kid’s meal per adult purchase.
Las Rosas Mexican Restaurant 21810 Kingsland Blvd., 2310 Hwy 6 South,
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, all day. One kid’s meal per adult purchase.
Cici’s Pizza 811 S. Mason Road,
Every day, all day. Kids 3 and under eat free pizza and salad buffet.
Victor’s Mexican Restaurant1939 Fry Road,
Tuesdays, after 5:00 p.m. Kid’s meals are 99 cents with adult purchase.
Luby’s Cafeteria 485 S. Mason Road,
Wednesdays after 4:30 p.m., Saturdays, all day. Kids under 10 eat free kid’s meals.
Black-Eyed Pea Restaurant
Kid's Eat Free on Tuesday evening from 5:00 p.m. until close. One child's entree free with each adult entree purchased, kid's 12 and under.
Candelari's Pizzeria
Kids Eat Free Monday - Wednesday. Receive a Little Buddy's menu item with the purchase of any regularly priced adult entree or pizza. Dine-in only.
Pappy's Cafe
Monday Nites from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Kids 12 and under Eat for 1.99 cents. *Two Kids Meals per Adult Entree Purchased.
Prince's Hamburgers
Kids eat free on Wed.after 4:00 pm with adult meal (one free per adult purchase)
Ray's Grill
3 years and under complimentary for Sunday Brunch Buffets only.
Sam's Boat
Saturday and Sunday 11am - 3 pm. Two children per adult please. Sam's Fountains location only.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Long Time, No BLOG
OK, so it has been a while since I have blogged. You would think being stuck in doors due to the extreme heat of 101*, 104* and 102* would give me extra time, but nope. I work on Young Living when Mackenzie goes down for a nap, so I rarely have time to get on here. Right now she is watching Signing Time and brushing up on her American Sign Language skills, so I have a moment. Can you believe that she can sign over 100 words in ASL? I am pretty amazed.
Last night we started a new sleep routine. I haven't written about Mackenzie's sleep habits lately because they are terrible. She does sleep much better with her Young Living Oils (waking up only 2-3 times instead of 6-8 times), but come on...she is 15 months old; she should be sleeping. We decided to do the semi-cry-it-out. We lay her in her bed awake, give her a kiss and tell her it is bed time then we walk out. Of coarse, she screams. Wayne and I alternate checking on her every 5 minutes and each time we wipe away her tears, give her a kiss and tell her it is time to go to sleep. Last night it took 39 minutes before she decided to lay down and go to sleep. It was really hard and sad, but she only woke up once last night. I hope this semi-cry-it-out thing only lasts a few days. They say it can take anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. Uggg. I will say that I tried it today for her nap time, and it worked GREAT. She laid down and said, "Milk" to which I told her, "OK, just wait one moment." I gave her some milk and she put herself to sleep. Wonderful!
Last night we started a new sleep routine. I haven't written about Mackenzie's sleep habits lately because they are terrible. She does sleep much better with her Young Living Oils (waking up only 2-3 times instead of 6-8 times), but come on...she is 15 months old; she should be sleeping. We decided to do the semi-cry-it-out. We lay her in her bed awake, give her a kiss and tell her it is bed time then we walk out. Of coarse, she screams. Wayne and I alternate checking on her every 5 minutes and each time we wipe away her tears, give her a kiss and tell her it is time to go to sleep. Last night it took 39 minutes before she decided to lay down and go to sleep. It was really hard and sad, but she only woke up once last night. I hope this semi-cry-it-out thing only lasts a few days. They say it can take anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. Uggg. I will say that I tried it today for her nap time, and it worked GREAT. She laid down and said, "Milk" to which I told her, "OK, just wait one moment." I gave her some milk and she put herself to sleep. Wonderful!
On to better news: What Mackenzie likes.
All day long Mackenzie finds a shoe (either Mommy's shoe or Daddy's shoe) and walks around in it. She only wears one at a time, and she prefers high hills.
Also, when she wants to feel feminine she looks and me and says, "Girlie." I in turn ask her what she wants in order to feel girlie, and she usually says, "AirBow" (hair bow). Love it!
She has also learned how much fun it is to feed the dog. She runs to the dog's food bowl, takes out one or two pieces of food then runs over to the dog and feed her. She likes to do this once a day for about 20 minutes straight. And she giggles nearly the entire time.
So much personality. She looks just like her Daddy and Nani and acts just like her Mommy. Funny!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Clara's Dance Demo
We had the pleasure of attending Clara's Dance Demo for ballet and tap. She did great! Mackenzie loved watching the girls dance, and she kept standing on her chair pointing at the girls and saying 'Dance'; then she would start dancing. So much fun.
Petting Zoo
At the petting zoo Mackenzie kept trying to hug and kiss the goat. She also would squat down and talk to the goat as if he understood her. So cute.
First Zoo Trip
Mackenzie went to the zoo for the very first time, and she LOVED it. All of the animals were either "Dog", "Horse" or "Bird." When I would tell her what they really were she would say the correct name, but I think she still thought they were either a dog, horse or bird.
Boys will be boys.
Flamingo's
Sea Lions!
Nani & Mackenzie
Mackenzie drinking her own water.
Even in the Houston heat the animals were out in full force, and some were showing off; especially the monkey. He was so funny, too bad Mackenzie fell asleep before we got to see him.
Mackenzie's favorite part were the sea lions. She barged her way through some people's legs to find a good spot for viewing. She was mesmerised.
Nani, Auntie Kristi, Wayman III and Lance went with us; so much fun.
Mackenzie with the cool frog.
Boys will be boys.
Flamingo's
Auntie Kristi & Lance
Sea Lions!
Nani & Mackenzie
Crazy Monkey.
I want to walk.
Mackenzie drinking her own water.
Swimming
Here are some pictures of Mackenzie 'swimming' over at Granda & Grammy's house. She kicked her legs and used her arms like a big girl, and even put her face in the water a couple of times. Of coarse I was holding on the entire time :)
Swimming :)
Look at me!
Meeting Uncle Barry!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
I need to post
We have been doing a lot lately, and yet I still have not posted a blog. Uggg :( I will try today to post pictures.
For one, Wayne and I went to the Astros game last Friday and had a really good time. Tickets, soda, popcorn and hats were all courtesy of Farmers Insurance. Unfortunately, Mackenzie did not go with us...maybe next time!
Also, Uncle Barry is in town from England, so Mackenzie met her Uncle Bear for the first time (that is what she calls him while doing the sign language for bear. Funny what kids think.). She hit it off really well with him, not crying or trying to run away. She was also fond of Di. While we were over at Granda & Grammy's house she took a swim in the pool. Actually, she took a ride with Mommy in the pool. Eventually she became quite adventurous and actually got on her tummy in my arms and started kicking and moving her arms. She even put her face in the water more than once. Time for swimming lessons! If she is not afraid of the water she needs to know how to swim, or at least float on her back until help arrives. At her age there is no telling what she would do given just a short window of opportunity.
While at Granda & Grammy's house Mackenzie also got to see her cousin Clara. Now that Clara knows the big news I am free to say that she (Clara) is going to be a Big Sister. So exciting! So Mackenzie will have 2 cousins on Daddy's side; a total of 6 cousins. Wow! Congratulations Laura, Justin & Clara.
I will post pictures for this blog later. Bye for now.
For one, Wayne and I went to the Astros game last Friday and had a really good time. Tickets, soda, popcorn and hats were all courtesy of Farmers Insurance. Unfortunately, Mackenzie did not go with us...maybe next time!
Also, Uncle Barry is in town from England, so Mackenzie met her Uncle Bear for the first time (that is what she calls him while doing the sign language for bear. Funny what kids think.). She hit it off really well with him, not crying or trying to run away. She was also fond of Di. While we were over at Granda & Grammy's house she took a swim in the pool. Actually, she took a ride with Mommy in the pool. Eventually she became quite adventurous and actually got on her tummy in my arms and started kicking and moving her arms. She even put her face in the water more than once. Time for swimming lessons! If she is not afraid of the water she needs to know how to swim, or at least float on her back until help arrives. At her age there is no telling what she would do given just a short window of opportunity.
While at Granda & Grammy's house Mackenzie also got to see her cousin Clara. Now that Clara knows the big news I am free to say that she (Clara) is going to be a Big Sister. So exciting! So Mackenzie will have 2 cousins on Daddy's side; a total of 6 cousins. Wow! Congratulations Laura, Justin & Clara.
I will post pictures for this blog later. Bye for now.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tooth #12 (Again)
So, we thought tooth #12 was coming in just over a week ago, but it stalled out. It was definitely hurting Mackenzie back then, but it never did break through the gums.
Then yesterday Wayne informed me that he thought Mackenzie was getting sick because she had a runny diaper. I put some essential oils on her, she slept through the night just fine, and guess what...tooth # 12 has barely broken through. She is finally trying to cut that fourth molar. The other three molars are really big, so I can see why this is a painful process. They actually bleed a tiny bit when she was cutting them. Poor thing. The good news is that the last few nights she has been sleeping through the night, so maybe she is sleeping through the major cutting and pain part of this teething process. The other good news is that she is not sick :)
Don't worry Sweetie, one day in the not-so-far future you are going to be trying to loosen and lose your teeth in hopes for the Tooth-fairy to come during the night (you will know, of coarse; that the Tooth Fairy is Mommy), and the teething will be a thing of the past.
Then yesterday Wayne informed me that he thought Mackenzie was getting sick because she had a runny diaper. I put some essential oils on her, she slept through the night just fine, and guess what...tooth # 12 has barely broken through. She is finally trying to cut that fourth molar. The other three molars are really big, so I can see why this is a painful process. They actually bleed a tiny bit when she was cutting them. Poor thing. The good news is that the last few nights she has been sleeping through the night, so maybe she is sleeping through the major cutting and pain part of this teething process. The other good news is that she is not sick :)
Don't worry Sweetie, one day in the not-so-far future you are going to be trying to loosen and lose your teeth in hopes for the Tooth-fairy to come during the night (you will know, of coarse; that the Tooth Fairy is Mommy), and the teething will be a thing of the past.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Pictures
Finally, Here are some pictures to catch you up!
Mackenzie in her rocking chair...that was my rocker when I was a toddler.
Mackenzie trying on hats. Such a girlie girl :)
Mackenzie's first boat ride down at Brother's bay house.
Daddy and Mackenzie getting ready for the boat ride. Fun, fun!
Mackenzie playing in the roses after Auntie Kelly's wedding.
Clara and Mackenzie at Auntie Kelly's rehearsal dinner. Yummy tortilla.
Mackenzie in her rocking chair...that was my rocker when I was a toddler.
Mackenzie trying on hats. Such a girlie girl :)
Mackenzie's first boat ride down at Brother's bay house.
Daddy and Mackenzie getting ready for the boat ride. Fun, fun!
Mackenzie playing in the roses after Auntie Kelly's wedding.
Clara and Mackenzie at Auntie Kelly's rehearsal dinner. Yummy tortilla.
Mackenzie Sayings
I know, I still need to post pictures. Maybe at nap time today I will actually post some :)
But in the meantime here are some Mackenzie Sayings:
Whenever she sees a lady with pretty shoes on she says, "Cute Shoes."
If she sees something she likes (flowers, a dog, pretty pictures) she says, "Nice." With the same tone that Joey on Friends says, "How You Doin'?"
If she wants you to not move, she says with great feeling, "STAY."
When you are preparing her food, or you have food she says, "MummMum."
If you are doing something for her, often times she says, "Let me do it."
There is another one that I can't think of right now where she speaks with a VERY TEXAS DRAWL. -LOL- It is so funny because Daddy has an English accent, so when the Texas comes out he just looks at me and laughs. Needless to say we have made fun of each other's accents on occasion over the past 7 years of marriage, and the fact that his daughter is picking up on some of the words where my accent really shows up is quite funny to me.
But in the meantime here are some Mackenzie Sayings:
Whenever she sees a lady with pretty shoes on she says, "Cute Shoes."
If she sees something she likes (flowers, a dog, pretty pictures) she says, "Nice." With the same tone that Joey on Friends says, "How You Doin'?"
If she wants you to not move, she says with great feeling, "STAY."
When you are preparing her food, or you have food she says, "MummMum."
If you are doing something for her, often times she says, "Let me do it."
There is another one that I can't think of right now where she speaks with a VERY TEXAS DRAWL. -LOL- It is so funny because Daddy has an English accent, so when the Texas comes out he just looks at me and laughs. Needless to say we have made fun of each other's accents on occasion over the past 7 years of marriage, and the fact that his daughter is picking up on some of the words where my accent really shows up is quite funny to me.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Walking, Running & A Temper
You guessed it...Mackenzie is 'officially' walking on her own free will. I say that because although she has been taking steps on her own, just yesterday she started standing up from a sitting position and walking over to what she wants and either sitting back down or just standing to play. Also, just for fun, she walks in a circle through one side of our kitchen, out the other side, through the living room and back into the kitchen.
Yesterday she put on my tennis shoes and began walking in them. Wayne caught a good picture, so I will post that when I have a free moment to actually upload pictures.
Now, for the running and temper I mentioned in the title.
Mackenzie has recently acquired a little temper. Mostly I just try to divert her attention when she begins to throw a tantrum, or simply ignore it so I don't cause her to throw them by giving extra attention, BUT if she decides it is time for a battle of the wills...we must do more. I'm not sure what the more is yet, but it needs to be something. I have stopped and prayed with her, and that helped.
What do these tantrum's look like? Well, if she doesn't get what she wants when she wants it she starts SCREAMING in a VERY HIGH PITCHED voice. The very voice I had as a child, so I can't get to upset about that :) If she is in your arms and you are taking something away from her (for good reason I might add) she will simply lean over and bite you. If she is standing up and you tell her 'No' because she is going for lamp wires or something else not suitable for a 1-year old she shuts her eyes and takes off running. As you can imagine, she will run into a wall or a dog or a table and then really cry. So, this is the stage we are in right now.
Don't get me wrong. Most of the time she is a loving, snugly, kissing, hugging, playing sweetheart, but sometimes....??? What should we do? I hope this doesn't last too long :)
Yesterday she put on my tennis shoes and began walking in them. Wayne caught a good picture, so I will post that when I have a free moment to actually upload pictures.
Now, for the running and temper I mentioned in the title.
Mackenzie has recently acquired a little temper. Mostly I just try to divert her attention when she begins to throw a tantrum, or simply ignore it so I don't cause her to throw them by giving extra attention, BUT if she decides it is time for a battle of the wills...we must do more. I'm not sure what the more is yet, but it needs to be something. I have stopped and prayed with her, and that helped.
What do these tantrum's look like? Well, if she doesn't get what she wants when she wants it she starts SCREAMING in a VERY HIGH PITCHED voice. The very voice I had as a child, so I can't get to upset about that :) If she is in your arms and you are taking something away from her (for good reason I might add) she will simply lean over and bite you. If she is standing up and you tell her 'No' because she is going for lamp wires or something else not suitable for a 1-year old she shuts her eyes and takes off running. As you can imagine, she will run into a wall or a dog or a table and then really cry. So, this is the stage we are in right now.
Don't get me wrong. Most of the time she is a loving, snugly, kissing, hugging, playing sweetheart, but sometimes....??? What should we do? I hope this doesn't last too long :)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Community Garage Sale
The community/subdivision where I live regulates when we can have garage sales. Actually, there is a huge One Day Only garage sale where they open the gates and everyone either sells stuff or buys stuff. Pretty good idea if you ask me, but I must admit that in years past we didn't want to keep stuff and wait for the one day garage sale, so we just donated it.
This year was our first year to 'sell' stuff, and we did pretty good. We didn't make a lot of money, but we got rid of some stuff that was just taking up room in our house. Two complete sets of fish tanks, car speakers, some clothes, an old lawnmower and other odds and ins.
I can't believe that we have lived here for 6 years and this was our first time to participate. I suppose newly weds just don't have a bunch of 'stuff' sitting around.
This year was our first year to 'sell' stuff, and we did pretty good. We didn't make a lot of money, but we got rid of some stuff that was just taking up room in our house. Two complete sets of fish tanks, car speakers, some clothes, an old lawnmower and other odds and ins.
I can't believe that we have lived here for 6 years and this was our first time to participate. I suppose newly weds just don't have a bunch of 'stuff' sitting around.
Tooth # 12
I can't believe it, but Mackenzie is trying to cut her 12th tooth. This would mean she has all four of the front top and four front bottom teeth, and one molar on each side of the top and bottom. These last two molars have been rough on here, not saying that the others were easy.
Four teeth in one month...that seems a bit excessive, but I do know that I will be happy to get them all cut and the pain over with. Maybe we will have a bit of a break after this one.
Still 8 teeth left to go! We have 4 more molars and 4 what are they...canine? Something like that.
Four teeth in one month...that seems a bit excessive, but I do know that I will be happy to get them all cut and the pain over with. Maybe we will have a bit of a break after this one.
Still 8 teeth left to go! We have 4 more molars and 4 what are they...canine? Something like that.
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