9 Months!!

Family and Friends:


I am very sorry that I have not blogged in the last week or more. Makenna turned 9 months old two Saturdays ago. She had her apt last Thursday. She checked out great! She measure 18.12 lbs-50% in her weight, 70% in height, and 30% in head. She is falling beautifully along the curve. Dr. Nash felt her gums, said one felt a little swollen, so it could still be a while until we see a pearly white. We've been teething since she turned 3 months old!! When will we see 'em?! The poor baby had to get her finger pricked and enough blood squeezed out to fill two small tubes to do standard testing like for anemia. It was aweful!!! I had to hold her down and she absolutely did not like it. She gave me pitiful looks like "Mommy, why are you letting them do this to me?" It just broke my heart! But we made it through! Here is Makenna with Dr. Nash. Again, we have the best pediatrician in the world!!

Below is her battle wound from the finger prick. Surprisingly, the band-aid didn't really bother her that much.

I have some more pics and info to share. I will try and share that tomorrow. I've got to get a good night sleep for another busy week ahead.

Please pray for my Papa, Bill. He went to the emergency room yesterday for extreme abdominal pain. They ran some tests and think it might be related to his pancreas or gall bladder. They sent him home with nothing and told him to contact his regular dr. That will happen tomorrow hopefully! Pray that it isn't too serious and can be easily treated. Also, my cousin Scott is in CA in bootcamp for the Marines. Please pray for his well being and safety. Thanks!

I'm the Next American Idol Part 2

Here is the video I wanted to attach but couldn't unzip to upload. Notice how she lets go, but still is remaining standing. Viewers need to be aware that she in no way received any help during the making of this video. Enjoy!

Sunny Days, Keepin' the Clouds Away

Today was such a beautiful day! Makenna and I decided to go to the park. We had a great time going down the super tall slide. We haven't done that since she was about 4 months old or so. Then we swang together. I showed her how to pump her legs in and out. Then I put her in the baby swing. She looooved it! I stopped her at one point to take a good pic. She tried to pump her legs to make herself go! You can see it half way through the video. She is such a fast learner!!

I went to pick her up right at 4:00. She was asleep and had been for an hour. So I decided to go home, change clothes, and do some laundary until she woke up. At 5:00, I walked over there and had to wake her up! You might be saying, never wake a sleeping baby, but you don't understand. She took a 4 hour nap this morning from 8:30-12:30!! And Emily had to wake her up at 12:30! She has never done that before. She slept a good 11 hours as usual last night, so it's not like she should have been that tired. I guess she is going through a growing spurt. The last couple nights for dinner, she has had Easy Mac and loves it. She even had some pizza for lunch yesterday! It was a frozen pizza, not like Little Caesar's, but my first reaction was to freak out. That is what she wants to eat, and we are supposed to be moving in that direction, so I guess it it okay. I did try a stage 3 jar tonight: Earth's Best Spaghetti with cheese sauce. She loooooves pasta and cheese, so I figured she would love it, but she didn't show much interest in it. She prefered my penne noodles I cut up on her tray that she could pick up and feed to herself. She is a funny little girl!

Some new things she has picked up this last week or so is giving Brady and I big kisses on the mouth. She has done this in the past, but now she will wrap her hands around our neck, say "awwwwww" and plant a big wet one on us! It is sooo adorable and loving! It's my favorite part of the day, no offense to Brady! She has also started to prefer laying tummy to tummy on us and laying her head on our shoulders. Since day 1 she has been too busy and nosy to want to lay her head down on our shoulder, but she seems to enjoy that closeness now.

Well, I'm off to pump and go to bed. Sweet dreams!!

I'm the Next American Idol!

I have to admit that I really enjoy watching AI. Tonight I didn't really see anyone that really stood out. I am rootin' for Vanessa Joe from last week. She was the blond bridge jumper from Tennessee who got her dress from the Dollar Store for $4.50. My heart broke for her and I want her to make it! Plus she has the best name ever! 24 also started back up with lots of intensity. The last scene from last night gave me the chills and made me a little sick! Can't wait until Thursday for the Office!!!

We had a busy, but awesome weekend celebrating Deborah, Kevin, and Baby Brock. It was one of the loveliest, most eloquent showers I have ever been to. I had the honor of helping to host it for my sweet friend.

Makenna may be teething for real this time. Friday, Karen, my mom-in-law, came down and spent some time with Makenna. She was sleepy all day, a little blah, and had a 100.8 temp. Gave her some Tylenol and the fever went away. There were no other symptoms at all. I read through my books last night and they said that it is a myth that a fever can be caused by teething, and that it is just a coincidence. A fever always indicates an infection or virus. I am not so sure I agree with this, nor do any moms that I talk to. But no pearly whites poking their heads out yet. She has been happy all weekend though. Lots of clapping, motor boating, saying "dadda", bouncing, and laughing. Her new favorite game is to see how long she can stand by herself. I took a video of her at her music machine. Of course I couldn't capture her singing in her microphone. She discovered that her voice echoes through it, and she kept kinda yelling into it. I think she is practicing for her AI audition!!


Sunday night, we went to eat dinner at the Black-Eyed Pea. I ordered the vegie plate so that Makenna could try some of my food. I tried to feed her food to her first. She wasn't very interested in her cereal or green vegie. She absolutely loved my mac-n-cheese, whipped sweet potatoes, green beans, and pieces of chicken. She is growing so big! Tonight I made her some Easy Mac to add to her dinner. She loved it of course! What kid doesn't?! She had a hard time picking it up because it was so slimy, but most of it made it into her mouth. I helped her eat some since I also love it! I'm adding more and more big people food each week. She still absolutely loves her breakfast of banana oatmeal and fruit of some sort, and her afternoon Yo-Baby yogurt. I think I may begin weaning her. I only pumped 2 and 1/2 oz of milk today...the whole day! I was hoping for her to go from me to cow's milk, but I made it pretty far and am thankful Makenna got the best for the first 9 months of her life. I am really nervous about weaning!

The vote is in...Scott Brown (R) won the Senate seat in MA!!!!!!

Food for Thought

Thanks for the comments! I realized that some adult food is better than no food! Here are some of the foods she has decided to eat this week instead of her own food: half a grilled cheese sandwich, stew with beef and carrots and potatoes, three cheese tortellini with alfredo sauce, spiral pasta, chow mein noodles, and I can't think of what else. I have to say that I was not there for half of it. She still really loves her fruit and cereal, so that is good. We learned that when she is upset, just give her some yogurt melts or cheese puffs and her juice and she is happy as a lark!

Some other grown up things she is trying is standing. Lately, so doesn't so much want to be in her bouncer as she does in front of it, standing up, holding on to it. She is testing the waters with how strong she is. She will let go with her right hand, then at the same time grab again with her right, and release with her left. She will go back and forth forever like this. Last night, I took her socks off and had her stand without holding on to anything. She stood for a good 30 seconds! I was really impressed. I tried to make her crawl again today, and she wouldn't have it. She just rolls over. She would rather stand and walk. She can kind of pull up. If she is sitting on the floor, she can't pull up. But if she is sitting on a little something, like part of my leg, she can pull herself up.

Thursday we had a bad weather day so Makenna and I got to snuggle up and have quality time all day! It was great!! Friday when she went back to her sitter's, Emily's house, she got to not only play with the two brothers, Connor and Dillon, but their older brother Jarron who is in preschool. When I got there to pcik her up, she was laughing, and in the best mood ever! The boys, especially Jarron, was hugging and kissing on her and she like it! It doesn't need to be said, but Makenna really likes getting a lot of attention! The boys were sad she had to go. This moring when we dropped her back off at the nursery at church, she freaked again! It was bad. I am so glad that she does not do this with Emily or I would have to not work I guess. It was not good. It is weird because she just started it 2 weeks ago. She has always been okay being left in the church nursery (she had been to 3) before. When we walked into the foyer, she started to pout. It really broke my heart! I hope this does not go on forever!

Christmas Craziness!

Here are are Christmas celebrations documented below. I regret not getting more pics of family members, but know they did so I will have to steal theirs. Although we did document a lot on video. Our first celebration was the weekend before Christmas on the 19 & the 20th (my birthday!) with my dad. They came down from Arkansas to celebrate Makenna's first Christmas and my birthday. Nana and Popsie really spoiled her!

I only wish I got more pics of Makenna with her

Aunt K and Uncle J.

Here is our array of nicely wrapped gifts. 9/10 of them are for Makenna!

Here are her gifts she unwrapped...with my help!

Below is what she found what Santa dropped off!

I made a big Christmas breakfast for us which included chocolate chip pancakes. I made a heart shaped one (minus the chips) for Makenna. She ate a couple of bites.

Celebration #3 was at GiGi and Pops' house. We barely made it that day!

She really loved her rocking chair!

Here she is in front of all her gifts.

This is why we were snowed in for 3 days! Makenna's first white Christmas!!

Many of the drifts were very high!

She adores her Pops! She cracks up immediately when she sees him!

Notice her package pj's she is wearing on Christmas morning. She was the best present!

Lovin' her Pops some more!

Her stocking from Santa. She loved the Gerber cheetos the best I think!

Her rocking chair again.

What a nice family pic if I do say so myself!

Meo and Uncle Jo Jo got her this singing music maker that lowers to a sitting position or raises to a standing position. Makenna loooooved this!! Of course, her new fave thing is to stand, so this was perfect! Plus she really likes to make music.


Still can't crawl!

Another great family pic...I don't know how this got down here!

Her Aunti D!

They had a lot of fun. Deidra babysat Makenna so we could go celebrate Pops' 50th birthday!

There are like 15 totally cute pics of these 2! I wish I could post them all!

Celebration #5 (I didn't get any fam pics of #4) with Meme and Papa.

How cute!

Celebration #6...The last one! We are at Grandmom and Grandad's. What a house full of fun! She had a blast watchng her boy cousins wrestle and beat each other up. I have to say even the adults were amused!


I wish I got more pics here, I think GiGi did though.

Thanks everyone again for helping to make wonderful memories for my sweet baby girl! Can't wait until the next one. She will really get into it!! Maybe she will even be wrestling with her boy cousins!

Today's news: Makenna still won't eat. She refused to eat her lunch today at noon. She screamed when she was put down in her highchair. She fell asleep from 12:15 to 2:00. Woke up, say Connor eating a grilled cheese sandwhich, decided she needed that, and so ate half a grilled cheese sandwhich herself! What am I to do?! She ate a little dinner for me of rice cereal a apple chicken. Way after her dinner, I was eating mine, 3 cheese tortellini with alfredo sauce. She decided she needed my food. I gave her a little bite, and she loved it and wanted more. Next thing, Brady was taking a drink of ice cold water out of his glass and Makenna needed a drink so bad. So she drank from the glass. She is 8 months going on like 10 years old! Why does she think she is bigger than she is? How can I get her to eat normal, healthy food? Do I force her baby food on her, or find alternatives like a grilled cheese?! Help!!

Out of Time

I will have to post pics later. We had a wonderful Christmas! Makenna really enjoyed her very first Christmas which turned out to be a white Christmas. We were snowed in and Makenna never left the house for 3 days. We had 6 Christmases! So Makenna had lots of practice opening up gifts. Her favorite part was the bows and the tissue paper. She got lots of wonderful and thoughtful gifts from so many wonderful family members. I want to thank everyone so much for being so sweet to my baby girl on her first Christmas. We got lots of wonderful pics and video footage that we will always cherish. The hard part is figuring out where to put everything!

Lots of new things occured over the past two weeks. Makenna turned 8 months old, got her first infection and had to go to the dr to get medicine, learned to clap her hands, eats meat and lots of other table food. She has learned that she loves mac and cheese, chic-fil-e, pasta, gerber cheese puffs, and whatever else any adult is eating. She has also developed this intense separation anxiety. When I dropped her off at the nursery at church this morning, she freaked out and did her terrified cry. Normally she loves it. We are worried how tomorrow will go with her sitter, Emily. We really hope Makenna will eat, sleep and be happy! I will really try and upload a bunch of Christmas pics tomorrow. Again, we had 6 gatherings, so lots of pics.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year! I am very thankful for the many blessings from 2009. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in 2010! I am curious if anyone made any resolutions. I am keeping up the tradition for me and not making any, because I can't keep them! Instead, I am resolving to not make a resolution, that way I know I can keep it!! I can't wait to hear what other people are doing. Check back again tomorrow, or the next day, or later this week. I will get those pics up!