Showing posts with label All About Mackenna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All About Mackenna. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
One Year Ago, Today
One year ago, today, I was finally admitted into the hospital after four days of "pre-labor." I was growing in patience as I learned time and time again that I was only 3 cm dilated. I grew in trusting God's wisdom and love as the nurses and doctors rushed around me trying to find Mackenna's heart beat. They found it. Praise the Lord!
One year ago, today, I thanked the anesthesiologist for giving me the epidural that, during my pregnancy, I vowed I would never want. I stared at the fetal monitor and watched Mackenna's heart beat with every contraction even though the nurse told me to get some rest. {After our scare, are you kidding me?}
One year ago, today, I had a feeling in my gut that Mackenna would we welcomed into this world via a cesarian section. Today, I wear that scar proudly! One year ago, today, I once again learned to trust God more as Mackenna was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit to receive antibiotics for an infection that could have gotten a lot worse then it did. Again, God is so good! Praise the Lord!
One year ago, today, my little girl was brand new! And we were brand new parents! Still learning how to dress, feed, soothe, and protect our precious girl. Diaper changes took three times as long as they do now and bath time was almost more stressful than it was worth. Three hours of uninteruppted sleep was glorious and the newborn sleepy stage was not taken advantage of (if only I knew then what I know now)!
And today, we are a family of three. Today, I am a little weepy-eyed as memories of the past year flood my mind and fill my heart. Today, I am humbled by the grace of our Savior, giving us so many gifts that we don't deserve. First and foremost, our salvation in Christ. Today, I'm thanking God for the gift of Mackenna Grace Folden. Our hearts grow in love for her every day. And while today we may be a tad bit more experienced and a tiny bit wiser, we still have much to learn, much to experience, and much more wisdom to gain as we grow in parenthood.
One year ago, today, I thanked the anesthesiologist for giving me the epidural that, during my pregnancy, I vowed I would never want. I stared at the fetal monitor and watched Mackenna's heart beat with every contraction even though the nurse told me to get some rest. {After our scare, are you kidding me?}
One year ago, today, I had a feeling in my gut that Mackenna would we welcomed into this world via a cesarian section. Today, I wear that scar proudly! One year ago, today, I once again learned to trust God more as Mackenna was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit to receive antibiotics for an infection that could have gotten a lot worse then it did. Again, God is so good! Praise the Lord!
One year ago, today, my little girl was brand new! And we were brand new parents! Still learning how to dress, feed, soothe, and protect our precious girl. Diaper changes took three times as long as they do now and bath time was almost more stressful than it was worth. Three hours of uninteruppted sleep was glorious and the newborn sleepy stage was not taken advantage of (if only I knew then what I know now)!
And today, we are a family of three. Today, I am a little weepy-eyed as memories of the past year flood my mind and fill my heart. Today, I am humbled by the grace of our Savior, giving us so many gifts that we don't deserve. First and foremost, our salvation in Christ. Today, I'm thanking God for the gift of Mackenna Grace Folden. Our hearts grow in love for her every day. And while today we may be a tad bit more experienced and a tiny bit wiser, we still have much to learn, much to experience, and much more wisdom to gain as we grow in parenthood.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
I am not sure if I could document with words everything that my precious girl has learned over the past two months. So, I thought now would be a great time to do a picture blog... Here we go!
FEBRUARY
New Room Decor... Courtesy of my Cricut!
First Valentine's Day!
Learned to climb into the laundry basket... so proud!
A visit from Uncle TJ!
Sweet sleeping girl... this was after quite a battle, ending with a negotiation of napping with her pillow pet... but see, NO pacifier!
Playing with her Valentine's Day card from Gigi Rose (Great Grandma Rose)
Cruising the Couch!
Pulling to Standing!
"Soooo big!"
"Helping" mommy with laundry!
My little sporty girl!
MARCH
"Broccoli? No, thank you!"
A visit from Grandma Lee Lee & Auntie Allee!
Loves her baby, Ruby (named by Grandma Lee Lee)
I understand why this toy was given to us without battaries, but she just loves the "Ch-ch-ch-ch-pow!"
"The perimeter has been breached!"
Reading with Auntie Allee!
Learning to walk!
"For splashing and scrubbing and rub-a-dub dubbing, hands are dandy for toweling and tubbing." (Excerpt from Hooray for Hands!)
"Soooo big!"
We are ready for Spring!
Some new wheels! She cruises all over the place!
Munching on some toast!
Organizing the garage with daddy!
My girl loves to read! She'll sit and babble, I mean, read, for 30 minutes sometimes!
Mackenna's very first pedicure!
Mackenna LOVES Dustin's old "lovey," Ricky the Raccoon!
Taking a snooze on the way home from church!
Spring Tease day! It was 70+ degrees here and we made sure to get out and enjoy the warmth!
Colton & Mackenna loving the swings!
She won't take a sippy cup, so we're trying a straw... she loves it!
Just because it was so cute!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Bye bye, Pacifier!
The pacifier. For some parents, it's a must-have baby item. For others, it's the biggest parenting "no-no." For us, it was somewhere in between. During my pregnancy, we were set on not introducing Mackenna to a pacifier. I didn't register for any and I gave Dustin strict instructions to make sure that the well meaning neonatal nurses did not give one to Mackenna.
And then Mackenna was born. And she was admitted to NICU. And she wasn't really "sick," but she would cry at times (like all babies do) and her nurses had no other choice but to give her a pacifier so that she would be pacified so that they could pay attention to all the tiny babies who really needed their help. One problem, Mackenna didn't like the pacifier. You know, those green soothies that they give to every baby in the hospital. She hated them. But her strong dislike for the pacifier was quickly forgotten when those same nurses dunked the green soothie into sugar water. She loved sugar water. And so, her love for a pacifier began.
After bringing her home from the hospital and, shortly there after, discovering the world of a colicky baby, the pacifier brought us moments of peace amidst the crying and chaos. But we, of course, replaced the awkward green soothie for a more traditional pacifier, the Nuk. We limited her pacifier use to her most fussy time of the day and car rides (for my sanity). Months later, when the colic resolved, we found a more optimal time for pacifier use was for naps and bed time. And since then, her pacifier use was strictly before naps and bed time, and while in the car.
Well, for some reason, for the past two weeks, Mackenna has decided that playing and crawling around is much more fun then sleeping. So she's been fighting her naps. She rebelliously stands up in her crib, rips her pacifier out of her mouth, and throws it on the floor. During her first week of rebellion I would come in her room after 20 (OK, probably more like 5) minutes of crying, pick up her pacifier, stick it in her mouth, lay her back down, and we'd repeat this cycle about three times until she finally cried herself to sleep. One week of that was enough.
Week two's strategy is dramatically different. At nap time, I take her to her room, turn on her noise maker, give her a hug and a kiss, lay her down, walk out, and shut the door. We don't offer the pacifier since she's just been throwing it on the floor anyway. I don't look back after I start walking out and I shut the door. Shutting the door helps me resist the temptation to go back in to rescue her or even to check on her during her naps (which usually wakes her up). And then, I usually find something to keep me occupied. The house is very clean this week and I am almost caught up on all my chores!
"So," you ask, "how is she doing?" She's doing great! Day one was rough. She cried for 45 minutes, but then slept for an hour. Today, day five, she's cried for ten minutes! And bed time has had little to no tears all week! It will be nice to have this behind us. We've heard so many horror stories about getting rid of the pacifier. We are so thankful that Mackenna has made this a bit easier by initiating the pacifier elimination! Now we can focus on the next parenting hurdle... bottle to sippy cup... let's hope it's as easy to clear as eliminating the pacifier has been!
And then Mackenna was born. And she was admitted to NICU. And she wasn't really "sick," but she would cry at times (like all babies do) and her nurses had no other choice but to give her a pacifier so that she would be pacified so that they could pay attention to all the tiny babies who really needed their help. One problem, Mackenna didn't like the pacifier. You know, those green soothies that they give to every baby in the hospital. She hated them. But her strong dislike for the pacifier was quickly forgotten when those same nurses dunked the green soothie into sugar water. She loved sugar water. And so, her love for a pacifier began.
After bringing her home from the hospital and, shortly there after, discovering the world of a colicky baby, the pacifier brought us moments of peace amidst the crying and chaos. But we, of course, replaced the awkward green soothie for a more traditional pacifier, the Nuk. We limited her pacifier use to her most fussy time of the day and car rides (for my sanity). Months later, when the colic resolved, we found a more optimal time for pacifier use was for naps and bed time. And since then, her pacifier use was strictly before naps and bed time, and while in the car.
Well, for some reason, for the past two weeks, Mackenna has decided that playing and crawling around is much more fun then sleeping. So she's been fighting her naps. She rebelliously stands up in her crib, rips her pacifier out of her mouth, and throws it on the floor. During her first week of rebellion I would come in her room after 20 (OK, probably more like 5) minutes of crying, pick up her pacifier, stick it in her mouth, lay her back down, and we'd repeat this cycle about three times until she finally cried herself to sleep. One week of that was enough.
Week two's strategy is dramatically different. At nap time, I take her to her room, turn on her noise maker, give her a hug and a kiss, lay her down, walk out, and shut the door. We don't offer the pacifier since she's just been throwing it on the floor anyway. I don't look back after I start walking out and I shut the door. Shutting the door helps me resist the temptation to go back in to rescue her or even to check on her during her naps (which usually wakes her up). And then, I usually find something to keep me occupied. The house is very clean this week and I am almost caught up on all my chores!
"So," you ask, "how is she doing?" She's doing great! Day one was rough. She cried for 45 minutes, but then slept for an hour. Today, day five, she's cried for ten minutes! And bed time has had little to no tears all week! It will be nice to have this behind us. We've heard so many horror stories about getting rid of the pacifier. We are so thankful that Mackenna has made this a bit easier by initiating the pacifier elimination! Now we can focus on the next parenting hurdle... bottle to sippy cup... let's hope it's as easy to clear as eliminating the pacifier has been!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Where'd that appetite come from?
Over the past week, Mackenna's appetite has changed from almost non-existent to hungry every three hours! Since we've introduced table foods, she's actually excited about eating! The only time she eats "baby" food now is in the morning. She has pureed fruit with oatmeal for breakfast. Then for lunch, she's loving fresh steamed veggies. Yes, that's right, I said veggies. This week she has carrots, zucchini, and celery. On Tuesday I steamed up enough for the week. I put a bay leaf and fresh chopped garlic in the steaming water. I read somewhere that babies enjoy the flavor of garlic. She still doesn't eat a lot at each meal, but she's eating each meal... huge progress! Last night for supper, she enjoyed some Tortellini & Spinach Soup with us. And of course, some garlic bread. She ate up navy beans, spinach, and tortellini. It's so exciting to see her enjoying her food. We've been very careful to not force her to eat or to reward her too much when she does eat. We really want to make sure she grows up with a healthy perspective on food and we also want to teach her to eat healthful foods right away.
I get so excited to watch her chew her foods and enjoy the flavors dancing on her tongue. She is a great little eater now... that's something I never thought I'd say! I know this may just be a phase and that next week I may have my finicky little girl back, but I'm enjoying every minute of this new found appetite and zest for trying new foods!
I get so excited to watch her chew her foods and enjoy the flavors dancing on her tongue. She is a great little eater now... that's something I never thought I'd say! I know this may just be a phase and that next week I may have my finicky little girl back, but I'm enjoying every minute of this new found appetite and zest for trying new foods!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
She's On The Move
I just couldn't resist snapping these pictures last week as Mackenna made her way around the house. She's pretty much perfected the crawl and can move at a monumental speed. Much quicker then I ever thought possible. And nothing is off limits in her mind. A dirty kitchen floor? The dirtier the better... there's more interesting stuff to pick up, examine, and put in her mouth. I'm learning quickly that sweeping and a quick once over with the Swiffer is going to have to become a daily happening at our house. But, I love it. I love watching Mackenna crawl. I love learning what her favorite toys are... the one's that warrant a crawl across the living room floor are worthy of much effort and thus, I conclude, they are a favorite. I leave you with these pictures of my girl, crawling around, playing, and making funny faces. I am blessed!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A Trip to the Doctor
Today was a good day. Mackenna had a doctor appointment... but it wasn't because she was sick! It was her nine month well-baby visit. That's all! No diaper rash, no respiratory infection, and no stomach bug! When we got to the waiting room, Mackenna immediately began waving at everyone and every thing. It's her new thing. She loves to wave. And after she waves, she'll usually clap, because Dustin and I clap when she waves. It melts my heart, every time! She was in such a good mood and did a great job during her appointment. She's growing more proportionately now and is in the 25th percentile for height and weight. She weighs 18 pounds and 3 ounces and is 25.5 inches. She's sweet and petite! She's right on track developmentally. She's crawling, clapping, waving, and pointing. She's becoming more and more verbal every day. Her favorite words... "da-da" of course! She'll throw in a "mmmmmma-mmmmma" every now and again, but "da-da" and "ba-ba" are her favorites. The past few days she has been in such a good mood. Lots of giggles and little girl squeals. I love her!
Besides her flu shot and being measured and weighed, her appointment was relatively tear-free! Way to go, Mackenna! Her next well-baby visit, she will be a year old. No way! That freaks me out! Between now and then, our goal is to get her to eat a bit more table foods. I bought a manual food grinder and am looking forward to start grinding whatever we're eating for dinner and see if she enjoys "real" food more than she likes "baby" food. She's pretty much only a fan of pears, bananas, and sweet potatoes right now. We'd also like to get her weaned from Nutramigen (a special formula for milk/soy protein intolerance) to a milk-based formula. We're praying that she has grown out of her milk & soy protein intolerance. Most babies grow out of it by one or two years old, but there are people who have the intolerance their entire lives. I'm not going to lie- that would be tough! Hopefully she'll do good being weaned off Nutramigen, but if not, we'll try again in a few months!
We are so thankful that God has brought Mackenna into our family! She is a blessing beyond anything that we deserve. As we watch her grow and see her personality emerge, we are reminded that she is a small person who was knit together by God. When she throws an angry fit, we are reminded that we are all sinners in need of a Savior. We pray daily for her salvation and are learning ways to share the gospel with her, even now, at nine months old. As she continues to grow, we pray that God would soften her heart and bring her to accept Christ as her Savior. Then, Lord willing, we will have a great time watching her grow in the Lord, becoming a godly young lady, with a tender and loving heart.
Besides her flu shot and being measured and weighed, her appointment was relatively tear-free! Way to go, Mackenna! Her next well-baby visit, she will be a year old. No way! That freaks me out! Between now and then, our goal is to get her to eat a bit more table foods. I bought a manual food grinder and am looking forward to start grinding whatever we're eating for dinner and see if she enjoys "real" food more than she likes "baby" food. She's pretty much only a fan of pears, bananas, and sweet potatoes right now. We'd also like to get her weaned from Nutramigen (a special formula for milk/soy protein intolerance) to a milk-based formula. We're praying that she has grown out of her milk & soy protein intolerance. Most babies grow out of it by one or two years old, but there are people who have the intolerance their entire lives. I'm not going to lie- that would be tough! Hopefully she'll do good being weaned off Nutramigen, but if not, we'll try again in a few months!
We are so thankful that God has brought Mackenna into our family! She is a blessing beyond anything that we deserve. As we watch her grow and see her personality emerge, we are reminded that she is a small person who was knit together by God. When she throws an angry fit, we are reminded that we are all sinners in need of a Savior. We pray daily for her salvation and are learning ways to share the gospel with her, even now, at nine months old. As she continues to grow, we pray that God would soften her heart and bring her to accept Christ as her Savior. Then, Lord willing, we will have a great time watching her grow in the Lord, becoming a godly young lady, with a tender and loving heart.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Unofficially Rolling Over...both ways!
Our darling Mackenna Grace has been rolling from her back-to-belly since she was only 3 1/2 months old. I've been expecting for her belly-to-back roll to make it's presence but it just hasn't been happening. Well... it's appeared... sort of! This morning she heard my voice when I came to get her out of her crib and she accidently rolled over. I thought, "Hmmm... I wonder if I can get her to accidently roll over enough that she'll just get some muscle memory and do it on her own." So we practiced a lot today! With the help of "Barry the Bluebird" I was able to tempt her by dangling "Barry" over her head and then...ooops... she'd accidently roll over.
We'll practice again tomorrow... hopefully she'll be doing it on her own by the end of the week. She's also pretty close to rolling from back-to-belly on her right side. Usually she just rolls to her left to get onto her belly. She must be getting stronger! I'm glad because she is so fussy lately. I think she's frusterated because her mind wants to do more than her body is capable of... bring on the mobility! I know, I know... once she's crawling I will miss theses days.... but right now... I am still looking forward to seeing her crawl around the house.
We'll practice again tomorrow... hopefully she'll be doing it on her own by the end of the week. She's also pretty close to rolling from back-to-belly on her right side. Usually she just rolls to her left to get onto her belly. She must be getting stronger! I'm glad because she is so fussy lately. I think she's frusterated because her mind wants to do more than her body is capable of... bring on the mobility! I know, I know... once she's crawling I will miss theses days.... but right now... I am still looking forward to seeing her crawl around the house.
Friday, August 13, 2010
08.13.10
So, this week was slightly hectic. Mackenna has a problem with acid reflux. She was on Zantac, and while that improved her spit-up and overall fussiness, she was still showing indications of uncomfort related to acid reflux. So, her doctor thought we should give Prevacid a try. It's a stronger medication. Well, we couldn't get Mackenna to take it. More ended up on her outfit than in her stomach. So, while the Zantac didn't work completely, it worked better than the Prevacid because she would take it. Mid-week I called Mackenna's nurse with a very fussy baby as background noise. I explained the situation and the nurse said we could switch back to Zantac, but that Mackenna's doctor wanted to increase the Zantac dose. So, we're back to Zantac! Most babies outgrow acid reflux between 6-9 months, so we're praying that Mackenna's battle with acid reflux will be over soon!
Today, August 13, 2010 is Mackenna's Four Month Old Birthday! Happy Four Months, Mackenna Grace! Other than not napping well, she had a great day! She had lots of smiles and giggles all day long! Something new that Mackenna's learned how to do over the past week or so... SQUEAL! When she gets excited, she squeals. When she starts to giggle, she squeals. When she's thinking about giggling, she squeals. When she sees her Duckie Rattle, she squeals. She loves practicing her squeal. Mommy loves seeing the look on her face after she squeals. Her thought progression goes something like this..."Wow, that was a cool noise. Did I do that? I think I did! I think I want to do it again! Yep, I did it again. I am sure it is me! Now I am so excited I am going to stick out my tongue and kick my feet!" I love her! I love being a stay-at-home mom (yes, even on the rough days... like... um...yesterday)!
Mackenna loves rolling over onto her belly... but she can't quite get how to roll back over... although she has done it on her own twice... on accident both times! Hopefully soon she'll be rolling back to front and front to back. She likes to try to sit up when I put her in her bouncer, swing, and car seat. Obviously she can't sit on her own yet, but she sure tries! She loves when we help her sit up on her playmat! She'll usually end up playing with her feet and looking up at us like, "Wow, do you guys have these feet things too? They're awesome! You should play with them sometime!"
Mommy had a good day too! I got some GREAT deals at Kohl's. Overall, I got $100 worth of baby clothes for only $30! Hooray for two 15% off coupons, $20 in Kohl's Cash, AND a great sale! A lot of the clothes I got for Mackenna are 6-9 months... I can't wait for her to wear them! I also got a chance to work out again today! That makes 3 days this week. My legs are SO sore and all I am doing is the Elliptical! I can't wait to get back in shape! I feel so much better when I work out and eat healthy. Now, I've started the working out part.... still need to work on the eating healthy part! Ugh! Why does chocolate ice cream have to taste SO good?!?
Well, it's Friday night, Mackenna's asleep, and I don't HAVE to clean bottles until tomorrow morning... so I think I'll bid you adieu and go spend some time with my hubby!
Today, August 13, 2010 is Mackenna's Four Month Old Birthday! Happy Four Months, Mackenna Grace! Other than not napping well, she had a great day! She had lots of smiles and giggles all day long! Something new that Mackenna's learned how to do over the past week or so... SQUEAL! When she gets excited, she squeals. When she starts to giggle, she squeals. When she's thinking about giggling, she squeals. When she sees her Duckie Rattle, she squeals. She loves practicing her squeal. Mommy loves seeing the look on her face after she squeals. Her thought progression goes something like this..."Wow, that was a cool noise. Did I do that? I think I did! I think I want to do it again! Yep, I did it again. I am sure it is me! Now I am so excited I am going to stick out my tongue and kick my feet!" I love her! I love being a stay-at-home mom (yes, even on the rough days... like... um...yesterday)!
Mackenna loves rolling over onto her belly... but she can't quite get how to roll back over... although she has done it on her own twice... on accident both times! Hopefully soon she'll be rolling back to front and front to back. She likes to try to sit up when I put her in her bouncer, swing, and car seat. Obviously she can't sit on her own yet, but she sure tries! She loves when we help her sit up on her playmat! She'll usually end up playing with her feet and looking up at us like, "Wow, do you guys have these feet things too? They're awesome! You should play with them sometime!"
Mommy had a good day too! I got some GREAT deals at Kohl's. Overall, I got $100 worth of baby clothes for only $30! Hooray for two 15% off coupons, $20 in Kohl's Cash, AND a great sale! A lot of the clothes I got for Mackenna are 6-9 months... I can't wait for her to wear them! I also got a chance to work out again today! That makes 3 days this week. My legs are SO sore and all I am doing is the Elliptical! I can't wait to get back in shape! I feel so much better when I work out and eat healthy. Now, I've started the working out part.... still need to work on the eating healthy part! Ugh! Why does chocolate ice cream have to taste SO good?!?
Well, it's Friday night, Mackenna's asleep, and I don't HAVE to clean bottles until tomorrow morning... so I think I'll bid you adieu and go spend some time with my hubby!
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