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.

Giggly Girl!

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!

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!

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!

My Lil' Lovebug!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Felt Like A Child Again

Do you ever do something that reminds you of your childhood, and, "BAM!" you are back in that moment, re-living the memory, and feeling like a child again? That happened to me today. Today I got a chance to watch one of my friends children. He is five years old. So fun! When he comes over, I usually like to plan a fun craft or project. He tells his mom that he likes to come over to my house because we have craft time. So, anyway, today we made Valentine's Rice Krispy Treats. Yum!

As I plopped the butter into the saucepan, I went back. I went back almost twenty years and re-lived a memory of making Rice Krispy Treats with my Aunt Denise one summer in North Dakota. I don't remember exactly how old I was and I don't remember anything else about that day, but I do remember that I thought it was such hard work to stir the rice krispies into the melted marshmallows and butter. I remember my arm felt tired. I remember marveling at my aunt's strength as she mixed in the rice krispies after I had given up.

Today there was no ache in my arm and I laughed to myself when I quickly (and quite effortlessly), mixed in the rice krispies and coated them with the Shmallow Glue (that's what Eric and I decided to name the butter and marshmallow mixture). And then I pressed them into a baking dish and that was it! So simple! Of course, we had to taste a little bit to make sure it turned out right. And then again, as the simple goodness of butter, marshmallows, and rice krispies met the tip of my tongue, my heart was full of warmth at the memory of enjoying the fruits of our labor as I munched on Rice Krispy Treats with my aunt and my little cousins.

I love my family and I love memories. I am so thankful that God created our minds to be able to vividly remember moments that were so dear to our hearts and that we can go back to those times and feel those emotions as if it were happening all over again. I am blessed to have such an amazing family! And I am blessed to have so many heart warming memories of the time we spend together.