The Adventures of Barbie Dolls and Super Heroes: May 2009

Friday, May 15, 2009

Uncle Matt's 18th Birthday

Uncle Matt turned 18 on May 8th and we had the opportunity to celebrate with him. Daddy was out having a boys night, and Pawpaw was on his way back from Miami, so it was just us and Gram. Matt wanted wings so off we went. I wish I could slow down the next few weeks. I'm really not ready for him to graduate high school on the 26th, and then leave for boot camp the week after.

Slumber party! I love these 2 so much.

Mom and her boy. I think they look a lot alike.

Getting tired, waiting for the food to come.

I think I'll just eat my arm.

Hmm, celery. I don't know about this.

8 Months Old

I don't know what happened, but once Mackenzie turned 8 months old, she turned into a mobile, wants to explore everything child. She has started skootching around now and although she can get her body up onto her hands and knees, she prefers to army crawl everywhere and she's very fast! The other day, I laid her down on the floor and I went to the laundry room, as I turned to walk out, Mackenzie was looking up at me! She's still eating stage 2 foods and we've moved onto the more diverse foods such as macaroni and cheese, mixed veggies, turkey and rice, and chicken noodles-she enjoys all of them along with the basic fruit and veggies. Mommy LOVES fruit and veggies so this is a huge deal. After supper every night, Mack gets a cookie that she proceeds to smush, mush, and smear everywhere, but we love it. And she's started eating the puffed rice. We bought them about a month ago, but she wasn't ready for them yet, we gave her a few the other day and she picked them right up off of her tray and in her mouth they went. Mackenzie still has no teeth, but she can chew like she does! I love her toothless grins! We're working on getting her bottle feedings down, but it will come with time and every night when we put her to bed, she has still spits out the pacifier we give her, she hunts for her infant one, and in her mouth it goes. It cracks me up that she wants the smallest one, but it works for her. Mackenzie spent the night with Gram and Pawpaw last week while I had finals for school and when I picked her up, my mom was so excited to show me that Mackenzie now claps! My mom just started doing it and Mackenzie mocked her. Whenever you say,"Yay!" now, Mackenzie claps. She brings her right hand over to her left and only moves her right hand, but she gets so excited and it's so cute. Happy 8 month birthday, baby girl.

Yay!

Look at the rolls on her arms! I think the doctor will be pleasantly surprised by her weight gain.

We love her big, beautiful eyes. I can stare at her all day long.

Funny Girl

I walked into Mackenzie's room to get her after she woke up from her nap and this is how I found her.

Peek-A-Boo

I promise Mackenzie's not stuck in her crib or pack n play all day everyday. The dogs are really good about leaving her alone and realizing where she is and isn't, but just to be safe, we've been letting Mackenzie drink her bottles in her pack n play. While I was getting her bottle ready, she was telling me that I was taking too long.

Hee, hee her nose is smushed against the mesh.

Starting to pull up on everything. She can actually lift her legs up which winds up looking like some yoga move.

I'm ready for my bottle!

Taste of Marietta and Baby Pool Fun

After all the rainy, cold weather we had in March, we were excited to get out at the end of April for the Taste of Marietta. Unfortunately, so was the rest of metro Atlanta considering how crowded it was. Mommy ran over multiple feet with the stroller, and man o man it was very hot. Mommy, Daddy, Mackenzie, Aunt Carmen, Nanny, and Papa all enjoyed sampling food from various places, but the best hands down, was the italian ice that the girls got. Mackenzie even got in on the fun and enjoyed several spoonfuls.

Check out Mack's blue lips from the italian ice!

A very rare sight. Mackenzie really only likes to sleep in her crib. She's one picky sleeper, but I think she was pooped after all the people watching she did.

Sweet baby

When we got home from Taste of Marietta, daddy filled up Mack's pool so she could cool off. She was VERY uncertain at first even with the several pots of warm water we had to put in it. But after a few minutes she was really loving it.

Watching the pups begging for their help.

Oh wait, this can be fun!

Mommy thinks Mack looks just like daddy in this one.

Barely staying awake for dinner. Peas aren't her most favorite dinner, but she'll eat it.

Mackenzie's 1st Boo Boo

We have learned a very good lesson. Babies don't have wings, they have arms. As I was getting Mackenzie ready for her morning nap on April 25, 2209 she decided to dive off of her changing table. Scott was in the shower and I was right next Mackenzie and I bent down for just a second to get a shirt out of her drawer and off she went. Mackenzie loves to run her hands against the beadboard thats on her walls, well, she went to roll over onto her stomach and did it so forcefully, that as she rolled she threw her body at the same time and went head first off the end of her dresser which holds her changing pad. I looked up to see her on the floor face up with a very red face. We have her CD player on the floor next to her dresser and as she fell, she hit the player and the CD's. Her poor little face hit the CD cases and she wound up with a scratch from the cases. She of course was screaming like I've never heard her scream before and Scott dashed out of the shower. Without even thinking I jerked her up by her arm and grabbed her tight. We sat on the couch and checked over every.single.inch.of.her.body. There were no bumps, goose eggs, knots, or bruises. There was blood on her face and her cheek was starting to swell. Well, with it being 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning, we had to decide if the hospital was the way to go. Mackenzie cried for about ten minutes only to fall asleep on my chest (remember it was her nap time), but we only let her sleep for 15 minutes. Scott and I decided that if her cheek swelled anymore and started to interfere with her eye, we would take her to the emergency room. After a million kisses, plenty of neosporin, a cold rag (that Mack hated), she was acting like her normal self. I felt like the worst mommy ever. I was right there. And of course all of the shoulda coulda woulda's along with the what if's ran through my head all day. I just felt awful. We did have a lady at Wal-Mart ask us if the red spot was Mack's birthmark, the nerve of some people. I just don't get it. Anyway, here are the day by day pictures of Mack's boo boo.

30 minutes after the fall. How sad is that face?

The same night oozy, goozy red mark

Day 2

Day 3, scabbed over, no more red bruise

Day 4-just a little scab left and one happy baby

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Uncle Matt's Prom and Change of Command

My brother attended his one and only prom on April 18, 2009. He went with a group of his friends and had a fun time. Unfortunately, he had a crappy girlfriend that broke up with him the day after prom, so it appears that she used him for a date, but oh well, he still had a good time.

Matt and Savannah. I will give it to her, her dress was beautiful!

Who Uncle Matt should have taken to prom, Mackenzie wouldn't have treated him like his date did.

I was a little giddy that day. It seems yesterday I went to our senior prom! How has it already been 9 years?!

My brother has never been one to play sports. I on the other did anything I could to play, play, play. In high school I wanted to do lots of sports, but settled for soccer. Matt on the other hand never played anything and when our mom signed him up for t-ball when he was 5, he went to one practice and told everyone that he was never going back. He hated sports that much. Now he does like to play around for fun, but he's not one to be competitive-in a sports sense. This all leads into how proud I am of my not so little brother. Lets face it, from what I can remember, it wasn't "cool" to be in my high school's ROTC program and it was always in the shadows of sports. And forget about my high school's riffle team. First of all, the shooting room was in the basement of the cafeteria and secondly, riffle team? Come on. Well, shame on me for ever thinking the way I did. My brother is not only in his high school's ROTC program, he is the leader of the entire ROTC program, and he has been on the school's riffle team for 4 years. My brother was just awarded a plaque from the local rotary club for most improved shooter for the 2008-2009 school year. Because he has been in his ROTC program, he signed into the Marines last June at the age of 17 (and our mother's consent) with their early entry program. He has trained for the past year and as of June 1, 2009 he will become a Marine recruit at Parris Island, South Carolina. No, I'm not prepared for this and I'm already having anxiety issues. Matt, on the other hand, is and has been prepared to leave for some time now. He knows exactly what he's getting himself into and I can't be more proud, scared, nervous, fearful, overjoyed, honored, and excited for him. This is EXACTLY what he wants to be doing. We won't get to see/talk/hear from him for about 6 weeks, but I've already promised to write him regularly and pray, pray, pray for him. He can do this.

On April 23, 2009, we went to North Forsyth High School for the last time. It was the ROTC's Change of Command and Matthew led the entire program.

It couldn't have been a more perfect night...until the storm rolled in, but it made for a beautiful sunset.

One proud mom and her baby boy

Matt and his recruiter. When I met his recruiter for the first time, his only question for me was, "How have you put up with him for all these years?" My brother has quiet the attitude, but the most gentle, kindest heart.

Marines are so serious. Well, Scott, my mom, and I got my brother to crack a smile by making faces at him.

Walking across the field for the last time to start the Change of Command program.

Uncle Matt and his half pint side kick.

My best friend

For The Love of The Pacifier

I just had to post this picture of Mackenzie! She doesn't use her paci at home except at nap and bed times. But when we're out and about, it's her security blanket. Well, instead of her just going to bed with one paci, she goes to bed with multiple ones. This is because when she went to bed with just one, once she spit it out, she couldn't find it, so if there's more than one in there all she has to do is reach for one. Can you find the hidden paci?