Mackenzie's 1st Tooth!

While we were in New York, Mackenzie cut her first tooth! For several weeks leading up to the tooth coming through, her bottom two front teeth have been sitting right below her gum line, but nothing. Daddy called it and said it would likely happen while we were away from him and I'm sad he wasn't there to feel it like everyone else could, but now he can watch it pop up for days to come. For several weeks now, her bottom two front teeth have been sitting right below her gum line, but nothing. On Friday night, August 7th, there was nothing there, just smooth gums, but sometime over night or early morning Saturday it broke through her bottom gums. You NEVER would have known she was cutting a tooth based on her behavior. Mackenzie had absolutely no symptoms and handled it like a champ. We think she's discovered that there is something in her mouth besides her tongue now. She loves to chomp down on the spoon whenever we feed her and she's been rubbing her her bottom lip across her one lonely tooth. The pictures are very blurry and you can hardly see the tooth, but I promise it's there!

It's her bottom left front tooth that came through.

Family Reunion 2009

Driving from Georgia to New York twice in less than 2 months (with an infant no less) is not ideal, but it is when you have to attend a funeral on the first trip, and you get to attend a family reunion on the second. My most wonderful great aunt and uncle host an annual family reunion at their home in New Jersey every summer. This was the first year that I was able to attend and I got to bring Mackenzie! My second cousin had a little girl on the same exact day that I had Mackenzie. She wasn't due for another month, but sweet Emma had other plans. Emma's mommy is older than me, but her name is Kelly Jo so growing up, we were always called each others name-so the idea that both Kelly's had little girls on the same day is so funny to all of us. I was able to keep the whole trip a huge surprise and will never, ever forget the sound and look my great aunt made when I walked out of the shadow of my aunt with Mackenzie in my arms. My great Aunt Rita and Uncle Bill are very special people. They don't judge others, welcome anyone into their home, and have hearts of saints. Aunt Rita and Uncle Bill both watch Emma while her mommy and daddy are working during the week and Aunt Rita has said numerous times that they wouldn't trade that for the world. It makes me sad that they live so far away-I would love for Mackenzie to grow up with Emma and get to visit with the family more. Aunt Rita and Uncle Bill lost their only son over ten years ago due to complications of epilepsy and we know Billy was partying with us on Saturday.

When we first arrived. Mackenzie was a little intimidated with all the people.
My sweet Pop Pop with his first great grandchild.
Hula Babies!
Look Emma! The gate's open, if we act fast, we can get out of here! But Mack, how are we going to move with these skirts on?!
Great Uncle Bill playing with his great, great niece and grand daughter.
Hey, let's play ball!
Oh, how I love my great Aunt Rita! She was literally nibbling on Mack, she loved her so much!
The Kelly's with their girls!
Pop loves kids and he loved holding Mackenzie.
Look, look!
Peek a boo twins! It's hard to see it in the pictures, but in real life, these two really do look a lot alike.

August 8, 2009

Upstate New York

My aunt and her boyfriend bought a house in the mountains of upstate New York several years ago. They're on 8 acres of land on the top of a mountain where they back up to a ski slope and they also have 2 horses-Scoobie and Daphne. We went up late Friday night and spent the night because the drive from there to NJ where the family reunion was, was only a short drive. It was so beautiful up there! It reminded me a lot of the North Georgia mountains-which is pretty close to what I think Heaven looks like. I really wish we could have spent a few days up there, but a night will do. Let me just tell you about the weather we had-I had to sleep with sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt under flannel sheets and Mackenzie had feety jammies-and that was with no air conditioning! It was in the low 50's when we went to bed-so refreshing! We woke up and ate a yummy pancake breakfast and enjoyed visiting with the horses. Mackenzie kept barking at them-it was too cute!

Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while Mommy was getting ready.
Such a happy girl-I think she really enjoyed the cool weather.
Mackenzie kept pointing at the horses from the house and when we took her down to see them, she freaked out!
Trying to show Mackenzie that the horses were nice.
Holding on for dear life.
My aunt's cat had kittens and we showed one to Mack, she was so gentle to him.
Passed out from all the morning fun. I could watch her sleep all day long.

August 8, 2009

Cookies and Cousins

We finally ended our extremely busy, super fun day at GG and Pop Pop's. They currently live with my aunt and uncle in the basement, but they luckily have their own door leading outside, a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room, so it's not too shabby! Once we surprised my Grandma ( she had absolutely no idea we were in town) we visited with more family and cousins! After Mackenzie ate her supper, I gave her a chocolate chip cookie and goodness, she was in heaven! She kept looking at me as if she was trying to decide if it was a good or bad thing she had such a yummy cookie!

For the love of chocolate chip cookies! This was a very special treat. Mommy forgot her animal crackers and we had to make due with these, but I don't think Mackenzie minded!
Sal, Keith, Lannie, and Mackenzie
Sal, and Mackenzie
Mackenzie and Lannie Lu
All the kids wanted to do, was hold Mackenzie because she was a "baby". I had to keep reminding them that she was in fact a real person and that they had to let her do what she wanted to. But in the end, we all had a lot of fun!
I had to include this one. After Mackenzie ate, all my older cousins wanted to go out to eat, and since, well Daddy wasn't there, Mack tagged along. She finally passed out in my cousin's finance' Sal's arms. Poor tired baby. Luckily, Sal is pretty much a baby whisperer so she was perfectly content.

August 7, 2009

Holtsville Park and Zoo

Two of my aunts live within walking distance of a really fun park and zoo. It's sounds dirty, but it's all built around an old landfill that's no longer in use. No worries though, you can't smell the trash anymore, just the stinky animals! This is just another place that I grew up going to. After we got home from "down Port" we took a stroll over there. It was neat to see some of the same animals still alive from when I was a child such as the bald eagles and llamas. Mackenzie was able to get a quick nap in before we left and she really enjoyed the swings-as always. She was talking up a storm to our cousin, Jordan who was so nice to push her.

Peek A Boo!
Telling us all about how much fun she's having.
Good grief, I love this baby girl!
I wasn't even trying to do it, but I love that I was able to capture Mack's shadow in this picture.
Mommy's saving grace! It was so much fun visiting, but it was hard without Daddy! Even though no one can fill his shoes, it was so nice to have someone who enjoyed playing with and caring for Mackenzie. Thanks, Jordan!
Look at how relaxed she is! Just hanging out pointing at all the animals.

Seconds after we took this picture, the mountain lion that was in front of us, caught and ate a crow! It was so gross, the bird was flapping his wings while in the lion's mouth...yuck!

August 7, 2009

Port Jefferson, New York

For the first 8 years of my life, I lived within minutes to several types of water. We had the south beaches, north shore beaches, and my most favorite-The Port Jefferson Harbor. I have very vivid memories as a child going "down Port" to watch the boats come and go, walk the docks, eating ice cream while watching the ducks and playing at Rocket Ship Park. A few years ago, when I last visited Port Jefferson, it was a complete dump-I was heartbroken. Well, it's so pretty now! They've done an excellent job of cleaning up the port area and even unearthed boat rails. I was so excited to show Mackenzie where her Mommy used to go as a child.

The Ferry! As a child, I absolutely LOVED when the ferry was coming or going. It was blow it's loud horn and I would watch the front door open or close. We got to watch the ferry come in this time. It takes several trips a day across the sound to Connecticut. It takes about an hour to make it across.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect.
Well-Worn Ways

The sun was so bright, but Mackenzie didn't care.
Mommy and Mack, with mommy's cousins-Jordan and Jarrett
All of us with Thomas Jefferson in Port Jefferson!

Look past the small island and see the land in the far distance? That's Connecticut.

August 7, 2009

11 Months Old

In one very short month, Mackenzie will be a year old! Where,oh, where has the time gone? I remember thinking this time last year about how nervous I was about everything baby, labor, delivery, life after Mackenzie...It was and continues to be a learning experience. I wouldn't trade one single second of my life with our happy little family. Ok, enough of the sappy stuff! Some fun facts about Mackenzie at 11 months old:

*is saying, "dada" regularly and says, "momma" when she's tired, hungry, or just plain unhappy.
*dances when she hears any type of music. she bobs up and down when music is playing.
*just started pointing with her index finger and babbling about whatever she's pointing at. And has also started pointing and saying, "uck, uck!" We think she's trying to say, "look, look!"
*when she gets excited, she flails her arms all over the place and when you say, "yay!" she says it back. So cute! This mostly happens at supper time, go figure!
*climbing on everything, everywhere! Mack's always in constant motion. She can't climb onto the couch or chairs yet, but she already knows how to get herself back down.
*finally moved into a big girl car seat! Although, she still fits in her infant one so we switch back and forth between the 2.
*her hair is growing a lot lately! She has a little curl that pops up when she's sweaty or her hair is wet.
*sleeps from 9 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. naps from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. and then from 5:00 p.m.-6:15 p.m.
*walks with the help of someone holding either one or two of her hands.


So silly!
My pretty baby girl.
So happy!
This is my serious look.
August 4, 2009

Hanging With Mr. Cooper

I have quickly found that one of the most special things about having a best friend, is when you have children with that best friend. I can only hope and pray that Cooper and Mackenzie will be best friends just like their mommies. Believe it or not, Cooper is just 8 short weeks younger than Mackenzie. Mommy and Mackenzie got to visit with Carmen and Cooper and see their new house, which by the way, is absolutely adorable and perfect for them. We spent the evening watching these two hams play and interact with each other and it was so much fun. They shared sippy cups and played so well with each other.

Um, mommy, I'm not so sure about this!
Come on, Cooper, follow me!
My puppies sit at my highchair, so I can sit at yours and beg for food?
Mommy and sweet Super Cooper!

July 28, 2009

Mack's New Toy

Mackenzie loves to pull herself up on anything. She's so soft about falling back down too! She just bends those squishy legs of hers and falls on her padded tushy. We've noticed lately too, that she likes to push various items around the house such as daddy's lunch box, the laundry basket, and the dog bowls. Even though all these things seem like fun to her, we thought we would get a push behind toy. Mommy and daddy looked at several different ones and were on their way to buy one, when we found one at a yard sale for super cheap! After a quick clean up, and some new batteries Mackenzie was playing with her "new" toy!

So excited to be pushing new school bus
The bus got ahead of her and she fell on her knees. Not sure if it hurt or not, but was thinking about crying.
Now, how do you get on the seat?
Dancing with the music.
Checking out all the bells and whistles.
There's some buttons on the dashboard that make the bus sing silly songs and the eyes on the front move back and forth.
July 27, 2009