All in a day's work- A day in the life of Mackenzie.

I belong to an online group of fellow moms. It's a really neat , colorful and diverse group of women with only one thing ( for certain) in common: we have a " Marchie" , or baby born in March of 2008. Even through the Internet, we've gotten to know each other and have formed friendships ( there even a few March Mama's here in Michigan and we plan to meet this spring). One of them had a fun idea to post photos of our daily routines . Mackenzie and I had no where to go today so I thought I'd share our day with you!

7:50 a.m.
Rise and Shine!
I wish I was one of those moms who springs out of bed hours before her children to prepare for the day and enjoy the peace and quiet of morning. I am not. I am a mom who stays up way too late at night getting things done. It's Mackenzie's cheerful peeps and chatters that are my alarm clock.

Every day Mackenzie marvels at the beauty of the light fixture and "ooohhh"'s and " awww"s' her way through the first diaper change of the day. We head to the kitchen to make breakfast. Mackenzie greets each of the cats and calls for daddy on her way.

She's learning to drink with out the sippy spout. She does pretty well but things can get pretty messy pretty quickly!

She is such a happy girl and is all smiles as she eats her Cheerio-s!
After breakfast and our "wipe down", it's time to get dressed! Mackenzie seizes the opportunity to find out what treasures lurk at the bottom of her closet!
She's ever so helpful with getting dressed:

Next, it's time to get rid of any signs of bed head ( or, in some cases, make it worse)
as we sing a few songs ( Mackenzie's favorite is " Three little monkey's swingin' in a tree")
She's all set for the day!

Before we go, we have to turn " Osssssh" the light:
One more thing before we can play: we've got to take care of those pearly whites!



Now that all that business is taken care of, it's time to play! Hmm..what will she do first? How about catching up on some reading?

Now the toys are beckoning.

And so is the changing table....
" Looks like mom needs my help!"



It's 9:30 am and it's time to share a well deserved snack! Yogurt is one of our favs.

Or maybe peanut butter crackers:

Let's see what's going on in the neighborhood

" Hi Shyd!"= " Hi Syd!"

Opps! Someone got distracted while drinking from a big girl glass.

So it's time for an outfit change.
and a sippy cup with a top on it!
There's just one more "hug" for Syd before lunch time.

11:30-It's lunch time and Mackenzie's worked up quite an appetite . Grilled ham and cheese , corn and milk will fill her right up!


Nap time is calling but before bed, Mackenzie has to say good night to her friends.


It's 12 pm and time for a much needed nap! As I was cleaning up from the morning's festivities, I was a little troubled when I found Mackenzie's " Little People Mom". I hope she wasn't sending me a warning....

It's 2 pm and 'Kenzie's ready to go again!

After yet another diaper change, it's time for a quick snack.( she had no clue I put the sticker on her head)

It doesn't take long before Mackenzie is back on the go. Now she's helping clean out the fridge.

Mackenzie LOVES to play in her room. It's completely baby proofed and she will play and talk to herself for 20 or 30 minutes at times! It's fun to creep in and listen to her babbling to herself. Apparently, some books are best read upside down.


4:00 pm We saw the sunshine and decided to go for a long walk.

Blowing " bubs" ( bubbles) is one of Mackenzie's favorite things to do/eat.

5 pm: After our walk, it's time to head up stairs to check on dinner!

Daddy's awake and got to play while Mommy finished cooking dinner.

5:30pm Yummy! Chicken and white bean soup!

It's 6 pm and time for a bath!Mackenzie is like a little fish in the tub.

Mackenzie loves to cuddle up in the lady bug towel Grandma Mary made for her birthday.
6:30 Daddy has to leave for work soon.



He gets sent off with a hug and a kiss.

And Mackenzie always watches him go from the window.



Just a few more minutes before it's time for bed!



6:45 It's back to those " teech" again...



With a warm blanket to snuggle with and a big kiss from mom, it's off to dream land for Mackenzie.


When morning comes, she'll be up and ready to do it all again!

One for the money!

I knew things would get pretty busy but I didn't know it would take me so long to get my act together enough to update our family blog! I know you're all probably waiting on the edge of your seats wondering what we've been up to. Well , wait no more...Here's what's going on!

Mom flew in on Monday, March 3rd. I went to pick her up alone since Mackenzie was taking a much needed nap when it was time to leave. It was really nice to have the car ride to chat and catch up.

Mackenzie and Grandma playing


Mom was very excited to see Mackenzie since she hadn't seen her for 6 months! The two of them hit it off ( again) and I'm sure Mackenzie's little brain couldn't fathom how blessed she is to have two grandma's who simply adore her!


While Mom was here, we made the long journey to Ludington to visit Grandma Taylor. She was a great host and we all had fun....well, except Miss Priss, her three legged , blind cat. She stayed hidden until Mackenzie and I left on Wednesday morning.

Mackenzie, Great Grandma and Miss Priss. Kenzie is more interested in the zipper.



Mackenzie's birthday party was so much fun! She was surrounded by people who love her and everyone had a good time. Here are a few highlights of the birthday madness!


Mackenzie's opening an early birthday present from Leif and Marie!

Cookies for breakfast?? It MUST be my birthday!

Mackenzie's birthday cake made by Grandma Mary

Taking a taste! The cake ended up a big crumbly mess and she later
threw up from eating three peppermint patties! hehe

Sunday was Baptism day. Mackenzie was a little fussy that morning and we worried how she'd get baptized when she wouldn't allow herself to be pried from my shoulder. Once we got to the church, the social butterfly in her woke up and she did very well! Faith in God is the most important thing in my life so seeing Mackenzie baptized and seeing our friends and family vow to support her spiritually was a precious thing for me.

Will, Olivia, Mike, Mack, Missy, Grandma, Erin, Mom
Will and Erin are Mackenzie's godparents.

Afterwords, Grandma Mary treated the whole gang to a yummy brunch at Tanglewood. With full bellies , we headed to our " homes" for much needed rest after a busy week!


Mom left on Monday and life was back to " normal". Admittedly, it was a pretty big let down and it took us all a few days to get back in the groove of life again. Mackenzie had her One year well child exam on Tuesday, the 9th. She weighed 20 # 9 ounces and was almost 31 inches long! She got four shots, which she handled pretty well!

Since then, Mackenzie has been working more and more towards walking. I thought for sure she'd be a season walker, but she just hasn't really found a need to this walking business. The last few weeks, though, she's done a lot more standing on her own and has even taken a few steps here and there. I imagine that it won't be long before I'll be wondering why on earth I wanted a walker!

Mackenzie is working on 6 new teeth! We were pretty sure this would happen since , up to this point, she's only got two! She's been a bit fussy as those teeth push down and start to break through but on the whole, she's still pretty happy. We get to see our friends and family very frequently and are anxiously awaiting spring time!




Mike traded in his 20's for 30's on March 23rd. The event wasn't as earth shattering as anticipated and he realizes that 30 feels a lot like 29! He is on the hunt for a new job. He interviewed with a family practice and will soon have an interview for a research coordinator position at St. Joe's ER in Ann Arbor. Of the two jobs, we are praying that the second one would be a good fit. Looking at it on paper, there couldn't be a more perfect job for Mike. We'll keep you posted....
Mackenzie " helping" daddy fix my mom's luggage

I am still working out at the gym 6 times a week. I've lost 40 lbs and am excited to reach my "healthy" weight which is still about 25 lbs away. Then Mike and I will talk about making Mackenzie a big sister!

We were excited to hear that our family gained an 8 # 3 ounces bundle of cuteness this week, as Chloe Copenen busted into the world two weeks early!( sorry, Marie, if it's too soon to use the word " busted" although I am sure it's a pretty fair description) It's funny to be a parent and see a new baby enter the world. As we watch Mackenzie toddle around the house, we know the love, joy, worry and laughter that goes into that first year and we know that there is really nothing better! Congrats to Leif and Marie and Grandma Meg,too!

Here are a few " left overs":
Pig tails..Kinda! They looked so pretty starting out...

And this is how it looked when we took them out at the end of the day!

I think that's it for now. I've got some more pictures to down load and will report back after Mike's interview! We love and miss you all......

What I've learned..a month by month review of year one

February 2008:

Due date month...or so we thought. In February, we learned that due dates are just an " estimation". February 27th came and went fairly uneventfully, not a contraction to be felt.



March 2008:

We took the attitude that " if she won't come out on her own, we'll go in and GET her!"...or so we thought! On March 1st we were admitted to the University of Michigan floor of Obstetrics and Gynecology to be induced. On March 3rd we left the hospital empty handed and still " full bellied" worrying about the character and temperament of the baby I had lugged around for the last 41 weeks.


March 5...with no proof that our baby had any plans of coming out, we made an essential pre-dinner chocolate run. We were rounding the aisle, headed for those beloved Cadbury eggs when I felt a tiny trickle. Oh, great. Not only was I enormous, but now I was a pants-pee-r!Aye! But soon after that came another trickle...and two more, right there at the grocery store! Make that TWO bags of eggs. FAST.
When we got home and called the hospital, the OB nurses said that my water had most likely broken but I was OK to wait things out at home until labor was too painful to stand.


March 6th ...early. So early that I couldn't even grasp the fact that I was in labor. LABOR! ....But it's only 1:20 am. Those contractions were mild and I went back to sleep . By 3:30, I couldn't ignore them any longer. I rolled over and began timing them. 3: 40......3:50......4:00..... Every ten minutes...4:20....but soon were gaining in intensity, coming faster and lasting long JUST like that annoyingly cheerful labor coach said they would! 5:30....5:35.....5:39....Four MINUTES...5: 43. By now, Mike was awake and brushing his teeth. I was trying to reach around my enormous belly between contractions to tie my shoes. By 6 a.m, we had called the nurses to tell them we were coming. I could have probably lasted a little longer at home but I , the ever practical one, didn't want to run into morning traffic around campus. We checked into the hospital at 6:20 am . I could hardly believe the nurse when she told me I was only three centimeters dilated.

We waiting for a long time...4, 5, 6 centimeters...only 6? By 7 centimeters I was tired and the "fun" of labor had worn off. " Epidural please"? It was 1:30 am. Holly, my favorite nurse midwife, was standing at my feet. " Missy, I can give you one more hour to try to have a natural delivery. But her heart rate is showing distress and you've got a low grade fever. A c-section might be best". Mike and I looked at each other, a look of agreement exchanged, " Ok. Let's go for it". Like the flip of a switch, the room was full of people with O2 masks and something I needed to drink, something to sign, you know " Just in case" ..oh that can't be good.

By 3:07 Mackenzie made her presence known with the loud , raspy cry of a freshly removed human child. She was a " big girl" they said- 8lbs 6 ounces. The hospital room was ours for another two days. Two days that wore on..and on. Finally, on March 9th, we got to go home...As we waddled to our car, pink newborn in hand, we couldn't remember why we were so excited about going home.
In March we learned the value of a good nights rest!





By April, we were feeling like " seasoned" parents. We'd been pooped on, peed on, barfed on...what else was there, dare we ask? Annie came to visit. We took daily walks and spent the days " figuring each other out". We guessed we must have been doing a passable job, since we were being rewarded with the sweetest smiles! Mackenzie still woke up three times a night to eat and in April, I learned that the Ann Arbor train came through town every morning at 4:20 am.



May...The return of nice weather! We took daily trips to the nature reserve that was just behind our apartment complex. There we could watch new ducklings toddle their way to the water side. Mackenzie was starting to stay awake for longer periods of time and her personality was showing through her perpetual sleepiness. She was a crowd pleaser- always looking for a smile! And in May, we learned the importance of fresh air and experiencing nature!

June brought those warm summer days. We loved our daily walks even more! Mackenzie would sleep through most of the trail, leaving me a chance to chat with my mom or friends. I was feeling comfortable in my role as a mom! Mike was working long hours but, thankfully, he was able to spends three or so days a week at home. He was feeling antsy in our little apartment. On a whim, he began looking at houses.



July and it's humidity ruined our days of " pleasurable " walks. Mackenzie still liked to get out so we'd wait until the day cooled into evening and headed for our trail. Mackenzie was able to sit up on her own now and had mastered rolling over. Even better, she was sleeping through the nights- 12 hours straight! Her " clown" personality was hard to miss now.

Mike contacted our Realtor about a cute little place in South Lyon that was " just our style". Before the end of the day on July 4th, we had a closing date for our new OWNED home! In July, we learned that persistence pays off.


August...oh August with it's wilting heat. We found ourselves with out AC for a few days . Mackenzie takes after her mommy and turns into a total grouch in the discomfort of heat. But the hope of a new Michigan football season kept us going during those dog days of summer! Even if the hope was later drenched in the disbelief of a horrible , horrible season.




We closed on our house on August 14th and by the first of Sept. ( with the help of MANY ) we were settled in. In August, we learned that the love our daughter has for our cats does not match the disdain our cats have for our daughter.

September flew by as we looked to October and all it's excitement( we were driving cross country to visit my family in Colorado!). Cass came for a visit and we continued to find our way in our new house.


October finally arrived and we were on the road! The destination was 10487 WCR 39 and I couldn't be more excited to get there. Mackenzie did famously over the miles, only crying when she needed a new diaper or to stretch her legs. We were able to push ourselves and made the trip in one day!



After two whole weeks soaking up time with our family in Colorado, we headed back home. Mackenzie's first Halloween was a WARM one and we enjoyed handing out candy to the neighbor kids at Grandma Mary's. In October we learned that distance isn't such a big deal between families!

November? Already? We weren't sure where the time was going but we were glad it was bringing yummy food to us! Thanksgiving morning was spent putting up our Christmas tree ( fake, of course) and later that day, Mackenzie got to try lots of yummy food at Aunt Meg's. In November we learned that an 8 month old can pack away unexplainable amounts of turkey and potatoes if left to her own devices.


December...There's something very magical about the Christmas season when you've got a little one to share it with! We started lots of new traditions this year and am looking forward to the years to come when Mackenzie will understand the season and what it means to us. Oh, and it will be fun when the contents of the box is more exciting than the box itself! This December we learned that God's best blessings don't come wrapped under a tree but in the family around that tree.




January , with it's new beginning, was a little sad for me. 2008 was so great that I can hardly imagine a better year. Mackenzie had lots of changes in January. She drank her last bottle and was weaned from her night time bottle all at the same time! She loves her sippy cup , especially those with handles ( better to fling at you, my dear).The development that we've noticed in the last few months is astounding. Seeing her memory improve and being able to answer our questions is just mind boggling. She also placed her first crank call. Sorry, Annie! In January we learned to use the key lock on our cell phones.

And now February again....my little valentine is nearly a year old and it won't be long before she's walking. No longer a baby, but a little girl, she's picking up the mannerisms of those around her. Every day is something new. Today she found the keys to the entertainment center and tried to unlock it herself...I think we're all in trouble. In February, I am learning to never let the chance to cuddle crawl past you...snatch her up and enjoy it. Because before long, that little chance will be running , too busy to stop.

That's our year in a nutshell. I know I've left out so many things....the wonderful joy I have in watching my little family grow is a blessing that I can never explain. And while 2008 was AWESOME, we're set to make 2009 even better...Because this time next year, I'll have a two year old at my side wanting to play dolls and build a snow man. Imagine that!

Another week down...

Mike's not the only one with a goatee in our house


So I just checked a few more days off the calendar and here we are in mid. February. I can almost hear the rhythmic tick-tocking of life's clock in my head...or maybe that's the actual clock that's hanging just above me on the wall? None-the-less, another weeks has passed! What's been going on you ask? Or maybe you're wondering if there is any amount of excitement that could top the " diaperless day" of last week? It's gonna be tough..but here's what's new:

She's such a ham!


Mackenzie and I ended up "sick". She woke up a few hours after going to bed . This is very unusual for her because she's an excellent sleeper so I knew we were in for a rough night. She " slept" with us which means none of us truly slept. The next day I was coughing and she was just fine--teething strikes again. Since then she's been fine but has a runny nose. I can see the pointy beginnings of new teeth forcing their way through the top gums.

Mike had quite a few days off in a row ( one was courtesy of "pto" since he had to take care of his " sicky sicks"). We got quite a lot done in preparation for Mackenzie's birthday party and my mom's visit. We've still got a few things to do but are nearly " ready".

I've kept up my pace at the gym, going 6 days a week for an hour and a half at a stretch. I am determined to meet my goal and I won't stop until I do. When I started back at the gym, it was with one goal in mind: be healthy for my next pregnancy. While this is STILL the goal, I am LOVING my progress and am thinking maybe I want to enjoy it a while longer before I take up the " freshly swallowed watermelon" look (also known as pregnancy) again. Anywhoo, I'm down 36 pounds and feeling great!

I enjoyed a "girls night out" with my good friend, Erin. We didn't really know what to do without tiny hands pulling us in opposite directions. We finally remembered what it was like to be Missy and Erin and banned any mention of the words diapers, sippy cups, and Fisher Price( to name a few) and quickly moved onto bras, periods and men...it was great to get out for a "mommy playdate" and we plan on doing this once a month!



We actually got out of the teens this week and today it was 58 degrees! We took advantage of the "warm" weather and took Mackenzie to the park. We have a hiking backpack that Mackenzie LOVES because it gives her a great view. She will ride in that with no complaints. We had a blast and it makes me even more excited for the fun we'll have this summer when she's walking/running and we can enjoy the park even more! It's great having such a great park so close to our home.

The beloved hiking backpack!



Some of us only have kids as an excuse to play on playground equipment




Mike's car "bit the dust" and is in the shop. It's gonna cost a pretty penny...$1025! And that's just Mike's car to say nothing of the repairs mine needs. But I am willing to pay such a price to know that we are all in safely maintained vehicles.

Mackenzie's new favorite thing is to say " Cheeeeee" when she sees the camera. This makes picture taking so much easier! So these cheesey smiles replace the " paparazzi "finger point that have graces many a picture before .

"Cheeeeee"

We had a few play dates this week . It's so much fun to see Mack interacting with other kids. She really loves them. She ranks them right up there with cats and I'm constantly reminding her to be " gentle" to both.
Mackenzie and Alex...he's 4 months younger than her and nearly outweighs her!


So that's all the excitement I have to share. If you've made it this far, you're a real trooper! Maybe something truly exciting will happen next week?!