We Have a 1 Year Old!

Yep, you read that right, McKenna is 1 year old now!! Where has this time gone? It has been a very different but blessed year! I have learned a lot about not only her but myself! I am stronger than I ever thought that I could be. I don't need as much sleep as I once thought that I did. I have more patience than I ever thought that I did. And one of the biggest things I have learned is that I am human and I make mistakes and as much as I want to be a perfect person and perfect mom I am not going to be...no matter how hard I try I am still going to mess up, I an still going to lose my temper, and, Heaven-forbid, I am going to say things that I probably should not have said or should have said in another way. None of that means that I am a bad person or a bad mom, it just means that I am human and I am still learning. Another big lesson I have learned this year is that God really is my strength and He is always there when I need Him. He may let me go through things, such as nights on just a few hours of sleep, and I may get mad at Him for "not being there" or "not listening to me" but He is alway there and He always hears me. Oh and after the fact He always shows me "See, you asked and I answered...just on my terms" and then I feel bad. haha So those are a few of the things that I have learned this past year. 

McKenna had her 12-month well baby check up on her birthday (I know, what a birthday present. Mean ol' Mommy.) and she is growing beautifully!! She weighs 19 lbs even and is 29 inches long. She had to get 3 shots, well 2 and then her flu shot, and they were supposed to take blood. I HATE when they have to take blood. She has had it happen before when she was sick and she remembers. Whoever says that babies don't remember things like that from one visit to the next is wrong! We walked into the room where they draw blood and she knew exactly what was going on and where she was. In the end they were not able to take any because she has such tiny veins that they could not get a good one and one that they thought they had McKenna tried to pull her hand away and it caused the vein to roll and they lost it. So they didn't take blood, they just used the levels from back in September when they had to take blood and the doctor said that they were fine so they would try again at her 15-month check up. 

After the doctors' appointment we came home and packed for Florida!! We were heading down there after Mark got home to have McKenna's birthday party with friends and grandparents and great-grandparents. It was such a blast!! McKenna had such a good time and let me tell you, the girl racked up!! LOL Like, I am kind of scared of Christmas because I am like "How can I compete with birthday now??" LOL We had a cupcake theme and her cake was one big cupcake. It really was such a great time! Here are a few pictures of the  birthday girl!

It's December!

My goodness it is December already!! McKenna's birthday is next week and I cannot believe it! Where has the time gone? Is my baby girl really already 1 year old?! Goodness.

Thanksgiving was great! We went to Jacksonville to spend it with mine and Mark's parents and it was so much fun and so relaxing! Seth was even there this year which made it all the better! Come Thursday night guess where we were? And by "we" I mean Mark, myself, McKenna, and my mom. TOYS R US! Yep, you got it. Toys R Us opened up at midnight and there were some things that I wanted to get McKenna from there so off we went. I was going to leave McKenna home with Daddy but she woke up right as we were leaving and was not happy; I think that she had a stomach ache. Poor thing. So she went with us and had a great time! haha I have started her early on the Black Friday tradition. haha After Toys R Us we went home and stayed there until 3am when we got back up and headed out to some other stores. We were out until...gosh...10 or so? We dropped Mark and McKenna off at home a couple hours before we finished so that they could sleep and once we got home I went in and slept as well. haha It was SO much fun!! I got everything that I wanted from Toys R Us AND we were in and out in no time it seems! That was my favorite Black Friday shoppng trip so far I do believe.

Today I had a doctors appointment to have some testing done and all that looks good! Well the blood test hasn't come back, obviously, but they did an ultrasound as well and everything looked good. There is a baby in there!! LOL The sex was not determined, the tech wouldn't even look; we were hoping. So we have to wait on that but we got to hear the heartbeat, 153bpm, and we got to see the baby which was great! What an active baby we have!! I am not sure if it is just active or the Dr Pepper I had beforehand but either way there was a lot of activity going on in there! LOL

I guess that is about it. I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!

Ciao!

"I'm trying to sleep in here!"

How awesome is that?

Believe it or not, the sex was not confirmed

I guess we were being loud? haha

Baby profile!

What a Pretty Day

Well there has not been too much going on lately. I know that it has been a while since I have updated but how do you update if you really don't have much to update about? Things are well in the Harris household. I was sick last week, I guess it was a 24 hour bug or something but it was not fun at all. I'm all better though. *smile*

McKenna is doing well. She is cutting her 2 top teeth so that is exciting. Now when she smiles you can see her bottom two teeth as well as the top two poking through just a little bit. haha It is super cute. I can't believe that her first birthday is coming up!! Oh my goodness! I am super excited about that! Anyone who ever told me anything along the lines of "Oh poor thing, she is going to hate her birthday" or "what a bad birthday that is" can shove it because her birthday is going to be WONDERFUL!

I got a new laptop, that is exciting!! My old one was dying. The wireless card had gone out so the only way that I could connect to the internet was through an external adapter. The CD drive had gone out. I am sure that there was some kind of virus or something on it even though all of the virus protection programs couldn't find anything. It ran slow. Dare I go on? So I got a new one!! Woop woop!! Very exciting!!

Well McKenna just woke up from her nap and I need to get back to some housework as well as run some errands. I hope all is well with everyone!

Ciao!!

I Love This Fall Weather!!

So things here have been very VERY busy! First off, since I have not had a chance to post lately, my daddy has 2 blood clots in his leg. What?! Yeah. I got a call one night about 2 weeks ago at about 10pm from my mom telling me that my daddy was in the hospital; he had gone in at about 8 that night because his leg had been hurting him for a few days and was now hot and swollen and only getting worse. Daddy's blood clots were not like mine, his were deep vein whereas mine was in a superficial vein. Like father like daughter, eh? So daddy was in the hospital all weekend and finally sent home with blood thinners and a shot that he had to give himself twice a day; he has since stopped the shot but still on blood thinners and if it turns out that the clotting was hereditary than he might be on them for the rest of his life. I was given the option to go on blood thinners when I had my blood clot but since mine was in a superficial vein I, along with the doctors and Mark, decided that I didn't want to take the chance on having to be on blood thinners for the rest of my life at 23 (I think I was). Anyway, Daddy is doing better and, as he put it to me today, he is doing better everyday!

On another (happier) note, my doctors appointment on the 7th went well! It wasn't just a stupid interview appointment either! Woo hoo! I hate those first interview appointments, they seem so pointless. I know that they aren't but it seems like it. Anyway, it wasn't disappointing and everything looks good!

The very next day, the 8th, the doctor had scheduled me for an ultrasound to determine my EDD. Mark and I were super excited but alas were pretty disappointed. When we got to the hospital, where we were to have the ultrasound, we had to wait for a good 45 minutes before they took me back. So we waited...finally I get called back and we go back to the room and this is where it went down hill; the tech did not tell us a thing and what she did tell us she was very vague on; except for the fact that there was no heartbeat. What?! Yeah. So all in all, I was laying on the table, not able to see the screen hardly at all, not knowing what is going on, and I am told that she couldn't really see anything and could not detect a heartbeat. She finished up said "You are 6 weeks but I think more like 5. Your due date is June 3, 2010. Everything looks good. Congratulations" and sent us on our way. I was so disappointed and worried! BUT we were leaving from there to go pick up the dogs and head down to FL for vacation so I had to be happy. It took me a few of sulking and worrying and abount in tears but then I pushed it out of the way to have a great weekend!

We drove to Jacksonville on the 8th after my appointment and stayed the night with my parents for the night, which was so nice. The last time I had seen them was August and the last time Mark had seen them was July so it had been a while. We stayed up and spent time with mom and daddy before hitting the hay, per se, and gearing up for a busy busy weekend!

The next morning, the 9th, we woke up early, ok not too Too early but early, and drove down to Kissimmee to Disney's Animal Kingdom. Neither of us had been there before so we thought that it would be fun. Well it was fun but it was not what we were expecting. We were expecting a zoo with some rides but instead we got a theme park with a few animals. The coolest animal that we saw were the bats, BIG bats. Those guys were pretty awesome! Except that they had holes in their wings so we asked about it and got an answer that we were not expecting; apparently it is mating season and they rape eachother...and like it. Did I mention that all of them are males? Yeah we weren't expecting that answer! LOL The giel kind of looked around and since there was no one around she was like "Ok I can tell you..." When things get a little "heated" during the day or when people are there they turn the sprinklers on. LOL So that was by far the coolest animal we saw but the best experience of it ALL was when McKenna saw Thumper! We were just standing there trying to figure out "what next" and out comes Thumper...the moment that McKenna saw him her face lit up and she smiled SO big! So we got in line to get our picture taken with him and when we got up there McKenna just smiled so big! She was so So excited! However, since you only get like 2 seconds to take a picture we were not able to get one with her smiling because there were so many people around and "awwing" she got distracted. SO cute though!

The next day, Saturday the 10th, we woke up and went to Sea World!! I had never been to Sea World before so I was super excited!! Mark's parents went with us and that was a great time! I don't have any pictures from there yet because my father-in-law has them and I have not gotten copies yet. I do, however, have one picture and it is one that I took right after we got into the park...McKenna passed out in her stroller. LOL She took a little nap and then was good to go! She loves seeing all the shows and animals. It was so fun to see her little face light up.

Margie and Abe left Sunday morning, the 11th, to head back to Jacksonville while Mark, McKenna, and I went to Disney's Hollywood Studios (I had never been there either). That was so cool too!! We did not get to see the Indiana Show but that was ok, next time. *smile* We ate lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive In Theatre or whatever it was called. haha Now that place was cool! It was set up just like an old drive in with the screen with the old ads and cartoons and such and cars that were the tables; we ate in the "front seat" and there was another couple in the "back seat". Very cool! The highlight of this day was when we went and saw Mickey Mouse. Oh my goodness!! McKenna was ecstatic! She was so excited to see Mickey; he even played peek-a-boo with her and she gave him a kiss on his nose and even laid her head on his. Both of those times, the kiss on the nose and her resting her head on him cause the entire line of people waiting to erupt in "Aww". It really was SO sweet!

After we finished at Hollywood Studios we headed back to Jacksonville where we hung out with my parents some more, relaxed, and rested the night before having to head back home.
Once home, the 12th, we relaxed and chilled and hung out with Eric and his friend Tyler; they stopped by for the night before heading back up to school. The next day, Tuesday the 13th, I called my doctor because I was still worried about that ultrasound and I wanted to get her take on it and see if she would do another one for me; so I called and left a message and a few hours late I got a call from the nurse saying that they got my results from the ultrasound and want me to come in on the 16th for another ultrasound to register a heartbeat. *whew* I thought that maybe I wasn't going to talk the doctor and she just had the nurse call and tell me, however, about an hour later she called me back. I talked to her about what had happened and what the tech had (or had not) said and she assured me that everything looked good and the reason that we probably didn't get a heartbeat was that it was just too early and that I would love the tech that they have there in the office. I felt MUCH better about everything after talking to the doctor.

Ok so I do believe that that brings us up to today. *whew* Ok so Mark was off today and able to go to my ultrasound with me. YAY! So we got there and, yes, I was nervous but calm and excited all at the same time. haha We waited a little bit because they were running behind but it was ALL worth it! We were able to see the baby, our little Jellybean, and the heart beating at 131 bpm. Awesome!! So now I feel that much better!! My EDD is June 5, 2010 now but McKenna decided to debut almost 2 weeks early so maybe this one will too. haha The doctor was right, I really like this tech! She made sure that I could see, pointed everything out to us, answered any and all questions, really nice!

So I think that that brings us all up to date. Oh my goodness, things have been so busy I just have not had the chance to sit down and really blog it all out. My last thought for tonight will be I LOVE THIS COLD WEATHER!!! It is finally Fall!! Woo hoo!!! And on that note, I am off to get a snack and maybe make another ghost for our front lawn. *smile*

Ciao!

P.S. I have a few pictures but they are on the other computer so I will have to post them later.

Round 2!

So a lot has gone on this past week in the Harris household...I'm pregnant again! Mark and I are very excited! I found out on Monday, September 21st and told Mark the next day (he was at work so I couldn't call or anything right then). I was going to find a cute way to tell him but when he got home he had had a stressful day at work and just needed some good news. We went on the 23rd to the doctor to get it confirmed and now are just waiting for the doctor to get back to me to let me know where and when to go for my first appointment. my estimated due date is May 30, 2010. I know some of you heard June 2, 2010 but I realized later that day that I was off on the dates that I gave the doctor, I knew something didn't sound right. So yes, May 30, 2010.

We will have to miss my cousin Bo's wedding on May 21 but I know they understand. Mark and I are also missing (once again) a cruise to Alaska in June. LOL I guess that we are just not meant to go to Alaska right now. haha

I am feeling great so far! I really had no inclination that I was pregnant, nothing made me go "hmm....I think..." The biggest "symptoms" so far are being a little extra tired in the mornings making it hard to get out of bed and getting hungry a little more often (doesn't mean that I always pig out or anything...LOL). Oh yeah and getting winded easily. Going up and down stairs...*whew*

So that is the exiting news from our household! I hope that everyone is doing great as well!

All Better

Well McKenna is doing much better. She has been well for a couple days now but I have just gotten the time to sit down and update. She never really developed a big head-to-toe rash, though, she does have some blotching and a light rash on her face and stomach; it could be a lot worse!! But she is doing so much better now and back to herself! Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Ciao!

Labor Day and On

Goodness, things have been so busy around the Harris household lately! My in-laws came into town last weekend and we crammed bunch of stuff into a short amount of time. We went into downtown Charleston and walked through the slave market and then we took a horse and carriage tour through downtown...that was a lot of fun and very informative. Then again, when is a horse and carriage ride NOT fun?? We also cleaned out our garage, you laugh but it needed to be done. It probably would have been done sooner but I wasn't about to go out there by myself with all those spiders. *shivers* Not to mention, I have been a little more "worried" about the inside of the house as opposed to the garage. Anyway, that is done and it is SO nice to actually park in the garage! And for all you inquiring minds out there, yes, we can fit both the SUV and the truck in the garage...at the same time...and have room to get in and out ourselves. haha Let's see, what else did we do? Oh! We went to the beach, I had not been there yet. It was real nice out there and as always so relaxing! We also went to Cyprus Gardens here in Moncks Corner and it is beautiful! We took a swamp tour there too and it was very interesting! Turns out, parts of the movies 'The Patriot', 'Swamp Thing', and 'The Notebook' were shot there. Very interesting! Along with cleaning out the garage, Mark and his dad edged and mowed the front and back yards. That needed to be done too. haha It was a good time.

Since then things have gone back to normal in that Mark has gone to work and McKenna and I are back to our normal routines. It's nice though. What isn't nice is that McKenna is sick. *tear* She woke up this morning and everything was fine, we ate, played, and I put her down for a nap; well when she woke up from her nap she was burning up...and I am not exaggerating, she burnt my skin. I stripped her down to her diaper thinking (and hoping) that she was just super hot from being wrapped up in her blanket while she napped. Once she didn't seem to cool down any at all I took her temperature and it was 101.7 so I called the doctor and they got her an appointment at 2pm...how about this was at like 130-140 and we live 20 minutes from base. Hence, I rushed out of the house BUT I did make it there at 2pm on the dot. They took us back and took her weight, 18lbs 8oz, and took her temperature which had jumped up to 102.3. The doctor had gone ahead and put in a prescription for some Motrin so they brought that to me and I went ahead and gave that to her. Then the doctor came in and initially made me feel horrible. Oh, let me interject that since Mark was supposed to work tonight he did not go with us to the doctor. So anyway, the doctor, her first question to me? "And what is your reasoning for not treating this fever?" To which I responded, "I was told to call the doctor first before doing anything, which I did, and they told me to come right in." "Ok so why did you not give her any Motrin or whatever it is you had? As soon as you detected the fever you should have put her in a warm back and given her whatever you had. When a fever gets this high it can cause a seizure and now she very well might have a seizure when this fever comes down." What?! Seriously?? Not about the seizure part but are you really getting onto me for doing what I was told and in such a way to say that if my daughter has a seizure now it will be my fault for not giving her Motrin 20 minutes ago? So here I am sitting there with the doctor looking at me, about in tears, trying not to cry, and praying that my daughter doesn't start seizing in my arms. Oh and did I mention that Mark was NOT there? Yeah. So after that and all of the questions, runny nose? no. Cough? No. diarrhea? No. We ruled everything out other than a fever of 102.3 so can you guess what comes next? Yep, a urinalysis and blood work. And how do we get fresh/clean urine from a baby? Yep, a catheter. AHH! By this time I had been keeping Mark up on what was going on and he decided that he was going to run into work and tell them that his daughter was sick and probably going to the hospital (at that time we didn't know what was going on and were preparing for a hospital trip) and he was going to meet us at the doctors' office. *whew* So after they took some blood and urine we just waited. Let me interject once again here that McKenna did amazing! The taking of blood was worse than the urine believe it or not but she did so great! So we waited.......urinalysis came back=negative *whew* Big sigh of relief! While we were waiting on the blood cultures to come back we went and took her temperature again and it had dropped to 100.6 so that was good! Finally blood cultures came back and everything was just fine. Another sigh of relief. At this point we have determined that it is viral and most likely Roseola so we will have 3 days of fever and then 5-10 days of rash. I can honestly say that if that is what it is I am happy with it. I know that sounds bad but it could have been so much worse! I mean when your 9 month old has an unexplained high fever and has to have blood work and a urinalysis, you tend to get a little freaked out. We have been through a bad cold before but nothing like this...until now. Keep her, us, in your prayers and I will keep you updated.

Well after a long day, McKenna is asleep and Mark and I are watch some 'Lost' before bed. Have I mentioned that 'Lost' is a great show and I don't know how I was in the dark about it for so long yet I am glad that I was because if I had to wait week to week to know what happens next I would go crazy?! haha

I hope that everyone else had a great Labor day and a wonderful week!!

Ciao!

Not Much...Ok Lots

Well not too much has gone on....oh who am I kidding? A bunch has gone on and that is why I have not updated!! First off, the last weekend of July Mark and McKenna and I went to a wedding in Arkansas. Let me tell you, that was a LONG trip! Yep, we drove. We drove down to FL to drop the dogs off at my parents and then from there we left and drove along with Mark's mom and grandparents to Arkansas. The wedding was beautiful but the drive I could have done without. It is just that it was. so. long.

After we got back from the wedding (it was just a weekend trip) we came back home and 2 weeks later McKenna and I drove back down to FL for a family reunion. Mark was supposed to go with us but he wound up having to work so he was not able to make it. McKenna and I had a great time seeing a bunch of people!! It was nice, however, to get back home. We missed Daddy. *smile*

Things have not really slowed down since then, I mean they have in the sense that we have not gone anywhere but Mark has been really busy with work and stressed with work and that just makes everything still seem to fly. I am so ready for it all to settle down. Just me. Mark. and McKenna (and Bailey and Roxie, of course). I think after this week or next it should all go back to normal. Thank goodness!! It will be so nice. BOO ON STRESS!

Ok well I don't think that is really anything more that I need to say right now and McKenna is calling me.

Ciao!

What a Day!

*whew* Oh my goodness, what a day! Mark, McKenna, and I woke up at about 830 and after taking a few minutes to wake up we loaded the dogs up and headed out the door! Bailey and Roxie had a doctors' appointment so while they were at the doctors', instead of us coming all the way back home we decided that we would go get some food, see a movie, and shop. After dropping the dogs off at the vet we went down to Kohl's and looked around; I didn't get anything that I initially wanted to shop for but we did walk out with a few things. After Kohl's we went to eat at La Hacienda, pretty good mexican food! Once we ate it was time to catch the movie, 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'. What a good movie that was!! All three of us enjoyed it! McKenna watched the first few minutes of it and then fell asleep and woke up for the last 30-45 minutes and finished watching it. This wasn't her first movie so she knows the drill. LOL

Once out of the movie it was time to go and pick up Bailey and Roxie. Bailey was good other than supposidly a little "chunky", though he weighs 103lbs and he should, according to the vet, weight 100lbs; I never knew that 3 pounds "over" made you chunky. LOL

Poor Roxie, however, was not as well. When we took her in I told the nurse, who made a note on the chart, that I was worried about Roxie's ears that they were infected and also that she had a couple of marks on her chest that were raw and I wasn't sure what they were from but I assumed that it was from a collar that was too tight; turns out I was right and both of those things were wrong, to say the least. First off, both ears were infected...one with a bacterial infection and the other with a yeast infection (poor baby!) and then the marks on her chest were infected with a bacterial infection. I feel so bad! I mean we did get her into the vet as soon as possible but still. Both dogs are home and been passed out since we got here. Poor things, it was such a rough day for them both being poked and prodded.

Well that was our day. As of now Mark and I are watching 'Lost' and once this disk is over than we will probably start....'Darby O'Gill and the Little People'. Woop woop!!

I hope that y'all had a great weekend!!

Ciao!!

7 Months Already?!

Yep, you've got it...McKenna is already 7 months old. Goodness, it seems like yesterday she wearing preemie clothes and just barely fitting into her car seat! She is doing quite well though and is a happy happy baby! She never really fusses or cries unless she is tired or hungry; even though she is teething she doesn't fuss...in fact, teething doesn't really seem to phase her. She has one tooth that is about halfway in and Mark and I thought that we saw another one starting to peek through.

As far as talking goes, she is quite a babbler. She has begun to say "Dadadadada..." and "Nanananana". That being said, the "Dada" she is putting two and two together in that if you ask where Daddy is she will look for Mark and she has turned and looked at him and gone "Dada" so does she always say it and mean it? No, but she is learning! Now as far as "nanana..." is concerned, it is not what you think. She is not saying 'grandma' or anything of the such, when she does say "nanana" it is more like the song, "na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye." Where she got the beat from I couldn't tell you, I have not heard that song in forever but that is what she said and how she says it.

McKenna and I had a rough couple of weeks a couple of weeks ago; she decided to change her bedtime routine without telling me. Her bedtime is 7-8pm and used to she would fall asleep and not wake up until about midnight to eat and then she would go right back to sleep and sleep until about 4am and then wake up to eat and wake up at 630am to come downstairs and get in bed with me where she would sleep until 9-10am. Same thing, every night, we were on the same page. Well a couple of weeks ago she turned the page and forgot to tell me. She would go to bed about 7-8pm and then wake up a couple of hours later and would not go back to sleep. I would get frustrated which made her even more frustrated, it was rough. I would wind up bringing her downstairs with me for a little bit and at about 11-1130pm she would fall back to sleep and sleep the rest of the night. What?! I know. After nights of getting so frustrated I was in tears Mark and I decided that if she woke up like that we would just bring her down stairs for a little bit instead of fighting with her...it works! She falls back asleep after not too long and we both get a full nights' sleep. It's amazing! haha It just took me a little bit to figure out what was going on. Of course now, looking back, I am like "Well duh, why didn't I see it then?" but hey I can't change the past.

Our 4th of July was nice. On the 3rd our neighbors had a cookout and since Mark had to work, McKenna and I went next door. It was a good time! McKenna was up way too late but hey, it was her first 4th! On the 4th itself Mark did not wind up having to work so we just hung out at the house and then decided that we were going to grill some steaks so we invited the neighbors over for steak. It was a good time.

We have a contract on the house. Thank God! The only good thing coming out of it though is that it is gone. We are not happy with how this whole thing has gone but it will be nice to get rid of it.

I think that those are all of the big things going on in our lives right now. Oh! One more thing, our new entertainment center..it is amazing!! Beautiful!! Since we have a huge alcove designed for a TV and all we decided that instead of just buying a cheapo entertainment center we would have one custom built and OMG it is gorgeous!!

Ok for real now.

Ciao!

The Time Has Come

Well the time has come that I am updating. I know that it has been a while but really I have not had the time and when I do have time I am not on the computer; not to mention that there has not been too much going on. Same ol' same ol', really. I have finally been to downtown Charleston and it was really nice down there, just like everyone has said.

McKenna is doing fabulous! She got shots today and did wonderfully! I think it is harder on me than on her but honestly I did good today too! haha She is eating solid foods now, well pureed of course. I make all of her food so that is fun. I know, I have gone green....what has become of me?! haha I use cloth diapers (LOVE them!) and I make my own baby food (SUPER fun!); not to mention the recycling and the energy star appliances and the organic foods and detergents and....wow I am quite green. Not that it is a bad thing but who would have guessed? haha

For real, there is not much going on. We are settled and doing great! I know that this is short but I am very tired, just didn't want to completely abandon my blog.

Ciao!

My poster child, "GO GREEN!" LOL

Back Home

So after a long trip out west Mark, McKenna, and I are FINALLY back home in Florida! *whew* Thank goodness. It was a long hard trip and I am SO glad to be back home. Again I say, thank goodness! Traveling with a baby is hard, even moreso when it is halfway across the country, so I am quite happy and content to be home...on my coast...to stay.

We are still in Florida for a few more days because the appraiser on the house was not able to get an appraisal for the simple fact that our neighborhood is a new neighborhood, we are the 3rd house in the neighborhood, and the biggest house in the neighborhood...that being said, we will hopefully close on Wednesday. I am ready to get up there and into our house. It will be so nice to have our little family back together. Don't get me wrong, it is wonderful here with my parents and having my in-laws down the street, they are terrific! but it will be so nice to get up there and get settled and back into the groove of things. It's not that I don't like company (though in this situation, I am the company in someone elses groove) but I am ready to get up there and it just be Mark and McKenna and I. Back to just us. Back to not being homeless. haha

Well that is about all that is going on. Got the trip overwith and finally back home to stay...well for a few more days and then off to South Carolina to OUR home to stay. Woop woop!!

Ciao!

Stress and Lasik

I am so ready just to get to SC. I think I mentioned in a previous post but I wish that there was a fast forward button for life so that I could fast forward to the 7th. We close on the house on this 7th and I cannot wait! I am beyond stressed right now with everything that has to be done and all of the obligations that we have to oblige and endure.

My dogs are not helping much because they figured out that the fence has a couple of loose boards and they can fit through them and get out. This morning they decided that they wanted to go on a field trip so they got out and crossed Atlantic, which is a 6 lane road by the way, and the had a run in with another dog and a lady. They were trying to get to the dog and the lady was apparently trying to get her dog away from ours and got in the middle and they knocked her down; she is ok though and her dog had two small cuts. The lady called the cops and all but didn't press charges, thank God! The daughter-in-law of the lady whose was knocked down was super nice and even was telling the officer that Bailey and Roxie were good dogs and very well trained and they listen very well...which is all true! I am sure that she calmed her mother-in-law down a lot in the whole process. I am so glad that Mark and I are good dog owners and keep Bailey and Roxie up to date with their shots and all. They are very good dogs but as I said, they are dogs and their instincts are going to take over at times. It could have been a lot worse so I thank God that He is in control and never gives us more than we can handle.

Mark had Lasik done on Friday so he isn't blind anymore! He loves it!! The procedure was Friday morning and we came straight home afterwards and he took some Tylenol PM and slept for 6-8 hours and then we went out to dinner that night! It is amazing what they can do with a laser these days! So, yeah, he is loving it! He says that it's weird sometimes cause things look different. I can't say that I understand because I haven't been there but I am so super excited for him!!

Well McKenna just woke up from a nap so I better go get her fed.

Ciao!

We Bought a House!

Well goodness, so much has gone on lately! Mark has been home for about a week now and we have been going and going ever since. The Wednesday after he got home we went up to Charleston, SC to look for a house. I don't know that we really expected to find "our" house but we hoped. We saw a bunch of very nice houses but they were just not "the one"; it wasn't "our house". Then we saw it...a BEAUTIFUL house that Mark and I just fell in love with! It was so nice!! Once we went back and starting talking to the building company and he began working with us and all, we knew that it was in fact "our" house. It is 2737 sq. ft., 5 bedrooms (well, 4 bedrooms and a bonus room that could be a bedroom if we chose), 2.5 bath...GORGEOUS! I will post some pictures of it at the end. I am SO ready to get in there and set it all up and decorate and...AAHHH!! I am SO excited!! We close on or before the 8th of May so as long as things keep going as smoothly as they have so far than in no time we will be in our new house and able to really settle down. Woo hoo!! It will be so nice to not only be in our own house but to be able to keep McKenna on a schedule and in a groove; with all of this traveling that we have to do it is terrible and I hate the fact that McKenna's schedule keeps getting all messed up...if just makes it so hard on all of us. Soon though! Soon we will not have to worry about having to travel the country pretty much with a 4 month old and just be able to settle in and down. It will be SO nice!!

Ok well that is prettymuch all that's going on, the big stuff that is, I hope that everything is going wonderfully for everyone!!

Ciao!

Our House!!

How pretty!...if I must say so myself.

The ParlorThe kitchen cabinet/wine rackThe big beautiful kitchen!!The living room looking into the kitchenMaster Bathroom w/Vanity built inMaster Bathroom w/Garden TubMaster Bathroom w/tiled stand-up showerMine and Mark's closet!!!The MASSIVE GarageIn the kitchen looking at the butler's pantry and up stairsThe LoftGuest BathroomMcKenna's bedroom with walk-in closetGuest Bedroom #1Guest Bedroom #2Bonus room or Guest Bedroom (if ever we need it) #3Behind our house is some beautiful protected wetlands.

Busy Times

It has been a while since I have updated, I know. Things have been pretty busy; it hasn't been bad though! I really do not have much to update really. McKenna and I are in Florida while Mark is deployed but other than that we really have just kept things the same. It is very nice not having to worry about homework and school and such. haha I love just being home with McKenna and playing with her and spending time with her. She is ever-changing and so amazing! Thankfully we are both completely well now so that is nice. Shortly after we got down here McKenna and I both got very sick so it was a miserable little bit there; it took us a while to get over it completely.

Our house in Virginia has not sold yet but hopefully it will soon. I have not been up to visit Charleston yet, I am waiting on Mark to get home and we are going to make it a family trip and look at houses. Our realtor in SC has sent me a bunch of home listings and there are some nice nice houses in SC!! I am very excited about finding our house and buying our house and getting settled. That is the ONLY thing that I want to do once Mark gets home. Nothing else. I am super stoked, it can't come fast enough.

My birthday was oh-so great! I woke up to 14 birthday messages on my computer, my baby sling that my Aunt made came in, I got flowers and bath oils from Mark, and McKenna and I just hung out all day. Once my parents got home I got more presents, CLOTHES!! Woo hoo!! LOL We had ribs and chicken for dinner and then I had a cookie-dough ice cream cake. It was a wonderful day!! The next day my wonderful mother-and-father-in-law took McKenna and I out to dinner at Outback; I was wanting steak...haha There were 6.25 of us there (McKenna being the .25...haha) so we had ourselves a little party! It was a good time. Our server went and got about 6 other servers and they all came and sang to me so that was fun. haha All in all I really had a wonderful birthday!! Definitely one of the best!

Well I guess I better get going. McKenna is napping right now and although we got up late, I think I am going to nap as well. We are going shopping and out to dinner with my mother-in-law tonight so I better get all rested up...haha

Ciao!

How I spent my 25th birthday

First Shots

Well we made it through McKenna's first shots. I must say that she and I both did a good job! Boy was it hard though! McKenna was not fussy or anything through the whole appointment and when it came time for shots I laid her on the table and she was laying there smiling at me and just happy as can be; then came the shots and the look that she gave me and the look in her eyes broke my heart completely! She was looking at me right in the eyes and literally went from a smile and happy eyes to a look like "Why?" My heart shattered at that look. Then to top it all off her cry changed from one of pain to one like she had just had her feelings stepped on and hurt. I did good and did not cry in the office but I will admit that I teared up afterwards. I still tear up when I think about that look that she gave me and that cry that she cried. It was gut-wrenching. At least we have another month before we have to go through this again. Since we were behind on her 2 month shots we will get back on track with her 4 month ones in April.

Everything else is going well. Our house is not sold yet but it is getting there! Mark is doing well and very ready to come home to McKenna and I. My grandparents came out to visit from Texas this past week and that was a lot of fun! They, of course, couldn't get enough of McKenna. My youngest brother, Eric, is coming home for spring break next week so that will be a blast! He is very ready to see McKenna again! These next few months are going to be so crazy with getting a house and settled and the traveling that we have to do...I am not looking forward to that. I mean, I love my family and all but traveling with a baby is rough and I am just ready to get our house and move in and have my own little family back together again. I just want to fast forward these next few months and get them overwith.

Well enough about that, no use crying over spilled milk, I guess I better go get me something to eat.

Ciao!

What a Month!!

Well McKenna and I have made it to Jacksonville, Florida. My parents drove up to Virginia and helped me finish painting the house and all that good stuff and then we began our drive down to Florida. It took us 15 hours but that is including 3 hours of sleep and feeding times for McKenna so all in all we made really good time! McKenna did SO good! I am so proud of her! She really slept like the entire time! If she wasn't sleeping she was content. The only times that she cried was when she got hungry or when she just needed to get our and stretch and those times always occurred when we needed to stop and fill up the trucks or when we stopped and slept. The time that we stopped and slept I took McKenna out and fed her and then laid her on my chest (I was stretched across the front seat of the truck) and we both slept. She was amazing!

We got here in Sunday and were all worn out so we pretty much slept all day! Not too much has really gone on this week. After all of the craziness of getting the house ready to sell and getting ready for deployment and all it has been so nice to just not have anything to do. After this weekend I suppose I will stop being so lazy. haha I don't really have too much to relay but I wanted to update and post some pictures of our house. I don't have any picture of it with carpet but I hope that my realor will take some and send them to me. I am just curious to see what the new carpet looks like in the house! It was so weird having all of our stuff out of the house and yet still living there. Everything was pretty much gone except for some plastic tubs with clothes and stuff that needed to be kept out of storage and McKenna's stuff; Mark and I slept on a matress on the floor. Speaking of the floor, there was no carpet because we tore it all up. When Mark and I went to buy new carpet and all we got it for $.99 a sq. foot with a free pad and free installation, HOWEVER, they wanted $3.50 a sq. foot to rip it up! Mark and I decided that we could and would do that ourselves. Seriously, $3.50 to tear it up? I don't think so. So that was fun and if I learned anything it all it was that I do not want carpet in my next house! It was SO dirty and nasty under there!! Wow! I was shocked!

My grandparents came into town to see McKenna and that has been a lot of fun! I had not seen them in a while so it has been a lot of fun having them here!

Well it is late and I think that I am going to get ready for bed.

Ciao!

Mark ripping up the carpet

McKenna slept while Daddy and I worked

Bailey and Roxie were not too sure what was going onMine and Mark's bedroom before the paintingHeading upstairsThe living roomOur bedroom after the painting...though you can't really tell by the pictures. hahaLooking into the kitchenLooking down from the loft

Pictures

Ok so in case you have forgotten or did not know, Mark and I got orders about 2 weeks ago now I guess it was to Charleston, South Carolina; Mark is also deploying tomorrow as well. SO for the past two weeks we have put the house on the market, been researching houses in SC, getting the movers all set up to come in and pack, getting the house ready to sell, etc. I have not had time to take pictures muchless update the blog so bare with me here. I am going to post some pictures right now before I get back to painting the house to hopefully tide ya'll over until I can get back on a regular blogging schedule. Patience is a virtue!

Ciao!

Busy Busy Bees!

Well here we are down to the last week in our house. The movers will be here on Wednesday to pack everything up and take it to storage. My parents will be here on Friday to help me take down everything that I am keeping (i.e. clothes and such) and I am so thankful for them!!! I am not really keeping a bunch out of storage, only things I will need, but to try and get it all packed into the truck, both dogs, McKenna, AND drive for 9 hours was going to be OMG crazy!!! When I asked my parents though if they would mind coming and helping me they jumped at the chance...of course I am sure it is more to see McKenna but you know, I can handle that. hahaha

On Monday McKenna is staying with her first babysitter...WHAT?! I know. This lady from our church has been so excited to spend time with and bond with McKenna that I could not take that away from her so before we move, eventhough we will probably wind up back up here in a few years, and before Mark leaves for deployment he and I are going to go out to dinner or go to a movie (probably wind up being a movie) and McKenna is staying with Mrs. Eileen. It should be a good time but of course being the first time that I will have left McKenna anywhere, even in nursery at church, my insides are shaking. haha It'll be fun though.

I think that everyone should have gotten their birth announcements by now. I hope that I did not forget anyone. I did design the announcements myself and I think that they turned out perfectly!! Just in case I did forget anyone, I will scan and post it up here so that you can see it. They were a little late getting out but with the holidays and then Mark being out to sea and all, it is not easy to just step away from a newborn, muchless jump in the truck to go up to the store. Better late than never, that's what I always say.

Ok well I better get back to packing. I am trying to make a good dent in things before Mark gets home tomorrow. We have a bunch to do still so whatever I can get done by myself only helps!

Ciao!

Orders Have Arrived

I know, it's been a while since I have blogged things have been super crazy!! So deployment is coming up soon and we still did not have orders as to where we were going for shore duty after Mark got back from deployment. I was just prepared to stay here in Virginia for another year, which ok that's fine whatever. haha Well come Thursday we find out we are moving to Charleston, South Carolina! That is where our orders are to. Mark and I automatically begin to start trying to figure out how to sell the house here in Virginia and pack everything up and get me moved to Jacksonville...all the while not knowing exactly what was going on. We got in touch with a realtor on Friday and put the house on the market. In fact, in our front yard as I type this there is a "For Sale" sign up. AAHH!!! Mark is still going to go on deployment but he will only make like a month/month and a half of it and then he will come home and we will report right to Charleston. We are trying to get the movers here before he leaves and everything set so that after he leaves I can pack up the truck (and probably a U-Haul trailer), the dogs, and McKenna and head on down to Jacksonville where I will be living with my parents until Mark gets back. While he is gone we will be looking for a house in Charleston; go ahead and get a realtor and be in touch with them and all that stuff. How exciting is all of this?! haha For real, it is exciting but it is also a bit stressful because since we just found out 3 days ago what is going on and order officially came in yesterday we are having to cram all of this into just a few short weeks. Luckily my wonderful parents and fabulous mother-in-law have told me to just let them know if I need anything and they are more than willing to fly up and help me. *whew* Definitely keeping THAT in mind and my finger on speed-dial....just in case.

Nothing else too much has been going on. Mark and I are just spending as much time together and with McKenna as possible before deployment. McKenna is growing like a weed!!! She will be 2 months old on Wednesday and I cannot believe it!! She is awesome though!! She smiles all of the time and coos and "talks". Mark and I are seriously so blessed!!

Well there really is not much going on other than what I have already stated so I guess I shall get back to my book. Once I finish this book I don't know what I will read!! I will feel so lost!! So far in just the past month I have read 3.5 novels (this one I am reading now will make it 4.5) so I won't know what to do with myself after I finish this one! Oh yes, let me explain the .5, the .5 comes from the fact that I was in the middle of one novel when Mark got home with the 3 I had been waiting on so I stopped what I was reading and picked up what I was waiting on...LOL I never do that, I always finish one before I start another but I was so excited for the other ones that I made an exception...haha

Ok back to reading!!

Ciao!

Lessons Learned

So there has not been too much going on here at the Harris household. Mark has been out to sea so McKenna and I, and of course Bailey and Roxie, have been just hanging out and passing time. McKenna is doing great and getting so big already!! Just in case you are wondering, no she has not changed her looks to resemble me; she is definitely her father's daughter! haha She looks like Mark and I am ok with that. I have been told that she looks to have my smile so we'll see. For now though, you be the judge...

So as of right now it is looking like all she got from me was my long legs and possibly my smile. We're waiting to see if she is going to have her daddy's blue eyes or my green eyes...that of course could take years considering my eyes did not change until I was...9-10 years old maybe? I can't remember how old I was but I remember I was older. I had blue eyes up until then and I used to pray for "green eyes like my Daddy." Well...I got them!

You know, I have been thinking a lot lately about motherhood and all and what I have learned thus far. I have to say that one of the most important things that I have learned so far, and I learned it quite fast mind you, is sometimes you have to do what is best for you and what works for you. I have gotten A LOT of advice (which is always welcomed even if I do not follow it) and been told A LOT of things but in the end I am going to do what I have to do and what is best for my daughter and my family. If McKenna getting some good sleep means that she sleeps on her stomach than so be it, she is going to sleep on her stomach. Or if that means that Mark and I co-sleep for a little bit so that we are not up and down all night than so be it, we co-sleep for a little bit. When it comes down to it I am going to do what I think is best for us all. So far it is working and I am happy to say that McKenna and I have our little routine all set up and we are just waiting to introduce daddy to it when he gets home.

Another BIG lesson for me has been the hardest lesson that I have to and will have to work on each and every day...allowing help. I have always been independent and my own person and biggest of all stubborn. I do not ever want to look weak and I do not want people to think of me as weak or "needing" help. I CAN do it myself, I WILL do it myself, and I will show you as much. Now, will any of that ever change? No, I am always going to be that way, ask my mom. haha BUT I am learning that sometimes I just need to step back and welcome offered help; not everyone who offers thinks that I can't do it or that I "need" help, they are offering because they know that doing it all and relying on yourself all of the time is not healthy. Let me interject here, I am speaking in reference to such times that Mark is out to sea or deployed, not when he is home. None of this is being said with reference to him. He and I are one. However, I have gotten many comments about when he is deployed here soon how I will need help because I have a new baby...things like that make me cringe and make me want to scream and "show you" per se. I am also refering to when my parents were up here and my mother-in-law was up here right after McKenna was born, they are absolutely wonderful and I did not utilize them as I should have. It was not until they all left that I was able to reflect back and come to the realization that I should have taken that time to take all of the help I could get because they were offering to help me in any way at all. (I do apologize to ya'll for that.) As I said earlier, I am very independent so for me to take a step back and be doted on per se is hard for me to do. I do not ever want to come across as weak or incapable but I have learned that allowing help is not a sign of weakness but of strength; being strong enough to say "Yes, can you please help me..."

On another note, as I said earlier, Mark is out to sea right now and super busy. There are days that even I do not hear from him. His job is very stressful so even when I don't hear from him I send him emails about what's going on and always keep them positive. There are not too many times that something is so important that it cannot wait until he gets home. If there is one thing that I have learned from being a Navy Wife (more lessons for another post...haha) it is that things sent to the ship should always be positive; anything that might possibly cause more stress, anger, upset, etc. does not need to be sent. Carriers are huge ships, little towns if you may, but there is no room on there for family problems and stresses because I want my husband coming home safely and if all of that negativity and those petty problems are what he has on his mind than a safe and secure job cannot be done or decision made when it really matters. I really should write a post of things that should and should not be done or said or sent to Sailors who are out to sea. haha Maybe I will do just that. Well anyway, I did not mean to get off on a tangent but there are too many times that I hear of things sent or said to these sailors while they are underway that should have waited and been dealt with at home. When you think about it, on a Navy ship all it takes is one mistake to affect everyone. I don't know about you but I don't want that on my shoulders.

Well I guess that is about all that is going on around here. Time for me to finish up some things around the house before McKenna wakes up to eat.

Ciao!

Congratulations Kristin and David!!

If you have kept up with my blog you have seen me reference "Kristin" numerous times. A little background first, Kristin and I went to church together in high school at Travis Avenue in Fort Worth, Texas. She is such a sweet and beautiful person and I have to say that since getting to know her again after losing touch for a while I do consider her one of my good friends. Ok, NOW, about a month after I found out I was pregnant she found out that she was as well and from there I think that we both kind of looked to eachother for support in having someone in the same situation per se. I am happy to announce that her daughter, Addison, has made her debut into this world! I am so excited! No, I don't get to meet her yet but I can't wait to!

KRISTIN: I am so excited for you and I know that you are going to be a wonderful mother! Addison is very lucky to have you as her mother. It has been such a great time getting to know you again and better in preparing for these new chapters in our lives.

KAITLIN: Thank you so much for all of the updates! You are a wonderful sister and Kristin is very lucky to have you for one, as she already knows I am sure. It has been such a pleasure getting to know you.

So, once again, Congratulations Kristin and David; and Welcome Addison!

Ciao!

I am so Excited!

I just got done reading an update about Kristin, though it was from last night I believe, but she is in labor and I can't wait to hear that everything went perfectly and Addison has arrived!!

It is so crazy how after having been through labor and all of the emotions that go along with labor and delivery and seeing your child for the first time how those emotions just come flooding back. I never understood until right now why people tear up at the birth of a child. I understood the parents tearing up, goodness knows that Mark and I both did, but other people I never really understood until right now. It is a mother thing. As soon as I read the words that Kristin was in labor it brought tears to my eyes and all of those emotions that I was feeling when I was in labor came flooding back to me; the fear of bringing a child into such a scary world, the excitement of seeing and holding my own daughter for the first time, the intense love that I have for Mark, the faith that God was going to take care of us and everything would go smoothly, EVERYTHING came rushing back to me like a tsunami! In everything though, I think the one that came rushing back the fastest and the most was the love for McKenna; the love that you thought you had for that baby already just multiplies infinitely when you hear that first little cry. A friend of mine told me something the other day that has really stuck with me; she said, "the love that a mother feels for her child is the closest thing to how God feels for us." A mother's love for her child is agape meaning that she would lay down her life for her child. Of course how much God loves all of his children is too much for us as humans to fully understand but a mother's love is the closest humanly possible way to describe it. What an amazing analogy and I am so honored that God has allowed me to experience it!

I am so excited for Kristin and David! I don't know David, well, at all but I know that he loves the Lord and I know that he loves Kristin and I know that he will love Addison just as much if not more than he ever thought possible and that is good enough for me. The two of them are going to be wonderful parents and just as they will be blessed with Addison, Addison is blessed to have them as parents.

Ciao!

Cloth Diapers

McKenna and I just finished our first week of using cloth diapers and I must say that we like it very much! I only bought 6 to start with because I wanted to make sure it was something that I wanted to keep up with so it involved a lot of washing but now that I know that I do in fact love them I am going to get more!

I know what you are thinking, what made me even want to use cloth diapers, right? Valid question and my answer is there were a few different factors. First off, how cute are they?? Secondly, I got to thinking about the cost of diapers and just how many we would go through a day and cloth is definitely the way to go in saving some money. Sure, you pay more up front but after that the diapers prettymuch pay for themselves. The average person goes through 6,000-8,000 diapers from birth to three years old; that is atleast $2,000-$3,000 per child! Disposibles can't be reused, you use them and they're done. Cloth on the other hand, you can reuse AND reuse from child to child. Taking the previous dollar amounts and then purchasing enough cloth diapers for 3 years saves you at least $1,200...AT LEAST! Then you refactor in the fact that you can reuse these diapers with future children and that saving goes up! As I stated earlier, you pay more up front for cloth diapers and then the extra washing and detergent and all but within the big picture those costs don't even compare to what you would be paying for disposibles every week.

Another factor that pushed me to cloth diapers and that they are much better for the environment. Disposible diapers end up in landfills and that is where they stay; they don't break down for years and years to come. With about 80% of diapering in the United States being done with disposibles can you imagine how much plastic and trees are being used to essentially be thrown into a landfill to sit for years? With these diapers containing urine and feces just sitting in landfills untreated they have the potential to not only cause harm to the land and air but they also have the potential to enter and contaminate underground water sources.

My fourth reason for using cloth diapers is the fact that they are healthier. Disposibles contain chemicals and toxins that cloth diapers do not; Dioxin, Tributyl-tin (TBT), and Sodium Polyacrylate. Dioxin, a byproduct of the paper-bleaching of disposible diapers, in various forms has been linked to cancer, liver damage, skin disease, etc. TBT is a toxic pollutent that is known to cause hormonal problems not only in humans but in animals too. Sodium Polyacrylate was at one time used in tampons for absorbance but has since been removed because it was found as a factor in Toxic Shock Syndrom. 'Nuff said. There have also been studies that the chemical emissions from disposible diapers can cause respiratory problems. Now, and I saying and do I think that if you use disposible diapers all of this is going to happen? No, I am just saying that that these chemicals that are used in producing disposible diapers have been linked to these ailments and problems.

So those are my reasonings for using cloth diapers. I do not look down on disposibles, in fact, McKenna has been too small up until now for us to use our cloth diapers and we have been using disposibles up until. I am not totally against disposible diapers and will probably keep a few handy for babysitters or church if using cloth makes them uncomfortable. After talking it over with Mark and weighing the pros and cons, we decided that cloth was for us and that is what we decided to do.

Using cloth diapers is not an inconvenience as it was years ago when you had to know how to fold properly and pin properly, these days they are very much just as easy as disposibles with an extra load of laundry a week. I would encourage anyone to at least try cloth before writing it off. I went into cloth diapering just wanting to try it and if I didn't like it or it didn't work for me, ok then, but at least I tried. And as a personal testimony, I have had more leaks and blow-outs with disposibles than I have had with cloth diapers.

Happy (belated) Anniversary!

I wanted to blog a few days ago but did not get the chance to. January 10 was mine and Mark's 3 year wedding anniversary! It is so hard to believe that it has been 3 years...3 wonderfully blissful years!! Since Mark is out to sea we were not able to celebrate on our anniversary but we did go out to P.F. Chang's before he left to celebrate. I also got him a present that I am quite proud of, though he doesn't know that he has one yet...it wasn't here before he left so he has a surprise when he gets back and he will probably get me for getting him something. haha

Not too much has been going on...well I take that back. This past Friday my mother-in-law came into town and spent the weekend with McKenna and I! It was such a good time! It started out interesting (which I still feel bad about by the way, MARGIE), however, when I got a phone call from Margie at 9AM saying that her plane had landed. WHAT?! I was laying in bed with McKenna, we had just finished playing and were just relaxing. So I got up and got McKenna dressed and threw some clothes on myself and we headed to the airport. I felt SO bad! After that hurdle that morning though everything was great! I got the pedicure that I was supposed to get the last time she came up until McKenna decided she was ready to meet her daddy and I face to face, we shopped, but most of all we just relaxed and had a good time! It was so nice!

McKenna is getting so big; I just can't believe it! She is 1 month and 3 days old...WHAT?! Man oh man, she is just growing up so fast already! We have finally, as of just a few days ago, gotten to where we can wear newborn size clothes....but yes, they are still a little big. We are also finally able to wear our cloth diapers!! Today was the first day that we used them and so far so good. I had a time finding the right detergent to wash them with but I finally found it and now all is good to go!

Well I am sure that she will be waking up soon so I better go get some more housework done...and dinner started!! I am hungry!! haha

Ciao!