The Good and the Bad.

What news would you like to have first, the good or the bad? Well I always like to get the bad over with, so here it is.

Kenzie will NOT take a bottle! I have been back to work 3 days now and she has drank 2 oz. one day, 1 oz. the next, and less than an oz. today. I feed her at 6:30 before I leave for work and then she basically doesnt eat again until I get home at 4:00. I am not sure what to do.....some people say that if shes hungry she will eat, well obviously not. Im not sure she really knows how to suck properly. She has never been able to take a pacifier cause she either spits it out or chokes on it, and she puts her hand in her mouth, but chews it more than sucks on it. Josh has tried different bottles, different places, holding her, not holding her, pretty much any idea that has been on the internet, we have tried it with no success. I ordered another kind of bottle today that I have read many good things about, so I guess we will just keep trying with what we have and hopefully the new bottle will work wonders. I feed her as much as possible when I get home and her last feeding is usually from 11pm-1am. I just hope this is enough for her to keep growing good.

Enough of the bad news....here's the good news!

Maddie I would say is officially house broken. I mean that litterally though, at OUR house she hasnt had an accident in 4 days I think. She goes by herself and even dumps her teetee into the big potty, wipes, and flushes. (I go in and clean her potty), and then she puts it back together. However, when we go to other places, we have no such luck. I thought it was because the pull ups feel like diapers, but we stayed at Lacy's house Friday night and took her potty and she wore panties almost the whole time. She had 2 accidents and never went potty. She just started crying and said "I just peed in the gwass (her r's sound like w's)" hmmm, maybe this will come with more practice at home?

More good news- Kenzie has finally started smiling! She has been doing the expected toot smile on occasion, but now it is the big bright smile that comes from me talking to her.....it melts my heart everytime!

And more good news- When I went back to work on Friday I was welcomed back with open arms and lots of goodies! On my desk was a big basket filled with scrapbook paper, a Circle E candle, and snacks. There was also some juice boxes, animal crackers, and sidewalk chalk for Maddie. awwww, I was so touched! Then as I was walking down the hall, a friend handed me a 12 pack of Dr. Peppers, then another friend handed me a pot of roses.....Then to top it all off I went to check my box in the lounge and there was a note telling me not to forget the bag in the refrigerator that has a prepared meal for me! SWEET! Mexican Dinner, rice, corn, salad w/ dressing, and a Halfmanns cake. There are times when the students drive me crazy, (lack of respect does that to a person), but I can honestly say that the people that I work with are so absoultly wonderful and I am very blessed to work with them.




This is Kenzie wearing one of my favorite outfits handed down from Maddie

This is Maddie in the same outfit....they were both 2 months old in their pictures.

2 month checkup

We had Kenzies 2 month checkup today. She is growing so fast! She also got shots for the first time, and that wasnt pleasant (as expected) No matter how many times you see your poor babies get shots, it never gets easier when you see them screaming in pain. Well maybe a little easier since I havent cried since the first time Maddie got shots, but not much. Also Maddie unexpectantly got a shot as well, something she nor I was really excited about. She is now at the age when she sees the needles and knows whats coming...that makes it harder for me to make her sit up there and do it, because now she really knows Im helping them, lol. (I dont want her to think Im the bad guy). Both of them screamed bloody murder, and I just had to laugh. So for the good news...
Kenzies results Weight 11 lbs. 14 oz 75% 3 lb 4 oz gained from 1st month 40%
Length 23 inches 72% 1 3/4 inches gained from 1st month 60%

She still eats every 2-3 hours but sleeps for about 8 hours at night and she is starting to smile more often. Other than that there havent been many changes since last month.

I have to go back to work Friday and I have mixed feelings about it. Of course I would love to just stay at home forever, but I have actually enjoyed the time at home and it hasnt gone by too fast either. Im looking foward to going to work and finishing the last five weeks of school with a bang. There is alot to do when I get back so I think the 5 weeks will fly by.

We have been consistantly potty training Maddie finally, and it is going really well I think. Yesterday while Josh was at work she pottied several times and pooped once in her potty, she only had one accident all day long. So we are getting there for sure. Night time is another story. She is still in her crib (since she doesnt ever attempt to climb out), so she couldnt get up and go if she needed to. So I think that she will be getting a big girl bed sometime soon, maybe for her birthday. I also want to get her a swingset for her birthday, so she may be really excited this year, lol. As of now I still plan on renting the Bronte pool for her birthday again, hoping that this year we dont get rained out. As far as the theme goes, Im still not sure. I have several ideas but we will decide when it gets closer to August. I took some pictures of Kenzie in one of Maddies outfits, but I havent downloaded them yet. I will post pics soon.

2 steps foward, and 3 steps back

So for the first time, Maddie without being told, went to the bathroom and pottied all by herself! I was so excited!! Potty training has been the most frustrating thing thus far with Maddie. So I was absoultely elated when she did that all by herself. So that was the 2 steps foward.

Then after an hour, I told her to go to the bathroom and try to potty again. Then I hear the magical music that Maddies potty makes and got all excited, and ran into the bathroom (waking Kenzie up in the process). HOWEVER, when I get in there, Maddies panties were still up (and on correctly) which was the first thing that caught my attention. Then I noticed there was no teetee in the potty, but there were water droplets all over the potty seat....hmmmm.....So after a little prodding into my ever so smart 2 year old, I found out she took her potty apart and scooped water out of the real toilet to make her potty make the music, then she dumped it back into the toilet. ARG!

I have a feeling my sneaky little Maddie will be causing me many of troubled and worried nights when she becomes a teenager :(

My funny child

Not once but twice today I was doubled over laughing at Maddie and her comments.

The first one- I was trying to get Maddie dressed and her hair done before we went to eat with Lacy and Dusty...during which I had to set Kenzie in her swing. Well Kenzie did not enjoy being put down so she was crying. I was hurrying as fast as I could, and when I finished getting Maddie ready I ran into my room to change my own clothes. As I was going to fix my own hair, Maddie looked at me and says "Mommy, I dont want to hear Kenzie crying anymore!"

All I could do was laugh and tell her to cover her ears for a few more minutes, lol.

The second one- We finished eating at Rosa's and as you leave there is usually a basket with peppermints in it. I always let Maddie have one, however, the basket was empty today. So I told Maddie, "All the candy is gone, Sorry Charlie"....she says..." OOOOOH, Charlie ate them all?"

Once again, I just laughed and said I guess so.

I am so blessed to have such a funny daughter, who makes me smile every single day.

Easter 2010!

We went to my Dads for Easter Sunday. It was fun and the weather was WONDERFUL! Maddie is the only one old enough to Easter egg hunt, so she had a blast! She was also introduced to confetti eggs, but instead of breaking them on people, she just broke them and threw the confetti in the air or put it on herself, lol. After everyone left, Josh, Kenzie, and I went home while Maddie stayed the night with Grandad and JoJo. I enjoyed the time with Kenzie, one on one, but man I missed Maddie! You dont realize how much apart of you your children are until they arent there. We ran errands this morning before we went to pick her up and Josh opened the door to get Maddie out at least 3 times before he realized she wasnt with us. I LOVE MY FAMILY SO VERY MUCH!!! Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter!

This was the first attempt at a family picture with all four of us.
Of course my eyes had to be closed :(

Maddie coloring and decorating Easter eggs

Maddie "popping" eggs, as she says.

Kenzie Layne on her first Easter!

Kenzies 1 month check up

We went to Kenzie's 1 month check up on the 17th and everything was great!
Weight: 8 lbs. 10 oz.---40%
Height: 21 1/4 in.---60%
Head: 14 1/4 in.---35%

Considering that she was in the 18th percentile in weight, the 48th% in height just two weeks ago I am extremely pleased with her growth!

A few accomplishments/milestones for the 1st month:

• lost umbilical cord
• took first real bath....she didnt seem to enjoy it
• rolled over from tummy to back on the 15th...I was shocked and excited, because this seems to be a little early for that, but excited because I didnt miss it. (I missed the first time Maddie rolled over :( Josh was at work that day so he has missed both girls first roll over. The next day when Josh got home he put her back on her playmat for some tummy time and lucky for him she did it again!
• she still eats every 2-3 hours but on most nights she has 4-5 hour gaps which is nice

As for Maddie I have a funny yet quite strange story. Yesterday as we were leaving Abilene there was a beautiful rainbow. We got Maddie to look out her window and see it, and I told her that God shows us a rainbow every time it rains. She said Oh, and then said theres a guy walking behind us. I looked out the back window and saw nothing, so I asked her. what guy? She said the man in the dress.......I just turned around and looked at Josh. Maddie is so imaginative, but really? Why on earth would she just say something like that? All I can say is that if my daughter sees people, Im glad its a man in a dress!

2 weeks and then some

Kenzie is 2 weeks and 3 days old today.

Wednesday was Kenzies 2 week check- up. They were very happy with her growth.

When she was born she was- 6 lbs 7 oz.....at her 2 week checkup she weighed 7 lbs. 3 1/2 oz (thats 12 1/2 oz past her birth weight!)
She was 18.5 in. when born........................2 week checkup- 20 1/4 in. (1 3/4 inches taller)
Head at birth- 13 1/4...................................2 week checkcup- 13 1/2 (only a 1/4 of an inch bigger but they said that sometimes the birth measurement isnt acurate because they are in such a rush, we will see how it compares at her 1 month checkup)

Overall he said she was growing GREAT! She is still eating about every 2 hours for the most part and on occasion 3. Her nights are very unpredictable...She almost always between 11-2 wants to eat every hour, and then sleeps for various periods till we get up. My nights are always a surprise. Her umbilicle cord is still attached, and Im so ready for it to come off so I can give her a good bath. Shes also a little congested and thats never plesant. She is sounding a little better today so maybe we are getting past that.

And no I still havent gotten my pictures off my camera, lol