Mckenna's Big Smiles

My Birthday in Pictures

So my Christmas/Birthday present finally came in on the day before my birthday and I went a little crazy with it. Here is my birthday day from beginning to end.

Thankful Thursday: Trips & Kalydeco

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for great friends. This weekend we went and stayed at our friend's place in CA. Man, was it awesome. We sat around and talked, played games, explored their town, walked on the beach, and played with Mckenna. It was just so fun to get to hang out and spend some time together. What a blessing great friends are!

I'm thankful for my little snuggle bunny. Mckenna is not quite as snuggly as she was when she was first born...you know, the stage where all they do it lay on you and sleep? But she is still a little lover and when she's sleepy she's especially snuggly. I love everything about snuggling her.

And my BIGGEST one today: I'm thankful for my hubby. In case you didn't know, TODAY is Ronnie's 32nd birthday. The world is a better place because he's in it, and I can tell you without a doubt my life and Mckenna's life are so much more blessed, fun and joyful with him in them. I am so thankful for the man that he is, and very thankful for the woman he makes me! Happy birthday my love. Here's to many, many more great years to come!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for safe (and screaming-bloody-murder free) travels. Mandi, Mck and I had a great trip out to Dana Point to hang out with Auntie Kirra and Uncle Tyler (and cousin Louis). We were worried that our little snuggle-bug was going to cry the whole way there and the whole way back, but much to our surprise, she slept most of the time both ways!

I'm thankful for the news from the Vertex camp this week. Kalydeco has the potential to change many lives in a great way, and many of those lives, I know personally. It was 10 years in the making, but for my fibros and cysters rocking the G551D mutation, it was well worth the wait. I'll be thinking about you guys as you adjust to a clearer set of air bags...now go run a mile!! :) 

I'm thankful for 32 years and running. There's a nasty rumor going around that today is my birthday (sometimes rumors are true I guess). The Lord has given me 32 unbelievable years so far and I am prepared to spend 32 more years here on earth if that is His Will. I've been blessed with the best relationships imaginable. Showered with grace. Forgiven of my sins. Couldn't think of a better birthday present.

So, what are you thankful for today?

Workout Wednesday: Strength Training

...for babies. Tummy time, tummy time and more tummy time. Tummy time is all the rage these days to build back, neck and core strength. This is the same strength that will help Mckenna roll over, sit, crawl and walk, so we try to do a lot of it. This may sound like an easy feat, but it was a bit of a chore because she used to HATE tummy time. She is now working her way into finding it tolerable for 5-10 minute spurts.

And it turns out, hard work pays off...even in baby land. Monday night, after a long day in the car driving back from CA, Mckenna rolled over for the first time!! And you know who saw her do it? No one. Ha! We were eating a quick dinner and Mckenna was playing with her favorite toy, Zoey the Zebra, while tolerating tummy time. Ronnie was watching TV sitting on the couch, and I was sitting on the floor next to her and turned to set my bowl down when out of the corner of my eye I saw a hand and leg in the air. She was already on her back by the time my brain told my eyes what they were seeing. "AHH AHHH she rolled over," I screamed like the proud momma I am. We both rushed to her and began cheering, smiling, rubbing her belly, you name it, we did it....I even got a little choked up (yeah I know, kinda pathetic). I'm sure she wondered what was going on, but man did she look proud. She had a big gummy smile from ear to ear. She knew whatever she did made mom and dad VERY proud.

That little one-hit wonder has yet to do it again for us though. She'll roll over if when we set her on her tummy we put her up on her hands. But she hasn't rolled over without a careful set-up by mom or dad. But that's ok. She'll be our little tumbler in no time...which is very exciting and scary at the same time. Rolling means she won't be where we left her all the time...rolling means it's the start of being mobile.

Zoey makes tummy time fun!

First Road Trip

Mandi, Mckenna and I took off for our first long road trip as a family of three. We headed out to California to hang out with Auntie Kirra and Uncle Tyler. Kirra is a friend of mine from college who was married to Tyler when Mandi and I were pregnant. We haven't seen them since the baby shower (they were nice enough to make the drive out) so we needed a little bit of K&T time in our lives. Thanks for having us out guys!!

We were a little nervous heading into this trip because for the past couple of weeks, Kenna-Bear has hated her car seat. She start to scream bloody murder within 2 minutes of placing her in it, and we still haven't been able to figure out what the deal is (any ideas??). I'm happy to report however that Kenny did very well on the trip out and the trip back, sans 3 blown-out diapers :) 

First time in a surf shop.

You lookin' at me???

Daddy, Mickey D, Kirra and Tyler

Sub Momma for Tyler

That's MY coffee girly!!

Auntie Kirra, back away from the baby!!

No better place to change my little girl then on the trunk of the car at a gas station in Blythe, California

She always thinks it's hilarious when she blows out of diapers... 

...and we think it's a ploy to get out of the car seat.

I had a great view of my girls on the way home.

So thankful that the trip went so well! K was a champ and her mommy really knows how to take a kid on the road. I can't do much with out Mandi, and travel with Mckenna would be another one to add to the list. Oh, and on a side note, Mck rolled over for the first time about an hour after we got home...and of course neither Mandi nor I saw her do it. We caught the last 1/10th of the roll!! Great job baby girl, but would it kill you to send us a warning??