Mckenzie Madness

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!

2010-02-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010.

This was the day I found out I'm finally going to have another female in the family amongst all of this testosterone. Don't get me wrong, I love my little boys, but there is just something about having a little girl and dressing her up in little dresses and bows that I just can't do with my little guys. Something about having a daughter to go shopping with and get pedicures with and take to ballet class and all of that other stuff that goes along with having a daughter that I didn't want to miss out on. I wouldn't have chose my order of kids any other way. The boys are close in age and I know they will be best friends when they get older, plus my daughter will have two older brothers to take care of her and look out for her.

Anyways, my ultrasound was something I had been looking forward to for weeks upon weeks. I was completely beyond anxious that morning, and then beyond excited when the ultrasound technician finally announced (at the very end of the scan, by the way) that I was having a girl. The past couple of weeks I have been buying girl stuff like crazy and I am so excited to be done with this pregnancy and to finally meet my daughter!

Wyatt's First Gymnastics

2010-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Bike rides with the fam

2010-01-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

Daddy's 50th Birthday Party

2010-01-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

TEETH!!!

2010-01-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

So I finally succeeded in snapping a picture of Max showing off his teeth. He has two on the bottom as of right now.

Morning Times with Max

2010-01-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas with Papa and Ah-ma

2009-12-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning at home

2009-12-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at home

2009-12-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

We did continue our Christmas tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve.

The boys each got to open a gift and they just happened to be there Christmas pajamas

to wear that night. Max was a little

confused by the whole opening of the presents thing and was definitely more interested in the

wrapping paper and the bow.

Christmas Eve with the cousins

2009-12-24T18:21:00.000-08:00

Blogging

2009-12-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

OK. I'm finally caught up on my blogging. I have been so super busy lately that I have been slacking on the whole blogging thing. That will definitely be one of my new years resolutions. To blog more. To scrapbook more. To take more pictures. Lol, among all of the other things I want to do more of. Too bad there are never enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done and still get a decent amount of sleep.

So update on everything that's been going on around here.

Wyatt is almost completely potty-trained. YAY!!! He wears big boy underwear every day except for naps and at night and he has only had a few accidents. This morning he even told me he wanted to take his diaper off and put underwear on, when usually I have to make him put his underwear on. He has also been completely stubborn and out of control lately, which has just forced Shane and I to really be strict and consistent with him.

Max is crawling everywhere and pulling himself up to standing on everything. Last night he was standing, holding on to my night stand and he even reached out his hand to grab mine. As much as I want him to remain immobile, it's awesome to watch him try so hard to be a big boy like his brother. He also has been eating a lot better and he is currently cutting his two bottom teeth which are almost completely through now.

Shane got laid off from his job which happens every winter but we were not ready for it on the week before Christmas, so we are currently on a very tight budget while still trying to make Christmas special for the boys.

Another thing that I don't think I have mentioned in the blogging world yet is that we are expecting our THIRD child in June of next year. We had a couple of scares with the first trimester screening, but everything turned out fine and I'm officially due June 28th, 2009. I'm starting to get excited but still feeling a little overwhelmed by the fact that Max and the new baby will only be 14 months apart.

And I think that should pretty much catch you up on what's been going on in the Mckenzie family and I promise to try to blog more often ;)

Another favorite pic of Max

2009-12-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

Making cookies at Grama's

2009-12-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

We went up to my parents today to have a baking day and to celebrate my mom's birthday which is tomorrow. Wyatt had fun playing in the dough and cutting out cookies. We made three batches of sugar cookies and two batches of fudge before we decided to call it a day.

Rockwood Christmas Party 2009

2009-12-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

My work christmas party this year was held over at Dennis's house. We brought the kids this year and it was a lot of fun. Wyatt almost made it through the whole night without any accidents, because he is almost completely potty trained now, but towards the end he was trying to get the seat up and his pants off and I think he had waited too long, so he had a little accident. I'm so proud of him for doing so good with potty training.

Anyways the party was pretty fun and there was lots of food. We did the white elephant gift exchange and walked away with a pretty sweet fondue pot. I'm excited to use that :)

The boys had fun playing with the other little kids that were there and they both made it through the night with no major meltdowns or fits. YAY!

check out these baby blues

2009-12-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

I'm absolutely in LOVE with this picture.

Our finished Christmas Tree

2009-12-14T18:26:00.000-08:00

We finally got our Christmas tree up and decorated. We got it the weekend after Thanksgiving, but it sat in our garage for a week or so because we have been so busy lately. It was a lot of fun decorating it this year because Wyatt is old enough to understand what's going on and he wanted to help. He didn't really understand how to get the ornaments to stay on the tree, but he had a lot of fun trying.

Meanwhile, we had to make sure the bottom couple of branches didn't have any lights or ornaments on them, because Max was way too curious about this odd thing being in his living room. He loves crawling around underneath the branches and laughs when the branches tickle his face.

My little guy is crawling...EVERYWHERE!!!

2009-12-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

Max is officially crawling everywhere. I mean he has been crawling since Thanksgiving, but now he just straight up cruises everywhere. He loves to follow people around and as soon as he catches up to you, he lays at your feet and pumps his arms and legs like he is swimming. It's the cutest thing ever, and you can't help but pick him up.

Laundry Time!

2009-12-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

Bend Trip

2009-12-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

We got the chance to get away for the weekend and go out to Bend. Shane got a hook-up from one of his friends and we only had to pay 25 dollars a night to stay in this awesome condo at the Mt. Bachelor Village Resort.

We got there late Friday night, and we went to the restaurant right next to the condo for some dinner. It was a little upperclass for our taste and had a really small menu, but we had to eat somewhere. We settled in for the night with the boys in the one bedroom, Wyatt in the huge bed and Max in the pack 'n' play next to the bed. Meanwhile Shane and I got the pleasure of sleeping on the pull-out couch/bed in the living room, which turned out to be probably the most uncomfortable bed I've ever slept on. The things you will do to keep your kids in some sort of routine or keep it how it is at home. The boys slept good, tho.

The next morning, I had brought stuff to make breakfast, so we had some bacon and eggs in our condo. Then we set out to explore Bend. Shane wanted to look at some mountain bike trails, since the reason we had set up the trip in the first place was for a No Mud ride through Windell's that ended up getting canceled (I wasn't not mad about that at all, the whole weekend was spent as a family and I think we needed that). Then we went over to the Old Mill Creek Drive to some shops over there and ended up buying some warmer sweatshirts for Shane and I and some gloves for the boys, since it was a lot colder in Bend than we had anticipated. After shopping for awhile, we ate some lunch and headed back to the condo to let the boys take a nap. Shane left to go ride some trails, and I worked on a puzzle and enjoyed the peace and quiet with no chores around me that were screaming to be done.

That night we went to a cool little brewery for dinner and had some burgers, then we went to the athletic club next to the condo that we had free access to, and took the boys swimming, which they absolutely loved. When we went to bed that night it was totally clear out and beautiful.

The next morning, Shane had planned on waking up really early and going riding before the boys woke up, but to his surprise and mine, we woke up to a bed of three inches of snow outside our condo.

We went out for breakfast and the blizzard continued, the snow was really coming down. We swung by Fred Meyer's and grabbed a sled for the boys and then went back to the condo to let the boys play in the snow. We pulled both Wyatt and Max around on the sled for a little bit, but it was definitely snowing a lot, so we decided to head back home a little early so we wouldn't get stuck in any bad weather on the way back.

All in all, it was a great family vacation, and we all had a lot of fun. Yay for family trips!!

Seven Months

2009-12-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Max,

I am struggling to write this post because that means admitting that you are another month older and another step away from not being my little baby anymore. So much has changed in the last month it is unreal. You are crawling all over the place now, and pulling yourself up onto things. I know you are going to be a fast walker, even though I would rather you remain immobile for as long as possible.

You have your only little personality that is coming out with every day. You have also become quite the screecher whenever you are happy or excited. It reminds me of your Auntie Carly when she was a baby. You scream and demand peoples attention, not because you need something or because you are upset, just because you want people to look at you and take notice of what you are doing.

You love to chase your brother around, and even though he is not the nicest big brother in the world, and he tends to get a little rough with you, you still love to follow him from room to room and try to participate in whatever he is doing. You are at the stage where you love to being interacting with someone at all times. You love to play with just about any of your brother's toys and you loves to put just about anything you can find in your mouth. No matter how many times I vacuum, you still seem to be able to find that little piece of string or fuzz that I missed and shove it quickly into your mouth.

Another part of your personality that has come out, is how much you hate the cold. Ever since you were a baby, you loved being very warm and having plenty of blankets piled on top of you, but I never realized just how much you hate the cold. We took you to Zoolights and to the snow in Bend and both places you were completely miserable.

It is amazing to watch you grow and change every day. As much as I dont want you to get any bigger, it is such a thrill to watch you experience new things and become such a cute little person. I love you, Max!

Love, Mommy

Tree Hunting with the family

2009-11-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

We continued our tradition of going out to a place in corbett where we have been getting our christmas tree for the last couple of years. It's fun because it's way out in the middle of nowhere, and Wyatt can run free and get all of his endless amounts of energy out, and we can wander around and take time picking out our "perfect" tree.

Wyatt and Mommy looking at trees

Grama, Papa, and Max

Shane and I arguing over which tree to get :)

Our dysfunctional little family

Mommy and Max

Auntie Carly and her fiance David

Grama and Max

Wyatt found the perfect tree for him

Zoolights 2009

2009-11-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

We went to Zoolights on Saturday night with Auntie Carly and soon-to-be Uncle David. It was a lot of fun and Wyatt enjoyed it alot. Max didn't have very much fun, but I think it was because he doesn't like being cold and it was pretty chilly that night. We waited in line for about an hour to ride the little train through the zoo, which turned out to be a not so fun experience because we were all squished on one bench and Max was screaming the whole time. Oh well, better luck next year.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

It was an interesting Thanksgiving this year. We went out to my brother's house in Battleground, and it was a lot of fun except for the fact that Shane wasn't with us the whole day. But we had a good Thanksgiving and I'm definitely grateful for having such a great family that loves me and cares about me. Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!!

Update on the sleeping situation

2009-11-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

Max slept until 7:30 this morning. I'm still amazed. I was so worried that he wasn't breathing or something that I went and checked up him about 3 times. Sleeping peacefully with his butt up in the air. I'm in awe.

dreams really do come true.

2009-11-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

It's a miracle. I thought this day would never come. Max slept from 9:30 pm until 6 am!!!! I think he would have slept longer, except our current situation is a two bedroom condo, with no extra room to put Max in. He has been sleeping in our bedroom since he was born in his bassinet, which he has currently outgrown. So for now, until we can get him to sleep through the night, he is sleeping downstairs in a pack 'n' play in our living room. And Shane gets up for work at 6 and eats breakfast and makes a lunch in the morning, so he woke him up. I'm fine with him waking up at 6am, atleast until we get him sleeping through the night regularly so we can move him into his own crib in Wyatt's room. Then I hope he will sleep until Wyatt wakes up, which is usually between 7:30 and 8am. But for now I am very satisfied with the fact that I finally got my six month old to sleep longer than 3 hours at a time.

Thank you MAX!!! My body thanks you, my mind thanks you, and my sleep deprived self thanks you!!

Bath Time with the Mckenzie Bro's

2009-11-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Bath-time is definitely one of my favorite activities with the boys. They both love the water and now Max is big enough to sit up by himself and play and it's just fun to watch them interact with each other.

I am completely addicted to getting professional pictures taken of my family and my kids.....HELP!!

2009-11-01T21:41:00.001-08:00

6 Months Old

2009-11-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Max,

Is it really possible?

Are you really already 6 month's old? Really?

On one hand, I can't believe that you are already 6 months old, but on the other hand it feels like you have been apart of this family forever. I can't imagine our family without you in it. You bring so much laughter and joy to all of us.

You truly are a special, little boy. I love the little personality that is coming out already and how you can already put up with your older brother picking on you and sometimes even getting him back for picking on you. I can tell you are going to have tough skin, already you don't let the little things that your brother does to annoy you bother you.

You have changed so much in the last month its unreal. You sit up completely on your own now, you are already starting to crawl, you have been babbling away all month and I think your first word was the all popular da-da.

You still don't like any kind of baby food that I have tried to give you. Today you discovered how much fun it is to spit out the rice cereal that I give you all over the place. I will keep trying to get you to eat any kind of food until I find something that you like. I'm also waiting for you to get the whole concept of eating baby food down, because for now, everything that I seem to put in comes right back out.

You love to play on the floor now, and you love it even more when your brother tries to entertain you. His new thing is to hide behind the bed and pop out around the corner laughing, which in turn makes you crack up. There is nothing better in the world than listening to the two of you laugh together. It absolutely makes my heart soar.

I'm trying to enjoy every minute I have with you as a little guy, because I know before I know it you will be big like your brother and I will never have a little baby in the house again.

That makes me sad, and I sometimes wish you could just stay a baby forever and never grow up, but I know thats not possible. And I will enjoy watching you grow, as I have enjoyed the last six months so much. It's crazy to think that 6 months ago, we were a family of three. But life couldn't be better now, and you are truly an amazing addition to our family and we love you so much.

Love, Mommy

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

So Max had his first Halloween and it was pretty successful. He didn't mind being put into his Lion costume and he was actually pretty happy all night. Wyatt had a total blast trick or treating. We didn't stay out for very long because after going all the way out to Shane's mom's to trick or treat her house, and then going all the way out to Corbett to trick or treat my parents house, it was pretty late when we finally got started going door to door.

We went out to some nice neighborhoods in Persimmons with my best friend Alexa and her boyfriend Ryan and her daughter, Hayden. Hayden was a little hesitant around Wyatt at first because of his face make-up, she wasn't too sure that it was actually him.

Wyatt had a lot of fun, he still isn't to sure with the whole concept of knocking on the door and then not going inside of each house we went to, but I'm sure next year he will finally understand what we are doing. I can't wait to dress the two of them up next year. Max will be walking and Wyatt will be almost four years old, which is crazy to think about.

Anyways, all in all Halloween was a success and we all had a really fun night. I hope everyone else had a fun and safe Halloween!

Omg it's happening.

2009-10-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

My little boy is growing up so fast. He sits up by himself, which he has been doing since he was five months old but I don't have to worry about him falling over anymore. He sits on the floor and plays with his toys and I can leave him like that for atleast a half hour. Also in the past couple of weeks, he has started trying to crawl. Now, my first son, was crazy when it came to how fast he rolled over and how fast he crawled and walked and everything. I was kind of hoping that Max would reach these milestones a little slower. I was more than happy with him being completely immobile for atleast the first nine months of his life, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen now.

Anyways, his crawling attempts consist of him pushing himself up onto his hands and knees and rocking back and forth, which is pretty normal, that's how most kids learn how to crawl. But then, he thinks that in order for him to go forward, he needs to put his head on the ground and straighten his legs and try to push himself forward that way. Kind of like a bull-dozer. It's extremely funny and cute to watch.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch this last Saturday with my parents. We went out to Liepold Farms again, where we went last year. It was really crowded and we had to stand in line for like a half hour just so Wyatt could ride a pony, but it was a lot of fun. I think both of the boys enjoyed it and it definitely tired them out, because they both zonked out on the way home.

Brotherly Love pt. 4

2009-10-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sick kids

2009-10-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

So we just got over a whole week of pretty much the entire family getting sick. It started on Sunday, which also happened to be my birthday, we woke up to Wyatt puking all over our bed. He got worse on Monday with diarrhea and a fever and just not feeling good. I stayed home with them on Tuesday, but Wednesday I thought they were doing better so I took them to the baby-sitters. Well right when we got there, Max started puking and Natalie said it was fine that if he got any worse I could come get them. So I went to work, only to get a call around 1pm that now Wyatt was complaining that his tummy hurt and he was laying on the floor. I left work to pick them up, only to walk in on a pile of puke from Wyatt this time all over Natalie's floor.

I took both of them home and pretty much was home with them for the rest of the week, ended up in the ER with Max on Thursday night because his temp got up to 103.7. During the weekend, neither Shane or I felt very good and we pretty much spent the whole weekend in bed. Yay, I love being sick :(

Well, hopefully that means that we have all gotten sick for the winter and we won't get sick again. hopefully.

Playtime

2009-10-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

Wyatt and Max had their first real playtime together. It was the cutest thing in the world and my heart was totally melting the entire time. Max is really good at sitting up by himself now, so I sat him on the floor next to Wyatt and his racetrack. Wyatt shared a car with him and they totally got along and played together for about fifteen minutes. It was amazing and I can't wait for them to be able to play together more often as Max gets bigger.

The big 23!

2009-10-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

So my birthday was October 11th, and I am now 23 years old. We went out to the elbo room in downtown Gresham with some of my friends from highschool and a whole bunch of people from my work. It was a lot of fun, and I got pretty drunk. We ended up staying out until 2am and I was pretty exhausted the next day. Anyways here are some pictures from my drunkiness.

My lovely Hubby

My Beautiful Momma

My crazy Daddy

Me and Konnie from work

Me and Becky

Me and Moyer

Me and Amanda

Me, Princess, and Charlie

Kenny, Me, Kayla, and Jesseca

Jesseca, Me and Kayla

Somehow, at the end of the night, we ended up outside taking pictures on my supervisors harley.

Mommy and Whitey Time

2009-10-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

So Shane had to do some more work at the Tattoo shop that he has been painting, so I asked my parents if they wouldn't mind watching Max, so that I could spend a little time with just me and Wyatt. I took him to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was really fun and I think he enjoyed it. I really want to start doing more stuff with each of them individually. I know that Max doesn't really understand it yet or anything, but I know how much Wyatt loves not having to share my attention with his brother. I hope we can start a tradition were like one day a month, Shane takes one of them and I take the other and we can give them one-on-one time, and then switch or something, so they get time with both of us seperately.

Portland Marathon 2009

2009-10-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

So my mom and I did our second Portland Marathon together, my third all together. It was interesting and I realized that I haven't really done any sort of cardio since I had Max five months ago. It motivated us to start getting in shape again and we are going to try to do a half marathon in April for the Race for the Roses, and then hopefully by next October we will be able to do the whole marathon.

Chick, Chick, Chick....CHICKENS!!

2009-10-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

So we went out to my brother's house out in Battleground, WA to say Happy Birthday to one of my many nephews, Preston, who just turned two, and to see my brother's new house. It was a really nice place, and I have to admit, even tho I am a total city girl, I wouldn't mind having all that space and all that peace and quiet. They were pretty much out in the middle of nowhere and there weren't any houses around them. There house is super huge and I can't even imagine having all that space outside for my boys (eventually) to run around in.

Wyatt had a total blast with his older cousins and jumped right in with Terrel and Dylan and was playing in the woods with them and running around outside. They pulled me out to the chicken coop to show me Wyatt holding his first chicken and it was hilarious watching all of them chase the chickens around. Dylan was, by far, the best at grabbing them and somehow making them fall asleep in his arms. It was really cute. But it wasn't long before Wyatt was all over chasing them around, catching them, and then throwing them up in the air to try to make them flap their little wings. I somehow got talked into holding one myself (not as scary as I thought it would be), but I was mainly just standing back and trying to capture these moments on film.

(I stole this picture off of my sister-in-laws blog, since I never seem to have any pictures of me, weird how that works since I'm the one always taking the pictures.)

The Past Five Months....

2009-10-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

1 Day Old

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

Five Months!!

2009-10-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Max,

Five months?!?!? I cannot believe, and I'm trying hard not to think about it. Please stop growing. Your getting way too big, and I already miss my little tiny baby. Don't get me wrong, I love watching you change and turn into a little guy with a personality and a smile that melts my heart, I just wish that you could stay little for a little while longer.

I couldn't be happier with how much you are changing into a happy little guy. You are so curious and you love to just explore everything. Your rolling over all the time now. I put you down in one place and you end up about three feet away. You love to play with toys, actually let me rephrase, you love to put toys in your mouth. And you love it when your brother tries to entertain you.

I started feeding you some oatmeal a little last week, and so far you haven't liked it too much. In fact, you haven't really liked anything I have tried to feed you so far, but I'm not too worried yet. Your only five months old, so I will keep trying.

Your smile and your cooing little laugh absolutely make me melt. It's the cutest thing ever to watch you light up and start laughing at things that you think are just hilarious. Lately, you think its pretty funny when Wyatt laughs at something, and you seem to think that you need to join in. It has gotten pretty loud at dinnertimes when the two of you sit next to each other, Wyatt in his chair, and you in your highchair, and you two go back and forth just cracking up for no apparent reason. It's so cute, that I can't help from laughing myself.

I've cherished every moment that I get with you, just watching you take everything in around you, and already getting so smart. I love you so much, Guppy!!

Love, Mommy

Big Boy

2009-09-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

My little guy is getting so big, I can't believe it!! He is already in 9 month pants because he is so long. And this is his first little hoodie, doesn't he look cute?!?

Swimming Lessons

2009-09-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Wyatt started swimming lessons again. He has pretty much been in swimming lessons since he was 8 months old, but I think as he gets older, he loves it more and more. He had no problem jumping right in and splashing around and being crazy. All of the other kids were a little timid about the water and kicking their feet or swimming with the teacher, but Wyatt was totally loving every minute of it.

My little swimmer.

Windell's with Papa and Ah-ma

2009-09-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

So today we went out for breakfast with the whole crew to say good-bye to Carly as she heads off to college again. After breakfast, we took my mom and dad out to Windell's to show them around the place that we are always talking about and to show them Wyatt "shredding" in real life.

First of all, let me just take a minute to explain how amazing my parents are. And I'm not just saying that because they are my parents and I love them. No, they are pretty much the coolest parents around and I love them both to death. Now six years ago, when I was still living at home, I didn't exactly feel the same way. But now that I'm a parent, and I've seen what it takes to be a parent and to care about your kids and love them so much that all you want is the best for them. I know now that all of their intentions were good. They were just trying to protect me, and keep me from getting hurt or getting into trouble. When I look back now I really wish I would have listened to them. Everyday I have more and more respect for my mom, and how hard it really is to be a good mom, and to raise your kids right. I think my parents did a really good job raising all three of us kids. We may have gone off the right path for awhile, but I think all three of us have turned out pretty good.

I love that fact that I am so close to both of my parents now, and that I have such a good relationship with both of them. It also is nice to have parents that are still together and still love each other. They are an example to Shane and I and we hope that we will have a long, and happy marriage like they have. Shane and I both love spending time with them, and I hope our family always stays close. I also love how close they are to my kids. My parents are the best Grandparents around, and they are both extremely hands on. I mean, what other Grandparents do you know that will follow us around in the woods and watch my husband show off as well as my little boy? What other grandparents are pushing a stroller through the dirt, while the other one carries Wyatt's bike?

They love interacting with my kids and my kids love both of them so much. I love you Mom and Dad!!

Anyways, we had a lot of fun out there. Wyatt got to show them all of his cool little tricks, and we showed them the dirt jumps that Shane has spent alot of time working on. It was a really fun day :)

Here's a few pictures of Shane doing some tricks.

Memory of the day....

2009-09-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Never want to forget---

Leaning over the bed, pretend sniffing my baby's face, as he chuckles in my ear. I continue sniffing, he grabs hold of my face with both hands, and gives me the biggest ear-to-ear grin ever.

Precious. Love. Life.

First Tastes

2009-09-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

September 23rd, 2009, Max Parker Mckenzie received his first bite of baby food (oatmeal). He wasn't all too thrilled with it in the beginning, but after he got that hang of it, it seemed like he was starting to like it and he actually ate quite a few bites. Now when I tried to offer it to him the next day, that was a different story and he was having nothing to do with it. I have kept offering it to him every day since then and he still acts like I'm trying to somehow poison him with this nasty tasting substance that I keep trying to shove in his mouth.

Oh well. What can you do. I will keep persisting and hopefully he will grow to like it, either that or I will have to try rice cereal which his pediatrician told me will make him more constipated and he doesn't need anymore help in that department.

But here are some pics of my little string bean of his first experience with food.

Memory of the Day....

2009-09-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Something I never want to forget-

Sitting on the bed watching TV, with Wyatt pretending he is fishing off the bed with one of his dad's belts, holding Max against my chest in his blue, fuzzy car pj's, patting his back while his head rests on my shoulder until he falls asleep.

Great memory.

Can you see, Whitey?

2009-09-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

Yoda

2009-09-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big Star Wars fan, in fact I've never even seen a Stars Wars movie or an episode of star wars, but even since my dad pointed out that Max has a slight resemblence to Yoda, I couldn't help myself from looking at a picture and comparing the two. So let me know if anyone agrees with my dad on this one.

Brotherly Love pt. 3

2009-09-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

I love both of my boys so much, but there is nothing better than sitting back and watching them interact with each other. I know that Wyatt can't wait for Max to be big enough to play cars and wrestle and run around with him. But for now, he doesn't mind just laying on the floor and trying to entertain his little brother with his toys. It's the cutest thing ever to watch Max just get totally fascinated with everything that Wyatt does. I'm so happy that they are so close in age, because I know they are going to be such good friends when they get bigger.

The Mckenzie Boys

2009-09-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Brothers

And all three of my Mckenzie boys

My amazing pictures of our weekend trip to Seattle to see James Taylor

2009-09-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Can't you tell how much my family loves taking/being in pictures?

We all drove down to the James Taylor Concert in Puyallup, WA on Saturday. We got there around 5 and the concert didn't start until 7:30, so we decided to walk around the fair first and get something to eat. After a couple of not very good corndogs, and the worst elephant ear I've ever tasted, we ended up getting to the ampitheater just as the concert was starting. The concert was a blast, and me, my sister, and my dad got a little out of control and started dancing to James Taylor. I'm sure the people around us thought we were either really crazy or really drunk, but we were having fun.

After the concert, we were going to go get something to eat, but after waiting for a half an hour for our shuttle to take us back to the hotel, and driving around Puyallup trying to find a restaurant that was still open, we ended up going to Denny's that was right next to our hotel. The next morning, Carly and I drove to Tacoma to do a little shopping and then we headed back to Gresham. It was a really fun weekend, but I think the best part of it was being able to get a full nights sleep, which I haven't had in almost five months now. I did miss my boys, but Shane did just fine with them.

Dinner at the Mckenzie household

2009-09-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sleeping baby

2009-09-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Unhappy Max and dirty face Wyatt

2009-09-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

Tippy Canoe

2009-09-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

We went out for dinner last night at Tippy Canoe with my parents. We were not that impressed with the food, but the atmosphere was really neat. We sat outside on these really cool tables, and when it got dark out, they had fires going and there was live music and it was actually really fun.

(notice the piano player smiling in the background)

Max and Ah-ma

2009-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures I snapped of Max and Grandma watching Wyatt ride his bike.

My mom is such a gorgeous grandma. I can only hope that I look as beautiful as she does when I get older.

Whitey, bike, and Papa

2009-09-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Wyatt has been practicing riding his new push bike a lot, and he has gotten really good at pushing himself around on it. He has gotten to the point where he is almost faster than he would be if the bike did have pedals. I'm very proud of him, because he kept trying even when he wasn't really good at it when he first got on it and I could tell he wanted to give up. He wants to be just like his daddy, and I think its so cute how much he looks up to Shane. Tonight, he had fun showing off his skills up at Papa and Grama's house. At first he wouldn't go down the hill on the driveway, but after some convincing from Papa, he was doing it no problem.

Max Pics

2009-09-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry sometimes I just can't resist taking a million pictures of him just laying there being cute. He is getting so big, so fast, and I just want him to stay little forever :(

Baby toys are just not as cool

2009-09-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

So lately Max has been obsessed with trying to grab onto everything. He reaches out with his little hands and tries to pull everything right into his mouth. Well, Carly had the two boys on the bed and Max was surrounded by his little baby toys, but has soon as Wyatt left to go play in his room, Max went after his monster truck and this is how Carly found him.

Bath Time!!!

2009-09-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Wyatt Shredding at Windell's

2009-09-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

My little cuddle bear

2009-09-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

So I was absolutely obsessed with this hat that I bought for Max when I was still pregnant with him, and it is just now starting to fit him, although its still a little big. He looks so cute in it that I couldn't help taking some pictures.

And then he fell asleep in it, which was even more precious.

Brotherly Love pt. 2

2009-09-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

$2 Omsi day

2009-09-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a good, cheap way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon right? WRONG!!! First of all, I looked out the window that morning and saw sun, so I stupidly assumed it was going to be a nice day. Another wrong, I dressed the boys in t-shirts with no sweatshirts or jackets, and I was wearing a tank-top. When we got to OMSI, it started pouring down rain and to top it all off, we had to stand outside in line in the rain for fifteen minutes before we even got inside.

Once we got inside, the boys did have fun. We had my nephew Terrel for the day, and him and Wyatt get along great, and now Max seems to just love Terrel because every time he sees him, he starts laughing. We also met up with our friends Mark and Becky and their son, Liam. Wyatt and Liam are only two weeks apart and they have pretty much grown up together, so it's always fun to get them together and let them play.

Wyatt playing with the ball thing that him and Liam love so much.

The two boys playing at the water table and getting soaked.

We let Terrel play with the play-dough but no way were we letting Wyatt and Liam in there. That had trouble written all over it.

Terrel, Wyatt and I looking at the reptile/amphibian exhibit. The boys loved all the snakes and turtles and lizards.

Shane, Wyatt and Terrel looking at some turtles.

The Rulon family looking a cage full of snakes.

FINALLY!!

2009-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

So I have been waiting for a long time to get some more tattoo work done, and I was finally able to go get my back piece started. I took in some drawings to Jami at Forbidden Body Art a couple of weeks ago, and she told me to come in on Saturday night to look at the finished piece. I absolutely fell in love with it, so she did some line work that night and I'm so happy with how it turned out. Now I go in on the 22nd to get the shading done and I'm so pumped for that.

Here are a few pictures of it from the next day.

Four Months

2009-09-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Max,

I cannot believe that you are four months old today!!! Where does the time go? The even crazier thing is that your brother is now officially two and a half. I'm hoping that means we only have six months left of this crazy phase he is going through. But back to you......FOUR MONTHS!!!

It feels like just yesterday when you were the tiny baby with colic that drove me up the walls every night with your constant crying. And now, we are finally (cross my fingers) past that. You are a completely different baby now. Yes, you still have your moments of fussiness, especially when you were sick last week (poor baby). But what other baby at four months old never cries? Now you enjoy staying awake for longer periods of time, you are entertained by toys and blankets and pretty much anything you can shove in your mouth. I know that we will get through the teething stage together, the same way we got through the colic. In fact, compared to colic, teething should be a breeze for us.

I love that you are already starting to develop a little personality of your own. You love to be talked to, and sung to, and you love just sitting on my lap as we watch a movie, or as I surf the internet. You are definitely a momma's boy, as your brother was too at that age. And I couldn't enjoy that more. There is nothing more rewarding than a baby smiling back at you after you change his diaper or feed him or just play with him. Your laughs and your cooing are precious, I wish I could capture them somehow and everytime I'm having a bad day I know that would make everything better.

My most favorite thing of all, is how much you and your brother are interacting lately. It is truly an amazing thing to watch two of my babies, that I had inside of me for 9 months, that I have watched grow and change every day, start to bond already. Your brother loves you so much, and I know he tries to be gentle, but he wants so badly for you to be able to play with him. He loves hugging you and talking to you, and I know you two will be best friends.

Max, you have definitely challenged me as a mother and as a human being, but in turn you have made me so strong. I feel like I can do anything now, as silly as that sounds. I love that your brother made me a mom, and you made me a stronger mom. I love you both with all of my heart. You two are my reasons for getting out of bed every morning with a smile on my face. Happy Four month Birthday, Guppy!

Love, Mom

Coloring for Daddy

2009-08-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Since we have no backyard, I try to come up with things to keep Wyatt busy and entertained inside during the day. His latest favorite activity is coloring on this big floor drawing pad I got him. He loves how much room he has to color, and he wanted to draw a picture for daddy right away.

He was very proud of his picture and we hung it up on the wall over by daddy's side of the bed. He couldn't wait to show it off to daddy when he got home from work. Here is a picture of the finished piece of art :)

(He had some help from mommy)

Wyatt's new bike

2009-08-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

So Shane bought Wyatt a new bike, and he is absolutely in love with it. And since it was just about the cutest thing in the world to watch him ride around and try to be like daddy, I couldn't resist pulling out the camera and taking about a half million pictures of it. I tried to narrow it down to some of my favorites.

It was so funny to watch him try to do all the tricks that Shane does on his bike. And I was amazed that he already has the phrase "Mommy watch me!" down. I thought kids didn't start saying that until they were like five or six. But he had a blast and he was nice and tired that night. Another reason why I wished we had some sort of yard or driveway for him to ride around on. That way he could ride his bike more often without us having to leave the house.

Farmer's Market

2009-08-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

So we went to the Gresham Farmer's Market on Saturday afternoon. I wanted to get some fresh produce and it's always fun to walk around and look at stuff there. We, of course, had to get some of the fresh little donuts they make. And Wyatt managed to get powdered sugar all over his face.

Auntie Carly and Max

Grandma (Ah-ma), Auntie Carly and sleeping Max

I was here with them, I'm just not in any of the pictures because I was the one taking them all.

Anyways, it was really fun and I brought home some fresh berries, which Wyatt loves, and some amazing home-made corn chowder soup.

(Mom here are the pictures of the birdhouses that you wanted to show Dad)

Papa

2009-08-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

To me, there is nothing more precious than watching my parents love and bond with my children. It takes me back to being a little girl and knowing how safe I felt in my daddy's arms, because I knew that nothing could hurt me if he was there. And how much my mommy could make me feel better when I was sick or having a bad day. There is nothing better than the unconditional love from your parents and watching them do the same with their grand-children is such an amazing thing for me. I love both of my parents with all of my heart and I'm so glad that I have such a good relationship with them. I love how they are such awesome and caring grandparents. I couldn't ask for more from them. They love my boys, and my boys love their Papa and Ah-Ma just as much.

the adventures of Haynie and Whitey

2009-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a ton of pictures of us over at Alexa's house, playing outside in the pool and the sprinkler. There were so many cute ones I couldn't narrow it down.

Max didn't get to join in the fun, but he watched from sidelines and shrieked everytime the kids ran by. It was pretty cute :)

Mommy's Little Monster's

2009-08-10T21:05:00.001-07:00

Brotherly Love and Matching PJ's

Tummy Time

2009-08-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Max has been better and better at Tummy Time. He used to hate and the minute I would put him on the floor he would start crying. But now he likes to play with his little toys and try to look around at what's going on. Don't get me wrong, this still doesn't last very long. He doesn't like being down there for longer than like ten-fifteen mins, but hey atleast he is getting some Tummy Time. That's an improvement from not doing it at all.

All growed up

2009-08-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

So Max's newest thing is to basically hold his own bottle and he has actually gotten pretty good at it. It makes me a little sad that he is already starting to do things for himself. I want him to stay little and needing me forever. I know that before I know it he will be just like Wyatt and want to do everything on his own. I just want to delay that as long as possible.

Three months and four days old!!!

2009-08-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Max just rolled over from his stomach to his back TWICE!!!

I missed the first time because I had put him on the floor for some tummy time so I could make the bed, and when I turned around....He was on his back!!

I was completely shocked/devasted that I had missed it. So I put him back on his stomach and HE DID IT AGAIN!!! Like almost instantly he pushed himself back over onto his back.

I am such a proud mommy :)

My little cross-dresser

2009-08-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

As much as Shane hates this, I think its absolutely adorable, Wyatt loves wearing my shoes and/or any other girl shoes he can get his hands on. And the thing about it is, he is actually pretty good at walking in heels. His favorite pair are these black and white ones that he is wearing in this picture and no matter where I hide them, he always manages to find them and start prancing around the house in them. Hilarious!!

More three month pictures

2009-08-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Three months.

2009-08-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Max,

I cannot believe that you are now three months old. It feels like it was just yesterday when I was bringing your tiny little body home from the hospital.

(Brand new)

Where we struggled to breast-feed for a whole month, when I sat up at night crying from the guilt of not being able to provide my baby with what I knew was best for him. When I finally decided to give in and let you have the formula that you seemed to like better. When I sat, rocked, bounced, swaddled and held you just to try to get you to calm down. When we struggled to make it through your colic nights trying everything imaginable from gripe water, to homeopathic colic tablets, to gas drops, to switching formulas and nothing seemed to work. When I discovered how much you loved to be wrapped up as tight as possible and with as many blankets on you as possible. When I gave up on trying to get you to sleep in your bassinet and let you sleep in the swing all night so that I could get some sleep.

(One month)

I can't believe that it was three months ago when your tiny little life came into ours and changed everything. You gave me another life to love and another person to help grow and mold. You gave Wyatt a brother. A friend he will have for the rest of his life. But most of all, you completed our family. Not that we weren't a family before you came along, but somehow your birth made everything seem complete. We have our family now.

(Two months)

And for that, I thank you. Max Parker Mckenzie, you have grown so much already, yet you have so much growing left to do. I can't wait to witness first hand every first moment that you have. From your first crawl, to your first tooth, to your first word, to your first step, and many more firsts to come. I have so much love for you. I can't wait to see you grow.

(Three months)

I love you with all of my heart.

Love, Mommy

Multnomah Falls Hike

2009-08-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

So Shane decided to surprise me with some time alone just the two of us. He arranged a baby-sitter for the boys (auntie carly) and we drove out to Multnomah Falls to go hiking. Let's just say that you don't realize how out of shape you are until you try to do something that requires you to be. I haven't hiked multnomah falls in a long time, so I think I forgot how far it is to the top and how tiring it can be. I think I would have been fine if I would have remembered my inhaler (I have asthma), but half of the time I felt like my lungs were going to explode and I couldn't catch my breath. But it was a lot of fun to get out with just my hubby and spend some time together.

A little captain in both of us.

We had a lot of fun and we were very proud of ourselves for making it all the way to the top. Especially since I just had a baby three months ago, to the day, I was extremely proud of myself.

We are going to try to do some sort of physical activity every weekend. Both of us really want to get back in shape. And hopefully by next summer, we will be able to include the boys in everything that we go do.

Max and his cow

2009-07-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

We recently discovered Max has a strong love for his little cow toy. We put him in his little chair and he just sits there and laughs at it and trys to grab it and pull it to his mouth.

Brotherly Love

2009-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

berry pickin'

2009-07-27T20:13:00.001-07:00

I woke up at the crack of dawn this morning (nine is really early for us all to be ready and out of the house) to take the boys berry picking. I knew it was going to be 100 degrees today, so I wanted to get out there early before it got too hot. Turns out it was already 83 degrees by the time we left the house, so that didn't work out as well as I wanted it to.

First we swung by my parents house to pick up some containers to store the berries in. The blueberry place where I went a couple of weeks ago with my mom and sister is right down the street from my parents house. We stopped by there first, but apparently they are only open on the weekends, which put a little damper in my plans. So we headed up the road a ways, to a berry place on Kerslake Rd. The lady that was running the place said we could pick raspberries because they would probably be gone by this weekend.

We tied our buckets around our waists and started picking, or atleast I did. I think Wyatt was mainly eating everything that he picked and Max was just chillin in his stroller.

We didn't get very many berries because it was really hot out and Max started screaming, but it was still fun, and we have fresh raspberries to eat for the next week.

bouncy, bouncy, bouncy

2009-07-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

So I pulled out Wyatts old bouncy chair and sat Max in it just to see if he liked it and he LOVED IT!! He sat in it for a good half hour and just looked around at all the toys and chewed on a few of them and was just content to be sitting up. I really want to get him a bumbo so that he can sit up more often. He loves to sit, he tries so hard when you prop him up with blankets or pillows to sit straight up with no help from anyone. It's the cutest thing ever because usually he ends up face planting it into the bed. Even tho I really want him to stop growing and stay my little baby forever, I can't wait for him to start sitting up and crawling and being more mobile. I know Wyatt is going to love it when he starts crawling.

Anyways, after I pulled Max out of the bouncy chair and I took him in our bedroom to give him a bottle. When I went back in Wyatt's room to check on him, this is what I found.

I guess he was a little jealous that his baby brother was using his toy and he decided he wanted to be a baby again, too.

Guppy

2009-07-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

So Max officially has a new nickname. Guppy. I'm not really sure why we chose Guppy, but he is constantly sucking on his fists or his blanket or your shoulder, arm, or hand, and sucker fish just isn't as cute as Guppy.

So he is now stuck with the nickname Guppy. I love it :)

sandy river

2009-07-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

We spent the day down at the sandy river today with our friends Mark and Becky and their son Liam. It was really hot, but alot of fun. Max already loves being outside and loved dipping his little feet in the water. Wyatt had a blast with his buddy (they are only two weeks apart), just playing in the sand, throwing rocks, and watching the little baby duckies swim by.

It was fun to spend the day as a family, and even tho I love Max being my little baby, I can't help but think how much fun next summer is going to be when he can run around with his big brother and play with the other kids. I don't want him to grow up because it's already going by so quickly, but I still look forward to watching him grow and start crawling and talking and then walking.

I love summertime with the kids because even if there is nothing to do and we have no money, the boys (mostly Wyatt) are happy just being outdoors and enjoying the sunshine. I'm taking them berry picking tomorrow, which I think Wyatt will love, but I do plan on doing that early in the morning because its supposed to be over 100 degrees tomorrow!! But we love eating fresh berries and I think that Wyatt will have fun picking them.

Anyways, here's a few pictures from the river today. I didn't bring my camera with me or I would have more, because I already had about a million things I had to cart down to the water with us, but I did manage to steal a few from my friend Becky's camera.

Little Max, loving sitting on my lap in the water so he can dangle his toes in the river.

Wyatt and his buddy Liam, all dirty and covered in sand. Typical little boys.

Me and my two little boys.

the adventures of potty training

2009-07-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

So we are officially in the potty training stage with Wyatt. We have tried to get him in this stage several times before with no luck. This time he started it all by himself. He came up to me in the bedroom on Saturday morning and said "mommy I go potty'' and proceeded to take his diaper off, climb up onto the toilet and go pee. I was so ecstatic I nearly peed my pants. I discovered some leftover candy in my purse and gave him a piece and told him that everyone time he went potty in the big boy potty he would get another piece.

We have been working with him for over a week now. He isn't completely potty trained yet, but we are slowly on our way. Shane was brave enough to take him out in public in his big boy underwear, which was followed by an accident which was to be expected. Whenever he gets distracted or he is too busy playing to remember that he needs to go potty, he has an accident. So for now, he has been wearing pull-ups, and I have been trying to remind him every hour to go try to sit on the potty. I'm just so excited for the day when I no longer have to change his diapers!!

back to the craziness of Kaiser

2009-07-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

So today was my first day back to work. The only thing that made it easier to leave my two little boys and return to the fast-paced business world was the fact that my little sister is going to be taking care of my kids. I'm so grateful for the fact that she is going to be watching them until she goes back to college in September. It's so much easier to leave your children with someone who is family and you trust with all of your heart.

She is amazing with both of the boys, in fact, during Max's colickyness (I don't think thats a real word) it was only her and I that could calm him down. So as far as anyone being able to give me a break from my screaming infant, she was the only one who could. And she was nice enough to come over for an hour every day and let me just get out of the house and take a breath.

Anyways, today was her first day spending most of the day with them and I know she did great. She even managed to get some things done around the house for me, of which i am very thankful for. I know that it will be hard to find someone else that I am so comfortable with when it comes time for her to go back to college. But for now, I am just enjoying the fact that I know everyday when I leave for work, that my boys are in good hands.

work

2009-07-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting at work right now, my first day back and I'm already bored. Now don't get me wrong, it has definitely been nice to get out of the house and be around adults, and see all my old co-workers, but I miss my babies! I wish that instead of working three days a week, I could work five days and just work shorter hours. That way I'm not gone all day, and I would get to spend more time with my kids every day instead of spending four days a week with them. I know that we could never make it on one income. We pay over 1600 dollars a month in just our house payment and HOA dues. Then on top of that, we have over 700 dollars a month in car payments and car insurance. We are also still paying off Wyatt's hospital bills and our Yamaha bikes. And the list of bills just go on and on. I know that if we weren't in debt and we just had our house payment and cellphone, cable, electricity and HOA dues, we could probably make it on one income. That is going to be my big goal for the next six months, to try to pretend like we are still on a tight budget and put most of my paychecks towards paying off our debt.

Anyways, I just realized how not interesting this blog is, so I will just say that it was my first day back to work today and it was the same old pharmacy that I left three months ago. Not much has changed and I didn't forget how to do anything. It seriously just feels like I took a week off of work and now I'm back. Like it doesn't even feel any different at all.

Auntie Carly's b-day

2009-07-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

Carly's Birthday. July 21st, 2009. 20 years old. It's amazing to watch your baby sister grow into such a beautiful, young woman. I am beyond proud of her and everything she has accomplished. Not only is she the first in our family to graduate from highschool, but she continued on to college and completed her freshman year at OSU. She has found an awesome boyfriend, who is nice and respectful and treats her like a queen. He adores my boys and Wyatt is pretty much obsessed with him. My baby sister is extremely motivated and driven, and I know she is going to do great things with her life. She is an amazing sister, and a very giving person, as well as an incredible aunt to my two sons. I love you, Carly and I'm so glad that we have such a close bond. Sisters by chance, friends by choice.

Now as for our night out with our family and her friends I just have one word. Insane. Wyatt was pretty much out of control the entire evening and would not calm down or stay seated to eat his dinner. Shane had worked 12 hours that day, so he was not much help, but I know that he was exhausted. And Max decided his colic should pay us another visit just in case we forgot what it was like to not be able to get him to stop crying. So, nonetheless, it was a very interesting night.

mommy and auntie time

2009-07-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

We spent some more time up at my parents house this weekend. My sister is home from college for the summer and starting next week she is going to be watching the boys for me when I go back to work. Anyways, we had a lot of fun playing with the boys in the little pool and the water table. Wyatt loves his Auntie Carly and I'm so glad that she is going to be able to watch them for me.

Even Max joined in the fun.

The water was a little too cold for him, tho.

Me and Wyatt hanging out in the kiddie pool.

Nice looks.

Carly and Wyatt catching some rays.

Brothers.

All of us laying in the sun (minus Max, he was sleeping in the shade)

Uh-oh... here come the Mckenzie boys......RUN!!!

2009-07-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Definitely two of a kind.

wyatt's slight obsession with cars

2009-07-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

Wyatt is definitely a little boy. He loves anything to do with being a boy. Playing in the dirt, riding his bikes, scraping up his knees, climbing on anything and everything, being loud and hyper, but the one thing he loves the most is playing with his cars and trucks.

He would pass on eating, sleeping, watching tv, and probably anything else if you offered to play cars with him. His only problem is he has a hard time playing by himself. Since he has been the only child around here for two years, he is having a hard time adapting to the fact that mommy can't just get up at the drop of a hat and come play with him anymore. I try to play with him whenever Max is sleeping and I'm not doing household stuff, but I've been really trying to teach him that he needs to learn to play by himself every once in a while too.

One thing that will be nice once Max is older is how good it will be for Wyatt to always have someone to play with. I know that will mean he will also have someone to fight with and someone that he doesn't want to share with, but for the most part, I think he will enjoy having a live-in playmate.

I was thinking about how weird it is that I am now the mommy of two little boys. I'm in still in awe of the fact that I've raised Wyatt for the past two years and he is still walking and breathing which has got to mean something, right? I feel so proud when Wyatt does something that I've taught him. Like count how many books we were checking out from the library today, or saying bless you to his little brother when he sneezed. It's amazing how much they pick up in such a short amount of time. Wyatt is not even two and a half and he is really starting to speak in sentences that you can actually understand. And he can spot things and know what they are.

My heart fills with love every time he accomplishes something he is trying so hard to do. I love those moments that I get to share with him when something is so new and so exciting to him. I feel like I get to relive these moments with him and experience new things again with him. And I'm looking forward to being able to do that with Max, too.

All in all, I love being a mommy. It's the most amazing job in the world and I wouldn't change it for the world. I love my boys, they are my everything :)

moving on up

2009-07-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

So Max has officially graduated to size 3 diapers. I don't know why this is such a big deal to me, but I feel like he isn't a little baby anymore. For the past couple of days whenever you sit him on your lap, he has been lifting his head up and trying to sit up. Although he is really far from being able to do it on his own, it's so cute to watch him try. He also has been talking a lot more, and blowing raspberries, and he is enjoying tummy time now instead of it being something that he hates. I can't believe how much he has changed in just a week. It makes me sad to think that I have to go back to work next week and possibly start missing some of his firsts. I hope he saves them for when I am home. I'm only working three days a week, but I still feel like I'm going to miss so much. When I went back to work when Wyatt was three months old, he was already rolling over. So I guess in that way, Max is a little behind his brother. Max hasn't even tried to roll over yet, but that doesn't bother me. I know now that as soon as they get mobile and can roll around and start crawling, then they start getting into trouble. So I'm fine with him being my little stationary baby for now.

riding bikes....what the mckenzie boys do best

2009-07-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

Since it was 93 degrees outside today, we went outside at night when it was a little cooler. Wyatt loves to ride his bikes out in front of our driveway, and usually Shane hangs out with him while he is riding, but we all joined in the fun tonight. Max loves being outside too, and I don't want to jinx myself or anything, but he had a really good night tonight, so (cross my fingers) I'm hoping he is starting to get over the colic. He was really happy all night and talking and cooing at everybody.

We set him on Wyatt's big wheel, just to give him a feel for it. Since he is a Mckenzie boy, he is bound to end up riding a bike. And he better start now, so he can keep up with his older brother and his daddy.

Wyatt loves riding all of his bikes, although he still hasn't learned how to pedal yet. Which is why he likes his motorcycle so much, because its more of a balance bike and there aren't any pedals, he just pushes himself around on it.

And, as usual, Shane spent most of the time that we were all outside talking on his phone. VERY ANNOYING! But hey, I can't complain, because at least he was home with us, right?

live, laugh, love....and drool

2009-07-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

wisdom teeth, and their many ways to cause pain

2009-07-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

So I got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday, and the whole experience was extremely painful, and even today I'm still in a lot of pain. I was lucky enough to have my sister and Shane to help me out yesterday, but I'm all alone today. We will see how it goes.

Double fisting it

2009-07-10T12:27:00.001-07:00

Max has recently discovered his fists and how much fun it is to try to shove both of them in his mouth. Its actually really funny to watch, because he looks like he is concentrating so hard.

well-baby checks always turn into baby not so well

2009-07-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

Well-baby checks....who invented them? And while we are on that subject, who invented giving more tiny little helpless babies shots? It's the most horrible thing in the world to watch, and I stood there, utterly useless, nothing in my mommy powers could make the shots not hurt my poor little chunkers. He was just lying there, happy as can be, until the nurse shoved not one, not two, but three large needles into his tiny little thighs. The first thing he did was to look at me completely shocked, like "why are you letting them do this to me, mommy?" And then burst into tears. I felt horrible. But it was over just as fast as it started, and I'm sure by now the only reminder he has of the horrific event is a sore muscle in his leg from the tetanus shot. My poor, little pumpkin :(

The good news from the appointment is that he is now 24 inches long and weighs 13 pounds. He is in the 75th percentile for his height, weight, and head circumference. And I did manage to remember all the questions I had for the doctor, and I left there feeling reassured. I just hope that my colicky little guy doesn't have a rough night tonight.

spending time with my little one

2009-07-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

As much as I love having two kids, I also love the moments when I get to have one-on-one time with my boys. When Wyatt is taking his nap, I love just holding Max and staring into his beautiful big blue eyes. I know I need to cherish these moments because before I know it, he is going to be a little terror just like his brother. It's sad to think he will never be this small again, just like Wyatt will never be two again (I think I am less sad about that). What's even sadder to me is the fact that I will never have a newborn of my own to take care of again. Shane and I have both decided that as of right now, we are more than happy with our two little boys. Maybe someday, ten years down the line, we might decide to adopt a little girl, but as for our own biological children, this is it. But I couldn't be happier right now. I love the new addition to our family, he already fits right in. Now I just have to figure out some way to stop time so he doesn't get any bigger.

Mornings

2009-07-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, keeping up with my goal to blog every day, here's what we did today. First of all, there is nothing better in the world than waking up in my bed with both of my boys next to me. Lately, Wyatt has been coming into bed when Shane leaves for work in the morning, and then I usually pull Max into bed with us around 7am. They are both such mommies boys and I love spending that morning time with both of them. I feel so bonded with both of them, and it's hard to look at them and not feel so much love for both of them, even if I didn't get any sleep the night before.

As for the rest of the day, my Grandpa Ted came over and we all went out to lunch and then took the boys to the playground to play. Then we came home and the boys both went down for a nap, and I got some time to have a heart-to-heart talk with my Grandpa, which was really nice. My mom brought over pizza on her way home from work, and then Grandpa left with her.

It was also Shane and I's 2 year wedding anniversary, but since we are currently broke and since my grandpa was in town, we have decided to celebrate it this weekend. My lovely hubby did bring me home some beautiful flowers and a pepsi (he knows me too well). I love you, honey!!