Uncle Jake!

The Monday before Christmas, Mackenzie & Keelyn's Uncle Jake came for a short visit before he flew out of Atlanta. Mackenzie had a great time being entertained by him - he got to play with playdough, color, & run after her everytime she said "wun wif me!!". I think he might have slept well on the plane after his visit with her! Come back soon Uncle Jake!

A Little R & R

Keelyn's most favorite place in the world (other than in someone's arms) is in her bouncy seat. Which is funny b/c Mackenzie really didn't get into the bouncy seat. Different personalities already! I caught this picture of her before we left for Florida - doesn't she look like she's so comfy?!? A little R&R from her rough (HA!) life :)

Making Brownies

Mackenzie & I made some brownies together the week before Christmas. I think the photo speaks more than I can write about how much fun she had (particularly how much fun she had licking the bowl after we were done!).

Seeing Santa

We went to see Santa on the Sunday before Christmas this year & planned to go with our friends so that the little ones could keep each other entertained in line & also so that while the dads (or moms) walked around while we waited, whoever stayed in line could still have someone to talk to. It was a pretty brilliant plan, I think we'll try that one again next year!

The Santa photo turned out pretty funny......I've managed to never have the screaming photo of Santa with my first child. She doesn't smile so much, but doesn't have the horrified screaming/reaching for mommy photo. She usually has a serious sort of concerned look, but stays composed. My second born, decided to start her visits with Santa with a crying photo. Oh well! What is most funny about it is that Santa looks a bit scared himself. I think he is concentrating really hard on not dropping the crying newborn!

Here's some photos of us waiting for our turn with Santa.....

Love this picture of the girls trying to get a glimpse of Santa. Ella was hanging on the gate too, but then turned around and flashed this cute smile :)

Such great little friends!

Holding my littlest girl (ignore the spot of spit up on the side of her mouth!)

Beautiful Matching Sisters

Before our outing to see Santa Claus, I made Brannon snap a few pictures of our little girls in the first (of many) matching dresses! Never knew how much fun it would be to dress up two matching sisters - I know now why my mom has so many photos of my sister & I matching! It was also nice to have Keelyn actually happy at the same time that I wanted the photo & both were all dressed AND Keelyn didn't mind having her sister hold her (She can be rather particular about how she is held and Mackenzie doesn't always fit that mold, HA!). So here they are:

I Give.....

Okay, so having two kids.....so much work! Not sure when I'll get my blog back up to date (if ever.....). But I'm going to go ahead and try to start off with up to date blogs and go back and fill in as I can - or else I may never get back into it! I really hope I can fill in the missing stuff though, because I have high hopes of printing the blog out one day for a keepsake of these precious fleeting years in my little girls lives :) I feel kind of bad for Keelyn b/c the second kid always gets shortchanged in this department. Mackenzie's first year was painfully & meticulously documented. Keelyn's is vastly behind so far. Oh well. I do what I can! I'm a second born & it didn't scar me, so I'll assume the same for her. So, we'll start with Christmas 2010 and go from there!

1 Month Check up

Wow. Keelyn was one month old yesterday. It has FLOWN by. Funny how each exhausting minute seems like an eternity, but then all of a sudden a month is gone. Life is crazy like that. I told Brannon that it is the ultimate irony in life that we anxiously await for this newborn/terrible two phase to get better/more manageable, but then when it's passed we miss it.

Anywhoo, due to turning 1 month yesterday, Keelyn went for her 1 month check up today. Dr said she was looking great & getting chubby :) She has continued to gain weight very well since her last weight check - continuing to gain an ounce a day. So, here's her stats:

• Weight - 8 lbs, 10 oz (40%)
• Height - 21 inches (70% WOW for our short family.....)
• Head was 35% but never remember this measurement

I got home and promptly (well, after getting one down for a nap, feeding one, feeding myself.....) checked out Mackenzie's 1 month stats. She was 8 lbs, 4 oz (25%) & 21 1/4 inches. So, they are fairly similar. Keelyn started 8 oz bigger, so she's staying a little ahead on that front although they are closing the gap since she is now only 6 oz bigger at the same juncture.

The other weird thing is the height percentiles. We are now going to a different pediatrician since we've moved. Mackenzie's height percentile was given to me from the old pediatrician as

50% for height. Okay, but Keelyn is actually shorter and they said she was 70% for height. Huh? Then, of course I googled an online percentile calculator & the two I tried said that her height is in the 25%. I've heard there are different charts that doctors can use, but these seem WAY different. Who knows..... She is healthy & growing, that's the important thing!

1 Week Old Reflections

Since I'm writing these blogs from quite a long back log now, it's harder to remember how exactly I was feeling. I remember that I was overwhelmed with the added responsibility & dreading having my parents leave.... It was so great to have the help with Mackenzie so I could focus on Keelyn, but I was also most sad about my missed time with Mackenzie. She had been my #1 buddy for the past two years, we spent almost all day every day together, and I knew she was missing that time with me & I was missing her. Slowly, we started getting our groove back and adjusting to our new normal, and that new normal will be better than the old.

The other interesting thing about bringing home your second baby (especially if they are both the same sex!) is that you get to see how different the two children are (I was informed of how they would be so different on many occasions, but seeing it for yourself is a whole 'nother

thing!). I think I always attributed some of Mackenzie's behavior/schedule/preferences to my parenting. She always slept great - well, I thought that had something to do with my swaddling her right from the start and being consistent with having her nap in her crib, etc. I'm

learning that she was just a good sleeper. Keelyn did NOT like the bassinet from day one. Has not taken a nap in her crib at all really. Doesn't seem to like being swaddled. And so, she's been sleeping in her vibrating bouncy seat (or our bed). She's definitely a different baby. And the most shocking discovery so far......she doesn't seem to like her pacifier. She took it a little that first week, but it's been downhill from there...... I think she's gonna be a little different that her sister, and it's gonna be fun to see how her personality becomes her own! Our little dark haired wonder :)

More First Visit Pics

My mother-in-law also got some great photos of Mackenzie's first visit to see her sister, so I couldn't resist posting a few more of that special day.....

I thought this was so cute, she brought her own baby to the hospital!

Taking her first look....

Practicing her diapering skills after seeing her sister!

The first hold!

So sweet! LOVE it!!

A Good Laugh

Just got a CD of the pictures that my mother-in-law took at the hospital and I really enjoyed a few of the pictures from Mackenzie's second visit. These were after they'd been there a little while and Mackenzie had lost some interest in the baby and became more interested in other novelties in the hospital room......

Nice picture, three generations of girls on my side of the family :)

Add my dad, but what are my mom & I laughing at???

Got my composure, now here's another nice one with Jan, me & Keelyn

Now I'm laughing again.....but why??

Here's a clue.....

Someone had found the buttons to take my bed up & down and was taking me on a ride!

Look Alikes

When I got up on our first Saturday at home as a family (I got to sleep in with Keelyn due to having three other adults in the house that first weekend!), I found my two look alikes watching a little Saturday morning TV together. Aren't they the cutest?? (well, there is one other person in this cute category but she was with me & not in the pic!).

First Bath

As expected, Keelyn was not a huge fan of her first bath. I mean, who can blame her.....it's a totally new feeling AND you have to do the sponge bath until the umbilical cord falls off - so I know that she had to be cold since not much of her body was submerged in warm water & once you get wet & not in water - it's cold! But she was much happier when she got out & wrapped up in her nice warm duckie towel! She has quickly come to love bath time despite this first attempt! (Of course, now we get to submerge a good bit of her body in the warm water so I know it feels much better!)

GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!

"Thank you Mommy for getting me outta there!"

All clean & warm in the cute duck head towel :)

Jumpin' Mack

My parents stayed with us for a week after Keelyn was born (MUCH needed!!!) and paid some special attention to my first "baby" and on Friday took her to the local bounce house with all the blown up bouncy things that kids love (and wear adults out!!). She has gotten more adventuresome since her last time & was climbing up to the big slide practically by herself - just my dad behind her in case she slipped but he said she was doing all the climbing herself :) What a big girl!

Best TV Viewing Position

For a young'un (is that how you spell that southern phrase???) anyways......this is not my most comfortable position these days, but I remember watching TV like this when I was a kid. My guess is she was watching Monsters, Inc here - she loves that show and kept asking or really making my dad to put it on TV!!

First Family Walk

Here we are on our first family walk. Hard to believe how many of us there are now! What a crew :)

Back to School

Mackenzie missed a couple days of school due to the birth of her sister (and then also voting day, the school was closed). So, she finally got to return to school the Thursday after Keelyn was born. My mom went with us and snapped a few pictures & I didn't have any pictures of her new school, so here's a peek at her new school.

Ready to go in her new rain coat - love that she sometimes will smile a big smile for the camera now

Walking in with mommy

Telling her teacher about her new sister

Teeny Tiny

I love how tiny my babies look when their daddy is holding them!

Sweet Sisters

So, Mackenzie has been SOOO excited about having a baby sister. Our early main concern was TOO much loving inflicted upon Keelyn - like hugging her too tightly, hugging her/laying on her, wanting to hold her ALL by herself, not wanting to give her back after holding her, etc...... But, I'm glad that seems to be the biggest concern most days between the two. Mackenzie frequently tells me that "baby Keelyn" is her friend (or fwend) and her buddy. I hope that friendship grows & grows. She has had some jealousy issues, but tends to show itself in a larger number of tantrums per day. I think she doesn't know how to express her frustration at the change in the amount of attention she gets, so she cries/whines/throws a tantrum at the drop of a hat. We're getting through it and I think its getting better as we all get more & more used to being a family of four. Here's a few pictures from the first week at home with these sweet little sisters:

She LOVES to hold her baby sister

I love this picture of these two. It looks like my fair skinned & tan skinned children! Their complexions are different, but Keelyn had a bit of jaundice so it's exaggerated here!

Checking out her new baby sister

She loves to kiss Keelyn!

First Doctor's Visit

Slowly, slowly, I'm catching my blog up to my life..... Here's some pictures of Keelyn's first visit to the doctor. She was only 6 lbs 14 oz at the visit (same as her discharge weight), so, of course, the doctor's had to schedule another visit to check her weight again. Luckily, I had been through this before, and this time I knew that my babies just take a little bit longer to start gaining weight. I was a little surprised, given how often Keelyn liked to eat! But regardless, I wasn't nearly as worried as I was the first go around when this happened with Mackenzie! The benefits of experience. It is so much less stressful! (We'll focus on the benefits for now because there are also some much more difficult aspects of having two, for sure!). And sure enough, no stress was needed because when we went back a week later, she was up to 7 lbs 7oz. That's an ounce gain per day. I think she's gonna be okay!

In her carseat, ready to go to the dr.

Getting checked.....looks like we have another healthy girl

Little cutie....not too happy to be on the scale!

The Love Affair Begins.....

On the day after Halloween, we took some pictures of Mackenzie enjoying her first candy bar! I think it was a Milky Way :) The beginning of a life long love affair with chocolate, if she's anything like her parents!

Halloween

Another example of Keelyn's impeccable timing is that we got out of the hospital on Halloween & home in time to still take Mackenzie trick or treating. Well, her daddy did - I stayed home with the new babe. But I was excited that Mackenzie still got to enjoy her Halloween - I would've hated for her to miss out :) Not that she would've known what she was missing! BUT - she is at an age where she can enjoy it now.

I bought her a Tigger outfit, inspired by her obsession with our neighbor's blow up Tigger they had in their yard for the whole month of October. We had to drive by the house (which is not my usual way in/out of the neighborhood) almost every time we left/came home! At first she was scared of Tigger, then started requesting to see him & wave at him as we drove by! She was apparently still a little scared when they tried to pose next to him on Halloween night.

She also was lucky enough to get to trick or treat with

her little friend, Ella (or the cute little duck in the pictures!). Brannon took some video of her saying "Trick or Treat" & I love it! Amazing how quickly they learn things in order to receive candy!

Here's a few pics & a video that her daddy took of her adventures.....

A bit distracted by the jack-o-lantern lights!

checking out her loot

Hangin' with Mommy, Granmommy, and Keelyn upon her return back home (and sucking on a lollipop.....or "ya-yee pop" as she says!)

Saying "Trick or Treat"