Your Daddy

Avery McKenna, I am totally in love with your daddy. I think he is amazing. We have fun together. We laugh together. And he is totally in love with you. We both agree that our life is better with you in it. Our life and our marriage. All because of you.

Pumpkins and Costumes and Christmas

Well, my dear, you were all about sleeping today while I took Quinn to pick out pumpkins. But we got one for you. (You waited in the car...) When we went to the Barnyard Boo at the Thanksgiving Point Farm. You came on a wagon ride with Quinn and me, and you were so quiet while we listened to a witch storyteller.

Quinn and I dressed you up in my Halloween costume. You are a pink skeleton. You glow in the dark. I put the costume and Quinn in the closet today so she could see it glow!

Even though you are too young to care about Halloween, having you around makes everything better. I can't wait to celebrate Christmas with you. And everyone knows that Halloween night is the first night of Christmas.

Food, Glorious, Food

Wasn't sure if I was going to jump on the food-at-4-months bandwagon with McKenna, but it is kind of fun to see those cute baby faces spitting out the food and getting all confused. So, I went for it. Didn't want to buy anything, so we started with banana. Quinn helped, and McKenna gagged.

A few days later I made homemade rice cereal, and McKenna ate more and gagged more. It's a work in process. My favorite part of the process is watching Quinn feed McKenna. She is great at it.

Today McKenna seemed to be trying to hide her rice cereal in her bib when I wasn't looking. Looks like I have my worked cut out for me ... or Quinn does.


Homemade Baby Rice Cereal

Cook any kind of rice at a 3:1 ratio. If you are cooking 1 cup of raw rice, add 3 cups of water. If it is brown size, add at least 3 1/2 cups of water for one cup of rice.

Put a few spoonfuls of rice into a magic bullet, blender or chopper. Add water until the mix is the right consistency for your baby's development. Add formula powder to fortify the cereal.

4 Months and Counting

So, I think we are back to sleeping through the night. Amen. I feel better already.

McKenna rolled over (once) for the first time. Tummy to back, of course, because she was so pissed when I put her on her tummy. But she seemed pretty happy to be on her back and not go anywhere.

She is also POOPING EVERYWHERE!!! A few outfits a day. Not sure what changed, but something did for sure.

And then last night we finally OFFICIALLY fed her some solid food. I went with pureed bananas. They made her gag, but she seemed happy. When i got sick of sitting and spoon feeding, Quinn took over and did great. We'll see what happens next.

McKenna's also starting to get distracted when she nurses. She pulls her head away when I drink water or when Quinn joins the party. What a crazy lady.

Tim is worried she might be anti-bottle again since we just took her to LA for 7 days with no bottle. We'll see.

Eating and Sleeping

So, McKenna stopped sleeping through the night a few weeks ago. Not sure what happen. But it all went to pot. It caught up with me a few days later, and I have been completely exhausted ever since. Continuous sleep is a jewel, a prize. I miss it.

But last night she (and I) slept from about 10 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. Let me tell you I have never been so happy to be awake at 4:22 a.m. I knew the minute I opened my eyes that I had just got more continuous sleep than I had in weeks. Sad, but wonderful.

Just when the Mama thinks she's got this down .... oh, humility. It's good for us, I guess.

Anyway, Aunt Kristie bought up the fact that I might need to start feed Kenna solids to help her sleep through the night. Not looking forward to that. I've probably mentioned this before, but with Quinn I basically sat around and waited from March 10 (her birthday) to July 4, the first day I gave her solid food. There isn't much else to do when you've only got one.

We'll see. I am also not so sure that I want rice cereal to be her first solid. It really doesn't ahve anything in it, and that is not the kind of diet I support. I know her body needs to start small and all that, but I like to over think things and make them more complicated. For sure, though, I am not buying baby food this time around.

Again, We'll see.

Seems like you spend a lot of time working on your abs. You never lay your head down anymore. You're in a constant ab crunch. Someone is ready to sit up soon.

You got a lot louder today!! You've got some serious lungs. Hurts my ears. John Mayer helps in the car a little. But wow that's loud.

Matchy Matchy Picture Day and A Hat

I happened to have two of the same cute Old Navy shirt, and I they magically both fit the girls right now by a hair. To say the least, Quinn was beside herself with excitement to be matchy, matchy with McKenna. In fact, after I changed McKenna into a different but accidently similar outfit, Quinn thought they were still matchy matchy and would not change her own clothes for another 24 hours.

Anyway, here are the pics we took on matchy, matchy Wednesday and pictures of McKenna in a hat. It turns out she is about the most beautiful baby ever ESPECIALLY in a hat. Who knew? Didn't think she could get much cuter. But she did. Much love to all.

First Food

McKenna's official first food was mashed potatoes at Sarah Gillespie's wedding luncheon. It came to Tim and I at the same moment, and we went for it. She seemed to like it. No pictures. It is amazing how much less you care about a first bite of food with baby number 2 when you have so much else to do. Basically, with your first you just sit around for 4 months and wait until the doctor gives you the thumbs up to feed it. :)

Sometimes I give McKenna a mushy bite of Total cereal.

Not sure when we'll start "real" foods on a regular basis. I am in no hurry. At this age Quinn was yelling at us when we ate without sharing. McKenna doesn't seem to mind too much.

Toys and Poops

Just as I was opening this post to write, I looked at Mckenna who is sitting on the couch next to me leaning against a pillow like she is in this picture. I saw her look at a toy that was sitting on her leg and, just like that, she picked it up and put it in her mouth. What a smarty pants. She is growing so fast. And also pooping so fast. She has not been one to blow out of a diaper, but yesterday she ruined 3 onesies, and only time and laundry will tell if the outfits survived. I call these 20 minute blowouts because that is about how much time it takes me to clean her up and try to save the clothes.