The Sheehan Show

Kenzie's Bedtime Prayer Tonight

2012-01-22T20:37:00.003-05:00

Kenzie: Dear God, please fly down here tonight and come sleep in my bed for a sleepover.
Mama: I think he heard you and he is going to come.
Kenzie: Noooo! I don't want him to come.
Mama: Well, he is already here, he is in your heart.
Kenzie: Dear God, how do you come here in my heart? Do you have a car or a truck?
. . . Silent Pause . . .
Mama: What did he say?
Kenzie: He said he has a bulldozer. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Carson's 1st Birthday

2012-01-20T15:38:00.005-05:00

Wow - has it really been almost two months since I last blogged? Oops! Where did the time go? Oh, that's right - Thanksgiving, Christmas and a 1st Birthday celebration! The last few months have been such a fun, festive and rewarding time for myself and our family. This is the first year I have had time off from Accenture around the holidays and wow - what a difference a little time off makes! I used to be working so much overtime during the holiday season and this year I got to live life, enjoy the kids and make merry. What a blessing and a privilege!

One of the best parts about this holiday season was that the celebrations continued right into Carson's 1st Birthday! This year has completely flown by. I cannot believe our little boy is one. He has been such a sweet, delightful blessing the past year. I cannot even put into words how much our family has changed and how big a part of all of us Carson is. I am sure all of you out there who have two kiddos know what I am feeling, but to be cliche - our family feels so complete now. He lights up our lives with all his crazy adventures around the house while melting our hearts with how sweet he is. I think Kenzie summed it up best the other morning when she was looking across the table at Carson while eating breakfast and said "Mommy, I love our baby brother."

Here are pictures of his birthday party and some playtime in the snow on his actual birthday (yes we were in our PJs). Enjoy!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-10T09:38:00.003-05:00

Halloween was so much fun this year! The neighborhood seemed a little more festive, there were tons of trick or treators out really early and Kenzie got to go door to door with her bestie Seth. She had so much fun and loved chowing down on her candy when she got home. She even tried to sneakily eat a last piece after daddy said no more by hiding under the table. She definitely has my sweet tooth - my parents probably caught me doing that every halloween as well. Carson was a long for the ride in his wagon, but mostly preoccupied himself with the wheels, hardware and holes in the wagon instead of the halloween festivities. He spent most of the time doubled over investigating the wagon floor.

Big Springs Farm

2011-11-10T09:37:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful fall, family day at big springs farm when Mema and CB came to visit. What a cute place - we saw farm animals, jumped in the bouncy house and went for a hay ride. Enjoy the pics!

Carson - 9 months

2011-10-14T15:28:00.003-04:00

What is Carson up to at 9 months you might ask? Well, what is he not up to or should I say into. He is a little tornado all over the house. Still a sweet, precious baby, but a tornado none the less. Here are some pictures of his latest adventures.

Farm Day

2011-10-14T15:19:00.005-04:00

Kenzie had Farm Day at school on Tuesday. A mobile petting zoo (who knew they had those?) came and set up shop so the kids could love on some cute, cuddly farm animals. I must say, I like the idea because you get to see all the animals without the farm stench. My favorite part was when Kenzie figured out she could take the pony's leash off of the post he was stuck too and walk off with him. They only got a few steps away before the pony stuck his nose in my behind and snorted. I guess he wanted to get my attention so I could rescue him from the wild farmgirl. There is nothing Kenzie loves more than a party - she ran all around, had a great time and loved getting dressed up! The Wee School is such a blessing for her and us - we all love it.

Carson - 8 months old

2011-09-27T21:38:00.000-04:00

He just couldn't get any cuter . . .

On the move

2011-09-07T13:45:00.004-04:00

Carson is crawling and pulling up on everything in sight. He is like a bull in a china shop! We considered our house pretty well baby proofed from Kenzie, but Carson is proving us wrong. He has already pull over end tables, lamps, pulled off the fireplace doors and gotten into all unlocked drawers. He has a fascination with cabinet knobs and will do everything he can to grab them, pull up on them and keep reaching higher and higher.

7 months old

2011-08-18T09:40:00.000-04:00

The seven month mark came with a new face last week. There is also a new noise to go along with this face, but I am not sure how to put that in to words. Carson also figured out that he can get around and get to anything he wants to. He is not yet doing a tradition crawl - sometimes it is an army drag, sometimes an inch worm slither, sometimes a scoot - - not quite sure how to put it into words either. All I know is that he can get anywhere now and won't stay still for 2 seconds once he is down on the floor!

Kenzie's First Day of School!

2011-08-18T09:30:00.004-04:00

She did great - no tears at drop off and was just as excited to go again today. The only bad news is she would not tell me hardly anything about it - I got no info out of her! The only thing she was happy to tell me when she got home was that she did not eat all over her lunch and she had to finish eating it at home. Ha!

6 month and 3 year photo shoot

2011-08-11T21:50:00.004-04:00

There is no better way to freeze how precious your babies are than in pictures. I might go a little overboard on portraits each year, but I love being able to look back at how adorable my kids are at every stage. Carson hit the 6 month mark and Kenzie turned three and here are their adorable faces:

Now for the entertainment. The whole event of taking both kids for a photo shoot is completely exhausting. I know any mom can attest to that. However exhausting and stressed and frazzled you are at the end, there is still enough humor to make you laugh all the way through it. Here are some of the funnier bloopers - enjoy!

I have teeth!

2011-07-27T15:13:00.001-04:00

6 months and going strong

2011-07-20T21:09:00.004-04:00

Strong - that is Carson in a nutshell! Actually, he is so strong there is no way you can confine him to a shape even close to a nutshell. The little wiggle worm prefers to stand, will hardly let you wrestle him into your arms to rock and actively scoots or rolls to get to anything he wants to. His latest move is scooting towards anything that he can grab onto to try and help pull him to a sitting/crawling/standing position. I would be shocked if he wasn't crawling by 7 months - he tries with all his might to do it everyday now.

Now for the gushy stuff - our little Carson is the sweetest, cutest, most chill little man ever. We are amazed daily at his adorable, even tempered, tolerant (of sissy of course), inquisitive and happy demeanor. We are so blessed to have had this wonderful little angel in our lives for the last six months!

My little princess turns 3!

2011-07-20T16:32:00.005-04:00

My precious baby girl turned 3. Wow. I cannot say it enough - time really does fly. We had an awesome birthday celebration for her this weekend with a Cinderella bouncy house castle in the backyard. She loved every minute of it! Thank you to all our friends and family for coming to celebrate with us and brinding her such wonderful gifts!

Carson's View of the World . . .

2011-07-01T20:48:00.002-04:00

. . . just got a little more upright!

He is officially sitting up at five and a half months and he loves it. In fact, when he topples over, he is already trying to squirm and scoot to try and get back to a sitting position. He also loves the new perspective it gives him to watch anything and everything big sissy is up to. She is still his favorite person by far!

Thank you doesn't say enough . . .

2011-06-21T14:43:00.006-04:00

. . . to the most wonderful daddy and hubby in the world! Sunday we celebrated Tanner's birthday and father's day at home, just the four of us. It felt like a normal, relaxing day (if having a three year old and a 5 month old is considered relaxing). However, there is nothing just normal about Tanner. He has been the best and most supportive husband a girl could ask for over the last five months when our home life changed dramatically. He is a man who puts his family first, is involved in everything at home from cleaning to cooking to bottle washing to kid's schedules and still finds time to bring home the bacon and keep the best yard on the block. I love him for everything he does to try and make my life better and easier on a daily basis. From Kenzie, Carson and I - thanks for all you do for us daddy!

Five months have already past . . . really?

2011-06-21T14:30:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe my baby boy is five months old!! Seriously, where is the time going? He has grown up in the blink of an eye and well, actually, he has blown up too! Ha! We definitely have a big boy on our hands. My guess is he will be over 20 pounds by his 6 month check up. His chubby thighs might make you think he is too big to move, but our little guy is a mover and a shaker. He is rolling all over the place (can't keep him confined), starting to try and scoot or sort of army crawl on his belly, sleeping on his belly now and about to sit up!

If they were born at the same time, they'd be twins!

2011-05-28T10:48:00.005-04:00

So I was at the doctor yesterday getting Carson's ears checked because he has his first cold and even the nurse says "oh my goodness, he looks just like his sister" and Kenzie wasn't even with me! I figured it was time to post some comparison pictures so everyone can see how similar they really look as babies. I call them our little twins. Sometimes when I look down at Carson, all I can see is Kenzie when she was a baby. Carson has about 5 pounds on her at this age and a lot less hair, but their little eyes, noses and mouths look just alike. I am not sure how long it will last, but l love their precious baby faces just how they are right now!

(I am having issues with one pic showing up in the slideshow - just click on the first picture and it will bring up picasaweb and you can see all the pics there)

Easter 2011

2011-04-28T10:41:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with family. We were fortunate to spend time with Mema, CB, Mimi, Noni, Popi, Chet, Brook, Keaton and Brook's parents. We are so lucky to be loved by and have the opportunity to love so many wonderful family members.

My favorite Easter moment was during church. We brought Carson into the service because I am too much of a germaphobe to put him in the nursery yet. He was such a good boy the whole time. Tanner was holding him and he barely made a sound minus some small gurgles and coos. However, at the very end of the service when the pastor was praying and asked new believers to accept Jesus as their lord and savior - Carson decided to speak up. He made a short, but loud cry and Tanner bolted down the aisle and out to the hallway. Some might think it is a tad early, but I guess my boy already proclaimed he loves Jesus - thank heavens for that! Ha!

Carson at 3 months

2011-04-14T21:57:00.007-04:00

Wow - has it really been three months? I can't believe it! Time has gone by so quickly. While I am happy to have made it through the winter and the newborn stage, I must admit I am a little sad those days are over. I feel like Carson gets bigger and bigger everyday and is no longer my tiny little boy! He rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time this week and is still sleeping through the night every night. We are so lucky to be getting sleep this early - I am thankful for that everyday! Here are some pics of what ole 'Tarse' as Kenzie would say has been up to this week as a big 3 month old:

Since I brought up the topic of Kenzie-isms, here are all of her self made nicknames for her little brother (in order of frequency of use):

Squeaker (pronounced: kee-uhh, explanation: Carson squeaked more than cried at first)

Squeak (pronounced: keek)

Tarse

Carse

Wittle Buddy

Wittle Boy

She continues to amaze me as a big sister. My mommy moment this week was when she grabbed his hand and held it in Publix to help calm him down. It worked! He stopped crying and she held his hand for the last five minutes before we got in the car. Too sweet for words. I wish I would have snapped a picture with my phone so I could always remember that moment.

Light as a feather, stiff as a board

2011-04-05T16:20:00.004-04:00

The full meaning of this title and picture cannot really be understood unless you have been around Carson. For those of you who haven't, the boy is super strong for a two month old. He is always arching his back and throwing his head back and refuses to bend normal, especially when you are trying to bend him over or lean him on your shoulder to burp him. This sounds like a mad baby or baby that is in pain, but he is typically very happy and still does this even when looking around the room or trying to get a glance of the ceiling fan.

In this pic, you might think I am throwing him up or bending his body to stick out - nope, none of the above. All I am doing is holding his little body to where any normal baby would hang down, dangling feet towards the floor. Not Carson. He arches his back so much and becomes stiff as a board that his whole body sticks out stiff and parallel to the floor. Like I said - light as a feather, stiff as a board.

Something to smile about

2011-03-27T15:37:00.006-04:00

Carson is two months old - who-hoo! I cannot believe how fast the time is going by. I feel like my tiny brand new baby boy is gone and has been replaced by a big boy with an adorable smile and crazy hair! He gets cuter and cuter everyday.

Kenzie continues to be an amazing, sweet, caring, loving big sister. I never expected all of that from her and she surprises me everyday with how much of mommy's helper she is. The moment that melted my heart last week happened one night while tanner was at tennis. As usual, the bath and bed time routine was quite the hassle with only one mommy and two little ones. Carson had reached his max of patience while I was finishing getting Kenzie dressed for bed. He was in the master bath in his bouncy seat crying and Kenzie and I were in her room. She ran down to see about him and got there a good minute before me (I am sure I was cleaning up some mess some where). Things got awfully quiet in the bathroom - neither kid making any noise. As I rounded the corner, I was geared up to yell at Kenzie for doing something wrong (assuming the worst based on the lack of noise), but to my surprise, I found her kneeling on the bathroom floor slowly bouncing the bouncy seat to settle Carson down just like a little mommy. She had the sweetest look on her face like she knew she had helped make Carson happy. I was so proud and shed a few tears over the moment.

The naked cowboy comes to Woodstock

2011-03-25T09:11:00.005-04:00

This is a more G rated version than the one in NYC, but eye catching none the less.

We did it and we survived

2011-03-14T15:10:00.004-04:00

We took the plunge and decided to take our first car trip to Savannah with both kids. Everything went great - we only had to stop one time between both car trips! And it just so happened there was a Kroger at the exit we stopped at, so Tanner fed Carson sitting at the front of the store and Kenzie and I did the grocery shopping. Two things done at once! We had a wonderful time with the fam (as always) and Carson enjoyed getting to go to Mimi and Granddad's house for the first time. Here are some pics from the weekend:

It's almost been a year since our last post . . .

2011-03-03T00:10:00.000-05:00

. . . and a lot has happened in the Sheehan show. Here is our 2010 top ten list of all the things we missed sharing:

1. Tanner got a new job at Infinity
2. Shelby got pregnant
3. Kenzie turned 2
4. Kenzie started preschool
5. Shelby went back to work full time at Accenture
6. Shelby was put on bed rest for last 6 weeks of pregnancy
7. Tanner got a big promotion at Infinity
8. Carson Tanner Sheehan was born in the ice storm on 1/13/2011
9. Carson was diagnosed with acid reflux - here we go again
10. Shelby took over the blog

Please stop back by often to see what is going on in our lives. I promise I won't let another year go by without blogging! I want this to be a place where all our family and friends can keep up with our lives and see our family grow.

The next few posts are going to be a blast of pictures to get everyone up to date with how our family has grown and how we have all adjusted so far in 2011. Enjoy!

Carson's Arrival

2011-03-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

Carson's First Bath

2011-03-02T21:09:00.000-05:00

First month of our new family moments

2011-03-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

Carson is 1 Month Old Already!

2011-03-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

Carson can see!

2011-03-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

About 6 weeks in, our little guy really started to see everything around him. Here he is discovering his bumble bees on his swing for the first time.

Early Sibling Rivalry

2011-03-02T21:05:00.000-05:00

Snowstorm 2010

2010-03-02T12:24:00.000-05:00

We had almost three inches on snow in early February and Kenzie had a blast playing in it. If the annual snowfall keeps up at this rate, Kenzie will have seen as much snow by the time she turns 4 as we had by the time we turned 30.

Happy Birthday Ava!

2010-03-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

Kenzie celebrated her playmate Ava's birthday in late January. Her nanny Miss Nina made cupcakes and then let the little ones go to town. The pictures really highlight the excellent table manners we've instilled in her over the last year and a half.

There is Definitely a Fascination with Shoes.

2010-03-02T12:14:00.000-05:00

Kenzie puts on shoes whenever she gets the chance. It doesn't matter whose thy are, she will put them on. Oddly enough, she seems to know when they're on the wrong foot and will change them around if they don't feel right. What's even more odd is that she doesn't mind when one of them turns around backwards (3rd picture). Apparently that's way more tolerable than having the left shoe on the right foot.

Kenzie Sleds for the First Time!

2010-02-14T20:38:00.001-05:00

So We Had "Snow"

2010-01-24T09:09:00.000-05:00

We got a good quarter-inch of snow a few weeks ago and Kenzie loved crunching around in it. This was actually her second snow in as many years, but we look forward to the time when we can get some accumulation for her to really play in. Notice how angelic she looks in the second picture. It doesn't hurt that the sunlight almost forms a halo around her head. That's probably one of my favorite pictures of her so far, and I have to give Shelby credit for the shot.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-24T08:59:00.000-05:00

As evidenced by the look of complete despair in Kenzie's face, Santa has yet to gain quite the mystique in her eyes that we know he will in future years. However, the mystique of wrapping paper came in full force. We had a great time this Christmas with family and friends and we look forward to all of the anticipation that Christmas of 2010 will bring. Oh, and don't mind her weird Uncle Ryan in the womens Christmas sweater. He gets that way around the holidays.

The First "Haircut"

2009-11-30T20:36:00.000-05:00

"Haircut" is in quotes because we don't think Kenzie had any more than about 60 actual hairs cut, but Mom wanted the first one to go lightly. As can be expected, Kenzie was a little apprehensive when we placed her in the racecar barber chair and asked her to sit down while a stranger with scissors sprayed her hair down with grape-scented water and began combing and pulling at her hair. She swatted down the scissors-wielding hand much like she does when a hand comes at her with unfamiliar foods attached to the end. But once we gave her her first Dum-Dum lollipop, all was right with the world. She happily watched Winnie the Pooh on television, tore through her Dum-Dum like it was the first taste of sugar she had ever had, and the whole ordeal was over in about five minutes.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:24:00.000-05:00

Kenzie went trick-or-treating dressed as a chicken this year. Sadly, we were the only ones who knew it was a chicken costume, as everyone else we passed called her a little duckling. There are some shots of her with her friend Ava, whose costume was less ambiguous than Kenzie's. We gave her the traditional plastic pumpkin in which to put her candy, and she knew just what to do. She carefully placed each piece of candy that was handed to her right into the bucket (along with the occasional leaf.) We had a blast.

Fall Scenes

2009-11-01T21:20:00.000-05:00

Kenzie had a good time in the maple leaves in the front yard. We also took her to a pumpkin patch at a little farm near our house.

The New Playroom

2009-11-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

The hardwoods just weren't doing it for Kenzie so we moved on to bigger and better surfaces. The leftover floor tiles make an excellent maze!

I Coulda Been a Contendah.

2009-11-01T20:47:00.000-05:00

Kenzie got her first shiner in early October after a nasty spill in the bathtub. It was so sad to see her swollen eye the next morning, but now that there's some distance between us and the incident the pictures are slightly humorous.

Last Days of Summer

2009-11-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

September marked the end of Kenzie's first "real" summer, and we thought it went extremely well (minus a few ear infections and some brutal teething.) Included in this set are pictures from Savannah, some with the hose in the back yard, and Kenzie's first test drive of her new rocking chair.

August

2009-09-30T21:17:00.000-04:00

So we're now more than a little behind, put here are a few snapshots of Kenzie throughout August. We liberally applied SPF 50, but she got brown nevertheless.

One Year Photos

2009-09-30T21:10:00.000-04:00

Kenzie has been the darling of the camera until her one year photos. That all came crashing down when Mom and Noni took her to Portrait Innovations. Kenzie was in a raw mood that day, and on top of that, the white backdrop against which some of the shots were taken scared the bejeesus out of her. Below is what they managed to capture. Though most of the shots are still adorable, there's an underlying element of displeasure in a few of the pictures. She's onto our game now.

ONE YEAR!!!

2009-07-22T20:46:00.000-04:00

Did twelve months just pass? We're not sure. It sort of feels like a boxing match in which the underdog fighter gets knocked down (not out) a couple of times in the early rounds, but manages to struggle and scrap and somehow come out on top in the end.

We've said to each other that the last year has brought some of the fastest months and some of the slowest months of our lives. We think back to watching the Olympics at 4:00am last summer and those times feel like they crawled by. Then we think about how Easter, Mother's Day, and Father's Day all seemed to occur within one week. Kenzie crawled and held her own bottle for the first time in the same day - that was dizzying. She woke up at 6am every morning for several weeks as a few of her teeth came in - those days felt like they'd never end.

But after all of it, we have to say that our lives have been enriched in ways that we never could have imagined before becoming parents. To look at your one year old stumbling through the backyard with a ball in her left hand and a shoe in her right and then rewind 11 months and remember that same precious creature with eyes barely open, limbs curled, struggling just to bring a hand to her face, is an experience that can't be properly described. To watch one's wife, best friend, and college sweetheart become a nurturing mother and patient teacher is a proud and eye-opening experience of a completely different kind. It is freeing to feel one's own selfishness and self-interest fade away as the concept of a child as an obligation and a responsibility gives way to the reality that that child is a privilege and a gift.

What's most shocking is that Kenzie is the vessel that has brought us all of these experiences. When you think about it, she can't talk, she can't play music, she can't send text messages, she doesn't have WiFi, she can't bathe herself or make her own meals. But she can smile, she can squeal, she can hide behind a chair, she can giggle, she can give us kisses, she can put her fingers in our mouths, noses, and eyes while we rock her to sleep.

Those are the things that have made one little twelve-month period the most significant and rewarding of our 30 years on earth.

Kenzie's First Vacation

2009-07-22T20:40:00.000-04:00

The Mirabals ("Noni" and "Popi") took the family on vacation to Perdido Key, Florida during the 4th of July week. This was Kenzie's first family vacation, and she had a blast! Although we think she's definitely a freshwater fish, preferring the pool to the ocean, she had a great time playing in the sand (and eating some along the way.)

11 Months Old - 1 Month Too Late!

2009-07-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

Still catching up . . .

10 Months Old - 2 Months Too Late!

2009-07-22T20:09:00.001-04:00

Okay, so we're catching up on some old pictures, but we wanted to have pictures to show for every month of Kenzie's first year.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-26T14:19:00.000-04:00

Mommy is hijacking the blog for a minute to post the Father's Day Collage I made for Tanner. He has been the most wonderful father I could have ever imagined this year. He completely blew me away with how much he took care of Kenzie, went above and beyond to help me out and put everything to do with our family first. I fell in love with him all over again watching him become the most amazing dad in the world!

Look at my new wheels!

2009-06-26T11:40:00.000-04:00

Spring is Here

2009-06-01T13:38:00.000-04:00

The tulips are beautiful this time of year.

This . . . is Ammmmmmmerican Idol!

2009-06-01T13:35:00.000-04:00

Oops!

2009-06-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

Kenzie and her cousin Keaton take a little spill after posing for a picture.

The First Beach Day

2009-05-28T14:16:00.000-04:00

We took Kenzie to the beach in Savannah over Mother's Day weekend. To our surprise she found the sand delightful, but her opinion of the water was decidedly less favorable. It's going to require some work to get her comfortable with the water before our beach trip at the end of June.

Some Pictures of the Monster at 9 Months . . .

2009-05-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

Kenzie Want a Cracker?

2009-05-11T16:25:00.002-04:00

Kenzie loves to watch us eat things while we're holding her. Crunchy things like chips hold her interest the best, but we've also found her to enjoy witnessing the consumption of a jellybean or two (thanks, Mema, for the Easter basket.) Apparently the most attractive food thus far has been Ritz Crackers. Sharing the cracker with us was her idea, not ours.

XBox 360 Time

2009-05-11T16:22:00.000-04:00

This is an older series of Kenzie and I playing XBox together. My favorite game is from the "Call of Duty" series, so please notice Kenzie's "Call of Doodie" onesie given to her by our friends Jen and Paul.

Model Material

2009-04-14T15:42:00.000-04:00

Shelby took Kenzie to a photoshoot for Koo Koo Bear Kids, a children's clothing and accessories company who is looking for "models." The shot the photographer chose is in the following link:

http://www.jamesadamhill.com/?s=mackenzie

Easter Pictures

2009-04-14T15:30:00.000-04:00

Easter didn't turn out exactly how we expected. Kenzie had an ear infection last week that turned into two ear infections and a full body rash after a week of apparently ineffective amoxicillin therapy. So Saturday and Sunday were interesting days for us and church on Easter morning was not a possibility. Nevertheless, we put her in the Easter dress that Mimi bought her and snapped some shots.

To Crawl or Not to Crawl?

2009-03-18T14:27:00.000-04:00

We tried to catch some action shots of Kenzie crawling, but she's not quite there yet. She definitely has the urge to move, but she's probably as close to walking as she is to crawling.

Look at That Face!

2009-03-18T14:26:00.000-04:00

Kenzie's First Glimpse of Snow

2009-03-16T15:02:00.000-04:00

Atlanta had a "snowstorm" a few weeks ago and we snapped this shot. I'm not superimposed into the picture - just underdressed.

Seven Months

2009-02-22T18:33:00.000-05:00

We promise that we didn't go to the mall for a "Glamour Shot." Although a pink feather boa really would have worked well with this one.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

Shelby made Kenzie a sign for her Valentine's Day pictures. Unfortunately, our little one has already begun to show how principled she can be, as she clearly objects to the completely commercial nature of this "Hallmark Holiday." In tearing up the cute pink and white heart sign, Kenzie symbolically laid waste to the concepts of materialism, overpriced prix fixe candlelight dinners at posh restaurants, and fancy jewelry that seems to say "I must show you how much I love you by spending money that I can't afford to spend."

Actually she's just in a really bad paper-crumbling phase. She does the same thing with menus, receipts, napkins, magazines, mail, etc.

Kenzie at Six Months Old

2009-02-14T12:54:00.000-05:00

Cousins

2009-02-14T12:52:00.001-05:00

"Let's Keep This Between Me and You . . ."

2009-01-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

First Tooth

2009-01-19T14:45:00.000-05:00

Kenzie's first tooth broke the surface on Christmas day. The little bugger came with a fair amount of discomfort for the ornery Miss Mackenzie. We're already working on tooth #2 now, and she's no less ornery about the arrival of this one either. Click to enlarge the picture and you can see it on the center right.

Two Peas

2009-01-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

Shelby and Kenzie in their matching brown sweatsuits. I don't know which one is more beautiful.

The Nursery

2009-01-19T14:38:00.000-05:00

Some pictures of the nursery.

Kenzie's First Foray Into "Solid" Food

2009-01-03T12:54:00.000-05:00

The first couple of nights didn't go all that well. Kenzie seemed rather offended each time we surprised her with a mouth full of sloppy rice cereal. But things changed by the third night when she began grabbing the spoon herself and jamming it into her mouth. She enjoys the spoon as much as the food since she can use it as a teething instrument, but she really chows down now. Now we've got to work on her table manners.

Her First Christmas

2009-01-03T12:52:00.000-05:00

Bathtime Fun

2008-12-19T09:15:00.001-05:00

It took 4 1/2 months, but Kenzie finally loves bathtime.

We "Elf'd" Oursleves

2008-12-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

4 Months Old

2008-12-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

It's a couple of weeks late, but here's the little munchkin on November 19th. Four months old!!!

The Excersaucer

2008-12-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

Kenzie is finally strong enough to hold her head steady for long periods of time, so we broke out the Excersaucer, our latest and greatest new babysitting toy. Her time in the Excersaucer is heavily correlated to our mealtimes, so while we eat boneless/skinless chicken breasts, she stares at plastic flowers and smiling turtles. Everybody's happy.

Smiles . . .

2008-11-21T09:23:00.000-05:00

They're a dime a dozen these days.

The PhotoShoot

2008-11-20T14:37:00.000-05:00

Kenzie's three-month photos.

What Do You Think of the Shades?

2008-11-04T14:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween

2008-11-04T14:01:00.000-05:00

Kenzie donned a butterfly costume this year. We worried the "headpiece" would cause issues, but she didn't seem to mind. In case anyone is wondering, she is still a relatively small child, but this picture makes her look a couple of years old.

Burt's Farm

2008-10-27T14:54:00.001-04:00

On her 3 month birthday we took Kenzie to Burt's Farm, the pumpkin capital of northeast Georgia. Activities included sitting on giant pumpkins, sitting on small pumpkins, standing on pumpkins, sitting on the ground in front of pumpkins, and a hayride. Kenzie conducted herself very well under the cold and windy circumstances. A little freak-out at the very end was the only peep we heard out of her, and that was to be exepcted after all of the pumpkin-related activities we put her through.

A New Pair of "Shoes"

2008-10-22T11:38:00.000-04:00

Kenzie notices her nifty foot rattles.

Her Sunday Best

2008-10-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

Those onesies can get so old and they're not flattering if you have chunky thighs like Kenzie, so every now and then we'll throw a dress on her and take her out on the town. Here's a picture of her watching her favorite soaps before we left the house.

"Not Now Mom, I'm Watching TV"

2008-10-15T10:22:00.001-04:00

First Test Drive in the Bumbo

2008-10-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

Rather unassuming in it's appearance (a pink rubber blob), the Bumbo is a miracle of science and technology as it allows babies to sit up at a much younger age than they otherwise would. The only requirement from the child is decent head control/neck strength, and the Bumbo takes care of the rest. Kenzie uses hers to watch tv, stare at her feet, and to free up her hands so she can stuff them in her mouth. (Note: you're not supposed to sit them on countertops like we did, but we were watching her closely).

I'm also thinking of just cutting a hole in the bottom when potty-training time comes around. The Bumbo continues to amaze.

The Future of UGA Cheerleading

2008-10-08T19:39:00.000-04:00

Kenzie and her friend Ava broke out their officially licensed Georgia cheerleading uniforms for the Arizona State game. Their cheers weren't exactly coherent - mostly just a lot of staring and whimpering. Things started to go downhill when Ava decided to reclaim her bow from Kenzie's head, but they shared a laugh when they admitted to each other that they had each wet their diaper. That's just a reminder to us that we need to start teaching sportsmanship at a very young age.

The View is Better from Up Here

2008-10-08T19:22:00.001-04:00

Kenzie decided to hop up on the counter to get a better look at the happenings in the kitchen.

I am Absolutely STUFFED!!!!

2008-10-01T14:26:00.000-04:00

After 5.5 ouces of formula her stomach begins to protrude slightly.

Look at Those Eyes

2008-09-23T15:37:00.000-04:00

Mackenzie's 2 month birthday.

The Watermelon Series

2008-09-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

This is really the first time Kenzie's gotten all dressed up. This is the first time she's worn shoes, and the first time she's worn a "real" hat. Keeping the hat on was quite a challenge, but she posed well for most of these.

Learning to Smile

2008-09-21T20:34:00.001-04:00

She's starting to figure it out. It starts as an odd facial contortion of some kind, but it usually ends in a smile (or something very close to it). They're getting bigger and bigger every day!

Hanging Out with Dad

2008-09-17T16:14:00.000-04:00

Kenzie Finds Truth in the Words of Yogi Berra . . .

2008-09-12T11:34:00.000-04:00

"You can observe a lot just by watching." For the first time, she noticed her spinning mobile above her swing. This resulted in several minutes of complete wonderment for her. We thought she'd never stop staring at the spinning bees and waving leaves abover her.

Labor Day Visit from Kenzie's Savannah "Kinfolk"

2008-09-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

We Tried . . .

2008-09-08T14:23:00.001-04:00

We attempted our own version of an artistic photoshoot, which involved a black fleece blanket and a camera flash that would not cooperate. I'm not sure we could sell these to Gerber, but she's still pretty cute.

It's Looking Like Ballet Could be an Option

2008-09-08T14:19:00.001-04:00

We cannot deny her excellent balance and flawless footwork. A more pleasant look on her face and she's a lock for the Nutcracker. I'm still rooting for for her to become a tennis player.

Young Einstein?

2008-09-08T14:17:00.001-04:00

We've yet to make a determination on Kenzie's mental capacity, but she may at least have an Einsteinian hairstyle.

Practicing Facial Expressions

2008-09-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

Kenzie oftendoes facial workout just after rousing from slumber. Here's one set of twelve reps.

Something is Amiss

2008-08-27T09:31:00.001-04:00

We didn't want to say anything yesterday because we were afraid we'd jinx it, but two in a row is worth mentioning. Mackenzie has slept for 10 straight hours for the last two nights. Oddly enough we're more groggy after 8 solid hours of sleep than we have been with 4 or 5.