Happy 9 Month Birthday!

HAPPY 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY MACKENZIE!

Mackenzie had her 9 month well visit yesterday. She is slowly making it onto the growth charts.

WEIGHT: 13lbs 12oz (.31%)

HEIGHT: 25.75" (5.52%)

HEAD: 17.2" (42.71%)

The doctor would like us to really try to get her to drink at least 32oz each day. I would say she currently drinks anywhere from 20-25oz in a given day. I don't know how much interest she has in the bottle since we introduced fruits, veggies, and cereal. But, we'll try our best to get her the recommended fluids. The doctor would also like us to start introducing "finger foods" to give her some practice picking up foods and placing them in her mouth. She had her first Gerber "Puff" this evening. She really didn'tn seem to care for it. But, we'll continue to try puffs in addition to cheerios and cut up fruits and veggies.

Mackenzie got an early birthday present on Sunday, a visit from her favorite puppy, Cheyenne! Mackenzie was so entertained by her, it was great! She looks forward to seeing her again real soon!!

First Day of School

August 19, 2010

Mackenzie had her first day of school today!

We were fortunate enough to put off day care for almost 9 months. But, the end was bound to come sooner or later. So, after a lot of searching and a handful of interviews, her daddy found a great job opportunity. He will be starting his new job on August 25th. We wanted to take the time to "ease" her into her new environment. So, she went to school for the afternoon today. She'll go in the morning tomorrow. Next week she'll do full days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The week of August 30th she'll start going full time, 5 days a week, all day long! Miss Stacey, Miss Jennifer, and Miss Krista said she had a great first day of school. The day didn't go without some tears and a bump on the head (after losing her balance while sitting up). But, as everyone tells us, it will take some time before she is fully adjusted (and even longer for mommy and daddy to adjust). We just hope that her teachers get to experience the happy, healthy, little girl that we have for the past 9 months.

Keep up the good work Mackenzie! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!

family...........

It was another great weekend with my family. But, this weekend we had some visitors. Muzzy, Grandpop, Aunt Lindsey & Uncle Shawn came out on Saturday. Mackenzie loves hanging out with her family. She even gets a kick out of Muzzy & Grandpop fighting over the grandkids. What ever are they going to do with 3 come October?

Friday night we enjoyed home made pizzas on the grill with the Ziegler Family. Saturday we spent time with Muzzy, Aunt Lindsey, Aunt Katie, and Carter while the boys went to the Barnstormer's game. And Sunday we had lunch over at Aunt Katie & Uncle Tim's house before Muzzy and Grandpop headed home.

I love my family!

More changes....

Well, we ended up taking Mackenzie to her pediatrician on July 21st after another episode of constipation. So, what did the doctor recommend you ask?? To switch her formula yet again. Perhaps the 4th time is the charm? Apparently Andy and I didn't do enough research before putting her on Soy Formula. The Soy could have been one of the culprits of the constipation (along with mixing it at a higher calorie due to her being a preemie). So, Mackenzie is now on Gerber Good Start-Protection Plus. And we are mixing it at the normal ratio of 20 calories/ounce. She goes in spurts, sometimes very "regular" and sometimes needs something to get it flowing.

The pediatrician told us to move forward with introducing cereal and fruits. Good thing we got the "ok" AFTER we started cereal! I guess we were a little anxious. We were told to stay away from Rice and Oatmeal cereal as they may only add to her constipation issues. So, she is eating Barley cereal and is getting introduced to new fruits and veggies every couple of days. Mackenzie has tried peaches, pears, apples, plums and butternut squash. Her favorites thus far are plums and squash.

I have also decided to make her baby food. Before I was pregnant I had no intention of making food as some of my other mommy friends had done. However, when it came time to deciding, I ended up changing my mind. Some of my reasons probably aren't why most mom's decide to do it. I think a large part of me felt guilty for not doing it as I tend to compare myself to other mom's when deciding if I'm a "good" mom or not. I was really hesitant in preparing my own as I already feel like I have zippo time. Everyone told me that it is so easy to do. So, I gave it a whirl. I agree, it's easy. But, it still takes time. Time that I often feel like I don't have. But, I've added it to my ever growing "to do" list. Another reason I decided to make my own food was to save money. Homemade food goes a lot further than the little containers of Gerber food. And lastly, making my own food makes me feel a little less guilty about being a working mom. So, whether my reasons are right or wrong....I'm making Mackenzie's baby food. I'm slowly trying to create a stock pile in the freezer. I'll see how long I'm able to keep up with her appetite and the lack of time I feel like I have as a full time working mom.

Besides her growing appetite and exploring foods other than formula, Mackenzie is loving her new cousin Carter. She lights up every time she sees him. I think she is anxious for him to start "talking" and "playing" with her.

Some more firsts.....

Just a busy little girl..........

6/26/2010-First time in her exersaucer.

6/27/2010-First time in her high chair.

7/3/2010-First time having peaches (unfortunately it was only to assist in relieving constipation).

7/4/2010-First time with a sippy cup (initially it was empty but then later filled with some water).

7/5/2010-First time having rice cereal.

7/17/2010-First time going to story time at Barnes and Noble.

Many, many more to come!!!!!

Splish Splash.......

I'm taking a swim class..............Mackenzie started her swim lessons a few weeks ago and appears to be enjoying them. It's a parent/child class to get them familiar/comfortable with the water. She is in the class with two other play mates. The class is for children ages 6 months-1 year. They sing songs, play with toys, and practice "floating" on their back. We have three more weeks left of the class. I'm anxious to see how she progresses as the weeks go on.

Keep up the good work Mackenzie!

I'M AN AUNT!!!!!!!

After 30+ hour of labor, 2 of which were pushing, Carter Michael Ziegler arrived via c-section on Saturday, July 10th @ 8:00pm. He weighed in at 8lbs 10oz and was 21 1/2" long. The Ziegler family is doing well and loving their new bundle of joy! Welcome to the family Carter!!