Fantasy of Lights at Callaway!

Last night, we went to the Fantasy of Lights at Callaway Gardens. It took a little longer to get there than we remembered from Doug's bike race, so we didn't have time to go to this amazing restaurant called Country Kitchen. The lights were beautiful! Mackenzie smiled and laughed the whole time! We know she won't understand Christmas this year, but it was still fun getting to see her enjoy the bright lights. We didn't end up getting home until around 10:00 pm. Mackenzie fell asleep in the car. We will probably go somewhere closer next year, but it was a fun little Sunday get-a-way.

The Pink Pig!!!

Today I took Mackenzie to ride the Pink Pig at Macy's! It was the first time for both of us! It was absolutely adorable! Mackenzie was in awe of everything she was seeing. We went with some good neighbor friends, Tollie and her son Mick Medley. Tollie is from Kentucky and she had never even heard of the Pink Pig. I told her that we MUST go!!!! I can't believe that was the first time I had ever been, but it definately won't be the last. We are going to make this a yearly tradition!!

Mackenzie at Noelle's Birthday

Mackenzie had such a great time at Noelle's birthday party this afternoon! Noelle is a little girl who lives in our neighborhood. She has become one of Mackenzie's friends in the past few months. The party was at a place in Roswell called Monkey Joe's. It was too cute!!! There were tons of blow up play areas for the kids to play in. There was also a little inside play ground where the kids could crawl around. Mackenzie really liked this little red house that she could crawl in and out of. She opened and shut the door about 1,000 times and loved playing with a box of blocks that were inside the house. The last hour of the party, all the kids went to the party room for pizza and cake. Although Mackenzie can't have pizza yet, I gave her a few small pieces anyway. Mommy enjoyed the cake for her. HAHA! A fun time was had by all!

A Poem for my sweet Mackenzie

Mother's Heart

I loved you from the very start,You stole my breath, embraced my heart.Our life together has just begunYou're part of me my little one.As mother with child, each day I grew,My mind was filled with thoughts of you.
I'd daydream of the things we'd share,Like late-night bottles and Teddy bears.Like first steps and skinned knees,Like bedtime stories and ABC's.I thought of things you'd want to know,Like how birds fly and flowers grow.
I thought of lessons I'd need to share,Like standing tall and playing fair.When I first saw your precious face,I prayed your life be touched with grace.I thanked the angels from above,And promised you unending love.
Each night I lay you down to sleep,I gently kiss your head and cheek.I count your little fingers and toes;I memorize your eyes and nose.I linger at your nursery door,Awed each day I love you more.
Through misty eyes, I dim the light,I whisper, "I love you" every night.I loved you from the very start,You stole my breath, embraced my heart.As mother and child our journeys begin,My heart's yours forever little one.

-Author Unknown

What's new with Mackenzie

Mackenzie is now able to stand on her own for a few seconds at a time. I don't think walking is too far away. I am not in a rush for that! She crawls very fast and it is hard to keep up with her at times! : ) Mackenzie really enjoys her bathtime. It calms her down before bedtime. Her favorite story is Goodnight Moon and any touch and feel book. She doesn't really have a favorite toy, she just loves anything she is not supposed to have. : ) She is now able to babble mama, dada and baba. We know she does not know the meaning of mama and dada yet, but it is still such a wonderful thing to hear. She is very proud of herself because she is able to clap and do high 5's. Mackenzie loves to snack on any Gerber puff snacks. She also loves Cheerios, Yogurt, cheese, bananas and waffles cut into small pieces. She is still eating her baby food with rice or oatmeal, but we love to give her adult food when we can because she loves it so much. She enjoys eating egg yolk and sometimes we will order a fried egg for her when we go out to breakfast. She has 8 teeth now, but still has a hard time eating some foods. She loves drinking water from her sippie cup. I still can't believe she is already 9 months old. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. Time really does fly by way too fast. We have started to plan her first birthday which will be a circus theme! During the week, we enjoy going to Gymboree class. She is able to interact with other children and play with fun toys. We have a play group we attend every Friday. She loves to play with her friends. Her two best friends right now are Whit Vasey and Mick Medley. We are about to begin an organization in Dunwoody called M.O.P.S. We will be able to meet some other mom's and children in the Dunwoody area when we join.

Mackenzie and Santa

We went to the Holly Jolly breakfast at the Ritz with some good friends in the neighborhood. It was so much fun! I will definately do it again next year. There was a breakfast and gift bags for every guest. Mackenzie absolutely LOVED sitting in Santa's lap. She was smiling and laughing and pulling on his beard and the fur on his outfit. Hopefully she will be that good next year. The Christmas parade was also going on outside when we left, but it was waaaaay too cold to stick around. Maybe next year, we can stay to enjoy that.

Mackenzie's First Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my parent's house in Marietta. I made Paula Dean's Squash casserole and a delicious treat called Chocolate Delight. Mackenzie enjoyed small cut up pieces of Turkey mixed with potatoes. She also really loved Mary's Sweet Potato dish. She is just like her dad. That is one of his favorite dishes too.

Mackenzie will be a big sister!!

Mackenzie will be a big sister in April! We are still thinking of names, but the top of our list right now is Riley Katherine. Mackenzie and Riley will only be 14 months apart. We are hoping they are very close and are able to wear each other's clothes. This pregnancy was a huge surprise, but we feel very blessed!