K-4 Has Come and Gone

Makenna had the great privilege of attending K-4 at Simpsonville First Baptist CDC this past school year. I was somewhat on the fence about enrolling her in K-4 for two basic reasons...I didn't attend K-4 and I think I turned out okay...and, secondly, and most selfishly...I didn't want her to leave me. I knew once she started K-4, that was it. Her school career has now begun. As a stay-at-home mom, I was just so used to her being with me 24/7. But, then I thought, she would probably really enjoy it and there just happened to be one spot left open, so I jumped on it. I am so glad I did.

Makenna is a little social butterfly and hit it off with all of her classmates from the very beginning. She met Alanna, now her best friend, at Open House and they have been like glue ever since. It also didn't take her long to come home and proclaim, "I have a boyfriend." To our surprise, it wasn't just one boyfriend, it was two boyfriends...twins Corey and Caleb. Her teachers were Mrs. Kim Gendreau and Mrs. Cheryl Inabinet, whom Makenna fell in love with immediately. We couldn't have asked for two more dedicated and loving people to be her first teachers.

The school year flew by and was filled with all sorts of fun things from Dad's night to numerous field trips and Mother's Day Brunch. I was also amazed at how much she learned in such a short time.

A few weeks ago, at the end of May, the school year culminated with her K-4 Graduation ceremony followed the next day by a play date at Pump It Up and then a pizza party in the classroom back at school. I found myself in tears more that week that I had in a long time. Even as I sit here typing this now, I find myself becoming a little teary-eyed remembering all of the fun things Makenna got to be a part of. Not only had Makenna become attached to her friends and teachers, but I think I did as well. I am so excited for Makenna to experience all of the things to come in "big girl kindergarten", but sad at the same time to leave behind all of those we had become so fond of over the last year.

Thank you so much to Mrs. Gendreau and Mrs. Cheryl and all of those at SFBCDC for making the beginning of Makenna's school career a time that she will remember for years to come.

Here Comes Trouble

Michael Noah- my second born- Mr. Not-So-Independent

Before Noah arrived, people would ask me how good of a baby Makenna was. "Great", I would say, and then they would grin. I would then be subjected to a lecture about how the first one is always the good one so you will want more. It's the second one that is trouble. I guess I'm one of the lucky moms that got to experience this theory first hand. Before I go any further, let me just say that no matter how trying he may be at times, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Well, maybe that's not exactly true, especially when he is having one of his days where he cries nonstop and I can't figure out for the life of me what in the world he wants. Even so, I treasure my little boy and thank God that He brought Noah into our lives.

I really don't remember having too much trouble with Noah when he was an infant. Like Makenna, he was a pretty good baby. It didn't take long for him to begin sleeping through the night and he was always pretty laid back. He didn't accomplish those baby milestones quite as quickly as his big "Sissy"...he sat up at 6 months and wasn't crawling until late in his 7th month. Like Sissy, though, he was an early walker and could get around pretty good by somewhere between 10 and 11 months. Noah preferred having a paci, but giving it up wasn't too big of a deal. He wasn't quite 18 months and we didn't have to resort to all sorts of crazy methods to accomplish this goal. He gave up the bottle at around 10 months as well, but let me tell ya, this one can eat, and eat, and eat. I'm almost afraid to know what my grocery bill will like be when he reaches about 12 years old.

I guess the one thing that makes my two kids so different is their maturity level at different ages. At 2 1/2 we're are no where near being potty trained and he still doesn't talk too much. He does, however, have his own language and can tell you all about it, complete with over-the-top hand gestures, but we don't have a clue what he is talking about. He seems to know exactly what he is saying, so we just kind of nod along and say things like, "is that right?" and "tell me about it." He does have a few phrases that are easily understandable..."put me down" and "let me go". Most often these are directed at sister. Speaking of sister, when he sees her across the room, he will let everybody know that is his "Siiissssy!" He's even gotten to the point that you can actually ask him his name and he politely responds "Baby Noah."

One thing I have learned from my first child is to savour every moment I have with Noah at this age because it doesn't last long. So, here are a few of my favorite pics of "Baby Noah".

Baby Mine

Makenna Grace- my first born- Ms. Independent. Makenna was such a good baby and she always seemed to be in a hurry to do things. She was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks, by 5 months she was sitting up, at 6 months she was crawling and somewhere between 9 and 10 months, she skipped the walking altogether and started running. By 2 1/2 she was completely potty trained and you could have a complete conversation with her and she wouldn't skip a beat. She's always seemed more mature for her age. These are just a few of the things that make Makenna who she is.

She hated baby food and would only eat a few different items. She completely gave up her bottle by 10 months and she never wanted a pacifier so I never had to try to think of clever ways to break her from that habit. We did, however, have to have a sippy cup of water or juice wherever she went. I think she could drink like a camel.

Makenna loved to sing and dance while watching The Wiggles on the Disney Channel and I used to love to be able to watch her do her thing while she wasn't looking. Because she was a little more mature, outings and vacations were usually such a breeze. Don't get me wrong, she did have her shining moments where she would show everyone in the mall just how much she could aggravate Mommy and her screaming fits were Oscar-worthy.

There are many times I wish I could go back and have just a day or two with Makenna the baby or Makenna the toddler again. As she gets older, it is becoming harder and harder to remember what it was like then. Since there is no way to go back in time, I thought I would post some of my most favorite pictures of Makenna when she was still a wee one.

I Wish I Had Started This Sooner...

It's hard to believe that Makenna is now 5 1/2 and Noah is 2 1/2. It still seems like just yesterday, I was bringing each of them home from the hospital. So many things have happened over the last 6 years and it would be impossible to list them all here. I can't wait to start filling this blog will all sorts of new memories and milestones to come. I may backtrack a little, simply for the benefit of Makenna and Noah when they are older and begin reading what I have recorded. So, just bear with me. And, by the way, thanks MB for doing the same with your girls and giving me this great idea. Happy blogging!