Archives for November 2012

Pictures of the Week *Giving Thanks with our little turkey*

November 29, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Almost December?!?  But where did November go?  Before another month flies by, I want to post about our Turkey Day week.  Denny was off work and we had a full week of family fun!

Here are some highlights:

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Makenzie’s 1st trip to Ohio! 

We went to Cleveland for a night and Makenzie got to meet lots of family.  Not only did our girl travel well, but Denny and I also fared okay.  I was so nervous about all the “what ifs” while traveling with an infant that I was up at 4 AM before we left to check and double-check everything (we are such rookies).  For any new moms, my best advice is to pack some extra outfits and the Stain Stick (especially if your baby shares her excitement in an explosive way like Kenzie does).

Makenzie and her always hilarious & crafty Aunt Lorraine

Makenzie meeting her cousins in town from Germany, so fun!  Come back soon!

Makenzie’s GREAT grandparents. What a lucky lady to have 6 grandparents!

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Makenzie’s 1st Biggest Party Night of the Year! 

Having two parents that went to one of the Top Party Schools in the Nation puts a lot of pressure on Makenzie, but on Thanksgiving Eve our little one managed to toss back a few bottles in the wee hours of the night!  Party on baby girl!

Just about to pass out after a few Breastmilk Lites

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Makenzie’s 1st McGee Thanksgiving!

On Thanksgiving morning (after we started the turkey of course) we got to snuggle with our girl and watch the parade!  I loved the parade as a kid and I can’t wait until Makenzie can enjoy it just as much.  Then she gave us the ultimate reminder of why we are so thankful, a HUGE melt-your-heart grin (bonus – we actually captured it on film).  Denny’s parents came to town and we had a great meal and Makenzie got some special time with her MaMaw and PapPap.

Can you handle the cuteness??

Kenzie and Mamaw. “Can you say pierced ears, Makenzie?”

The girl was passed out by the end of the day! Apparently she overate too.

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Makenzie’s 1st Quilty Thanksgiving

My parents and my sister and her family came up Saturday for another celebration!  With 2 little kiddos under 18 months, it was a great (and tiring) end to the week.  Kenzie LOVES her cousin Ryan and is super excited for another little boy cousin arriving around St. Patty’s Day.

Fun times!

Now that Turkey Day is over, we can tell Ryan all about Santa. 🙂

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So now it’s on to Christmas and New Year’s…  We’re trying to enjoy every moment because it is Makenzie’s 1st holidays and the end of my maternity leave.  Without sounding cheesy, we can’t say just how thankful we are to have such wonderful friends, family and beautiful baby girl!

See you in December!

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Pin this!

November 27, 2012 by · 4 Comments

Once upon a time, I had a love affair with Pinterest.  We spent tons of time together… I started deeply into Pinterest’s Website and poured my heart and soul onto my PinBoards.  We spent late nights together and we spent relaxing Sundays snuggled up on the couch.  Our Someday seemed so bright…

Or so I thought!!

Ever since Makenzie entered the picture, Pinterest has never treated me the same.  Granted, I don’t have as much time to dedicate to the relationship, but I feel a bit betrayed.  And sometimes I even feel that Pinterest is trying to make me feel like a bad person.

I can’t tell you how many times I log onto Facebook to see other Moms boasting about their new homemade wreath made from Scrabble tiles, or their amazing mandarin salad served in a glass jar with a homemade label using festive tissue squares.  Really Pinterest?  Just because I don’t have time to construct a crib from paper mache doesn’t mean you should move on so quickly.  And to the other Moms crafting their hearts out, HOW do you find time to do it??

Perhaps I’m slightly jealous of the other Moms spending so much time with my old flame, but I think it’s time to share my new version of reality.

Introducing FINterest… for Moms who actually want to FINish something.

This specific FinBoard is entitled

Reality! 

Health & Beauty
SHOWER, a cheap and easy craft project to maintain your sanity and your marriage. Grab a washcloth from the linen closet (or dirty laundry if need be) … it doesn’t matter, just get your butt in the shower before crying begins!

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Crafty Time
GIFTING MADE EASY… Wow your friends by wrapping their holiday gifts using the bags under your eyes. You don’t need to leave the house for these, they can easily be created when your little one enters his or her growth spurts.

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Entertaining Time!
YUM! Oops, did you run out of time to bake those cookies using your grandmas recipe? Pick up some festive Oreos and call it a day!  (Can be served with breastmilk if needed – just make sure Jr. isn’t hungry before you share the supply)

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And the Finterest Season Favorite…

Deck the Halls!
FESTIVE AND FUN, As a busy Mom you barely have time to sleep let alone create a fancy themed tree. This year use everyday products from your home to decorate the tree.  (Don’t worry Once your guests have some egg nog they won’t even notice that your breast pump tubes are being used as garland.)

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With Christmas just a few weeks away, let’s toast to non-stressful holidays and realistic To Do Lists!!

Happy Finning!

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Pictures of the Week **So Thankful!**

November 17, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Maybe it was because I rocked Makenzie to sleep tonight and fell in love all over…  Maybe it’s the crazy hormones (yes, still)…. Or maybe it’s just the warm fuzzies I get thinking of the upcoming holidays.  But regardless of the reason, I feel very thankful tonight!

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I haven’t been great about updating this blog, or returning calls & messages, or finishing Thank you notes.  In fact I haven’t been great at much lately (the Health Dept. would be scared of my kitchen floors right now) but I have been great at spending lots and lots of time with our sweet baby girl, and taking pictures to prove it.

So I thought I would make a quick slideshow of why we are so incredibly thankful this Thanksgiving!  She will be 7 weeks on Turkey Day and she is getting so big and changing everyday!  See for yourself…

Happy Thanksgiving from the McGees!

(click here)

Wishing you and your families a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

May your dinners be yummy, may your pants be elastic and may your Black Friday shopping adventures be fabulous!!

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Pictures of the Week *Makenzie is a month old*

November 11, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Happy One Month Birthday Makenzie Ruth!

(Mommy confession… it was actually last Sunday but I’m totally behind in everything)

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How did the past month go so quickly?!  Our baby is already growing and changing so much!

Here is what Makenzie has been doing:

  • Taking her one month photos!  She didn’t love the day I put her in a tutu (clearly) so we got took a few more shots a couple of days later
One month photo shoot, take 1!
One month photo shoot, take 2!
(Sadly the 1 month picky sticky got ripped during failed attempt 1, please envision her wearing it in this picture)
  • Growing!  Our little Beanette was 8 lbs 3 oz at birth and has grown to 10 lbs at her one month check-up.  Way to go baby girl!  She is pretty much out of her newborn clothes (yes, I cried) and into the next size.
  • Enjoying Tummy time.  She loves her playmat and does pretty well at holding up her head.

  • Visiting friends and family!  We are slowly but surely getting better at leaving the house.  So far Kenzie has visited lots of our friends, cruised around the mall, enjoyed a lunch downtown and can practically drive to Target on her own.  No matter where we go she can’t fight sleep.
Out & about!
  • Meeting her cousins!    We’ve been loving all of our visitors and Kenzie was thrilled to meet Deegan, Connor and Ryan.  I’m sure they’ll teach her lots of tricks.

  • Smiling!!  This is her newest and BEST trick.  We haven’t captured it on camera but I promise it would melt your heart.

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That’s a quick recap of her first month of life.  It is AMAZING how much we have learned since the day she was born, and we continue to find out more about Makenzie and being parents each day.  We love her SO much and we can’t believe how fast time is flying.  We are looking forward to many more adventures in the future!

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What a difference a year makes…

November 3, 2012 by · 1 Comment

::   This weekend makes me think about how lucky we are   ::

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Exactly one year ago tonight we were in the emergency room of Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital finding out we lost our baby.  We were seven weeks pregnant during the 2011 fall back weekend when something went wrong.  It was without a doubt one of the toughest and literally one of the longest nights of our lives.

Fortunately we visited the same hospital again. but this time for different reasons….

Exactly one month ago tonight, we were again at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital in the midst of labor awaiting the birth of our sweet baby girl.  She arrived in the wee hours of October 4th!  It was another long night, but a wonderful night.  And it was wonderful enough to make us realize that the heartache we felt on a cold night 11 months prior was part of our journey to turn us into a family of three.

I can’t believe it’s been a year since we said goodbye to what we thought would be our first baby, but I especially can’t believe it’s been a month since we said Hello to Makenzie!  How did time go so fast?  I’m certain we’ll need the extra hour of sleep tonight, but I’m pretty sure we won’t be too heartbroken if we spend it wide awake with good company.

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The Pause Button

November 1, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

November 1, 2012… Wow, where did October go?

I was kind of disappointed when I woke up today and saw the date. Ever since Wednesday, January 25 at 5:30 AM Denny and I anticipated the arrival of October.  I kind of hoped the month would get here, we could meet our baby girl, and we could hit the Pause button on life for a while. It seems fair to ask for that, right?  But I guess that’s the thing about life… whether times are good or bad, it goes on.

I have never ever experienced emotions like I did in October.  It was One. Amazing. Month.

A recap about the 31 days of October 2012:

  • No matter what people told me about labor and delivery, it is the most incredible experience ever
  • I highly recommend the epidural during labor (leading to my earlier bullet)
  • Even though we weren’t sure what we would name our daughter, our Makenzie looks like a Makenzie and we knew it the second we met her
  • Dr. Karp is a genius, as is his theory about swaddling (if you are a Mom to be, read his book)
  • Always have a clean diaper under the dirty diaper before you take the dirty diaper away
  • 4 AM isn’t such a bad time to be awake when you are snuggling with a cute baby
  • I love coffee
  • Yoga pants should be renamed Amazingly comfortable maternity leave pants
  • The Ellen Degeneres Show is the best part of daytime TV
  • Being a Mom is the toughest job in the world
  • Being a Mom is the BEST job in the world
  • I didn’t think I could love my husband more until I saw him hold our daughter
  • I didn’t know I had so much love to give until I held Makenzie
  • Denny and I need to count our lucky stars every single day

It seems like hitting the Pause button is not an option , so instead we’ll just enjoy each day with our baby girl as much as we can.  Oh yeah, and we’ll take lots of pictures to remember all of her phases.  Speaking of,  I thought I would share one of my favorite pictures taken when she was just a few days old.  Too cute!!

One of my very favorite just born Makenzie photos! I swear she has already changed so much.

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Wishing everyone a great weekend and enjoy your extra hour of sleep (the next best thing to hitting Pause!)

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