Birthdays

Double Digits – Littlest M at 10 and 11 months

January 13, 2016 by erinqmcgee · Leave a Comment

In just 2 days my brand new baby boy will turn ONE! Whoa, that means he is no longer a brand new baby (insert sobs here). I have no idea how that happened but we are excited about the chance to celebrate our favorite little guy!

Didn’t this just happen?!?

But before we celebrate 12 months, we need to celebrate months 10 & 11. Here are the past two crazy months in a quick little blog post:

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10 Months

Mitchell has been busy:

:: Growing, learning, babbling, smiling & melting hearts ::

November 2015 – Check out this sweet little boy. I can’t get enough of him!

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:: Wiggling, jumping & dodging the camera ::

High roller in his fancy (stick-on) tie

Strike a pose!

This is the point when I gave up on trying to get cute smiling photos and I just let him jump. Check out that cute little bum.

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:: Celebrating the holidays ::

Baby’s 1st Thanksgiving & Baby’s 1st Christmas! It was fun having such an energetic little guy making the season bright.

On our way to the Polar Express. PJ’s, hot chocolate and lots of family fun… we will definitely make this a tradition.

Meeting the Big Man!

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:: Baby’s 1st Haircut ::

We will categorize this as slightly traumatizing.

But he came out smiling! What a stud.

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:: Partying like a frat boy ::

This kiddo of ours still continues to wake up before the roosters. He is often up & playing by 4:30am. Coffee please!

Waaaaake up Mom!!!!!

And 11 Months

Mitchell filled the last month before turning One with tons of activity:

:: More Pictures ::

I couldn’t imagine wrangling him into a onesie to try and get pictures so I just put the sticker on his crib and called it a day.

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:: Hanging with Family ::

We were so lucky to see so many people we love over the holidays.

Great Grandma & Grandpa!

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:: Playing, Climbing & Having Fun ::

Our little boy is climbing everywhere and he is full of energy. Mitchell is completely fearless and he doesn’t think twice about diving head first into anything and everything. He is getting closer to walking every day and we know he will be running shortly. Now that he is more independent he loves to try and keep up with his Big Sister!

Checking out the new fun zone at the mall. A huge hit with both kiddos.

Santa brought a bounce house! He loves jumping in it with Kenzie. These two are inseparable.

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And now it is almost time to party!! We are just a few days away from Mitchell’s Winter ONEderland! We’re doing a small party to Celebrate this adorable, giggly, wild, blue-eyed boy of ours.

We can’t wait to see what the next year will bring. Happy Birthday Mitchell!! We Love You to the Moon & Back.

xoxo

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: Birthdays, Mitchell Dennis, Month by month

Let them be Little… tales about my growing Littles!

November 15, 2015 by erinqmcgee · 1 Comment

Let them be little, they say…

but how is that possible, I ask… when they keep growing, growing, growing!

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I’m behind with the updates (again), but my babes keep growing.

In October, my girl turned three!

Makenzie Ruth – I could squeeze her all day!

:: In just one year she became a dancer, a non-stop talker and a big sister. Here are some little things about her I hope I never forget ::

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite food: Pasta, pizza & candy

Favorite book: Pigs in Hiding (which was mine when I was a kid) and Carl’s Birthday (she pretends she is the little girl in it)

Favorite Things to do: Color, play hide & seek, visit the neighbors & play with her dress-up clothes.

Famous Quotes: “Mommy, I wanna hold your hand… forever!” Talk about melt your heart moments.

“Ohh yeah, that’s a great idea!” when you suggest pretty much anything fun to her 🙂

Nana: “I love you to pieces, Makenzie.” Kenz: “But Nana, I’m not a puzzle!”

Favorite toys: Hungry Hungry hippo, puzzles and Tubes (aka Youtube when she is allowed to play with our phones)

Favorite movies: Mary Poppins & Annie

When she grows up: She said she wants to be a doctor, just like Doc McStuffins

Best friends: Mitchell! And Kenz definitely thinks that she is one of the big girls and her other best friends are the Signal Drive girls. They are just so sweet to her!

Kenz and ‘Liva’! I love these two.

Party time: We had a fun little party for her at her dance studio (DanSations Rocks!). It was a great time and a perfect reason to give tutus to all!

Make a Wish Makenzie Ruth!

Me on my 3rd Birthday in the mid 80’s! (Thanks to my mom for bringing this to the celebration)

She thought it was funny to see me this young.

Family photo fun

Group hug!

Listening to the awesome Miss Liza

Love my tiny tapper. 🙂

What this year will bring: On the night Kenz turned three we asked her what she wanted to do this year. You’re never too young to make a strategic plan! She was very thoughtful and her list included… eat popcorn at night, ride a train, fly in a plane, help Mitchell to walk & teach him tricks (aka somersaults), meet Ariel & turn into a mermaid, poop on the potty (let’s hope this happens before she’s 30), and count to 100, just to name a few.

“This one Mommy!”

We’re a month in and we’ve already achieved some of these, score!

Makenzie is definitely a first born. She is confident, independent and she loves to be silly & have fun. She is incredibly maternal to Mitchell and she is so full of love. She is a rule follower, a thoughtful little soul & the sweetest little girl we could have ever imagined.

We can’t wait to see what this year brings!

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And our Littlest M is now 9 Months and getting very close to 10 Months!

He is a busy & adorable little boy.

Favorite things to do: Crawling, climbing, clapping (his newest trick!), saying Dada, and playing with Kenz.

Medical update: We finally have clarity. We know the involuntary breath holding will continue for potentially 7 more years, but we also know the stomach challenges are related to reflux. Our pediatrician has been incredible and we will (hopefully) not have to go through any more tests.

Foods: He finally enjoys eating. His favorite foods are oatmeal and puffs.

Drummer boy.

9-month photo shoot

A blur! This boy is soooo busy! This sums up his activity level.

Mr. Giggles. 🙂

And more activity & giggles.

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M&M sure make our lives complete. They make life crazy, exhausting & more fun that we could ever imagine.

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: Birthdays, Life Lately, Makenzie Ruth, Mitchell Dennis, Month by month

Tears to Target

February 10, 2015 by erinqmcgee · Leave a Comment

Dear M & M,

The other day I cried all the way to Target. Yep, I was a blubbering, embarrassing, snotty mess of a Mom. But it wasn’t because I stepped on the scale earlier that day for the first time post baby… although I did that and based on the number I’m concerned there’s another baby in there. And it wasn’t because I watched the final episode of Parenthood… although I did that too and it made me a weepy mess. But I shed tears all the way to Target because I was leaving both of you for one of the first times.

I know it sounds silly because what spit up-covered, sleep-deprived Mom doesn’t crave the thought of roaming the aisles of Target all by herself, but I really just missed both of you.

You two have done something to me that can’t be explained. And today, as I turn another year older, I realize how appreciative I am because you make me wiser. Just this week you taught me that I can soothe a screaming infant while having a Play-doh picnic. And right after that you taught me how fun it is to play Ring Around the Rosie. And a few hours later you reminded me that 3am is a pretty amazing time of the night when you’re sharing it with the right company. And maybe these aren’t transferable skills to be added on my resume but with each of these lessons you teach me how much a Mom can love her babies.

Completely cheesy? Yes. But completely and utterly true? Absolutely.

Makenzie and Mitchell, thank you for a really great Birthday! I love the adorable card. I love the beautiful purple flowers picked out by my favorite little purple-loving girl. And I love the snuggles and hugs you shared with me all day long. But most of all, thank you for the chance to be your Mom. I realize you didn’t necessarily decide this, but having you in my life reminds me that of all the places in the world I’d love to see and visit – the hot beaches of Aruba, the mystique-filled streets of Italy, or the quiet kid-free aisles of Target – the best place and only place I want to be right now is with both of you.

Snuggling with my two favorite little ones after their afternoon naps.

I Love you both like crazy,

Your (slightly old and kind of sappy) Mom

XOXO

PS For those of you wondering I made it to Target and even managed to pull it together enough to buy some more yoga pants and $50 worth of other stuff I didn’t need. Gotta love Target!

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: Birthdays, Dear Makenzie & Mitchell

InstaYear!

November 3, 2014 by erinqmcgee · Leave a Comment

Makenzie just turned TWO (well it’s more like 4 weeks ago) but yet it feels like she is more independent than ever. In the past few weeks she’s been talking more, helping more and reminding us how quickly she is growing up!

But I just couldn’t miss this chance to do a recap of how much has happened in 12 (okay 13) months since she had her last Birthday cake.

Where did the time go? October 2013 – Happy 1st Birthday Makenzie! She looks like such a baby.

I’m doing this partly because the blog is as close as my kiddos will get to a baby book, but mostly because time goes so quickly that I feel like it is important to document each passing milestone. This year has mostly good, some not-so-good, but all filled with our best intentions to have fun as a family.

With a little help from one of my favorite apps, I pulled a dozen of my favorite pictures. We’ll call this post the InstaYear!

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October 2013

:: Birthday fun :: Running everywhere! :: Final days of warm weather & playing outside :: Peanut allergy :: Pumpkin picking :: Happy & healthy one-year check up and weighing 21 pounds :: Trick-or-treating as a little bumblebee ::

Getting ready to buzzzzz around the neighborhood

November 2013

:: First classes at Rolly Pollies :: First visit to ER for a bump on head :: First UGG boots (knock-offs of course) :: Turkey Day spent in Pittsburgh feeling thankful for fun cousins, awesome grandparents, semi-cool parents & a happy life :: Favorite toys include legos & the iPad :: First trip to Light up Lancaster ::

Makenzie & Cousin Connor!

December 2013

:: First haircut :: New found love for running around the house naked :: 2nd visit to meet Santa Claus :: Mommy’s little helper for everything Christmas – decorating, shopping & making treats :: A Christmas morning spent with Ryan & Jack (Santa listened when we reminded him we would be in Ohio) :: A new trike from Santa :: Baby’s first shopping cart from Nana & Papa :: A new battery-powered car from Mamaw & PapPap :: A rockin’ New Year’s Eve spent on Signal Drive (until about 8:15) :: Welcome 2014! ::

Being a good girl for Santa

January 2014

:: First snow day :: Frst trip down big slide at Rollie Pollies by herself :: Favorite game includes riding on Daddy’s shoulders and running around family room :: Found her belly button :: A new love of coloring :: Lots of fun play dates ::

Snow Day hide & seek

February 2014

:: Favorite places include the Erie Kid’s Museum and Explore & More Museum in Buffalo :: Winter sickness strikes :: First dentist trip & first meltdown at a dentist’s office :: First trip to airport to greet Daddy after his week away :: New pink shoes & pink sippy cup from the Valentine Fairy :: Favorite foods are chili and ice cream (not together) ::

When dads away, the girls will play!

March 2014

:: Discovered a love of bathtime bubbles :: Favorite book is ShoeLaLa :: Another snow day, which included an indoor picnic :: A trip to Ohio to celebrate cousin Jack’s 1st Birthday :: A trip to Frank’s Bar for St. Patty’s Day (don’t worry she drank O’Doul’s) ::

Belly up to the bar for some green drinks on St. Patty’s Day!

April 2014

:: First music class :: A terrifying trip to see the Easter Bunny :: A not so scary Easter morning :: Lots of Easter egg hunts :: First zoo trip for the season :: A new found obsession with the Chicken Dance, which has continued to this day :: Happiness with the warm weather :: A love of outside bubbles :: Enough hair for pigtails ::

Loving the Easter egg hunt

May 2014

:: Big news on Mother’s Day weekend… Big Sis!! :: Trip to Ohio to celebrate cousin Ryan’s 3rd Birthday :: A fun Memorial Day weekend in Canada :: Awesome neighborhood picnic :: Favorite activity includes riding the swings at the playground ::

Makenzie & Ryan checking out the ducks while in Canada

June 2014

:: Swim time in the neighbor’s pool :: Lots of trips to the playground and loving the swings :: Roadtrip to PA :: Favorite food is guacamole :: First trip around the block on her trike (with help from Dad) :: Loves chalk ::

Summer baby

July 2014

:: Waving the flag to say Happy Birthday America! :: Loving the beep beep cars at Fantasy Island :: Trip to Strong Museum of Play :: Helper for Auntie Sara at her baby shower :: Loves the iPad and all technology :: Officially told the world that she’s going to be a Big Sis ::

Proud little American

August 2014

:: Hot summer days spent in the baby pool :: Family staycation :: Fun weekend with Daddy while Mom spent first weekend away with her cousins in NYC :: Trip to Sunset Bay Beach :: Erie County Fair :: Loves Olcott Beach Carousel Park :: Play dates & visits from friends :: Transition to a big girl bed :: Favorite book is Pigs in Hiding ::

SPLASH!

September 2014

:: First pair of tap shoes :: Loves to help Mom in the kitchen :: Lots of learning – Kenzie can count to 10 and recognize most of her letters :: Excited to be TWO :: Favorite color is purple :: Fall family photos

A little window shopping with Minnie

October 2014

:: Hello TWO!! :: Big sister-to-be of a Baby BOY :: First tap class :: Great birthday party! :: Pumpkin farm trips :: Trick or treating as Minnie Mouse :: Ready to take on the world as a Big Girl! ::

Make a Wish!

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Makenzie might be TWO but it was a pretty ONEderful year leading up to it. Looking forward to the fun the next twelve months will bring!

Filed Under: Super Women, Uncategorized · Tagged With: Birthdays, Makenzie Ruth, Month by month

It’s A….

October 7, 2014 by erinqmcgee · Leave a Comment

Blog post about a really memorable day!!!!

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Just like that…

we have a TWO year old

AND

we’re having a BOY!

Needless to say, Makenzie’s Birthday was a SPECIAL day.

Saturday, October 4th was Makenzie’s official Birthday AND 1st tap class day, party day and gender reveal day. Phew, I still need a nap from all the fun.

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Wake up Birthday Girl!

Our day started bright and early and included bagels, decorations and some presents.

Sleepy head Birthday girl

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After breakfast Makenzie and I headed to her very first tap class! It’s a Mommy & Me class at a local dance center. She was shy in the beginning but warmed up in no time. This weekend was her third lesson and she’s really starting to get it. It’s amazing to watch her follow instructions so well. Stay tuned for June when we’re both in the recital (luckily the moms only have a small role). We dress in all black to hide from the spotlight.

Those leggies!!

Radio City Rockettes, here she comes!

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Then came the party fun!!

We made it a Sweet Shop theme.

Our little sweetie is turning Two,

celebrate as we find out if her sibling will be Pink or Blue!

It wasn’t exactly Pinterest perfect but overall I think it turned out cute.

The sweet shop. I swear it was for the kids and not for my pregnant self.

Party decos!

Aaaaaand the most important gift of the day. 🙂

Dad Q got crafty with the pumpkins to make sure they were carved appropriately.

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Then came cake time AND reveal time!

Yum!

She was excited and ready to go!

Make a Wish Makenzie!!

Aaaaaaaaand a look into her first present revealed that…

Makenzie will be getting a BROTHER!!!!!!!!

She was clearly very excited.

Denny and I both expected to see Pink in the box so it was an incredibly exciting and emotional moment for us! We can’t wait to see Makenzie love on her little brother. It’s going to be a fun experience to bring a little boy into this world. I’m sure we’ll get peed on plenty of times but we know this little guy will be the perfect way to complete our family.

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The rest of the day flew by and we loved spending time with some of our favorite people!

Cousin Connor with Kenzie and Jack Jack

Kenzie loves PapPap

And we ended the day with some late night silliness… Jazz Hands for a little BOY!!

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A HUGE Thank You to everyone who came over to make Makenzie’s Birthday really special!! It’s going to be a fun & blue-filled year!

And to Makenzie, thank you for sharing your Birthday excitement with your brother. I still can’t believe you are TWO (even though you’ve been telling people you are two for months now). I know you’re going to be a great Big Sis! Please don’t put make-up on our brother and we’ll make sure he doesn’t try to date your friends.

Love you to the moon & back Birthday girl!

xoxo,

Mom

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: Baby McGee 2, Birthdays, ITSA Party, Makenzie Ruth, The Story of Us

And just like that…

October 4, 2014 by erinqmcgee · Leave a Comment

And just like that my one-year old baby girl went to bed and will wake up a two-year old!

Somehow it’s been two whole years since we were anxiously waiting in the hospital to meet our daughter. I was happily sedated thanks to an epidural and Nubain and Denny was being a rock star husband and dad and making sure that I stayed happily sedated (the happy wife, happy life theory even holds true in the delivery room). It’s been two of the most wonderful, most challenging and most fun years of our lives.

Waiting for our girl

On October 4 at 3:44 am, we welcomed with love Makenzie Ruth. She was 8 lbs and 3 oz. Just perfect!

First smiles and first giggles, first proud moments crawling forward and taking steps, first exciting trips to Rolly Pollies and first fear-filled trips to Urgent Care. First words, first songs and first I Love Yous.

And the coolest part is that I’m pretty sure this is just the beginning. I don’t want to take anything for granted but I have an inkling that it keeps getting better and that the love and admiration for your kids only grows with each new candle on their cake.

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Tomorrow is a BIG Day in the McGee House. Makenzie Ruth will wake up as a two year old. She’ll take her first tap lesson. She’ll take a nap and then celebrate being two with some of our best friends and family. Between time for cupcakes and balloons, she’ll find out if her new sibling will be a boy or a girl. Whoa! Get the already-hormonal mom tissues loaded up for this day.

It’s beyond exciting to think that we’ll soon have two little bursts of energy running around the house. Two little sets up arms to hug each morning, two little giggles to keep the house noisy, and two little snuggles buddies to read to at bedtime.

Whether the envelope tomorrow reveals pink or blue, we will be thrilled. Pink means that Makenzie will get the amazing gift of a sister and Denny will get two very special walks down the aisle. Blue means that our lives will be full of mud pies and sports, and Denny will get to pass on his signature slurveball secrets to a son. Either one is awesome!

In just a few hours (about 18 to be exact), we will get one more hint into what our future holds. We’ll find out a little bit more about this snuggly little baby who will soon be joining our family. Somehow these little moments of life happen and create a really cool journey. Not always expected and not always easy, but always worthwhile.

And just like that my heart is overflowing with love yet again, and we’re reminded how incredibly lucky we are to have our sweet Makenzie Ruth and her new little sidekick.

McGee, party of four, your future awaits…

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Stay tuned, it’s going to be a fun 24 hours!

xoxo,

Erin

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: About Mommy McBlog, Baby McGee 2, Birthdays, ITSA Party, Makenzie Ruth

Pictures of the Week Celebrating 12 months

October 13, 2013 by erinqmcgee · Leave a Comment

Makenzie’s Birthday weekend was so much fun!

Last weekend was 3 full days of celebration. Denny and I both took last Friday off of work and our entire goal was to enjoy every second of Makenzie’s 1st Birthday. Despite my plans to turn our house into a full-out pumpkin farm, my mother-in-law convinced me it’s better to have the party somewhere else and save myself a lot of stress. Such a good call. So I deleted my Makenzie’s Pumpkin Patch Birthday Party board on Pinterest, and we hosted her party at a fun little place called Rolly Pollies. The kids had fun and we were able to enjoy all of our visitors without turning the backyard into a pumpkinville!

Since then we’ve been able to relax and I finally had a chance to upload all the pictures. It’s hard to believe this is her final month-by-month post!

Take a look…

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Friday, Birthday Day

Checking out the Kenzie Coupe! (Likely the first and last new car for this little girl, sorry Kenz!)

Vanity plates… because what toddler doesn’t need these?

Waiting for cousins Jack & Ryan to arrive!

The Birthday fun begins!!

Makenzie enjoying the new tunnel from Nana and Papa, and taking a minute to check birthday e-mails on Mom’s phone.

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Saturday, Party Day!!

Coasters, bounce houses and cake! Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate Makenzie’s 1st year!

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Sunday, An extra day with Family!

Giggles over pancakes with Mamaw

Hanging out with Auntie Meg, Uncle Scott and Connor

After breakfast picture with Nana & Papa

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We’re so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our world. Thank you to everyone who helped us survive the first year of parenting and who helped us celebrate the 1st Birthday of Kenzie!

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Join the celebration on Facebook

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Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: Birthdays, Makenzie Ruth, Month by month, Picture of the Week

Dear Makenzie… A little note to the very special Birthday Girl

October 7, 2013 by erinqmcgee · 1 Comment

Dear Makenzie Ruth,

I say your full name not because you’re in trouble but because I like to say it. Makenzie Ruth. Makenzie Ruth. It makes me smile. And it makes you feel more real. And after celebrating your 1st Birthday this weekend I’m having trouble believing it’s real. How did a year pass so quickly? I feel like it was only a few weeks ago that you were born.

I have a little confession. Before you were born I would talk to you all the time. I told you that I had it all under control and that I knew what I was doing. Well, I lied. Not intentionally, but the second we left the hospital your dad and I looked at each other and worried that we didn’t have the slightest idea of how to take care of you. On your first night at home we all slept in the family room because we were too scared to carry you up the stairs and put you in your room by yourself. Luckily we’ve since overcome the fear of stairs.

And luckily I didn’t lie to you about everything. In fact there are a few things I want to tell you a hundred more times because when I said it the first time I meant it…

You’re the most beautiful baby girl ever, inside and out! True story. I’ve said it a million times and I’ve meant it a million more times. Just look in the mirror.

My goal is for you to be healthy and happy. And maybe if I’m lucky I can teach you a thing or two about life – how to swing a golf club, how to have compassion for those around you, how to have appreciation for your good days, and how to have a sense of humor for your not so good days.

And most importantly,

I’m here for you always. Even during teething pain at 3 am… even during nights when there are monsters under your bed… even during scary thunderstorms… even during junior high when the boy you like won’t ask you to dance (his loss, and I promise I won’t literally be there but I’ll be a text away)… even during finals week at grad school (again, not literally there, but just call me)… even during the toughest times of your life and especially during the happiest moments of you life. I’ll always be there for you – as your mom, as your support, as the one who will keep your heart safe.

Thank you so much Makenzie Ruth. You’ve brought a whole new level of happiness into our world. You’ve also brought me a whole new appreciation for coffee (and I mean that in the best way possible).

Happy Happy 1st Birthday Baby Girl! May all your wishes come true (mine already have).

xoxo

Mom

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: Birthdays, Dear Makenzie, Makenzie Ruth

Double Digits – Littlest M at 10 and 11 months

Let them be Little… tales about my growing Littles!

Tears to Target

InstaYear!

It’s A….