Baby Dedication Sunday & Other Randomness

I know it's been a while, but I haven't had time to even look at McKenna's blog, let alone update it! So maybe I'll make this a long post, we'll see how I feel as I go on.

Last things first, I took McKenna to her four month check up today. She weighed 15lbs 4oz and was 25 3/4 inches tall... which means she's grown 3 3/4 inches and gained 4 lbs since her last visit to the doctor! She's in the 80th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height... I'm guessing she doesn't get the height from me.

Every day McKenna's becoming more of a little girl and less of a baby, which is fun but sad all at the same time. She's more interested in playing with her toys and lying by herself than cuddling with me and falling asleep on me anymore. Here she is playing on her activity mat:
The Mercer's lent us their Bumbo seat, and she thinks it's fun to sit on the coffee table in it and stare at the TV:
This is what happens when you watch too much TV:

My mom (aka, Grandma), came out to visit for the weekend because McKenna was being dedicated at church on Sunday; Grandma Christy, Ma & Pa (John's Grandparents) and Aunts Mary & Catherine were also on hand to witness the event. Instead of baptizing infants, our church has dedication ceremonies. A baby dedication is a commitment that parents make to raise their children as followers of Christ, and when the kids are old enough to make a faith decision of their own, then they can choose to be baptized. We wanted to dedicate McKenna to say publicly that we realize that McKenna is a gift from God and that we need His help, shepherding, strength and guidance to raise her... and to tell others what a joy she is in our lives! We can't imagine a world without her in it, she is an immeasurable blessing! Here are some photos from the dedication:


Of course I had to use the picture of her in the tub for the screen...I had to solidify her position as 'cutest baby ever.'
Next to us here are the Osborne's and their son, Brody (McKenna's boyfriend):

On our other side are the Britton's and their son Malachi, and the Turrill's and their daughter Mimi:
Here's John praying for McKenna:
Later McKenna will think I'm a loser for all of the strange faces I make in pictures, for now she doesn't mind:
That's all for now... we're off to Vail for Turkey Day, I'm sure there will be pictures from our mountain adventures, and of course from Laura & Josh's upcoming visit. I think I'll end with an exclamaition point, since I've used about 72 of them in this post! One more for good measure!

The Many Faces of McKenna...

As I was trying to capture of film (ok, technically not film, digital SD card if you want to be precise) the fact that McKenna's eye color is starting to change...hopefully to mine, so she'll at least have ONE of my features... I noticed all of the different expressions that she makes. So after you look at her new, half-baked eye color, please take a second (or 30 minutes) to paruse the different faces that this little baby makes.


See, don't you think her eyes are changing:

Here are all of her expressions...

Stunned:

Giddy:

Goofy:

Confused:

Contemplative:

Inquisative:

Satisfied:

Elated:

Mischievous:

Sly:

Plain old happy:

Concerned:

Spastic:

Because my mom made me...

My mom was complaining today that I hadn't posted in a while, so to avoid her wrath (and the wrath of Jocelyn) I will write something. Since I haven't written anything in quite some time, I'll make this a long (and random) post.

McKenna is getting so big, she's already grown out of the PJ's that Grandma bought her while we were in California, is about to be too big for size one diapers, and loves to spend time by herself when all I want to do is hold her. She's started to roll over when she lays on her activity mat and as you can see she wants to sit by my side like a big girl:
She still likes to sleep with her arms behind her head like her friend Josh...please take note of the folds in her thighs...no one can say we don't feed her...
She loves to make noises and have people imitate her, she thinks it's funny, and she laughs a little bit. I like the laughing, it's a good software upgrade, I think we're at version 2.1.1 at this point (maybe no one outside of my office will think this is funny...)

We work every day on her core strength, I think of it as baby pilates. She holds on to my fingers and lays down and pulls up to sit up. Soon she'll be sitting up on her own. Here she is sitting unsupported for a second or two, it helps if I make her hold her feet.
I told you this was going to be random... this is a picture of her wearing the duck slippers that her Aunt Blair bought her... I almost forgot we had them, good thing I put them on her before she outgrew them.
Remember earlier when I said she'd be sitting up by herself soon? Look she's doing it... on the kitchen counter, on a box, all by herself (ok, maybe not all by herself, but it looks like it doesn't it? John's ducking behind the counter)

Here's McKenna in her Halloween costume, she was a car air freshener... she made our house smell like PineSol... I received a lot of compliments on my little tree when I took her trick-or-treating at my office, I think I'll buy her costume from the same place next year. Maybe she'll be a hot dog, or perhaps a whoopie cushion.
I mean seriously, look at that smile, can you believe how stinking cute she is?

Here's McKenna with a stuffed bear that John's grandparents got for her at Bank of the West... she seems to like to put it's feet in her mouth, which sounds gross to me, but she must be ok with it.

Here's a picture of her ever growing mullett. I am debating about whether or not to cut it. Thoughts? I think it looks a little ridiculous with the bald spot that's also growing on the back of her head.
I think it's interesting the time babies become interactive and start showing their personalities, coincides with the time that we have to go back to work. Doesn't make sense to me. Maybe the US should adopt the policy of a year of maternity leave that some European and Middle Eastern countries have. I'd be all for it. I already am missing important things, like the first time she really laughed. She did it for Grandma Christy, and although she did it for me today while I was working from home, it's not the same. I pray that the work I'm doing is helping people on some level (I certainly hope it helps someone, we make brain surgery equipment, if that's not helping someone then we're doing something wrong), because just collecting a paycheck isn't worth it in my opinion. It's not that I don't like working, I just think it's fun playing with McKenna all day long. She does interesting things and I don't want to miss them. I'm sure that I'll get back in the swing of things soon enough, but the frusterations (see: Politics, gossip, whining, selfish people) of work get to me, and they didn't used to. Thankfully there are still a few bright spots...and bright people. I said to one of my co-workers the other day that I remembered why work drives some people to drink. So true. I will continue to suck it up... I promise.