• We started cereal, she loves it! We also have given her sweet potato, apple sauce, mashed banana and butternut squash. She is a champion eater!
• Takes 5, 4-5 Ounce bottles a day.
• Sits without support.
• Passes toys from hand to hand.
• Can successfully put her pacifier in her mouth.
• Jabbers and does lots of happy screams!
• Wears size 2 diaper, 3-6 month clothing Hair finally fell and looks more normal.
• I still cannot believe how much hair she has, we can do things to her hair that we could not do with Addison until she was well over a year.
• Still no teeth and no sign of them coming soon.
• She loves to chew, but what baby doesn't at this age.
• Loves bath time! She kicks, splashes and squeals!
• Loves her exersaucer, jumparoo and play mat.
• No sleep issues!

I took McKenna for her 6 month well check, everything went well. They only thing I need to work with her more is rolling back to tummy. She had no issues with her shots, such a big girl! Here are her stats: Weight: 15 pounds, 2 ounces (30th percentile) Height: 25.5 inches (60th percentile) Head Circumference: 43cm (75th percentile) Her weight dropped off a little bit, but Dr. Sperling was not too worried. She has a big head, you only really notice it when you try and put a hat on her head. I think it is funny that her head is only 4cm smaller than Addison's and they are 17 months apart. Now that McKenna is older and is doing more than eating and sleeping, I have to be careful not to compare her milestones with Addison. There are some that Addison was doing that McKenna is not, which bothers me, but I am trying to remember that all children develop at a different pace. McKenna is not "behind" in anything.

Wordless Wednesday - She is a hot mess!

Comforting and Not So Comforting

I have to say that Addison is such a sweet big sister. I have had very little issues with jealousy, fighting, etc. Recently I have noticed that Addison comforts McKenna one of two ways when she is fussing. She either tries to calm her by patting her back, rubbing her head, giving her a hug or kiss and getting a pacifier. OR she screams "STOP MCKENNA", ha. Here is a video displaying both! (After watching the video I realized that she hit McKenna a little hard, we will be focusing on gentle touch now as well)

Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace ; and the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11

McKenna - 5 Months

FUN FACTS FROM THE MONTH:

• Loves playing with her hands and feet
• Rolls over stomach to back
• Turns toward sounds and when we call her name
• Loves playing in the exersaucer, jumparoo and playmat
• Started scooting
• Can sit 1-3 minutes
• Sleeps through the night
• Takes two naps a day and sometimes a cat nap mid-morning
• Take 5 4-5 ounce bottles
• Starting to put everything in her mouth
• Lots of vowel sounding baby babble
• Wears a size 1-2 diaper and 3-6 month clothing (some 0-3 month still fits though)

Mckenna is such a happy, easy baby! Love her crazy hair!

Addison 2 Year Well Check

We have entered an interesting phase where every time Addison sees a camera she says "No smile" and tries to run away. Hopefully this phase will soon pass! At least McKenna is not mobile, so I can get a good shot of one of my girls. The "action" shots are still cute though :) Anyways, on to the appointment. Brian took Addison by himself to see Dr. Sperling for her 2 year well check. Brian said that they appointment went well and we have a healthy baby, I mean, toddler girl! The only thing we need to work on is getting her to pronounce her words more clearly. Apparently a stranger should be able to understand 50% of what she is saying. We also found out she has an ear infection, so she started antibiotics yesterday. Poor thing, who knows how long she has had it. Brian said it was pretty bad :( Here are her stats: Weight: 25 pounds 6 ounces (40th percentile) Height: 34.5 inches (75the percentile) Head Circumference: 47cm (40th percentile) BMI: 15th percentile "But thanks be to God, who give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Corinthians 15:57

Tickle Tickle

Sweet sounds from such a happy girl... I love her smile and I love her laugh! "Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting" Psalm 126:2a

Hokey Pokey Time

You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out, you put your left foot in and you shake it all about..

You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn your self around. That's what it's all about!Fun family times at our house!

Mum Mum

In order to teach McKenna to feed herself, I started giving her Mum Mum's... she loves them! Even though they are "empty calories", I think it will help develop a skill needed later on. We started them early with Addison and she did great feeding herself later on.

The bad thing about mum mum's is they are a sticky mess when they get wet... if you don't clean it immediately it becomes hard and is difficult to clean.

My girl is growing up!

Addison's first Mum Mum post is here... http://thebetzens.blogspot.com/2010/02/mum-mums-are-yum-yum.html

Addison's Birthday

We had so much fun on Addison's birthday! When she woke up, we sang Happy Birthday and she had pancakes for breakfast. I made her a special pancake shaped as the number 2 (it took 3 tries).

Then we met Amanda and Judah for lunch at McDonalds. The kids played on the playground for a few minutes and then we went to JW Tumbles for some real fun. Addison and Judah has fun running around, climbing, playing with bubbles, toys, etc. Here is a picture of Addison going down the big kid slide... it was really FAST!

After that we came home and took naps. Brian and Addison were supposed to go to swim lessons that evening, but he got delayed at work. GG and Papa came over to have cake and open presents. They made Addison an Elmo cake, it was awesome.

Addison was a little hesitant the eat Elmo, but she warmed up to the idea after awhile. I did not realize it would be so confusing for her!

Addison got all sorts of wonderful gifts from GG & Papa... an Elmo doll that sings the ABC's, a book, puzzle and clothing. Addison is super excited to be 2! I still can't believe I have a 2 year old. She totally amazes me and is such a little person. I can still see the baby in her when she sleeps. We love her so, so much.

2 Years Ago

2 years ago today, sweet Addison Rose was born...

One year ago... Today... I cannot believe my "baby" is two years old. There is so much to say about Addison at this age.

• She is sleeping in her big girl bed (a double bed). The transition was difficult, but I will save the story for a different blog post.
• Sits in a booster seat.
• LOVES her little sister Monkeyna (that is what is sounds like when she says her name, so cute)
• She can talk in sentences, some words are clearer than others.
• Knows all her colors, can count to 10 and can sing her ABC's.
• She wears a size 3 diaper and 18-2T clothes
• She loves shoes and "pretties" aka bracelets, rings & necklaces.
• Starting to be very opinionated on the clothing she wears. If she does not like what I put on her, she will take it off and throw it in the trash can, ha.
• Loves to sing, dance (she does a great booty, booty dance), do puzzles and color.
• She is very helpful in cleaning up messes... she throws away her trash, will go get a rag to wipe up spills and will vacuum the floor!
• She is a picky and unpredictable eater. The only veggies she gets are in the V8 juice she drinks in the mornings. I am sure this topic will come up at her well check on Friday.
• She is a social butterfly and plays very well with others.
• She loves Elmo and Barney.
• She is technology driven. She can work the iPad, my iphone, Brian's android phone like a pro! One of her birthday gifts was a computer (doesn't every 2 year old need her own computer?). We got her a small table at Ikea and set everything up in Brian's office.
• She is happy 95% of the time and can throw a good tantrum if needed, ha.
• She goes to school twice a week and loves it!
• We are carrying her less and less. This has been one of the more difficult things to tackle having two kids under 2.

I am sure I can go on and on... To sum it up, Addison is a sweet little girl and is so much fun! Happy Birthday baby girl!

Ummm... Yeah....

Wow, I am so embarrassed that I have not blogged in forever! I think the same thing happened last summer. I have been encouraged by multiple people to start blogging again, so I am going to give it a try... again... The past few months have been a lot of fun. McKenna is 6 months, healthy and as cute as can be! Addison turned 2 yesterday, I am amazed at how much she has grown up. So today I will begin my journey blogging again... I just need to figure out where to start!

Wordless Wednesday

Easter 2011

This Easter was so much fun with our little family. We did our normal Sunday morning church routine, got the girls dressed in their new Easter outfits given to them by their Great Granmommy and went to church to celebrate our Risen King!

Here is a picture of both of them together... seriously getting a picture of my two cuties looking in the same direction and making a decent face is nearly impossible.

Sweet Addison looks so grown up here...

Happy girl playing with her new slinky bracelets from her Easter bucket...

Mommy and McKenna... love her!

Mommy and her girls.... so blessed...

McKenna in her dress... I love that it is blue and white with a dash of pink.

Later that evening Staci and some of our friends came over to hang out. We had so much fun!

McKenna - 4 Months

4 months... seriously? Time is going by way too fast. McKenna is so much fun and is such a happy baby! Fun Facts:

• Sleeping through the night - 7:00pm to 7:00am. She sometimes thinks 6am is a good wake up time, but will go back down with a pacifier plug.
• Grabbing and playing with toys.
• Loves the exersaucer and play mat.
• Loves to stand up and face out.
• Laughs and smiles all the time... all you have to do is look at her, ha. She is such a happy baby
• Still only rolls from tummy to back. (her body goes wherever her big head goes, ha)
• LOVES her big sister!
• Wears size 1 diaper, 0-3 month clothing
• Does great at the gym and church nursery.
• Knows our face.
• Responds to sound.
• Loves playing with her hands and feet.
• Naps 3 times a day.
• Has 5-4-5oz bottles a day.

I took McKenna for her 4 month well check, she had fun playing with the paper on the exam table.

Here are her stats: Weight: 13 pounds, 11.5 ounces (50th percentile) Height: 24 inches (30th percentile) Head Circumference: 41.25cm (75th percentile)

She got two shots and an oral vaccine, she took them like a champ. Dr. Sperling confirmed that she is a healthy baby girl!

Easter Egg Hunt

Last Easter Addison was crawling... at her first Easter egg hunt she found one egg and was very content. This year was a different story! Brian and I took Addison and McKenna to the preschool / MOPS Easter egg hunt at our church. Here is Brian coaching Addison on egg hunting techniques.She caught on very quickly...

Check out all those eggs! Funny story... Addison would open the egg to see if she liked what was in it before putting it in her bucket. Sometimes she would put the treat in the bucket and throw the empty egg on the ground, silly girl. Her favorite item was the candy "pretty" aka bracelet.

Picture with the "Easter Bunny", McKenna was not thrilled, Addison wanted to read the book...

It was a fun family time for us and I cannot wait for next year when both the kids will be running around collecting eggs.

Wordless Wednesday

McKenna Saw a Ghost

Ketchup Counts Right????

Addison LOVES ketchup! When it is offered to her as a dip with hot dogs, chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries, french fries, etc. she often dips the food and licks the ketchup off and repeats. Eventually she does eat the main course, but it is after a lot of dips and licks, ha. She even licks the plate to ensure no ketchup goes wasted (she learned this from her father). Luckily I buy the ketchup that is either natural or organic, so it does not have a lot of the unhealthy high fructose corn syrup, etc. I know it is still not the healthiest option, but it still counts for something right?

Neenee the Lovey

At one of Addison's baby showers, I was given a sweet lamb that plays "Jesus Loves Me". It stayed in her crib most of her baby days. Over the past year Addison has become very attached to the lamb and calls it "Neenee". We have a lamb for the house and one at school. I went and bought two more at the Family Christian Bookstore, but somehow Addison knows they are not her Neenee's and has rejected them. Her love for Neenee is so sweet, I often hear her through the baby monitor winding the lamb so it will play "Jesus Loves Me". I also have sung that song to her before bed almost every night since she was born. She often asks for Neenee when she is in need of comfort and won't sleep without it. I am glad she found a lovey that gives her comfort and security.

DeDaddy & Ducks

Recently we took McKenna and Addison to see my Grandfather, it was good seeing him. After our visit we went to Johnny Finn's for lunch and so Addison could feed the ducks. It was so much fun! Thank you GG & Papa for such a wonderful day!

GG & Papa with the girls.

She loved the ducks and could have fed them for hours. It was so cute watching her.

Notice the sign...

She loves lemons, just like her Mama!

Mother's Day 2011

Mother's Day at the Betzen house was very laid back and relaxing. Saturday we had a booth at the CedarFest expo, so yesterday I decided I wanted to relax. We skipped church, Brian made me breakfast, went to Costco, got caught up on some shows and took a nap. It was a good day! Next weekend Brian is taking me out on a date, woohoo.

Mother's day is a day that brings so many mixed emotions for those who have lost their mothers, lost a child or have fertility issues. Yesterday morning I prayed for those who may be hurting. Having two healthy girls of my own are a blessing that I do not take for granted (even though they make me crazy some days, ha).

The picture above was taken on Easter, I love my girls and I am so proud to be their Mommy!

McKenna - 3 Months

Yes, I realize McKenna is almost 5 months, so I thought I better catch up on her monthly blog posts before I forget everything, ha.

McKenna is such an easy baby and brings us pure joy. We call her our "chill baby" because pretty much she just chills out all day.

Fun Facts of the Month:

• No longer nursing, we give her 3 breast milk bottles and 2 formula bottles a day. Pumping is a huge pain, but I plan to continue as long as I can.
• Rolls over from tummy to back.
• Bats at toys on her playmat
• Very strong neck
• Makes cute baby sounds: laughing, squealing, screaming, cooing, etc.
• Blows spit bubbles
• Easily tracks objects
• Recognizes our face and voices
• Loves her big sister!
• Still has crazy hair, but it is starting to lay down to one side. The back still sticks straight up.
• Wears 0-3 month clothing, size 1 diaper.
• Sleeps through the nights 7:30-6:30 (we do not feed her until 7-7:30 though)
• Takes 3 naps a day
• Does well in the nursery at church, MOPS and the gym
• Loves looking around and being outdoors
• She is a major chatterbox.
• She does not watch tv :)

I am super bummed that I did not take an official 3 month photo with her duck, oh well. I have one for the 4th month.

A Different Look

Here is McKenna with her hair combed down after her bath. She looks like a different baby!

There, that's more like it!

I love her crazy hair!

graffiti

This is a sweet face of a sweet "artistic" girl who drew on EVERYTHING (including herself) in our backyard with chalk. It was so much fun watching her walk all over the yard adding her special touch.

We officially have the best looking smoker in town...

Her Kangaroo climber is where most of the drawing occured, too bad the rain washed it away. She chalked up the house, brick, doors, wooden frames, posts, fence, etc. Even the water faucet got some chalk love... Love her!