MacKenzie First Birthday

It has been a while. Let me just say that teething has totally taken it's toll on this family. Both Babes are teething up a storm and I really mean that. We have gone from having a great schedule to nothing seems to work other than screaming at times. Oh well that is life, so here are the pictures from Mackenzie's first Birthday! What a Birthday it was and we are so blessed that a year ago she came into our lives, our home, and more importantly our hearts!

More interested in the bag than the gift! Gotta love this stage. This was take on her actually Birthday, the big party was the next day!
This is how she kisses these days she bites on the nose or anywhere she can. Both Jeral and I have experienced this type of kissing first had however it is cute when she is practicing on her teddy bear that Jaris gave her!

Pointing at mommy after having a great pancake breakfast on her birthday!

The day of the party, my mom (aka-Grandma J.) was here and she made Kenzie this butterfly cake! Thanks Grandma we all love you!

Kenzie's turn to blow out the candles, she was not sure what to do when everyone was singing to her at one point I thought she was going to cry!

The after math! After everyone got a piece we let Kenzie have at it with s chunk of cake! The I gave in and let her actually have some pop too!

Opening the birthday presents! Still not sure what to do with the wrapping paper so mommy got to open the gifts!

Playing with the new toy from Auntie Karen and Uncle Ray! Kenzie's friend came all the way from out east to be here so we were super happy that the two of them got to play and interact together.

And here is a family picture from earlier in the day!

So there you have it our amazing little girls first Birthday! We are so blessed to get to be her mommy and daddy and we will never take for granted the gift that she is! Happy Birthday little Kenzie you are so loved!!!!!!

Kenzie Got into our ceral cupboard despite the baby safety latch we have on it and this is how we found her with rice cakes going in the mouth.

Jaris sitting on the car/walking toy. Poor little boy totally fell head first just after I took this picture.

Kenzie after eating a very yummy snacke and refusing to let mommy wipe her face clean. Some days the battle to wipe the face is not worth the battle at all, so I trick her into thinking we are going to have fun in the bath tub, when really I just want to get her cleaned up!!!

My boys watching football. I think their team just scored and pulled ahead of my team and then Jaris made this silly face as if to say - huh mom your team is loosing!

I love his smile! Food and smiles for Jaris go hand in hand!

Jaris decided to babble away during the football game on Sunday and since I love listening to him talk I recorded it. I love how he is saying dada and mama these days and other little things. I know that he is not aware of the meaning yet, however I still love hearing those words come out of his mouth. Especially Mama!!!!!

Welcome Baby Madalyn

Proud Auntie with her niece Madalyn

Welcome to the world baby girl! It was a blessing and an honor to be at your birth and to watch you come into this world! You are very loved!!!

Well it has been a long yet wonderful day. I awoke to my cell phone ringing at 2 am this morning and it was my sister telling me that she had gone into labor and that she wanted me to come to the hospital in Kamloops. So I quickly brushed my teeth, got my clothes on, made sure my hair looked good and did a touch up on the make up I did not wash off before I went to bed and drove to Kamloops. I got to the hospital to be with my sister for the last 3 hours of labour and the birth of my niece Madalyn Mary McAvoy. My brother in law Chris is working up North and was stuck in the camp and unable to make it time. So I took pictures and video after she was born for him so he can see the first few moments of her life.

Watching the birth of my niece was amazing. I watched my son being born in a mirror and that was somehow different. Probably because I was in a huge amount of pain and not able to think clearly or focus on the wonder of my son coming into the world. So this time watching Madalyn I was in awe and wonder. And then the awe and wonder started all over again when I held her and realized how tiny she was and then I thought about my babes once being that small. Man time flies! Madalyn is perfect in every way and I had a bit of head envy as her head was perfectly round and tiny, not like Jaris' his was huge and ouch!!!!!!

Well now I am home with my babes and enjoying the gift of life that they are to us, and thankful that we are not once again entering into the no sleep stage of things. I will be praying for my sister and continue to be grateful for the night my babes sleep!

So welcome into the World Madalyn Mary McAvoy! We love you and are looking forward to many playdates and fun times ahead!

Picture Update

The decorating begins! I am so excited for this Christmas. It is Jaris' first Christmas and while it is technically Kenzie's second Christmas she was only 4 days old at the time, so this Christmas is going to be amazing and not the blur that last years was.

The Christmas tree that one sees when they come in the house! This is the most color I have ever put on a tree - black, silver, burgundy, and purple.

The small Christmas Tree in the sitting room. I was not sure if I was going to set up all 3 trees this year however in the end I decided to set them up! I wanted everything set up for the Family Christmas.

The Christmas Tree in the Family Room! There are more decorations all over the house however I have decided to move onto pictures of the kids which I know it really what everyone wants to see!

Look at that cute little boy! I think he is absolutely amazingly adorable!

Kenzie has the greatest laugh and smile in the world and see those teeth! She has been teething up a storm and now has 7 teeth with what looks like the 8th - 10th about to cut through any day now!

Kenzie some how got on the toy and then was not sure how to make it move or how to get off! She sometimes likes walking behind it, however here method of travel is skootching. She is faster than most kids can crawl or walk so why try to walk anymore! All in time I guess!

Jaris eating broccoli on his own! I love that he is eating some food on his own these days. I starting doing the happy dance when he started eating his own food on occasion this week.

Okay you gotta start them young right! No, however she loves the bottles and I took this picture with someone in mind. I many times got a lecture about drinking Coke-a-Cola from Kenzie's Name sake.

Jaris using the handles to hold his own bottle and drink from it. This was also worthy of the exciting happy dance in the kitchen. I love celebrating all the small things which turn into big things. There was a time when we were scared the small things would not ever happen so I now choose to celebrate ever amazing small step forward! My kids are amazing and I am so blessed to be their mommy. I know I say this a lot, and I mean it every time!

My teething son playing in the jump-a-roo. He is such a trooper when he is teething and normally we have no idea that he is teething, however lately the teeth have been coming fast a furious and the snot is dripping like crazy and he still smiles and to be honest I am enjoy all the extra cuddles these days! From both kids!

Kenzie has been enjoying Christmas oranges these days! We had our big family Christmas and there were lots of orange left here and wow - if I would have known that she would love them so much i would have given them to her months ago!

My sleeping babe!The cuddles and snuggles have been following around here the past few days and I am thrilled about that and will take all the snuggles I can get!

I love this look. I knew she was about to lunge for the camera with that look! oh the many faces of Kenzie!