Grandma and Grandpa Come to Town!

A couple of weeks ago Todd's parents came over from Illinois and stayed with us for a week. We don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like to. So it was so nice to have them in our home with us every day and get to spend the time with them that we had. The kids had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa and were excited every morning that they woke up and got see them again. We had such a great time and had lots of fun memories. The kids miss them both and we are already anxious to see them again.

Here are just some of the memories from the great time we had. We love you Grandma and Grandpa!

Of course we had to have an outing to the park to feed the ducks with Grandma. Kellen finally figured out how to actually pull off small pieces and throw them to the ducks, though he still eats more of the bread himself than he is willing to party with. You would think I starve him...

Kellen really loved his Grandpa and always enjoyed bringing him his blanket or milk to sit with him and relax together.

The big boys enjoyed some yogurt mill....

Kenna soaked up all the attention and book reading she could from her two Grandmas.

More fun at the park. My daughter can't take a serious pictures these day....really....she almost always has to make some sort of goofy/silly face. But it suites her.

Kellen boy....he is a sliding fool!

We took a really fun trip to the San Diego Zoo! It was Kellen and Brooke's first trip to the Zoo. We saw a lot in the short time we were there, but it ended up getting Very cold and rainy so we ended up leaving a little early. It was a blast though.

Toddy with his parents and kiddos. Very cute picture!

Even little 8 month old Brooke seemed to truly enjoy looking at the animals. She is such a little cutie, and a total spaz like her mama. I love these girls!

See.....she really has aborted smiling. Why smile when you can stick out your tongue instead?

Another Good Reason to be Having Another Boy!

Kellen is 100% boy...there is no doubt about it. He loves cars and trucks and balls and rocks and sticks and mud in ways that his Sissy never cared for. But hey, he has a sister that he sees playing dress up All the time and heck, it looks like fun to him too. He will occasionally try and get in on the dress up action, which Makenna is always thrilled about. Whenever she does get a dress on him it only lasts for a minute at most and then he is trying to rip it off. I guess he is curios enough to try and then the testosterone kicks in and he knows to get himself away quickly :) On this particular day Kenna was getting into her favorite red dress and I could tell Kellen was interested himself. I left the room for a few minutes and Kenna had him completely undressed and was trying her best to get this little pixie dress on him. So, much to Makenna and Kellen's excitement (and much to Todd's disapproval) I helped her finish the job and quickly ran and grabbed my camera to snap a few shots before he started tearing it off. They just looked too cute together! Todd does not get this at all and tried to ban me from posting it on the blog. But he never had any sisters so I can't blame him for not understanding. I tired telling him that any man that grew up with sisters most likely had the same thing done to him at some point or another. I have wonderful blackmail pictures of my little brother dressed way worse than this! (sorry Dave!) So Todd is learning to deal with it, but we are both grateful to be having another little boy coming along. I guarantee even he will end up in Princess clothes at some point in his life, but at least is should add a little more testosterone to the scene and Kellen can have someone to crash trucks with :) Until then, it's dress up time!

Updates

I know I am being a little bit of a slacker. It just feels like there are always 5 million things to stay on top of. Parenting, housekeeping, blogging, emailing, scrapbooking, 3 kids journals....and sadly I am pretty much behind on all of them...but I keep trying and that is what matters, right???

Anyway, here are your updates....

This was taken a week ago. I can't believe I am already almost half way there. I feel like I am as big now as I was at 25 weeks with Makenna and Kellen, but I guess that is what happens when everything stretches out and you are on baby #3

I know I am being a little bit of a slacker. It just feels like there are always 5 million things to stay on top of. Parenting, housekeeping, blogging, emailing, scrapbooking, 3 kids journals....and sadly I am pretty much behind on all of them...but I keep trying and that is what matters, right???

Anyway, here are your updates....

Rah Rah and baby Brooke were over to play the other day. The kiddos all have so much fun together, especially as Brooke gets older and can do more with my loud, crazy children! Makenna really just adores her and Kellen thinks babies are so great right now, so he soaks it up too!

My little hula girl. Todd and I got this for Makenna when we were on our honeymoon in Hawaii. She finally fits into it. It was a bit of a process getting it on her, she smiled for two pictures and then had a total meltdown because she felt too shy in it and wanted to rip it all off. But at least I got one really cute picture!

Kenna is in love with flashlights, so I had to get her her own little kid one to keep her from trying to climb the shelves in the closet to reach the Mag light. Silly girl!

The munchkins playing Don't Break the Ice. When you play alone with Makenna she does a really good job being careful and trying her best to win and not break it all. When she and Kellen play together it is just madness and destruction. I guess that is the energy that little boys bring!

Kenna and Kellen arguing together. I just wanted to capture it, but when I took this picture it made her Really upset with me (it was actually quite funny....do I sound evil??)

Makenna loves to pretend to ice skate on the tile wearing socks....silly girl. Here she is trying to get Kellen in on the action. He was loving it!

Kellen's 17 Month Update:

I feel like it has been a little while since I gave a good update about Kellen on here. He is still at that age where he is changing, growing, discovering and learning soooo much. It is such a fun and challenging age all at once.
Kellen has certainly reached that mischievous, toddler age. He loves getting into trouble and I believe he finds it more entertaining and funny than just about anything else. He loves to get into my junk drawer and pull everything out of it. And I try to move the stuff so he can't get it, but isn't that what a junk drawer is for? To put junk in that doesn't have anywhere else in your house to go? He loves to turn light off and pull on the window blinds. He is a climber and is always getting into trouble or hurting himself by trying to climb. He loves to take toys and hit the water dispenser on the fridge and make is spill water everywhere and I am bad at remembering to lock it all the time. He is just into one thing after another all day long. Silly boy.

He continues to be such a good talker. He says more words then I can count at this point and does a really good job communicating what he wants. He talks ALL the time. I swear there is constant noise coming out of that child. He loves to dance and really loves his dance parties with his sister. He is in love with using spoons and forks. He wants a spoon with ANYTHING that he eats. The more spoons the better for him. Even if what he is eating does not require a utensil, he wants one anyway. I shouldn't say want...he demands one! He loves to play outside and try to find as many rocks and sticks as he can. He loves to climb on Makenna's tricycle and push himself around on his feet. He is in love, and I mean IN LOVE with the Trolley! He calls the Trolley a "car-car" and looks for them everywhere we drive and yells with glee when he sees one. One of his favorite words right now is "Whoa!" and he says it all the time. It is totally cute! He is still a total Mama's boy....he certainly knows how to make me feel loved and needed, that is for sure! But he is getting better and better at not having such bad separation anxiety which is a big relief. Most of the time I can leave without him crying and having a meltdown.
Kellen still loves his blanky which he calls his "B" and is enjoying his last week with his binky or what he refers to as his "Ba". Kellen loves his Ba and only really uses it when he is sleeping. But it is time for it to go. I would have originally let him have it a bit longer, but I want him off it and to have forgotten about it long before the baby gets here. Otherwise I feel like it would be Very hard to take his away and have him watch his little brother suck on one all the time. Plus, I feel like the sooner I take it away the easier it will be for him to give it up. So on Monday we are going to start "snipping" the binky and soon enough it will be a thing of the past. Wish us luck!

I have no idea how tall Kellen is....he is way too wiggly to try and measure. He is wearing size 2t right now and fits it good. He weighs about 28lbs and really hasn't gained more than half a pound in the last 6 months. He is really getting taller and slimming out. He is no the rolly polly baby he once was. He is still a big boy, and quite heavy! But it is cute to see him getting taller and thinner. Such a big boy! We love you Kellen!

Kellen with his utensils :)

My big boy being silly and handsome! I just love those big brown eyes of his!!

Our little stud muffin, trying his best to ride that bike!

It seems like these days getting on the computer is just not my priority. I love to blog and always feel bad when it has been awhile in between posts, especially because I consider this very much a journal for the family. But it just seems that my free time is taken up by other priorities these days...struggling to keep the house in order and up and running, spending time with the kiddos, trying to get scrapbooking done napping when I feel it is necessary to my survival (which is quite often, though slowly improving).
This pregnancy has definitely gotten much better and easier in the last couple of weeks. I am confident enough to say out loud that the nausea has passed and the vomiting has come to an end. I still have my moments where my stomach gets upset at the sight or taste of certain foods, but it is nothing like it once was. I am still Very tired a lot. It has gotten much, much better. And they finally figured out that I am anemic and now that I have been on the iron for a little while I finally feel like I am getting more and more energy back. I can go days here and there without having to nap, which is so nice. I started feeling the baby move the day after our ultrasound, right about at 16 weeks. It is my favorite part of pregnancy hands down. I love feeling those little bumps and kicks. And it is so fun to feel them getting bigger and stronger as the baby grows. I am anxious for Todd and the kiddos to be able to feel his little kicks as well. We are still working on a name. I know, I am as anxious as you are to know. Hopefully soon.

Kenna becomes more and more girly every day it seems. She suddenly loves to wear "church dresses" every day. I don't know where this girl gets it because I most certainly am not the one instigating it. But she is still her little tomboy self as well. When I knew I was having a daughter I once said to Sarah "I want my daughter to be cute and girly, but also not afraid to get down and dirty. I want her to be running around in a dress with skinned knees to go with it." The other day I was on the phone with Sarah and the kids were playing outside and I had to go out and tell Makenna to "stop running through the mud with your princess shoes on. Get off the hillside! You are getting muddy!" Sarah stopped me and said "Did you just hear what you said? You totally got what you wanted in a daughter!" And she was right. I got exactly what I asked for....and I love it. We are having some struggles trying to diagnose why Makenna is anemic. She does not act at all like an anemic child. In fact, I can't imagine the child having more energy than she does! But according to her blood she is and so far everything she has been tested for is not helping us figure out what the cause is. It is a bit stressful and nerve racking for me, but I am trying to relax and not worry until I have real reason to.

Kellen is doing great. Every day he leaves the baby stage behind more and more and seems so much more toddler. He is such a little mimic and talks up a storm these days. He loves to use words and is always trying to say new things. He is a total whirlwind these days....always moving and constantly getting into something. I swear the kid never stops to rest. He is very much a "boy" the way people told me he would be....making a mess everywhere he goes. He is a bit mischevious right now and loves getting a reaction from mom and dad by playing with light switches, toilets, emptying drawers he is not supposed to be in, going after electric cords and outlets. He thinks "No!" is a very funny word....it exhausts me. But it is just a phase and I remind myself of that every day. He is prone to a few temper tantrums a day, usually brought on by nothing at all and just happen out of the blue. I just ignore him and figure that if they get him no attention then eventually he will stop. He has 2 weeks left with his binky and then it is a gonner. I keep telling him to live it up while he can.

They still love each other so much and it makes me so happy to see!

Whenever I sleep I have to put something over my face while falling asleep. The other day I was cleaning the bedroom and Makenna kept saying "Mama, you be Kenna and I will be Mama" so I went along with it. When I came around the corner this is what I saw. I almost fell to the floor I was laughing so hard!

Bath time is totally one of my favorite times of the evening. I love bath time and so do the kids.

Kellen in the midst of one of his tantrums. He was Really mad after I took this picture! :)

It is a good thing that we are having another boy, because Kellen needs a little boy playmate. Kenna has so many little girl friends, and Kellen always just spends his time off doing his own boy thing. Such a silly little guy.

Kenna and the lamp girls...playing Princess and swinging all afternoon.

My little dancing queen.

Makenna becomes more and more mothering of Kellen the older she gets. Every night before bath time she likes to help Kellen get undressed. It is totally cute and Kellen loves it!

Poor little boy was sick with an ear infection and miserable all day long. I set him on the bed for a few minutes while I put away laundry and before I knew it he had passed out. So cute.

Kellen is already practicing being a big brother by playing with Kenna's baby dolls and and carrying them all around the house. It is very cute and sweet.

Boy, Oh Boy!!

That's right! Much to the majority of the family's utter shock and surprise, baby McKamey is now baby Boy McKamey. And trust me....there is no doubt about it. The ultrasound technician made sure to show us about 20 different times...from the bottom, the top, side angles...she left no question in everyones mind :)

We are all very excited to know we are having another boy. I have loved having a son and raising our little man. I am thrilled to have another little guy in the family...though I don't like Makennaand I becoming out numbered :) I am thrilled that Kellen is going to have a brother. The poor boy is just surrounded by a bunch of boisterous women right now. It will be good for him to have another manly influence in his life. And Makenna is well suited to be a big sister to boys. She loves her brother and will love this one just as much! And although she made sure to tell us all that she had wanted a girl, she has quickly adjusted and will tell anyone that it is a baby boy with much enthusiasm and excitement in her voice!

Most importantly he looked very healthy and strong. He is measuring right on date, has a strong steady heartbeat and was doing back flips all over the place. He is a very active little boy (as most boys are I guess).
Names are still a work in progress, but trust me, you will know as soon as I do :)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5....all toes accounted for.

Verification of him being a "him"

Swing Park

Well, it is official. The "swing park" (as Makenna has named it) is 100% complete. Todd and I found and bought this used play set off of Craigslist a number of months ago. It only came with a very short bar that allowed for 1 swing attachment. So Todd and Pa built a swing arm all on their own to add to the play set. We bought the hardware and swings from the Rainbow store but everything else was done and assembled by these two studly men!

The kids Love their swing park. Having the swings has added much more entertainment. It is so nice to be able to go in our backyard and push both of them on the swings for as long as they want.
Way to go Pa and Daddy! You have made some very happy kids and a very happy mama.... anything that entertains the kids for a good length of time makes my life that much better!

Off course I pulled out my camera just as the kids were getting bored of swinging. But here they are enjoying it nonetheless.

It is both a blessing and a curse that Kellen can now climb to the top of the play set alone. I love not having to drag him up there myself, but I still don't trust that he wouldn't try to just walk right off the edge.