More Menzie-isms

The computer went back to the shop again, so I've been unable to blog for a few days. While I was gone, you missed a few funny conversations with my daughter. Here's a few to brighten your day:

"Grandma, sometimes does Grandpa make you go to bed when you want to stay up and watch tv?"

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My sister was changing her baby boys diaper. McKenzie leaned over, opened the diaper back up, pointed, and said "Thats a silly one!"

Thats what Menzies do

We've been trying to encourage McKenzie to stay dry all night long. She's about at the 50/50 stage now where it seems like she could stay dry all night, but doesn't think it's worth the effort. We're trying to earn stars on a progress chart, but still lacking motivation. Any ideas?

Anyway, here's a snippet of a 'staying dry' conversation from last weekend.

Daddy: Uh oh! Your pull-up is wet! Why didn't you stay dry like a big girl?
McKenzie: (cocks her head to the side, thinks for a minute and shrugs) Thats what Menzies do on Tuesdays! (stops and thinks again) What day is it?
Daddy: Sunday.
McKenzie: Sometimes thats what Menzies do. Even on Sundays. Sorry Dad. I'll prolly (probably) be dry on Mondays!

Ga-Loon!

See Kenzie's stitches in the pictures above. She's refused to let me photograph it. Stinker!

I was able to sneak out of work a few Mondays ago, so Cris and I decided to take the girls to Lagoon (pronounced Ga-Loon by my oldest) We knew Alli wouldn't be able to do much and thought McKenzie could use a buddy on some of the rides, so we "borrowed" the daughter of a woman I work with. The girls are only a few months apart and have played together a few times - plus it saved her from getting a sitter that day. Luckily it turned out great! The girls were old enough to wait in line and go on rides in the kids area ALL BY THEMSELVES!, which was obviously a major accomplishment. Their favorite ride was the hydroluge - which meant Cris had to take them seperately at least 3 times. The older girls had an absolute blast. Alli, however, was not a fan of the heat. Still, the day was a success!

Tooele County Fair

My MIL and I took the kiddos to the county fair this summer. Although I wasn't entirely impressed, it was a wonderland for Miss McKenzie! Animals, snow cones, crafts AND rides?! She nearly passed out from sheer joy!

Later, as I related McKenzie's joy over the scrambler ride to Cris, he suggested she go back for a second helping. McKenzie got to go back for a date with mom and dad, and I sincerely wish I would have had a camcorder with me to document the pride in her step and she pranced from the parking lot holding her daddies hand on their "date". I just love how the little things are so exciting for her!

Back in the swing of things...

My computer was the unfortunate victim to a virus. I finally got it back last night (plus an extra two gigs of ram), and am working on catching up in life. How did I become so dependant on a computer, by the way? Banking and paying bills seemed impossible. I couldn't call anyone, because I think I may have forgotten how to use the phone book. And I had withdrawals when I could no longer stalk some of my favorite blogs. Hopefully that is all behind me now.

While I was absent, we've stayed rather busy. I've been working on the back yard, which now has 6 trees and a bunch flowers that are starting to fill in the flower beds. The kids play set "Dew-Hickey Park" received a fresh coat of stain. And, I made use of the tomatoes I grew by bottling my first two batches of salsa - without major incident! Wooha!

Allison is growing like a weed. She has some of the most kissable cheeks I've ever seen, however, she's learning to toddle away from me when I start looking like I'm about to devour them!

I signed McKenzie up for Catholic preschool, which should be interesting. More than half the students aren't Catholic so I'm hoping our religion won't be an issue. The program is highly recommended and taught by a family friend who is highly respected, so we are both excited about it. Right now, I'm not so excited about the uniform policy, but who knows? I may end up liking it.

McKenzie also received her first set of stitches. She was sleeping over and grandpas and fell on the frame of the trundle bed when she got up in the middle of the night. She came out of the bedroom saying "I think I'm bleeding" and never even cried (until the needle came out at the ER)! She ended up with about 5 stitches at the top of her cheek, near her eye. She had to be wrapped up and held down while they stitched her up, (which was hard for me) but otherwise, she hasn't been bothered in the least.

I've also had my share of doctor visits. I've been having problems with my knee and hip for 15 years, but this last year had really started to bother me. 15 years ago they had me expecting a knee replacement, but luckily thats not the case. My tibia (shin bone) is rotated more than 60 degrees, so they'll need to break and reset it. The problem? This surgery is usually only done on toddlers, so only pediatric orthopedic surgeons have expertise. The knee specialist I had been seeing pulled some strings and got me an appointment at Primary Childrens hospital next month. We'll see if the surgeon agrees to take my case from there. If he does, no walking for 8 weeks. Should be fun!

I've got a bunch of fun pictures to post, some funny stories, and other junk to share, so stay tuned! :)

A few pics...

9 month bragging rights

I thought I'd post this sooner, but someone has been a tad uncooperative every single time the camera comes out. I couldn't take it any longer, so I took pictures anyway.

Alli is officially 9 months old! She's a little over 17 pounds, and is at the 25th percentile for height and weight. Her heart is still sounding good, and everything seems just fine!

A few milestones:

• She can clap
• and wave
• and has finally gotten her first two teeth... with 2 more coming in soon!
• She's also learned a few new words! Her vocabulary consists of: Daddy, mamma, banana and hi. I'm loving her voice!
• However, to me the most exciting development has been.... WALKING! It's only 3 or 4 steps at a time, but she's moving on her own! As quickly as she's picking it up, I won't be surprised to see her running next week! ;)
  

Even though she's still a mommy's girl, it's hard to see her growing up so quickly. Don't forget Miss Alli Cat, your still my baby. I love you little girl!

Pink Oreos

I was feeling domestic earlier this week, so while Alli took a cat nap, McKenzie and I made home-made oreo cookies. Her only requirement: pink icing. "Pink like a lady, mom!" Go figure!

The cookies turned out great, and McKenzie and I had a really nice time together. However, she did, burn her finger on a warm cookie sheet. I grabbed a cool cloth and asked her if she was okay. With her little lip quivering, she looked at me with the saddest puppy dog eyes and told me that a cookie would make it better. How could I resist?

So, I sat her down at the table with a big cookie and a glass of milk. She took a few bites, stuck out her lip, and complained that the pink frosting wasn't working for her burn. "Next time, we'll have to try blue frosting - it's tougher, mom!"

Welcome Baby Trevin!

Yesterday, I was excited to get a call from Malory and Devin saying that Malory had been admitted to the hospital - I was finally going to be an aunt! My wonderful in-laws took my kiddos, and I hopped in the car to hurry down to Richfield for the excitement.

On the way down, they told me my sisters water had broken, and texted me several times asking where I was. I was afraid I was going to miss holding a baby fresh from heaven, so I sped like a bat out of hell!

When I got there, Malory was only dilated to a 3. 2 hours later, she was still a three. Good thing I hurried, right? :) And you know what? I spent 10 and a half hours waiting for Trevin, and I still ended up missing him! BAH! Cris had to leave for work by 2am the next morning, so I couldn't stay in Richfield past 10pm. (Someone's gotta watch the girls, right?) Malory started pushing (the first time) around 9:30pm, but they stopped her to wait for the baby to come down more on his own, and I had to leave. I WAS SO CLOSE! But, I guess I didn't have the worst of it. Malory was in the hospital for 20 hours with hard labor before the little guy was born!

Trevin Kenneth Moore

July 1, 2009 11:57 pm

7 lbs 2 oz, 20" long

And for those of you who are curious, he has dark curly hair.

And of course, he did inherit the famous (and incredibly cute) "Moore Nose!" Yay!

And although I didn't get to see the baby, the road trip wasn't a complete loss. I'm going to chalk it up to an educational experience. Here's a few lessons I learned yesterday:

• I can pee like a man: Okay, not exactly... let me explain. As I mentioned before, I had received a few texts asking where I was, which led me to assume they wanted me to hurry (that, plus the fact that when my water breaks, it isn't long before the baby is in my arms. Thought maybe my sister would be similar). But as much as I wanted to hurry, I REALLY had to make a pit stop. I pulled into a gas station and waited outside the locked womens room FOREVER. I paced the aisles. I read labels on the packages of beef jerky. And then, I couldn't wait any longer. So, I hijacked the mens room. Simple enough solution, right? I barricaded myself in, practiced my best hover technique and was ready to hit the road again. I did get a few funny stares when I exited the room, but I countered them with my best innocent shrug and told them, "it was a really long drive!".
• MapQuest is not my friend: I've been to Richfield before. Used to live there... when I was seven. I'd never driven down on my own, and since the people I usually ride with take po-dunk country bi-ways, I wanted to have some solid directions under my belt. Too bad they were wrong! I followed the mapqeust recommendations to the T (trust me, I've reviewed them a hundred times!) and they ended up putting me on I-15 South at mile marker 157. My next turn was at mile marker 222. Too bad the mile markers on southbound I-15 get smaller the further you go! The directions put me 60 miles south of my turn off! I had to go the long way through Cove Fort and take I-70, delaying me further and forcing me to spit out a few naughty words.
• My sister's mid-wife thinks I'm mentally challenged: While chatting with the Dr. and nurse, my mom mentioned that I had a sub-dural hematoma when I was born (something my mother had interestingly never mentioned to me). The doctor looked at me with her kind compassionate eyes and told us that I was lucky to have what cognitive function I do.
• Apparently, I look like a "lot lizard" (in trucker speak, that means "hooker at a truck stop"): On the way home, I stopped at the hook at 222 (trucker for the "Flying J in Nephi") to balance out my blood-to-caffeine ratio - I needed a Dr. Pepper quick! Two rather fragrant (and not in a good way) immigrant men covered in hair and filth asked me in garbled English if I wanted to "party" in their Peterbuilt tractor. Oh baby!

While I was sad I ended up missing out on hearing Trevins first cries while I paced the hallway, I am still glad that I went. It was fun and exciting being around Malory and Devin on their special day. The veil that separates Heaven and Earth was thin, even when I was there, and we could feel the Spirits of those we love ushering a new baby into our lives. Thanks Mal and Devin for including me in your special day. And welcome baby Trevin! We love you!