Wednesday we took the girls to Reston for Finley's 2 week checkup even though she was 3 weeks old. Mackenzie went to play with a friend and we took the baby to the doctor. She is 7 pounds and growing well! Yay! After the pediatrician we drove downtown to start the process of getting her a passport and visa so she can return home with us in January. Later that evening, Kiersten's brother and family drove in from Maryland. In the morning there were two very happy cousins running around and being silly and playing in the first snow fall of the season! The adults played games and prepped our early Thanksgiving dinner. On Friday we ate the big feast complete with a deep fried turkey which is becoming something of a Hammond Thanksgiving tradition. Now that we've celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas music is now approved!
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| Thanks to Ashlyn, Mackenzie enjoyed the snow more this time. |
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| Mommy loves snow! And Mackenzie! |
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| Getting some quiet time in before dinner. They could run around all day if we let them! |
Saturday morning we all drove out to Quantico Marine Base to cheer on and for some of us, participate in the Turkey Trot. They had a 10K and a one mile fun run. Ashlyn was doing the one mile and Kiersten thought Mackenzie might enjoy doing it as well so she signed both her and Mackenzie up for the race. Mackenzie was intrigued by all the people and the MC loudspeakers. When the race started we began "running" which was more of a quick walking pace for Kiersten (good thing too because that's all she's approved to do exercise-wise). We were essentially the last runners and after turning the corner back to the start/finish line we skipped some of the extra parts of the course to make our run about a .65 of a mile which is fine by us. Mackenzie had a great time and later that day asked to go running again. We waited around for Uncle Brad and Aunt Sandra to finish the 10K by exploring the petting zoo they provided but after sitting in the cold for almost 2 hours Finley had had enough so we packed up and went home before they crossed the line. All in all it was a super fun morning.
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| Before the race. |
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| Always important to stretch, even if you're walking. |
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| Part of the petting zoo. They had a sheep, shetland ponies, a llama, ducks, chickens, turkeys and bunnies! |
That evening however was a little less fun. At 7pm Kiersten drove Scott to the airport to say goodbye for the next 5 weeks. 5 weeks! This will be the longest we've ever been apart (since we got married) which is a blessing but it will assuredly be hard for both parties. Due to all the miles Scott has racked up this year, he was upgraded to business class on his flight to Sao Paulo. He then had an 11 hour layover there so he wisely got a hotel room at the hotel in the airport and slept for a few hours before departing for Asuncion. He arrived safely and went to bed before waking up early to go back to work.
On Sunday, Kiersten managed to wake herself up early to get ready for church, get both girls ready for church and fed (with some help from Grandma) and in the car to go to church in Maryland for the Primary Program in her brother's ward. After Sacrament Meeting, in which Ashlyn did very well, Mackenzie requested to stay and go to nursery. Kiersten, her parents and Finley went back to her brother's house to sleep and Mackenzie got a ride home with her cousin.
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| A photo of the drive to MD as captured by Mackenzie. |
Monday and Tuesday have been challenging days with both Kiersten's parents going back to work and both girls her sole responsibility. Pop-Pop (Kiersten's Dad) worked from home on Monday and was available to help but by the afternoon Mackenzie was becoming a little unruly. But Tuesday (today) is really has been just Kiersten.
The morning went fine at home. Then Kiersten attempted her first solo outing with both girls. She took them to a Thanksgiving themed story time at a little local library. It was a sad story time to be sure and Kiersten was positive she could have done a better job. Then after the stories and craft (which was far too advanced for preschoolers) Mackenzie, having drunk way too much water, peed through an already full diaper onto the carpet. Kiersten left Finley in the car seat, asked another mom to watch her, and took Mackenzie into the bathroom to change her diaper. Of course she didn't have a change of clothes with her. When they got out of the bathroom, Finley was crying a hungry cry so Kiersten had no choice but to plop on the ground with a wet pants Mackenzie and feed the baby. Finley has been cluster feeding through the day in a state of perpetual growth spurt all this past week. Mackenzie was content to sit on the floor and eat raisins which was a blessing. Kiersten takes solace in the fact that there were only two other moms at the story time so it was a small embarrassing mom moment. We all got in the car and home safely for a real lunch and naps which of course Mackenzie took over an hour to fall asleep and Finley was restless because she was hungry. Again.
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| Here we go! Wish us luck! |
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| Before story time started and she was working on some fun puzzles. |
The Mackenzie Update:
- She learned the alphabet song from Ashlyn, we're pretty sure, a few weeks ago and one day was singing it. When she got to, "L, M, N, O, P" she said it really fast like it was a word as everyone does. We both laughed and now she thinks is something funny to say so every once in a while she'll randomly say, "LMNOP, LMNOP" and grin.
- She still loves baby Finley and is convinced if she doesn't have her pacifier in her mouth that she must have it and tries to, lovingly, shove it into her mouth.
- She's half way potty trained! How can you be half way potty trained? Remember how she had an aversion to pooping and would hold it in? One of us, one day, asked her if she wanted to poop on the potty after she was grunting and trying not to go in her diaper. Well this seems to be the trick because from that day on she will do the poop wiggle and then we'll take her to the potty and she poops! After she does it she says, "tummy better!" and "all done" after one little poop so we have to cajole her to sit longer and keep going and bribe her with M&Ms but it's working. We figure she didn't like the feel of poop in her diaper which is why she enjoys going on the potty. Hey, what ever works to keep her regular.
- Since Scott flew home, Mackenzie has said many times that she wants to go home or she wants Daddy. This certainly doesn't make the separation any easier! But its nice to know she loves her Daddy and knows where home is.
The Finley Report:
- Cluster feeding during the day which is starting to translate into longer sleep stretches at night. We hope she is like her big sister who began sleeping through the night at 7 weeks.
- She still grunts and bleats like a goat which keeps Kiersten up at night.
Caught her like this during one of our rowdier games. - She is 4 weeks old!
- She is more awake during the day in the morning after her 7 or 8am feed and then again in the evening starting around 6-7. Her eyes are currently blueish-gray. Wonder what eye color they'll take.
This week we'll celebrate a quiet Thanksgiving in Maryland and Scott has been invited to a co-worker's home to take part in the festivities. And to every one of you, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
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