McKenna 6 months old

My little girl is 6 months old. I can't believe it. She is such a big (tiny) girl. She is just a joy. She is ALWAYS happy and smiling. She is starting to get to the "stranger danger" stage. If she doesn't really recognize someone or not sure where I am she gives the biggest bottom lip. It is just so cute. McKenna does not crawl at all and does not sit up by herself. If I put her on her tummy she throws her arms back like she is trying to fly and just cries. I still do tummy time, but she HATES it! She practices sitting up with a boppy behind her and she does pretty good, but she is just a bit floppy still. She prefers being held and getting LOTS of attention. (Spoiled much?)

McKenna still does not sleep through the night. I have tried EVERYTHING! Both Brooklynn and Cameron slept all night before 4 months old. One thing that the doctor thinks is because she pee's A LOT. Almost every day I have to change all her clothes and blankets, sheets etc. Sometimes even after she has been changed an hour earlier. They have run tests and checked for diabetes but everything looks normal. So that is good. He just thinks her production is a little more than normal. So in the night I usually have to change her since she is soaked. So I guess I will survive and not have a great sleeper this time around.

She loves to talk and make noise. I always know when she is ready to get up for the day, because instead of crying she is just chattering in her bed. She likes to make bubbles and lots of drool. She is getting teeth and not too grouchy about it yet. She loves to eat and does so good.




At her 6 month appointment she is doing so good. Except that she was scared of anyone who touched or looked at her wrong.

Weight- 12 lbs 10 oz. (5%)
The picture shows 12.12, but she was wiggling and they told me 12.10
Height- 26 inches long (50%)
Head- 3% She has a tiny little head.

I have a skinny tall girl. Just like her sister and daddy. I thought for sure she was 13 maybe even 14 pounds, but she hasn't quite hit 13 yet.

I can't believe my little girl is already 1/2 a year. Life goes by way too fast!

Easter

I had to buy the girls matching dresses. Brooklynn has had the cutest dresses, but never blue. When I saw these outfits I couldn't resist. We love Cam's boat shoes and hat. DARLING!


Brooklynn said we have to leave something for the Easter Bunny since we do for Santa. OKAY! She is so sweet and thoughtful.


So I went in my prize box and found Brooklynn's Rapunzel and Flynn Rider dolls. The books I have had for over a year waiting for a good occasion. (They are poems by Jeff Foxworthy and so fun) And they each got a new movie.

Now the Toy Story toys were a must. Cam is OBSESSED with Toy Story and so we have slowly been collecting the figures. My mom gave us a bunch that she had doubles of. He loves them so much that he sleeps with them. I only let him take 3 to bed.

McKenna got some new toys and a cute outfit with leggings. It was a fun Easter the Easter Bunny was glad to get this stuff out of the box (FINALLY)

Ryan and I gave the kids a little Book of Mormon and the cute statue.




Brooklynn's was hidden in her doll house.



Cam's was hidden in the cupboard!



McKenna's was in her swing.



Ryan and I got a new shirt and dress and some candy, also some books I got two books I have been wanting The Help and Eat Love Pray (ha ha Ryan does read...right?) Yep, he doesn't read, BUT I got him books that he would like. He got the Lance Armstrong book It's Not About the Bike, but the Journey Back to Life and a personalized signed copy of Paul Cardall's book Before My Heart Stops.

Paul Cardall's wife works with my sister-in-law and then he was also a patient in the PICU. Ryan was never his nurse but they chatted and Paul even called Ryan one night and played the piano for him. Paul wrote Ryan "Ryan, I miss my days in the PICU. Crazy huh? Miracles happen. Paul Cardall."

It was a good Easter and it is so true, Miracles do happen and we have to remember why we celebrate Easter and how blessed we really are. We are so thankful for our Savior. I am always trying to remind the kids of why we are here and what really matters. I love that now Brooklynn understands more about why we celebrate Easter.

Easter Egg Hunts

Oldroyd Easter Egg Hunt

We did a fun Easter Egg hunt with the Oldroyd family. The kids went wild and found a lot of eggs. We had lots of money in the eggs. Total was about $20+. Cameron really didn't care much about the eggs and just wanted to ride the bikes. Brooklynn had fun but isn't really the competetive-sporty type. My kids got about .50 total. Oh well, they got lots of candy and other prizes.







Dennis Easter Egg Hunt

At my moms Easter Egg hunt the kids had so much fun as well. Here again, Cameron didn't really care, but for the kids it's "Even Steven" or as my siblings call it "Communism Easter Egg Hunt". So they got a ton- Coloring books, purse, candy, Barbie toys and much much more.



Now for the adult Easter Egg hunt (no pictures) it is ... AWESOME!!! My mom goes all out. It is usually you get what you get. Well one year she decided to let us all find the eggs, the winner got $5, but then she would even out the prizes. EVERYONE- (but me) complained. I didn't mind because I always lose anyways. My brothers and sisters called it the communist Easter Egg hunt. So it only lasted one year.

My mom gets a weird satisfaction out of watching her 4 kids and 3 in-laws jump, run, push, search and body slam. Now everyone in my family knows that I do not push or body slam so they don't do it to me. I am not competitive in that way. But everyone else is fair game cause they do it to each other. In the past 11 years Ryan has won a majority of the hunts (most eggs), Johana and Josh do really well at getting awesome prizes. Jake and Terra also do well and I think everyone, but me has won. I always get the least amount of eggs. Now that Camille is in the family she got less than me though. This year Ryan won with 70 eggs, he got about $20 and a Jamba Juice gift card- the rest candy. I got second to last with 35 eggs, about $20, gift cards to: Barnes and Noble, Target, Fresh Market, Movie theatre, 2 Toys R us tickets and I found the Golden egg which was $25 gift card to Olive Garden.
Thanks mom it is so much fun.

Brooklynn's Surgery

Brooklynn had Strep 5 times in 12 weeks. Also in the 12 weeks Cam had it twice. So we got her tonsils and adnoids out. She was so brave waiting and had so much fun. She wasn't even scared, but I cried... Okay- I didn't cry, but my eyes welled up a little. It is a scary thing sending your child off with someone else. She got to make a sack puppet Bunny and color a hospital doll. She named hers Olivia. (I thought I had a picture of it, but I will add it later.)


Brooklynn woke up and told me that she didn't like the watermelon flavor that they gave her in the mask. "I should have chose Root Beer." We took her home and got her a Slurpee and she got to watch a movie in her bed. She took her medicine so good and hardly complained. She never got the bad 3rd day that usually comes after surgery, but days 6 and 7 she had really bad ear pain. She is now better and so far so good. I am done with this strep thing.


Brooklynn got some "Get Better Presents!" We gave her new jammies and Cameron and McKenna gave her a Princess book. My mom (Grandma Bean) gave her a Belle doll and some other princess stuff do use while she was sick.

Ryan's New Job!!!

Ryan is the newest member of IHC's Pediatric Life Flight Team. Congrats to my smart and talented husband. To me it seems so scary, but Ryan has always wanted to be on Life Flight and I support him 100%. I can't wait for this new adventure in our life.

St. George

About two weeks ago we went to St. George for a little getaway. We stayed in the condo with Ryan's parents. While Ryan and his parents went golfing the kids and myself had a little picnic for lunch and watched a movie. One night we went to an awesome park to play. Brooklynn is a little timid at this kind of stuff but she had fun and was more daring than I expected. She did get hurt though. Cam is not scared in the least and even when he fell really hard twice he got right back up to play again. We did spend some time just in the condo. Cam watched a lot of movies, Brooklynn colored and McKenna just sat and looked cute. One night Brooklynn wasn't feeling well and had some allergies. Once we put a wet cloth on her eyes she went right to sleep. The next day Brooklynn was feeling worse and worse. Only one more day until we were leaving. On the drive home we called the doctor and went straight to the doctors office. Brooklynn had strep for the 5th time in 12 weeks. (We made an apt with an ENT and she is getting her tonsils out this Friday.) Of course we had a blast swimming. It wasn't all that warm, but still fun. Cam HATES it, Brooklynn LOVES it and McKenna didn't know what to think of it. All in all a fun trip and we love St. George. It is Ryan's favorite place to go, I am sure for the golfing mostly, I like the shopping. Thanks Mom and Dad Oldroyd for letting us come with you.

4 years ago... what a blessing!

"The temple will be an ever-present reminder that God intended the family to be eternal." --Ezra Taft Benson Today is a special day. Four years ago Brooklynn was sealed to Ryan and I in the Salt Lake Temple. I am so thankful she was brought into our lives and we are so lucky. What a blessing to know that even though she wasn't born in the covenant that she can be sealed to us so we can be a family forever. We love celebrating as a family the blessing of our temple sealings and every year we go to Temple Square to remind us of this wonderful blessing we have. Brooklynn has been really sick with high fevers so we are posponing this year hopefully to next week. Here and Here are some of our other times we have celebrated as a family.