Lunch Date

What a stud.

The Elephant in the Room

Mackenzie has a play mat that is quickly becoming my favorite (the swing still reigns queen). There's lots going on on the play mat--a monkey, an elephant, a giraffe, a parrot, a mirror and Mozart on a continuous loop. 

Mackenzie is very into grabbing these days, so having Fisher-Price jungle animal toys dangling above her is a dream come true. I'd wager that she's one of the best grabbers for her age...but one Fisher-Price toy has eluded her hands....the elephant. For the past two weeks, Mackenzie's main focus has been to try to grab the elephant's short, stumpy legs. And, today, she finally succeeded!

I didn't have my camera around to capture the feat, but I did snap some awfully cute celebration pics.

Oh, Wow...I Forgot I Had a Blog!

I have been called out for not posting in almost a month. Candidly, I am excited that more people than my mother read my posts.

So.....drum roll....I announce my return to cyberspace. I do have a good excuse, though! In the past 3 weeks I have returned back to work, Mackenzie started daycare, Josh managed his first end of the fiscal year at UM, and the 3 of us packed up and headed to Orlando for a week for the annual NACDA Conference.

A run down of each:

Return to work-Once I got there....awesome. I am excited to be back, and am thrilled that I am able to contribute. I even signed up my 1st Golden Cane!

Mackenzie at daycare-She is happy when she gets there and she is happy when we pick her up. Her teachers adore her...and they have taught us quite a bit about caring for a baby. I showed up the first day with 6 bottles and instructions to feed her every 2 hours. By Day 2, Ms. Annie and Ms. Newheart kindly informed me that she really only ate every 3 hours, and 6 bottles were a little too much. By Day 3, they let me know that her pacifier was too heavy. By the 4th week, Mackenzie had her 1st runny nose and cough. As I dutifully described her symptoms to Ms. Newheart, she asked me if Mackenzie had a fever. I lied and said 'no,' not because she had a fever-but because taking her temperature had never even occurred to me.

Josh's 1st end of year at UM-Done. His supportive spouse is tired of hearing/talking about it.

The Boones go to NACDA-An incredible week to learn, reconnect with our buddies, talk to new folks, and stay out late once Mackenzie's GG got into town. Side note: thank goodness for grandparents! Mackenzie also enjoyed the night life (until 7pm), and absolutely loved people watching in the hotel lobbies (where all the action is) and the vendor hall. And, since the convention was in Orlando, there were Mouse ears involved.

Snuggle

This was the advice I received from a good friend who recently went back to work after maternity leave, "Snuggle."

I am taking that advice to heart:

This is my last week of maternity leave. I find it ironic that my return to work coincides with Paul Tudor Jones' recent comments about mothers in the work place. 

Note: Jones later back pedaled and said he was referring to macro traders, not all mothers in general. This guy just doesn't get it.

Since this is my blog, consider that I am already on my soap box, hence, I found Jones' remarks incredibly offensive for many reasons:

1. The assumption that mothers are the only ones who care about their children. All the fathers I know care just as much about their children as mothers.

2. Jones' ignorance toward breast feeding. In his statements, Jones says it is the "most beautiful experience," and alludes to this connection as the very reason that mothers return to work in a state of ineptitude. Paul, I have news for you-breast feeding is a lot of work, strange and slightly uncomfortable. Candidly, by the 2nd week I found it a bit boring, and started checking and responding to work emails (no offense, Mackenzie).

3. The assumption that work life and home life cannot coexist. There is no way to leave your home life at home, and your work life at work. And that is not a bad thing. My family is everything to me, and makes up who I am. My work means an awfully lot to me, and makes up who I am. I am passionate about both. I cannot and will not turn off those aspects of myself. What I will strive to do is be PRESENT for both my family and my work-mentally, physically and emotionally. I accept that no perfect balance exists, and all that I can do is give my best effort. 

Take that, Paul Tudor Jones. Yes...I know he will never read this, but I feel better!

Emily Day (as told by Mackenzie)

Did you know that my Mom has an entire day to celebrate her birth? And did you know it's called Emily Day? If you didn't know that....well, I'm surprised that she has yet to bring it to your attention.

This year for Emily Day, we celebrated by taking my first trip! I went on a plane and met my GG and Papa, and Lala and Baba in Myrtle Beach. Here are some highlights:

Me planning how I am going to ring in Emily Day until 4 am...hey, she said that she likes to enjoy it alllll day:

Getting weighed at baggage check (don't worry...Mom and Dad let me sit in their laps on the plane):

Chilling in the cabana (did I mention this family really knows how to celebrate?):

Taking my seat at the family dinner: 

Getting into the tropical spirit:

Discovering that, although GG is cool, not all Moms still make milk:

And my favorite--3 generations of fantastic Cozart/Shute women:

Driving Miss Mackenzie

It's hard being this cool.

Sunday Funday

Thanks to Josh, I had a wonderful 1st Mother's Day. We went to breakfast, went for a walk, and took it easy all day. Mackenzie did her part by napping long enough for Josh and me to watch a movie. I am proud to be her Mother!

Sunday was also Mackenzie's 2 Month Birthday. She is smiling more (you still have to work for it), grasping colorful objects, obsessed with taking in her surroundings and full of chatter. She and I have wonderful discussions during the day--mainly about what's going on in the news....with a sprinkling of celebrity gossip.

(Thank you Josh for the fall over action sequence photos. Thank you Animal for cushioning Mackenzie's fall)