Food Critic

I'll admit, we took our time with introducing solid foods to Mackenzie. You would, too, though if you got this reaction the first time around:

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of sweet potatoes.

We did make some progress, though. Mackenzie permitted allowed us to place the food on her mouth.

And we finally made it to this:

Kickoff

Super cool and confident baby girl in the foreground. Turned-off TV in the background.

About a month after Mackenzie was born, Josh and I made a commitment to not watch TV. This was based on common sense and a TED Talk that basically said TV gives children ADHD. Conveniently, our decision was made after NCAA March Madness. 

One week from today college football begins, causing us to waver on our initial decision. Suggestions welcome on how to balance watching hours of college and pro football, and doing our due diligence as parents.

Hobbs Pond

Lake love

Onward and Upward

We travel to Hope, Maine today--this requires two flights and a two hour car ride. Our mission today is "Just Get There."

Mackenzie's mission is "Work on Core Strength in an Umbrella Stroller my Mom Thought I was Ready for."

The Sweet Spot

The Sweet Spot has always been a sport analogy to me--the sweet spot on my tennis racquet, the sweet spot on my soccer shoelaces, the sweet spot in my jump shot. But there's also a Sweet Spot between the time of dusk and nightfall when this happens:

Getting a child to sleep isn't always easy. It takes rocking, shushing, rocking, singing, rocking, snuggling. Wait, that last part doesn't seem so bad....because,  before I realize it, I've hit the Sweet Spot. For Mackenzie, that's when her left arm goes limp (as shown above), she lets out a deep sigh, and smiles two or three times very quickly. Her body has surrendered to the day. 

This is by far the Sweetest part of my day. 

And, yes, she always sleeps with her arms behind her head. Even asleep, Mackenzie is a boss.

Happy 4 Months

Always fashionably 1-2 weeks late:

I call this the Animal Take Down

Limited Time

Our days are numbered before Mackenzie is crawling. She moved her legs as much as possible while I was pregnant, and has continued to be happiest when she is able to kick, 'stand' or wiggle around.

Equally impressive in this video is the way that she takes 'breaks.'

http://bit.ly/116kb0O