What can I say about my baby girl? Well, that she is no longer a baby. Does that make me sad? Yes. Will I be having any more babies? Only if God chooses. Are WE planning to? Absolutely not.
I have loved every moment of watching my precious little girl grow up. Mackenzie is our big, brown-eyed beauty who is always smiling. She lights up the room just by being in it. She giggles with her sister, laughs uncontrollably while being tickled by her older brothers and laughter is never in short supply as we watch her explore this world.
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| Pretty sure she could polish off a watermelon all by herself. |
Mackenzie is definitely the "baby" of the family, getting just about whatever she wants, whenever she wants it from her siblings. As a mother I hate this on so many levels but on the other hand, the way her older siblings are so caring and attentive to her makes my heart happy. (By the way and for the record I do not give in, which I've been told by my children makes me a very not nice mom. I'll deal.)
Mackenzie loves to play with baby dolls, naming them each "Kenzie" or "Ray"...her favorite little 8 month old. She loves to read, sing & dance, color, ride her scooter and right now, most importanly, she loves Dora the Explorer.
Our baby girl can be heard over the monitor most nights an hour past her bedtime, singing Dora's theme song or a version of Diego's. Her spanish vocabulary has grown to point where when she wants certain things she asks for them in spanish. Speaking of her vocabulary...
Mackenzie starting talking around a year just like all the other children but somewhere around 18 months it really took off. There is nothing she cannot communicate to us and the words and phrases she chooses to do so sometimes catch me of guard. The other night at dinner she asked me if it her garlic bread was too hot. I told her 'no' but said she might want to blow on it. She came back at me with this "if I boe too hard I might boe the house down." She often asks to have things that are hers by saying "I have my long'ins now?" That's 'belongings' if you don't speak toddler. It took me a while to figure it out but now there's no mistaking what she says. There have been many times where she has gotten in trouble and she's already learned from her sibs to make up a story about it. So, James and I have all we can do to not start rolling on the floor laughing while hearing them as we try to effectively discipline her.
Last night at dinner she was the last one at the table because she wouldn't eat her dinner. Brett whispered to her that it would be so yummy to eat her zuccini and Mackenzie said "I not like the flavors in here." When hearing her talk you must see the hand guestures and facial expressions she makes. She's a real character!
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| This is a pretty typical MK face |
Our sweet girl is just that, sweet. Mackenzie Kate loves to cuddle, kiss & hug. My new personal favorite is when, completely unannouced & unprovoked she will come up beside you and softly say "I yuv you" followed by the most gentle kiss and hug you can imagine. It really melts you heart. Mackenzie is the first one up in the morning. Every morning she wakes up calling for me (loudly) or I can hear her singing one of her many songs as I race to get her before she wakes up the whole neighborhood. When I scoop her up she is always smiling and I can't tell you how amazing it feels to have her little arms wrapped tightly around my neck as we make our way downstairs.
When I look at our little Miss Mackenzie Kate all I see is pure joy. Not only is she so full of joy but she also seems to create it while entertaining those around her. We can't help but giggle along with her when she's telling stories.
I'm afraid the only part of her that's slightly "baby" that I have to hold on to is some of her baby rolls. As the days go on I see them slimming away as she turns into a beautiful little toddler while she races around her big, wide world. Every day Mackenzie makes our lives a little better. I can't imagine our family without her.
I love you, Mackenzie Kate. The joy you bring to our lives is something to be treasured. You are a blessing and I can't put into words just how much I love you. You are one of a kind and the laughter you bring is contagious. Happy Birthday, sweet girl!
