A name and a blessing...

McKenna Mae Luke was given a name and a blessing by her father, Daniel on Sunday, November 4th, 2012 

We were surrounded by our close family members, and appreciate them for making the trip to spend time together on McKenna's special day.  Daniel did a wonderful job on the blessing and we enjoyed being able to visit with family.  McKenna did so well at her first sacrament meeting, didn't cry at all during the blessing, and slept most of the meeting.  She is such a good little baby!

Something special about her dress, this is my blessing dress that I was blessed in twenty-four years ago!  I'm so glad that my mom kept it tucked away safely in her cedar chest all these years.  I plan to do the same for McKenna, and who knows, maybe it will be used again when the dress is fourty-eight years old!  She looked so pretty in it!  A lot of dress for such a little lady, but she sure makes it look easy!

The proud parents - we are still on cloud 9 with this little one, not sure when or if we will ever come down!

A Picture is worth a thousand words... or a few at least!

Could not get this to rotate correctly, so sorry!  We celebrated Daniel's 27th birthday on Oct. 28 - just small and simple, but this new dad is a very special guy!  He loves his two girls so much and takes such good care of them!  We hope he had a special day and we sure love him a lot!

This sweet smily little one turn 1 month old on Nov. 2nd - it is crazy how fast time flies!  She is getting to be so strong, whipping her head around left and right, she has successfully rubbed a strip of hair off the back of her head because she is constantly moving it back and forth to see what is going on no matter where she is.  She is getting to be so smily, and wants to be wherever you are right in the mix of things!  She is starting to outgrow the newborn clothes, but is still way too tiny for 0-3 months, so we are in the between stage.  I'm afraid this little girl is going to stay pretty teeny - which isn't a bad thing, I may just have to buy more newborn clothes for her to wear when the others start to get holes :)

Caught this pretty little smile the other day on my phone - she is so much fun, I don't feel the least bit guilty about not going back to work until after Christmas break... and even then am dreading that day!  I'm having so much fun being mom to this sweet angel!

Passing down from generation to generation...

Last week my mother retaught me how to make homemade bread - I've always loved the fresh, warm loaves that she would often make, homemade bread is best warm out of the oven with butter on it!  I have not dared make bread since I have been married because the oven at our apartment would always bake so much hotter - I could bake a cake mix cake in half the allotted time :S  so I didn't want to chance ruining home made bread.  This past Friday my mother came over to entertain McKenna, since there are times she just wants to be loved and given attention :), and I tried my first batch of almost solo bread baking.  

My Mom keeping McKenna happy while I mixed up the dough

I feel very blessed to be raised by a mother who has taken the initiative to teach me homemaking skills such as cooking, baking, cleaning, as well as quilting and other skills that are becoming lost among many of the women who grow up today.  I am also thankful for a wonderful, sweet, grandmother who would also entertain a young granddaughter in the kitchen letting me work alongside her - I still remember vividly baking yummy cinnamon rolls with Grandma Wilson and helping her to cut them with the string.

Bread before it went in the oven, cross your fingers for no splits or bubbles!

Surprisingly, the bread turned out great, I was surprised - and it made my house smell so yummy!  It felt so good to be self sufficient like this and to see the five big loaves and two small ones sitting on the counter.  What was even better was the hot bread we had for lunch that day!  Thank you mom for being willing to teach me skills like this - I am excited to teach my little girl how to bake bread and many other things as well.

The yummy outcome of a mornings hard work!  Only one split, the one we cut into for lunch!

Daniel had a fun autumn photo idea so we gave it a try this weekend and I thought I would share, I think the pictures turned out darling!  This little red head does all colors!  :)  We are having so much fun - and she is so patient with us, and our crazy ideas!

This little sweetheart did so well, after we put her to sleep :)

Already Growing!

She liked the lights at the Doctors Office :)

 
We went to McKenna's two week appointement last week on Oct. 16th and the Doctor was pleased with how she was growing and developing.  She had gained 3 oz. from her birth weight, and weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz.  He wants us to go back in for the next three weeks to check her weight and make sure she is gaining due to the glucose problem in the beginning.  I'm glad that we have a thorough Doctor and will monitor things like that.

She finally lost the main part of her cord on Saturday - almost three weeks!  We are still sponge bathing though because it is still not quite done weeping and healing... she might be a month old before we actually bath her normally!  Which I think I like better anyway because they become so slippery when they are in the water.

We went to our weight check yesterday the 23rd and this little lady has gained 11 oz. from last week.  She now weighs 8 lbs. 7 oz.  Maybe it is just me, but she doesn't look or feel like she is eight pounds now - maybe because she is longer, but it is nice to see her legs and cheeks filling out a little bit more, now if we could get that red hair to keep growing in instead of slowly falling out! :(

She's doing great, and we are still enjoying her so much, she is determined more and more each day to keep that head up on her own, and that right dimple is becoming more and more pronounced as her cheeks get chubbier and as she learns to smile.  She is also starting to find her voice and is starting to coo - she is so much fun and I thank the Lord every day for the opportunity to be a mother to this sweet girl!

So pretty in pink, and peaceful when sleeping - love her!

Bright eyed after a morning feeding

Don't leave her hands uncovered for long, she napped like this one afternoon.  Thumb in her ear, and little pinkie finger in her mouth - darling!

Introducing the lovely, the precious, the doll... McKenna Mae Luke!

She's here!  Finally!  On October 2nd, 2012 we welcomed with loving arms a beautiful baby girl, McKenna Mae Luke.  She weighed in at 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 inches long.  We just love her so much and are enjoying our time with her, it is for never enough time spent, and we can't seem to get anything done around here because we'd much rather be staring at those baby blues and that beautiful red hair.

Time flies because McKenna is almost two weeks old already!  She will be two weeks old tomorrow, and we go see the Dr. for her two week follow up, and the lovely PKU.  She is already too big for her britches, holding her head up way too much, smily (we claim that we can also see the hint or start of dimples in her cheeks - we're hoping! since both mom and dad have dimples!)  She changes so much almost daily and is really so much fun!  I tried to take newborn pictures of her today, and was sucessful, however she didn't want to go to sleep for any of them so there are a few different poses I'll have to try later if I can get her to sleep for some... this little one is for sure not one of those sleep newborns - she wants to be awake and not miss a thing during the day!

We are both really enjoying being parents, Daniel is so helpful and encouraging with everything - it is so cute to see him interact with his "little princess".  We are so blessed to have this little one in our lives and thank the Lord every day for the opportunity He gave us and the sweet little one He entrusted to us.

Pictures galore below, but she is just so cute!  I can't help it!  Enjoy!

McKenna - About 3.5 hours old

2 Days old, starting to like her "bink", this one she doesn't have the IV back in for the second time yet.

Holding hands with Daddy

Sitting pretty in her swing

This is how she likes to sleep, hands up and out.

Wide awake after eating early in the morning, loves to play with that tongue!

She is a contortionist! Wiggly!  9 days old

Daddy's Princess sleeper, it is rather fitting for her

Sunday naptime all spread out in the bassinet, 12 days old

Sample newborn pic, just off of my phone, all she wanted to do was look at the camera, it was so fun snapping pictures of her!  Love this sweet little girl to pieces!  13 Days old here.

Running out of things to do on my own..

So while waiting for this baby to decide to make her appearance I am trying to find things to keep myself busy at home when Daniel is working such late hours.  This past week I put together the glider (don't worry, Daniel had carried the box into the bedroom so no heavy lifting was done)  and I also put together the little cubby for toys and books - we still need to anchor it to the wall so that it won't get pulled on top of anyone playing with it - but I think we have a little bit of time before worrying about this little one crawling and pulling herself up on things!  

To update - we will hopefully be adding to our family of two this week sometime - but apparently she is pretty stubborn like both her parents, and we also think pretty comfortable and warm where she it at.  Fingers are crossed!  We just want her here safe and healthy. 

Next update I'm thinking I will be a momma!  We are very excited! :)  Take care!

Much needed update!

I apologize for seemingly falling off of the planet.  Life has been insanely crazy and hectic since about July, we are ready for some calm, but don't see that coming in the near future as we are still awaiting for baby girl Luke to come.

With the start of a new school year and a very challenging group of students behavior wise this year I am surprised this baby has not come early from the stress!

We also were finally able to find and purchase our first home, and we are so happy and blessed to be in a house that we love and are slowly making into our own.  Daniel is very happy to have a place to do projects and has already worked on, and finished, redoing the baby's room so it is all ready for her to come.  We were able to close on the house on August 17th and start moving things in the next day, a big thanks to our families for helping in the chaos to get everything moved, especially because school was starting for me then at Monday.  Both our families have been very helpful in helping us to get things organized enough to function - and helping me out greatly since being 34 weeks pregnant and continuing to grow each week makes putting a house other and moving things around really difficult.

Baby update: We have no idea when this baby will decide to come.  I am 38 weeks and 2 days today and just hanging out - my students just know that there could be any day that I don't come to school and the baby could come now or in two weeks - we are on her clock.  My due date is September 25th, Daniel thinks that she will come on the 18th, my dad thinks the 20th.. I have no idea - but everything is ready for her to do so!

We hope everyone is doing well and will update as we can and are able.  Hopefully this baby will come on her own, if not, the doctor will induce on Oct. 2nd.    We are very excited to welcome this little one!

 Per request a growing photo - this is at 37 weeks 5 days (last sunday)

Here is a picture of the room and crib, we love how it turned out, the picture doesn't really do it justice - you have to see it in person to actually get a real feel for the color.  Walls are like milk chocolate, crib bedding is mainly green and brown paisley - love how it turned out.  There is also crown molding on the ceiling that Daniel and Conlee put up and looks wonderful and really completes the room.