Christmas

All you see is for Mackenzie!

Christmas was quiet, but nice for us. As you can see I think I might of went a little over board with gifts for Mackenzie, but I guess I was trying to make up for the fact that John wasn't going to be there. As it was she also got a gift from John which I let her open before Christmas. She got spoiled, but at least she won't remember and expect it every year!! I'm sure though that each and every year I won't be able to help myself and will get her just as much!
The day was all pretty much about her. I got a necklace from John and then some presents from Mum and Binny. Although I'm grateful for my necklace and really do love it, I was a little bummed that I didn't get the camera I had been hinting at for the better half of the year!! Actually I more than dropped hints I said at one point "all I want for Christmas is a new camera." I guess Santa wasn't listening.

I think she would have been happy to just tap on the paper all day and not unwrap them!

We took our time with the presents. I wanted her to be able to actually take in what she got and not be over whelmed with all this stuff! Having her birthday so close to Christmas made her a pro at ripping open her presents. I would start it and then she would tear straight into it. She got a Paddington Bear and some books and clothes from her Auntie Paula and her family, clothes, books and chocolate from Grandma and Auntie Binny and a doll, socks and a toy kangaroo from her Great Nan. (if I forgot anything I'm sorry)

Opening her Little People School Bus

From Santa she got a kitchen which is kind of cool because when she gets bigger it actually expands. From us she got the school bus, a tea set, blocks, books, a horse (she sits on it and rides around - it's on wheels), a lunch box and some other little stuff.


Her Tea Set

Playing with it.

Opening up her horse

I think she likes it

Looking at her Foofah from Yo Gabba Gabba! I don't think she quite knew what to make of Foofah because she is used to just seeing her on tv.


Her Blocks

Her Kitchen

Playing with her kitchen while I tried to set it up

We spent most of the day playing with her stuff. I also put together a book shelf to go into her room and changed her room around to fit everything in there. She still won't sleep in her bed, but I guess at least she plays in her room now!!

Video Conference

All dressed up for Daddy

Yesterday we went and saw John for our scheduled video conference. The connection wasn't the greatest for us as he looked a little distorted and stuff, but apparently he could see us just fine which I guess was what was important. It was a kind of bittersweet moment really because the common sense part of me told him what he needs to hear...that we're doing great, that we're going to have a great Christmas and that all is well here. Meanwhile the crazy side of me wanted to break down in tears and beg him to come home because I don't want to be on my own anymore; especially for Christmas!
Mackenzie did good although I don't think she understood that it was her Daddy because she couldn't see him properly. I got her all dressed up in her Christmas dress and she looked so cute! She spent most of the time trying to work out how to get her shoes off. Of course too she actually waved at him when the video was down so he didn't get to see it. We actually got to see him again today as he's on a little Christmas greeting posted on the ships facebook page. I've played it a few times for her and pointed out John to her. She watches and waves and says "Dada". If she doesn't see him soon she is going to think he's only two dimensional!

"No more photos Mum!"

I'm half prepared for tomorrow. I still have a bunch of presents to wrap for Mackenzie and I'm trying to find my Christmas spirit. Whatever you do we hope you have a great day and take the time to appreciate your family because having John home for Christmas is all I really want! I'll post photos of our day soon.

This is Mackenzie after she enjoyed a Christmas Eve cup cake!


"Yummy!"

Countdown to Christmas

Look at all those teeth!

Well here we are less than a week before Christmas and I think we are as ready as we'll ever be! It's been a very busy week for us I finished off my class this week and we had yet another day off this week with a sick little girl. On Tuesday Mackenzie woke up with a fever so I called out for the day and got her a doctors appointment. She is still suffering from a slight cold and ended up with another ear infection. The doctor said this is the time of year for it, then he tried to scare me by saying that if she gets another ear infection we might have to start talking about tubes for her ears. I think I'll be getting a second opinion on that! Mackenzie is on antibiotics again and I'm hoping she'll be all cleared up in time for Christmas.

Looking into the box full of presents!

Yesterday we went and picked up a box at the post office from Grandma and Auntie Binny. We got it home and were both in awe as we opened to see a box full of presents! Mackenzie had a great time opening up her birthday presents and underneath our tree is now also full of gifts. It was real nice for me as I didn't think I would be getting any gifts under the tree for me this year. Mackenzie was so cute opening the presents because with each gift (they were all clothes) she would put them over her head like she was trying to try them on! She got some really cute clothes but they are a little big at the moment so she will have to model them for you when they fit.

So many presents....

Lets see what I got!

Yesterday was also my Christmas party for work. We went out to lunch where Mackenzie showed off her new facial expression. She now has a mean look! She lowers her eyebrows and looks at you like she's either going to hit you or tell you off! It's funny to see, but at the same time I don't think I should be encouraging it! We were at the store yesterday and the sales lady began to ask me what was wrong with her. I thought it was the usual question about her eczema, but when I looked at Mackenzie she was giving the lady her mean look! I don't know what the lady did to upset her, but Mackenzie was definitely not happy with her!


Maybe I can eat my way into it?


I wonder what's inside?

After lunch we came home and had our movie night. I'm thinking it's going to be a weekly thing for us. Mackenzie watches a little before she goes off to play, then eventually falls asleep. I make up a little bed on the floor for us both and we snuggle up and watch. Yesterday we watched UP which was really cute. After Mackenzie went to sleep I watched Public Enemies which was also good. I'm actually enjoying this because I feel like I'm finally able to do something for myself. It's taken me a while but I've come to the realization that I've forgotten to take the time to look after myself. I'm constantly putting every one's needs before my own and it's time to reclaim a little time back. Now that school is over my plan is to get the house back into order, then start to get back into my hobbies.

Tasting her new socks

John is doing fine and is still out to sea. On Wednesday we actually get to see him so I'm really looking forward to that. We are having a video conference with him so it will be interesting to see how Mackenzie reacts to that. I have a pretty Christmas dress for her so she will be all dressed up to see her Daddy. I'm not sure if he will be in port for Christmas, but I'm sure the ship will take care of him just the same.
As for us it will be a quiet one, just me and Mackenzie. We have a Four day weekend so it will be a nice break. I will try to do what have become the traditions of our family and I if the weather permits I think we might go to the zoo at some point. Part of me just wants to get the holidays behind us so 2010 will be here and we start counting down to John coming home.
We hope you all have a wonder Christmas!!


Trying on her shirt!


I think she likes this one!

Mackenzie's Birthday

Last photo as a baby!

Well my baby is a big girl now! It's taken me a while as per usual to get this up...but better late than never I guess. We've had a crazy week this week. On Monday we had this really crazy storm which meant getting home from work took us even longer than normal. Then today Mackenzie threw up in the car on the way to work to we ended up coming home early. She seems to be doing ok now. She has slept a lot today and now is her normal self, so fingers crossed she just wanted an extra day at home. Me on the other hand I'm full of guilt and I'm tired. I didn't get much sleep last night and then we had a bad morning with Mackenzie whining. Obviously she was trying to tell me that she wasn't feeling good, but all I wanted was some peace. As we were driving I saw her throw up and my dilemma became what do I do? Do I turn around and go home and let everyone down at work or do I go to work and hope there is nothing wrong with Mackenzie. I went to work on the verge of tears and I guess in the end Mackenzie made the choice for me. It's times like these when I really want my husband here to help!

My big one year old with her doll from her Great Nan!

So to her big day! It all seems so long ago now. We had a good day. On her birthday we went to work/school and she spent most of the day being a diva! She had a cupcake there which she enjoyed then we came home so she could unwrap her gifts. She was more excited with the paper and it took a while to get through the gifts as she was easily distracted! She got very spoiled and we want to say thanks for her gifts.

Pressing on the paper to make cool sounds!


With the bag that matches the spectacular outfit Auntie Paula gave her.


Looking at her gifts from Mummy and Daddy


A break from unwrapping


Playing....


Not happy with Mummy for taking too long...she wasn't impressed with singing

I tried to make her day special by getting her a candle and singing Happy Birthday. All she wanted to do was devour her cupcake, or should I say the icing/frosting!




On Friday we had a day off and Mackenzie had her 12 month check up. She's doing good and ended up getting a total of five shots including her second regular flu shot and her H1N1 shot. She was meant to get two more, but I chose to postpone them until her next check up. I didn't really like the nurse or doctor (who ever she was) we had this time around as she made me feel a little like I wasn't doing the right thing. I got the usual lecture of getting her out of my bed and not nursing her to sleep, but she was also talking about milestones and things, some Mackenzie hasn't reached yet. Like words for instance. According to their paperwork Mackenzie should be able to say Mama and Dada (which she does) plus at least three other words. She hasn't really said much else yet. At school they say she says no, but I haven't heard it yet. Anyway she made me feel like I wasn't doing a good job because Mackenzie wasn't talking more. Funny thing about that though is on the way home someone cut me off in traffic and I called him a asshole. From the back seat I heard "AAaaaaaaaaa". Fingers crossed her first word isn't that! =)

Mackenzie's first birthday cake!

Mackenzie's first birthday was really nice. We had it at a park and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Mackenzie was a little overwhelmed by it all I think and wouldn't let me put her down so she didn't go and play or anything. Again she got very spoiled and she loved her cake!

My friend finally had her baby, so little DJ stopped by for a little while!


The birthday girl all dressed up!


Mackenzie's friends Tim and Sanne


Mackenzie's friends Sophie

Opening presents


More presents!


All partied out!


She slept for quite some time!


In her Christmas pjs!

I'll have to write a little more later. Mackenzie is trying to help and is erasing photos and all sorts of things!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Mackenzie wore her pearls for Thanksgiving dinner....too bad she didn't eat a thing!

Anyone who reads this on a regular basis knows how much I was looking forward to this weekend. All I wanted to do was take it easy and relax...unfortunately things didn't turn out that way. I've had a sick baby all weekend long! It all started on Wednesday when Mackenzie woke up in a terrible mood. At school I heard her throw some very loud tantrums and then they told me that they thought she might have pink eye (conjunctivitis for you Aussies) because she had a lot of gunk coming from her eyes. We got to go home early because all the kids went home early so I took her home hoping that things would clear up.
That night the temperatures begun and they haven't stopped! Every time I would give her Tylenol her temperature would go down only to go back up again once it wore off. I got even less sleep because she was restless and of course feeling terrible and then there was all the rest....lots of congestion, a very green nose and a little cough.
When she was under the spell of Tylenol she was relatively happy. She played a little and would eat a little, but as soon as it wore off she became a blubbering mess. I cooked her and myself a nice Thanksgiving meal and she looked at it, then threw it all on the ground! So much for starting traditions...I definitely don't want her being sick a tradition!

Right before the food ended up on the ground!

We eventually got her into the doctors on Saturday and it turns out that on top of the little cold she has ear infections in both ears so now she's on antibiotics. She has to get it twice a day for the next 10 days. She hates having to take medication so as you can imagine we've had a lot of fun trying to get her to take it! She's doing a little better today. She hasn't had a fever today, but her nose is still terrible! We should be able to go back to work/school tomorrow although I feel like I've had no break at all!

Her new play spot!

I finally got evidence of Mackenzie up to no good! This is her new favorite place to be. She opens the draw, throws everything out of it, then climbs in! It's cute, but I hope that she doesn't break the draw! She's already got her finger jammed in the draw!

"Don't you tell me to get out of the draw Mummy!"


"Lets see if I can get out on my own."


Mackenzie checking out the Christmas tree.

In my attempt to keep everything as normal as possible. I put up the Christmas tree all on my own. It almost didn't happen when I had to struggle to get the tree out of the storage room. John always does that so I had no idea how heavy the box was! Anyway I got it out and was able to put it up while Mackenzie took a nap. She woke up and stared at the tree and so far hasn't attempted to touch it. I have put it up on our coffee table as I went to get some kind of gate to enclose it in, but they were sold out at the store I went to. This weekend it's crazy shopping sales here so I wasn't about to take a sick child from store to store in search of a gate!

"Wait...what's on tv!?"
I got to talk to John on Saturday night which was a much needed surprise! He is still unable to email, but it was so good to hear his voice. He is doing fine and keeping busy. I hope that he's able to call again soon, especially for Mackenzie's birthday.
I can't believe that she'll be one next week! I think it's going to be a day of mixed emotions for me. Of course I'm happy that she's growing and has reached this milestone, but part of me wants her to stay a baby forever. There is also the fact that John can't be here to celebrate with us. I wish we was home for this milestone.
But of course he's not going to be so we have to make the best of it. Our plan is business as usual for her birthday. We will be going to school/work and I plan to take some cupcakes for the teachers, Mackenzie and hopefully a friend or two. Once we get home at the end of the day we will have more time so she can unwrap her presents. (thanks to all who have sent her stuff!) On Friday we have a day off as it's Mackenzie's one year check-up. We have a lot of running around to do that day as we are having a little party on Saturday with my friends. I just hope she is back to feeling healthy enough to enjoy it all! Of course there will be pictures next week of all the fun!!