In less than a week, my Mackenna will be 3 years old! 3 years old! When you have a baby, other parents will tell you children grow at lightning, fast speed. Until you are a parent yourself, you really do not understand. It really does seem just like yesterday when we brought her home from the hospital. She was so beautiful, so tiny, so adorable. She smiled from day one, and it did not take her long to have her first giggle. She was always a happy baby! I still remember the 3 hour feedings, the sleep deprivation, the complete joy and euphoria of those first few months! I was so in awe of her, and I loved every minute I got to spend with her. I also learned a lot about myself during those first few months of her life. For one, I figured out that I was not Super-mom, and I never would be. As I was moving furniture one morning at 2am, John told me he had had enough. I was going to have to learn that I could not do everything I wanted to in a 24 hour time period. It was at that point that I learned to take naps when Mac napped. I started making lists of little things I accomplished during the day, just so I could have some pride in my mothering ability. The newborn phase sure was a fleeting one though. It did not seem to last very long.
As Mackenna grew during that first year of life, I learned that she was very adaptable. She took her first long distance trip when she was 2 months old. We drove 16 hours to Houston and 16 hours back home for a Clemens family Christmas. She was such a great traveler! I am so happy the trend has continued! As she grew, so did her capacity for giggles and laughter. We loved seeing that big smile and her blue eyes light up. She has never really been a child to scream out in anger. Honestly, she was rarely fussy. When she did get mad though, you knew it. She started holding her breath at 3 months of age. It was a very scary stage for Mommy. I took a CPR class soon after! Fortunately, that stage only lasted about six months!
Mackenna rolled over for the first time when she was 2 months old. She had her first real belly laugh at four months old. She held her bottle with both hands for the first time at 4 months too. At five months, she was eating solid food and switching toys from hand to hand. At six months old, she gave up her pacifier. She got her first tooth. A second one came up five days later. Around seven months is when her "stranger anxiety" issues started. Boy, were those bad! Mommy could not get out of eyesight without her having a meltdown. At eight months old, she was sitting up by herself and drinking from sippy cups. At nine months old she was standing with help and pulling herself up on furniture to stand. By her tenth month, her fifth tooth had came in, and she took her first step. At 11 months, she was into everything! At a year old, Mackenna had 7 teeth and weighed 21 lbs, 8 ounces. She was saying words such as "MaMa", "DaDa," and "Cat." These are all milestones and moments I treasure! It was also quite a reality check as I realized my baby was quickly growing into a toddler.
Parenting is not always easy though! During that first year, Mackenna had to have an X-Ray on her skull because her pediatrician thought her sutures were growing too fast. Nope! She just had a big head like her Dad and Mom (we found that out after we got our heads measured too). She was also a late walker. When she went for her one year visit, Mackenna was still pulling up on furniture and walking with assistance. Our pediatrician had us schedule a physical therapy appointment. The therapist felt that Mackenna just had weak ankle muscles and was hesitant to go out on her own. Two weeks later, she was walking and running!
From her first bithday to her second, and now her second birthday to her third, we have seen our sweet girl grow and change. She is still just as sweet as the day we brought her home from the hospital! She loves to give hugs and kisses to Mommy and Daddy! Her morning is not complete until she gives Mommy a hug (and Mommy's morning is not complete until then either!). She loves the outdoors. She and Daddy love to skip rocks in any creek they can find. She has now been to both the Rocky Mountains and the Smoky Mountains, and loved her time in both. She loves slides and loves to swing. Mackenna is happiest running outside or in a swimming pool. She is such a little fish! She loves animals, and one of her favorite places is the St Louis Zoo. She rarely shows fear of any kind (which is sometimes not such a great thing!). She loves play dough and any toy she can do hands on. She loves books, and any toy that talks to her. Her favorite toy though is Mommy's iPhone! She has learned how to turn it on and off, how to get the applications she wants to come up, and how to switch apps. She has also learned how to use the iPod feature, turning on music and videos. Speaking of music, she loves Michael Buble. She has been a fan since the womb! :) On the iPhone, she is a whiz with any application that asks her to choose foods, animals, or vehicles. She is quite a little problem solver! We have seen that first hand in many different ways. Two of her favorite people are "PaPa" and "Grandma," and she asks for them frequently. She is a great little shopper, going along with Mommy on many "adventures." Bed time is her least favorite part of the day, as she just does not want to miss out on anything! We say prayers at bed time, and sometimes she will say, "Amen" as we finish. Her favorite foods are grilled cheese sandwiches and grapes, and she loves her juice! She is very stubborn, but at the same time can also be passive. She loves the cartoon Olivia, as well as the Backyardigans. Her favorite stuffed animal is Pablo, the blue penguin on Backyardigans. She has started playing with baby dolls, and has a baby she loves to give kisses to. She is a tomboy in many ways. If she is truly hurt, you know it. Otherwise, she just takes a trip or fall and keeps on going. She is just as happy playing with her cousins and their cars as she is with Barbies. Mackenna truly is a wonderful, beautiful, funny, happy little girl (even though I am a bit biased!).
The last year has not been without worry or frustration though. Since March, Mackenna has been in Speech Therapy. We did have a break though in April and May (long story). Her speech is a puzzling and frustrating situation. Mackenna does talk, but it only seems to be on her terms. She says words, phrases, and sentences. Since this past May, she has added hundreds and hundreds of words to her vocabulary. Yet, she is just not consistent with it. Her speech therapist, Shelly, says Mackenna is a puzzle. Mac's diagnosis right now is Apraxia, yet no one really knows if that is what she has. Autism has been brought up due to her late talking. It seems that if any child has a delay in speaking, Autism is the first thing they are labeled with. Yet, John and I do not see that either. She has great eye contact, loves hugs and kisses, and has no problems with being touched. She does not make patterns with her toys and food, and her life does not have to adhere to a certain routine. She is a puzzle! Some family members have told me there is nothing wrong with Mackenna besides the fact she is spoiled. Others have said she will talk when she wants to. I just do not know what to think! We try to not worry about the situation, but I think the not knowing is the worst part. Hopefully her pediatrician can give us some guidance. Sunday afternoon Mac and I were at my Mom and Dad's. I asked her if she wanted anything to eat, and she asked for an "apple." I opened up the fridge, and she grabbed an apple. Moments like that are frustrating because I know she can talk if she truly wants something. Her speech just seems to be a puzzle I wish we could solve!
If there is one thing I have learned during these last few years, it is that parenting is often a rollercoaster. It is not easy. It has its frustrations, sadness, and pain. Yet, the rewards far outweigh any negatives. The hugs and kisses, giggles, laughter, happiness, joy, and elation is priceless! Seeing Mac smile just because I come into a room makes my heart almost burst. Her good morning hugs make my day. Her giggles are the most sweet, melodious sound I have ever heard. I am so grateful to God to be blessed with such a wonderful, beautiful, healthy little girl. My little Mackenna is growing up! I still pinch myself at the thought of her being 3 years old. These last few years have been a beautiful, glorious adventure! :)
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