Mackenzie Lately :o)

A little update on my beautiful daughter, Mackenzie. 

She has been growing so fast! She is in 3-6 month clothes, but in 3-6 month full onesies (with the closed toes) she is outgrowing them!! This girl is mega long right now.  Hopefully this will mean that she will be a tall girl!  I can't believe that she is 3 months already.  Time is just flying by so fast! She is so much more interactive now.  I get smiles like crazy (unless she is hungry and wants her food! haha), and cooes like all the time.  Quite the little chatter box we are.  She is one that fights her naps I have discovered.  She just wants to be playing with me, and so sometimes it is quite the task to get her to sleep, however, when she is tired, it usually doesn't take long to fall asleep.  When she does take her naps, Zach and I have discovered she does like several "cat naps" throughout the day.  We usually get one good nap of like an hour and half, but all the other ones, we get lucky to get her to sleep for 45 mins.  Oh well, there are worse things in life :o)

She has mastered tummy time, and holding her head up.  I have sat her in her little bumbo seat, and she sits there for quite sometime just looking around.  I put a few toys on the attachable tray, and she is starting to learn to not only grab them on her own, but beginning to bring them to her mouth to chew on.  She loves her Baby Einstein tummy/play mat, and it's always a joy to watch her learn looking around at the little toys, etc.  Whoever invented these tummy/play mats is/was a genius. I love watching her grab things, but also, moving her little body everywhere.  Changing her diaper can be quite the task since she just loves to move!  Zach just the other day said he can see her trying to roll over but not quite so we'll have what seems to be quite the little mobile baby in a matter of a few short months. 

She has been sleeping through the night for quite some time now.  We usually get her in bed by 7:30pm, and she has been getting up at 5am the earliest, but lately, been sleeping till about 6:30am.  Which has been such a blessing!  Mommy and daddy love getting that sleep! One of my favorite moments with her is going into her room after she has made it clear she is ready to be up, is going in there, and when I begin to talk to her, and say good morning, she just has the biggest smile on her face that just melts my heart. 

Well that sums up a good chunk of what we have been up to.  We are excited for the holidays, and for Mackenzie to enjoy her first Thanksgiving!!

 I LOVE BEING A MOM!!



Love this face!!



Thankfulness Series: Zachary Michael

So today, I am extremely thankful for my husband, Zach.  Words cannot express how thankful I am for him.  I am so blessed to have him enter my life 7+ years ago.  To think I didn't even particularly care about dating when I first got to college.  All I was focused on was playing to the best of my ability in soccer, but God saw differently. 

The proposal

There are so many things that I love, and what make him such a great man of God.  First of all, my needs always come first before his.  He is one of the most selfless people I know.  From what he does for his family to me, and now for his daughter, just shows the amount of love he has in his heart.  He is already such a great father.  He helps out in so many ways with Mackenzie.  He plays with her, gets her to smile (still waiting for those first laughs), and if I am exhausted, he puts her to bed, and lets mommy get to bed.  Not to mention, he will during the week get up and feed her if she gets up at an early time of the morning so I can get a little more rest before getting up for work since he goes in later than I do. 

I always fun with him.  He is a big kid at times....I think that comes with dealing with junior & senior high kids in the youth group.  He is always up for trying something different and fun with me.  We have so many fun memories, and I can't wait to make more with him. 
He is a man after God's own heart.  He has such a confidence that we will be taken care of no matter what the situation we are in.  As we all fall short at times, he knows this, and for that he strives to be better.  He is such an encouragement to me as well.  I am not perfect, and he loves me despite my imperfections. 
There is so much that makes him such a great husband, and now father, and with that makes me so thankful and grateful he is in my life.

This is Love <3



Two Peas In a Pod









The Day We Said I Do



Thankfulness Series: Family

Today, I am thankful for family, and not just my family, but for Zach's family as well.  Both have had a huge impact on me in so many ways. 

First of all, I am incredibly blessed to have been born into the family that I am in.  I have two wonderful/awesome parents, and the best siblings that anyone could ask for.  I am so grateful for the parents that I have...to list a few reasons (because there is so much more!):
  - they have been happily married for 30+ years
  - established a Christ centered foundation in my life
  - have always come first in their lives ....even now at this age
  - there has never been a time where I have felt unloved
  - have always been supportive in the many areas of my life (sports, college, marriage, now baby to name a few)
  - if I am in need, they will do their best to help in any way
  - I know either would come down in a heartbeat for me
  - my mom is one of my best friends....she's the greatest!! (I can write a novel on how grateful I am for her), I probably could talk to her like 5 times a day, but try to stick around 2. haha. 
  - I am truly a daddy's girl....I love my many laughs and conversations I have with him
I may be biased, but I have the best parents in the world!!

Now to my siblings....my twin sister, Michelle, my big brother Joel, and of course my sister-in-law, Kylee.  Kylee has been in our family for 7+ years now, and I couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law and wife for my brother.  First of all, she can stand my brother so she gets like 1000+ extra bonus points! Haha.  All kidding aside, Kylee is truly an amazing woman.  Even before I really knew her, she had come to watch some of my soccer games when I played at Trinity.  She would cheer for me, and support me, when she wasn't techinically "married into" the family just yet.  And now being married to my brother for 4 years, it's been a blast.  In recent times, she has been incredibly supportive of me.  She checked on me and helped me throughout my entire pregnancy, and now with having Mackenzie, she has shown even more love especially to her little neice (no worries, I'm not jealous).  Even with treating me like a real sister, and her being just an incredible woman, my favorite part is the love she is for my family, and my brother.  I look forward to developing a closer relationship/friendship in the many years to come.  Now onto my big brother, Joel...well what can I say?  He is my only brother :o)  There is a sense of proudness I think for a younger sibling looking at the older, and I think even more when it comes to a little sister and a big brother.  My brother first of all, is probably the best athlete I know out there.  God has blessed him so much.  I would love watching his games (not just to see all his cute friends, but that was a bonus), as it was an inspiration for me to work just as hard.  I will never be as great as him, but I think I came close. ;o)  Have so many fond memories growing up with him.  The many games we played in the hallway upstairs, the countless times of being teased (it's funny now lol), how random he can be, or seeing how much of a morning person he was in high school (in case you didn't pick up on the sarcasm, he was not a morning person at all....more like a zombie).  As I was in college, he came to a few of my soccer games, and even though 90 mins of soccer is not always the first thing he wants to sit through, he came because he loves me and supports me, and there was never a time I didn't feel that.  God has grown him so much, and he is just an unbelievable man today.  To conclude with my one and only twin sister, Michelle.  Well where do I start?  She has been with me every step of the way growing up.  Two peas in a pod we have become.  From playing soccer 24/7 (so it seemed) to playing with our polly pockets growing up....life as twins, we are definitely close.  I would be lying if I said we never had our arguments or disagreements, but in the end, deep down, I love her, and she loves me.  For twins, I would say we have things that are similar, but for those that really know us, we are definitely different.  Not in a bad way, but in a way, that we can say that being a twin doesn't mean you automatically are the same in every aspect.  She is one of my best friends (besides Zach and my mom) in which I know I can tell her ANYTHING, and know I will not be judged, criticized, or put down negatively in any way, shape, or form.

The list is truly endless.  Thinking about how thankful I am for my family, really makes me think back on a lot of memories and the timeless traditions we have in my years growing up.  These are just some of the reasons why I am so thankful....I could write for hours for the millions of reason more!


To sum up Zach's family, as I am still getting to know them, I am still incredibly blessed.  I feel such great love & support from his brother Luke & his wife Megan, as well as his sister Mari.  There has never been a time where I did not feel that love or support by each of them.  They have had such an impact on Zach and I in such a positive way.  I am so thankful to marry into such a great family. His parents, Jim and Cindy, have been such a blessing to Zach and I as well.  With supporting us in whatever problem should arise, to Cindy coming up and babysitting two days a week for her grandbaby.  I feel incredibly blessed by Zach's family. 

Well clearly I have written a novel, but it's so hard not to, when you have two such great and wonderful families!  Again....GOD IS SOOO GREAT!!!



My Family



Zach's family (minus Bella & our neice Kynley, as this is an older pic)

Thankfulness Series: Mackenzie

Since this is the month of November, and Thanksgiving is only about a week away, I thought I would share some of the things I'm thankful for.  It is amazing to me that everytime this time of year approaches, it gets people (at least some) to think about what they are thankful for in their lives.  It really provides the opportunity to look back on the year, and see how far they have come.  And that is what I've been doing these past couple weeks. 

For today, of course, I'm thankful for is my beautiful daughter Mackenzie.  From the first time I found out I had life forming inside of me until she was finally born on August 26th.  It has blown me away how great our God is when I look at her.  The intricate process of forming a baby just blows me away.  God has this design and it amazes me the attention to detail He has especially when creating a baby.  I look back at the very beginning of the year when I found out I was pregnant.  The fact that a good chunk of women have morning sickness in the beginning (and unfortunately for some it plagues them for a good amount of their pregnancy), and the purpose it really serves, I have no idea, but God knows!  As the baby continues to grow, your body adapts -- which just amazes me that your body just "knows" what to do because of how God created the woman.  Even after I have the baby, how my body then adapts to the child no longer growing inside of me, trying to get back to "normal" but then at the same time, God has allowed the ability for women to produce milk from their breast, to be able to bring nutrients to their child.  He truly thought of everything possible.  And that's not even mentioning things that went on in my body that I have no idea what went on....all to bring such a beautiful girl into the world. 

It really is true when they say that when you have children, you never thought it would be possible to love someone soo much.  I mean we love our families, our significant other, etc., but having your own child brings a different kind of love out of you.  I would imagine it is the same love that God has for his son Jesus.  The same love the God has for each and every one of us.

I love this scripture: Psalm 139:13-14, 16-18

"For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well....Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand -- when I awake, I am still with you."

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD PEOPLE!?! :o)

Forming in my womb

To a Beautiful creation

Mackenzie Lately:o)

I wouldn't trade anything for the blessing of Mackenzie.  Sure motherhood is hard.  To say it's been a breeze would be a complete lie, but I wouldn't take it back.  The first couple months have just flown by, and my little Mackenzie will be almost 3 months.  So far she has been able to meet all the great-grandparents, and see extended family.  Although she does not truly know who they are, I know she was blessed by each and every one of them. 

I've learned a lot about myself in these past couple months, and God has definitely grown me in ways I never thought he could.  Let's take patience.  Haha. I'm sure those that are parents already know exactly what I mean.  Patience on all accounts -- less sleep, tending to someone else's needs besides your own, and dealing with a crying baby when it seems like there is no answer as to why.  I have learned the concept of "overtired", and learned the lesson of over stimulating a baby.  I am getting better of  paying attention to her need of sleep, and so she really doesn't fuss unless she's been up a little longer than she needs to be.  I tell you what though, there is just a sense of proudness when you go out, and people ooo and ahh at her.  I may be biased, but she is the cutest baby I have ever seen (and I thought I was cute as a baby haha). 

Mackenzie has come a long way since she was born.  She is holding her head up very well now...she is filling out, and not with her adorable chubby cheeks but with little leg rolls, etc.  I can't believe how much she has changed.  She doesn't look anything like how she did in that first week or two. I'm trying to take tons of pictures to remember these moments. She has been sleeping through the night (at least 9 hours give or take a few hours).  Those first nights she began sleeping longer, I think I went in her home like several times to make sure she was still breathing.  :o) Mackenzie LOVES bath time.  She can just lounge in her tub it seems like for hours.  I can't wait until she begins splish splashing around in the tub.  Other milestones, she is quite the "cooer" now, and smiles like crazy.  I love seeing her smile.  One of my favorites is when she first gets up in the morning, and I go to her, and when she recognizes my voice, she just smiles and coos like crazy.  It's pretty irresistable.  I bought her her Christmas outfits -- yes outfitS -- she needs to have one for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. :o) 

I imagine some of you might be wondering how my little Bella is taking to the new addition.  Well, at this point in time she doesn't particularly care.  I think she felt a little left out when we first brought Mackenzie home, but she still follows me around, and loves to snuggle with me, so I know she is not upset.  Lately, she goes up to Mackenzie and sniffs and then licks her face.  It's pretty cute.  We'll see how she when Mackenzie is more mobile, and begins to pull on her hair. haha

Well that's it for now....I am excited and anxious to begin our own unique holiday/family traditions as Thanksgiving and Christmas are quickly approaching! 

Mackenzie's First Month

The first month definitely had its ups and downs or highs and lows, however you want to term it.  The first week seemed like a breeze as all Mackenzie did was eat, sleep, poop/pee.  I was able to get some sleep, as I had my mom and mother-in-law with me in a two week span.  After they had left, it was still quite the challenge learning to be a mom, and trying to make sure all Mackenzie's needs were being met.  She wasn't much of a crier so that wasn't so bad.  However, I began to miss sleep time as she was feeding every two hours.  I truly have a great husband, and not father.  Zach was such a great help.  Month 1 flew by so fast. 

Some pictures to commemorate Mackenzie's first month in the world. 

 

Mackenzie Kay Schaeffer

So clearly it has been quite sometime since I last wrote.  I will try to continue writing on a daily basis, to share my thoughts, and the milestones that I am entering into with our new addition to our family. 

My last post I was just a little over halfway through my pregnancy.  Well, I am definitely not even there anymore...this child of mine has entered the world! I thought I would share the "birth" story (how it all happened...not those "other" details) :o)

August 26, 2011 will be a day I will remember forever. 

It all started actually on Thursday August 25th.  By this day, I was so ready to have this baby.  I had gestational diabetes, and was on a strict diet, so I was ready to go back to normal, and not have to worry about blood sugars.  For those that don't know, gestational diabetes goes away after pregnancy but should continue to eat a balanced diet to avoid a risk of Type II.   Anyways, I always pictured the "birth" moment to be like those you see on TV.  Water breaks in the middle of night, franctically grab your "hospital" bags, call the parents on the way there, and have the baby not too long after.Because of the gestational diabetes, there is always a fear of a bigger baby so the doc was not going to let me go past my 39th week.  I was scheduled to be induced on August 29th if she did not come on her own.  As that date was approaching, I had come to terms that I was going to need to be induced, so I began planning around that with family and work.  I was not really dilated, and had NO contractions whatsoever.   So as the 25th approached, I treated it like any other day.

Well I woke myself up that morning kinda thinking I had "tinkled" a little bit, afterall they say as you get closer to your due date, your baby begins to drop, and put more pressure on your bladder, so I again, didn't think anything of it.  I did begin wondering if there was something more going on, when it happened a few more times after that while getting ready for work.  I told Zach, and he said to call the doctor later if it happened more.  Well ironically enough, I had my last weekly appointment that day anyways, so I decided to wait until my afternoon appointment.  My afternoon doc appointment came, and they did the usual stress test first to check on the baby, and talk any updates with me, or find out if I had any questions about the induction process.  I didn't have to many questions, so then the doc was going to see if I had dilated anymore.  Just before she was going to check, I had told her about the little "tinkles" I have had leading up to this point.  So the doc decided to check to see if possibly I had a "slow" leak of amnoitic fluid.  She used a test strip, and when she did the test, sure enough, it was positive for amnoitic fluid.  Which meant, my water had not fully broke, but that there was a little tear somewhere and I was slowing leaking.  Needless to say, the doc was like "you're going to the hospital".  And just like that we went to the Labor and Delivery Unit (which was in the same building as my doc so we didnt have to go far), and got set up to have our baby. 

Well seeing as I had no contractions at all, they had to give me pitocin to help speed along the labor.  Let's just say, I was admitted at 2:30pm in the afternoon, and didn't start feeling contractions till 10:00pm that night.  From that point on, I started to progress but at a slow pace. For those that don't know, I wanted to try this delivery without any drugs.....but at about 4am on August 26th, the contractions were getting bigger, but I was only dilated maybe 5cm, and at that point, I did not want to go any longer feeling the pain.  4:30am I got the epideral, and was the greatest decision I made.  :o)  After waiting several more hours, by 10:30am I was finally told we were ready to begin pushing, and at 11:04am, our beautiful daughter Mackenzie Kay entered into our world.  8lbs 2oz, 20 inches long.......The greatest day ever! :o)