Makenzie's 18 and 19 months!

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long since I have found a moment to blog. Life has been very busy and the girls make sure there isn't much down time. Over the past two months Makenzie seems to have lost any of her 'baby-ness' and has become a full fledged toddler. Complete with the wonderful tantrums. She blows us away everyday with the new words she is learning. The other day completely on her own I sneezed and right at the appropriate time clear as can be she says "Bless you mommy." She has since gotten so much attention from us all for doing this that she loves to say it to everyone, including herself. Makenzie has also finally started to say "I love you!" Morgan earned the first one. She truly does love her big sis! Makenzie continues to keep us on our toes. She has learned how to climb onto everything and in the past week has mastered opening all doors so we can no longer just shut her out of rooms. She also loves to play hide and seek, even when we aren't playing. While at my dad's house there were at least three times when she just disappeared all of a sudden. Each time we found her hiding and giggling in the same spot. And now that the holidays are here we are having a blast watching Makenzie get excited right along with Morgan. She is now joining Morgan each morning with searching for their elf on the shelf Mistletoe. It has now become a race each day to see who is going to find her first. Today Morgan made sure to tell me that she found her first. Makenzie has even learned to say Mistletoe:

 

Here are some highlights from the past two months: 

1. Makenzie loves to eat oatmeal. Some days she eats it for all three meals. She is the pickiest eater ever. 

2. She enjoys helping her daddy work. David has been working from home most Fridays lately and Kenz loves to sneak in to the office for a few minutes to help out. 

 3. One of the few things Makenzie will eat besides oatmeal is gold fish. On one shopping trip we had ran out so I bought a new bag while in the store. On the way to our next store I didn't have a small container for her so I made the mistake of letting her have the bag. She proceeded to dump it everywhere. Good times!

 4. Makenzie finally has hair long enough for a tiny pony. Here she is modeling one of grandma's first attempts.

 5. Right before Thanksgiving Makenzie took her first trip to TN. My sister, Jen, and I decided to take a quick trip the weekend before Thanksgiving to visit our other sister, our mom, and grandmother. Since Makenzie still can fly as a lap baby for free I decided to take her with us. My mom had not seen Kenz since she was only a month old and my grandmother had never met her.

On the flight there we were able to get her carseat on. Best thing ever. The kid loves to sleep in her carseat so she slept almost the entire flight.

During our layover Makenzie enjoyed some time with her buddy Doc.

And some time bonding with Auntie Jen.

On the second leg of the flight we got the carseat on again. We had a great flight out there.

The first night we stayed at my sister, Chrissy's, house. Makenzie had the chance to play with all her cousins.

Can you tell that Doc is her favorite toy. Kenzie was having Doc slide.

Love their expressions.

 After spending the night at my sister's we headed up to the mountain where my mom and grandmother live. It was extremely cold...a whopping 19 degrees one morning. Makenzie loves to be outdoors and wanted to check out the lake and fish. Thankfully after just a few minutes I was able to convince her that it was time to go in.

 We had a great time visiting with my mom and memere. After just two short days it was already time to head back. It was a VERY long trip back. We first had an hours drive to my sister's, had lunch, then had a two hour drive to Atlanta.

A happy Kenz for the first leg of the trip.

Patiently waiting with Auntie Jen and Doc for our plane.

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The flight back we were not as lucky and did not get her carseat on for the LONG flight. Kenzie lost it for a while as she was extremely overly tired. She screamed at the top of her lungs for at least an hour. Thankfully there wasn't turbulence so we were able to hangout rocking in the back of the plane by the restroom. Once she finally calmed down Auntie Jen was able to keep her busy letting her 'work' on her laptop. Makenzie did not finally fall asleep until we were leaving Las Vegas this time we thankfully were able to get her carseat on and she feel right to sleep during the rocking motion of take-off.


6. After being home only two nights (really one as we didn't get home Monday until almost midnight), we took off Wednesday morning for the Polar Express. 

Morgan and Makenzie both had a great time. Makenzie of course decided to be her picky self and refused to try the hot chocolate or the cookie. When Santa came into our train car Makenzie was so excited, but as soon as he got close enough to hand her a bell she hid behind me on the chair. 
 We had such a great time on the Polar Express with the whole Johnson Family. We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and love watching our kids growing up together.

7. Makenzie is quite the little ham. She has the funniest expressions, especially with her eyes. She loves to entertain everyone, especially Morgan.

8. We celebrated an early Christmas in PHX with my side of the family. 

Auntie Jen and the fam know how much Makenzie loves Doc that they got her Doc and all her friends. She loved them!

Kenzie wasn't too sure about visiting with Santa, but when he offered her a Minnie Mouse toy she went straight over.

Morgan of course didn't need any persuading. She wanted right on to his lap.

This year Morgan asked Santa to bring her a guitar.

 9. While in PHX we had my stepmom take some family photos for us for our Christmas card. Here are two great shots she got of Kenzie.

 10. Once at home Makenzie spent hours playing with her new Doc toys. It is always so fun to watch her at play. She has such an imagination already.

Makenzie now loves to play dress up. She is constantly wearing this tiara. She will grab the other one and come over to Morgan and tell her she has to put it on. So cute!

I know that there is so much more that happened over the past two months and so many wonderful things that Makenzie has learned to do and say that I am forgetting. I can't believe that she is already more than half-way to being 2. It is going way too fast!