Little Mac Attack

Payton's First Haircut

2009-06-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I took Payton to get her first haircut at Bella & Max in Bothell's Country Village. Although we just adore her baby curls, it was time to get it all evened out. And I wanted a day when her hair would look decent enough not to put it into pigtails!

All last week we practiced getting her haircut at home. I had P sit on the ottoman and I wrapped a receiving blanket around her. Then I turned on one of her shows, sprayed her hair down with a water bottle, then lightly brushed and played with it while she watched Mickey Mouse. After a couple of practice runs, she seemed comfortable enough to go to the salon.

So Saturday morning we got to Bella & Max and she hopped right into the pink car and let the hairdresser wrap the cape around her - like she was a pro. We popped in a DVD of Elmo and chop, chop, chop - off it went. She was the perfect angel, well other than the little freakout she had when the lady tried to trim her bangs. We took off about an inch all over and I got her first little curl in a tiny plastic baggie to keep. I won't lie and say I didn't get emotional... without her pigtails, my Payton looks so grown up!

After:

My darling little girl is getting so big, so fast! Only two months until she's 2 years old. God help us all!!

Learning the ABCs

2009-06-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Right now we're REALLY into singing. The ABCs are a favorite, along with Row, Row, Row, Spider (of the Itsy Bitsy kind), and Twinkles.

I was able to tape Miss P helping me sing the ABCs yesterday. She's almost got it. I already miss her saying "appletree" instead of "E,F,G" but it also means she's growing up. Oh how I wish I could bottle her up!

Splish splash

2009-05-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Ryan loves his baths. In fact, we get more smiles and laughs out of him at bath time, then any other time of the day.

He STTN!

2009-05-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

I know this might be a little premature to announce this amazing feat my little guy my has accomplished, it might even jinx me for another month or two... but I don't care: RYAN SLEPT ALL NIGHT! From 10pm to 7am, I seriously had to check his breathing this morning when my alarm went off! He sleeps pretty good as it is, for the most part. Usually only waking once for a bottle and a diaper change. But YAY! I feel so alert and alive this morning, for once!

Just had to share. :)

3 months old!

2009-04-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ryan is three months old today. I can't believe it. I can't believe how quickly time has passed, I can't believe how big he's getting, and I can't believe how much love I have for him and my little family.

Things are going well for the most part. Ryan is sleeping through the night more and more (I'm getting upwards of 4.5hr stretches between feedings), he's eating like a champ - up to 5oz in each bottle, and learning to juggle my attention between both kids is becoming easier too. It's a lot of work. A *LOT* of work. The nights that Andy is at the station and I have both kids is definitely the hardest. And now that I'm going back to work full-time, those nights are going to be even more taxing.

Payton is adjusting... She had a rough week, she got to spend two full days with her little brother at daycare and she didn't like it one bit. She kept telling Sharon our daycare provider "Baby, home!" and also crying a lot for me. It breaks my heart that I can't be there for her, but I know it'll make her stronger. She has to learn how to share not only her toys, but the attention she gets from everyone too. She's been pretty needy at home as well but I think she's starting to turn the corner.

"Huuuuug Brudder! Huuuuug Brudder!" And once we let her hold him, she coos smothers him with kisses until we pry them off each other.

And this is what happens if we don't let her hold/hug him. Oh what Fun!

And I wouldn't change any of it, not one bit.

Easter eggs

2009-04-10T09:28:00.001-07:00

Last weekend the kids and I were invited to my friend Ashley's grandfather's farm in Puyallup. We were delighted to see so many eggs and the gigantic easter basket. Talk about Kodak Moments...!

Silent Moos

2009-04-04T13:24:00.001-07:00

Payton is so funny, everything has to be on her terms. Everything. Case in point - this video below. (Nevermind the wardrobe - or the lack there of.)

Returning to work

2009-03-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sigh. I'm going back to work this Tuesday. Only part-time, but still. A few weeks ago, my cell phone exploded with messages and calls telling me that my company layed-off something like 100 people. Needless to say, I'm thankful I was on maternity leave and covered by FMLA.

There are no longer any web people employed in Bothell, except for myself, so the website has been at a standstill and things are starting to get a little messy. I volunteered to go in a few days a week to help out until I return full-time in the middle of April. They seem to be pretty happy with this, I'm hoping it'll help me keep my job!

Payton will continue to go to daycare Tuesday through Friday and I'll go into the office on the days Andy is home, so he can watch Ryan. Eventually, Ryan will also go to daycare a few days a week too but we're holding off on that until the last minute possible... to save money. Daycare is SO expensive!

Anyway. I guess it'll be better to start back slow and ease into things, right? I was really hoping to enjoy all 12 weeks off, especially since we had an extended stay in the hospital and Andy was gone for almost a month. Oh well. "At least I have a job. At least I have a job."

Wish me luck, I'm going to have my work cut out for me.

Ryan Lee MacDonald

2009-03-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little late in posting this, I've been kinda busy with this whole second baby thing we have going on. :)

Our MacDonald Family grew by two feet this January - Baby Ryan is here! It was a crazy crazy birth story - even shorter than Payton's, believe it or not. You can read all about it on Ryan and Payton's website, linked on the right of this page. CRAZY!

I hope to start being a better blogger from here on out, now that we have a routine that seems to be working and I'm no longer figuring out which way is up!

The waiting is the hardest part

2009-01-13T14:37:00.001-08:00

...at least that's what Tom Petty sings, and I totally agree.

Today is January 13th and I have approximately 23 days left until the little guy's due date. As far as I'm concerned, he can make his big debut NOW! I didn't forget that the last month of pregnancy bites (I mean how could I - I just went through this with Payton!) but I did forget how truly uncomfortable I was.

Sleeping is a joke. I can not lay on my back or my stomach. And I can only lay on one side for so long, then I have to flip to the other side. Watching me flip has got to be similar to watching a whale sun himself on the beach. Seriously, it takes everything in my being to lift myself up, turn my belly to the other side, relax, and then get comfortable again. Imagine that then adding a loudly snoring husband next to me. Oh and don't forget the lovely pregnancy hormones that raise my body temperature so that even a normally cool 60 degree bedroom feels like a freakin' oven! Blech. I'm so over it.

I'm really not going to bitch about every aspect of my life and how this pregnancy is affecting it, really. I am very greatful to have a fertile body, don't get me wrong. I just wish God made it a little easier on us once we did conceive. After all, we are supposed to push this tiny human out of our bodies after hours of contractions and pain. WTF?

The nursery is progressing. Walls are painted, dresser is finished and ready, crib arrived, blackout shades are up. My problem is that the room itself is so tiny, nothing fits properly or looks right. I'll have to take pictures tonight to show you. Still looking for a matching rug and some art for the walls. And I wish the laminate light wood colored bookshelf matched either the dresser or the crib, but I think I'm SOL with that too. And really, it doesn't really matter - we'll hopefully move this summer and I can buy some new pieces for each room anyway. But still.

My Magic 8 ball told me that it is "for certain" that I'll be having Ryan this week and maybe even on Saturday. I'm hoping it's right.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've posted but things have been hectic, to say the least. Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that Santa spoiled you and yours!

Here it is December 29th already and I'm almost 35 weeks pregnant. Holy Baby, Batman! I have just over a month to go until our Little Man arrives and I am so ready. So ready to be done with this pregnancy. So ready to move on with our lives, and have our little family complete. Is the nursery ready? Well that's another question... haha

Andy just finished painting the nursery, and we're getting ready to move the newly refinished dresser/changing table in there so I can start putting away clothes. I'm ordering the crib today. Then it's just a matter of finding some art for the walls and organizing all the baby stuff (and other random crap we have in there) to make the room feel cozy and cute. It's so strange to me that I've been a procrastinator with the nursery this time around. I was working on Payton's the day after we found out she was a she! haha

Speaking of Payton - the girl is getting big! She's 16 months old now and probably the most fun she's been since birth. She has a mouth full of teeth (she cut more than 8 teeth within 2 months!), an extensive vocabulary and just loves loves loves to play. From the moment we take her out of her crib in the mornings, it's non-stop GO, _ALL_DAY_LONG_! She's such a little person now, it's hard to believe she was ever a newborn baby.

Here's the little princess, learning to say "Cheese!" for the camera:

And if anyone is interested, I updated Payton's website with a few new pictures too!

Double digits!

2008-10-29T09:52:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I'm already in the double digits of days left until the Little Man arrives! The second trimester has just FLOWN by this pregnancy. I'm hoping the next few months go just as fast. They should with the holidays approaching.

Oh, we bought a dresser this week. Can I tell you all how much I love Craigslist? This lil gem is in excellent condition. It's made of real wood and has hardly any scratches! Andy volunteered to refinish and paint it so I have no doubt it will be perfect soon. Now the question is: what color? Red? Blue? And what color should we paint his nursery? (I'm assuming we won't sell the house, so I'm just planning on using our 3rd bedroom for the time being.) We have hardwood floors, and the crib will be wood-colored as well. I think the dresser needs a pop of color to offset all that wood.

Here are a few ideas for the walls using the same color scheme I'm going for. Which do you like?

1) Light blue walls with red accents. Imagine a wooden crib and red or navy dresser:

2) Light blue walls with a chair rail. Imagine the lower walls being a navy blue...

3) Tan/neutral walls.

4) Two solid light blue walls and two solid dark blue walls. (Andy's idea. Can't find a picture.)

Thoughts?

Baby update: 25w, 4d

2008-10-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

I had my monthly OB appointment this morning with Dr. Keys. It went well - I'm measuring right on track, as is the little man. His heart was beating strong at 136bpm. I got an Rx for Protonix to help my horrible heartburn and a flu shot. The second Dr. Keys suggested I get one, my hands started sweating - OMG I hate needles! I actually had to lay down to get the shot, I felt so lightheaded. lol Andy will be reminding me what I wuss I am until I'm dead, I'm sure.

My next appointment is November 19th, in which I get to take my 1hr glucose test. Just shoot me now. They give you 8oz of orange-flavored sugar water that you drink and after an hour, you get a blood draw to see how your glucose levels fair. I failed my 1hr with Payton and had to endure the 3hr test - which is quite frankly, HELL. I puked after the first blood draw and had to START OVER. Blech!! I hope to God that I pass the 1hr test this time around.

So here's a 25w Belly Shot:

My latest obsession is little Ryan's nursery. After much thought, I decided on a vintage "transportation" theme. Really, anything with an old-school vibe to it.

-My inspiration piece, a treasure I found at a local consignment store:

-bedding:

-suitcases:

Hopefully we'll somehow sell the house in the next 6 weeks, find a new place, close on both houses, pack, move in to the new house and then unpack before Ryan makes his debut. That is if all the stars and moon align and we don't go insane before then. haha Wish us luck!

We have a name:

2008-10-16T11:21:00.001-07:00

Ryan Lee MacDonald.
We can't wait to meet you!

The costumes

2008-10-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

I had Payton model her costumes last night. She wasn't thrilled with either choice but there was a clear winner. Can you guess which one she liked better?

The Flamingo costume:

The Kitty costume (minus the ears):

Mama's got a new ride!

2008-10-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

I *love* my new car. Well it's a 2004 brand-spanking used car, but it's new to me. After we found out that I was pregnant, Andy implanted the seed in my brain that I would want a bigger vehicle than my Dodge Charger once we have two babies to cart around. And while I love my Charger, I knew he was right. Getting Payton in and out of the back seat was a pain because the car is so low-profile, we had to be careful and not hit her head on the roof. Ouch!

So we went test driving one weekend a few months ago and I fell in love with the Toyota Sequoia. I had to have one, it was a must. We tried to negotiate a deal through the dealership but to our disappointment they weren't going to give me enough money for my car as a trade-in.

Then I called Charlie. Charlie is our broker who we've used in the past to sell our cars and buy us others. He sold my Nissan 240sx a while back and got Andy a screaming deal on his truck. Charlie would take care of me.

Fast forward a couple months and Charlie found me this beauty in Portland (and also sold my car for almost $5k more than the dealership offered us). Having never purchased a vehicle (or pretty much anything) without at least seeing a picture of it, I was a tad bit skeptical. But Charlie assured me that if he went to pick it up and the truck wasn't 100% perfect, he'd scrap the deal and continue looking for another Sequoia.

So yesterday he called and it was ready. I was so stinking exciting, I almost cried when I stepped out of my office and saw her sitting in the parking lot waiting for me!

It has third row seating baby! I'm officially a soccer mom now. lol Who woulda thunk?

Little Pumpkins

2008-10-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Payton and I went to a pumpkin patch with our friends Tami and Adelyn, Ashley and Gage, and Keren and Norah. We had a lot of fun seeing all the new sights and playing with the pumpkins in the mud.

Payton couldn't understand why these 3 babies were in a wheelbarrow! Apparently, they didn't either:

L-R: Payton, Norah, Gage and Adelyn

"Night, night"

2008-09-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

These were the words that came out of Payton's mouth when I put her to bed last night. My baby is growing up! I guess she has said it for nap time too, so we know she understands it.

She has her own language now, of which we can only understand a handful of words.

-Daddy
-Doggy
-Kitty
-Mama (although I have to beg her to say it)
-Mimi (my Mom)
-Papa (my Dad)
-Shadow (the dog)
-Buhhhl (ball)
-Dank yuh (thank you)
-Night, night
-YEAH
-NO

She talks all the time too - full conversations - with her stuffed animals, to our dog Shadow, to her books, to us, to anyone that will listen! It almost sounds Cantonese. She really tries to tell you want she wants, and just stares at you like "are you going to answer me?" when you're looking at her inquisitively trying to understand. haha It's so cute!

An observation

2008-09-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Boy clothes are not cute. Well, baby boy clothes are not cute. I swear all the newborn outfits, jammies, onesies I've seen are either all some shade of blue or striped, with dogs or firemen on them. And as much as I like dogs and firemen, I need choices people!

Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails...

2008-09-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!

I can't believe it. I REALLY can't believe it! It's so funny to me that I am always about 90% correct with guessing my friends' babies but when it comes to my own, I'm 0-2.

When we got into the ultrasound, the tech told us the baby was breech and she didn't think we were going to get any pictures of the "goods". But just a couple minutes later, the baby moved and she said "oh you're in luck, you're having a boy!" I started crying and asked "ARE YOU SURE?? REALLY?? NO WAY!". I was convinced we were going to have another little girl. CONVINCED! It is such a beautiful thing, we're having a boy! One of each - the perfect little family. Wow! Andy is SO excited.

We spent about 45 minutes watching the screen, seeing his little body all scrunched inside my belly. How life can form to make such perfect little creature is so amazing. And he is perfect too, measuring right on track.

I can finally started planning for a nursery, we can try and find a name we both like... It's such a relief knowing what we're getting. haha

A BOY! It's a BOY!!

House for sale!

2008-09-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

We did it: We FINALLY put our house on the market! After months (hell, YEARS) of remodeling this place, we're finally ready to sell. And I couldn't be more ready. I don't think I've ever cleaned as much as I have in the past week as I have in my entire life! But then again, I'm not exactly Betty Homemaker.

The realtor came by last night and dropped off some temporary flyers for the post/sign out front and put up a few signs in the neighborhood pointing our direction. OH.MY.GOD! We have an Open House both this Saturday and Sunday and a Broker's Open House next week too.

The good news is, is that it went live on Sept 17th. And if any of you know, 17 is our very lucky number as all three of us - Payton, Andy and I- were all born on the 17th (of different months). So maybe it's fate that this is happening on this date. Andy said that hopefully we'll sell by the 17th of next month. HA! I don't really care what day we sell, as long as it does sell!! But if it happens to be on the 17th, I'm buying a lotto ticket. Seriously!

Without further ado: Our House

OH! And PS - tomorrow is the BIG ULTRASOUND!!! EEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daddy update

2008-09-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

The MRI came back and it turns out Andy ruptured a disc in his lower back (between L4-5, if that means anything to anybody). It's also slightly herniated, pushing against his spine. He was finally able to see a back specialist yesterday who told him he didn't think surgery was going to be necessary. But only time will tell and to see how it goes. Phew, there's hope!! He was taken out of work for the next 6-8 weeks and will be reevaluated in about a month. He started physical therapy yesterday too and is pretty sore this morning, but doing well otherwise. I'm so glad surgery isn't imminent, seeing him in so much pain just broke my heart.

Poor Daddy!

2008-09-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Andy hurt his back this weekend. He was in the backyard doing yard work and somehow twisted/pinched/dislocated something. At first I thought he was just tired of doing yardwork and wanted an excuse to get out of it (sorry honey), but he really did hurt himself. It was so bad that he basically layed on the floor all weekend drugged up on muscle relaxers and oxycodon. He couldn't sit for more than a couple of minutes at a time, couldn't walk much longer than that, couldn't lift much of anything - let alone Payton. Poor guy. The nurse practioner he saw on Saturday couldn't figure out what was wrong without an MRI, and he couldn't get an MRI without a doctor's consent.

He was finally able to see his doctor yesterday and get a "prescription" for an MRI, which is scheduled for tomorrow evening. Hopefully it will give us an answer of what is wrong so he can get fixed and feel better. It's not fun to see my honey hurting like this!

In light of this, Payton really enjoyed having her Daddy around all weekend. She wanted to be just like him, so she decided to lay next to him on the floor. It was such a sweet moment, Andy even smiled a little.

18w Pregnancy update

2008-09-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

I saw my OB for my monthly checkup yesterday. It's hard to believe I'm almost half way through this pregnancy already! I can't say it's gone fast or slow, but it hasn't been fun. I think I got a karma-spanking this time around because I complained my entire pregnancy with Payton and really - I had no problems or complications. With #2 I've had some morning sickness, sciatic problems, headaches and just general yuckiness. Apparently I need to learn to appreciate the good days a little more!

The appointment went well though, everything is right on track. The peanut's heartbeat was racing at 159bpm and I'm measuring on schedule. My spina bifida test came back negative, as did the other screenings I've had recently. I've gained a total of 3 pounds which kind of shocked me because since my morning sickness subsided, I've been eating like a pig! But I'll take it.

The most exciting part is that my Big ultrasound is now scheduled for Friday, September 19th! EEEEK! How I'm going to contain my excitement is beyond me. I even start to think about it and my heart starts racing. Two weeks and one day to go! And fortunately, I schedules the ultrasound for 9am, so I wouldn't have to wait around all day drumming my fingers and tapping my toes. I CAN'T WAIT!

And she's walking...

2008-09-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Walking is exciting stuff! Payton's been taking a few steps here and there for a couple of weeks now but lately she's been walking distances. Crawling is still faster - especially if you need to get a cat or a toy - but walking is becoming more and more fun!

Dancing Queen

2008-08-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Our little woman likes to dance. With all the new toys she got from her birthday party, she's been dancing quite a bit lately. Here's a little snippet from this weekend's session.

Happy 1st Birthday Payton!

2008-08-17T20:57:00.001-07:00

Sunday was our baby girl's first birthday. I can't believe Payton is already one, it seems just like yesterday that we were racing to the hospital at 2 o'clock in the morning for her arrival. She truly is the best baby in the world. I know all moms and dads think this way, but Payton really is. :) We love being parents - it's the most wonderful, difficult, challenging, beautiful and rewarding thing either of us have ever done... and she's worth every second.

Miss P had a very nice party, our friends and family were here to help her celebrate this special occasion. She had a lot of fun seeing everyone, playing in the water, opening her gifts and eating her cake. It was quite the sight!

Feeding Shadow

2008-08-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Apparently Payton can't get enough of the dog. She's always been fascinated with Shadow, but learning how to feed him was the cream of the crop! I think we watched her tease him for more than 20 minutes, giggling every time she put her hand close to his nose. Everybody loves Goldfish!

What happens when Mommy is at work

2008-08-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Enough said.

NT scan

2008-08-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

This morning I had my Nuchal translucency (NT) scan/ultrasound. It was such a relief to see the little bugger and hear it's heart beating. 164bpm! Everything looked good and healthy thank goodness - I've been worrying lately that something was going to be wrong. The tech moved my due date from 2/12 to 2/5, that is SEVEN DAYS LESS that I have to be pregnant! I know, I know - the due date means nothing and the baby will come out when it's ready. But at least *I* feel better.

The baby sucked it's thumb most of the ultrasound, I thought that was so so sweet. :)

I'm still betting my money on this baby being a girl, but we won't know until the end of September. I can't wait!

First Camping Trip

2008-07-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

We went camping last week, just outside of Wenatchee to a state park called Lincoln Rock. Not only was it Payton's first camping trip, it was our first family campout in The Camper.

The set-up. Note the massiveness of The Camper, I swear it looks like it could tip the whole truck over when going around a sharp corner.

Our daughter is too sexy for The Camper:

We were fortunate enough to have friends with boats camping with us, so Payton also got to experience her first boat ride. She did NOT like her life jacket but after a few minutes of screaming, she calmed down and fell asleep on the ride up the Columbia River.

I think she was very happy to be back on land.

Overall, it was a really good trip. I don't know if I'd necessarily do it again anytime soon while Payton is still crawling, but I don't think her walking will make it any easier either. At least we know it's possible and now know what we need to bring to keep the monster happy.

We have hair!

2008-07-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that Miss Payton finally has enough hair to put into pigtails! Just when I don't think she could get any cuter......

Fun in the sun

2008-07-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

We played outside today. I was being lazy - so instead of dragging out the big pool, I just brought out a small wash tub and filled it with a gallon or two of water. Payton didn't seem to mind!

She *really* wanted to get in:

So I took her clothes off and put her in the tub with just her diaper. Hooray - Life was grand!

When she got out, she decided she didn't want her diaper on any more and took it off HERSELF! She thought she was SO cool trapesing around naked! hehe

I don't think she could get any cuter.

Fourth of July

2008-07-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

We had a really nice Fourth of July this year. We went to a BBQ at my friend Tami's house in Maple Valley. We finally got to meet her new daughter Addie (see post below), she's so cute and such a good baby! I don't think she cried the entire time we were there. It's so fun to see and hold newborns, especially when I look at Payton and realize how big she has gotten! It's hard to believe she was ever that tiny.

As you can see, Payton wasn't too sure of Addie. She looked at her like she was a little alien, then proceeded to grab her cute little headband and snap it on her head!! OMG!

I pray she's doesn't get jealous of her new sibling - things could get nasty.

And just for the record, I hope #2 looks more like me!! I swear Payton looks more like her Daddy every day!

Houston, we have a heart beat!

2008-07-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

I had my first appointment with my new OB this week. I'm so glad I decided to change practices and OBs. Dr. Keys has a great bedside manner that my last OB really lacked. I felt like a number walking in there during my last pregnancy, where as in this practice, half the staff was congratulating me and calling me by name as I walked out. Giving birth is such an intimate (although hardly romantic, haha) experience, it's important to me to have nurses and a doctor that understands that. I wish I would have switched sooner.

There's our peanut! It was so amazing seeing the little heart beat flicker on the screen, I cried. According to measurements, Dr. Keys put me at 7w5d - 10 days behind what we initially thought was my due date. So now I'm due February 12th. The baby's heartrate was at 160bpm.... pretty high but Payton's first ultrasound was 172bpm. Could this mean BOY??? :)

I've been feeling ok for the most part. Tired as usual and just a bit nauseated in the afternoons and evenings. Mornings are by far the best time of day for me. I need to remember this so I can get my butt out of bed and get things done because come 4pm, I'm about ready to call it a day. I've had strong cravings for citrus flavors, specifically lemon - I can't get enough 7up and manderine oranges. Weird. Meat, however, makes me want to run quickly to the bathroom and heave. I had to force myself to finish a turkey burger last night for dinner that Andy so graciously cooked up, so I couldn't exactly turn it down. Besides, BBQ burgers are my FAVORITE meal! What is up with that!?

My next appointment is for a Quad screen/NT scan on Monday, August 4th. I can't wait - another ultrasound! In 3D even! EEEK! It's an early test for Downs Syndrome, which I doubt this baby will have, but it's best to be prepared, right?

Welcome Home, Little Addie!!

2008-06-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

My dear friend finally got to bring home her baby today. After months of waiting and a rollercoaster ride of emotions and set-backs, the adoption process is (almost) complete and she can finally start her life with her little family.

This baby is going to be the luckiest little girl on the planet. Her mommy is one of the most remarkable women I know. Thoughtful, kind, generous and probably somehow related to Martha Stewart too. With a kooky sense of humor and a wicked silly streak, Tami can light up a room like no other. I swear we were sisters seperated at birth. Because after all, we share the same *brian*. haha

To adopt a baby and keep the birth family included in her life, is something I don't know I could do. It requires a brave strong couple to take on the challenge and I know, without a doubt, they will pull it off flawlessly.

So here's to you little Addie. May you grow up to be just as beautiful and wonderful as your mommy (and daddy). We love you very much and Payton can't wait to play dress up and have tea parties with you!

The little Big Sister

2008-06-23T20:12:00.001-07:00

We told Andy's family our news this weekend. I made Payton a onesie that said "Big Sister" on it and after we were all settled in for the afternoon, I changed her into it. It took a few minutes for anyone to notice and have it register but Uncle Eric and Aunt Tina figured it out! Tina just stared at me with this quizzical look on her face and said "are you? ARE YOU?!?" haha

Everyone was excited. We now have "MacDonald birthdays" in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and November according to 8yr old cousin Kenya. :)

Payton vs. The Cat

2008-06-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Cat - 1 / Payton - 0

We had a little altercation yesterday afternoon. Little Miss P decided she wanted to love on the kitty and he apparently didn't like it.

To be fair, I think she scared him and he tried to defend himself. And once I picked her up to soothe her, he followed me around the house meowing. Not sure if it was an apology or he was just freaked out by her crying but it seemed somewhat endearing.

Her face was bleeding pretty bad but I'm just thankful that he didn't get her eye. Oh man, we're lucky. And with neosporin, the bleeding stopped fairly quick and it hasn't scabbed over too much. Cross your fingers there isn't much scarring.

Hopefully Payton will stay away from Jake now. I'm trying to tell her every time she goes near him to "leave the kitty alone, he doesn't like babies!" in an urgent voice. So far it's worked. But it hasn't even been 24hrs yet.

My poor Payton

2008-06-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

My poor little Payton is sick. I feel so bad for her, her nose won't stop running, her eyes are watering and goopy and you can tell she's just not herself. I wish I could give her baby sudafed or something, just so her little nose can dry up. It is obvious she is frustrated that we wipe her face every 10 minutes with a tissue but my goodness talk about Snot City!

I was hesitant to take her to daycare this morning because I didn't want her spreading germs but the daycare lady said she should be fine. If she were contageous - it would have already happened last week. So off she went. Andy was at jury duty, so he couldn't stay home and I had to go to the office today as the Big Boss is here from New York this week.

So around 9:30am, Terri (the daycare lady) called me and suggested that I call P's pediatrician. Oh god... apparently, Terri thinks she might have Pink Eye. Ugh. Pink eye? Really? I don't think so. But ok... so the Ped's office said that she probably doesn't have pink eye, but more of a sinus infection and maybe a clogged tear duct. *sigh* GREAT, that sounds so much better than pink eye. Right.

My poor Payton.

Follow up: It turns out she has a double ear infection! Boy I didn't see that coming. I'm sure glad I decided to have Andy take her into the doctors. She's now on antibiotics (for the next 10 days) and is already seeming more like herself. My poor baby.

Our little secret

2008-06-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

We've known about this pregnancy for 6 days now. We decided it is best for us to be fairly tight-lipped about this little secret until our first OB appointment next month. Just in case - god forbid - anything were to happen and the peanut is not growing or healthy. While I have not had the experience of "untelling" people this kind of news, I can't imagine it would be fun.

I still can't believe it. Payton is going to be a Big Sister! Hopefully at 18 months old, she'll appreciate a little brother or sister as much as we want her to. No doubt there will be jealousy issues but I think, as a team, Andy and I can make sure Miss P receives the attention she deserves.

This baby is supposed to debut at the beginning of February. According to certain due date calculators, February 2nd. We will see. And Aquarius baby would be ok, I suppose. :)

My pregnancy with Payton was pretty much a breeze and I pray that this one will be as well. I am definitely happy that I get to be "big" during the winter months to cover my expanding waistline, rather having to endure the heat of the summer. Not that we're ever going to have summer in Washington this year. It's June and it's snowing in the mountains! Whatever. Global warming, my ass.

OMG

2008-06-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Is it possible? Is it possible that I got two negative tests only to find out a week later that I really am pregnant? Yes, in fact it is quite possible because this is what happened to us.

Pondering how we're going to survive with 2 kids under 2yrs of age, I decided that I needed a place to write down my thoughts about my pregnancy, my crazy busy life and our ever growing family. Thus, welcome to the MacDonald Family blog.

Our dear little Payton has her own website at http://www.babymacdonald.com/ if you'd like to see her life in pictures.