MackenzieCarden.com

Moving!!!

cheri — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:34:27 +0000

Over the past few weeks, life has been busy!!!

We are selling the house in Madison and moving to Tullahoma,TN. We have spent the past few weeks at Grandma’s house in Louisiana and are now back to pack up the last of the house for the BIG MOVE OUT this weekend. We close on Monday the 30th here and move into our new house on the 8th of July.

Will post more then!

Grandma take picture

kenzie — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:52:00 +0000

Grandma take picture.

I can count!

kenzie — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:24:22 +0000

Last night Daddy gave me a cookie. One cookie? He never just gives me one cookie! So I looked at him and said, “No, Two!”

Easter 2008

norris — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 04:39:02 +0000

Easter at the Carden house of course included a new dress and Easter basket for Mackenzie.

We decided to let her discover the basket in the studio so the grandparents could see. Of course the first thing she reached for was Minnie!

The big treat of the day was her first Hershey’s Kiss, which fortunately went straight into her mouth and not all over her hands and dress. She definitely liked it.

We also got out the bunny that has been with her since her first day in the NICU. If you want to see how much the bunny has shrunk, check out her Ages photo gallery.

Lots of Snow

norris — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:51:49 +0000

In case you’re wondering just how much snow there is on the ground… the pile at the end of the driveway is shoulder high. The tree at the front wheel of the RAV4 is between the street and the sidewalk.

Out Shoveling

kenzie — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:31:43 +0000

I helped Daddy with a shovel today. It was fun.

Happy Birthday, Kasia

kenzie — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:09:49 +0000

My friend Kasia had a birthday party today. We played and ran and had lots of fun. Daddy took lots of pictures.

Toddler bed time

norris — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 04:12:29 +0000

Today we converted Mackenzie’s bed to a toddler bed… and put up a gate at her door. Nap time worked amazingly well. Tonight she decided to take a book to bed with her. We’ll see how this first night goes… (fingers crossed).

Thursday outing….

cheri — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:17:34 +0000

Have been taking Mackenzie to a class at the hospital called “Kidz Talk”, this was our second week of 8 weeks total. She didn’t have any problem with my leaving the room today, and when it was over the therapist brought her out and I was rewarded with an enthusiastic MAMA and GIANT HUG!

She has a new friend Kasia (hope I spell that correctly) who is 3 and very cute! We might have a play date next week outside of the class for them, they play together really well!

Last week she learned some sounds that were not new, but she has been using them a lot in the past week - especially the sound a snake makes - SSSSSSSSSSSS. This week, we will see what she picked up and we have our homework sounds for the week to practice.

New Year’s Eve….

cheri — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:29:41 +0000

I was sitting on the couch talking to Norris, when our little one came running into the room screaming MAMA over and over again…I told her she should say Daddy and give him a hug, and she actually did it!

She turned, smiled said “Dad dee” and ran over and gave him a big hug - I think that made his year! (She hasn’t said that in a very long time and never that clearly.)

Here’s hoping to more “Dad dee” instead of all “Mama” this year!

Happy New Year everyone!

A Christmas to Remember…..

cheri — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:07:29 +0000

This year for Christmas we went to my Great Grandma’s house in northern Minnesota, my Grandma came in from Louisiana and we drove over. (Grandma almost didn’t make it ’cause her flights kept getting canceled - but Uncle Ric’s airline got her here!)

The weather was pretty bad on the drive over, I slept thru most of the worst of it (the car’s/semi’s in the ditch and spinning out in front of us, blowing snow…..) but Daddy got us there safely.

I had lots of fun opening presents and looking at the tree.

Daddy will have some pictures up soon for all of you to see!

First Leaf Pile

norris — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:44:53 +0000

She walked up to the pile of leaves and just instinctively knew to fall into it. Lots of “run, run, run, jump” and big smiles! Click the pic for a video.

Star Gazing

norris — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:11:40 +0000

Kenzie had her first ever opportunity for serious star gazing. Since Wisconsin is so far north, daylight lasts until beyond at least bath time. For a while during July, twilight even extends beyond her bed time.

So tonight it was dark enough while we were still outside to lounge in a chair and see at least a few stars. Kenzie pointed out every star she could see and we counted them. By the time we went inside more than a dozen were visible.

Off the road again

norris — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:04:32 +0000

Kenzie and Cheri returned from another road trip … this time to Great-Grandma’s way up in northwest Minnesota. Yes, as far north as we already live, it’s possible to still go “up north.”

Check out this little video clip of Kenzie bopping to the Blues Clues musical movie.

A First!!!

cheri — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 01:47:32 +0000

Tonight before we got into the bath tub - we went pee-pee in the potty for the first time!

We have had a potty for a little while now so she could get used to the idea.

She likes to sit on when Mommy sits on the big potty…we’ll see what happens. I don’t think she’ll be potty trained anytime soon, but she is at least curious.

Back to Grandma’s House

kenzie — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:41:07 +0000

Spent the month of September at my Grandma’s house in Louisiana. Had lots of fun!!!!

My Aunt Kristen and her friend Jennifer came over and played with me lots and everyday Grandma would color with me - that is my favorite thing to do next to watching Blues Clues or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Aunt Audra and my cousin Ryan came over for a weekend, and we all went to the family reuinion together. They had a slip and slide that I really liked. I tried to run really fast for the swiming pool, but my Grandma caught me just in time.

Saw my Papaw a couple of times, I want to play with him - I just am not brave enough yet to do it on my own yet - maybe next time.

Will get my Daddy to post some pictures soon!

She’s got personality!

norris — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:39:26 +0000

Mackenzie didn’t really want to participate in a 2-year-old portrait session. So there are no perfectly posed images like in the past. However, you can see that she is definitely growing into a young lady with a mind of her own.

As always, click on the picture to see the full gallery.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

norris — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:17:48 +0000

Finally… pictures from Mackenzie’s 2nd birthday party!

Click on the image to see the gallery. The images are big, so it may time some time to load.

Insights from Daddy

norris — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 11:02:44 +0000

Now that Mackenzie has survived two years of my attempt at fatherhood, I have decided to share a few insights from the many lessons I have learned.

Do not fall asleep on the couch with a baby napping on your chest. One of you will probably roll onto the floor. Hope it’s not both of you.
Do not lift a baby over your head to check the diaper while standing under a ceiling fan.
Do not inspect the poop in the diaper. You only need to know what grapes look like before you eat them.
Do not walk faster than your child while holding her hand without being prepared to clean a scraped knee.
Do not allow the rock your child placed in your left hand to get mixed in with peanuts in your right.
Do not let your child eat new foods without your wife’s approval. Ever hear of peanut allergies?
Do not let your child run around naked unless you have towels and/or a mop handy.
Do not leave expensive electronics or camera gear in your child’s reach unless you are prepared to either do without or replace them.
Do not attempt to carry a baby and a laundry basket down stairs at the same time.

God watches out for little children as well as their parents.

Plug free

norris — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 02:59:44 +0000

Somewhere around 6 months old, Mackenzie started leaving her pacifier in the bed. Other than night and naps… and car trips… she has been fine without it.

Today’s nap time was the first without any of these green pieces of rubber. Tonight it continues. She finally settled down and is asleep. We’ll see how it goes when she wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t find her usual source of comfort.

UPDATE: We made it through the weekend…Pacifier FREE!!!!!

Playing with Peyton

kenzie — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:17:43 +0000

I got to play with my cousin Peyton today. We played in my room, then went to the park with Daddy and
Peyton’s grandpa, then ate supper, then played in my back yard. It was lots of fun. I was not happy to see them leave.

Daddy took lots of pictures. Click on this one to see more. He also took some of Peyton and her little sister while I was still napping.

Demo girl!

kenzie — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:00:30 +0000

Mommy and Daddy bought me a new backyard toy - a sandbox! I got to play in it last night for the first time. Mommy showed me how to put the sand into the bucket and turn it over to make a sand castle…then I got to STOMP on it and we did it again!

I think I like playing in dirt almost as much as I do water…..

Hopefully, Daddy will post pictures soon, they took lots!!!!

MeMom and Pop visit!

kenzie — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:29:16 +0000

My MeMom and Pop left this morning after visiting me. They got here right before the 4th of July.

We did lots of fun things. I went to the zoo for the first time, I liked the seals the best. Pop would take me outside for rides in my wagon and they would both let me play in my water table in the afternoons! We also walked to the park most afternoons, but they wouldn’t let me eat the rocks!

Click on the picture to see the gallery.

Been a while…

norris — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:38:09 +0000

There’s little droplets of milk on my laptop keyboard. It’s been too long since that happened!

Cheri and Kenzie got home yesterday afternoon after roughly a month in Louisiana visiting Grandma and other family… and avoiding being home when the new roof goes on.

Kenzie has certainly grown. She runs faster and moves around with much more confidence.

A month ago Kenzie occasionally needed help crossing a swing bridge section of the playground behind our house. Last night she was able to cross it without even slowing down.

It’s good to have them both home!

Fun at Grandma’s house

kenzie — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:21:44 +0000

I have been at my Grandma’s house for the past few weeks. Lot’s of people come over to play with me so I am having lot’s of fun.

I played in my swimming pool for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. Here is a picture of me!

My new favorite place…

cheri — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:42:08 +0000

My new favorite place is my backyard. I have a big space to run and play in and a puppy named Jake that lives next door to tease. I have a swing set that has 2 slides (that my Pop and Memom bought for me) that is really cool! My Daddy and Mommy also bought me a red wagon that has seats in it that I really like - Daddy had to take me out walking in it 3 times yesterday. (Mommy likes the fact that it also has a seat belt to keep me in it!)

Guess what I can do!

cheri — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:03:33 +0000

While Mommy was making her lunch today, I decided I didn’t want to watch her program on the TV. I grabbed the remote and pushed some buttons in the right order and found my favorite show on the DVR - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! I was pretty proud of myself, I laughed and laughed.

Pink Chevy

norris — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 02:54:25 +0000

Kenzie now has herself a new ride. It’s a reproduction of a 1955 Chevy in a pedal car. She’s still a bit too short to reach the pedals, but we just had to get a picture with it.

Just like our other cars, this one is used. So Kenzie not only looks sharp sporting her cousin Sarah’s hat, she’s already proving to be a sharp bargain shopper.

Even when Kenzie outgrows this car, it should still make for a nice photo prop.

Memom and Pop are visiting from Tennessee and got to enjoy seeing Kenzie trying to pedal across the studio. Pop even got to ride along when we brought the car home.

Bunny Shot

norris — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:38:23 +0000

It was warm enough this evening for Mommy, Daddy and Mackenzie to take a walk. Mackenzie walked most of two blocks holding Daddy’s hand. It was neat watching the waves of water from the melting snow flowing down the street.

Daddy had a portrait shoot for a new staffer at Blackhawk Church. To make up a bit for not getting to spend the whole evening with Kenzie, we had our own little photo shoot.

Mackenzie is getting accustomed to the photo studio in the basement.

Oh yeah, Bunny keeps on shrinking.

Toddler Laws of Property

norris — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:04:46 +0000

Mackenzie got a tshirt from Great-Grandma with the Toddler Laws of Property:

If I like it, it’s mine
If it’s in my hand, it’s mine
If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine
If it looks just like mine, it’s mine
If I think it’s mine, it’s mine

The t-shirt is cute. Mackenzie is cute. What other reason does a Daddy need for a morning photo shoot?

Wanna see? Click on the tshirt.

Do you ever shop at Amazon?

norris — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:46:56 +0000

Before Mackenzie was born, we set up an affiliate account at Amazon.com for her. If you remember, the site at that time had links to specific things. Well from all the stuff we and others purchased, Mackenzie’s college fund got nearly $50… before she was even born.

If you plan to shop from Amazon, consider using the search entry below. Mackenzie will get a five percent commission… and it doesn’t cost any more. We promise any Amazon commission will go into the college fund.

Check-up!

cheri — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 23:34:25 +0000

Went to visit Dr. Edward’s this afternoon. I weigh 19 lbs 2 oz and am 30″ tall. I had a shot and also had my finger stuck - that really made me mad!!!

Let the games begin!

norris — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:03:28 +0000

Mackenzie has a new space to play in.

The nasty kitchen carpet has finally been replaced with ceramic tile. This has been on mommy’s project plan for a couple of years and is finally reality.

Kenzie’s first steps onto the tile were tentative, as she stopped to see if we were pursuing her like before. After a brief pause, she took off to explore. Of course the first stop was for refridgerator magnets.

Curls

norris — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:44:49 +0000

You just gotta check out her curls.

Sllluuuurrrrrp

norris — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 01:27:41 +0000

Dinner was pretty good tonight. Here’s proof.

Just a quick FYI

norris — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:13:12 +0000

It is possible to give a baby a bath during halftime.

My first sled ride

kenzie — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 23:30:20 +0000

Daddy pulled me around the back yard in my new snow sled. I didn’t even care that it was cold. It was a lot of fun.

Mommy took pictures and a video.

Kenzie’s new chair

norris — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:18:14 +0000

Kenzie has a new chair.

First Sentence!

cheri — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:59:08 +0000

This post is a few weeks late, but Mama’s been busy.

While on the phone with her Grandma, Mackenzie put 2 words together for the first time - she said “Mama Cool” (and I have to agree with that)!

She has a lot of words that she uses, sparingly - “Hi”, “Cool”, “Mom”,”Dada”, “Good”, “Stinky”, “Cookie” to name a few…

Christmas!

kenzie — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 13:02:50 +0000

I got a lot of new toys today. I also got to rip up a bunch of paper. Mommy took pictures. This Christmas day is fun!

Out Going Walkin’

kenzie — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:35:01 +0000

Daddy took me out walking today. It was cold, so I had to wear the hood up on my coat. We went down the street, then walked in the front yard. Then we walked around the back yard. I like my big yard!

Swinging Thanksgiving

kenzie — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 23:00:54 +0000

It was warm enough today that Memom, Pop and Grandma took me outside to swing. We had lots to eat.

Another doc visit

kenzie — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 20:19:43 +0000

Doctor Edwards says I’m buff. I weight 16.5 lbs and am 29.5 inches tall. I don’t lik eshots, but at least these didn’t hurt for as long.

Since our last posting…

cheri — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 23:18:34 +0000

We visitied our Great Grandma and did some baking - cookie dough is fun to play with! I also did something pretty exciting while there - I took my first steps (5) to my Mommy and my Great Aunt Patty - still haven’t decided to just take off running yet, but will be very soon!!!!

I like to climb on any and everything - Mommy calls me her little monkey, I think my first word will be “up”.

Ryan shares!

kenzie — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 21:25:45 +0000

Am at my Grandma’s house and my cousin Ryan who is 2 is visiting as well. He and I are learning to share. He shared a Frosty with me on the way to Papaw’s house. I was really enjoying myself until my Aunt Audra took it away from me. (He didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to have chocolate yet…I LIKE IT!)�

One Year Check-up

kenzie — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 16:00:48 +0000

Had my 1 year check-up yesterday. I now am 15 lbs and 28 & a quarter inches tall, that’s a gain of 2 lbs and 2 inches in 3 months!

Daddy went with us on this visit, he didn’t like the shots either!

Daddy took my picture

kenzie — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:58:23 +0000

Kenzie’s 1st Birthday

norris — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 21:33:48 +0000

Kenzie’s first birthday was like just about any other day, except for presents and a cupcake.

Happy 1st Birthday!

norris — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:02:52 +0000

Has it really been a year already?

Yum!

kenzie — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 23:31:19 +0000

Mommy gave me mushy beans and I liked them. I have also managed to get her to give me baked potato w/sour cream and stuffing! I like Mommy’s food!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!!!

NO!

kenzie — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 01:44:12 +0000

Mommy told me “no” and I didn’t like it. She hurt my feelings. But I forgave her 5 minutes later.

Busy Baby!

cheri — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 20:56:48 +0000

Mackenzie is really getting around now! She crawls, stands and walks while holding on to furniture. She also loves to dance. Her favorite song is “Jump” by Choo Choo Soul.

She is starting to understand what Mommy says, she knows “Love Mommy (or Bear,Bunny etc.)”, and is starting to learn the word “No” and what it means-she doesn’t like it one bit.

She stacks and unstacks her cups and rings, puts one thing inside of another and likes to play with her 5 in 1 activity cube-it has lots of wooden beads to move around.

Playtime with Josselyn

norris — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 19:07:40 +0000

Mackenzie’s new friend Josselyn visited this weekend with her Mommy & Daddy.

Kenzie comments

kenzie — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 01:46:29 +0000

Diced apples are yummy. Thank you Auntie Audra.

Grandma, Elmo is cool.

One drawback

norris — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:38:46 +0000

One drawback to having a baby who can sit up and stand… until she figures out how to lay back down, Mommy and Daddy’s sleep gets interrupted.

She Crawled

cheri — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 19:36:22 +0000

She figured out how to crawl!

Standing Up

norris — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:56:08 +0000

We spent lots of time on Sunday standing. At one point Kenzie stood for around 30 minutes moving up and down the the couch and turning to hold onto the ottoman, then back to the couch. Mommy also got to see her sit up without any help.

So yesterday when Cheri sent me a cam phone pic of Mackenzie standing at the couch, I really didn’t think it to be anything special. At least not until I read this email:

I walked out to put my plate up and came back and she was like that…she was on her tummy when I walked out of the room.

Cool! Mackenzie stood up on her own for the first time!

Over the weekend we also set up the webcam to look down on her bed. It has been quite amusing to see her playing and rolling around. Well for yesterday’s afternoon nap, Grandma connected to watch for a bit, but had to disconnect to go home. So I got to connect from work (this cam only allows one connection). After Kenzie woke up, she played and rolled around some. I was mostly working, but occasionally taking a peek at the cam window. So around 4pm I took a peek just in time to see Kenzi in the middle of pulling herself up in her crib! Yup, I called home to tell Cheri so she wouldn’t miss it.
So, Kenzie stood up on her own twice in one day!

Oh yeah… Mackenzie is 11 months old today!

Sitting Pretty

cheri — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 02:54:17 +0000

Mommy walked in to get Mackenzie from her afternoon nap and found her sitting up in the crib. Kenzie looked up with a big grin on her face and squealed. Mommy squealed too!

Swinging!

norris — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:14:01 +0000

Mackenzie got an early birthday present. I think she likes it. Click on the picture to see.

Life of a chair

norris — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 12:51:14 +0000

Have you ever wondered what happens in the life of a chair? To the left is Cheri with her aunt on Christmas in 1968. To the right is Kenzie in 2006.

Yup, Grandma cried when she saw this.

Memom & Pop are here

norris — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:58:06 +0000

The grandparents from Tennessee arrived for a visit.

Strolling with Daddy

norris — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 23:14:58 +0000

Mackenzie had a Father’s Day stroll around the neighborhood today. The hat even stayed on most of the trip.
The big news today… she repeatedly had success getting the veggie puffs into her mouth. Finger food rocks!

Banana Update

cheri — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 21:03:41 +0000

After nearly a week of gags and grins, Mackenzie now likes bananas. Of course she’s only getting tiny bites, but it’s a good thing.

9 Months

norris — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 02:43:47 +0000

For everyone who has been asking, here’s a quick tease of Mackenzie’s 9-month portrait.

Seriously, check out the Ages gallery.

Bananas

cheri — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:14:10 +0000

FYI: Don’t give baby bananas - she gags!

Doc says OK

norris — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 21:02:12 +0000

Kenzie and Mom just left the 9 month doc visit with an All Is Well from the doc. At 9 months and 2 weeks, she weighs 13lbs, 1 oz and is 25.5 inches long.

Bath Night

norris — Wed, 31 May 2006 02:50:15 +0000

Last night was bath night and Grandma captured the moment.

Tonight was dinner with cousins Hank and Sharon. Kenzie got to hold a ball that was bigger than she is.

Grandma goes back to Shreveport tomorrow.

Bunny Nap

norris — Tue, 30 May 2006 04:21:04 +0000

Kenzie and Bunny took a nap on the couch today. Fortunately Dad had a camera handy.

Rumor has it the 9 month portrait has finally been shot. Who knows how long until anything is edited.

Home again

norris — Mon, 29 May 2006 14:51:53 +0000

Mackenzie made it home last night with Mommy & Grandma. In the past week she has learned peek-a-boo, noses and rolling around, She apparently doesn’t like french fries, baked potato or mashed potatoes. But she does like cinnamon toast.

Hi from Great-Grandma’s

norris — Fri, 26 May 2006 19:38:57 +0000

Reporting in from Great-Grandma’s. Mackenzie has learned to roll around and pull her socks off. She has also discovered the joys of splashing bath water all over the place.

Both Grandma and Great-Grandma are really enjoying their time with her. They will be back home by Memorial Day.

High Top Bop

norris — Wed, 24 May 2006 19:11:19 +0000

It’s Mackenzie’s first real shoes!

This cam phone image was sent from Minnesota where Kenzie, Cheri and Grandma are visiting Great-Grandma.

Like my hat?

norris — Fri, 19 May 2006 19:04:59 +0000

Like my new hat?

Happy Rider

norris — Thu, 18 May 2006 20:09:21 +0000

Cheri and Kenzie have been out shopping today. It seems she likes her new car seat.

Oh yeah, she’s 9 months old today and is having an incredibly energetic and vocal day.

Happy Mother’s Day

norris — Sun, 14 May 2006 10:00:32 +0000

Happy Mother’s Day to Mommy, Grandma, Memom, Great-Grandmother and Aunt Susan.

Uncle Kevin is the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Aztec, NM. He used Mackenzie’s picture on a postcard to honor and encourage the mothers of his church as well as to provide a visual reminder of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 18:17.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Riding in style

norris — Sun, 14 May 2006 04:11:09 +0000

Mackenzie will be riding to church tomorrow in style! She was about to outgrow the infant seat, so Cheri picked up a new car seat today.

It took both of us but we were able to get the new seat in place. This one will last her another 52 lbs (she’s almost 13 lbs now). She’ll be sitting higher and in great comfort. Oh yeah, it’s got girlie colors.

Happy Anniversary!

kenzie — Thu, 11 May 2006 05:15:40 +0000

Thank you, Jesus, for my Mommy and Daddy.

I love you!

Bindi is gone

norris — Wed, 10 May 2006 15:00:38 +0000

Mackenzie won’t be growing up with Bindi.
Last month, Bindi was diagnosed with bone cancer with maybe 2-3 months to live. She has been in pain and rather than let her suffer and potentially endanger Mackenzie, Cheri and I decided it was time to let her go.

This morning, Bindi went to her favorite kennel for what seemed to be a normal play day. After an hour of playtime, Bindi was put to sleep.

Bindi protected Cheri and Mackenzie earlier this year when a stranger decided to walk in the back door with unknown intentions. She was a good girl and will be missed.

Thanks to Walter and Linda at Rose Run Kennel for the care they provided Bindi over her 5 years. Some of Bindi’s things will benefit other Great Danes that are rescued.

Curls

cheri — Mon, 08 May 2006 00:49:04 +0000

The little hairs on the back of her head are curly!

The Bunny Shot

norris — Sun, 07 May 2006 20:32:14 +0000

No, it’s not a portrait… but it is a bunny shot. Bunny was with Mackenzie in the NICU at Meriter Hospital and almost dwarfed her then. Now Mackenzie’s arm is almost as long as Bunny.

There are shots of them together in various galleries. One of the best places to see Mackenzie’s size in comparison with Bunny is this image from the old She’s Home! gallery and the Conversations with a Bunny gallery.

Kenzie has also been enjoying the new floor in her room. It is a foam and is probably as soft as carpet. So we have a good surface to begin serious work on crawling and other fun stuff.

She’s on a roll

norris — Thu, 04 May 2006 03:30:33 +0000

Today Kenzie was reaching for a toy and rolled onto her tummy. Now she doesn’t like being on her tummy, so she quickly continued rolling to her back. Still reaching for the toy, she ended up back on her tummy. Again, frustration had her rolling again to her back. Cheri says this is the first time she has rolled multiple times in the same direction.

Next portrait at 9 months

norris — Mon, 01 May 2006 19:59:37 +0000

Looks like the next portrait will be at 9 months. We missed 7 months because Cheri and Kenzie were in Louisiana visiting grandma. The 8 month mark came with major sniffles and a red-nosed Kenzie would not make for very pretty pictures.

Shortly the March and April misc. photo galleries should be up. Meanwhile, check out the backdated cam phone shots provided by Cheri.

Shhh… don’t tell Mommy

norris — Mon, 01 May 2006 02:10:25 +0000

Kenzie likes Cheerios!

Rebuild almost complete

norris — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 18:56:37 +0000

The rebuild of MackenzieCarden.com is almost done. There are now new galleries covering some of the gaps previously left open… like Thanksgiving with the Grandparents. Also camera phone pics from Cheri have been added. Hopefully the new software will allow us to provide more timely updates for family and friends.

Back to Bed

norris — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 04:25:06 +0000

Kenzie is feeling much better and went to sleep in her own bed tonight.

Play

cheri — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 21:03:31 +0000

First Cold

norris — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:12:51 +0000

Mackenzie has her first cold. Congestion is causing difficulty breathing. She’s eating ok and doesn’t appear to have any other issues. Just gotta let it run it’s course.

Oh yeah… this means she and Cheri are sleeping in the guest room… when they’re able to sleep.

Outside

cheri — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:04:05 +0000

She’s growing

norris — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 02:48:23 +0000

Kenzie grew while visiting Grandma in Shreveport. Last night Cheri decided to see if a 6 month sleeper would fit.. and it does! So she’s officially gone up a size.

Cookie

cheri — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 22:44:05 +0000

Happy Birthday, Daddy

cheri — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 18:04:25 +0000

Hi Daddy

cheri — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 07:13:24 +0000

Kenzie call

norris — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 17:19:37 +0000

Cheri called from Grandma’s in Louisiana yesterday afternoon and Kenzie was in a pout about to go into whiney baby… she held the phone for Kenzie … and after a bit of me talking to her, Kenzie was happy and talking back.

Over the River and Through the Woods

norris — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:34:22 +0000

Ok, maybe just down the Interstate, but we are gonna cross a few rivers. We’re off to Shreveport to visit Grandma. Kenzie & Mommy will stay most of the month. Dad flies back to Madison on Monday to keep the diaper funds flowing.

6 months

norris — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 15:03:05 +0000

Mackenzie is now 6 months old! We didn’t do much celebrating as Mommy was sick and quarrantined to the guest room. That means Daddy just spent three days playing Mr. Mom. At least we got in the 6-month portrait session.

Strolling the Neighborhood

norris — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:58:21 +0000

It hit 53 degrees on Valentines Day, so the whole family was able to take a stroll around the neighborhood. This was Mackenzie’s first long walk outdoors in the stroller as well as her first walk with Bindi.

Score the Carrots

norris — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:55:20 +0000

Dunno what the big deal is, but Mackenzie smiled and enjoyed her carrots tonight. I suppose there are mommies out there who will understand and appreciate this fact. We’re now doing twice daily solid food feedings.

Such a Big Girl

norris — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 00:42:27 +0000

This evening, Mackenzie made serious moves toward Cheri’s soda can. She leaned in toward it multiple times with her hands out and mouth open. So Cheri decided it was time to try a sippy cup with water. Mackenzie took to it immediately, holding it with both hands for several minutes. She’s such a big girl now!

A larger image is in the Feb2006 gallery.

Cranky Baby

norris — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:41:08 +0000

Mackenzie can’t seem to go more than a half an hour in activities that just a few days ago entertained her for an hour or more. Cheri says she felt ridges on her lower gum. It might be the early signs of teething.

Food Fun

norris — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 23:40:09 +0000

Squash came out of her nose tonight and there are sweet potatoes in her ears. How’d that happen?

Baby Dedication

norris — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 23:38:33 +0000

The prayer and dedication service was excellent. Our biggest praises are that Mackenzie has been perfectly healthy. God definitely worked miracles to keep Cheri and Mackenzie safe with her complications. She is our little miracle.

Cousins Hank, Sharon, Jenny and Peyton were all there. Pastor Chris commented that he was privileged to know the Diane who contributed her middle name. Mackenzie really liked the music and was enthralled with all of the other people and babies around. Of course, there’s a photo gallery.

Baby Dedication is Saturday

norris — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 14:34:40 +0000

We plan to be at the Blackhawk Church baby dedication service Saturday morning at 10am. Join us if you can.

Sweet Potato Time

norris — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 14:30:51 +0000

The second real food is sweet potatoes… and today for lunch Cheri fed her both bananas and sweet potatoes. Mackenzie was really surprised when she realized both of these new flavors could be had in the same meal.

Mackenzie Goes Bananas

norris — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:41:08 +0000

Today Mackenzie got her first taste of real food. It was bananas! She was crying for food in her chair and with that first bite she completely focused with incredible enthusiasm. So she will get a bit of banana mixed in with the rice cereal. Next week maybe applesauce or sweet potatoes.

5 Month Portrait

norris — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 23:37:55 +0000

Mackenzie sat for her 5-month portrait today. You can see a couple of the images in the Ages gallery.

Chair Here

cheri — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:16:07 +0000

Finally an update

norris — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 05:36:10 +0000

Wow, over two months since this page was updated. We will try to backdate a few entries in a few days.
Meanwhile, check out the latest gallery of various images from the past month.

Bassinet time, finally!

norris — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 15:34:13 +0000

Mackenzie slept the whole night in the bassinet last night. Yeah, there was a feeding in there and some holding on the bed, but she slept out of our bed. Oh, so nice to have room again and not worry about rolling over on her.