Happy Birthday, Rosie!

Wow! My baby is three years old. I can hardly believe it! Last night at the fireworks I was thinking about how easily I remember being at those same fireworks three years ago, 8 days overdue with my fourth baby, having the most horrific port-a-potty experience of my life. Needless to say, last night, taking her to the port-a-potty while she was out of my uterus was a much more pleasant task.

I feel I must clarify, however, that I am not convinced that Kenna is always happy that she did exit the womb. On more than one occasion I have had to clarify my strict "No Re-entry" policy--like when I am making dinner or doing dishes and she somehow manages to wriggle herself between my legs. This is one little girl who loves to be close to her mother, that's for sure!

Mackenna's name might have been our hardest to pick out. For Teensy, my Michael had wanted "Mallory" more than "Marlee" and I won. I just assumed that we'd use "Mallory" this time if we had another girl, but Michael no longer felt it for that name. I tried my hardest to argue for the name "Maren" because...well, I really like it. My mom mentioned "McKenna" and I had to admit that I had written it in the back of one of my college journals as a name I'd like to give a daughter one day. Michael loved it and it was his top choice, although he didn't like the capital "K" in the middle; he thinks that makes it look too much like a last name. Whatever. (just kidding, honey!) He's the one who decided on the spelling. After our sweet baby was born, I tried to gaze into Michael's eyes with my best I've-just-gone-to-the-depths-of-hell-and-back-to-bear-
your-fruit-and-the-least-you-can-do-is-to-let-me-name-
my-baby-Maren look, but he was immune to my charms. I guess a 28 minute labor isn't quite long enough for your husband to feel sorry for you and let you name your baby your first choice.

Mackenna's middle name is my maternal grandmother's name. Now, this woman was a pill. Wait, let's make that Pill, with a capital "P." Oh, the stories I could tell...but she was also very talented with crafts, made fabulous Mexican food and loved babies. Bless her heart, she lost three out of her six children as infants and watched a fourth die of cancer in her mid-thirties, so I give the woman a little slack. She also raised my mother, who turned out to be pretty awesome, so I think that's deserving of a namesake.

Right now, my Kenna is into Dora the Explorer, Enchanted, and Marie (pronounced "Muh-wee") from The Aristocats. Her prized possessions are her purple heart Pez dispenser, her pink Marie sunglasses and her white "Beary Bear Alexa" teddy bear. She loves to swim (see previous post). Her best friend is her Teense. I love watching my little girls together; they are so cute when it's just the two of them! Mackenna also love-love-loves animals. She is fearless when it comes to new creatures and can't keep her hands off of them!

She also loves to sing; probably the song she sings most often is "Maybe" from the movie Annie. It is quite possibly the cutest thing you've never heard. "Betcha he reads, betcha she sews, maybe she's made me a closet of clothes..." Oh, I need to get that on video! Her rendition of "The Alphabet Song" is also something to experience. My favorite parts of that have got to be "Q-R-S-G-2-Peas" and "Now I know my A B C's, next time I can play with you!" I don't know where she got that ending, but she sings it every single time.

When she goes to bed, Mackenna likes to request a certain number of blankets on her and they must be placed just so. Lately, she's been going for her Dora blanket next to her body, Dora side up, with her daisy quilt on top, daisy side down. To comfort herself, she sucks on the middle and ring fingers of her left hand (photo of this was also in previous post). She started doing this as a wee one. I'm not sure if it was because she honestly preferred her fingers or because Teensy was always stealing her pacifier! She wasn't very old, maybe a few weeks, when she refused the pacifier and would only be comforted by her own digits.

I do so love my baby doll. She is quite a little love bug. I love her spunk! Our family is so blessed to have our Mackenna Rose.