My best friend Laura from high school was in MN visiting family for Christmas from Los Angeles. Mckenna and I got to pick her up from the airport, have a nice dinner at her parents house, and also hang out on Christmas Eve morning. Although Laura and I were excited to see each other, I think the biggest excitement of the visit came from Laura and Mckenna meeting for the first time and spending some time together. Mckenna was so comfortable with Laura - she has the magic baby touch! Matt and I were so happy to finally have them meet at last.
Our next stop on Christmas Eve afternoon was to Brad and Jessica's house to see them and their kiddos, our nephews and niece. We gave each of them a small gift, which they seemed to enjoy. Sarah (2) got a purple My Little Pony, Thomas (3.5) got a battery operated electric guitar - he LOVES music and instruments, and Jacob (5) got some "Moon Sand" - a playdoh type substance to mold and play with, make shapes, etc. It was fun to watch the kids get excited to play with their gifts and to see and love on their baby cousin Mckenna on her first Christmas.
Next on our Christmas Eve schedule was dinner at my aunt and uncle's house, Barb and Rick. It is always fun to be together, and of course Barb made a wonderful meal for the occasion. My only cousin Ben and his wife Stacey were in town from Washington D.C. for Christmas, and they are due with their first baby (a boy!) in April. So it was fun to see them again and hear all about baby updates and details. Barb unfortunately didn't make it into the pictures because she was behind the camera. And for most of the meal, Mckenna was taking a nap in the bedroom... she needed to rest up before her big nativity debut later that night as baby Jesus! :)
After our great time of visiting and a yummy meal with Barb, Rick, Ben, Stacey, my parents, and Kristi, we were off to our church Christmas Eve service where we took part in a silent nativity scene as Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. Not surprisingly, Mckenna was a little angel, she slept wrapped in swaddling clothes (a soft throw blanket from our house) during the entire service, lying in the hay-filled manger. Some visitors that don't know us very well commented after the service that they were wondering if we were using a doll because the baby didn't move or make a peep the whole time. What a fun memory and story to tell her when she gets older.
On Christmas Day we packed up the car and headed out of town for about a week to visit the Johnson's in Illinois. We stayed in Elgin with Matt's parents, and the first few days we were there was especially a treat because Matt's brother and family, Cam, Linnea, Gwen (2.5), and Sonja (1 day older than Mckenna) were there with us. So much fun to have everyone together! Watching the three little girls together was just so sweet. I know Matt and Cam's parents, Craig and Karen, were really very much enjoying having everyone together again. They are definitely proud and loving grandparents, that's for sure!
I have a love/hate relationship with this next picture. I love it because I'm playing with my sweetie niece, Gwen, whom I absolutely adore. I hate it because I think I look as big as the tent that we're in. Because it makes me feel better, I'm going to blame it on, A. the fact that we are playing in a small kids tent and I'm an adult, and B. I had just had a baby 2.5 months ago... enough said. :)
Gwen got some fun gifts for Christmas, some of them seen here in these next few pictures. Linnea and Cam gave her a fun pop-up tent from Ikea that looks like an igloo (GREAT gift - hours and hours of fun to play in your own fort!) and Matt and I gave her a Graco set of mini-baby items that look and play like the real thing - a baby stroller, car seat, high chair, and baby swing. Our other niece Sarah got this same gift for her birthday earlier this fall and loved it, so of course I also thought it might be a hit with Gwen too. I think she really loved it! Most of the weekend she could be seen putting her baby doll in and out of the car seat and stroller and walking around the house being a little mommy. Too cute!
Gwen absolutely loves her babies, there's no doubt about it. She loves her little sister Sonja and "cousin Mckenna" - always wanting to hold, hug, and kiss one or both of the babies. It was fun to watch the three girls interact. It will be so much fun to watch them grow up together - we hope that they can all be good friends, like Matt and Cam and their cousins.
This was so cute - Gwen was holding Mckenna and when her pacifier fell out of her mouth, Gwen picked it up and said "here you go sweetie!" and put it back into her mouth. Such the loving and caring helper!
LOVE THESE TWO CUTIES!!! I like to think that they were enjoying all of their together time. And it is so special that they are only one day apart in age.
Mckenna with her great-uncle Dave, Karen's brother.
On our IL visit, we also got to see Matt's grandparents on both sides. Here is a picture of Craig's mom Harriet meeting Mckenna for the first time. It was so sweet, Mckenna slept in her arms for the majority of our afternoon visit with them. This picture was taken before her nap - drooling and cute!
After a great time in Illinois with the Johnson's, we were happy to have a few days left of our break to spend at home enjoying our remaining days off. One of Matt and my favorite places to go for breakfast is Al's Breakfast in Minneapolis, in Dinkytown by the University of Minnesota. If you have never been to Al's, you should definitely go at least once in your life. The experience alone is worth the trip, but the food is great too.
We have been going to Al's for years, but haven't been since Mckenna was born. We decided to bundle up on a cold January morning, be brave, and take Mckenna on her first trip to Al's Breakfast. If you've been to Al's, you know this could turn out to be one of two types of experiences with a small baby... it could either go well or be a total nightmare. This is because Al's is located in an old alley and is very small - only enough room for a long, skinny counter, stools, and a tight line of customers standing behind those sitting at the stools eating, waiting for people to leave so they can be the next to sit down and order. (Can you picture it?)
Since Mckenna is such an easy-going baby, we decided to chance it. Well, she did great! We brought the Baby Bjorn, and (surprise! not really...) she slept on my chest during the whole meal. There was a line out the door when we got there, and normally you just wait your turn in line until the line shortens and you can get in the door and wait inside, but the whole line outside let Mckenna and I go ahead of them so we could stand inside and keep warm during our wait. Gotta love Minnesota nice! :)
The last day of our break, the Sunday evening before we went back to school, Mckenna and I went over to Brad and Jessica's house to have dinner with their family and my parents for my mom's birthday, which is January 1st. The kids all helped make a cake for my mom - so sweet. And of course Mckenna was a big hit at dinner. Her cousins love her very much. Little Sarah seems especially enthralled with her. Every night during her prayers she thanks God for "baby 'kenna" - so very sweet!
Back to school... although it was hard to leave Mckenna at home after both Matt and I got to stay home with her for maternity/paternity leave, and then two weeks off together as a family, it was so much easier to leave her knowing who was caring for her - my parents! My mom has to work most days, but since my dad has his own business, he can be at our house and work from his computer when Mckenna naps. So Mckenna and her Grandpa Person have been having a ball together this past week, as you can see. I'm sure Mckenna will have a special bond with him since she is blessed to be able to spend so much time with him during these next several months.
Two last pictures (whew!) - these were taken last week when Mckenna turned 12 weeks old! As you can see, she is still as cute as a button and those awesome cheeks of hers are growing a little bit every day. :) We love her so much!
