The Big Sister

We can’t forget about the Big Sister!  McKenna absolutely LOVES her little sister!  So far she has been a good helper and is interested in what her sister is doing.  She still doesn’t like when Kamryn sleeps.  “I’m trying to wake her up mom!” is a phrase that I hear often around here!  Trying to explain that we want her to sleep hasn’t sunk in yet!

McKenna has shown us what three year olds are all about the last couple months.  We’d heard from many people that 3 is much harder than 2.  Well, we are finding this to be true!  I’m sure some of it is due to having a new sibling, but I’m confident majority of it is her age (after talking to numerous friends with three year olds!). 

Matt and I sometimes are at a loss for knowing how to handle her, as she’s been a pretty easy kid so far!  The simple tasks of brushing teeth/hair, getting dressed, going to the bathroom before bed have become nightmares some days.  The bottom line is she wants to do whatever it may be when SHE wants to do it.  She’s become extremely stubborn and will not cave.  This is why we started sticker charts!

After a long night the evening before, we loaded the girls up for a Target run.  We let Kenna pick out some prizes and stickers that she could earn.  At first she was confused at why she couldn’t open up Jasmine and Aladdin and The Little Mermaid Legos but it didn’t take too long for her to figure it out.

We’ve now completed three sticker charts and I would say things are much better.  Our plan of action now is to immediately take whatever it is she’s playing with and put it on the fridge if she doesn’t listen. 

We’ve heard over and over that consistency is the key.  Although this can be hard at times, we know this is what has to happen.  They are smart little boogers and will test and test you until you cave!

We have had trying times together but we’ve also had NUMEROUS more fun times together!  It’s also helped that she’s gone to daycare a couple times a week.  This has allowed her to have time away from us, as well as time for me to spend just with Kamryn.  A win-win!

Her are some pictures from the last couple months:

Lint rolling the dog!  Lexi has been shedding terribly since Kamryn was born.  I think it’s her way of reminding us she’s still around! :)

McKenna has also gotten a lot of gifts!  Everyone has been so thoughtful remembering her and making her feel special too!

We have entered the stage of wanting to do her own hair…. ALREADY!  It cracks me up when she puts clips in.  Normally they are at the very top of her head, not holding back any hair!

She LOVES putting clips in everyone else’s hair- especially daddy and grandpa!

I walked out to the living room one afternoon to find McKenna breastfeeding her doll!  By the time I grabbed my camera she had already put her shirt down.  Oh the things you learn when your mom breastfeeds.  (You should have seen her face the first time I pumped!!)

When McKenna was born Matt got me a necklace with a charm with her name on it.  (After I requested one! :) )  When Kamryn was born he got me a matching charm with her name on it.  McKenna was very confused, thinking the one with her name on it was hers!  We actually had numerous arguments about it.  She even tried ripping it off my neck!  After this happened I decided we were making a trip to Wal-mart to get some beads so she could make her own necklace.  I let her choose which ones she wanted.  As soon as we got home we started.  I poured all the letters out onto a paper plate and had her search for the letters as I strung them.  Can you believe they only had ONE N?!  We went ahead and still finished it.  I promised her I would buy more letters!  (Oops- I better get on that!)  Later that day Lily came over and we helped her make a necklace too!  I think they look so old wearing them!

Kenna is still loves to watch YouTube clips as well as listen to Disney music on Pandora.  This girl knows how to navigate and find what she wants!  This is how I found her one night as our computer was lying on the floor charging! :)

She asks to hold her sister numerous times a day and she doesn’t want any help!

SNOW!  McKenna absolutely loved playing in the snow this year.  I actually have a lot of regret that we didn’t get her out more this winter.  My only excuse is that a very pregnant mommy didn’t want to get bundled up to go out!

One afternoon after Kamryn was born I let her play outside with the two neighbor kids.  They played in our backyard so that I could peek out and check on them every now and then! 

I was amazed at how long Kenna would last outside and how little she complained about being cold. 

Uncle Matt was a trooper and stayed outside with Kenna when Lily decided to head in because she was cold!  He made her a special chair to sit in! 

Kami and Alaina stopped over one afternoon to see the girls.  As Kami and I sat in the living room catching up on life, the girls played in McKenna’s room and also in ours.  We watched as they ran back and forth between rooms, but since they were playing so well together with no arguments we just left them alone.  Little did we know they had drug nearly everything out of her room and put on our bed!!!  The pictures do not do justice for this “Hoarders Buried Alive” act! 

We were able to go to Indoor Park at the Rec Center a couple times this winter.  It was a fun change of pace allowing the girls to run off some energy!

We officially have ourselves a girly girl!  McKenna has recently become obsessed with wearing dresses and her “ballet” shoes.  A couple weeks before Easter I needed her to try on her dress that my sister and mom bought while in Texas to make sure it fit.  Trying on clothes is not one of her favorite things to do so I knew I would probably have to bribe her.  Who knew that once she got the dress on that she wouldn’t want to take it off!! 

Ever since that day she has requested to wear it EVERYDAY with her rainbow “jeans”!  (For some reason she can’t remember that they are called tights!)  I’ve had to lie to her a few times telling her that the dress and/or tights are in the wash… I know, bad mom!  There have been a few days that she’s had it on and off 3-4 times, due to leaving the house to go in public (she can wear it to the Garvins), or because it’s time to eat.

On the days she doesn’t have her Easter dress on she can be found in one of her other dresses.  She still asks to wear her rainbow tights but after much discussion I am able to get her to wear some that match! :)

And the shoes… I bought these Kenneth Cole pink and silver sparkle dress shoes at a garage sale last fall.  They are a bit big, but this girl doesn’t care!!  She calls them her ballet shoes, as that’s what Dora has- or so she says!  As you can see in the picture that they can be worn with any dress as well as pjs.  Yes, she even wears them to bed!!!

(Pictures taken on my phone.)

McKenna can’t wait until Kamryn takes more bottles!  She asks me all the time if we can give sissy a ba-ba instead of me giving her my boob.  Ha!

Ella and McKenna have become really good friends.  They love playing with their American Girls together.  In this picture Ella is comforting Kenna during a scary part in the movie Mulan.  So sweet!

Being a big sister can be a hard job at times but we are so thankful that McKenna has taken a liking to her new title!  Thanks Buddy for being my little assistant.  You are the best diaper/wipes/paci/water bottle/cell phone/remote retriever there is!