I have BLUE on the brain...

IT'S A BOY!!!

I just returned from the all-telling ultrasound and yes, you read that right. It's a boy!! We're absolutely THRILLED. Rya is going to have a baby brother :)

Our little guy is weighing in at a whopping 10 oz. He has a heart rate of 148 bpm. I'm right on schedule for a due date of 5/25/08 - but because I will be having a scheduled c-section, they will be performing the surgery about a week before. It's currently being scheduled with the hospital, so as soon as they call me with the final date and time I will update you all.

Little man is moving like crazy - never stopping during the entire ultrasound. I'm feeling him move, but it's still pretty light. Other than that - all is perfect. Thank you for all of your prayers. We truly appreciate all of your support :)

Profile Shot

Frontal view

Showing his man-parts to the world :)

Quick Pic update...

Here is the baby bump at 18wks 3 days. I'll post a full blog after the all exciting appointment on Tuesday :)

15 Week Update

Well, I'm 15 weeks 2 days today and yes...I've already got quite a "bump" going on. Take a gander at the newest picture below. YIKES! I'm feeling pretty good, though I still find myself exhausted by the end of the day. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and everything is going well. Heard a nice strong heartbeat - 146 bpm. The all-telling ultrasound is scheduled for December 30th. Will it be pink or blue...let the bets begin ;) At my next appointment, also on the 30th, I'll be scheduling my c-section. I'm ready to have my date and time set so I can begin to plan for the after effects. My grandparents might be coming into town for a couple of weeks to help us around the house and to help with Rya since I'll have limited mobility and a newborn on my hands.

So, that's it for now. We've been pretty busy with Thanksgiving and preparing for our trip to SC next week. Can't WAIT!! If I don't get on here before, have a VERY Merry Christmas everyone. Enjoy this time with family and friends and be thankful for everything little blessing that comes your way!

2nd Trimester - YAY!

We've made it to the 2nd Trimester - YIPPEE! Here's a new belly shot for you all. Not much going on, so I'm going to go catch some extra zzz's while I can :)

Toddler Shenanigans

Let's start with the interesting stuff first...

For the last week or so, we've noticed that Rya has had some SERIOUSLY bad breath. I mean, not just the "I've eaten something and my breath stinks" kind of bad breath...but the "Something is rotting in my mouth" kind of bad breath. We've been brushing her teeth more often, but it didn't help. I finally asked daycare about it this morning because we knew that something was just NOT right! They suggested I call her doctor, which I did as soon as they opened. Brought her in for the appointment and...guess what...PAPERWAD UP THE NOSE!!! Yes folks...you read that right. She had a wad of paper stuffed up her nose. We're guessing it had been there for at least a couple of weeks. You couldn't see it just looking at or up her nose and the only comments she ever made were first thing in the morning..."nose hurts, mama". I assumed it was from being stuffed up and runny. Boy was I wrong. Needless to say, it got inflamed and infected - causing the foul odor. They tweezed it out...and now all is well in the world of Rya. That's what I call "Toddler Shenanigans". LMAO

Now - as for me- I'm feeling good. Still tired, but that's to be expected living the life I live. I'm officially in the 2nd trimester as of today - WooHoo! We're only a couple months away from finding out if Little Mack is a boy or girl...which is pretty exciting stuff. The 12 week belly shot will be posted momentarily on the other blog (http://littlemack2.blogspot.com/)!! BTW...I'm thinking of combining these into one blog - easier to maintain and easier for people to check up on. I'll keep everyone posted.

Hope everyone is gearing up for a wonderful Thanksgiving. Can you believe it's only a little more than a week away...YIKES! Enjoy the holiday...stay safe and have fun! (A couple of recent pics are below...)

Here come the Belly Shots...

First belly shot - 8 weeks 3 days. Yes, folks...it's starting early! I'm about 10 weeks 1 day now and already in maternity clothes...YIKES :)

And it's time for Nausea...

Well, turns out I'm a week further along than expected - 8 weeks, 3 days today. Due May 25th :) We're super excited and have now shared the news with friends and family...probably the reason you're reading this. Everything is going well so far...although, there is always the chance that something could happen. We're just praying for the best. Here are a few pictures to get the next 9 month journey going...


Pretty self explanatory


The newest Baby Mack :)

Update - 6 weeks (tentatively)

I'm tentatively 6 weeks today. I have my first OB appointment tomorrow to confirm. I'm definitely feeling it - nausea, exhaustion, heightened sense of smell! UGH! I remember some of this with Rya, but the nausea is definitely worse.

Should be pretty interesting to see how the pregnancies differ...I'll try to keep better track of my symptoms this time around :)

And so it begins...

It is September 22nd and it will be a couple of months before any of you will see this. Let's just say I'm getting a head start this time around.

Last night I took a test and guess what, we're PREGNANT! Yes, we are on the road to becoming a family of FOUR! Tentative due date: June 1, 2009.

Not really all that surprising was the immediate fear that sets in for me. You'd think after a perfect pregnancy and birth of a beautiful little girl that the second go round would be so much easier. I'm here to tell you this is NOT the case. It's the same worries, the same paranoia. I keep telling myself to relax, but it's definitely going to be a long couple of months :)

So...sit back, relax, and get ready to enjoy the newest 9th month journey with the McCormacks :)

18 months and counting...

Well, it's been 18 months since our little Rya Faith was born. She's now 23 pounds (between the 25-50 percentile), 33 and 3/4 inches long (95th percentile), with a head measurement of almost 19 inches (80th percentile). Unfortunately, she has inherited her mother's allergies. We got the approval to start giving her children's Zyrtec to help combat the runny nose, itchy eyes, and cough.

She now has her upper molars and is in the process of getting her bottom. She's talking ALOT...keys, fish, shoes, mine, etc. etc. She has also started multi-word sentences..."Hi Dada", "No more bites", "My shoes". She can put her shoes on...not always on the right feet, but it's a start. She has also figured out how to open the latch on the fridge door at Daycare...a feat even the 2 year olds have yet to figure out. She is a little swimmer - getting better and better every time in the pool. With some suggestions from the Pediatrician, we're going to get a little more dedicated to the potty training...especially since she's now telling us when she's gone "poo" or "pee pee". Maybe I can convince Daycare to join in...if not, at least we'll be ahead of the game come 2's time.

The new daycare is 100 times better...though the 1's room is going through a bit of a "biting crisis" at the moment. Seems like if she's not getting bit, then she's the one doing the biting...I can't WAIT for this phase to pass!!

She's doing and saying so much more everyday...we're constantly surprised. Oh...and she still LOVES Elmo!! What will she be doing 6 months from now...only time will tell. I can't believe it's even that close!! I was always told that children grow up right before your eyes...and now I know just how true that is.

Stay tuned...there's sure to be more to come!

Pics from Rockford '08

Here is a slideshow of the pictures from our Rockford Trip '08. There aren't any captions yet, but I'm going to try to get them done soon...so check back :)

Living life to the fullest...

Wow! I've gotten pretty bad at keeping this blog updated. Is it really any wonder?? I'm constantly chasing a 17 month old around the house and trying to keep her out of the dog's water dish (which she seems to think is her indoor splash pool). So here's the latest in this crazy life of mine...

My job is still going GREAT! It definitely has it's chaotic moments, but I'm no stranger to chaos :)

Roy has found work that he's really excited about. He's started working for a company that services cell towers and is making it possible for us all to have better cell service It takes him out of town on occasion, so Rya and I are adjusting to girl's nights. The Mesa PD is currently on hold.

As for Miss Rya...geez, I don't even know where to begin. She'll be a year and a half in a month and continues to surprise me every day. She's only about 22 pounds right now, so really tall and lean. She can still fit in 9 month shorts, which are finally starting to get a little tight. She's learned TONS of new words...when she's hungry she usually says eat or nummie. She now LOVES to say cookie. We've also got her saying "please" more often. She can say teeth, elbow, nose, eye, toe, and calls her belly button "butt" which we're still working on She asks for her "kitty kitty" which is a beanie baby cat. She just recently started saying "poo" when she has pooed her pants. Needless to say, we're going to start getting a little more aggressive with the potty training. She still LOVES Elmo...I think Elmo is slowly taking over my house...LOL! We've started brushing her teeth...which she thinks is just another "snack" since the toothpaste is the non-foaming kind you can swallow Which reminds me...she's currently cutting her upper molars...which means crankiness abounds at random intervals.

We've also switched her over to a facility style daycare center which has not been an easy transition. It's worse in the morning when I'm dropping her off...for the first time ever she's clingy and doesn't want to be left. I know this is normal, but it's been extremely difficult on me leaving her like that. By the time I pick her up, she's smiling and talking and just fine. Logically I know she's ok during the day, but it's affecting her personality and that bothers me. We've decided to keep her in the same "chain" of daycares but move her to a new branch on Monday that's closer to home and will hopefully help the separation anxiety...better environment, better teachers, and less switching room to room, etc. I'll keep you all posted.

We'll be heading to Rockford for a visit the first week in August - we're very excited about that. Would love to see as many of you as possible!! So...until next time - have fun, stay safe and hopefully we'll see some of you soon!!

15 Month Update...

So, it's been about a month since I posted anything new. Rya is chatting away...even if we can't understand 99% of what she's saying :) All the other Moms at daycare love to get her talking when they come to pick up their children...and she loves the attention. She tries to imitate us alot when we're talking and seems to be picking up new words every day. She's also starting to imitate a little girl at daycare who has started potty training...Rya started to sit on her "potty". When I go into the bathroom, I take her in with me and set her on her little potty (with her shorts and diaper still on for now) and she'll close the lid when she's "done" and then will flush. We'll see how things go. For now, here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last month:

AND...just in case anyone cares...I chopped my hair :

A recent pics slideshow...

A video of my little Chatterbox :)

Just another day in this CHAOS!

It's been a bit since I've updated everyone - or at least since I typed up one of these blogs that few people even care about :) The husband and daughter just happen to be sleeping and I found myself with some "alone" time (YippEE!!! ) so here I am.

It's been a very hectic few months here in AZ. I had taken a new job at the end of February that just didn't work out....I don't think I was really meant to clean dirty, wax crusted hearing aids - I was hired as the Office Manager for pete's sake! Anyways...I was able to start a new job this past Monday as a Project Specialist with the direct mail division of the main newspaper in town. I'm slowly getting adjusted, but it seems like it's going to be a GREAT fit. PLUS...I know people I work with (Carlene and Tom)...which is definitely nice after a couple of years of working primarily by myself. So things are on the upswing for me - though I don't get nearly as much time on MySpace...can we say withdrawals anyone??

As for Roy, he sold his moving business and has started the process of getting into the Mesa Police Department. It will be a very long, tedious journey and he will have to find something to get us by until the January academy, but he's excited.

We also did some car swapping...we sold my Jeep and traded in Roy's truck on a Mazda3 for myself. More economical in the long run - it's WAY better on gas. Roy FINALLY got an older used car Wednesday night - which has relieved a ton of my stress...living off just one vehicle for a few weeks was REALLY hectic and nerve wracking. PHEW - that's a load off :)

As for Rya...geez, what can I say? She's 14 months old today and I just really don't know where the time is going. She's now saying tons of new words including "no, no, no" (which Mama just LOVES), "apple" and "Abby" for Abby Caddaby (Elmo's best friend). She's become a total sucker for Elmo - we've gotten a couple Elmo videos, one that teaches opposites and another that has favorite kids songs...and she just LOVES them. Roy can now hand her something and say "take this to mommy" and 9 times out of 10 she'll bring it right to me. We're having a bit of trouble getting her off the bottle ("baba") but we're not too worried about it. The doctor had just mentioned that she should be off completely by 15 months or so...guess we'll just continue to work on it...any suggestions??

Other than that, we're just zipping through each day wondering where the hours have gone. The weather is GREAT right now, though it's heating up here in AZ (should be close to 100 degrees this weekend) but it's still nice enough to spend lots of time enjoying the warmth and the sun...which means even less time to spend on here, which is probably a good thing
Take care everyone - big hugs from AZ!!

Lil' Miss Chatterbox

(originally posted 04/06/08)

I am in LOVE with being a Mommy!!

While chasing after a 13 mo old is exhausting...Mommyhood has never been more fun! She’s a little sponge, just soaking up every little bit of information she comes in contact with. It’s time Mommy and Daddy really watch what they do and say :)

Her newest words..."nana" for banana. We were at Aunt Carlene’s and she pointed to the sky and said "airplane". We were all shocked!! When we’re driving down the road, she’ll say "go, go, go". She’s perfected "ba bye" and "ni ni" for nite nite. We sat down to read one of her favorite books and she points to the front cover and blurts out, "Elmo". I was like..."ROY, DID YOU HEAR THAT?!?!" Haha! She says "baba" for bottle and is now starting to say "daddy" and "mommy". If she wants to know what something is, she says "dat", which I’m pretty sure is supposed to be "that".

She can point to her ears, toes, legs, belly button and sometimes her nose and mouth when she really wants to. When she sits and "reads" a book, she points her finger and follows the words. She’s starting to get a hang of shapes and the whole square peg, square hole thing...we’re still working on it. Ducks and books continue to be a couple of her favorite things.

I’m just constantly amazed at how quickly she learns and how fast she’s growing up. She is my beautiful little girl, and I’m so proud to be her Mommy. Yes, I know I’m going to have my hands full as she grows up...Lil’ Miss Chatterbox...she’s just too much like her Daddy ;)

A year has gone by...

It was a year ago yesterday...a precious little girl joined our family and nothing has been the same since. Our days are longer, our nights are shorter, laughter and frustration often go hand in hand - and we wouldn't have it any other way. We're truly blessed and we thank God every day that Rya Faith is in our lives.

Her party on Saturday was a HUGE success. She got a lot of great gifts and is now absolutely spoiled rotten :) Thanks to everyone that was here! (Aunt Carlene bought her a potty training seat - I think she was trying to tell us something...haha). Check out the pictures - there's a TON of them!!

Rya had her 12 month check up today. She's 20 pounds 5 ounces (50th percentile). Her head measurement is just over 18 inches (between the 75th and 80th percentile). She's 31 3/4 inches long (over the 95th percentile). In other words, she's still tall and pretty lean. The doctor checked her sternum again and thinks that Rya is growing into it...it's very slowly becoming less noticeable. Her belly button still has a small hernia, and they'll continue to watch that until she's 3. If it hasn't healed by then, they'll refer her for a minor surgery to close it up. She got 4...count 'em 4 shots...one in each arm and 2 in her left leg! OUCH!! But she took them like a pro and is doing really well!

She's walking...and walking...and walking...and Mommy just wishes she could sit and relax :) She's also talking quite a bit - the doctor says she's ahead of the game as far as words go...we've got "dog" and "duck" which pretty much sound identical ("doe" and "duh" respectively) and get a little obnoxious because EVERYTHING falls into one of those two categories. She also loves to say "all done". She's starting to say "ba-bye"...but only when she wants to. If you ask her where her belly button is, she'll touch it. If you ask her to pick something up and bring it to you, she usually does. Her newest accomplishment...when you say "big girl" she raises her arms over her head - I'm still trying to catch this one on camera.

We've turned her carseat around to face the front - YIPPEE! She just stares out the window at all she's been missing. She's now off formula and has started whole milk and more solid foods...which she is ECSTATIC about. Tonight was goulash - and she LOVED it. So far, this girl loves food of any kind. Now it's getting her familar with using a spoon so she can feed herself (Mommy has high hopes). She has her 4 front top teeth and almost 4 front bottom teeth (3 are in and the 4th is on it's way)...with more coming. YIKES!

And I guess that about sums it up. I'm sure there's a ton of stuff I'm missing...it seems like every day she's surprising me with something else she's learned. It's hard for me to keep up. Now it's time for me to take a few minutes for myself...before the little Monkey needs to wake up and take a bath...ahhhh...the joys of Mommyhood! I LOVE IT :)

Below is a slideshow of pictures from her party and other more recent ones...