Wild Adventures of the McKee Sisters

Little sister's not so little anymore

2012-01-23T20:22:00.001-08:00

It's crazy to me how fast Aisy is growing up and this proves she is going to catch up to Bayleigh sooner than we thought.

Sometimes it takes a little medical scare to put things in perspective

2012-01-23T20:06:00.000-08:00

I am a self proclaimed "worse caser". I worse case scenario every part of my life, even to the point of not being able to enjoy life. "What in the world is a "worse caser" you ask?" Its someone that has to have a plan and back up plan for EVERYTHING...I can't go to the store about worrying about what happens if I get in a car accident.."who would pick up Aisy?", "who would get Bay from carpool?", "who would I call first", "Sean went into work today would I be able to reach him", "What hospital would I go to", "If the car is totaled what would we do?" You get the picture...pretty annoying huh. Imagine doing that daily.

My new years resolution this year (for 2011) was to try to let it go a little bit, to relax and not plan out every second of every day. To trust that others can help with the kids, that Sean is capable of doing things without me. I was doing a little better...down to only "worse caseing" once or twice a week.

In August I started getting a super annoying pain in my right side. Immediately I thought it was my appendix but when the pain didn't increase I blew it off. After about a month or so I finally dragged my butt to the Dr's for further information. She talked about all the organs that are on the right side and after pressing around on my stomach she opted to do an ultrasound to see if my gall bladder was acting up. At that time I thought having my gall bladder removed was the worse thing that could happen. I complained and whined and acted like a full on baby. I started to plan for care of the kids and how I would be able to be in the hospital for a few hours cause of course I am "supermom" and nobody can possibly take care of the kids as well as me. After a few days I got the call from the Doc...my gallbladder was clear...ummmm ok well what about the annoying pain Im still dealing with?

Her response...it must be an ulcer. Ok cool...ulcers are nothing right...stop drinking, eating tomato's and take prilosec..works for me. Well after 2 months of ulcer meds the pain hadn't gone away.

So next stop...the GI doc. I drove down there hoping he would have some "magic scan" and be able to tell me right then and there exactly what was wrong with me. Yeah if they could do that Im sure they would be playing the lottery or living in Vegas instead of dealing with cranky people like me. He told me what my doc had said "ummm I have no idea but we will run more tests". He pressed on my stomach more, mentioned a bunch of organs that were on that side and told me that he wanted to order a CT scan but more than likely the CT wouldnt show what was wrong. "OK so if you dont think it will show anything why in the world do I have to get one?" His response was "cause your insurance is cranky and I need to make sure that we take all the steps." OK I can handle that. It took my other doc 2.5 weeks to get them to approve me for Previcid so im sure they wouldnt be any different with the GI doc. So I left his office even more confused then when I went it but at least we had a plan. I was going to go in for a CT scan and when it didnt show anything I was going to get an Endoscopic ultrasound. Sounds good.

Well if you have never gotten a CT scan its not the most pleasant prep process. First you have to drink 2 large bottles of this milk like substance that tastes like a combo between plastic and chap stick...pleasant huh? Then when you get to the office you get to drink another 1/2 bottle. I chose to "change it up" the 3rd time and get a citrus flavored one...actually tasted better...similar to a pina colada (however rum would have been a great addition). Once at the office you get to change out of your nice warm jeans and sweatshirt and into a pair of cold drafty scrubs and placed in a room that is at least 30 degrees...I was cold...cant you tell? Once I get changed and laid down on the little table thing they drop the bomb..."IV Contrast" ummm....no one told me I was going to have to get an IV...I quickly respond with "Im a hard stick...and I've been fasting" The nurse looks a me with a little fear in her eyes and says "It'll be ok" After 10 mins, 3 different needles, 2 nurses, 2 different size tubes and 1 blown vein we were in...yay let the angels rejoice.

Once the scan was over I was told it would take a few days to get some results...which was fine since the doc said it prob wouldn't show anything anyway. I got dressed...dealt with the hives I got from the IV contrast...oh yeah I forgot to mention on top of the blown vein I developed a few hives and was informed that I was allergic to iodine contrast and would need to inform all medical professional in the future so they could take the proper precautions. Oh well..crappy veins and iodine contrast issues are nothing compared to what others deal with.

They next few days were a blur. I passed the time studying for finals, hanging with the girls and spending time with friends and not thinking too much about the tests.

Then, on Thursday, while shopping with a girl friend I got a call from the Dr's nurse. "Danielle, we received the results of your CT Scan and the Dr would like to schedule you for an MRI, he said we can have you come in and talk with him first or we can send your info to the scheduler and get you in for the MRI first" huh...me:"so you didnt find anything?" nurse:"well there appears to be a spot on your liver so we would like you to have an additional scan as well as come into the office to get a full liver work up" me:"ummm (trying to control my shaking voice) ok, when would you like me to come in?" We talked about the options and she said anytime in the next week would be good. Then my final question: "so all the other organs have been ruled out?" "yep, the only thing that appeared on the scan was the spot on the liver"

It was in that moment everything changed. I was trying to not freak out. Trying to play it cool but all I could think of was "wow that came out of left field". My doctor thinks I have cancer. How did that happen? In all my worse caseing I never saw that one coming. And to think I was whining about a gall bladder issue.

I tried to go about my weekend, called Sean informed him of what the doc said and we both tried to not stress about it. What difference would it make. Stressing wasn't going to change anything...it is what it is. We still had two beautiful girls to raise, lives to lead and in that moment we realized that no amount of planning, stressing or worrying was going to change anything. There was a chance I could have cancer and that was it.

On Monday morning I called my docs office and talked to the nurse some more. We talked about the blood test, MRI and when I would get the results. She said if I got the blood work and MRI completed by Tuesday then they would have the results on Weds but she couldn't get me in for an appointment until Friday...so I asked what the odds were that she would actually tell me on the phone if it was bad news...nope...so then the waiting began. I drove downtown, got my arm stuck with another needle, then the next day fasted (with no water) till 10am...got stuck with another needle and shoved in a tiny tube for an hour.

Then the waiting began

I got the luxury of spending the next 24 hours wondering if I was going to get a call...getting a call meant I was good...that it wasn't cancer and all would be right with the world...not getting a call meant I would have to keep my Friday appointment and our lives would change forever

On Weds am while loading Aisy in the car for bible study..the phone rings...and I MISSED THE CALL...yep..thats me..totally ignoring a call while trying to strap my kid in.

So then I spent the next 5 mins trying to get ahold of my nurse and inside wondering if it was a good or bad call.

"Danielle, we received the results of your liver test and they are completely normal, the results of your MRI show a Begin (insert medical jargon here) liver tumor"

And the Angels rejoiced

And it was in that moment that I realized we never really know anything. In one weeks time my life was flipped upside down and back again and to be honest it was a great eye opening experience. I have spent so many years stressing about everything that "could" happen when in reality there are some things you can not plan for. It may have come late but I managed to keep my resolution for 2011. After that phone call I vowed to live life to its fullest. I no longer stress about the what ifs and try to focus on the here and now.

Im sure you are wondering what came out of the whole medical stuff and to be honest we are still living it. I started this post in early December and now its late January and after a few more tests we are still at a loss. I have had an endoscopic ultrasound and the only thing it remotely showed was some sludge in the gallbladder. I have met with a surgeon and surprise surprise he was at a loss too. After talking for a few and discussing the options and pain levels we have opted to take my gallbladder out as a first resort. I am scheduled to have to out on Thursday and hopefully the pain will be gone after that.

As most of you know I LOVE sharing the ins and outs of raising 2 crazy redheads but when it comes to me I am more reserved about what I share and do not share. This post has taken almost 2 months to finish writing because I wasnt sure if it was something I wanted to share. I recently read a post from the sister of a blogger I follow that inspired me to hit submit. Her sister is going through a mystery medical issue and after reading some of her trials and tribulations I realized that it is important to share mine. Maybe hearing some of the issues I am going through will help someone else get through theirs. Its hard going to doctor after doctor have have them say "uhhh I dont know" but at the end of the day I am grateful for everything I have and my family is what helps me push though. I know in the end I will be fine and this journey to find answers will have made me a stronger person.

2011 according to my IPhone

2012-01-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

So we are 23 days into the new year and I still haven't had a chance to review the year. I figured the quickest way to do it would be in 3 parts all according to my IPhone pictures.

Part 1- Welcome to Aisyland

Cookin time, Crazy Ais, 2nd B-day, Potty time (take 1),
hairantics, specticles, Bye Bye Nursery, Ta Da,
Tarzan, Mom and A, "Oh no you didn't", "Look mom I found a horsey",
Christmas show, 2nd Hair cut,
Naptime, Ranger time, Park fun, fast forward 16 years, story time, dressing herself

Part 2: This is how Bay spends her year

Golfing with daddy, ready for dance, Big kid Hair, Soccer break, Cheering on Grandma,
dance time, first recital, first day of school,
running with mama, girlscout meeting, preschool graduation, tap dancin

Part 3-Family Time

Horseback riding, 9 years!, bonding over cartoons,
last day of summer fun, fishing with daddy, medical drama, Halloween festival, photoshoot,
more medical drama, Sean's 30, Breakfast with Santa,
Brownies with grandpa, 1st Marathon!, Trick or Treating

As you can tell 2011 was full of adventures in the McKee household. It was full of firsts for Bayleigh, Both parental figures turned 30, plenty of soccer and dance fun and crazy Aisy days...all in all we were happy to say hello and goodbye to another year and ready to see what 2012 has in store for us.

Thanksgiving and Christmas festivites

2012-01-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

This year like most was a blur between Halloween and New Years. I didnt take many pictures either but we had a terrific holiday season. This year we went to Arkansas for Thanksgiving. Usually my mom and step dad make the 7 hour trek to our neck of the woods but instead we decided to go to them. My baby sister was scheduled to return from Afganistan that week and her unit arrived on Thanksgiving day. It was great to get to see her for the first time in a year. The kids were thrilled to get to spend the holiday at grandma and grandpa's house. After Thanksgiving we headed back to Texas to begin the month of Christmas festivites. In an attempt to play catch up on this blog I have decided to just group together as many posts as possible. I have alot of things I want/need to share a few things and hopefully I will get to it all but for now:

Christmas

Sean's "fancy" wrapping, its EZ bake oven time, Christmas dress, Karaoke time, Cinderella love, very own "IPad", party time, doll clothes, bribary at its finest, baking for santa, Art station, Cinderella slippers, vanity, favorite books

This was by far the best Christmas to date. The girls are at a great age. They were both grateful and respectable towards everyone and exhibited perfect "McKee girl" behavior. We couldn't have been prouder of them

And the baby turns 3!

2012-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

I know its been over a month and I will try to do a quick post on all the holiday festivities but for now I wanted to share that

MY BABY IS 3!

I can not believe how fast time has gone. Aislinn has turned in to an amazing little girl. She is full of spunk and character. She loves to do her own thing and has not problem telling it like it is. This last year has been an amazing sign of how she is no longer a baby. She is completely potty trained, sleeps in a big girl bed and goes to preschool part time. She loves to sing and dance and has a major sweet tooth. Since her birthday falls so close to Christmas we often struggle with when/how to pull of a birthday celebration after all the festivities of Christmas and New Years.
This year we had originally planned a joint birthday party with her BFF (whose birthday is 2 weeks later) but with my impending surgery (will post about later) we wernt sure if we could pull it off. We did our family birthday party last nigh at Sunday night dinner but I still wanted to do something with her friends. We toyed with a few ideas and then this morning we woke up, wished our princess a happy birthday with cupcake shaped pancakes, texted a few of her friends and pulled off a Birthday play date at a local bounce house. It was a BLAST! The kids jumped and played, had cake balls for desert and chick fila for lunch. After lunch we headed home for some birthday naps, then outside to ride her new bike. We finished the evening with dinner at home and then the girls made cupcakes for desert. Overall it was a great birthday!

Happy Birthday Sweet girl!

A brief look at the last 3 years with Aisy-Ree

"Only big girls use the potty mama"

2011-11-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

After literally a year of trying AISLINN IS FINALLY POTTY TRAINED! (well sort of). Does it sound like I'm shouting it from the rooftops? if not, it should! I have been trying since before her 2nd birthday and the kid will be 3 in 6 weeks! Since the day Aisy was born she has does anything and everything to prove 1 thing: She is NOT her sister! Bayleigh was potty trained long before she turned 2 and Aisy could have cared less. We have tried everything aside from offering her a deed to a small country to get her interested and it didn't matter...she just wasn't having any part of it. Until about 3 weeks ago...something finally clicked and she decided she wanted to be a "big girl" We still have our bad days but for the most part she is potty trained. We take her in public, leave her places and now no longer get to "shake off" her requests to use every bathroom between our house and China. What is it with kids and their fascination with public restrooms? As an adult I will do anything possible to avoid having to use a public restroom but not my kids...they will go in every bathroom in every store, restaurant or gas station if I allow them....gross!

This is when we started potty training.

and this is when she FINISHED! (she's grown alot huh?)

So as we happily say goodbye to another chapter of parenting we can say that this experience has taught us a few things about the differences between our children. They are both wonderful and sweet little girls however are happy to make us aware of their unique way of doing things and taking on the exciting challenges of growing up.

End of another Season

2011-11-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

We have just completed another season of soccer. It is amazing how far she has come from her first season. Bayleigh seems to finally grasp the concept. I personally think soccer is the most contradicting sport you can possibly put your kid in. We spend all day telling our kids to share and play nice and yet once they get on the field you encourage them to push, shove and steel from the opposite team. This is Bayleigh's 3rd season playing soccer and the first one where I actually feel she is a better player than she was going in. We finally decided to switch leagues this time. We went from a competitive club league to a private church league and it has made a HUGE difference. I finally feel like I have gotten my monies worth. Club leagues are all about winning. They allow the coaches to pick who they coach which in turn allows them to "stack" the teams (only pick and play the best) and im sorry but at the age of 5 no one should be playing favorites. How is my child going to learn the fundamentals of the sport if she is never allowed to play? The old league also did no trophies, awards or celebrations to end the season. There was no team camaraderie at all. The kids barely knew each others names and the parents had no reasons to converse. So needless to say after two consecutive summer seasons there we decided to search for a new league. There are 4 different league options in our area: 1 club (BTDT), 2 park and 1 church. After reviewing the prices, schedules and a 30 min phone conversation with the director of the church league we decided to go with them and we couldn't have been happier. The price was right but on top of that they do evaluations on the kids (to prevent team stacking), they hold coaches trainings and the entire league is volunteer based. There have end of the year family events and award ceremonies not to mention they give tons to the community. Definitely a program I am happy to have my kids be apart of.

**In case you were confused by the two different uniforms Upward doesn't issue 50 different uniform colors nor do they allow the teams to pick team names....they do it all for you.... Every child is issued a double sided jersey and if you are the home team you where blue and away team wears green. They are also issued a team name. This made for a less stressful season. No fighting with my kid cause she was the red team or blue team insead of the pink team.

For fun I thought it would be cute to try to find a picture of her first soccer season:

Its crazy how much she has grown from then huh?

All in all it was a great season...next up...Cheerleading...wish me luck!

Take Two

2011-11-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

After reviewing the pictures we took for family pictures-take one we decided we would need to bring in an expert. A friend of mine was offering some mini sessions at a local area so we jumped on the chance to have someone else take our pictures. As many of you know trying to get Sean to take family pictures is like pulling teeth. He was actually really great though and didnt have a problem with the retake session. The girls did amazing and I have to say I am very pleased with the results. She has a gift with toddlers (just look at all the smiles on Aislinn's face)

My favorite family picture

We even managed to get a few great Christmas card shots!

All in all it was a great shoot! We are so glad we decided to do it

Halloween Festivites

2011-11-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

Its crazy how fast this year has gone! What is also crazy is that the last post I did before I took a 1.5 year break from this blog was Halloween 2009. The girls have changed a ton since that post. This year was great. Aislinn loved getting all the candy. Its fun when they start to enjoy the holidays. We spent so many years rushing through whatever holiday it was due to crankyness, bedtimes etc. As most of you know we are pretty strict when it comes to bedtimes so the girls were overly excited to get to stay up till 8:30! (rebels I know)

Anyway...lets start with sharing the 2 weeks of festivities prior to the actual "trick or treating" event.

1st we attended a school festival with some friends. It was fun. They had carnival type games set up for the kids and each station they were able to get candy. I don't have too many pictures from that event because this was the day we realized Aisy was coming down with a cold which inevitably started sickness 2011

Bayleigh and Miranda (this is also the only good pic I got of her in her costume)

all 3 girls

Bayleigh playing "toilet paper toss" (yes that's a toilet they are throwing it into)

The next weekend Bay's soccer league had a Halloween themed family day. They had each team decorate a trunk for "trunk or treat". It was a really cool event. They had pony rides, bounce houses, face painting and contests and the best part was the whole event was FREE! The kiddos had a blast and scored a ton of candy!

the boys manning the trunk....hard job huh?

Aislinn LOVES horses so you can imagine how EXCITED she was to see free pony rides. She could have ridden that thing all day long. I like this picture too it reminds me of an old western.

Ride 'Em Cowboy

After all those events you would think they would have been "over" the whole Halloween thing right? ummmm NO...they were both DYING to go trick or treating. We ended up going over to a friends house so we could trick or treat with a group. Usually we just go ourselves but it was definitely way cooler to go with more people.

"the group"

in years past I could barely get her to wear her costume...this year she wont take it off..she has already worn it twice since that day

she literally RAN to all the houses for the first few blocks...needless to say by the end I was carrying her back

sisterly love

And THATS how we do Halloween! Hope everyone else had a great time.

How we do sick

2011-10-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

I am often fascinated with other families traditions. It is cool to see how you celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Halloween...but some of my other favorite things is to see how people handle snow days, summer and most importantly sick days. When I was growing up when you were sick you were confined to your room or to a spot on the couch, watched tv all day and was waited on by your parents. Well...in the McKee house its not much different. I had the pleasure of having not one but TWO sick kiddos for the last 4 days. Aislinn came down with a fever and a cough...it later turned into croup complete with wheezing, loud coughing and crappy attitude. Doing as sisters do Bayleigh followed suit a few days later. She woke up Monday morning with a "tummy ache, fever and feeling like her head was gonna explode"
So with 2 sick kiddos I went into "mommy mode" I called and made Aisy a Dr's apt since her cough had been around for 2 days with no improvement and set Bayleigh's room up as "sick central"
The next two days were full of barbie movies, medicine, orange soda and chicken soup (Sean's childhood tradition...his mom made Bay a special batch and brought it over for her)

* each kiddo has a sick blanket. Ever since Bayleigh was a baby whenever she would get sick we would lay this blanket down in the living room and thats where her and I would sleep until she felt better. When she woke up sick on Monday she insisted I cover her comforter with the "sick blanket" so that if she threw up her other blankets wouldnt get icky.

the girls love any excuse to drink soda all day

homemade chicken noodle soup made by Bayleighs Gammy

*although we have never been huge on "co-sleeping" Aisy would rather sleep in mommy and daddy's room when she sick then sleep in the living room. So when shes sick she curls up on our comforter in our room and watches Dora

So that's how the McKee's do sick days...what are your family traditions?

On this day in history

2011-10-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

October 14th has its share of memorable events:

The Chicago Cubs defeat the Detroit Tigers 2-0 clinching the World Series

1908

Winnie-the-pooh by A.A. Milne was first published

1926

Ralph Lauren (1939) and Usher (1978)

were born

AND

after 2-3 weeks of back and forth conversations, 1 "sorry I cant go out with you" 1 "just kidding I was able to clear my schedule" 6 hours of back and forth " I cant go, I can go" phone calls and a 60 min rush around the city to get needed clothing in order to go out

Sean McKee and Danielle Smith went on their 1st date

(2000)

Please ignore the quality of the picture we started dating "pre digital camera days"

I'm really lucky that Sean didn't mistake my unpredictable charm for sorority girl flakeyness. In my defense I really wasn't trying to blow him off however every time I tell the story I sound more and more like a flake...oh well everything happens for a reason and after 11 years and 2 beautiful girls I am very blessed that the stars aligned properly that day

Happy Anniversary Babe!

My first attempt at canning

2011-10-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

So apparently all this "stay at home mom, living in what feels like a small city" thing is getting to me. I suddenly got this overwhelming urge to can! Everywhere I looked another friend was making jams or jellies and I though "if they could do that so could I" and I did. A few weeks ago our produce co-op had a 10lb box of Roma tomato's for $11.00 and I decided it was now or never. With the help of Sean's Nana (I couldn't have done it without her) we blanched, peeled, diced, blended and simmered our way to 8 qt size jars of the best tomato sauce EVER! I had decided that I really didn't want to do jams and jellies but wanted to be able to make all the staples that we cant live without. My next attempt will be chicken stock but that seems more intimating then tomato sauce.

first bowl of tomato's...pretty sure there were 5 or 6 more that size

ready to blanch

making my "secret sauce"

we had 2 crock pots going

Finished product

It was really good...each jar made two meals for my family. We have used it for Enchilada sauce, spaghetti sauce and pizza marinara. Sean has told me that I have officially "screwed myself" and will have to continue making homemade sauce for our pantry....aw man...what was I thinking?

Celebrating 30....man style!

2011-10-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

As most of you know my wonderful Hubby celebrated his 30th birthday a few weeks ago. We opted to not do a huge party since we partied like rock stars on his 28th.

"Forget 30 we are celebrating 28" party at Rahr Brewery (2009)

So this year we went for something a little "low key" We had dinner with some friends on Sat, took the kids to Grapefest

and then regular Sunday dinner with his parents. They served his favorite meal and German chocolate cake

Mmmm cake!

Make a wish....hmmm rangers game maybe? (keep reading and find out)

"can you cut a little faster Daddy?"

So in order to keep expenses down and since Sean really didn't feel like making a big deal about this certain birthday I decided to get a little creative with his present. We conducted our own "Octoberfest" in September. I bought 4 different types of October Fest beer and we proceeded to rank them from our personal favorite to ehhh prob wont buy again

ranked from right to left

#1: "Allerbest"

Rahr Octoberfest (not really a surprise to us...we are pretty big Rahr fans)

#2 do-againer

Leinenkugel Octoberfest (say that 3 times fast)

#3 ehh not the worst we've had

Shiner Octoberfest (actually a little surprising..we actually expected Shiner and Rahr to be neck & neck)

#4 not a do-againer

St. Arnold Octoberfest (def a beer that we wont buy again but I wanted at least 4 types for this experiment)

All in all it was a fun way to celebrate my wonderful hubby's 30th Birthday!

BUT...........

What McKee celebration would be complete without a Ranger's game?

Thanks to some great friends we got a KILLER DEAL for the ALDS game 1

(although they lost that game...they redeemed themselves with the rest of the series)

So in conclusion...this is how the McKee men say goodbye to another decade...stay tuned in a few months to see how McKee women ring in a new decade

My kid's a ROCK STAR!

2011-10-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Im sure every parent feels that way but its fun to have it in writing every once in a while right? We had our first parent/teacher conference with Bayleigh's teacher today. She is doing great (did you expect any different?) She is where a typical kindergartner should be. She is at a beginner reading level and at the mid level for writing (I actually expected it to be the other way around...but hey I'll take what I can get). The teacher said she knows 25/26 of her uppercase letters, 23/26 lowercase, can say 21 letter sounds, can count up to 21 objects, can sort, and recognize all her colors. She has some things to work on: the rest of her letters, sounds, counting objects to 32 and sounding out words but all in all we are incredibly proud of her. The teacher had very nice comments to say about her overall behavior and study habits. She said she ""listens attentively, follows directions well, takes pride in her work, works well with others, participates well and is very positive and polite" What more can a parent ask for?

Her wonderful report earned her a trip for ice cream.

Way to go BAYLEIGH!!

Who wants to vote?

2011-09-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

For the next family picture that will hang on the walls at the "house of McKee's"?

I took what I feel is the best two combinations of pictures but can't decide which one I like best. What do you think?

or #2

Happily accepting any and all positive feedback. Thanks!!

Our attempt at family pictures

2011-09-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

For anyone that has ever had a 2 year old you know how "wonderful" it is to try to take any resemblance of family pictures. In an effort to save money and knowing full well that we were probably not going to get a good pic anyway we got dressed up...grabbed the digital cameras and with the assistance of my parents headed to a local walking path for what we were sure was going to be an adventure.

This is the best "posed" picture we took. Aisy isnt looking and is pretty much pouting but you know Aisy :)

Last years photo session was a similar experience. We had the pleasure of having our pictures taken by a high school friend that happens to be a great professional photographer in California. She held a website contest and yours truly won the free session. You can review her blog post here but it was pretty much the same thing...the rest of us smiling like fools and Aislinn acting crazy!

A part of me wants to mark this session as a FAIL because I cant seem to find one that I feel is "photo frame" ready...but then again I kind of felt the same way last year. I think we are all too judgemental and critical of ourselves and don't allow for a little freedom with creativity. We had an amazing photographer last year and in the end I did find a picture that I framed and stared at everyday

Last year's picture:

So I am hoping that one from this round will jump out at me as well so if you have any advise or want to help me choose my "photo fame wall hanging stare at everyday" pic for 2011 I am taking suggestions

Showing our spirt

2011-09-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

In honor of September 11th the McKee family wanted to show our respect to all that have lost and were lost on that tragic day. Although 10 years have past we are still living the repucutions of that days events. Bay and Ais currently have an aunt and an uncle serving over in Afghanistan as well as countless other family and friends who are active duty. We are grateful to them everyday for everything they have given and constantly remember how blessed we are to have them in our lives.

This may be my new favorite picture of them! So glad Aisy is getting to the age where she is okay with taking pictures

Off to school

2011-09-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

This year we decided that we were going to put Aislinn back into moms day out (In Texas its a part time preschool program..usually offered by local churches. The kids go 2 days a week from 9-2 for 1/4 of what typical daycare costs) One of Bayleigh's babysitters had introduced us to the concept when Bayleigh was 1 and with the exception of last year we had her in ever since. Since I am in school too (trying to finish my degree I started 11 years ago) we decided this would be a great chance to put her back in. It gives me a break and gives Aisy a chance to learn and interact with other people.

Since Bayleigh started school 2 weeks ago Aislinn was DYING to go too....she asked every day if we were going to "her kool". She would brag to her sissy that she got to go to her own school and all the things she was going to get to do. Aislinn is nothing like her sister when it comes to starting new things. Bayleigh was always reserved and had a hard time warming up (I know I know apple doesn't fall far from the tree) but Aisy...not at all. When we walked into school it took her about 5 seconds to let go of my leg and run off...I barely got a "bye mom" out of her. She loves her teacher and comes home and tells me all about her day. She is getting so big!

She is so hard to photograph so this was the best pic I could get of her

She was dancing around before she got into the car

At the front door of school....I kept saying "Aisy look at mommy" her response: "I AM!"

Aisy and her friends Cooper and Matthew

Walking to the car...backpack is as big as her.

Here's to a great year Aislinn!

All about Aisy

2011-09-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

I know I promised a post about Aislinn's first day of school and I will get to that but i thought it would be fitting to explain who Aislinn Reanne is. The last time I posted about Aisy she was 8 Months and obviously alot has changed. Aisy has grown up to be an adorable sassy little girl. She has a unique personality and makes sure you are fully aware. She doesn't like to be called anything but Aisy....If you call her baby, sweetie, hunny or any other cutsie name her immediate response is: "I'm not (enter name here) IM AISY! She loves singing, dancing and playing dress-up. She makes sure whatever clothes I have picked out for her fit her "personality" for the day. She will twirl, check for pockets or whatever she deems it an acceptable outfit before leaving her room. She chooses if she wants to wear panties or a diaper, how her hair is done and every other aspect of her life. She is so much her own person its crazy (definitely has her Daddy's "I do what I want" personality) Bayleigh and I are rule followers and more likely to "conform" but Sean and Ais...no way :)

She was dancing and singing Barbie songs in Gammy and Papa's backyard

This is what scholastic looks like (Trying on mommy's glasses)

One of Aisy's many faces

Can you see me?

Taking time out for a good book

Umm...mom I cant drink my milk with you taking all these pictures!

"More pictures.... How can you open this playdoh container with the camera strapped to your face?"

Aislinn has loved this hat since last summer. We bought it at walmart and used it to keep her happy during a family photo session.

This is how Aisy rolls into Walmart....notice the hat and pink Disney princess purse

So now you are caught up on the ins and outs of the Great Aisy!

Last day of summer festivities

2011-08-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

So as I have previously posted I delayed in tons of updates and posts (2 years worth to be exact) so in order to make up Im going to try to back track some of the happenings this summer and fill everyone in on the going on's in the McKee household.

Since Bayleigh started school last week and Aislinn starts tomorrow I feel like this is a good time to post about the day before school festivities.

The day before school started was a wonderful day. I saw this day as an opportunity to start a few traditions. Since Bayleigh had never used an alarm clock or had been required to wake up "when its still dark out" I started the day off with a "trial run". We all got up at 6:30 (on the last day of summer...I know Im crazy) We all got up, dressed and headed out to Bayleigh's choice for breakfast: Chickfila

After eating and playing for a while we headed to the next adventure of the day: Mini Make-overs (thank you groupon)

The girls LOVED getting their nails painted and getting their hair done. We will definitely do that part again in years to come. I CAN NOT wait until Aislinn is old enough to get Mani/Pedi's cause then mama can join the fun...Im sure the girl at Sweet and Sassy would have happily painted my nails if I asked but I would rather get a fancy leg scrub and pedi...maybe sometime this week...I did mention that Aisy starts school tomorrow!! yay!!

Once they were done we headed over to this gazebo area in Southlake for a few "finished product" pictures

Aisy loves "dancing" with her sister

After we finished the pictures the girls and I joined their friends for some fun at the museum then out to dinner at "the burger place with the yummy corn dogs and good rootbeer" aka Twisted Root.

Happy 2011/2012 school year to my girls! Hope its a great one!

The day has come

2011-08-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

When our baby girl went from this:

and this:

to this:

She was over all the picture taking

Walking to school

Mommy and her big girl

Putting stuff in her locker (Cali peeps you read that right...these Texas kids are SPOILED :)

Okay mom...this is the LAST picture then you need to leave! Love you...mean it

I can not believe how fast the last 5 years have flown...Bayleigh is an AMAZING little girl. She is a kind hearted, rule following, smart kid. She already knows how to tie her shoes, read a few words, count and a ton of other things that I cant think of right now. We are so proud to be her parents.

This post is all about Bayleigh but Aisy readers don't be sad...she starts preschool on Tuesday so I will have an "All about Aislinn" post to follow shortly after that.

The rest of 2009....2010...oh yeah and most of 2011

2011-08-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

The rest of 2009 was a blur and apparently all of 2010 and 1/2 of 2011. Not sure why or how I stopped blogging for 2 years but apparently the McKee sisters took more of my time then they were supposed too :) The girls have grown like weeds. Bayleigh is 5 now and getting ready to start school in a few days. Aislinn is 2.5 and as crazy and sassy as the day she was born. I have been wanting to update this blog for weeks but kept thinking the only way I could to that is if I picked up where I left off and lets be honest...writing 2 years worth of blogs in a few days is not going to happen. For those of you that know me you know that I am a "Master Procrastinator" so if I promised you full years of activities I would be lying. I'm going to do my best to post pictures of the "highlights" and hopefully I can keep up with the blog from this point on but honestly...no promises. Since trying to update you on the ins and outs of the last two years would create the longest post ever I will try to sum it up. Bayleigh has grown into a beautiful little lady. She is 5 now and very much like her momma (poor girl :) She is bright, and caring and more than I could have ever imagined.
Aislinn has grown into an adorable sass master. She is witty and very much her own person. There is nothing you can tell that child that she doesn't already think she knows. She is definitely going to give us a run for our money!

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2010

August 2011

Happy Halloween

2010-02-25T19:45:00.001-08:00

This year was Aislinn's 1st Halloween and the first one that Bayleigh really enjoyed. Its been so long since I posted a blog I put these pictures in reversed order...sortof.

Our neighborhood does a Halloween festival every year. We typically don't go because its during the week but since it was on a Saturday this year we decided to take the girls. Bay really loved it and I wish I had gotten more pictures then just this one of her and daddy walking up to it

The girls getting ready to go out. Bayleigh was a fairy princess and Aisy was a cheerleader

Rah Rah!! (notice how her uniform says '02...both girls were born on the 2nd!

"mom! I'm brushing my tooth...who knows what cute boys may be there and we dont want any mashed pees ruining my smile"

Bayleigh went as Snow White to her schools party. The princess costume was a leotard and I didnt think it was nice to make her undress at school every time she needed to go to the restroom....see I can be nice sometimes :)

9 months

2010-01-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

Wow I am a SLACKER! Aisy just celebrated her 1st b-day and I never even did her 9 month blog. Im going to try to catch up on the last 3.5 months as soon as I can.
by 9 months Ais was crawling at FULL speed. She is full of personality.

8 months!

2009-09-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Aislinn turned 8 months this week. She is growing up fast. She is starting to become more independent. She will play by herself for a while (which is great!) and she is a happy baby. Her stats are pretty much the same from last month. She still weighs about 19lbs and is approx 30" long. She still isn't crawling yet but she can get where she needs to go. She moves backwards or scoots on her butt across the floor. Its pretty funny I am trying to get a video of it to post. She got her first tooth last Sunday (8/30) right on track with big sister

Isn't this the cutest tooth you have ever seen!

She loves the camera. Anytime I bring it out she starts smiling

trying to crawl can wear a girl out

Sisters

2009-08-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

I know I say this all the time but I feel incredibly blessed to have the daughters and life I have. To have met my sole mate at such a young age is a blessing all in its own but then almost 9 years after our first date I look around at the life that we have created and it makes me very happy. I post pics of the girls pretty regularly but I decided to do one of just the interaction that takes place between them. Now that Aisy is getting older it is cute and exciting to see how they interact with each other. I could not have chosen a better big sister for Aislinn and a better little sister for Bayleigh. They both complement each other so well its utterly amazing.

Bayleigh washing her sissy's hair. We put them in the bath together for the first time a few days ago and they both enjoyed it like crazy

First ever McKee girls tea party. Im pretty sure there are many more to come
She loves her sissy

What mom? Im teaching her to crawl

We couldnt pass up on sharing this video. Bayleigh LOVES making Aisy laugh so this is priceless. I know its a little grainy I took it with my camera cause I couldnt find the video camera in time

Trip to Arkansas

2009-08-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

We went to Arkansas the first week in July to see grandma and grandpa. I drove the whole way up by myself and Sean flew up later in the week to meet us. It was a fun and LONG drive. I have never driven 7 hours by myself let alone with two kids. The girls did terrific though so I was grateful for that

Mom Im good...grandma has me

blowing bubbles

Playing in the pool with grandma

Brrrr its cold!

Watch out mom..im gonna squirt you!

Chillin with grandpa

Playing video games

My turn

It was a great visit. They always come down to see us so it was really nice to get to go up there and visit with them

A day at the circus

2009-08-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

We took the girls to the circus a couple weeks ago. It was fun. The girls didnt fully understand it but it was still a nice family day

Hanging with Daddy

Look at my hat!!

MMmmmmmmmm Cotton Candy!

6 and 7 months

2009-07-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

So I have no idea why I am so behind with posting these blogs its not like I do anything :)
Aisy turned 6 months on 7/2 and 7 months 0n 8/2 and I am just now posting the pics and stats.
On 7/2 she was 17lbs 15 oz and 27 3/4" long. On 8/2 she was approx 19.5 lbs and 29" long. She is over 2 lbs and 2" bigger than Bayleigh was at this age. At 6 months she wasn't quite sitting up but by 7 months she has mastered the art. She still isn't crawling but we think that our 8 month post will include a crawling update. She still doesn't have any teeth and still doesn't sleep through the night. She eats anything and everything in site. She is completely different than big sister but we like it that way...keeps us on our toes

Happy 4th of July

What mom?

Playing with sissy's babies

Doing laundry

At the circus

Happy 7 months to me!

My favorite cousin's visit

2009-07-16T05:57:00.001-07:00

The day after we got back from Cali my cousin Melissa and her adorable daughter Briley flew out to Texas for a visit. We had so much fun and it was great to spend time with them. The plane had barely landed before Sean realized a storm was brewing. We decided we would go out to dinner so we went to a great chicken restaurant.

The storm started getting worse.

Before we knew it the tornado sirens started going off and we were all herded into the back storage closet to ride out the tornado. It was pretty amusing. Briley and Aisy got to experience their very first tornado together.

The three girls

Matching cousins

Hi!

Smile for the camera

Mom I got her

Hi Aisy..wanna play?

Briley LOVED Uncle Sean

I got the pops!

We had a great visit and can not wait to see them again!

Swim Lessons

2009-07-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind with posting these pictures so I will try my best to get caught up.

Bay took swim lessons right after we got back from Cali. I was tryin to get her a little more familar with the water. Last year she would freak out if her face got a little wet. This year she is floating aroung with floaties and enjoying it. Yeah for lessons!

Way to young to look this old

2009-06-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

Bayleigh's best friend Miranda turned 4 on June 10th. To celebrate, Miranda's mommy took Bayleigh, Hailey and Miranda to Sweet and Sassy for a "girls day". The girls received Mani/Pedis and there hair done. When Bayleigh came back all I could think was "where did my baby go". She looked like she was going to prom.

Manicures

Prom Hair
Tada!

Birthday Cake!

Look at me

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2009-06-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

We finally got to take Aisy to California to see everyone. We had originally planned the trip for the first week of May, however due to my broken foot we decided to postpone it until early June. We had so much fun seeing everyone and the girls did surprisingly well. I took so many pictures that my camera card was full before the trip was over. I have tried to include most of them in this blog.

Bayleigh and Daddy

Mommy and Aisy- baby's first plan ride

Look daddy I can see the clouds

Whats that down there?

Mmmm Dinner! Got to love Chili's togo

We got in some family time at the park the next day

My two little Monkeys

She was pooped

Look mommy..a flower

We took the girls to Santa Monica for the first time. Bayleigh loved the ocean. It was way to cold for her to go swimming

Spying on the surfers

Bayleigh and Daddy going down to put their feet in the water

Burr waters cold daddy

its bright out here

We spent the first few nights with my dad and step mom. It was great to see them. They doted all over the girls as grandparents should.

Bayleigh and grandpa acting cool

Playing with bubbles

and puzzles

come on grandpa what else can we play

I know...ring toss with the baby toys

Future Biker Babes

baking brownies. wonder where she got her sweet tooth from?

We drove up to Palmdale to have breakfast with Sean's Aunt Sheila, Uncle Warren and Cousin Sarah. It was so great to see them and introduce them to the girls.

Bayleigh and Sarah were taking each others pictures. Sarah with her super nice camera Bay with her princess camera that says "you look wonderful" after every click

We also spent a few days with Shahna and Delanne.

Shahna and Bay playing a game

I think Bay is winning

Delanne and Aisy at Claim Jumper ( I love that place)

Shahna took Bay on a date. It was cute they painted pottery at color me mine.

Delanne's parents drove up from Palm Springs for a BBQ in the rain. Gotta love the un-predictability of California weather

Bay and Del

Bay and Dennis

Should I let him in? Oh wait...he has the food

Back at my Dad and Mary's house all of the fam gathered. It was nice, I haven't seen everyone for a long time.

Every googled over the baby..but why wouldn't you..she's adorable.
Aunnie and Aisy

Jamming to the Ipod with Auntie Kristin

Bay and her cousin Tyler

Cheese!

Bayleigh and Kristin

Hey Mandy I think you will look stylish in Daddy's smelly hat

Aisy and Anabelle chillin

Aisy and Uncle Daniel

Grandma Mary and Aisy

Aisy and Aunt Amanda

Aisy and Aunt Kristin

Aisy and Aunt Trisha

On the last day we went to my Cousin's house to meet her adorable daughter Briley and show Aisy off to my grandma

Aisy loved her

We also took the girls to lunch with Missy and Briley and then to the citywalk with Delanne that I dont have any pictures of because my camera was full.

5 Months

2009-06-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

We have been busy these past few weeks but I wanted to post a few pictures from Aisy's 5 month b-day. She was 5 months on 6/2 and is incredibly active. She isn't crawling but she is rolling over and scooting. She rolls all around the living room. She doesn't have any teeth yet but is working on it.

Camping 2009

2009-05-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was our annual camping trip. We had alot of fun. I will leave out the mountain of craziness we came back to and leave you with a few pictures instead.

She was worn out

Giving herself a baby wipe bath :)

I didnt take as many pictures as I would have liked but taking a 4 month old and a 3 year old camping is alot of work. We had a blast!

Daddy's Girls

2009-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Every father needs a daughter, Sean was blessed with two. When we first got married we assumed that when the time came for us to have children we would have boys. Sean is one of three boys so you can imagine our surprise when we had not one girl but two. They both adore him and by the way Sean acts around them its only obvious that the feeling is mutual. With Father's day around the corner I wanted to do a quick post of the girls loving their daddy.

She steels his hat any chance she gets

We have hundreds of pictures of Bayleigh in Sean's hats but I thought it was cute that he didnt remove Aisy's bow before putting it on her head

Bayleigh used to love to cuddle with Sean. Aisy is starting to follow suit. This is the second time in a week she has crashed on his chest

I know that this one is random but we had to share

Aunnie's Visit

2009-05-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Aunnie Rae came into town to hang out with Bayleigh and meet Aisy. We had a great visit and Bay really enjoyed having her here. She was sad when she left and cant wait to go to California to see Aunnie again

Happy Mother's day

2009-05-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

I love being a mom! I don't need a day for me to remember how wonderful motherhood is however it is super cute when you pick your 3 year old up from school and she presents you with the below gift

Mothers day itself was great. Sean wrote me a great card, church dedicated a whole service to mothers and we took the girls to brunch with some really great friends of ours. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Cousin Camille turns one!

2009-05-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

May is full of birthdays. Camille turned one on May 6th. They had a great party at a local park.

They had arts and crafts. Bayleigh was playing with the moon sand.

All in all it was a great day!

Aunt Kelly's visit

2009-05-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

So I'm pretty delayed in posting new pictures so I will try to get the events of the last month posted as quickly as possible.

A few weeks ago Aunt Kelly came in for a few days on business. It was great to see her. She hadn't met Aisy yet so it was great that she was able to spare some time so my monsters and I could have lunch with her.

She got Bayleigh her 1st bike as a birthday present. Who knew it would be more work for mommy and daddy

Bayleigh loves it but she still can not get the concept of the peddles..hopefully she will figure it out soon

Okay mom..I'll take it from here

2009-05-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

So last night I gave Aisy peas for the first time. She has already been eating rice cereal but we decided to see how she would take to something of a little stronger consistency. Apparently it went well

Okay mom... I'll take it from here. She took the spoon from me and proceeded to feed herself. When I was "reloading" she would just eat the leftovers off of her hand

And it starts...Already!

2009-05-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

Bayleigh had her first "spring show" last night. The theme was "commotion in the ocean"

It was cute to see all the two year olds singing and dancing. The pictures are a little blurry. Unfortunately its not as easy as it sounds to take pictures of 30 kids

She is the third from the left in the back

She is the 1st one..i know its blurry

After the show daddy rewarded her with strawberry ice cream....and he let her eat it in the truck.. yes I was shocked too :)

Happy Birthday Bayleigh!

2009-05-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday- May 2nd Bayleigh Alise turned 3!

It really is crazy how fast time flies. Sometimes I look at her and can not figure out where my little baby went. She is a incredibly active 3 year old. She is starting to loose that "toddler look" and turning into a little person. Everyday we are amazed with some of the things she says or does.

Bayleigh at 2 days

2 months
3 years!
She had a week long series of events. I didnt include pictures of everything but most. She began her week with baking cupcakes to take to her friends at school. She goes to mom's day out two days a week.

After that we set up for her birthday party.

My mom made the decorations..they looked GREAT!

We decorated cupcakes

And got an ice cream cake. Mint and chip is Bayleigh's FAVORITE

We also did a few different arts and crafts. The kids decorated visors

and tote bags

The finished product!

All in all it was a GREAT way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon

Fancy Pictures

2009-05-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 2nd Bayleigh turned 3 and Aislinn turned 4 months. We decided it was time to get some more "fancy pictures" taken. It was the first time we had taken Aisy and she did really well. I cant figure out how to rotate the picture so you are stuck looking sideways to see the first one :)
We always have a really hard time choosing only a few pictures because they always take alot of really good shots.

Where is the ladybug Momma?

Bayleigh Unplugged

She isnt a baby anymore

She is sooo adorable

Big Sister/Little Sister '09

Sisterly love and more Bayleighisms

2009-04-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

Bayleigh loves her sister. She is probably the best big sister Aisy can ask for. She is always willing to do whatever she can to help us out and make Aisy smile.

Bayleigh gets more and more beautiful by the day. She is so smart and sassy.

Bayleigisms:

"your the best momma in the world"

"Aisy is my best friend"

"Your the bestest daddy in the whole world"

"Momma, when I grow up Im going to go to work and make money like daddy"

"Momma aisy's just giggling"

We are really blessed to have the two most adorable children

The great Aisiny at 16 weeks

2009-04-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

Today Aislinn is 16 weeks. I will post her 4 month stats in a few weeks once she goes to the doc. She is such a big girl. I think you get to enjoy the milestones more the second time around. I also get a different pleasure since I get to stay at home this time around. I didnt realize how many things I missed with Bayleigh.

She is getting big enough to play in her exersaucer now. She loves it..cant quite touch the floor yet but it doesn't seem to bother her

She is now laughing at everything; her silly sister, daddy tickling her...everything.. its adorable

Sleeping Beauty

Yesterday she rolled over for the first time

Texas Hair!

Im not one of those mean moms...this is really what happens if you comb her hair when its wet...I took the bow off so you could see how high it is

And last but not least................................

THE GREAT AISINY

I buckle her in her car seat correctly and when I go to take her out..she looks like this:

I have tightened the straps to the point of almost cutting off circulation, but sometimes she squirms just right:

This one isn't going to give us a run for our money is she?

A day with the boys

2009-04-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Bayleigh has been feeling a little left out lately since Aislinn was born so Sean and I thought that we would take her to a baseball game for a Mommy and Daddy date. The day before the game I broke my foot and we decided that instead of everyone missing the game, Daddy and Uncle Mike would take her instead, so it turned into a "date with the boys" and Bayleigh loved every minute.

Wearing Uncle Mikes sunglasses

Sitting cool with Daddy

"Home Run!"

Mmmmm...She LOVES hot dogs

and frozen lemonade

All in all she had a blast!

Easter 2009

2009-04-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

This year we had alot of Easter festivities. Being a stay at home mom has its advantages we were able to participate in alot more activities than we have in the past.

We started off with an egg hunt at our local park. Getting this many kids together for a good picture is harder than it sounds

decorating bags to hunt eggs with
Bayleigh loves stickers
Egg hunt with church- getting ready to hunt

Look at what I got mom

Daddy and Aisy

Mommy and Aisy- She will be pushing the kids out of the way next year

family photo

Look at that hair

Easter 2009

Family photo- Easter 2009

Dying Easter eggs

Cheesy Mom and Bay picture

Uncle Andrew and cousin Camille

Finished product

Easter egg hunt with her cousin

Camille was more interested in eating the plastic eggs than hunting them

All in all it was a great Easter. We enjoy spending time with family and friends. It was Aislinn's first "real" holiday and she handled it like a champ.

Month in review

2009-04-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

In no particular order here is the last month in review. A few things have happened since my last post.

The girls cuddling on the couch watching Franklin

Didn't really want to start my blog on a bad note so I threw in a pic of the girls to butter you up...

****** SO TO CONTINUE MY TALE******

Like the graceful ballerina we all know I am I tripped on my flip flop and broke my foot. No I have not thrown away the flip flops and have no intentions on doing so and yes I have tried to come up with a better story but know one is buying it..maybe its the video on You Tube that is giving me away (just kidding..thankfully no one caught this on camera)

Doc says I will be as good as new in 6-8 weeks, I am currently sporting a very elegant "goes with anything" black walking boot. Below are pics of the nice shades of blue/purple my foot turned

At least my toes look beautiful

Okay...enough gross foot pictures

Bayleigh decided she wanted to be a princess when she grows up...

Or is it a Dr?

Whatever she chooses to be.. one thing remains the same.. she sure loves her sister

Grandma and Grandpa came down from Arkansas to take Bayleigh to Chuck E Cheese for the first time.. boy did she enjoy it

She met Chuck E...She was excited

The only car mommy lets her drive

Move over Chuck..my turn

Grandpa trying to explain that Skeeball is closer to bowling than baseball :)

All in all it has been an adventurous month. The girls are doing well, growing like weeds. Bayleigh is developing the wonderful attitude that all three year olds get and Aisy is starting to make me think she may out talk her sister in the next few years. It was nice to have mom and Ron come down (they are the reason my toes are so pretty) and the best thing to happen in March- I got laid off- No sarcasm here..we are glad that

I have the chance to stay at home with the girls

Aisy is 3 months

2009-04-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

It really is crazy how fast time flies. Aislinn turned 3 months yesterday and is a real ham. She giggles and laughs every chance she gets. She is approx 13.5 lbs. She loves her big sister like crazy. Everytime Bayleigh goes near her she starts smiling. She is not sleeping though the night yet but as we learned with Bayleigh that doesnt usually happen for another month or so. The second child is alot easier than the first.

St Patrick's Day

2009-03-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy St Patrick's Day from my little leprechaun's to yours

Smile Baby

2009-03-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Aislinn is 10 weeks and getting big. She is adorable. I forget how fast they grow. She almost has full neck control and is no longer Colicky. She is not sleeping through the night yet, but I don't expect a full nights sleep until she is about 4 months.

She is a ham and LOVES to smile for the camera

Give me the camera Mommy!

Biker Baby!

Her hair is getting more and more red by the day.

Here is a video of Sean playing with Aisy. She was giggling until I turned the camera on. Then in true "daughter of mine" tradition she stopped

Bayleighism's

2009-03-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have found a more better picture for this post. Bayleigh is a character like no other. The things that come out of her mouth will shock and surprise you.

Here are just a few things my adorable 2 year old says on an often basis:

"that's incredible"

"I'm speechless"

"crrraazzyyy momma"

"goofball daddy"

"butter is delicious"

"your the best mommy in the world"

"daddy is my favorite"

"its okay mommy..Cali (the dog) is just kissin me (while the dog has her pinned on the ground)

"its okay Aisy.. im commin"

and the one that made Sean and I double take:

"Daddy you don't call her momma...you call her Danielle"

Kids say the funniest things

(oh..in case you are wondering, yes Bayleigh is singing into the fan)

Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

2009-03-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago Grandma and Grandpa gave to visit from Arkansas. Bayleigh loves when they come and visit. She gets to be silly and goofy and Grandma always brings crafts for them to do.

Grandpa enjoyed playing with Aislinn

Arts and craft times

Aunt Kaite came too

I think I figured out where the silly faces came from

Visitors from California

2009-03-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Bayleigh and Aislinn got to hang out with "Auntie Del and Auntie Shahna". Bayleigh loved the attention and getting to play. We went shopping and to the park. Everyone had a great time and we were all sad to see them go.

The many faces of Bayleigh

2009-03-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Bayleigh has a flare for drama and loves to pose for the camera. The below pictures we call:

The many faces of Bayleigh

Happy Face

Surprised Face
Fish Face

Scared Face

Sad Face

Aislinn is 2 months

2009-03-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

So I have been slacking on posting these pictures. Aislinn turned 2 months last Monday (March 2nd) but I wanted to wait until her Dr's apt today in order to post her stats as well as her pictures. She is getting so big. She is now 12.8lbs and 23.5" long. She is in the 90-95% for weight and 75-90% for height. She is not that much bigger than Bayleigh was at this age. In case you want to compare the girls' stats Bay's page is still active: http://littlemckee.tripod.com/.

Aislinn is a talker. She coos, caas and giggles most of the time. She is still not sleeping through the night but it looks like we have her colic under control which I LOVE!

Goofball Bayleigh

2009-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

I know I have said this before but I am amazed everyday at how fast Bayleigh is growing. In the past year she has developed from this little toddler to a full little person. She is smart (sometimes a little too smart) and adorable. Some of the things that come out of her mouth amaze me. We are going to be in for it when she gets older. She is very inquisitive and picks up everything. We have had to really watch the language we use as well as the context in which we explain things because she will remember and repeat. Aside from being independent she wants to help with everything. I have had to get her a step stool so she can help me cook and a timer so she knows when she is allowed to do things. If we do something that is "her job" (like letting the dogs out) she goes into full melt-down mode.

Had to throw in a picture of Aislinn. She is starting to "coo and caa" it is really adorable. She is a HUGE flirt. She loves to smile at you. I forgot how cute this stage is.

Aislinn is 6 weeks

2009-02-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

It really is crazy how fast time flies. Technically I should have returned to work today, however I will be staying on leave until late March (long story, but I will be returning to work for a few days). I couldn't imagine leaving her yet. Its crazy to me that I went back to work when Bayleigh was only 4 weeks old. I was incredibly grateful that I had a longtime family friend offer to watch her for the first few months. I am also grateful that I did not have to call on her again this time around. Sean has done well in his career giving me the opportunity to stay home and watch the girls grow up. Okay enough blabbing.. here are the pictures you all log on for:

Had to throw one in of her silly big sister.. another wonderful "Bayleigh outfit"

Bayleigh's art project

2009-02-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if I was out of my mind or just trying to be the worlds best mom but I laid down some newspaper and let Bayleigh finger and foot paint on the kitchen floor. She had a blast which is really all that matters. I had to pick her up and carry her to the tub when she was done though.. wasn't willing to explain to Sean why I let her walk on our white carpet with her red painted feet.

Bayleigh's first haircut

2009-02-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

After years of negotiation I finally talked Sean into allowing Bayleigh to get her first hair cut. She was a very good girl (I think the movie, and promise of a sticker and lollipop has something to do with it). The took a few inches off and gave me a cute envelope to save the clippings in. Her hair looks alot healthier and she is now telling anyone that will listen that she got her hair cut

Truck People

2009-02-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

So after a year of not having a truck we finally broke down and got one. Sean has had a truck since he was 17 and last December we traded it in for a "family car". He has spent the last year wondering what he would do without one and trying to figure out a way to get one again. After a long time looking for the perfect truck we finally found one that would fit our needs and budget. We traded in my Focus and now Sean has his truck back. He is sooo excited and has decided that he will probably never live without a truck again.

Independence

2009-02-10T06:22:00.001-08:00

So Bayleigh has decided that as apart of her growing older she insists on dressing herself and choosing her own clothes. She knows all her colors and understands the concept of making sure that each piece of clothing has the same color in it but she has yet to discover the art of matching. This morning she came out with the below outfit in hand. When I tried to explain that it did not match, she quickly replied with "yes it does mommy.. see the pants have white and the shirt has white" Since it is cold outside and we do not plan on going anywhere I gave in and told her she could wear it. I have no idea where my child got her stubbornness from... (mom, dad.. please no emails explaining genetics or paybacks.. I was a perfect child)

She obviously did not get my distaste for the color red. This child loves red

Sisters

2009-02-10T05:27:00.001-08:00

Having a sister can be a wonderful thing. I am glad that I was able to bless my girls with the joys of a sister. When we first found out we were pregnant again Sean automatically thought it was another girl, however I thought that it would be a boy. I wanted so much to give Sean a son since we knew this was going to be our last child regardless of the gender. When we found out we were going to be blessed with another daughter part of me was sad because we would not know the joys of having a son, however the other part of me was thrilled that Bayleigh would have a sister to harass and play with. Bayleigh is a terrific big sister. She loves Aislinn more than anything and can not wait until she is old enough to play with.

Matching PJ's

Big Sister- Little Sister '09

Holding her sister

Reading her a story

Another new addition

2009-02-06T05:43:00.000-08:00

So we decided to get a puppy for Gigi to play with. Her name is Cali and she is a 4 month old bull mastiff. She is adorable and her and Gigi play really well together. Bayleigh loves her too.. She calls her "my puppy"

Aislinn is 1 month

2009-02-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

Aislinn turned 1 month on Monday. She went to the dr's today and is in the 90th percentile. She now weighs 10lbs 13 oz and is 22.5 inches long. Apparently she is getting enough to eat!

She has grown alot over the last month. She is more alert and sleeping on a nice pattern (mommy loves that). As you can tell by the below picture her hair is getting a red tint to it and she still has alot of it!

January in review

2009-02-04T06:15:00.001-08:00

I wanted to add some pictures of January. It was an eventful month. Having a newborn in the house again is a learning experience. Its crazy how much you forget in 2 years. Little things like taking a diaper bag everywhere and trying to run into a store or post office and having to unload two kids for a 5 second transaction. I am also having to get used to life as a stay at home mom. I have worked non stop since I was 16, so to not have to leave for work everyday is an odd concept. Bayleigh is enjoying it though.. hanging out with mommy and Aisy everyday.

USC won the Rose Bowl!

Aislinn's welcome home.
We have great friends, besides the sign and balloons in the yard when we got home from the hospital our friends also arranged two weeks worth of meals and gift cards so that we didn't have to cook. It was great!

Aislinn's first bath.

By the look on her face you can tell she wasn't overly fond of it

It is crazy to see how much she has changed over the month

Daddy and Bayleigh time. We were fortunate that he was able to stay home with us for two weeks after Aislinn was born. Bayleigh enjoyed the one on one time.

She got her ears pierced

"Flashback" 2008 in review

2009-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Since it has taking me so long to set up a blog I wanted to do a quick review of 2008 in order to update everyone with what went on last year:

Sean and Bayleigh's annual "GO USC" pose. I have taken this same picture every year and will continue to take it until the shirt no longer fits!

Cheese! Easter 2008

Mommy and Bayleigh acting silly

April- We found out we were pregnant.. Yeah!

Bayleigh in her monkey dress on her 2nd Birthday

Happy 2nd birthday Bayleigh! To celebrate we took her to Sea World. She loved it!

Look at all that hair

Summer fun!

Happy 6 year anniversary

Its a GIRL!

Grandma and Grandpa's visit.. Bayleigh loved playing with him

Great Grandma came too.. Bayleigh was attached at her hip the weekend

Aislinn's baby shower.. Alice in wonderland tea party.

Happy Halloween

Bayleigh was a princess

Happy Thanksgiving

We finished Aislinn's room... FINALLY!
Christmas 2008- We started some new traditions. It was a great Christmas. Bayleigh enjoyed it and so did Mommy and Daddy

Baking cookies for Santa

Opening presents Christmas morning

New Year's eve.. I know I look HUGE but in my defense Aislinn was born 2 days later
I have hundreds more pictures from the past year. We had alot of visitors and great fun. I am hoping that by setting up this page I can keep everyone up to date with the inner workings of the McKee household

Aislinn Reanne McKee

2009-01-31T19:40:00.000-08:00

Aislinn Reanne McKee was born on January 2,2009 at 3: 34 pm. She was 8lbs 14 oz and 21" long.

She was born at Baylor All Saints hospital in Ft Worth,TX

She has dark hair and olive colored skin. She looks like a little "mini Sean". We are ecstatic to have our family complete.

Here we go

2009-01-31T18:04:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to set up this blog in order to keep everyone updated on whats going on with the McKee girls. We had a website when Bayleigh was born in order to display pictures so I have decided to set up something similar for both girls. The last 4 weeks with two children has been a worldwind of changes and excitement. I have taken lots of pictures and will try to post as many of the "good ones" here.