It feels like just yesterday we welcomed our little McKenzie into the world, and now, in a blink of an eye, she’s already celebrating her magnificent seventh month! Seven months have flown by, ushering her firmly into the second half of her incredible first year. McKenzie truly is an extraordinary baby, radiating happiness and sweetness, and she is loved beyond measure by everyone who meets her. Her presence fills our home with unparalleled joy and laughter, making every day an adventure.
Documenting seven months of a baby’s life, especially when so much happens so rapidly, can feel like an impossible task. Each day brings new discoveries, new sounds, and new expressions. As a parent navigating chronic sleep deprivation – a very real and challenging part of this journey – remembering every single milestone and adorable moment can be quite the feat. If it isn’t jotted down, even the most significant events can blur into the beautiful, chaotic tapestry of early parenthood. But despite the fogginess that comes with constant exhaustion, the profound love and wonder of watching McKenzie grow shine through every day.
A Dream Baby’s Sleep Journey: McKenzie’s Remarkable Rest
Funnily enough, a significant portion of my sleep deprivation often stems from my energetic boys, rather than our sweet McKenzie. She is, without exaggeration, one of those dream babies that lead people to believe parenting is effortlessly easy, inspiring them to consider having many more children. Had my boys not arrived first, I might never have truly appreciated just how exceptional her temperament is. While my boys were absolutely adorable, their early months were a flurry of challenges – reflux, significant spit-up, painful gas, and even a scare with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), all compounded by the fact that we were dealing with two infants simultaneously. McKenzie, in stark contrast, has been an absolute breeze, particularly when it comes to sleep.
McKenzie swiftly moved past the need for nighttime feedings. In fact, by the tender age of six weeks, she had completely dropped them. Imagine this: sleeping soundly from 7 PM to 7 AM without a single wake-up. No kidding! She might have even stopped a week or so earlier, but I, perhaps overly cautious, worried it was too soon for such an achievement. After several days of careful monitoring, ensuring she was thriving and perfectly content, I finally let her dictate her own sleep schedule. What’s more, she wasn’t even interested in a pacifier until she was around three or four months old, meaning she never woke up at night for comfort or feeding. It was truly amazing and, frankly, a little surreal. This consistent, undisturbed sleep has been an absolute blessing, providing much-needed rest for the entire family, even amidst the other demands of a busy household.
While her nights were miraculously calm, McKenzie did require a fair amount of holding and gentle bouncing to drift off to sleep for bed and naps. This presented its own unique challenge, especially when you have two active three-year-olds who are quite capable of turning your house upside down during the 15-20 minutes you’re occupied. I would often try to time these moments when they were engrossed in their own play, listening intently for any signs of impending chaos. Honestly, McKenzie herself was an easy baby; the true difficulty lay, and still lies, in balancing her needs with the boundless energy and demands of her older brothers. This constant juggling act is a hallmark of parenting multiple young children, a testament to the fact that while each child is a unique joy, the overall family dynamic brings its own set of beautiful complexities.
Around four months old, I decided to implement a gentle “smidge” of sleep training. While McKenzie excelled at sleeping through the night, falling asleep independently without extensive holding was an area where she needed a little guidance. It feels a bit counterintuitive to say that, as a baby naturally yearns for the comfort of being held, and I absolutely adore holding her. However, when you have two other children who need your attention, and your husband works four nights a week, leaving you to manage dinner, bath, and bedtime for everyone, you sometimes have to make practical choices to ensure everyone’s needs are met. McKenzie, being the adaptable little soul she is, caught on incredibly quickly, and from that point, she has been a truly fantastic independent sleeper. This small adjustment made a significant difference in our evening routine, bringing a welcome sense of calm to a busy household.
Navigating Sleep Regressions and Toddler Wake-Ups
Of course, no baby’s sleep journey is entirely linear. McKenzie has certainly had periods where her sleep wasn’t quite as stellar. The infamous four-month sleep regression, for instance, was quite a doozy for a few weeks, leaving me waking up five to seven times a night – a brutal reminder of life before her consistent sleep. More recently, about three weeks ago, she cut her first tooth. For approximately a week prior to that, she would wake once or twice at night, but these disturbances were typically brief. In most instances, all she needed was her pacifier to settle back down. I distinctly recall with the boys that their night wakings often required extensive holding and comforting, making those episodes much longer and more exhausting. With McKenzie, the resolution is remarkably quick, often just a momentary pause in her otherwise peaceful slumber.
However, McKenzie’s excellent sleep doesn’t automatically guarantee me an unbroken night’s rest. It’s almost a given that Brooks will wake me up at least once a night for assistance with his pull-up. For a period, he was successfully getting up to use the bathroom at night and waking up with a dry pull-up in the morning. But after our move about a month ago – a period that has been incredibly busy and transformative for our family – his routine shifted. Now, he either ends up soaking through his pull-up, necessitating a complete sheet change on his bed, or he needs help getting into a dry one. Occasionally, Ashton requires similar assistance. So, I typically find myself awake once or twice each night, but it’s rarely, if ever, McKenzie who is the cause of these nocturnal interruptions. This highlights the unique challenges of parenting children at different developmental stages, where each child brings their own set of needs that collectively contribute to the beautiful, albeit often exhausting, rhythm of family life.
McKenzie’s Radiant Personality and Growing Bonds
Beyond her remarkable sleep habits, McKenzie is a wonderfully chill, incredibly happy, and wonderfully smiley baby. She truly is a little ray of sunshine that brightens every room she enters. It’s genuinely difficult not to feel happy and in a good mood when she’s around; her infectious joy is simply precious. And my goodness, does she adore her brothers – a feeling that is wholeheartedly reciprocated. The moment Brooks and Ashton walk into a room, her face lights up with an immediate, radiant smile. She loves them with an intensity that is heartwarming to witness. Her brothers, in turn, are incredibly gentle and affectionate with her. They shower her with love, pepper her with kisses, and constantly try to elicit her sweet, bubbling laughter. Watching the three of them interact creates some of the most precious moments in our daily life. I eagerly anticipate seeing their unique relationship deepen and evolve as she grows. You can clearly see, as she watches their every move, that she can’t wait to join in their play, eager to be a full participant in their spirited games.
And speaking of adoration, our little McKenzie has both her daddy and her grandfather utterly wrapped around her adorable little fingers. He’s completely hooked, as any loving father and grandfather should be, captivated by her charm and sweetness. This special bond adds another layer of warmth and love to our bustling family dynamic.
A Meaningful Connection: McKenzie Meets Lauren
A significant highlight in McKenzie’s early life was meeting two of my dearest friends when she was four months old. As I mentioned in a previous baby update, McKenzie was named after my incredible friend, Lauren, whose middle name is McKenzie. Lauren has been bravely battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and, at the time of that earlier post, was in her third remission. Tragically, in December, she received the devastating news that her cancer had returned, and in January, doctors gave her a prognosis of approximately six months to live. Naturally, ensuring McKenzie met Lauren became an urgent priority, a moment we cherished deeply. Their meeting was truly wonderful, filled with profound emotion. We are incredibly grateful and overjoyed to report that Lauren is, defying all expectations, continuing to surpass her prognosis and remains with us. She is a woman of immense strength, resilience, and an unwavering spirit, an inspiration to us all.
Health and Development: Addressing a Lip Tie and Starting Solids
Amidst all the joy and growth, I also made an important discovery regarding McKenzie’s health when she was around two or three months old: she had a lip tie. I had noticed a few subtle things about her eating habits, and fortunately, having seen discussions about lip and tongue ties on Instagram, I was able to connect the dots. I initially chalked up her eating style to her being a “grazer” because she would constantly start and stop during feedings. However, it turns out this is a classic sign of a lip or tongue tie. Other clues included frequently going on and off the breast, often making a clicking sound, sucking in a lot of air which led to numerous burps, and her strong disinterest in a pacifier. There were a couple of other minor indicators, though they are harder to recall now. Despite these challenges, she was still gaining weight appropriately, but I felt it was crucial to address it to ensure it didn’t cause more significant issues down the line, affecting comfort or speech. You could clearly see the restriction in the way her upper lip latched. So, when she was just over four months old, we had the lip tie revised. The procedure was quick, and we only needed to do simple oral exercises for about a week. There haven’t been any problems since. Now, she happily takes her pacifier and continues to nurse beautifully, thriving in her feeding journey.
McKenzie started her exciting adventure with solid foods around five months old. Her interest in food showed itself remarkably early. We even have an amusing video of her at about three months, where I’m holding her and enjoying some cheesecake, and with every single bite I take, she makes the most determined efforts to get a taste – it’s absolutely hilarious to watch! Given her eagerness, I didn’t wait too long to introduce solids. This time around, I was keen to try a baby-led weaning (BLW) style. With the demands of caring for her and her two energetic brothers, I knew that constantly preparing and feeding purees would be challenging. BLW seemed like a practical and engaging approach. We started small, offering pieces of fruit in one of those silicone pop feeders, which she adored chewing on to extract the juices. We did incorporate some purees as well, but by six months, we were actively transitioning towards offering soft chunks of various foods. Now, at just over seven months, she is mostly feeding herself. Her diet includes soft food chunks, mashed berries and fruits, strips of toast with soft cheeses, and pieces of pancakes and waffles, among other things. I still assist her with certain items, like oatmeal, but she absolutely adores food and, more importantly, she especially loves the independence of feeding herself. Seriously, she’s too funny! If anyone nearby is eating, she becomes quite vocal and upset if she doesn’t have something to munch on too. She constantly cracks me up. Most of the time, I actually have to cut her off because she would just eat and eat and eat without end!
Physical Milestones and Unwavering Determination
McKenzie had her inaugural beach trip at the beginning of May and developed an immediate love for water. She’s also spent plenty of happy hours at the pool with her brothers, reveling in splashing and playful antics. Bath time is another favorite, a joyous occasion filled with giggles. I have a strong feeling she’s destined to be a little fish, just like her two older brothers, embracing every opportunity for water play.
In just the last week, McKenzie has been working with incredible focus and determination on mastering crawling. It’s truly amazing to observe her progress, especially since her brothers didn’t start crawling until they were around ten months old. I had initially anticipated her attempting a belly crawl, but she’s actually starting from a seated position, leaning forward onto her hands. She vigorously lifts her little butt up and tries exceptionally hard to maneuver both legs into position. The constant rocking back and forth signals that this significant milestone is imminent. Every single time you set her down, she immediately dedicates herself to practicing her crawling, demonstrating an unwavering spirit of determination. She is such an aware and remarkably smart little baby, continually blowing me away with her curiosity, sweetness, and playful nature. Her little laugh is the sweetest sound, and she’s constantly cooing and “talking,” engaging with everyone around her. She is, without a doubt, an absolute joy and a bright light in our lives.
The (Un)glamorous Side of Baby Photoshoots
When we attempted to capture some fancy professional photos of her a few weeks ago, while she was still six months old, McKenzie was decidedly not having it. I had been so excited, envisioning adorable shots given her usual happy and smiley demeanor. As fate would have it, she isn’t a big fan of the camera. Moreover, during that period, she was primarily wanting her mom or dad, so having someone else trying to capture her image wasn’t her favorite activity. To add to the challenge, her first tooth popped through just a few days later, indicating she was likely experiencing some discomfort during the session. All these factors combined resulted in a baby who was nearly impossible to coax into a smile. It was quite a spectacle; I’ve never seen her try so hard to *not* smile! So, I’m sharing her monthly photos as definitive proof that she is, indeed, a wonderfully smiley and happy baby, despite the photoshoot’s minor setback. LOL!
A Mother’s Heart: Juggling Three and Finding Joy Amidst the Chaos
As for me, mom, I’m doing just fine. I am undeniably more tired than ever before, and juggling the needs of all three energetic kiddos is certainly no easy feat. However, I’m good, truly. I experienced some postpartum challenges after the boys were born, and I’m incredibly grateful to report that I haven’t had any similar issues this time around, which is a huge blessing. Honestly, one of the hardest aspects is the seemingly constant demand for my attention from all three children. Ensuring everyone feels adequately loved, attended to, and cherished is a continuous uphill battle. Most days, I end up feeling like I haven’t done enough, even though I know deep down I’m pouring every ounce of my energy into caring for them. My days typically kick off around 6:30 AM with McKenzie’s gentle stirrings, and by the time the boys are finally tucked into bed and asleep, it’s often well past 9 PM. The days are long, and the exhaustion is profound, but my love for them all is boundless. I believe that some of these challenges will naturally ease with time as they grow and become more independent, but of course, every new stage invariably brings its own set of fresh joys and, inevitably, new challenges. Such is the beautiful, ever-evolving journey of parenthood.
The Boys: Energetic Threes and Unbreakable Bonds
My boys, Brooks and Ashton, are also doing great. They are healthy, vibrant three-year-olds brimming with seemingly endless energy – truly, it’s an inexhaustible supply! They are simultaneously incredibly fun and utterly exhausting. Typical of three-year-olds, we navigate a lot of “no’s” and constant boundary-pushing, which comes as no big surprise. Yet, they are at a wonderful age in so many respects, and watching them interact together is truly something special. It’s utterly adorable to overhear their little conversations, their whispered secrets, and their boisterous agreements. They genuinely are the best of friends – though, admittedly, sometimes the worst of enemies too, as is common with siblings. It’s truly awesome that they always have their built-in best friend right there with them. If they are separated for even a minute, they unfailingly notice the other’s absence and immediately set off to find them, demonstrating an unbreakable bond that warms my heart.
We recently had our first significant visit to the emergency room with Brooks about a month or so ago. He was riding his balance bike, thankfully wearing his helmet, when he unfortunately took a tumble. He managed to hit his head on the curb just above his eyebrow, which resulted in a wide-open cut. I was on my own with all three kiddos during a walk, so I was incredibly fortunate that a couple of kind neighbors quickly came out to offer their assistance. We managed to get all the children safely back to our house, and I called some family for backup before rushing Brooks to the ER. My husband met us there, and Brooks ultimately received ten stitches. Despite the scary incident, he took it like an absolute champ. After getting over the initial shock of the fall and the sight of blood, he was remarkably brave. I honestly think he fusses more over a simple skinned knee than he did over that significant cut, a testament to his resilience.
Following our recent move, we made the decision to put the boys into separate rooms. They now each have their own individual rooms, which are conveniently joined by a jack-and-jill bathroom. This setup offers them a sense of personal space while still providing a connection, almost like still being together. To my surprise, they didn’t mind transitioning into their new rooms with big beds at all, embracing the change with enthusiasm. Despite having their own rooms, their bond remains as strong as ever; they are, for all intents and purposes, inseparable.
The Enduring Journey of Parenthood: Exhaustion, Love, and Gratitude
And I suppose that pretty much covers it all for now. Truly, the prevailing theme around our household these days is a constant state of exhaustion and the pervasive feeling that there’s never quite enough time for anything. The brain often operates in a permanent fog, and the simple luxury of a quiet, undisturbed shower feels like an almost unattainable dream. Do any parents of young children genuinely feel differently? If so, I desperately need to know your secrets!
But setting aside the daily grind and the overwhelming demands, life is unequivocally great. We are incredibly, profoundly fortunate to have our sweet, vibrant children. We love them more than words can express and are absolutely cherishing every moment of watching them grow, learn, and discover the world. There is no doubt whatsoever that they are our biggest blessings, and we couldn’t be more thankful for the beautiful, chaotic, and utterly fulfilling life they bring to us every single day.
