Eleventy-Four

 

I was sitting with Maklyn tonight and got a few tears in my eyes thinking of just how much I love this lil lady!  I love how excited she gets around 8 o'clock when it's 'naked time' for the last hour before her bath.  Her legs don't stop moving and she talks and talks and talks and smiles to the moon and back :)  I love making her 'laugh' and shriek at my silly faces and games.  I love how she snuggles into my neck when she's just woken up or is getting tired.  I love how she can be in her own world while laying on her mat cooing away at the colors and toys.  I love everything about her!

I remember my parents saying that I would never understand how much they loved me until I had a child of my own.  I always thought I already did understand that they loved me a lot and that was great and all, but now that I am a mama, I truly understand what they were talking about.

It's a kind of love that is truly indescribable at it's fullest point.  It's a love that never ends no matter what the circumstance.  It's a love where you can be at your wits end with baby screaming their lungs out and your frustration is peaked and then you finally pick them up, and they give you a lil smirk and all your worries fly out the window. 

I believe I have only begun to fully understand a parent's love for their child.  It has made me appreciate my parents so much more and the love they had and showed me on a daily basis.  My dad has always said 'love you eleventy-four'. I have no idea where it came from, but I've decided now that it's a way to describe the kind of love that is impossible to express fully.  It's the best kind of love, an eternal love!  So grateful for the amazing people in my life!  So blessed!

        

Started Our Summer Adventure Up North

Well we've officially arrived and started our summer away from home again, but this summer we're spending it up in northern Alberta in Fort McMurray for May, Grande Prairie for June and Red Deer for July- August.  We tried to get in some good family time before we came up and I wish I had more pics to show for them.  Apparently Nana stole the spotlight for time with Mak before we came :)  Maklyn loves her Nana!

 I believe this one was taken during conference... Nana got a lil distracted :)

 Two of the cutest lil babies around!

We took our time driving up to Fort Mac by stopping in Calgary on Thursday and then Edmonton on Friday night till Saturday and we got to spend some time with some great friends!  Maklyn and Renne got to hang out again and Ashton and I can't wait till they start playing with each other instead of their moms shoving their faces into each other trying to create that best friendship haha

 

We even got to do a dinner with a bundle of friends including Braeden and Kenzie, Chris and Robin, and Ash and Tim.  We had a lot of laughs and great conversation!

Maklyn did so great on the drive up.  She slept most of the way from Edmonton, which was really nice!   

They tried to put us in these 'crack house' looking apartments and we said heavens no to that.  We were very uncomfortable with the set up and luckily had another option for a basement suite that it pretty tiny, but in a great neighborhood and very nice landlords.  Renting it sooooo expensive up here.  I was talkin to the lady upstairs and she told me that she charges $2100/month to live down here.  Back home, this place would maybe be $800 a month.  But we're happy where we are and are starting to figure out the place.

 This lil lady is 4 months old now and is growing so fast!  Her hair is longer, she's gaining weight and she's continued to move and groove!  She's so happy and loves to hear her own voice!

 She's started to giggle a little and loves having tummy time on her pillow and mat!

 She always slants to the side in the bumbo chair we borrowed from Lynz and she is slobbering and sucking all over her arms and fingers.

 She likes to fold her arms while she sleeps sometimes and is so much fun to have around all the time!  We took her swimming on Monday at the leisure center here and are planning to go tomorrow too.  She wasn't too sure about it the first time, but I'm sure she'll learn to love it throughout the summer!

 We love our lil Maklyn!