Our sweet little girl Kenzy turns nine on January 11th. It’s so hard to believe. It feels like just yesterday, she was born. They told me she was going to be a big baby.
Our son Ty was 8 pounds, 10 ounces and a chunker! At nine months with him, I felt amazing. I was walking around the Lycoming County Fair a few days before I had him. Shoot, I’m more miserable walking around the fair now than when I was pregnant with him! Ba-hahaha!! This is so true. It’s the heat. Thighs slappin’ around all damp from sweat. Such a joyous time. Why can’t we have winter fairs? How fun would that be!? OK, I’m getting off-topic. Let’s jump back to Kenzy now and not my sweaty thunder thighs in the heat of summer. *enter cheesy smile here*
I thought having a baby in the dead of winter instead of the dead of summer would be a breeze. NOT!! I. WAS. MISERABLE. They told me she was going to be big, and the way I felt, I believed it. It was a week before Christmas, and I felt like she was going to come any day. Christmas day came, still miserable. Opening gifts was a serious challenge for me. You could see in my face that I was just so uncomfortable. She had to be coming any day now. Plus, having a baby before the new year meant we could claim her on our taxes, so we were hopeful. I really just wanted her for Christmas; she would have been the best gift!
Well, New Year’s came and went, and still no baby. At this point, I’m thinking this girl is ten pounds by now. Monday, January 6th, came, and I had an appointment. They really wanted to induce me, but there were no rooms in the inn — I mean, hospital. They told me to come back Tuesday.
I had all my stuff packed on Tuesday morning and off to the hospital I went. Tuesday night, we were back home. No baby. Thursday, they tried to induce me again. No baby.
By this time, I was so sad. I thought I would have my baby home and in my arms by now.
Finally, Friday, some magic happened in that hospital, and she was born a little after midnight Saturday morning. She was so teeny tiny!!! She weighed 8 pounds and 1 ounce. Listen, compared to Ty, she was so small to us. He was almost 10 pounds when we left the hospital, and Kenzy was 7lbs., 2 oz. I literally had to go to Kohl’s to get her newborn clothes because we had nothing small enough to fit her. Ty was in 0-3 months as soon as he came home, so we figured if she were bigger, she would never fit in newborn size. Tyler was the cutest little chunker butt! Now he is a string bean with abs. No joke. Big or small, both of my babies were perfect and healthy.
As Kenzy grew older, she often would tag along with me to get my nails done. The nail people loved seeing her. They still always ask me, “How is your daughter?” (It’s so sweet.)
Kenzy would always walk over to the pedicure chairs and talk to girls, “Me want my toes in tub!” she would say at two years old. She was obsessed with the water and lights inside. As she got bigger, she wanted to put her feet in, but her legs were never long enough.
“Someday you will be big enough, honey, and Mommy will get your first pedicure, OK? You are just too little right now, and your little legs won’t reach,” I told her.
That day she has always wanted has finally come, but she doesn’t know it yet. For her birthday on Wednesday, after school, I made a hair appointment to do something fun she has wanted to do with her hair, and I also booked a double pedicure for her and me to do together. I’m so excited to tell her. It will be so fun watching her get it done for the very first time. She has really grown this year and is getting tall. I thought now was a good age to take her and treat her to a salon day! Afterward, we will meet Daddy and Ty and take her to dinner to wherever she would like to go since we are already out. She did request chicken salad and sticky buns for her birthday dinner, which I’ll make another evening for her. This sweet girl just loves her momma’s chicken salad.
She loves to draw pretty pictures for the people she loves. Especially Mommy and Daddy. She loves animals, but kitties are her favorite. She is ridiculous about sweets. The other morning our “sweet girl” asked if she could have cereal, a Pop Tart, and leftover sticky buns for breakfast. She’s like a miniature Buddy the Elf from the movie “ELF!”
Of course, I only let her pick one, but she would have eaten all those sweets if I had let her.
She idolizes her big brother. She thinks her daddy walks on water and that her momma is “the best cooker ever!” Kenzy loves to snuggle, can make friends anywhere, and seriously has the best personality. She can swim like a fish, loves to ride her dirt bike and four-wheeler, and enjoys picking flowers for her momma in the springtime. She gets so excited when she finds that first flower to pick. Kenzy is such a sweet kid, and this momma is just so proud of her.
Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl. Momma loves you!
Banana Split Cake
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained (save juice)
• 5-6 medium bananas
• 2 cups cold milk
• 2 packages (4 serving size) Jell-O vanilla instant pudding
• 1 (8 ounce) carton Cool Whip
• 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
Mix crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of 13 x 9-inch pan. Freeze for 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Spread carefully over the crust, top with pineapple. Slice the bananas into the reserved pineapple juice (this will keep them from turning brown), drain, and arrange over pineapple.
Pour milk in a medium bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with a wire whisk for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping; spread over the banana layer in the pan. Top with remaining whipped topping; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate 5 hours or overnight.
Makes 24 servings. Serve each piece with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and topped with a cherry.
