One Year Pictures

Makenna's 1 year photos are now online at www.seemyprints.com. You need to type in coffer, click on Makenna and then enter my email jenncoffer@yahoo.com.

We also had our 1 year assessment with Jill, our Parents as Teachers instructor. We absolutely love her visits and Makenna loves the activities she does with her. For her assessment she was scored in 5 areas: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, communication, social/interpersonal skills, and problem solving. She scored a perfect in the last three and above average in the other two--only because she isn't walking 100% of the time yet. Jill said she is way ahead of where she should be for her age. We are proud parents!

What a Week

It has been a crazy week here at the Coffer house, but things are slowly getting back to normal. We just got home from Makenna's one-year photo shoot and I cannot wait to see the proofs. This session we had 6 outfit changes (we normally only do 3 or 4) so I know we will have a bunch of options to choose from. She did very well besides getting tired near the end, but overall it went great. We were there an hour and the photographer shot a lot of photos.

Makenna also had her one-year check up on Wednesday and boy did she show off for her nurse and doctor. She had both of the laughing and her doctor told us that she was not just advanced for her age, but VERY advanced. That made us proud. I was a little concerned about her weight--she only was 19 lbs. 3 oz., but Dr. Hampton said there was no reason to be concerned--she is very active and burns off the majority of the calories she consumes. We absolutely love Dr. Hampton and Makenna enjoys her appointments--well all except the shots.

This week we have our visit with our Parents as Teachers instructor, Jill. We hope she also has good things to say about Makenna and maybe she will be a ham for her, too.

Four and More

Well Makenna finally has both of her front teeth bringing the grand total to four (two on top and two on the bottom.) She has imprints of four other teeth that appear to be making their way out, but with the way she has been that can be another few months.

Also, some fruits of our labor have finally paid off. I decided when Makenna was just a few weeks old that I wanted to teach her some sign language so that she could better communicate with us. We have tried it a little bit, but since she is so verbal it has been difficult for her to learn--she just wants to try to vocalize the words we say. I really wanted her to learn the sign for "thank you" but she can already so it so there is no need for the sign. So, my next word to try has been "more". She signed it once on Saturday night at dinner and last night while I was feeding her I asked her if she wanted more while doing the sign. She signed that she wanted more and that was all it took. When I asked it she wanted more she signed that she did another four times. I am so proud of her and I hope it continues. I am also trying to teach her drink, eat, and please. Hopefully her progress will continue.

Birthday Pictures

Here are some pictures of Makenna's birthday party. We are grateful for the 21 friends and family members who attended the party to help us celebrate the big day. Makenna had a great time and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with our little princess.

Happy Birthday, Makenna!

Where has the past year gone? It seems like only yesterday that Justin and I welcomed our precious baby girl into this world. I have to say that motherhood hasn't always been easy, but it definitely is the most rewarding job I will ever have. Makenna has taught me so much in the first year of her life--not only about being a parent, but also about life in general--and I know that she will continue to teach me (or help remind me of things) as she grows. When reflecting on this past year I have learned:

1. There is nothing better than seeing your child's face light up when you walk into the room.


2. It is okay if the house doesn't get cleaned or the laundry stays dirty for another day--quality family time is more important.


3. It is important to let your child know how much they are loved not only by you, but also by God.


4. Mama is one of the sweetest words you will ever be called.


5. You develop more appreciation for alone time (by yourself or with your spouse) once you have children and you realize how much you took it for granted before becoming a parent.


6. I am truly blessed with a wonderful husband and daughter who mean the world to me.


There is so much more that I could add to this list, but it is getting late and I am exhausted from all of today's birthday activities. Once I have uploaded the pictures from Makenna's party I will post them. But for now here are some pictures of Makenna taken throughout this past year.

Makenna's New Look

Last night Makenna got her first birthday present from us--she got her ears pierced. I might be a bit biased, but she does look incredibly adorable with her little white gold studs. We tried to get them pierced on Thursday, but that experience was quite disasterous. Makenna was tired and was fighting off a cold, so she wasn't at her best. On top of that, the lady who helped us really didn't know what she was doing and seemed quite nervous. They tried to pierce both ears at the same time, but it didn't work. One of the ladies would be ready and the one who had no clue wouldn't be and said she couldn't get to her ear. Well, we finally gave up and I left there in a bad mood. So, we returned to Claire's last night and the assistant manager helped us. Makenna still squirmed, but she had absolutely no trouble piercing them. Justin thought I was over-reacting on Thursday when I was upset that the lady didn't know what she was doing, but after how easy it was last night and watching the lady do it, he was also convinced that the girl on Thursday really didn't know what to do. But anyways, it is all over now and Makenna has pierced ears. She hasn't bothered them once in the 24 hours since she had them and I hope that continues.

It is hard to believe that Makenna will be 1 in a week. We will be busy this week preparing for her party, but we will be sure to post some pictures.