This one doesn't deserve a title...

I haven't been feelin' the blog lately. Lots going on, but nothing I feel too blogworthy. So, let's make it really boring and recap the weekend! (And, none of these pictures have anything to do with this post, they are just some new ones that I thought were cute!)

Friday we ran errands all morning and then that night we had dinner with 2 of our favorite people, Laura and Maddie! To say that Mallory is obsessed with Laura and Maddie is an understatement. Laura has been a favorite since Mallory could play with her jewelry at 3 months old:) I'm bummed we didn't take a picture of the girls, I guarantee it would've been cute! Laura and I got to catch up over Chili's and then came back to the house for dessert and more talking.

Saturday, Karen and her kiddos came over. Gunnar is 2 months older than Morgan and Bella is about 3 weeks older than Mallory. Perfect! We had lunch and the played at the park by our house. Another fun way to pass the time while both of the dads were gone. Then, even more fun with friends! Shannon invited us to have a picnic with her fam at a park. Mallory loves her kiddos too, so it was another fun time. We fed the ducks (and had a slight mishap with Mallory falling off the very little edge onto her back while a duck was flapping it's wings all over her trying to get up at the same time...I really wish I had had my video camera!) and then played a little more before heading home.

Brad had a bummer of a weekend with soccer. Two losses after playing really well. I always hate those kind of losses. There is nothing to say except sorry. It's even harder when it's over the phone and then he has a long charter bus ride home. No fun for the coach! I try to be optimistic, but I'm sure that it's not great to hear, "But, you can try again next weekend!" It's been a lot harder to be a college coach's wife rather than a high school coach's wife. I'm not sure I fully knew the extent of what the life of a coach and his family looked like when I first "signed up" for this! Luckily, Brad loves the school where he works, the guys he coaches and the people he works with. Even after a hard weekend, it's got to feel a little better going back in on Monday to supportive co-workers.

Since Brad got in at 3am this morning, I took the girls to church by myself and let Brad get some more zzzzzs. Well, we were slightly late, so Mallory's class was full in the nursery. I debated for a minute whether we should just turn around and go home, but I decided to try taking her into "big church". On the way into the auditorium I explained that we will sing, pray and then Pastor Gary will talk about the Bible. I also tried to stress that we whisper in church. So, we made it in the very back and she LOVED the singing. During one of the songs, she looked at me and said "It's Praise Baby!" "The hippo Praise Baby!" Yes, she has watched those dvds one too many times. She now requests them by naming the animal on the front. Sad, sad. Anyway. I just giggled and told her she was right. We lasted a little longer into the sermon, but the whispering got louder and then she said she shooeyed, so we hung out in the foyer. This was the first time since Morgan was born that I've brought her in church with me. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think she might have lasted through the whole service without acting a fool....possibly.

And there you have it. Boring, I know. Hopefully next time I'll bring you something a little more entertaining and exciting!

She put it all together

Life as we know it is over! Morgan crawled about 5 feet tonight to Brad. Ahhhhhh! Soccer games and taking showers will never be the same:)

NINE months!

Well, the time has officially come to where it's basically impossible to take her picture in the chair. I will continue trying, but it's getting close to a safety hazard when she is in it. Enjoy the following:

Her latest trick, waving!

Almost every day you can hear me or Brad say the following about Miss Morgan: "She is so different than her sister!" We obviously know they are different, but it still amazes us how completely opposite their personalities are. Case in point. Mallory was a little OCD about things (and still is today). She was constantly closing doors, pushing in chairs that were out, and would never let this rug get by her without fixing it. Morgan, on the other hand, makes a bee line for it whenever I sit her in front of the fridge to play with the magnets. It's like she knows it annoys me!!! Look at that face...turkey!

Morgan LOVES to stand up. If you are sitting on the floor with her, she is reaching over to your leg to pull herself up. She can get to her knees and would prefer for you to help her to her feet all the time. Occasionally she'll even bounce to music. She still gets on all fours and just rocks. She'll end up on her belly (or head if she's real brave) while she reaches for a toy. Lately she's been kind of scooting backwards and into a sitting position. There are days I look forward to her being mobile and then I realize how much life changes!! This is one of her absolute favorite places to hang out...the back door watching Connor. We get tons of giggles and squeals from her here!

Here's Mallory at 9 1/2 months to compare:

She's almost graduated from baby food to table food completely. Another difference between the sisters...the appetite! Morgan is a delicate eater...although, looking at her belly you'd think otherwise! My friend gave me a great tip. Use a food chopper to mash up the table food. I did this with lasagna, and Morgan fed it all to herself! Brilliant idea, Marla! Morgan still doesn't have any teeth, so she is obviously not eating this apple, but it gave me about 15 minutes to get dinner ready one day!

Other fun facts about Morgan:

*She is a belly sleeper. Every night we put her down on her back, and when we check on her she is sprawled out like a frog on her belly. It reminds us of the first time we saw her. We think it's especially weird that her and Mallory sleep in some of the same positions. It's like sister ESP or something.

*She is doing babbling/screaming/screeching/throaty, catch my breath noises/raspberry noises all the time now. She was doing the same sound for a while, but in the last few weeks, she's added m's, d's and all sorts of other sounds. She officially has "said" mama, dada and ba-ba for bye bye.

*Along with her new "words", came new movements! She waved bye bye at lunch a couple of weeks ago. She has learned how to clap, but it's not the normal way to clap. One hand is in a fist and the other claps on top of it. One move I can do without is her turning over on the stinking changing table! It drives this momma CRAZY!

*Her stats from the doctor today (which is a new doctor, and we really like her!) : 20 pounds, 9 ounces-75th percentile (Mallory didn't hit the 20 pound mark until one year!), 27 3/4 inches long-75th percentile and her head is in the 75th percentile.

She is a happy, happy baby. I love her gummy smile, the way she just lights up when she sees anyone, how easy going she is, the way she loves her sister, how sensitive she is when she gets hurt (cries like there is no tomorrow, and then silence when you pick her up). She is a blessing for sure and we're thankful for our Morgan!!

Randomness about the first born

Morgan is about to get a big post in a couple of days for her NINE month birthday...can't believe it! So, tonight, it's all about Mallory! Just some random things about our big girl...

She would still rather read books than play with toys...unless Morgan is playing with a toy. This morning she read books in her tent!

The electric toothbrush. Why didn't we invest the $5 like 6 months ago when we really started brushing her teeth every night? She did great for a while, then it was like pulling teeth (ha!) to get her to cooperate. Enter the electric Dora toothbrush. Magic. She actually RUNS to the bathroom now to brush her teeth. She even leaves her mouth open for longer than 5 seconds!! It's greatness and I highly recommend it if your child does not enjoy brushing their teeth.

BMom and Pop stopped by on their way home from San Antonio! Mallory got to read some books and meet some hermit crabs!!

Potty training. I have a feeling we'll be in diapers for a while. I'm okay with that. I would much rather wait until she's really ready than go back and forth with lots of accidents. She hasn't pee peed since the big day last week. We have worn princess undies over the diaper a couple of times. Even that is old stuff, so we're not pushing her right now.

The minuscule amount of pee pee in the potty last week:

We joined a new small group temporarily for the parenting study Shepherding a Child's Heart. Couldn't be better timing!! So far I'm pretty convicted about my own heart and how I'm to shepherd Mallory's (and Morgan's eventually). This parenting gig can be intimidating!!

How is it that this was Mallory just one year ago? She looks so little to me!! She was barely walking barely had enough hair to put in pig tails! Crazy! What is even crazier is that her sister can wear the same onesie at 8 1/2 months old...

I cannot believe how much she has grown up. I think I said that this time last year was my favorite age, but of course it changes. I love the way she interacts with me and Brad. She is a hoot! Her latest thing is to answer "Mmm hmm" instead of "yes". On Sunday, we were driving home from lunch and talking. All of a sudden, we hear "Shhhhh, Mallory's on the phone" in a very serious, matter of fact voice. What??? I turn around and she's got her cell phone up to her ear and her finger to her mouth "shhing" us. Because of that, another favorite phrase around here is "You're not the boss. Who is the boss?" Occasionally she'll say Mallory or Morgan, but quickly says "Mommmmmy and Daaaaaaaddy are the boss!" Turkey.

BIG news!

Somebody went pee pee in the potty for the VERY first time ever!!! It happened right before bath time last night, and hasn't happened since. But, we are still excited for the first step in Mallory becoming diaper free! We made a trip to Target today to pick out big girl undies. She chose Princess...and Elmo...and Dora! I only let her bring one package home. She's got to go for real before I stock up!!! Those undies are expensive!!

Brad's games got cancelled because of Ike, so we are all home this weekend. Maybe we should try "potty training boot camp" this weekend??? In my mind I'm totally ready for her to be potty trained, but the actual process of potty training completely terrifies me!

Run (or walk) the Rock!

I've bought the shoes, I've paid the registration fee and I've done my first official day of training (complete with a blister!). I guess there is no going back now!! Please don't be too impressed, the majority of it (i.e. 12 miles) will be done via the walking route. But, it's still a half marathon none the less!

This year will be a family affair. My sister, dad and Brad will all be doing it with me!

The stroller review

This is long overdue since we got the stroller back in March, but that is how I generally "roll"...late! I asked for lots of suggestions way back when. There was lots of good advice from all of you experienced mommas out there! We ended up deciding on this one.

We bought it back in March. Mallory was 20 months and Morgan was 3 months. In the beginning, we used the car seat attachment for Morgan and Mallory sat in the back seat. That worked great for us (check out the website for the picture, I can't find the one I have from a couple of months ago). We recently took out the back seat and changed the car seat bar to the snack bar for Morgan (Morgan is now 8 1/2 months and Mallory is 27 months). Mallory LOVES to be able to get on and off the stroller herself! Morgan isn't phased by sitting in a big girl seat now. No complaints from either!

We really like the stroller, but have had just a couple of problems.

The first is that the crotch buckle (kind of a necessity for a 5 point harness!) came completely off of Mallory's seat the first time we used it. I debated whether or not to send it back...but, you have to re-pack the stroller and I believe pay for shipping...so, we just dealt with it. Mallory is a very good stroller kid. She stays put and is pretty happy in strollers. This obviously wouldn't work if she climbed out all the time or was a monkey in strollers.

The second issue is the back seat. I read on several reviews that it didn't sit completely straight. It is true! Mallory looked uncomfortable when sitting back in the stroller. She usually sat up (or leaned forward so she could play with Morgan). We knew it would be a sit n stand longer than a tandem, so we didn't worry about it.

The third is probably worth sending back, but we don't have the box anymore and can't really live without the stroller with soccer season in full swing, so we are just dealing with it. This is going to be hard to explain without a picture, and I'm too lazy to go outside and take a picture of what I'm talking about! Basically the rubber lining on one of the tires has come out a little. Not completely, but just enough to go "hmmm, that isn't supposed to happen". We don't take the stroller off-roading or on crazy rugged terrain. Normally just the streets and soccer fields! It's not affecting the ride or steering, so that is also a reason we're just making due. Apparently, the same stroller is at Target, but has plastic wheels. On the OSA website, several people said it was worth the extra $20 for the rubber wheels. It seemed logical to me, but now I would probably just buy the one from Target!

A small fourth problem is the storage basket. It doesn't jut out, so it makes it very hard to get to stuff or put stuff inside the basket. That is a very minor problem, but one to note!

In conclusion, we really do like the stroller! The girls loved being able to look at each other when Mallory sat in the back. Mallory would go crazy with the canopies (opening and closing them), so I'm glad we're in sit n stand mode now! The stroller steers great, has good cup holders and folds up pretty compact (and it's easy to do). If Mallory was older when we were looking, I probably would've just gotten a Joovy. I know several people who love theirs. But, the one that we got was perfect for that in between stage our kids were in.

The sponge sings!

Last night we headed to our favorite place to get free dinner (for Mallory anyway). My friend Marla and her 2 boys met us up there. This has become a fun tradition (it's only been twice) since her husband has a crazy schedule like mine!! After dinner, we went to their house to play. The 3 big kids played in the sand and got it in every crevice possible, so we gave a community bath shortly after. Poor Morgan had hit her breaking point by the time we got in the car to head home, so we got to hear some singing from her the majority of the way home. Mallory and I were singing "The Wheels on the Bus" since that usually helps calm her down. But, last night, she wouldn't have any of it. So, instead Mallory and I discussed the stars and the moon. I thought I'd teach Mallory a new song. She seriously had it down after 3 rounds. Toddler brains are AMAZING. I wish I had it back in nursing school:) I couldn't decide which one to post, so you get to amuse me and watch them both!!

This one is the most comprehendable:

And this one just makes me laugh. She sings it so fast and then you get to hear her "funny voice". We don't know where she picked this up, but she talks to us all the time in it. She uses it a lot when I'm getting onto her. I always have to turn around so she can't see me smile. I have a feeling she has her daddy's sense of humor. Oh boy!

Coming soon...the "stroller review". I know you are on the edge of your seat!

Labor Day Fun!

Brad has the majority of the day off today...woo hoo! We had a fun weekend full of soccer games, church and then realxing at home today. The girls LOVE it when daddy is home to play with them. Lots of tickling, wrestling and having fun!!

Morgan is starting to pull up on stuff! Mallory loves it when Morgan gets in her bed with her after naptime. So, I usually oblige (plus it keeps Morgan occupied during diaper changes!). Well, look at her new trick! She is even better at it now (this was a couple weeks ago). She can pull up on almost anything now to her knees! And crawling is literally just around the corner. She gets up on her knees really well and just smiles and rocks like crazy! Look out world, here comes the spaz (That term is affectionately used, don't worry! She's just soooo much more active than Mallory was at her age)!!

Mallory was kind of going crazy right before lunch (kept asking for a video over and over and over and over...I knew she was bored!), so I decided to do a little impromptu craft! Amanda, I totally got this idea from you! I got a couple of old Parenting magazines, a glue stick, construction paper and scissors. I asked Mallory to find "red" things. So, she casually flipped through the magazine and then would yell "I see red!" I would tear the page out, cut out the object and put them in a pile. After she got bored with that, we glued them onto construction paper. The first time I let her pick out the color (hence the orange construction paper for red objects), then it dawned on me to do a red theme. So, we glued the objects onto the paper and then I wrote RED at the top. She LOVED it! After she named all the objects and spelled out RED, she asked to do green. So, we did the same thing for green...except this time I got green construction paper:)

I've been talking to all of my friends about how and what to do for arts/crafts at Mallory's age. Everyone has said how easy learning is, just do something easy and fun, be creative..blah, blah:) Well, I guess they are right! I didn't know if she would really enjoy this, but it was great! She identified all the objects (even stripes, polka dots, boys, girls etc.), spelled the name of the color, counted all the objects and had a ball doing it! We will be finishing out the rest of Roy G. Biv this week!! (By the way, I know I am a dork for remembering Roy G. Biv from like 4th grade, no need to tell me!!)