It's a long one folks!

We have had a fun week and a half...too bad Brad hasn't! He is at his 6th (if you count each session individually) and final soccer camp of the summer. Poor guy. It's good money, but it really has worn him out this summer.

The fun part was getting to go with him to Abilene last week while he worked at Hardin Simmons. Mallory and I stayed with Tim and Kara while Brad bunked in the dorms on campus. I am now on a detox diet from Ding Dongs and Coke! Holy cow. This next doctor's appointment shall be interesting. I hadn't gained any weight yet as of my last appointment...I think I gained 5 pounds just in the last week...thanks Kara!

Anyway. We had a fun 4 days with the Richardsons. No trip is complete without bath pictures of the kiddos. Here is Mallory and Brooke bonding and being modest.

Since none of us were able to come to any of the birthday parties for the girls, we had a belated (and early) birthday party for them. Kaylee turned 2 in March, Mallory 1 June 5, Brooke 1 June 16 and Noelle just had her first birthday July 18. Fun! We put 5 candles on the cake and let them dig in. The tricky part was keeping their hands out of the fire from the candles. Why do babies grab everything???

Kara has the coolest tunnel for the kids to play in. It's especially cool because it is cute! Isn't that a girly thing to say? Mallory was scared to crawl through it at first, but once she did, she loved it! I didn't plan it, but notice how well coordinated my child is in her orange dress???

Our only trip out with all 3 girls was on Friday. We went to Hickory Street Cafe (for all of you Abilene folks out there) for lunch, Classic Collections for some shopping (where I accidentally shoplifted some recipe cards...oops!) and then home because everyone was tired and it was raining. Kaylee sat in the middle to keep an eye on Brooke and Mallory for us. She was being very sweet and held their hands. Brooke wasn't really in the mood...typical younger sister!

Later on Friday, we went by HSU to see Brad in all his glory during the "World Cup Night". He has become quite famous for his politically incorrect costumes over the years. This year, his team was from Kazakhstan and he attempted to dress as Borat. It was pretty humorous. Some of my favorites from the past years: Saudi Arabia (he dressed in a red bathrobe, curly black beard and completed the look with a turban...all while the news came out and caught him on video...lovely) and Cuba 2 years ago (he was Fidel Castro and shaved his goatee off but left a moustache....yikes!) Here's a family photo. Mallory wasn't too sure of who this man was with her mommy....

We left Abilene last Saturday and headed to my parent's house while Brad left Abilene to head to A&M again. There aren't any pictures of our time there because the grandparents do such a good job, I always forget to get out my own camera. Oops. Mallory enjoyed her time with Mimi and Grandpa. She got to go swimming and dunked her head under water! We got to see Tate a lot and ate at yummy restaurants with Aunt Kelly.

We also saw more of my friends and Mallory's friends. On Tuesday, we met Brooke (and baby Hall), Lori and her little girl Faith for lunch. It was a fun time and will just get even more fun after December with the new babies in the group! I will second what Brooke said on her blog, we missed you Meredith (and Hayden and Ella). It wasn't the same without all four of us together.

And literally since last week, her vocabulary has grown quite a lot. I'm thinking hanging out with a 2 year old helps a lot! Over the week she said (for the first time): Night, night (nigh, nigh), Tate (you have to listen kind of hard for this one), Banana (nana) and Doggie. That doesn't look like a lot of words, but it seemed like she just all of a sudden started talking...a lot!

And now we are home. It's nice to be away to have help with the kiddo, but I am usually ready to sleep in my own bed and get back to our routine. So, last night after I put Mallory down for bed, did I sit back and watch TV (yes, I watched the Victoria Beckham show...shameful!)? And I also re-organized my kitchen! I have been meaning to do this for quite a while, but found the time last night for some reason. So, my pantry and cabinets are now pretty. We'll see how long that lasts.

The above picture probably needs some explaining. Mallory is really into sorting things. She will hand you blocks one by one and then put them back in the container the same way. So, while I was blow drying my hair, I thought this box of feminine supplies would keep her busy...and it did!

Here is my first belly shot at 18 1/2 weeks. I think when I was pregnant with Mallory I had already taken 3 pictures by this time. Poor second child! Speaking of second child...we find out what Froggie is in exactly one week! I can't believe it's almost here. It's gone by really fast so far. Crazy. And, since we are talking about upcoming events, our new Target opens one week from Sunday! I might be just as excited about that!



One last picture. Mallory has started signing "Please" without us even asking. I was sitting on the floor with her and she handed (threw) me a book and then signed please for me to read to her. When she first started signing, I didn't really think she knew exactly what she was signing (I thought she would just equate it to food), but now I'm convinced she has put it together. I was taking her picture earlier and she kept signing please for me to take one more. So smart!

This is me and Brad last night on our date! The dates have been few and far between, but for some reason, we've been able to go on 2 in the last week and a half! I've had to learn to just suck it up and ask people to babysit Mallory (not that it is that hard, she is a cutie pie). I guess we just feel like we are inconveniencing people. Blah, blah. We know that it's not and we should do it more often. Anyway. Back to the date. We just had dinner at the Cotton Patch (we split dinner so we could splurge later!) and then saw Evan Almighty (here's where we splurged with the popcorn and coke...mmmm!). It was a fun 3 hours and even more fun because we took our "new" car! We've been sharing the 4 Runner since we sold Brad's truck. With soccer season approaching, we knew there would be no way that we could still share a car (well, we probably could, but I would be a basket case in the house all day!), so we started looking. Brad found an older Jeep Wrangler to get him from work and the house. Perfect! And a lot of fun on a summer night might I add...with the top off and wind blowing your hair crazy!

Here's a picture from our drive home...the sun starting to set, a slightly cooler breeze and riding around town with my man...nothing better!


And, since I haven't posted many new pictures of the Big Sister, here are a couple from the last few days. She is getting quite adventurous with her climbing and she is showing off some of her new "tricks". What fun this age is...I think she learns something new everyday!

I had mentioned before that she will give you a hug if you ask when you are holding her...now she will give a hug to anything you tell her to. She will literally stop crawling and hug the carpet...or stuffed animal...or your leg...it's pretty sweet! She's hugging her bear (obviously).

Since my sister had a baby and I occasionally have playgroups over here, I've kept some of Mallory's "baby" stuff out. Well, I guess she thinks they are toys. That is fine with me! It keeps her occupied. She figured out how to sit in her Bumbo the other day. The only problem is when she wants to get out her booty and thighs get stuck and that makes her mad! I thought her face was cute here too.

Seriously? ESPN has a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" Championship? What?

Tag

I'm in a blogging slump. I just don't feel like there's anything really interesting to blog about. I could tell you all about what Mallory is doing (like playing peek-a-boo all the time, giving the best kisses-"mmmmmwaaaa!", throwing her head back in the shopping cart so you will tickle her neck, saying "duck"), but we know that isn't fun to hear about:)

I guess I will answer my sister's tag....

First Memory: I have my sister's memory problem...but I think I remember when I busted my forehead open after swinging from our mantel. Mom says that there was blood everywhere and it came from a tiny little gash right at my hairline. I think I remember laying on the couch with a washcloth on my head (but it could just be from stories). I still have a little scar, and probably needed stitches, but oh well.


First Real Kiss: I was a late bloomer. It was when I was 15. I won't divulge his name because I know several people that read my blog that know him! It was at my parent's house on the couch!

First Concert: New Kids on the Block! I got tickets for my 10th (or 11th) birthday. Box seats at the Astrodome in Houston. I had seen their music videos before with all the girls crying...so I thought that was what you were supposed to do at concerts. So, naturally when the lights went down and guys ran out on the stage, I started crying...until I realized it was the opening band and there were only 3 of them...and they were African American! Oops. I didn't cry when the New Kids ran out on stage. The moment had passed:)

First Love: Brad! We officially said "it" on December 30, 1999. Both of us were nervous!

First crush: Oh my word! Who didn't I have a crush on? My real crazy crush was a guy named Nick. He was a football player. I was in the 6th grade, he was in 7th. I would get giddy as I waited outside of his classroom (since my class was in there next) and just try to get a look from him. What a dork!

First thing you think in the morning: Already? Even though Mallory sleeps 12ish hours every night, I can always use a little more shut eye.

First book you remember loving: Ramona Quimby books and Just So Long as We're Together by Judy Blume-the first book that made me cry (every time I read it!)

First pet:Brandi, a golden retriever. Technically, it was my sister's dog since we got her on her birthday. She was a good dog!

First question you'll ask in Heaven: Why me?

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation: Where and when?

First best friend: Chad and Theresa in North Richland Hills

Last time you dressed up: My wedding? Ha! Probably church a couple of weeks ago.

Last thing you ate: A bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats

Last CD you bought: I can't remember the last time I bought a CD. I did download some Itunes for Brad's Father's Day present

Last book you read: Do "Parents" magazines count?

Last time you cried: Listening to some of the songs I downloaded for Brad's Father's Day present. They were songs for him and Mallory. There is one by Heartland about a little girl on her wedding day. Her dad is telling her future husband that he loved her first and to take care of her...oh man, I may cry just thinking about it!

Last movie you saw: Shrek the third. It was pretty good!

Last time you told someone you loved them: About 30 minutes ago when Brad called.

Last really funny thing you did: For some reason, I can't think of anything. Usually there are a lot! Mallory thought it was funny when I blew in her face yesterday while we were standing in line at Wal-Mart.

Last thing you watched on TV: What Not to Wear is on the TV right now.

Last Halloween costume: A cave woman outfit my sophomore year in college. Yes, we went trick or treating. Dorks!

Last Concert attended: The African Children's Choir performed at our church around Christmas last year. Does that count?

I think you are supposed to tag someone...so, if you want to do it, I tag Meredith, Sarah, Alison and Brooke!

For my dad.

According to my dad, I've fallen off the face of the Earth since there hasn't been a post in a week and a half. So, this one is for you dad!! (I appreciate you calling me today to make sure I am still alive!)



I guess we have been busy in the last week and a half. Here's a quick recap of what we have been up to:

* Sharing a vehicle. We sold Brad's truck about a month ago and are living on one vehicle either until A) we drive each other crazy, or B) soccer season starts...whichever comes first!

*Bible Study! Our church has been doing a "Summer Sanity" Bible study every Tuesday and it's been really good. Angela Thomas' Beautiful Offering...highly recommend it.

*Playgroups! Mallory and I really have enjoyed getting out of the house and playing with people our own age:)

*Soccer camp. Brad started it this week (his own this time, not A & M). It has been hectic to say the least. Throw in 10 inches of rain in 3 days, a one year old that is either teething or has an ear infection (fever off and on), and a 12 year old second cousin staying with us for the camp (which has been really fun for our dog and Mallory...and us too!), and that makes for some stressful times on the coach.

*Doctor's appointments. Mallory had her one year checkup last week. Here are her stats: 22 pounds, 8 ounces; 30 inches tall (2 1/2 feet!); 18 inch head. She also got 3 shots and still has a knots where the nurse put them...poor girl! Brad and I had dentist appointments. No cavities for either of us!

*Dinner with friends. We met Tim, Kara and the girls in Comanche for some Mexican food. Mmmm! It was fun to see them. The girls enjoyed playing with each other. Mallory stole some of Brooke's cereal...hopefully she'll forgive her! I have a picture, but I'm adding this little tidbit in, and the picture will end up in the beginning of the blog if I try to upload it now. And that will make me crazy if it doesn't match with the right paragraph...

*And, the most recent...

Do you know what this is (see picture below)? I always wondered why in the world they would build this great looking house and then stick a pipe through the ceiling of the porch. It is an eye sore! Well, I (Brad already knew what it was, I guess I just never asked him) found out on Monday. This pipe started dripping water from it. I noticed it when I checked the mail and thought, "Hmmm, that's never dripped before. That can't be good." So, after a long and stressful day, Brad got to come home to that! Our friend Brian was staying at our house for the camp and said it could be the AC run off drain thingy. Sometimes they get clogged and that pipe is the emergency run off valve. That doesn't sound good.

So, we get out our handy-dandy home warranty that is about to expire in a couple of weeks. We call and put in a request. The last time we used our home warranty, I was thoroughly embarrassed.

We had moved into our very first house (ever) in January. The home inspector guy had said he couldn't test the AC since it was so cold. So, that March/April, we turned it on to make sure it worked (the house was 50 years old). Sure enough, the inside unit kicked on, but it wasn't cold air and the outside unit never would turn on. So, we called our home warranty and they sent someone out. This big, burly man from Clyde comes to my front door (I'm home alone). He checks it out inside and then asks to see the outside unit. I walk him outside and say, "See, it doesn't kick on." He replies back with a polite, "Is the AC breaker on?" And I reply with a dumbfounded (probably ditsy to him), "There's an AC breaker?" Sure enough, he flips the breaker and the AC unit magically turns on! Amazing. I don't think I've been that embarrassed in a LONG time! So, I asked him to check it all out anyway since we had already paid the $50 service fee. Come to find out, that AC unit was installed in 1957! It was almost as old as the house itself. I should have written down the name of the brand. They just don't make ACs like they used to! Crazy.

Back to the original story. So, they send a guy out yesterday and he gets up in the attic, and, low and behold, it's the emergency run off drain! Brian's a smart guy! He said it was a good thing we have the emergency drain or else we would have had a bigger problem. I paid him the service fee and off he went. What a relief! I was sure it was some massive leak in our roof from all the rain that we have been having. I guess that home warranty is good for something.

So, there you go dad. I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth and now you are completely updated on my life...along with whoever else reads this thing!

Hallelujah!

As in the chorus from "Messiah"...

Brad is home after being away for NINE days! Usually I am pretty good while he is gone (it happens a lot being a coach's wife), but this time, I have never been more ready for him to be home!

Something about Mallory turning one... I guess she has decided to go into "toddler mode" early. Or, maybe she could sense that Brad was not around. Whatever it was, I was on the verge of losing it! Can you run out of "No's" before they turn 2? I think I used a lot of my quota while Brad was gone:)

During the time that Brad was not here, our sweet Mallory learned the following bad tricks:
*How to shred, not unroll, but shred the toilet paper! The bathrooms are now off limits to her.
*How to escape from all types of barricades. She pushes the baskets (that are full of books) forward and crawls out. Now what am I to do???
*When I tell her no, she now cries, lays her head on the floor and is VERY dramatic! It's actually kind of funny, but I do not let her see me laugh or smile...yet!
*She can stand on her tippy toes and reach a lot of stuff I didn't think she could. I had a note ready to go in the mail on our entry table, and here she comes crawling into the kitchen with it crumpled up. Hmmmm...onto baby proofing tables now!
*Connor's water bowl. This was inevitable and only a matter of time.
*She has figured out how to stand on top of something to get to something else. We have this really cute pink stuffed hippo chair (thanks Aunt LaShay!) and Mallory has learned to stand on that and reach out to grab things off the side table. No fear!


It really wasn't until the end of the week when she started getting tired of me (that's really what I think it was!!). We had visitors (thanks for coming Kelly and Tate!) and then some playgroups and dinner at a friend's house, that kept us busy most of the time. But, it also rained a majority of the week, and that makes for a difficult time entertaining a one year old that doesn't walk yet. I couldn't blame the girl for some of the stuff. There is just so many things that she isn't allowed to get into that really bugs her!

So, instead of focusing on the naughty things, here are some sweet tricks that Mallory learned:
*How to give a hug. It depends on her mood, but if you catch her at the right time, and say "Hug?", she will lay her head on your shoulder and "hug" you.
*I think she said "duck". Of course, it didn't sound exactly like that, more like "duct", but she said it over and over while playing with a rubber ducky.
*She can dance! For a while, she could bob her head (not to a tune...unfortunately she inherited a lack of rhythm from her mommy) when we said "dance", but now it is full fledged, leg moving, bouncing up and down and saying "heh, heh, heh" in a gruff voice. Cute!
*She's been doing this for a couple of weeks, but it's too cute not to point out. When she is in the kitchen with me, she'll see her reflection in the oven, crawl over to it and give it a kiss. She is now obsessed with giving (or blowing) kisses to her reflection whenever she sees it (in the bathroom mirror, in the car, window etc.)

I'm sure there are a ton more, but I can't think of any at the moment. Reading all the things she has learned to do just in a week makes me realize how fast she is growing and changing. Instead of getting frustrated with her when she disobeys (like she even knows that she is disobeying most of the time...I think part of it is figuring out all the things in her world, you know?), I need to just take a chill pill and enjoy this stage of her life. I know it will be over so soon...sniff!

Side note: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to Brad, Dad and Larry!

We love all of you so much!

5 years!

Five years ago today, I was eating Taco Bueno with my sister in my veil heading to the church! It was the happiest day of my life. I was marrying Brad, the love of my life! Who knew that 5 years later, we would be living in Temple, have a one year old daughter and be expecting our second child already?

The last 5 years have gone by quickly and slowly if that makes any sense. It feels like I've always been with Brad and then I realize how fast the time has really flown by. I love Brad more and differently than I did on the "big day". We have both grown so much through our marriage, in the good times and the bad. I am so thankful that God "laid on his heart" to prank call my good friends Lori and Brooke! It is his personality and humor that I love the most. Anyone who has been around Brad for at least 5 minutes knows that he is funny! He can make me laugh anytime.

I can't wait to see what the next 5 years has in store. I love you dear! Happy Anniversary!

In honor of our anniversary, here are 5 things that you may not know about us:

1) As mentioned before, we met through a prank call (that wasn't even to me in the first place!).

2) We are both Type A (me, a little more) and actually "discuss" who gets to vacuum sometimes.

3) We are both very, very stubborn and butt heads on a lot of things...a lot of the time!

4) This is not to make Brad feel bad AT ALL, I really think it's kind of funny. This is the 4th out of 5th time that he has been out of town on our anniversary. Oh, the life of a soccer coach. Summers are filled with camps and "continuing education" (soccer licenses).

5) One of our favorite things to do is get dessert from somewhere and drive around neighborhoods looking at houses and just talk. It's especially nice in the summer when you can roll down the windows if there is a nice breeze. We did this a lot when we lived in Abilene (and before we had Mallory!)

Noooooo!

It's official. I'm a little less than 14 weeks pregnant and already showing! My friend Laura came over to watch a movie tonight and commented, "look at your cute tummy!" I'm refusing to be in maternity wear until 20 weeks (when I made the transition with Mallory). Okay, maybe that is a little silly and vain. I just have to keep reminding myself...Froggie is getting settled in faster since everything is already nice and cushiony and stretched out!

By the way, I forgot to mention we had our third appointment last Friday and everything is well. The heartbeat was loud and strong (156 for all of you who want to make guesses on the gender from that). It was as much fun to hear it by Doppler as it was with Mallory. It was fun watching her face too. You could tell she couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

That's all for tonight. Now I'll continue searching for a name for this little girl or guy. Just had to vent about the "pooch". And, no. You won't be seeing any belly shots for a while. I want to be good and showing when I get brave enough to post one of those. The second time around is a whole different ball game folks.

Happy Birthday to Mallory...belated!

This is overdue, and for a good reason. Brad and I just got back from our anniversary trip to Meixco! Playa del Carmen was beautiful! We can't wait to go back. Brad says with the kids...I'm not too sure about that. We missed Mallory bunches while we were gone, but were so thankful that she had a good time with her grandparents. She didn't even recognize us when we got her out of my dad's car on Thursday. Not exactly the homecoming I was imagining....

Anyway. Now for the important part. Mallory turned one while we were gone! Bad parents I know. But, we did give her a party the day before we left. I have to digress here. Please, remind me not to EVER: plan a birthday party, a trip to Mexico and prepare a child for staying with grandparents for a week away all in the same day! It was chaotic to say the least, but we all survived. Back to the party. We just had family over, grilled hot dogs and celebrated Mallory's first year. She enjoyed all the attention (which is surprising since most of the time she can be quite shy in big groups of people) and actually smiled! We love our Mallory and can't believe a year has already passed. Everyone is right, it goes by sooooo fast! She is a joy and has been so much fun. We can't wait to see what the next year has in store!

Here she is "opening" gifts. I really opened all of them (which was fun for me!) and she just played with the tissue paper.

This is the before picture. She is signing "more". Smart girl!!

Side note: Brad taught her to sign "please" at dinner last night. I can't stop laughing when she does it...quite cute!

And the after. She didn't need any help digging in, but I pushed the cake (gently) into her face! I couldn't resist. She probably would've given the cake a kiss, but this was more fun. My sister said she looked like a character off Fraggle Rock! Yes, she had her very own cake. Lucky for her, Sam's made the wrong size cake, so we got this one free!


Hosing her down in the sink. She wasn't a big fan. I can't see why...

The happy family with the birthday girl.

Thoughts at 1:55 in the morning

I am up late getting stuff ready for the big party on Saturday...silly I know. She won't even stinking remember it!

I had a moment tonight. We bought Mallory's "big girl" car seat and I installed it in our car. She is no longer in her infant carrier (not that we still carried her around!). I didn't cry, but it did make me realize just how big she is getting. I still can't believe she will be a year old on Tuesday. Seriously...where has the time gone?

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Chapter 2 in the "Chaos". This is a short one. We have closed on our house in Abilene and now we are "living it up" in a hotel for the week. Lots of relaxing, trips to Target and eating out...some of my favorite things to do! Only 5 short days until we meet the little girl and still no place to live permanently...we are nervous and excited all at the same time. Fun!

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Here's proof that Mallory is getting old. Our barricades in the living room do not work anymore, and after succeeded to crawl over the floor pillows, I had to think of something else. I didn't get my camera quick enough, but she had a grip on the opposite side of the baskets with her whole leg flung into the basket ready to crawl over the whole thing...turkey! She then got mad at me (probably for taking a picture of her and not helping her!) and promptly took a bath and went to bed. I'm afraid the "terrible 2's" won't wait for her second birthday...

Chapter one in the "Chaos of 2006"

Our story. I really should be a better journal-er. I'm sure our kids would love to read about all of the drama in our life someday. In our short (almost) 5 years of marriage, Brad and I have been through some pretty stressful situations. So far, nothing tops the months of April-July of 2006.

The following is me, the night before I got induced with Mallory. Sorry about the goofy look. I usually make that face when my dad is taking my picture. Not sure why, but I do. Anyway. Check out the gargantuan belly!! I included the picture to go along with the post just so you can have a clear picture in your head.


This day last year, I was 39 weeks pregnant, had HUGE cankles, and was crying like a baby, saying my goodbyes to fellow employees. It was my last day of my first "real" job. I really loved my job. I worked as an RN in the emergency room for almost 3 1/2 years. It kept me on my toes (literally with 12 hour shifts!), was different everyday and I truly enjoyed the people I worked with. Unless I was working crazy overtime, I never dreaded going to work. I would say that is pretty unique. Occasionally, I still miss working as a nurse. I think I miss interacting with the patients the most. I have some pretty crazy and sweet stories stored away in my brain somewhere about the patients I took care of.

Now that work was over, and Brad was done commuting back and forth (which he had been doing since April), it was time to pack up our house, and get ready to close in the next 4 days. Not only did we have to pack up our house, but we were also putting all of our belongings into a storage unit for a month. We also didn't really know where we were going to be living after we had Mallory. We were staying in a hotel the whole week of the closing, and had 2 nights at the hospital covered. But that left about 4 weeks of homelessness (is that a word?). We just prayed that something would come up.

I remember sitting on the floor of what would have been Mallory's nursery, packing up all of her stuff. Brad came in and said that Mark and Anissa (a couple in our Life group at church) were needing someone to house sit for them while Mark was deployed and Anissa went to Nebraska to be with family. She had heard about our situation through other people at church and wondered if we'd be interested. It was perfect. We had an actual home to come home to after Mallory was born. We could feel normal and eat real meals and I could "nest". Mark and Anissa let us stay at their house until our new house was ready to be moved into. It was a total answer to what we had been praying for the whole time. And it was an answer to what they had been praying for as well. Isn't God funny? Every now and then I still feel jipped that Mallory didn't get a "proper" nursery to come home to and that I didn't get the complete pregnancy experience (like decorating the nursery, nesting etc.), but that thought ends really quickly when I realize all of the details that the Lord worked out. It may not have been my ideal, but it was His plan in the end. I am so thankful!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:27-29

Too much progesterone

I will blame it on the first trimester sleepiness for the lack of blogging. I seem to take naps whenever Mallory takes naps...I thought I was supposed to only do that when she was a newborn??? Oh well. It keeps mommy in a good mood when she has her nap! Anyway. 10 weeks along and still feel yucky at least one part of the day. I'm thinking it's a boy. I really don't remember feeling like this when I was pregnant with Mallory. But you never know...

Let's see. Not a whole lot going on around here since the last blog. Brad is "done" with school. At least, classes are done and now it's officially summer. He'll still have some office hours during the days, but it's definitely more relaxed. He's been helping one of our friends paint their duplexes and that has been fun for him (read very sarcastically!). The countdown to our "Mexico 5th anniversary" vacation has begun. I won't put the amount of days because it kind of creeps me out to put that on my blog. Just know that we are VERY excited and ready for a vacation with just the two of us!!

Mallory has officially gotten her first two "boo-boos" as of yesterday. And they both happened within an hour of each other. She was playing at her ABCs table, lost her balance and fell hitting her head on the window sill. She had a good little mini goose egg that popped up over her left eye in her eyebrow. Poor girl. I'm just glad she didn't split her head open. I was at Wal Mart and Brad was watching her...let's just say someone is a little squeamish when it comes to blood and crying:) The second ouchie happened when I got home. Brad has created a monster with this pillow wrestling thing. She took the pillows off the couch and was wrestling them between the coffee table and couch. Next thing I know, she is screaming and grabbing her foot. Turns out, there is some metal decorations on the side of the coffee table and apparently one of them was bent. She scraped the heck out of her leg and was bleeding from the cut. We got it all cleaned up, but managed to get blood on mommy's shirt, a pillow and her sheet in her bed. Good thing for Shout! She took a 2 hour nap after that! I was thinking she'd have a black eye after the fall, but it's already back to normal.

I've been thinking a lot about what we were doing this time last year (selling a house, finding a house to buy, my last day of work, having a baby, moving and Brad starting his new job). I'm sure that will be my blogging content in the next couple of weeks. We'll relive the "Chaos of 2006". Stay tuned...

Table for four please...

That's right. We will become a family of four around December 17! We are thrilled about the news and interested to see what Mallory does when this baby comes into the world. They will be 18 months apart...should be fun!

I am very proud of my self control though. We have known since April 13 and I have held the news in until yesterday when all of our family was in town for Mother's Day and Mallory's baby dedication at church. That might be a record for me in the "secret keeping" category.

Anyway. I am about 9 weeks along and dealing with a little more "sickness" than I did with Mallory and the tired-ness is kicking in. Brad came home the other afternoon while I was taking a nap. I said, "Hey, I'm sleeping for two here. Don't give me a hard time!" Good thing Mallory takes 2 long naps everyday!!

And onto his/her first picture. We think he/she looks like a little frog, so I've nicknamed him/her "Froggie":

It's right around the corner!

Mallory turned the big 1-1 on the 5th. That's right, 11 months...holy toledo, where has the time gone? Soon my baby girl will be one year old. I have a feeling it will take some getting used to when I say "she's one". Wow.

Anyway. She is a hoot lately. Quite the big personality coming out more and more. She actually smiles at strangers now, that is a first. It takes a little bit, but she'll do it. She used to just stare them down. I felt kind of bad (especially for the little old ladies that would try forever to get a smile). And she lets us know when she doesn't like something, or wants more of something. She starts saying "mamamamama...MA!!!!"

She talks all the time. She is starting to form some more words. She says mama, dada, dog (without the "g"), still barks at Connor, and asks lots of questions (at least that's what it sounds like...everything has an inflection on the end of her babbling).

By our scale, she is almost 21 pounds...that is a lot of girl to be toting around!

She is a speedy crawler and pulls up on anything that is slightly steady! She "cruised" for the first time last week. All the way down the couch. That was it though, just one time. The barricades that we have set up in front of the TV and around the house are no longer safe. She is getting inquisitive about what happens when she pushes certain buttons or opens certain doors...not fun for mom and dad! The "No's" have begun!

She is an all table food gal now, and has been for about a month now. That is nice for me, but not for Brad. He isn't too keen on sharing food:) She loves waffles, cheddar cheese, oatmeal, bananas, corn, carrots, sweet potatoes....I'll stop or I'd name every food. This girl likes to eat!

Her most favorite thing now is to wrestle with pillows. Brad taught her this trick. She LOVES it! She is usually sweating and slobbering everywhere after they are done playing. Now it makes it tricky to get her ready on her bed, she just wants to throw herself on the pillows. It's quite cute though. I have a good video, but can't seem to get it uploaded yet.

And probably the best milestone she has passed ever...and has been doing so for over a month now...sleeping through the night. I mean 12 hours people. That is heaven! We have been waiting for the day since she was born (that might be an exaggeration...no, maybe not). We put her down about 8:00 every night and she doesn't wake up until 8:00am or later! I meant to blog about that a while back, but didn't want to jinx myself. I think it is safe to blog about now.

Here are her 11 month pictures in her chair. I have tried to do this every month, but I think the time is over. She will barely sit still long enough to get the first picture. As you can see, there is something very interesting behind the chair, and oooooh...she can wrestle with the cushion. It's time to find a new "picture place".

BUMMER!

I stand corrected...and sad! My sister says she has a "6th" sense and can tell what buildings will be before they are advertised (she needs to blog about that one!) and didn't think that building was going to be a Taco Bueno. That got me questioning myself. I started looking at Taco Bueno buildings online. Brad piped in, "Maybe it's a Jack in the Box!" Very funny.

Well folks, he is correct. Take a look at the similar shaped buildings. I am so sad tonight. I hate Jack in the Box!

Could it be???

A Taco Bueno in Belton, Texas??? Seriously. It can't get any better than that! A brand spanking new Target (opening on Brad's birthday...lucky him!) and a Taco Bueno less than 10 minutes from my house. I'm in awe.

I guess I can't get too excited yet. There isn't a sign in front of the building, but I am 99% positive that the picture below is of a Taco Bueno building. Brad says it is sad that I can recognize the structure...I say I'm just a loyal fan:)

Like mother, like daughter

****Disclaimer: I apologize to any family members that see these pictures and are angry that I didn't get permission ahead of time to post them on the Internet. All proper names have been left out. ****

Moving on. From birth, Mallory has pretty much taken a liking to looking like me. As she has grown, there are days when she looks exactly like me, and some days she looks just like Brad. I think that is so weird! I think it's the eyes and HUGE eyebrows (I am old enough to "groom" mine) that makes her look so much like me.

I found these pictures at my parent's house a couple of weeks...or months ago...and couldn't get over how much Mallory looks like me! Unfortunately, I don't have any of Mallory in similar poses (to get the full effect), so if you can't remember, go to earlier posts! Get ready for a flashback to 1981!

Shannon and her cousin

Grandma (isn't she cute!!), Shannon, Uncle and Shannon's sister (we didn't start looking like we came from the same family until college probably!)

Shannon, Shannon's mom (look at that 'do and the sunglasses!) and her cousin again


I think it's pretty cool how all that genetics stuff works. I wonder if we'll still look alike when she is way older....

Duh-nuh nuh-nuh nuh-nuh....

...you say it's my birthday! And it's my blog, so I can blog about my own birthday.

Yes, today I celebrate being alive for 27 years. That sounds old to me, but I know many people reading this are rolling their eyes. I am embracing 27 and enjoying it so far!

I had a super fun day. It started out with a doctor's appointment...boring...then I got lots of phone calls throughout the day of various people wishing me a happy birthday.

Brad and I had to go to Austin yesterday, so we celebrated a little early and had dinner there last night. But, we had planned on eating lunch together today, so when he got home, I was ready to eat! He said that lunch was being delivered. Hmmmm. What could it be? Pizza? I was starving, so I had to have a little snack while we waited....and then the doorbell rang. He opened the door, and it was Kara, Kaylee and Brooke...3 of my favorite people! Brad said I had a "typical Shannon reaction", I jumped up and down and said "Yay!!!" We had lunch, went shopping, had dinner (that Brad cooked...mmmm!) and then said goodbye around 8:30. It was so much fun and such a good surprise! I appreciate Kara driving the 3 hours (6 total) to surprise me for my birthday...thanks!!!! I love your hair and your girls!

Here are some pictures from the fun:

Flowers that were on the table when we got home from shopping...I love getting flowers!

The best picture we got of all 5 of us!

Kara, Kaylee, Brooke, Mallory and the birthday girl

BFF: Mallory and Brooke

Hey, they actually look like they were born 11 days apart now!

Mallory's first word!

She said "da da" for a while (not to Brad) and barked at Connor, but this is her first "official" word that she actually used toward a person...me!

Bluebonnets and a realization

Here is what I like to call "Bluebonnets Take One". Brad and I went to lunch yesterday and made an impromptu stop at one of the many bluebonnet fields (I'm surprised they are still here after our blizzard). Mallory surprised us and actually smiled for this one! She didn't eat any petals, but thanks to my friend Sarah, I had a head's up about them being poisonous! Kelly and Tate are coming to visit soon, and we will be taking more Bluebonnet pictures which will be lots of fun!

And now for the realization. Sometimes, what we think is super funny and cute, isn't to other people! And that is okay. As long as we are Mallory's biggest fans, and laugh at the stuff she does (i.e. spilling freezing cold water over herself), it doesn't matter if no one else does. I'm sure this won't be the last time we'll come to this realization.

Should we send it in?

We gave Mallory her first taste of real spaghetti last night. My sister in law Jenn would be cringing with all the mess that Mallory made! :) We've also been trying to get her used to the sippy cup. "Thanks" to my parents, she would rather drink out of a regular cup-especially in restaurants. She loves to play with the ice and swish her hands around in it. Anyway. Last night we gave her some water from a regular cup and this is what happened...enjoy! We think it's worthy of America's Funniest Home Videos, but we may be biased:) It's kind of long (about a minute), so don't worry about watching all of it, but you can see some of Mallory's head banging toward the end if you want!

Merry Chri....I mean, Happy Easter!

I have seen some strange weather in my short 26 1/2 years. Mainly it was during my time at ACU. One semester in January, it was 80 degrees and the next day is snowed and iced over. Weird. Well, last night Brad and I thought we were back in Abilene for a minute.

We went to San Antonio yesterday to go to Steve and LaShay's church for their Easter program (which was great by the way!). On our way home between Georgetown and Salado, it started sleeting a little and literally the roads changed immediately. We saw 3 accidents within a mile of each other! What is normally a 2 hour drive took about 3 1/2! By the time we got to our front door, the snowflakes were HUGE and there was about 3 inches of snow over everything. It was beautiful! Scary to drive in, but beautiful.

It was late, so we put Mallory in bed pretty quick. I guess if we were "cool" parents, we would have taken her out in it so she could feel the flakes on her face. I did let her try some snow off the top of the car. She seemed to like it:)

Another crazy Easter happening. Our church has 3 services and there are about 2,000 people that attend. So, they combined all services and decided to have one service at the Expo Center. I guess the power went out due to the storm and so we had to have church at our real church. Talk about a fire hazard! They had to put up chairs in the foyer, hallways, aisles...everywhere! It was craziness! A memorable Easter for sure.

Here's the snow from our front door. Soooo pretty!

Here's our house this morning. A lot of the snow had already started melting on the roads. There were snowmen all over our neighborhood. And big ones, not wimpy little ones.

Here's Mallory this morning for church. Her dress has a petticoat! Talk about girlie!

Right before we left for church. Happy girl!

Disappointed

Before I talk about being disappointed, I have to show pictures. Mallory is 10 months old today! I know, I can't believe it either! She is so much fun at this age. And her boy cousin Tate is 4 months old today! They got to bond a little more earlier this week. Here are a few pictures:

If only we could get them to smile at the same time! For some reason, I think Kelly and I will be saying that a lot in the next few years!

Oh well. We'll just get the smiles separately instead:

And this is definitely fitting. Either she is being helpful and about to help Tate sit back up, or she is about to push him down and pull his hair. I'm thinking it was the latter....she's a haus! Check out those thighs!!!

Okay, onto why I'm disappointed. I've been excited all day today for The Office. Sad, I know! But after several weeks of re-runs, I was ready to see if Jim was going to get malled by Roy and what would happen with Pam and Roy.

So, I got Mallory bathed, fed and tucked into bed all before 8:00. I sat down with my brownie and milk for dessert and started the tivoed episode.

Maybe it was because I was by myself watching it, but it just wasn't quite what I had hoped for...and I am a huge Office fan. The scene with Michael and Jan was pretty amusing, but nothing I laughed out loud to. I guess I'll have to watch it again when Brad gets home.

What did everyone else think?

Unsolicited advice

You didn't ask for it, but I'm going to give it.

If you are pregnant or about to be pregnant, and planning on living on one income after the kid is born, buy diapers now!! That was by far the best advice I received when I was pregnant. Brad and I started buying diapers in different sizes when I was about 14 weeks pregnant. Once a month, we made a trip to Sam's, and bought a big box of Huggies and wipes. There were about 10 boxes stacked up in her room by the time June came.

Mallory is almost 10 months old, and I just now had to buy a package of diapers and wipes for her. 10 months people!

Just for fun, I calculated how many diapers and wipes we have used in these short 10 months. I came up with approximately 2,000 diapers and 5,000 wipes. And, we have saved almost $500 by purchasing them in advance. Dave Ramsey would be proud.

So, there is my 2 cents.

A video and a milestone

For the last several weeks, Mallory has been soooo close to crawling. Every time the grandparents would call or see her, they would ask. Every time someone would ask how old she was, they would ask. At first, I was getting nervous that she wasn't developing as fast as other babies. And then we got to see those babies getting into everything and making their parents crazy. So, Brad and I have just chilled out about it and are letting Mallory decide when she wants to do it. Well, I guess that day was today!

She loves to play with her yellow brush after I give her a bath. So, I put the brush in a plastic bin that she had been eyeing and off she went. Now, it's not perfected yet, or very graceful, but she is getting there.

I don't mind though. She'll be walking before we know it...then running...and pretty soon we won't be able to keep up with the little rugrat!

A weekend of cousins!

It is so gloomy today. I thought I would make a trip to Target to get me in a better mood, but a monsoon of a thunderstorm kept me from getting there. Bummer. I am thankful for the rain, but ready for the blue skies and spring weather to be around!

We had a fun weekend of traveling to the metroplex. Brad really has a coosh (sp?) job. He recruits all over, in a school vehicle, get his meals paid for, stay in nice hotels and I get to travel with him and see friends and family I normally wouldn't get to see as often. It's one of the blessings of being a coach's wife.

These pictures are a little out of order, but you will get the drift. Our week/weekend in a nutshell:

Cousin time! Mallory and Tate are exactly 6 months apart, so it has been and will be fun watching them grow up so close. We went to the metroplex for his baby dedication at church. Here is Tate trying to get some tummy time in while Mallory "plays" with his hair. She is also in need of a serious diaper change!! Side note: Thanks for the dress Aunt Jenn, she looked super cute at church!!

Brad's grandparents stopped by on their way home to Houston to visit with Mallory earlier in the week. We thought she might recognize them, since she just saw them a week ago, but she still wouldn't give a smile. Turkey! I always say, "She's smiling on the inside!" I'm just glad we are over the phase of crying when people hold her (other than me and Brad).

I can deal with no smiles, but crying kind of hurts people's feelings.

This is Julia. She is our niece and Mallory's other cousin. Julia is almost exactly 5 months older than Mallory. How fun is that? I am predicting a lot of discipline needing to happen in the next couple of years because of trouble these two are going to get into. She obviously LOVES bubbles!! We got to spend the night in the "country" with her and her parents (we enjoyed seeing you guys too!)


The first "cousin bath"! The girls are now old enough to take a bath together. I think they enjoyed stealing the rubber ducky back and forth. Although, Mallory really liked the spray thingy we used to rinse her hair out with. She was fascinated with it.

There it is. We had a fun and fast weekend. I think Mallory may be allergic to the metroplex though. She has been sneezing snot out of her nostrils all day today!

I'll leave you with that image:)

FYI

Don't use wheat flour or less than the required amount of eggs when making chocolate chip cookies. It's not a good outcome.

Don't let the picture fool you. These cookies were nasty! I decided to be a sweet little wifey and make some chocolate chip cookies...from scratch. I have done this many times in my lifetime, and they never turn out like the Nestle commercial (you know, the cookies in the oven melting down and forming perfect little circle cookies). But, they are usually always edible. Not this time. They started out good, but turned bad pretty quick.

I've been on a wheat flour kick recently (not sure why, except that I heard it was good for you and I was scared that my white flour had bugs in it...did you know you are supposed to store flour in the freezer to avoid that problem? Me neither). I don't think chocolate chip cookies should be made with wheat flour. And I only had 3 eggs instead of 4. I should have just given up then, but I continued. I thought the dough looked a little "sugary and wheaty", but thought it was just the texture of the flour. Out of the oven they came. I let them cool a little and then attempted to get them off the cookie sheet. No such luck. They are as hard as a rock! As soon as I tried to scrape with my spatula, they turned into a crumbly mess. Bummer! I was really looking forward to enjoying the leftover dough and cookies after dinner tonight. I guess I should stick to the break apart dough from Pillsbury.

I am so not a June Cleaver.

Imitation is a form of flattery...right?

It seems like we have begun a new stage with Mallory. She has started copying us! We were with my family over the weekend celebrating Kelly's birthday, and she learned these new noises...almost as cute as her laugh! I tell you what, I think this might be my favorite time to be a mommy so far! I enjoyed the newborn stage because of the sweetness (don't even ask Brad about the first 4 months!), but after 7 months, her personality really started coming out. She is a hoot to be around lately.

Happy Birthday...

...Aunt Kelly!!

Love, Mallory

Now to explain. My sister (Aunt Kelly) started a tradition of buying Mallory all of her "holiday attire". So, in honor of her birthday, I attempted to dress Mallory in everything Kelly has bought her so far. I'm kind of glad I didn't since she got so mad with just the Thanksgiving head-dress. Now you can see why I don't mess with the bows anymore. It's just not worth it...even if she looks super cute with them on!

Anyway. We hope you have a great day today and we love you! Happy Birthday!

Mallory pictures

Here are some recent pictures of Mallory. She is growing up so fast. Sniff, sniff.

Here she is eating a snack of Cheerios and cheddar cheese. You can also see her 2 teeth on the bottom. The white spots next to the teeth aren't more teeth, they are epithelial cysts (what her doctor called them...he said they should go away in the next year...weird). She is getting more used to table food. She's had a banana, green beans, toast, baked beans, ranch style beans, mashed potatoes, a piece of a brownie (!), turkey and probably some other things that mom doesn't want to know about while she was gone! She's also sporting her Cal onesie that Grandpa and Mimi gave her, but it didn't make the zoom, sorry California relatives!

This is my favorite. The other day she took a 2 1/2 hour nap! We were slightly worried about her, so we opened the door to peek our heads in. This is how we found her. The picture is blurry because I didn't want the flash to wake her up before I got the picture...

And then Brad noticed this....


I don't know how she wiggles around her crib so much. She isn't crawling yet, but somehow she manages to get from one side to the other. I'd love to set up a video camera and watch her one night. Crazy sleeper!!

Lettuce anyone?

So, Brad and I had this theory a while back. First, a little history.

When we lived in Abilene, we spent the summer "landscaping". We layed sod in our backyard, put up a new fence (not by ourselves), dug flowerbeds in the front yard, planted shrubs and the unfortunate hydro-mulching of our front yard. If any of you are ever considering hydro-mulching, don't do it. And if you have to do it, make sure you have a sprinkler system. We had a horrible experience with it. It cost a pretty penny and we ended up with a yard full of weeds!! Okay, now on with the theory.

When we moved into our current house, the yard was really pretty. We have thick bermuda grass that was green and looked like it had been well maintained. Brad enjoys taking care of the lawn, so he was pretty meticulous about mowing. About 2 months ago, we started noticing some weeds coming up. Then, it seemed like all of a sudden, our yard was consumed with them (front and back). Our theory was that we brought all of the weeds (in our lawn mower) from Abilene! It made sense. Everywhere Brad had mowed, there were the weeds. Apparently our theory failed. Part of our fence blew down a week ago and we saw the "yard of weeds" next door. So, that brings me to today.

My finger nails hurt. I spent approximately 1 1/2 hours pulling up weeds in our front yard this afternoon. Brad fertilized the yard last week, so I thought I would be sweet and help pull the weeds. Secretly, I wanted an excuse to be outside and possibly get some sun on these white arms of mine! It seems like forever ago that I was even remotely tan (pre-Mallory days). Anyway. Back to the weeds. It started out good. They were easy to pull up for the most part. Then, I got a bunch of ants mad at me, found several spiders (seriously, what good are they?), 4-5 inch long worms, crickets and lots of rollie pollies. I haven't wanted to touch a rollie pollie since I was little...not that I wanted to today...that is what gardening gloves are for! I found some very tough and annoying weeds. I'm not sure what they are called, but they seriously looked like heads of lettuce! And the roots were forever long. We don't have a hand held shovel thingy, so I scoured the kitchen for some kind of tool to use. A cake server did the trick!

Our front yard now looks like the tee box on a golf course. Tons of divots...but, there isn't any more lettuce, so that makes up for it! I didn't even finish half of it, but it already looks better. I made Brad come out and "admire" my hard work. He probably couldn't even tell that I had filled 3 HEB bags, but was nice anyway, and said it looked good. I think I'll work on it some more tomorrow. It's kind of rewarding. And, if you ever have cake at my house, it won't be served with my "gardening tool", don't worry.

He deserves a HUGE gold star!

So much to blog about. First, I have to start with Mallory. Today is her 9th month of life birthday. We went to see the doctor today and got a great check-up. He said she is perfect and a blessing. We have a very sweet and Godly doctor. Mallory has recently gotten some dramatic tendencies when she doesn't like what you are doing to her or with her. (Oh boy for the terrible twos!) He was checking her ears and she was SCREAMING so loud. As soon as he stepped away from her, she stopped and did this little sigh. So dramatic. I wonder where she gets it from? Anyway. Here are her stats at the old age of 9 months: Weight: 18 pounds, 13 ounces (70th %) Height: 28 inches (she is finally getting "normal" and is in the 50th %) and her head is 17 1/2 inches. I would post a picture, but I don't have a good recent one. It'll be coming soon....

Next, I went away last weekend to our church's women's retreat. It was a very good and refreshing time away. I really got to bond with girls my age and the speaker was amazing. I have to admit though, I didn't really miss Mallory...until Sunday. Am I a bad mommy? I guess since Brad did such a good job the weekend before that, I felt completely confident. Plus, my parents came in to help, so that eased my mind.

Which brings me to my last topic, and the best one. I have a fantastic husband. When we moved into our house here in Temple, we painted practically every surface we could. Poor Brad. He was really burned out with painting. Anyway. I still had ideas for painting the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, but thought we would wait until this summer. Well, Mr. Sneaky spent the whole weekend painting our kitchen cabinets for me! My parents had "Mallory duty" and he painted all day and night long. I walked into the house (earlier than he had thought I'd be home) and saw a fan on. My first thought was "Oh no, a pipe busted and the carpet is wet!". I walked around the bar and saw the following sight:

He's amazing and worked so hard all weekend long. It was the best surprise and I'm so glad that I don't have to paint them now:)