Random thoughts

~We have a name for baby #2. It will be Morgan Paige.
~I am feeling her move...finally! It was making me nervous for a while that I couldn't feel any definite movements by my ultrasound appointment. My doc said that my placenta is really high up and acts like a muffler so that is why I couldn't feel her as much. I could feel her when he would move the probe around my abdomen. And, she is breech as of that appointment. I'm trying not to get nervous about her not turning. I really would not like to have a c-section!
~Mallory knows where the baby is. She will point to my belly (you can't really miss it these days!), lift up my shirt and jab my belly button. She'll even talk to Morgan and give her a kiss. So fun! I bet it won't last long after Morgan gets here and she realizes she is staying....
~If you buy a Blizzard at Dairy Queen tomorrow, part or the whole proceeds go to Children's Miracle Network. I'm planning on trying something different (gasp!) and going with the Kit Kat blizzard. I am already looking forward to it...sad.
~I am burp ragged out! I just finished the last set until December! There were/are 5 couples that we know having babies from July-September! Brad's cousins wife is in labor with her twins as I type...fun (for them!!)
~Mallory has learned so many new words...cheese, ball, dog (officially, instead of just barking), eye (she rubs her eye and says, "eeeeyyyeeee"), she makes a noise that sounds like "tickle, tickle" which we say a lot when we...tickle her, and she makes a noise that sounds like me when I count before I roll the ball to her. I told Brad the other night, we are really going to have to be careful with what we say around her now. She is mimicking a lot.
~I am very ready for her to start walking! There would be so many more activities we could do outside right now if she could just walk already! (I realize many of you are shaking your heads, but it really would be easier if she could walk in some public places, like parks)
~I am already worrying about the "second child syndrome". Eventually, Mallory and Morgan will share a room, so I'm in a dilemma about which girl to make a new room for. Do I just put Morgan in Mallory's nursery and change the name on the wall? It seems so unthoughtful. Or, do I leave Mallory in her room (which already has a daybed and could be a big girl room), and make Morgan her own nursery. Either way, I have to decorate a new room and then they will both go to one of the rooms and live together. Sorry for those of you I've already bored with this dilemma. It really isn't that big of a deal, I guess.

And now, some new pictures of the non-walking, squealing all time, teething 14 month old:

We stayed with my parents after the soccer game last week. Here is Mallory playing Mimi's piano (someone has to play it!). She would only play the black keys, but she really got after it. This is how she woke daddy up!

This picture has a funny story with it. Mallory learned how to sign "more" around 11 months old. Once she learned "please", she never did "more" again. Well, randomly, she has started signing "more" again. Larry (Brad's dad) put Mallory up on his shoulders at the baseball game (when we told everyone we were having a girl) and she patted his head. Almost immediately, she signed "more"! It was pretty funny and Larry took it in stride.

Mallory will probably end up being a girly girl, but until recently, she would have nothing to do with anything on her head (bows, sunglasses, hats, clips...you get the idea). Recently, she let me put my sunglasses on her, and liked it! Brad calls her (and me when I wear them), Posh. It took a lot of attempts to get the picture. She takes them off pretty quick! (I should give Brad credit, he took the picture in one try)

And here's a cute one of her doing, "this little piggy" to Tate's toes. She will tickle them and then squeal at the end. It's pretty cute and we should probably get it on video before she learns another trick and forgets.

A belated birthday post!

Brad celebrated his BIG 30th birthday last Sunday. Here is a post birthday recap of all the fun we've had making him feel old:)

This first picture is out of order. For the BIG birthday (notice I keep making a big deal about it since I've still got 2 1/2 years to go!!), I attempted to surprise him with tickets to the LA Galaxy/FC Dallas soccer game in Frisco. I say attempted because Brad and I are not very good at surprises. We both try to find out what the surprise is before the actual surprise, then we make each other mad because we guess what the surprise is.

This happened for Brad's birthday. The game was on Tuesday night, so I knew he would have to take off work since we'd stay the night at my parent's house. I waited as long as I could to tell him he needed to let his boss know (I've had the "plan" since early June). I knew Brad would ask why, so I told him he couldn't ask any questions, he just needed to do it. Well, long story short, Brad totally guessed why we were going to the metroplex (I forgot that it was a HUGE deal that Beckham was supposed to be playing in the game, so Brad had a clue when I told him July 31st...uggghhh!). Basically our conversation ended with me saying that I would never try to surprise him again (how dramatic is that?) and he pretty much had guessed the entire surprise, but didn't say it out loud. Oh well. We still had fun at the game.

But, I am over Beckham and all the hype about him. Whatever. You can't fly on a plane and just wave at the crowd? It's not like your ankle is broke or anything. Loser!!! Secretly, I just wanted him to be there so "Posh" would be there too. Brad said it was a good thing. I probably wouldn't have seen any of the game with her there. True. I tend to get a little star struck...

Here we are at the game during the second half. We sat to the side of the goal about 10 rows up and were able to see 9 out of the 11 goals scored. Brad said 11 goals in an MLS game is pretty unheard of. It was pretty fun.

Wade, Kelly and Tate stayed with us for a few days over the BIG birthday weekend. Tate left Brad a sweet birthday wish before they all left town on Sunday.

This one is out of order too. I had a really hard time convincing Brad to let me throw him a birthday party. Man, for someone that really likes to draw attention to himself (in a fun way, like dancing and being super goofy), you would think a party all about him would be fun! So, we just invited our small group from church over on Saturday to eat pizza and play Wahoo. Wahoo is a fun board game with Marbles (similar to Sorry and Trouble). It was pretty low key and everyone left by 8:30 (because of kiddos), but it was perfect for Brad. Here he is blowing out his candles on his cake:


And, another picture after the game. I actually did surprise Brad a little by not telling him who would be joining us at dinner and at the game. (Although he says he guessed that too!)
Left to right: The birthday boy, preggo, Tiffany, Barry, Oscar and Laura


Happy belated birthday! Love you!

The suspense is killing you, I'm sure

It is 1:00am on Saturday now, and I am just getting the time to let everyone know our news. We went to the doctor this morning and found out Mallory is going to have a little....

SISTER!

She looked perfect on the sonogram and weighs 13 ounces right now. She talked to us (opened and closed her mouth), showed us her girl parts in a very obvious way and was pretty active in there! I haven't really felt her move much, but just looking at her during the sonogram, you wouldn't know it! Everything looks great and I am just 2 days off of my due date, so I'm right on track.

Don't let the smile fool you folks. Brad had the same reaction this time as he did with Mallory. Of course, we are SO thankful to be pregnant again and to participate in the "miracle of life"...but, every guy wants a little guy, so there was a teensy bit of bummer. I had mentioned to Brad about a month ago that I might want to wait until the big day to find out what the baby was. He replied with a firm "no" and said he needed the 4 1/2 months to prepare if it was another girl. So, I guess he will have his time to prepare:)

A sweet little dress for a sweet little baby girl coming our way!

After the appointment, we headed out of town to go to a family function in Frisco. We decided not to tell any of Brad's family until we got there. I bought pink and blue shirts ahead of time yesterday and once we found out, we dressed accordingly (it took a lot to get Brad to wear a pink shirt!!). It was pretty fun to see everyone's reactions.

Here is the family of "pink":

And in other exciting news....our Target opened early! Woo hoo! It opened on Wednesday, but the grand opening is on Sunday. I've already been twice and love it...of course! This is a goofy picture, but it captures my excitement of having Target 5 minutes away now, instead of the 25 minute drive to Killeen.

We are thrilled about the new baby girl coming in December. The name isn't 100% yet. We are pretty close to deciding on it. I guess it's time to work on Mallory's big girl room and get ready for the new one to come home! Yikes! It's real!!

Where do you want to eat for dinner?

I dread this question. I am indecisive. I don't have "favorites" of anything really, I can never pick a restaurant to eat at and usually always pick standbys, I can't ever think of hobbies that I like to do or music I like to listen to etc. A "middle of the road" kind of gal. I lived with another indecisive girl my last year in college (not a good combination). We could never think of a place to eat, so she wrote down all of the restaurants in Abilene, put them in a jar, and this was how we picked out the place. But, the sad part is if it wasn't really something we wanted, we would just go to Taco Bueno instead. Sad, sad.

This isn't necessarily a bad trait to have, but sometimes it drives me nuts. I am somewhat envious of people that can pick out their favorite colors, foods, flowers etc. The profile on my blog was left blank intentionally:)

But, I have recently found something that I can honestly say I enjoy doing...sewing! I won't say that whenever I sit down to do a project I get giddy with excitement. I usually procrastinate and wait until the last minute. But, once I start (and complete something) I really like it!

Here is my newest addiction: burp rags. I made my first set back when my sister in law was pregnant with our niece Julia. Now, and when I have the time, it is my favorite thing to give to mommies of new babies. Each time I make them, they are a little more "professional" and creative. This is the newest set that I made last week for a baby girl arriving in August:



So there. I have now decided that sewing is something I enjoy doing. I can breathe a sigh of relief. I have found a "favorite".

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:)