Overwhelmed.

I've got lots of fun stuff to blog about, but I just can't. We found out on Sunday night, around midnight, that Brad's cousin (3rd cousin actually, but he was more like a nephew if that makes sense) died. Will was 9 years old. I think I'm still in shock mode. It's one of those things (like many) that I won't understand until we all get to heaven. So, I'm taking a little intermission from blogging until next week. The funeral is on Thursday in Merkel. Please pray for our family during this time. It's so sad.

3 months old

I think it's always fun to look back and see how much babies change. I know Morgan is only 3 months old (yesterday), but to us, she has changed quite a bit. She's put on some cute rolls, lost a lot of hair (in not so attractive places on her head), found her hands and loves them, found her voice and loves to watch her sister Mallory.

Morgan really is a sweet baby. She is so happy when she wakes up. She'll be crying and as soon as she sees Mallory and me looking at her, she gets the biggest grin on her face. She is tolerating tummy time a little better. It's funny to me that we video taped Mallory during tummy time. I guess it's pretty exciting the first time around. Unfortunately, Morgan hasn't had nearly as much tummy time as Mallory did. But, I try to remember (and keep her sister away when we do it), and she likes to look at herself in the mirror. She still needs to work on her sleep. She thinks a nap only lasts 45 minutes, and that she should wake up as soon as her pacifier falls out. I can't seem to take a picture without her "deer in the headlights" look. To make up for the shamrock picture, here are some cute ones of Miss Morgan.

3 days old:

One month old:

Two months old:

Three months old:

Her reaction to the Bumbo seat. I would say she's not a fan!

She is a fan of her bouncy chair though (good thing, since she gets some quality time in it everyday!). We were watching Mallory play outside the other day.

It's going by so much faster than it did with Mallory at this age. I keep trying to remind myself to soak it all in because, with my mommy brain lately, I won't be able to remember any of it!

Kiss us, we're Irish!

I bought these in the Target dollar section a couple of weeks ago. I had high hopes of getting a cute picture of both of the girls with them on. What was I thinking?? It must have been the lack of sleep that fogged my brain. This is the best I could do:

This morning before breakfast. If she looks sleepy it's because she sure did wake up at 6:45 this morning! She was yelling "Shooey!" from her crib, so I knew there was no chance of her going back to sleep.

Morgan might get a new nickname for this picture. Morgan the martian??? She'll be mad at me in a few years I'm sure!

Mallory talking on her phone leaving our playgroup Easter party.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Easter pageant

Yesterday was a beautiful day! We met Brad (and my little mommy group) up at the UMHB campus to have lunch and watch the annual Easter pageant. This was our first year to attend. Let's just say that it won't be our last! Mallory is still a little young to fully grasp the whole story, but I think it will be a neat tradition to start as a family. She enjoyed seeing the real donkeys (she thought they were horses) and the singing. But during the most important part, she got a little distracted, and was more interested in playing with my wallet instead of seeing Jesus rise again:)

This is a picture during the crucifixion scene. I'm still amazed that these are college students!

I think the timing of the pageant is good too. Usually, most stuff like this is the weekend of Easter. Since it was the week before, it really lets you get in the right frame of mind. I will admit, I've been a little preoccupied with finding the perfect matching dresses, Easter baskets and goodies for the baskets. In the end, none of that really matters. I want to remember the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for our sins. Not just on Easter weekend, but everyday.

We all survived!

Brad survived his first "Dad's weekend" with both girls ALL BY HIMSELF!!!! Go Brad! And, I survived my weekend free of kids! I left for Fredericksburg on Friday at noon and got home Sunday at 2:00. It was a great getaway without much sleep (funny how that happens when you plan on "relaxing" at a retreat with girlfriends!), a whole lot of girl talk, yummy tortillas at Mamasita's and some great sessions from the speakers at the retreat. My pump became my new best friend, we had a lot of bonding over the weekend:)

Friday was a little challenging for Brad (Mallory is getting more teeth and she was constipated! And the longest Morgan slept was from midnight to 2:30), but they actually left the house twice on Saturday and the house was clean when I got home. Brad is such a sweet husband for doing this. He easily could've had help this weekend, but he wanted to do it by himself. I told him over and over yesterday "thank you!!!!".

I missed my girls by Sunday and was ready to see them. Morgan smiled at me almost immediately (she has such a sweet personality), but it took a while for Mallory to give me a hug. She was acting pretty shy until I told her I had something for her. She ran over to see what book I had for her. Turkey. And, it didn't hurt my feelings this morning when she asked for Daddy when I went into her room. I'm so thankful she had fun with Brad this weekend and loves him!!

This was last night after before bed:

Peer pressure

I've officially recruited my sister-in-law into the blog world. Stop by and leave her a comment!!

Random thoughts from my weekend

~There should be a "family room" in every mall across America. I'm not talking just for diaper changes. A place with chairs and enough room to feed your baby (nursing or bottle), change their diaper and possibly let their older sister run around to burn off some energy.

~The post office should have a drive through just for buying stamps (like Walgreens for prescriptions). I really dread "running in" to the post office to get stamps. It's hard enough with one kiddo. It turns into a 45 minute errand by the time you get everyone in the car, to the post office, out of the car, stand in line, pay for the stamps, get back in the car and get home.

~Morgan has slept for 12 hours straight 3 nights in a row...but not last night.

~Sunday was the first day I dressed the girls alike. They wore the same dress to church (thanks Sharon!). I would have a cute picture of it, but Mallory completely flipped out about 30 seconds into the photo shoot. She would have nothing to do with the pictures. Funny, she is the one that asked to hold Morgan...

~It is really convenient when I can get both girls to take a nap at the same time. It is not so convenient when one of them wakes up right when I try to fall asleep for a nap:)



~We met a friend and her little boy at Chickfila Friday. While Mallory was playing (she went down the big slide ALL by herself...head first, but by herself!), another mommy came in with her kiddos. She had a little girl that looked about Mallory's age. I asked how old she was...18 months....her name....Mallory....how old her baby in the carrier was...3 weeks....his name...Benjamin. Weird for 3 reasons: #1 you don't hear many girls named Mallory, #2 Ben was our boy name if Morgan had been a boy and #3 their baby was a "surprise" too and is exactly 18 months apart from their Mallory...just like Morgan!

~Seriously. The weather should make up it's mind. Today is a day I would rather be here:

(That is a picture from our 5th anniversary trip to Playa del Carmen (that I never blogged about...oops!). I know it's not a beach picture. It's actually one of the jungle paths through the resort we stayed at. Just imagine really pretty white beaches, blue water and lazy days...because they were all there!!).

~Seriously. Every time Kara and I plan on going to see each other, one of our children is sick. Every time! How is that possible?? Mallory was up from midnight to 2am throwing up 5 different times. Luckily (crossing my fingers it stays this way), she hasn't had the poopies or thrown up since. Please, please stomach bug, stay away from our house! I want to see my best friend and I want to go on the women's retreat this weekend (start praying for Brad now...he's keeping both girls BY HIMSELF for the weekend while I'm in Fredericksburg!!)

"Sing, sing a song..."

I just had a flashback to junior high when my mom would drive me to school with oldies on the radio. Ha! Anyway. Thanks for all of the suggestions on strollers. Now, I just have to decide on the one and we'll be all set for more sane outings:)

Mallory has taken up singing in the last few months. It's really amazing how quick she catches on to the songs that we sing to her. Her repertoire includes: Jesus Loves Me, The itsy bitsy spider, ABCs (or ABCDs as Mallory says), the chorus from the David Crowder song, "Oh, Praise Him", the Barney clean up song...I think there are more, but I can't remember. She used to sing almost all of the words, but now she gets a little lazy. And, getting her to sing on video is next to impossible lately. First of all, she is like Brad. She doesn't do anything "on command", which means she won't smile for the camera or do any of her tricks when we ask her to...like when the grandparents want to hear her sing on the phone (this drives me bananas!!). And, she has figured out that you can look at the pictures right after you take them, so all she wants to do it "Looook!" But, I figured out that on our bigger video camera, I can turn the screen and she can watch herself sing. Perfect. Last night, I got this on video while she was distracted in the bathtub.

And, since I'm on a video kick, here is one of Morgan. She found her upper lip the other day, and it was pretty cute. She might have the same tendencies Mallory does, when asked to do something for the camera...

I need advice from some mommies out there!

After an "exciting" trip to the mall yesterday with Mallory in the umbrella stroller and Morgan in the Baby Bjorn, I am needing some suggestions on double strollers.

Before Morgan was born, I thought for sure I'd get a sit-n-stand. But, after yesterday's trip, I just don't think Mallory is big enough yet (she'll be 2 in June). She doesn't mind the stroller at all. She still sleeps in it, eats in it and enjoys being in it while we are out. I don't spend a whole lot of time out and about (at least right now), but I'm thinking for when Morgan gets bigger and we have more outings this spring/summer I'll need something.

I never thought I would want a tandem stroller (I've steered one before and they are HUGE!), but we tried a couple out at a store the other day, and actually liked them. We also tried out a side by side umbrella stroller. That was good, but it didn't have any cup holders or trays for snacks...and you can't put an infant carrier in it. And, we'd have to wait until this summer for Morgan to fit in it. How easy is it to really get through doorways with those? Plus, it is pretty close quarters for grabbing hair, pacifiers and whatever else they don't want the other to have (hopefully they will get along great, but they are sisters!!). I found a stroller that can convert to a sit n stand after you are done with the tandem style. That might be an option.

I also found this one (Contours options tandem) :

It seems like a really good stroller (you can change the way the seats face, remove a seat to accommodate an infant carrier etc.), but I can't find it in any stores to try it out before purchase. Has anyone ever used this stroller???

Basically, I'd love all the input because I am the WORLD'S WORST at changing my mind and not being happy with what I purchase. I (and Brad) really want to be happy with what I decide on.

Bring on the suggestions!!

A new look and a sweet hubby!

Okay, before I gush over the AWESOME new blog template that my new blog friend Shauna made me...I must talk about the previous post first.

Brad gave me WAY too much credit, but I guess he thinks it's all true:) He literally broke into my blog (sneaky, sneaky) by making me change my password (I was wondering why I randomly got an email from google asking me to change my password earlier that day...). We had our "official" Valentine's celebration last night, hence the romantic post from him! I love him for his random days of being sappy, his humor (he can make me laugh more than ANYONE), his love for our girls (Morgan, get ready for some serious tickle fights!), his love for the Lord and his love for me! I guess you could say "I did good!"

And, onto the new header/blog. Shauna just started doing these and offered to snaz up my blog for me. I LOVE IT and have wanted something catchy like this for a while. I have no clue how to even begin to make a header, so I welcomed the help! I think she did a great job and it was a fun "email marathon" during nap time today!

Another exciting thing happened today. I got a library card! I know, I'm a bad mommy (and I feel like a dork because that was exciting to me). We've lived here for over a year. Secretly, I fear going to the library. I don't know if I remember how to use the card catalog! Isn't that sad?? At least all of the toddler books are in one place:) Anyway. Mallory and I started going to story time at the library last fall. It's been a while since we went last, and I have been really feeling guilty about Mallory spending so much time at home playing with the same toys and reading the same books EVERYDAY, so we attempted it today. 10:30am on Wednesday is my nemesis. I just can't seem to make it out the door on time for the life of me! Today, we were late (again), but I went anyway. She enjoyed the last 2 minutes of singing and then some socializing with kids at the activity tables. She sat with a couple of older girls (about 4 years old) and just stared at them. Wouldn't say a word! It didn't really surprise me. On the way out, we got our card and checked out a couple of books for the bookworm.

I also made a super tasty tomato sauce from a recipe my mom gave me (from scratch people! It's not as hard as I thought!). I think I have enough sauce in my freezer to have spaghetti every night for a month!

Mallory has emptied all of the pens from the cup. I better go before she has ink everywhere!

*For some reason, there aren't any breaks in my paragraphs and spell check isn't working...sorry!

I Love You!!!!

Shannon Leigh,

I wanted to break into your blog world and let you and everyone who reads this know how much you mean to me. I am a big, dumb animal and never have the right words to say that will do my thoughts justice. So I will try now...

Who would have thought 8 years ago (or so) I would make the most important phone call of my life. I called Lori!! Thankfully,some of your friends are just as ditzy as you are and agreed to meet me and my friends. From the moment I laid eyes on you I was "diggin' yo chili". Let the hookup begin! (not really...for those who don't know it took much persuit and begging to get her to look my way) I really believe that if it weren't for my sweet '94 Chevy Beretta I wouldn't have stood a chance:) I didn't mind being used.

Wow! We have now been married for 5 years and 8 months and have 2 beautiful daughters! God has been good to me. I now have such a deeper love for you! Why?


* you're stinkin' hot! Are you kidding me? You've had 2 children!

* You are a coach's wife - A brutal and often lonley position. You not only married me but my profession and have been my biggest fan. You love my players like they are you own boys. You are a soccer fan! You love me through wins and loses. You understand my time away from home (in-season and recruiting). You have to sit on the sideline with parents and fans...which I am sure is a bit uncomfortable at times. You pray for my team and players before every game!

* You have delivered 2 little babies. There is something about seeing you in labor and all the hard work that goes on and the joy you have on your face when you see our little baby girl. Indescribable!

* You left a job you enjoyed, a church you loved and a best friend all for me and my job. As we began to pray you allowed yourself to be open to the move even though it was terrible timing. I can never thank you enough for your sacrifice!

* You take care of my little girls while daddy's at work everyday. I will confess...my job is so much easier than what you do daily. Not only do you have to tend to the needs of a 20 month old and 2 month old girl you find time to keep the house up and cook.

* I know I say this all the time...You are the opposite of me! You are good looking and I am not so attractive! You are nice and I am a sarcastic jerk! You are good to others and I can't even remember names. You plan and I have no idea what I am doing tomorrow.

* Most importantly, you love the Lord! Your desire to know and seek him out encourages and often challenges me to do the same. I am blessed to have a wife who prays for me daily and walks side by side with me as we follow Jesus!

Please know that everything you do and all the sacrifices you make do not go unnoticed! Thank you! I LOVE YOU!

2 months old!

Sweet Morgan is already 2 months old. I can't believe it!! I thought it all went by fast with Mallory...this is crazy! We went to the doctor this afternoon. Apparently, Brad and I make large kids. Mallory was always in the upper percentiles for weight and height. It looks like it is running in the family. Morgan is 12 lbs 8 oz (75th) and 23 inches (90th). She had a really pitiful and sad cry during the FIVE shots she got. Poor thing. This picture was taken before:)

At 2 months, Morgan really likes: eating (she's got at least 2 chins I think!), being rocked to sleep, her big sister, her pacifier and smiling! She really dislikes: waiting too long to eat , anytime the car stops while we are driving, sitting in her bouncy chair for too long (she is getting better) and sleeping consistently through the night (she can't seem to make up her mind: 5 hours one night, 9 hours another night, then only 4 the next night)

8 hours of sleep = a happy mommy and daddy

and I hope this little cutie keeps it up!

Our family keeps getting bigger...

...no, I'm not pregnant again!!! Brad's brother and his wife had their baby boy on Monday! Johnathan Lawrence was born a little before 3pm, weighing 8 lbs 11oz! I am mad that I didn't think to charge my camera battery, so this is the only picture we have of him before the battery died:

Hopefully we will see and hold him again soon! Brad's parents had all four grandchildren in the same room togethe at once. We should have got a picture of that. Oops! Check out Johnathan's white hair! He looks a lot like Julia did, except for that hair. The only blonde grandbaby so far.

Mallory and Julia had a blast playing in the waiting room together. It's crazy how much more they are enjoying playing together even since Christmas. Mallory told Julia all about being a big sister and that it was lots of fun...especially since you get to play with their toys before they do!! Don't they look excited for me to take their picture right in the middle of playtime??

I meant to take a picture of Morgan and Johnathan next to each other (they are 7 weeks apart), but you already know the battery was dead. So, instead, here is a picture of Morgan the other weekend at my parent's house performing her new trick...smiling!

I'll end with a funny Mallory story. We have been praying with Mallory at night before bed for a while now, but just recently Brad has been having her repeat it. It is usually the same, "Dear God, thank you for (insert family members names). Help me sleep good (for my mommy and daddy!). Amen!" Well, the other night as we were cleaning up, she was being goofy and wanted to pray again. So, she bowed her head and said this: "Dear God, thank you for...five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" So sweet!

The first haircut

A big first happened last weekend while I was at my parent's house (besides making the biggest fool out of myself ever!). Mallory got her first (and much needed) haircut. Her tresses were beginning to resemble the timeless do of the 80's...a mullet! Her hair wasn't too long, but the back was a little uneven, hence the mullet. I was a little nervous since I didn't know exactly how she would react to a stranger coming at her with scissors. But, I did know that she would do this through the whole thing:

That is the infamous "Mallory stare" she has had since birth pretty much. Check out the furrowed brows!!

We brought along her favorite "ideo", Veggie Tales, her pacifier and her blanket for backup. The lady was fast (which was good) and Mallory got to sit in a super cool red car with a bell on the front. She hardly even watched Veggie Tales and told the lady thank you after it was done.

This is Mallory and the hairdresser. I didn't actually intend to get a picture with her and Mallory. When I said, "Let's get an after shot", the lady stood by Mallory and posed for the picture. She said, "Oh, if I had known I was going to be in the picture, I would have done my hair!"

A funny Walmart story

I think everyone can have one of these (some have more depending on what town you live in!).

So. I'm still trying to get the hang of this 2 kid thing. I was doing good until lunch time came and both of the girls had to eat. I had to run by the bank and Walmart all before Mallory's naptime. We made it to the bank with Morgan screaming in the background the whole time (she's not a fan of the car stopping). Then, while we were at Walmart, I was going to mail off our house payment. It was super windy and the envelope blew from my hand as soon as I reached out to put in in the drop box. I run out of the car, leave both kids there while it's running, and haul booty across the parking lot to catch it. I do and get it mailed off. Morgan is still screaming at this point. I was thinking about turning around and going home because I figured the trip would just get worse. But, I still went (mainly because we didn't have ANYTHING for dinner). Stick with me here. The funny part is coming.

I'm in the meat aisle trying to figure out what a boneless beef chuck roast is, when this older man (probably in his 80's) drives his buggy next to ours. He starts talking to Mallory and reaches out his hand for "five". She just stares at him the whole time (which isn't very uncommon) and won't talk at all. Not even a "hi". Before he leaves, he says, "I bet I know why you aren't talking to me, you read my hat." I looked up at his hat and almost laughed out loud. This sweet, little elderly man was wearing a hat that said "Show me your boobs". Wow. He then proceeded to say that he was a "naughty old man" while he drove his buggy away. I stood there speechless.

I should know better...

...I'm a girl! And, I've had children!

Last weekend, my dad came and picked me, the girls and our dog up to take us to their house while Brad was away at our church's men's retreat (wow, that was a long sentence). Anyway. We loaded up the car, and were literally about to drive back home yesterday, when I saw an old friend (her parents live 2 houses down from my parents, small world). I knew that she had 2 kiddos and as she was walking toward me, it really looked like she was expecting again. Not just the "first trimester showing". I guess it must have been the shirt she was wearing, or my contacts needed to be changed out...because the first thing I said to her (after hello) is, "You're pregnant again!" She promptly replied with "No, I'm not!" Luckily, this girl has a great (and in your face, in a good way) attitude. I think I apologized 1,000 times before I hugged her and went back home...completely embarrassed.

For now on, unless I've seen the ultrasound picture I will let the expecting momma share the news before I suspect anything.

I am so mad at myself.

I'm baaaaaaack!

It has been a LONG week and a half without a computer. Yes, without a computer. That means no checking email, no blogging, not even checking weather.com!

About a week and a half ago, I was checking a friend's blog and noticed her super cute layout. I clicked on the website for the free template, searched for about 20 minutes, copied and pasted...and then I got high jacked. Someone took over my computer and put some sort of spy ware/virus in it. There were pop up ads galore, my desktop changed and I thought someone was watching me from a hidden camera. It was kind of creepy. So, the tower went to the computer MD for a while and we just got it back today. That is the reason for my lack of blogging.

A lot has happened in the time I was away. Let's see if I can catch up. This is in no particular order because my memory isn't too good lately...

*Morgan's cord finally fell off. It took 4 weeks, but it finally came off. It was around 5am and I thought it was a polka dot on her PJs, then was surprised when I saw her real belly button! She also turned one month old. I took Mallory's pictures every month in this chair, so I'm going to do it with Morgan too.

*Mallory got to hold Morgan and LOVES it! She actually cried after the video below.

*I have to preface this by saying that I think Morgan is beautiful (of course), but I have to be honest too. She is going through a rough time right now. Her head is flaky and her hair is thinning...bad. She resembles an old man when she doesn't have a bow on. See picture and video above. Poor girl. She'll grow out of it soon...I keep reminding myself that!

*One of my sister-in-laws gave me the coolest onesie. It has 2 sets of snaps, so it grows as Morgan grows. Why don't they all come like that? Genius.

*I've survived the last 2 weekends while Brad has been out of town. I guess it doesn't really count since I had my sister the first weekend and then my in-laws the next weekend to help out.

*Morgan officially smiled yesterday while I was talking to her and doing the "motorboat" sound. It reminded me how awesome it is when your baby starts to respond to you:) She's also started cooing and it's the most dainty little sound. So sweet.

*Brad and I went on our first date! We actually got to go to dinner and a movie! What a treat. Thanks to Larry and Sharon for watching the girls for us. And, thanks to Morgan for taking a bottle so her mom and dad could go out!

*Mallory has started singing. Somewhere she learned "Twinkle, twinkle little star" and will sing it (most of it is not comprehendable unless you know her language, but all of the syllables are in the right spots). She can also sing "Itsy, bitsy Spider" and the clean up song from Barney. I need to get those on video. She is also a fan of accessories...and lots of them.

*Morgan is a big fan of the Baby Bjorn carrier. It's pretty convenient for me too. I've gotten out (besides just a ride around town or to get a Coke) 3 times now by myself with both kiddos. Wal-Mart twice and a Chick-fil-a play date. I told my sister I felt like a spectacle for people to watch the first time, but it's getting easier and feels more normal.

And, that is all I can think of now. Not very exciting, but it's life right now. I'm trying not to be too anxious for Morgan to get bigger. I find myself saying, in 3 months, it will be a lot better. I need to remember to enjoy this newborn time...especially if Brad is really telling the truth when he says this is it!!!

Life.

I'm going on my 4th day by myself so far. I will say, there are some perks being married to a coach (in his off season). Brad has pretty much been able to take care of Mallory in the mornings before work and then be home around the end of naptime every day. The real test is coming this weekend with his first recruiting trip out of town. Luckily, I have family that feel sorry for me and are willing to come and help...thanks Kelly!!

We got another out of town trip under our belt. This time was MUCH better! We stayed at my parent's house Friday night while Brad recruited at a soccer game in Mesquite. Then, Saturday, we headed up to McKinney for our niece's 2nd birthday. We can't believe Julia is already 2! She is getting so big and that means in 5 short months, our Mallory will be a big girl too. It kind of makes me sad! Anyway. Is this not the cutest birthday cake ever? It tasted pretty good too!

And, here's a cute birthday girl to go along with the cute cake. It's crazy how much Julia and Mallory have started looking like each other.

My in-laws informed me that Mallory will be getting the same gift for her birthday this summer, so I've already started preparing myself. I got teary just looking at Julia on the bike with a helmet on. Can she really be big enough to ride a bike??? I guess so!

This is how Morgan prefers to sleep during the day...in someone's arms. Luckily, it doesn't always have to be me! I've got several pictures of Pop and Mallory sleeping, so I'll just start the collection of Pop and Morgan.

I am a bow person, but since we've been so "house bound", I've only put her in a bow twice I think! So, yesterday I decided even though we were at home all day long, I was going to make her a bow head. I think she looks like a totally different baby with a bow on.

Speaking of Morgan. I was talking to my friend Natalie the other day about the 2nd child syndrome and how it's pretty much unavoidable. I had all these intentions of not doing it to Morgan, but I've already failed! By the time Mallory was 3 weeks old, we had taken loads more pictures. Now it seems like I'm taking pictures of Mallory being cute with Morgan instead of just Morgan. I guess that is life with 2 kiddos. Maybe I should apologize to my parents for all the heck I've given them....

We went to the doctor for the 2 week (but 3 in our case) check-up. She is a chunker by the scale, not by sight. She's already 9 pounds 12 ounces! And, she has grown 2 inches. Is that possible in 3 weeks? I knew she had grown some, because a couple of her outfits don't fit anymore, but wow. What is even more crazy is that she still weighs less than Brad did at birth! Can you imagine? Brad weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces!!! Thank you Lord!

Another one of Mallory's favorite Christmas gifts. The Leap Frog Alphabet magnet thingy. She LOVES this thing! It's nice because it keeps her occupied while I'm busy, and she really is learning the ABCs. The other day I started singing the ABC song, stopped at E, and she pretty much recited the rest of the alphabet minus a few letters. She has also learned some killer dance moves from it!

We're still here!

What a whirlwind. I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone. Our decorations are already taken down and in the attic. The tree is out on the curb. Tomorrow is New Year's Day. Crazy.

We have been overwhelmed (in a good way, because of all the help) by both sides of the family being at our house the past 2 weeks. My family came in the weekend before Christmas to celebrate and then Brad's family followed the next weekend. Mallory was spoiled by all the attention she received. She was read more books the last 2 weeks than she has been her whole life probably!! Morgan was spoiled as well by all the arms that held her! We are so thankful for the help from our families. We know that the holidays are crazy anyway, and the fact that we added a birth to it made it even crazier! We'll try not to make a habit of having anymore Christmas babies:)

We've had some milestones already in Morgan's short 2 week life so far. She has already been to Houston. Yep, we had our first overnight trip last week. Brad's great uncle, Roger, passed away the night before Christmas Eve. The four of us made the trek to be with family. We were grateful for the time we got to visit with him at Thanksgiving this year. And, we were grateful to be at the funeral to celebrate his life.

Another milestone, because of some feeding issues, is that she has already taken a bottle! It took her sister 2 months to take a bottle without screaming, so this is HUGE!! She also likes the paci already. That one took Mallory 9 weeks to do. Amazing how they can be so different and from the same family. Her temperament seems to be much different than Mallory also. She pretty much only cries when she gets hungry or tired, so it's easy to soothe her!

Okay, onto the pictures.

Mallory got lots of cousin time over the holidays. Here is Tate and Mallory sporting their Santa hats that Aunt Kelly gave them. Mallory LOVED hers and wore it almost all day!

My sister has these Gymboree bubbles that the kids love. Mallory goes crazy and says "bubblessssss!" over and over. They are also sitting on a parachute (like from PE when you were a kid) that they both love too. It was a hit at Tate's birthday and a hit at Christmas. Good job Kelly!

Here's the Santa hat again during the stockings. These are the stockings from Mimi and Grandpa (my parents).

This is what Morgan did during both Christmas celebrations. Seriously. The life of a newborn has to be pretty sweet!

One of Mallory's favorite presents from Mimi and Grandpa...a vacuum! The perfect gift for a daughter of 2 type A people:) She will get her vacuum and walk around pushing it while Brad vacuums. Such a little helper!

This was Christmas Eve night. Mallory loves to give Morgan kisses and hugs. She is always asking for Morgan and interested in where she is.

Here's Morgan Christmas morning.

More cousin time. This is Mallory and Julia. Julia is only 5 months older than Mallory, so it's been fun to see them actually play together and get excited about seeing each other. They are dancing here.

Stopping for a drink of water before moving on to the next toy. Elmo and the baby doll were favorites of them both.

The favorite gift from BMom and Pop (Brad's parents)...a slide! It took about 20 minutes and Mallory figured out how to climb up the stairs and do it herself (with our hands around her just in case!).

Mallory and Julia saying goodbye to each other at the end of the weekend. Destined to be good buddies...and to get each other in trouble!!

And now, it's time to welcome 2008. In true "mom and dad" fashion, I don't think we'll make it to midnight tonight, so Happy New Year early!!