Mallory's New Tricks

Mallory is just growing and changing by the day. Here are a few shots to show her busy with some of her new tricks.

CLIMBING: She is becoming quite a climber. Last week I was sitting at the table eating my breakfast. I could feel Mallory standing by the chair. Before I knew it she was up in the chair with me. She also loves to climb up onto the bricks by the fireplace. This week, she made it up the stairs at Anita's house all by her self. Don't worry, I was following behing to catch her.

WALKING: Around Thanksgiving she started taking a few steps. Around Christmas and her birthday she was off. Sit her down and she is gone! I wish I had some video to share, but her are a few shots of her in the act.

Children's Museum

We had a fun day between Christmas and New Year's with our friends the Beattys at the Children's museum. I had not been there since I was a kid myself, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The girls may have been a little young for a lot of the things there, but still had a great time exploring it all.

I love this picture because it shows the big difference in the size of their little (or not so little) booties.

A couple days later when we were at the pediatrician's for Mallory's 12 month check up, the nurse asked me if she ate dirt. I thought of this day and said, "Well, no more than the average 12 month old."

It was a beautiful day and I think that everyone's favorite part was playing outside.

Mallory's first time to play in a sand box. I'm sure she ate some more dirt during this experience.

After the museum and lunch, we went to Ikea. It was fun, but insane!!! We all felt like we had visited several different countries, plus we went through the whole store backwards.

Happy Birthday Baby!

I can't believe it, but my baby girl is 1 now! We celebrated her birthday morning with Shipley do-nuts. Anita, Clay, Nathan, Abby, Alyssa, & Ryan (Clay's sis and bro-in-law) were with us that morning before leaving on their cruise so we had lots of people to celebrate Mallory Joy. Because she's only one and doesn't know better, we but off her actual party for a few weeks. But that's another post...

Mallory weighed 6 lb 13 oz when she was born and was around the 10th percentile. At 12 months she weighed in at 24 lb 14 oz. This put her in the 90-97 percentile! My long skinny newborn is gone, but I sure do love my roly poly girl.

I think Shipley could use this photo for advertising. Could these two look any happier with their do-nuts?

Mal got to experience the wonderfulness of do-nut holes. I think she liked them!

This was later that day. I had to get a picture of the mess she made. It must have been some good ravioli!

What have YOU done?

I got this from Lisa's blog. It sounded fun. The idea is to copy & paste it into your blog, then highlight the things you have done. The items in bold are things I’ve done in my life. (You’re not supposed to copy the words in italics, I added those.)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (someday)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (i'm ok if this one is never bold)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (but I have been to Paris, TX)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (does green beans in kindergarten count?)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch-hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (shhh...don't tell)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (and i don't plan to)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (i wish this one was not bold)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (but I've eaten at Great Wall in Lubbock)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

So, what have YOU done?

Christmas Part 2

We spent Christmas day at my parents house with PaPaw, Dee, Anita, Clay, Nathan, & Abby. Mallory was thankfully feeling a lot better by this time. We had lots of fun with everyone. We had the annual pickle ornament hunt and as is tradition, I lost. I say maybe next year, but I don't have high hopes.

All three cousins in their matching jammies on Christmas morning. It sure was fun having Mallory on the outside for Christmas this year.

I like this picture because it almost looks like Mallory is sticking out of the stocking. When she was born, the nurses in the hospital swaddled her and put her in a stocking when they brought her to us. That's her stocking my mom made her. We all have special stockings that mom has hand made for us.

My chubby little girl in the middle of the Christmas morning mess.

Nathan got a soccer ball, baseball, and football for Christmas.

Who can resist cuddling with these girlies?

Christmas Part 1

I know Christmas seems like forever ago but if I don't blog about it then it didn't happen, right?

We kicked off Christmas with Matthew's family a few days before the 25th. It was a fun time, but unfortunately Mallory had a couple of not so fun presents. She had a HORRIBLE night before we were supposed to go to Nana's and woke up with a fever, so after dinner we went to the doctor. Turns out Santa had come early and left Mallory bronchiolitis and an ear infection. Merry Christmas to us!!!

Even with the sickies, we had a good time. We didn't get many pictures, but here are my sweeties focused on opening a present.

I'm Back...kind of

I'm just peeking in to let you know that I'm back in the year 2009 with Internet at my house. But, unfortunately I'm not at home. After a fun weekend of celebrating Mallory's birthday, Mallory and I got to make a surprise trip to Anita's. Anita came down with a nasty case of tonsillitis, so we drove her, Nathan, and Abby home today. We'll be spending the week with them until we can meet Matthew half way on Friday. Hopefully I'll have lots of time this week to catch up on my blogging and facebooking in case anyone has missed us.

Home Sweet Home

We are in the middle of moving into our new (to us) house. I say new to us because it was built in 1967, so its definitely not new to the world. Hopefully we only have two more nights to sleep in our apartment!!!

Unfortunately it will be January 14th before we can get our Internet installed. I guess the u-verse techs get a nice long Christmas vacation. Since I wont be having a whole lot of Internet access for the next month, here are some pics of our new house. I'll be able to check my email on Matthew's phone, so you can still email me.

This is one of the super cool lights in the master bedroom. There is one on either side of the bed. They are on the short list of things to be updated.

This is looking into the living room from the entry. Yes, that's a doggy door in the back door. No, we don't plan on getting a dog. Matthew wants to see Mallory try to go through the doggy door.

Another view of the living room. This is from the breakfast room. That door you see goes to the hall and bedrooms.

The dining area. Bonus points to anyone who recognizes the curtain fabric from somewhere else.

I think you can figure out what this is.

Looking from the kitchen to the living room through the dining area.

Again, I think you can figure this one out.

That's it for now, come visit.

Or come help move on Tuesday ;)

Tagged Again

Kellee tagged with this survey. I had done a similar one a few months ago. So I'm recycling some of it and letting you know what progress I'm making on some of it. The survey I did last time had 8 items on each list, so that's why I may have 8 on some of these. Didn't want you to think I'm an overachiever, don't know how to count, or don't follow directions.

7 Things I want to do before I die:

1. See Mallory be a big sister (not any time soon!)
2. Live a local phone call away from my sister
3. See my kids love and live for God
4. Run some of the big marathons: new york, chicago, boston (a girl can dream)
5. Have the same days off from work as Matthew or even better be a stay at home mommy. (I'm getting to experience this one right now and Matthew and I LOVE it. I don't know how long it will last, so I'm just trying to enjoy it while I can.)
6. Wear my "San Fransisco Jeans" again. These were the last jeans I bought before getting pregnant. Someday I WILL get back in them. (They are now my favorite jeans to wear!)
7. Go on vacation again
8. Fix Matthew's back (he's stuck at home today with his back out). (We are in the middle of moving right now, so we'd appreciate prayers that Matthew's back holds up through the move.)
   

7 Things I can do:

1. REMEMBER random information. Sometimes my memory scares me. I seriously don't know how I remember a lot of the things that I do. I sometimes act like I don't remember things because I think it will freak people out. My parents call me the family historian.
2. RUN. I will never win any awards for speed, but running is something I truly love.
3. CURL my lip kind of like Elvis.
4. FEED Mallory a bottle fast. I know this isn't really something that I do, but I think Mallory could win a bottle drinking contest. She can finish an 8 oz bottle in 4 minutes flat.
5. WRAP presents. I actually like to wrap Christmas presents and think they look pretty good too.
6. MAKE my own blog designs. I made this one and my last few myself. I'm ready for a new one, but have to wait until we get moved and I can use the desktop computer again.
7. MOVE. We are in the middle of our second move in 4 months. In college I lived in 4 different dorm rooms and 4 different apartments.
   

7 Things I cannot do:

1. EAT less than a whole bag of popcorn. I try to stop, but it just doesn't work. The snack size bags are a very good thing for me.
2. UNDERSTAND why Mallory wakes up so much at night these days. Matthew says last night was the worst night's sleep in his life. Hopefully tonight will be better, but its not looking good so far.
3. STAY AWAKE during movies these days. Its bad. I've probably fallen asleep during every movie we have watched in the last year. No, this isn't just since having a baby. Its just worse now.
4. WATCH, LOOK AT, or BE anywhere there are birds. I cannot stand them!!!
5. BUY the fun colored running shoes. I wear narrows and the narrows are always a boring blue design. Blue is soooo not my favorite color.
6. DANCE...seriously, its not good.
7. BELIEVE Mallory is about to be 1. She is changing so much right now. I'm constantly asking where did my baby go?
   

7 Things that attracted me to my hubby:

1. You might think this is bad, but I can't list any specifics that attracted me to Matthew. When we met I immediately knew that he was someone special. We spent HOURS at a time talking and getting to know each other. In a very short period of time we felt like we had known each other forever. I could talk to him like no one else. Oh, and I thought he was pretty good looking too. Have you seen his dimples?
   

7 Things I often say:

1. West Houston Church of Christ this is Marcia (not so much anymore)
2. Hey pretty girl
3. Hey watcha doing?
4. Love You
5. Call me later
6. Mallory, Mallory, Mallory Joy
7. ...and a large Dr. Pepper. (lately this has become Diet Dr Pepper - see #6 above)
8. stinkin' astros (obviously a holdover from this summer when I answered these last time)
   

7 celebrity crushes:

1. Chris Daughtry
2. Dean Cain (back in high school)
3. Mark Ruffalo
4. Rob Lowe
5. Patrick Dempsey (i watched Can't Buy Me Love this week, his looks sure have gotten better with age)
6. Mark Wahlberg
7. Jason O'Mara (i was really stretching on these and i like the new show Life on Mars, so why not?)

I tag: anyone who can count to seven.

Who's that girl?

I sent Matthew and Mallory out today so I could get some packing done. While they were out, he sent me this picture from his phone. I'm not sure who this girl is. It can't be my Baby Mallory???

Just Some Pictures From the Last Few Days

Our little karate girl who LOVES her bottle.

I guess she needed a little boost to play with the box on top of the storage tub.


Just monkey in around.

I was too slow with the camera. I had just caught her with my headband around her head.

The Houston Blizzard of '08.
This was the view off of our balcony tonight.

Gobble Gobble

Our Thanksgiving was long and busy, but lots of fun. Mark (Matthew's brother) and I kicked off Thanksgiving Day with the Turkey Trot. I missed it last year so I was glad to run it again, even if it was hot and humid.


We spent Thanksgiving day with Matthew's family. Mallory wasn't too excited about the turkey, but she loved the sweet potatoes. She got to have some fun times with Aunt Laurie too.


On Friday, Mallory and I went to my parents house while Matthew stayed behind to work. Mallory and her cousins had lots of fun playing together. She wowed everyone with her walking skills. She wont walk far, but if I put her down arms length away she will step towards me. When she took some really good steps on Saturday Nathan said, "that's incredible." He said it with such sincerity and amazement at his cousin. It was so sweet. I'll try to get some video posted soon.

We had a little photo shoot Saturday trying to get some Christmas card photos. After that experience I can say that getting three kids to look at the camera at the same time is tricky! These are some of my favorites that wont be in anyone's cards.

I love that I caught Mal just as she was starting to fall in this one.

On Sunday it was just Mallory and I with Mom and Dad, so she got have all the attention!

We stayed an extra day so I could help Mom put up the Christmas tree. We tried to barricade Mallory away from the tree. You can see how well that worked.

I think this was Mom's favorite part of the tree decorating. She always wants to rock her grandkids, but they aren't big rockers. Sunday afternoon, Mallory let Dee rock her to sleep and then took a nice long nap in her lap.

Mallory was VERY interested in the tree when she woke up.


And in other news...WE'RE MOVING! No, I'm not looking forward to moving a second time in 4 months. But, I am looking forward to living in a house again!!! Mallory must be excited too since she's already in a box and ready to go. ;) Our last move was not the smoothest, so we're hoping this one goes better. Just the fact that it will be December not August has to make things a little better.