MOMMY'S LITTLE PIGGY

You know the famous scene from "A Christmas Story" where the youngest son is pigging out on his mashed potatoes? Well, here is Mallory's version of it, except with bananas...

(You'll have to pause the music player to the right to hear the video.)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Halloween was a crazy day, as usual, but ended up being a great one. I had to set up for a show at 3pm, head home in Friday traffic, and get the kids ready for the festivities. We were dressed and ready just in time. We had a few friends over for pictures, met with even more friends down the street, and began our journey to trick-or-treat. Tyler was a firefighter and Mallory was a dalmatian (a fire dog named "Sparky"). Tyler had a blast with all of his buddies. It is so much fun to watch these kids grow up together and get more out of every holiday as each year goes by. Mallory had a great time watching them from the wagon or my arms. She was such a sport and just tagged along. After several pieces of candy had been consumed and the treat bag was filled, it was time to come home, brush teeth, and get in bed. Oh, and as were getting the kids ready, we found Mallory's first tooth! I just happened to check (as I do everyday) and there it was!Madelyn Clifford and Mallory in their "My First Halloween" shirts.

Halloween pictures before trick or treating. Tyler and Mallory with the Tipper Triplets.

Tyler with his neighborhood friends.

Allyson and Madelyn Clifford with Blythe and Mallory.

Mallory with Daddy.

HALLOWEEN AT HILLSIDE

Tyler's preschool had a costume parade on Thursday, followed by a Halloween party that was hosted by your's truly, along with another Mom. It was a fun day filled with candy of every kind, not to mention the cookies! The children did a few activities to pass the time by, and then we headed home to run off the excess amount of sugar.
Mom and Mallory at the parade.
Tyler in the parade with his class.
The set-up for the kids' snacks and activities.
The kids working on their pumpkin books.
Tyler with his counting book.

MALLORY - (not quite) 7 MONTHS

I took Mallory for her delayed 6 month check-up today.  She'll be 7 months next week, but who's counting??  It all is going by WAY too fast for me!

She is 18 pounds and 26 3/4 inches.  She received more shots - OUCH!  But, besides the flu vaccine, we have a break until her 1 year check-up.  Everything checks out just perfectly and she's developing normally. 

We have continued to introduce new fruits and veggies and she is having no complications and enjoys eating every one of them.  We may have a good eater on our hands!  (Thank goodness!)

She is also getting a new tooth on the bottom (you can feel it poking through), which is definitely causing some discomfort.  

She started sitting up on her own in Phoenix, and can sit up from the laying position all by herself.  She is also becoming more and more mobile and has started her first "steps" with crawling.  WATCH OUT!  Time to baby proof, AGAIN!  She is also pulling herself up to standing (see below - Phoenix trip entry) and scaring Mommy half to death!

Oh, those baby days are fading fast.  They were good while they lasted!  Cuddling and snuggling was a thing of the past - now she has better things to do!

Look Mom - I am sitting up by myself!

Mallory's first bath in the "big tub"!

PHOENIX TRIP - TESSA ROSE'S BAPTISM

Mallory and I just returned from a fabulous trip to Phoenix to visit Susan's family, and meet their new baby girl, Tessa Rose.  I was honored to be asked to fulfill the position as Godmother, and accepted with joy!  Mallory was WONDERFUL the whole time (despite a few restless nights) and was so easy to travel with.  Here she is on her first plane ride.

She was an absolute trooper on the plane, despite the fact that we forgot her pacifier in the car!

Ava Elaine with Mallory.  Ava was so adorable with Mallory.  They really had a great time playing together!  She was our little helper the whole trip, and took great care of both girls.  She is a perfect big sister!

Me and my precious Goddaughter, Tessa Rose.

Susan with our baby girls.

Mallory and Tessa posing for a cute (but, very serious) picture.

Tessa Rose's Baptism.  It was a perfect day for such a special event.  We attended Mass first, then we had a nice, private ceremony with friends and family.  Tessa was so good and sweet.  Afterwards, we went to Susan's parents' house for a delicious Italian lunch and cake reception.  It was a perfect day!

Susan and Chad Larkin with their newly baptized baby girl and the Godparents, Blythe and Mike.

Aunt Susan with Mallory.

Ava holding Mallory.

Okay, so if we couldn't have had any more "firsts" in the last couple of days/weeks, here's another:  I heard Mallory cooing and talking about an hour after I put her down our last night in Phoenix, so I went in to check on her.  SHE WAS STANDING IN HER CRIB!!!  I called for Susan, grabbed the camera, and couldn't believe my eyes!  Needless to say, the crib was lowered immediately.  WHEW!

We had such a great time and can't wait to return for another visit.  Tyler was disappointed he couldn't go this time, but I promised him a trip soon!

MALLORY - 6 MONTHS OLD

Can you believe we are halfway to her first birthday?  We can't!  She'll be 6 months old tomorrow, and we are so excited of the new stuff that is to come.  One new thing we have started is veggies!  We have decided to go the "homemade" route with Mallory's food, making it all ourselves.  It is actually quite easy and extremely nutritious!  I am learning so much about cooking and food preparation in general, and plan to use my new techniques with everyday family cooking.  It is a win-win situation for everyone!  Her first veggie was avocados and she ate them pretty well.

She is rolling all over the place and is so close to crawling.  She is sitting up almost completely by herself and loves to play with toys and bounce in her excersaucer.  It is amazing to see these changes, almost on a daily basis.  Tyler loves to help her with things and says he "takes care of her" all the time.  She is really starting to interact with him and what a blessing it is to see that sibling bond forming.  Life IS good!  

Still a little small for the highchair.

Hey mom!  I'm eating veggies!

Mmmmmm......

I am all done with food, now I just want the spoon!

MALLORY KENDALL'S BAPTISM

We are excited to share that our baby girl was baptized last Sunday, September 14th!  The baptism service was at St. David's Episcopal Church, followed by a nice reception at our house with family and friends.  She did very well during the church service and actual baptism.  Tyler was a trooper, as well.  He was very happy and proud of his baby sister.  Mallory's Godparents are our two siblings, Jordan Daniels and Suzanna Jordan.

Mallory at home with her baptism dress and bonnet.

Mallory's banner hanging at the church.

Jordan, Tim, Mallory, Blythe, and Suzanna.

Mallory with her Godparents.

Nana Daniels, Tyler, and Mimi Jordan.

Mallory's baptism cake.

Tyler with his friends, Kyle, Ryan, and Emma Tipper.

We had two reasons to celebrate last weekend:  Mallory's Baptism and Suzanna's visit!  This was the first time she had an opportunity to come home since Mallory's birth, making it the first time to meet her!  What a special occasion!

"HERO" DAY

While I unpacked and cleaned house, and Tim went to the UGA game with his brother, my dad took Tyler to "Hero Day" with Papa in their neighborhood. It was a nice break for Mommy! While he was there, he got to do one of his most favorite things - sit in a fire truck! (As well as a police car, motorcycle, military vehicles, etc.) He was in heaven!

Let's just hope we never see this again.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND 2008

Ahhh, the beach! Our most favorite place to vacation is Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We take a week long trip there every year. Although Tropical Storm Hanna pushed us out a day early, we still had a week full of fun, family time, and great memories.

Tim and I agreed that this was the best vacation yet.

My parents (aka Mimi and Papa) joined us for the week with the kids. We did everything from daily walks and playtime on the beach, alligator sight-seeing, and laying out at the pool, to eating some of the best seafood, shopping, and the frequent trip to our favorite frozen custard stop - Rita's. Boy, did we pack it all in! And, it was worth every minute of it. We were on the go most of the time, yet still had a chance to relax and unwind.

As this was Tyler's fourth time to HHI, it was Mallory's first! And, her big brother was so excited to show her the beach for the first time. She was a little skeptical of sticking her feet in the water, but enjoyed watching her brother swim and play.

She was a trooper and was so easy the whole week!

We've posted a few of our favorites here, but will also include a slide show for the rest. We got a little "camera crazy" and took so many pictures. We just had to capture every moment of these memories! Enjoy!

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