I Got You!!

After months and months of saying single words and a few sentences such as "Hey Riwey", Mallory has a new sentence that she says ALL THE TIME. "I got you!" She holds her arms up and says it whenever she wants to be picked up or held. It is the sweetest thing and it just melts our hearts. Literally her daddy turns into a big puddle. I thought he was going to cry on me this morning, ha! I'm going to try to catch it on video soon so I can post it!

Here is a picture from Friday at Mema's house. I have lots of Halloween pictures to go through from the weekend that I haven't had time to get to yet! Somehow Mema can get Mallory to smile AND look at the camera at the same time. She needs to share her secret :)

Miss Hollywood

Mallory's thing lately has been glasses. She wants to constantly wear her 'gasses' and looks for them if she is does not have them on. It does not matter if we are indoors or out. I started taking pictures of her whenever she puts them on.

Here she is watching tv with daddy:




Sometimes they are like this when she puts them on herself. She doesn't mind.


Hanging out around the house in her 'gasses'


Reading a book:


Silly girl!

One Year at Mema's

One of Mallory's babysitters is sweet enough to send me pictures while I'm at work. It is the highlight of my day and I have saved all of them. Here are a few of my favorites:


This is one of her very first days with her Mema (Oct 09). She sent me this picture to show me Mallory holding the rattle.



Playing on her playmat at the end of October. She was 3 months old.



Sleeping oh so peacefully in November. So sweet!


Trying to sit up like a big girl in December!


Starting to eat some baby food at six months old.


Mommy obviously forgot to send a bib on this day!


Grandaddy Oneal popped in for a vist in February.


Mallory clapping at 8 months old!


Yay for warmer weather in April! Mallory loves to go for walks and be outside with Mema.


On the move in May!


Standing on her own in May.


Almost a year old and loving to play in Mema's rocks.


A good nap at the end of July.


Trying to drive the golfcart at 13 months old!


Mema says she always finds the water when she is outside. 14 months old.


I got lots of pictures where Mallory is trying to kiss this bear, give it her paci, or give it some of her juice!


After a whole year with Mema, Mallory is one happy girl!

Moooo says the cow

Definitely one of my dads favorite things to do is this:

He is proud of his cows and has good reason to be...look at this one!

Love, Love, Love these shots of him and Mallory. I hope Mallory grows up loving livestock just like I did.

So I will remember..

I can't keep up this blog for the life of me but today has been trying so I want to write it down.
Nikki and I had the bright idea to take Jack and Mallory to Portrait Innovations to get Halloween pics made together. They also had matching turkey outfits from kelly's Kids so we thought that would be cute too. Our appointment was at noon and that place was crazy as usual. Jack went first in his turkey outfit. Perfect angel was all smiles. Then it was my childs turn. She wouldn't sit down or stand still for a picture to be taken. They get out a chair. She did decent...got a few shots. Now time for the pics of Jack and Mallory together. Not happening. Mallory pushed him away, would not sit down or stand still or even get close to him. I thought at this point that things couldn't really get any worse. Wrong. Mallory was done at this point. No pictures were made in her Minnie Mouse costume. She loves Minnie Mouse, but she doesn't like looking like Minnie Mouse! At one point, I asked if anyone in the studio had any xanax. It was that bad. Between the outfit changes, one diaper change, overly crowded studio, me sweating and an uncooperable toddler (that is putting it mildly) I was nearly in tears.

We finally made it home, Mallory had a hotdog and some oranges and we went outside for our own photoshoot.



What did I do mama??




All smiles now that mama isn't paying for the pictures


That's been our Saturday! Now waiting for daddy to get home so we can go to Baron & the Beef. Lord please let Mallory be good!!

It's My Party!

The invitation:



The cake:



The church decorated:















Although it was stressful, the party really could not have turned out any better! We all had a blast celebrating Mallory's 1st birthday!

Happy Birthday my sweet girl

Today my baby is 1. I don't know how a whole year has gone by since she came into this world. So tiny and the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my entire life. I will never forget how bad labor was, but I would do it over and over and over again for her. Every day I think about how much she changes. It amazes me to no end how it wasn't long ago at all that was was an immobile little person who could only communicate through crying. I do not want to call her a toddler...I do not have a toddler, I have a baby. However, my baby is walking more and more each day and is not slowing down. I know I will have to take her bottle away and her paci at some point, but what's the rush? I know those things will not keep her a baby, but she loves her bottle and paci and the people who would criticize do not have to know about it.

Tonight, we had a little family get together to celebrate. We ate at Two Dogs Pizza and of course, Grandma Louise gave M sweet tea and it went all over her new birthday outfit. I kept my cool though and was pleasantly surprised at how well the night went.

I have heard many mothers say that they love their children more and more each day. It is true. As a mom, there are no words more true. There is no other love that can compare. I hope this was the first birthday of many, many more to come that we celebrate Mallory's life. She will never know the joy she has brought her daddy and I.

Here's to many more birthday's my little boo. We love you.