Afternoon Tea

Look how little she was last year!

My big girl!

Elise even got her chocolate milk in a teapot.

Mallory slept the whole time:)

Last year we took my mom to Central Perk in Oakwood for afternoon tea. It was such a fun experience, so this year we did it again. This time we went to this posh little bakery called the Bonbonerie in Hyde Park, which was again so much fun and the food was amazing. Everyone got a kick out of Elise because she brought her Backyardigans tea set. We will definately have a tea party with the girls every year!

Mallory's Two Month Post

She discovered her tongue and thinks that it is so much fun!

She totally has my crooked smile!!!

She barely fits in her bouncy seat!

Giggling:)

She has been able to use her Bumbo since she was 5 weeks old.

Mallory was 2 months on August 2nd. She was 11 lbs, 9 0z and 23 1/8 in at her check up (both 75%). She has the cutest little flirty personality. As soon as she catches your eye she gets so excited and just grins from ear to ear. She is starting to do the cute little belly laughs, especially when we move her legs and make her "run". We can't believe how big she is getting! The other morning Elise went up to her and said "Hi Chub-a-dub!"- it was so funny. We never have a dull moment with these girls.

Props to Daddy

For those who have not seen Mallory's birth announcement... here it is! Brian bought his first professional camera a couple of months ago and has been having so much fun experimenting with it. He takes some awesome pics of the girls and follows them around like the paparazzi. He took the pics and designed the announcement. Good job Abe!

No Ties to Family Ties

I just have to put this out there...

Yes- I did watch Family Ties (Hello, who didn't?!).

No- if we had a boy, his name would not have been Alex.

No- if we have another girl in the future, her name will not be Jennifer.

No- I did not realize that the mom was Elyse (I must have been focusing on my Michael J. Fox crush. Please note the difference in spelling).

No- we do not want the Family Ties box set for Christmas.

No- we are not the new Keatons.

Yes- these are all FAQs.

One Month (ish)

So, Mallory was one month old on July 2nd and I have to hurry and do this post because she will be 2 months next week! She is getting so big! At her 2 week checkup she was already a pound over her birthweight and at 5 weeks she was over 10 lbs! We always called Elise "Peanut" and now we joke that Mallory's nickname should be "Pork Chop". However, the nickname that seems to be sticking is "Mallory Moo" because she is always eating. Mallory is generally very happy and laid back. She just loves to interact- she gives the best smiles and coos.
Elise likes to hold Mallory and give her a "fiver" if she cries. Elise has been keeping busy this summer with playing outside. She loves swimming, doing play-dough, and playing with the neighbor kids. She has to burn off some of that energy! Anyway, here are some pics of the girls and I will try to post again soon.

More Visitors

Papa

Steph and Selina

Aunt Sarah

Aunt Rachel

Mandy and Shannon

First Visitors

Since Mallory came so quickly, Brian's mom was the only one who was there when she was born. Jamie got there about 15 minutes later and my mom got there about 3o minutes later. When we had Elise, my mom was the only one who made it to her birth. We keep saying that with the next one, Brian will probably miss it!

From Belly Buddies to Roomies

My friend Diana was due three weeks after me. We thought for sure that I would deliver first, especially since I had Elise early. Diana was scheduled for an induction on Monday, June 2nd, but she went into labor on her own and had Matthew on Saturday. Mallory and Matthew got to hang out for a while in the hospital.

Our Girls

Our first family picture

Elise greeting Mallory when we came home

Of course Wyatt also had to check out his new sister

Our first week home with Mallory has gone surprisingly well. She is a very laid back baby and Elise acts like she has always been here. In the hospital, Elise kept calling her "it" or "brother", but now she knows that she is her sister and she says her name very well (Mallory is quite a mouthful for a two-year old). I am thrilled to have two girls, especially since they are so close in age.

It's A Girl!!!

Finally after a long 41 weeks, Baby Mallory decided to make her grand entrance Monday at 2:00 am. She weighed 7 lbs, 13 oz and is 20.5 inches long. Let's just say things didn't exactly go "as planned"- we barely made it to the hospital in time, but we are all doing great!

Surprise Baby Shower

On Saturday I thought I was just going out to dinner with the girls from work, but the little sneaks had arranged for a surprise baby shower! I was truly shocked- I was not expecting it at all! Everyone was so generous and I am thankful to work with such a great group of gals!

Flying Pig Half Marathon

Elise at the fitness expo- she kept yelling, "Go Mama!"

Standing in line for the Porta Potty (I think I stopped at every single one!)

Mary and Donna- ready to catch a baby if needed:)

Melissa and I at the top of Eden Park

I made a spur of the moment decision to do the Flying Pig Half Marathon on May 4th and suckered Melissa into doing it with me (she thought we were doing a 5K, but I swear I told her it was a half marathon)! We only ran a small portion and walked the rest- finishing in a little over four hours. We had the perfect weather and had a great time socializing- we never get to talk for that long without chasing the kiddos. We even ran into some people we knew along the way- I saw 2 of the midwives that I used to work with at the clinic at MVH (always a reassurance when you are 37 weeks pregnant) and Melissa saw an old friend from high school.

A Quick Post for #2

I am surprised that I am still pregnant- just 2 weeks left until my due date and it doesn't look this little bambino wants to come anytime soon. This pregnancy has been a lot different than last time and I am anxious to see if this baby will have a different temperament. This is a picture from our 3 D ultrasound- it looks just like Elise's 3 D ultrasound (but with a little more chunkiness). I love to hear everyone's predictions about what we are having. Hopefully we will find out soon!

Birthday Cake

Elise loved her birthday cake. She was so cute when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her and she had to blow the candles out twice! She definitely has my sweet tooth.

Birthday Pics

Cute little pixie!

Our house looked like a daycare with all of the kids and toys!

Opening presents.

Mission Complete

I have made it my goal to update this blog before the baby comes and I'm finally doing it- yay! The last couple of months have been very busy with various events and activities. Of course the most important of those being Elise's second birthday on April 13th! She had a Tinkerbell party and celebrated with family and friends. This was such a fun birthday because she actually understood that everything was for her and she was so excited.

Elise was 33.5 inches and weighed 23 lbs 6 oz at her 2 year checkup, and is finally in the 10th percentile for weight! She is the typical rambunctious two year old- she loves to learn, sing, play, and talks like you wouldn't believe. Brian and I just crack up at some of the things that come out of her mouth. We definitely have some "terrible two" meltdowns, but then she can be the sweetest, most caring little thing.

I am kind of sad that she won't be my baby anymore, but I am excited to see her as a big sister.

SHARING

ELISE AND ELIZABETH WERE FIGHTING OVER THESE DOLLS THE OTHER DAY WHEN I WAS LEAVING FOR WORK. I HAD TO PUT ELISE IN TIME-OUT FOR BEING MEAN AND HATED TO LEAVE HER LIKE THAT. I'M GLAD TO SEE THEY FINALLY WORKED IT OUT (THANKS FOR THE PICTURE ELISA)!

AIRPLANE ANGEL

I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED THAT ELISE WOULD NOT LIKE THE PLANE, BUT SHE WAS SO GOOD ON OUR TRIP! SHE JUST PLAYED ON THE PLANE ON THE WAY THERE AND THEN SHE SLEPT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT COMING HOME!