New Wheels

It is so hard to admit this...

Yesterday we bought a mini-van and I LOVE it! So do the girls...

Anna Claire looks a bit worried that Mallory might crank up and take off any second, and Mallory looks a little too excited to be sitting in the driver's seat. ;-)

Can that Actually be Comfortable?

Around the time Mallory got sick, she also began sleeping with her little bottom up in the air. I don't know if there is a correlation, but that's how she seemed to be most comfortable at the time. She has always slept with her little hand up near her forehead. How sweet.
Do you know when they were newborns, I actually tried to pose them this way because it's so darn cute so I could take Anna Claire's and Mallory's pictures while they were napping one day. They wouldn't pull their knees up underneath them for anything. Now, this is one of Mallory's favorite napping positions!

Who Needs a Teething Ring When You've Got a Sister?

Do the photos below look familiar? Remember this?

Since I still haven't been able to find the perfect teether, Mallory has taken things into her own hands. I guess she's desperate...

I never would have guessed Mallory would have cut the first tooth. Anna Claire began teething first and has been in so much more discomfort than Mallory, but I understand it can be harder on some babies than others. That first tooth is certainly there, sharper than I expected and so tiny. It's almost impossible to see both because it is very difficult to get Mallory to open her mouth and move her tongue out of the way and because the tooth itself is so small - only the tip, I guess, has cut through the gum. Hopefully I will be able to get pictures of it soon.

News Flash

Mallory has her first tooth!

I went to my mom's for lunch and Mallory was unusually fussy. I figured it was her teeth, but she wouldn't let either of us anywhere near her mouth. My mom just called to tell me she was finally able to take a peek, and sure enough, the tooth has cut the surface!

Mission: Organization

Over Christmas break we turned the guest bedroom into a playroom for the girls. I had originally thought we would use the FROG as the playroom because it is a huge room, but then I got worried about the stairs. In the end we opted to use the guest room which is smaller but right next door to the nursery. Plus, it got a fresh coat of paint along with the nursery back in March.

Mallory was so into playing with that little shape from her playhouse I could not get her to look at the camera.

My mom has been here the last two days helping me get the whole house reorganized which now includes turning the FROG into a guest room/office. They play room still has a little ways to go. I haven't yet decided what I want to put on the walls and there are some storage bins I want from Target. When I went back to get them they were gone; hopefully they'll get more in soon. All in all, though, the room looks good. It's a great place to keep all the girls new toys, and Anna Claire and Mallory love all the space they have on the floor to play and roll around. And...there's a dog gate, so Tanner and Cody won't be stealing anymore of the girls' toys.

In this picture, Anna Claire has actually scooted herself all the way off the blanket so she is behind the ball crawl toy. That expression on her face is saying, "Yep, I'm stuck -- again." And I guess it's time to get covers on those electrical outlets!!

Seven Months Old

Anna Claire and Mallory turned seven months old today. Happy birthday, baby girls. I can't believe they are more than halfway to their first birthday!

Both Anna Claire and Mallory sitting up on their own and are both seriously teething. Anna Claire is rolling all over the place and has learned to play peek-a-boo. Mallory is siting up the best and is so interested in her toys. She just sits and plays and plays. Both girls are pulling their knees up underneath them when they are on their tummies, and Anna Claire is actually rocking back and forth. They are smiling and laughing and "talking" and still sleeping all the way through the night (when teething isn't an issue) and they are getting so big!

Being home with them for the last sixteen days has been wonderful. We have spent every day together and I have loved being home with my girls again, even if only for a short time. I'm sure it will be hard to leave them Monday, and I will be counting down the days until spring break.

Happy New Year

Anna Claire and Mallory celebrated their first New Year's Eve at the annual family pig pickin' & oyster roast. Mallory was wide awake and such a cutie (would you look at those lips), but little Anna Claire, who missed her afternoon nap, was a bit of a party pooper - but also still an absolute cutie herself. It got cold as soon as the sun began setting, so the girls were actually only outside for about thirty minutes...and we all missed ringing in the new year by hours. I had the girls home and in bed by 7:30 and I followed shortly. Walter stayed at the party, but was home himself at 10:30. We may never see another ball drop again! Today it was back to Granny and Papa's for hoppin' john, collards, sweet potato casserole and pork roast. Yum! If anyone asked me what my favorite holiday meal was, I wouldn't say Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter. It would be New Year's Day, by far.

So, 2009 is upon us. What could it possibly have in store for us? Sitting and crawling and walking and talking, the girls' first birthday...and I though 2008 was exciting. I can't wait!

I only have one resolution - to be the best mommy I can be to Anna Claire and Mallory, who thought they sit together to wish everyone a Happy New Year! And I thought it was hard getting them both to smile in the same picture. I can't remember how many times one or both of them tipped over before I could get the two shots below. I never could get them both to look at the camera at the same time!