We've been busy

Mallory chilling in Avery's cool bouncy seat...it has surround sound













Avery is snoozing...she was so good the whole time we were there













We attempted to do a plaster footprint...i think the picture speaks for itself













We went to see Josh's friend Andrew and his two boys: Ben and Haden













We went to the T-Bones game on Sunday...it was a little hot and I think we left before the 3rd inning was over













Wow it's been a busy week. Thursday we went to Candi and Michael's for a visit. The drive was wonderful and we had a blast. Mallory took a couple of 'cat' naps but she was pretty fussy. We still had a good time and it was good to get out of the city.

Saturday we went over to Josh's friend Andrew's and had lunch w/ him and his boys Ben (11 mo) and Haden (3 yrs). It made me rethink wanting to have kids close together. They are a handfull but lots of fun. Saturday night Josh and I went to the Royals game. Amy and Eric (bless their souls) came over to watch Mallory and get a lesson in baby 101. Unfortunatly the Royals lost by 1 in the 10 inning but it was fun to get out and kick back our heels.

Sunday we went to Elizabeth and Brett's then we attempted the T-Bones game. It was pretty hot and we didn't last long. Poor Mallory got a heat rash and we were only out for an hour. It was a good idea...in theary.

She has really been smiling and cooing. I know I've probably said that for the last 2-3 postings but it's amazing how much she is responding to me smiling and talking to her. I really enjoy seeing her expressions...it almost brings a tear to my eye because it's so cute and we have come a long way since the beginning. We still have fussy time in the evenings but it's not lasting as long:)

I'm sure we'll have lots to report when we get back from grandma and grandpa Bidney's house this weekend.

More cute pictures

I finally got a picture of her smiling. She has been smiling and cooing for about 2 weeks now.













I think she is going to have a dimple in her right cheek.













I finally got her to take a different kind of binky...for about 10 seconds. Notice I had to swaddle her to get her to take it













I thought this outfit was so cute. She hates things on her head...but I had to take the picture because it just cracks me up

















Snoozing w/ daddy at Cici's Pizza. Candi and Michael were in town and treated us to pizza. It was a lot of fun

Hot, Hot, Hot!!!

So hot I had to sleep in my diaper

















Funny face













Stretching in her swing













It's official...Mallory is 10 lbs 1 oz. We have a dr appointment next week...maybe she'll be 11 lbs by then:). It has been so hot here (100+ some days) but we have been doing good...because we stay inside. Thank goodness for air conditioning. Poor daddy has to work in the heat but he is greatful to come home to a cool house and his girls.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Nanny B for the swing. Some days its the only way we can get her calm down. Mallory has been so great lately. The swaddling really helps a lot. When we 1st started doing it she would fight it but it seems like when I swaddle her now it calms her down in seconds. So evenings have been wonderful compared to the past. I have a big exercise ball and finally blew it up so I could exercise but we use it more to bounce Mallory and keep her calm then I get to exercise on it. It's less wear and tear on the knees when I can sit on it and just bounce...plus I still am getting some exercise (sometimes I do sit ups while i'm bouncing).

I believe she might have ezcema on her cheeks. I'm going to talk to the dr next week. I tried washing her sheets in Dreft (we had been using regular detergent) but that didn't seem to help either. So hopefully we can get some cream to put on there to make it go away.

We are heading to Illinois next weekend. Grandma Bidney gets to watch Mallory while Josh and I go to a Cubs Cardinals game in Chicago (hopefully we don't get lost). Grandma is very excited. Hopefully it won't be too hot. Mallory might get her 1st pool experience.

We got an almost 10 pounder

She is becoming a master thumb-sucker













Great Grandma Sutton holding Mallory













One of the cute expressions Mallory makes













Spreading the love

















Mallory got weighed yesterday and she was 9 lbs 12 oz. She is growing so fast...and she is getting really heavy in the car seat. It seems like every week we hit a milestone. Yesterday she gave dad a huge smile (and she wasn't sleeping when she did it). She has smiled at me a couple of times. I think she is going to have a dimple on her right cheek. The evenings have been better...the book has helped so much. She fuses a little bit when we swaddle her but then it's like a light bulb comes on and she's like 'hey, this isn't so bad'. I am totally getting a workout bouncing her around.

We went to grandpa Sutton's this weekend. Unfortunately our camera didn't work some of the time so I only have a couple of pictures. The ride back on Sunday was a nightmare. She was great until we stopped in Sedalia to eat. She woke up and we fed her then she cried from Sedalia to home (about 2 1/2 hours). After about 15 minutes of crying and a pacifier not working I crawled back there and tried to sooth her w/out stopping or getting her out. It didn't work. But we made it back and everyone is safe...I think I just pulled a couple hundred hairs out of my head. Next time we are leaving in the morning when she isn't so fussy.

I have decided not to return to Medtrak. I am now seeking a job in massage therapy. It's a bit nerve-racking because I haven't started looking yet...so I'm not sure where I'll be able to get a job. I'm going to start going out next week...wish me luck!!!

4th of July Weekend

Cousin Holly holding Mallory. She is really starting to get the thumb-sucking thing down...thank goodness because it's keeping her quite













Snoozing...isn't she cute













Chillin' w/ the boppy













Today (7/7) was a big day because she took her 1st nap in her crib. When we get back from Rolla we are going to start putting her in there at night.

















Enjoying her swing...it took a while but she actually likes it now

















It was a busy weekend for us. Grandma and grandpa Bidney got into town Saturday afternoon so we got to spend some time w/ them throughout the weekend. Monday we had a BBQ that got rained on but we still had a good time. Mallory was quite the whole night. My 9 I was ready for her to wake up and eat. I couldn't believe she slept the whole night and it was pretty noisy. On the 4th unfortunatly Josh and I didn't get to enjoy fireworks because she was extremely fussy (she was making up for Monday night). It's been a struggle off and on. I believe she has colic and the experts say that it peaks about week 6 or 7 (she's 7 weeks) so it should only get better. My dad bought us the Happiest Baby on the Block book. So far it's given some good tips about keeping the baby quite and why they get colic. It's funny because in the book it says that sometimes the baby gets crying and then she is crying because she is crying and doesn't know why. That is totally Mallory, usually once we get her calmed down she is ok...it's the calming down part that is hard. We are off to grandpa Sutton's this weekend. Lots of family to pass Mallory around to. Hopefully the car ride there tonight will go ok. Wish us luck!!!

The latest and greatest

Here are some of the latest and greatest of Mallory:

Enjoying her bouncy chair













Giving daddy kisses

















Pretty dress

















4th of July spirit

















Ready for fun in the sun













Things have been a little rough lately. Mallory has been extremely fussy in the evenings and refuses to go to sleep until about 12 or after. She wakes up around 4 in the afternoon and doesn't sleep until midnight. So it's been a struggle for Josh and I in the evenings. We have taken her on car rides the last couple of nights and some nights it works, some nights it doesn't. I just wish there was some sure-fire way we could get her to calm down but it's something different every time...or she is just so worn our that she falls asleep during our effort to get her to calm down. So keep us in your prayers. I'm hoping someday she'll get better. I don't want to say she has colic but at this point that is what I'm thinking it is. I have been doing a colic massage routine on her and it seems to help some...the book says to do the routine for 2 weeks. We started doing it Monday so we have another week to see if it's really helping.

She has really started to coo and looking around when she isn't crying or asleep. She really focuses on you and things around you. It's so interesting...sometimes I wonder exactly what it is that she is looking at. It's so cute...if only she would smile I'd be the happiest mom in the world. I know it will come soon...I'm just impatient.

Grandma and grandpa Bidney are coming in town for the 4th of July. Mallory is excited to see them.