On this particular morning, Mal said blueberry oatmeal was yucky...
...and Jake thought it was yummy!
It's all a matter of opinion!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
12 Month Stats
We just got home from Jake & Mal's 12 month check-up with their pediatrician, so we have new stats! Both kids got 4 shots plus a finger prick, so it was a doozy! I think everyone at Presbyterian Hospital & the surrounding area could hear the crying. They got to have snack cups in the car, so I think they'll survive now. Hopefully, the nap they just started will be a long one!
Cute little one-year-olds on a recent Sunday morning. Who can resist coordinating seersucker?
Mallory is still our petite little lady at 17 lb 3 oz (8 %) & 27 3/4 inches (15%). Continuing in her pattern of above average intelligence, her head measured a whopping 18 1/4 inches (80%). Dr. Denison's comments on her card say "Beautiful child - very cautious!" We wonder if he meant to write curious, because she's really not very cautious. She was a bit suspicious of why he needed to poke & prod her, though, so maybe that was it. Who knows with a doctor's handwriting!
Jake is our big boy at 19 lb 8 oz (10%) & 28 1/4 inches (10%). That's right - almost 2 1/2 pounds more than Mal! He also remains in the big head club at 18 1/2 inches (70%). His comments read "Busy boy - doing well!" Busy is right! Keeping him contained during a check-up is no small feat. Lucky for me, he prefers Daddy!
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We may have to have a little ice cream tonight to make up for the shots. Happy Friday, everyone!
Cute little one-year-olds on a recent Sunday morning. Who can resist coordinating seersucker?
Mallory is still our petite little lady at 17 lb 3 oz (8 %) & 27 3/4 inches (15%). Continuing in her pattern of above average intelligence, her head measured a whopping 18 1/4 inches (80%). Dr. Denison's comments on her card say "Beautiful child - very cautious!" We wonder if he meant to write curious, because she's really not very cautious. She was a bit suspicious of why he needed to poke & prod her, though, so maybe that was it. Who knows with a doctor's handwriting!
Jake is our big boy at 19 lb 8 oz (10%) & 28 1/4 inches (10%). That's right - almost 2 1/2 pounds more than Mal! He also remains in the big head club at 18 1/2 inches (70%). His comments read "Busy boy - doing well!" Busy is right! Keeping him contained during a check-up is no small feat. Lucky for me, he prefers Daddy!
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We may have to have a little ice cream tonight to make up for the shots. Happy Friday, everyone!
So Long, Old Friend
I have been done nursing for almost a month now, & the kids are totally transitioned over to whole milk. (By the way, the regular Wal-Mart brand milk is hormone free.) There were many times over the last year when I felt like all I did all day was feed babies. Even so, it was a wonderful experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. This lovely contraption below was my near constant companion during those months. While I was a little sad to be done with nursing because it meant my babies were growing up, I didn't mind too much when I packed up my pump & found a place for it in a closet. For any future mommies out there, I was actually very happy with the brand that I bought (Avent) & would be happy to discuss its merits with you if you're trying to decide what to buy.
Nursing has several annoying little traits to it, but there are also some benefits that I will miss:
Nursing has several annoying little traits to it, but there are also some benefits that I will miss:- Cuddle time with my babies! As they get bigger & more mobile, they just don't hold still very often for very long.
- Free baby food, whenever they needed it!
- And last but not least, all those calories burned by simply sitting in a chair & feeding babies! I guess my elliptical will have to be my new friend instead of my pump. :)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
We've Been Grandmatized
J's grandma is a very talented seamstress & was so sweet to offer to dress some of our poor, naked windows. We've also added a few new furniture pieces lately, so I've been having fun putting it all together.
First, some of you may remember the hideous light fixture that graced the wall of our eating area for over four months. This was the only thing I hated about our house when we bought it. Seriously, what was the builder thinking? (Click the picture to enlarge it & see the three-light turquoise thingy.) If for some reason you love this piece & are offended by my repulsion, it's still sitting in my garage, so you're welcome to it.
We had a small credenza in that space, but I knew I wanted something much bigger at some point. Here is what we found!
The point of this picture is to show you the cool green finish, not really to show you what I put on the shelf. :) I think it adds a lot of color to the space, but I'm still playing with what to put on it.
The green & gold of the bookshelf just so happen to coordinate with this awesome floral fabric Grandma found for the kitchen windows. Cute, huh? The table in this picture used to be in our dining room but has now returned to its intended purpose as a kitchen table. We moved the small table previously in the kitchen to the office upstairs to use as a game table.
Here it was in the dining room just a few months ago...
...and here is my pretty new dining room furniture! I love having a few fancy rooms! We found the dining set & the kitchen bookshelf at The Dump, which is my new favorite place.
Grandma made these beautiful drapes for the dining room. My picture is too dark, but you get the idea.
Close-up of the fabric
As an early Christmas present, Grandma & Grandpa also bought us a new chandelier to complete the room.
All together now
Thank you Grandma - we love our updated rooms! A huge thank you also goes to my father-in-law, Gary, who hung the kitchen curtains a few weeks ago & then showed up at 6:45 this morning with the drapes to hang them. That's commitment!
First, some of you may remember the hideous light fixture that graced the wall of our eating area for over four months. This was the only thing I hated about our house when we bought it. Seriously, what was the builder thinking? (Click the picture to enlarge it & see the three-light turquoise thingy.) If for some reason you love this piece & are offended by my repulsion, it's still sitting in my garage, so you're welcome to it.
We had a small credenza in that space, but I knew I wanted something much bigger at some point. Here is what we found!
The point of this picture is to show you the cool green finish, not really to show you what I put on the shelf. :) I think it adds a lot of color to the space, but I'm still playing with what to put on it.
The green & gold of the bookshelf just so happen to coordinate with this awesome floral fabric Grandma found for the kitchen windows. Cute, huh? The table in this picture used to be in our dining room but has now returned to its intended purpose as a kitchen table. We moved the small table previously in the kitchen to the office upstairs to use as a game table.
Here it was in the dining room just a few months ago...
...and here is my pretty new dining room furniture! I love having a few fancy rooms! We found the dining set & the kitchen bookshelf at The Dump, which is my new favorite place.
Grandma made these beautiful drapes for the dining room. My picture is too dark, but you get the idea.
Close-up of the fabric
As an early Christmas present, Grandma & Grandpa also bought us a new chandelier to complete the room.
All together now
Thank you Grandma - we love our updated rooms! A huge thank you also goes to my father-in-law, Gary, who hung the kitchen curtains a few weeks ago & then showed up at 6:45 this morning with the drapes to hang them. That's commitment!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
We Are Loved!
We had lots of friends & family at our house to love on Jake & Mal for their birthday. We feel so blessed to have such great people around us that love our kids. Here are a few shots we got of everyone at the party.
This was the first time that the kids have had three sets of grandparents with them at one time. My parents, J's parents & J's grandparents were all able to join us. Mallory clung to Papa as the party started. Sometimes a girl just needs her Papa!
Mal with Grandpa
Our friends Kate & Zack joined us (& Tami too, but I didn't get her picture). That's Karson on the right. He is always a kid favorite!
Miss Caroline brought her mommy, Michelle.
Aunt Joni & Uncle Kent
Lauren & Jeremy
Jacob & Jen
Brody & Madison entertained the twins for a long time after most of the guests had gone. Mal sat so still on Madison's lap & just cuddled.
I missed getting pictures of a lot of our guests, but we had 35 loved ones here to celebrate. Thank you so much for coming & for the books you brought! We will be donating 34 books to Donate Books for Nigeria!
This was the first time that the kids have had three sets of grandparents with them at one time. My parents, J's parents & J's grandparents were all able to join us. Mallory clung to Papa as the party started. Sometimes a girl just needs her Papa!
Mal with Grandpa
Our friends Kate & Zack joined us (& Tami too, but I didn't get her picture). That's Karson on the right. He is always a kid favorite!
Miss Caroline brought her mommy, Michelle.
Aunt Joni & Uncle Kent
Lauren & Jeremy
Jacob & Jen
Brody & Madison entertained the twins for a long time after most of the guests had gone. Mal sat so still on Madison's lap & just cuddled.
I missed getting pictures of a lot of our guests, but we had 35 loved ones here to celebrate. Thank you so much for coming & for the books you brought! We will be donating 34 books to Donate Books for Nigeria!
Friday, August 21, 2009
One Year Old!
I do pretty well with posting random pictures on my blog, but when it comes to big events, I HATE choosing between the dozens of pictures! So, almost a week after their party, I'm finally posting about Jake & Mal's birthday. I will be splitting up some of the info into separate posts.
Jake & Mal had a great first birthday, celebrated with lots of family & friends! Inspired by these adorable outfits that Grandma & Grandpa gave them for Christmas, I decided to do a farm animal theme for the celebration.
I made these cookies for party favors...
...and my friend Haylee made these beautiful cakes! Jake had a cow...
...& Mal got a pink pig!
This adorable barn was our main cake for the guests to enjoy. Haylee is so talented!
Our clothesline of their growth pics with Mr. Bear
Rather than have our guests bring gifts, we asked them to each bring two children's books to be donated to Books for Nigeria, a project that is providing books for the children of the Rights Steps School in Nigeria. You can read all about it here. I got the idea to do something like this from my friend Hollee & her triplets' birthday party. Thanks for the inspiration, Hollee!
Of course, we still had tons of presents to open from our generous family members! Jake & Mal couldn't contain their excitement!
We received many great toys, books & clothes, but I'll save the specifics for another post. Doesn't Jake look so handsome sitting like a big boy in his chair?
We tried for a family pic, but this is what happens when you take Mallory out of her chair before she's ready.
We sang Happy Birthday to each of the kids individually. Jake actually succeeded in extinguishing his candle, but unfortunately, he did it with his fingers. I think it scared him more than it hurt him, & a quick taste of icing dried up the tears.
This face is what you call drunk on sugar! Mal loved her cake & dove in without much encouragement required.
We were so blessed to have such a wonderful day to share with our angels! Jake & Mallory, we love you so much & couldn't be more proud to be your Mommy & Daddy!
Jake & Mal had a great first birthday, celebrated with lots of family & friends! Inspired by these adorable outfits that Grandma & Grandpa gave them for Christmas, I decided to do a farm animal theme for the celebration.
I made these cookies for party favors...
...and my friend Haylee made these beautiful cakes! Jake had a cow...
...& Mal got a pink pig!
This adorable barn was our main cake for the guests to enjoy. Haylee is so talented!
Our clothesline of their growth pics with Mr. Bear
Rather than have our guests bring gifts, we asked them to each bring two children's books to be donated to Books for Nigeria, a project that is providing books for the children of the Rights Steps School in Nigeria. You can read all about it here. I got the idea to do something like this from my friend Hollee & her triplets' birthday party. Thanks for the inspiration, Hollee!
Of course, we still had tons of presents to open from our generous family members! Jake & Mal couldn't contain their excitement!
We received many great toys, books & clothes, but I'll save the specifics for another post. Doesn't Jake look so handsome sitting like a big boy in his chair?
We tried for a family pic, but this is what happens when you take Mallory out of her chair before she's ready.
We sang Happy Birthday to each of the kids individually. Jake actually succeeded in extinguishing his candle, but unfortunately, he did it with his fingers. I think it scared him more than it hurt him, & a quick taste of icing dried up the tears.
This face is what you call drunk on sugar! Mal loved her cake & dove in without much encouragement required.
We were so blessed to have such a wonderful day to share with our angels! Jake & Mallory, we love you so much & couldn't be more proud to be your Mommy & Daddy!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Baby B
Mallory Claire Chamblee is the official baby of the family & was lovingly known throughout my pregnancy as Baby B. Even while in the womb, she was quite the little firecracker, continually kicking me in the ribs, & she hasn't slowed down since.
Brand new at just 4 lb 12 oz
Mallory, also known as Mallorina, Sweet Pea, Miss Priss & Princess, is our loud-mouthed little ball of energy. She is very outgoing & loves to flash big smiles at anyone who will look her way. From the beginning, she's been a big "talker," even if there were no real words involved. Now she loves to say Hi, Ma-ma, Da-da & her version of Uh-oh.
Mal loves to dance & will immediately start bouncing if she hears any kind of rhythm or song. She bobs her little head & grins up at you like she's never had so much fun. She took her first official steps yesterday. There were only two of them, but we're sure more will follow soon. She loves to explore & follow her big brother around the house.
Mal inspects everything, from food to fuzz, with her pinchers (that's peen-churs, not pin-churs). She holds her thumb & forefinger together so delicately & picks things up with great precision. It makes watching her eat quite entertaining! Mallory isn't big on performing specific tricks for you, but she loves to play peekaboo & loves to be tickled. Her girly little giggle is just so sweet! Mal has always been our drama queen, but that's part of her zany nature that makes her so unpredictable & funny. We couldn't be prouder of our baby girl! Here are Mallory's growth pictures over the last 11 months.
1 week
1 month
2 months
3 months
4 months
5 months
6 months
7 months
8 months
9 months
10 months
11 months
Tomorrow, our babies will be one! Stay tuned for birthday festivities!
Brand new at just 4 lb 12 oz
Mallory, also known as Mallorina, Sweet Pea, Miss Priss & Princess, is our loud-mouthed little ball of energy. She is very outgoing & loves to flash big smiles at anyone who will look her way. From the beginning, she's been a big "talker," even if there were no real words involved. Now she loves to say Hi, Ma-ma, Da-da & her version of Uh-oh.Mal loves to dance & will immediately start bouncing if she hears any kind of rhythm or song. She bobs her little head & grins up at you like she's never had so much fun. She took her first official steps yesterday. There were only two of them, but we're sure more will follow soon. She loves to explore & follow her big brother around the house.
Mal inspects everything, from food to fuzz, with her pinchers (that's peen-churs, not pin-churs). She holds her thumb & forefinger together so delicately & picks things up with great precision. It makes watching her eat quite entertaining! Mallory isn't big on performing specific tricks for you, but she loves to play peekaboo & loves to be tickled. Her girly little giggle is just so sweet! Mal has always been our drama queen, but that's part of her zany nature that makes her so unpredictable & funny. We couldn't be prouder of our baby girl! Here are Mallory's growth pictures over the last 11 months.
1 week
1 month
2 months
3 months
4 months
5 months
6 months
7 months
8 months
9 months
10 months
11 months
Tomorrow, our babies will be one! Stay tuned for birthday festivities!
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