The Mallorys in San Diego

2012-01-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

While all three Mallorys have been pretty sick this past week, we still managed to have some fun family time and take some cute photos. Here are some of our favorites:

Susannah has developed an obsession with sunglasses lately. If we are wearing them,

she point and grunts at us until we take them off and let her wear them.

She wants to wear them everywhere, even on the swings.

And hanging out at home.

She even managed to convince her friend Leyton that they were the way to go.

We spent our rainy Saturday at the aquarium in La Jolla.

Susannah LOVED it.

She ran all over the place (literally ran so much that we had to chase her a few times)

and she was so interested in all the tanks.

And she didn't let a runny nose keep her from checking out the cool

phytoplankton exhibit either.

Outside, the nice scientists even let Susannah take an upclose look at
a sea cucumber.

She was so brave and touched it as soon as they offered her the chance.

Later that afternoon, we headed out to get some of Mommy's favorite
guilty pleasure....
FroYo!!

Susannah caught the eye of all the passers-by on the street.
I think it was the hat.....she was rockin' this hat, wasn't she?

Today, the weather is much warmer and Mommy and Susannah
are both feeling better thanks to some antibiotics, so we decided to head
out to the front yard for a little impromptu photo shoot.

Peter and I just can't believe how fast Susannah is turning into a little girl.

She is so independent now.

And sooooo funny.

Here she is in front of the lemon tree in our front yard.

"Look Daddy, I think these lemons came from right up there."

She still doesn't like her bare feet to touch the grass or sand.

"I think I'm going to head back over to the non-yucky sidewalk now Daddy."

"Your turn Mommy! Just give me the camera and I'll take some shots of you and Daddy."

"No? Okay, I'll just sit here and keep looking sweet then."

Check out those big baby blues.

Here's to hoping that next week will be even more fun while involving much less Kleenex and Nyquil.

Happy Weekend everybody!

13 month update with some other pictures thrown in......

2012-01-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to do a 13 month update post for a few weeks now. So, Susannah, even though you are now closer to 14 months, I wanted to record a couple of the funny things you are doing now. You are such a character these days. You have just started "dancing" everytime one of your toys sings a song. You especially love dancing to you little cd player. You rock back and forth to the beat and it is so sweet. If I could get our videos to load, I would share it here. You are walking alot now, but still get frustrated with your slow pace sometimes, so you frequently resort to crawling when you want to go fast . You weigh 23 lbs and have officially moved up to your big girl carseat. You aren't a big fan of riding in the car. The only way to keep you from fussing is to sing. Wheels on the Bus, Jesus Loves Me, and On Top of Spaghetti are some of your favorites. You love bathtime, especially having your teeth brushed. As soon as we put you in the bath, you start pointing to the toothpaste. We have officially stopped nursing and you are doing great. You still don't like cow's milk, but you eat lots of yougurt and cheese to make up for it. We are going to keep trying with the milk. You are very much a Daddy's girl, but you love your Mommy too. My favorite time of the day is going to get you in the morning. You lay your little head on my shoulder and I sing you a good morning song. I also secretly love when you wake up early from a nap because it means I can get you and let you finish your nap on my chest. I cherish these times because I know they are limited and you won't be my little baby much longer. I love you Susannah. Thank you for bringing me so much joy. (And teaching me so much patience.)

Here are some photos of you and what you are doing now:

Your hair is growing so long. Here is your first haircut. You weren't a fan at first.

You warmed up after a few minutes though.

Your new bangs.

This brush was a good distraction.

But not for long. "Just pay this lady so we can go Mommy!"

On our way to LaGrange over Christmas, we stopped at Chick-fil-a and you played on the playground for the first time. You LOVED it and weren't at all intimidated.

"Look what I just climbed!"

You even made friends with the other little girl who was playing. So fun!

You also love your bunny and your other stuffed dolls. You hug them tight like this all the time.

I think we have already posted this, but I just think it is such a cute pic. You LOVE walking like a big girl.

You also want to share your toys with Meadow, your best friend.

You also LOVE to share your food with Meadow, much to Mommy's dismay. Please nobody judge me for this picture.

Spaghetti is your newest favorite food. Last week, you finished off the leftovers, eating it for dinner 3 nights in a row.

Daddy let you eat it "by yourself" which you loved. Mommy wasn't such a big fan of the mess.

We had really sunny weather last week so you wore your sweet little nautical outfit. Such a big girl.

I love your blue eyes in this picture.

Last week, we had the best visitors ever!! Elizabeth and Preston came for the entire week!

Holding little baby Preston was so fun. I can't believe Susannah was ever this small.

Susannah loved Elizabeth.

And I think Baby Preston was pretty fond of her Aunt Whitney too.

Here are the girls in their matching dresses.

So so sweet.

This was the best group shot. Preston loved looking at Susannah.

It was such a blessing to have an entire week to catch up and get to know each other's daughters.

Definitely a week we will treasure.

Susannah, I know I always say a variation of the same theme at the end of each monthly update, but I hope that you will read these posts one day so I think it is worth repeating.....I love you. You bring a joy to my life that I didn't even know existed. And it just keeps getting better. Each month, as you grow and learn, I feel the love and pride in my heart towards you increasing even more. Thank you for the best 13 months of my life.

What's going on Susannah?

2012-01-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been very busy lately. First, I have been playing with my puppy, Meadow. She is always so sweet and we love to snuggle together.

She is also a very good guard dog.

Also, I 've been helping Mommy in the kitchen a lot...mainly sitting in the dishwasher, opening and shutting the refrigerator and taking all the tupperware out of the cabinets. I'm a big help.

On New Year's Eve, Mommy, Daddy, Meadow and I went for a picnic to Balboa park. 77 and sunny, this California winter is tough.

But, my biggest event recently is that I am walking now. Here's some pics of Mommy and me out for a stroll in San Diego.

Of course, Mommy still holds my hand on the sidewalk.

Ever since I saw my friend Leyton walking I decided it was no big deal and now I am cruising around the house.

More to come with my official 1 year old update. I know, my Mommy is running really behind......

Susannah's First Family Christmas Part 2

2012-01-05T06:11:00.000-08:00

After spending a few days in knoxville with Grammy, we headed back south to LaGrange to be with Papa and Grandmother and Mimi and Poppy. Susannah did really well on the drive and we made good time.

Susannah was most excited to see her new baby cousin, Clara Kate.

She also loved hanging out with her aunt Nancy.

And playing with her Uncle Hollis.

And she LOVED Clara Kate's dog, Otis.

Wow! He is bigger than Meadow!

We had a beautiful Christmas Eve Eve dinner with the whole Mallory family. We did it early so that Aunt Liz and Clara Kate could be home in South Carolina on Christmas.

Susannah loved the big and pretty Christmas tree.

We had fun opening presents.

Here is Aunt Liz opening one of hers.

Dada bought Susannah and me a matching present.

How cute are we in our hot pink crocs?

Susannah was more interested in Otis than in her gifts.

Papa and Clara Kate in front of the pretty tree.

Here is Susannah poised and ready for her first official "Mallory family Christmas morning dash." Uncle Hollis wasn't quite awake yet.

We also were able to spend lots of time with Mimi and Poppy. Here we are with cousin Claire at our Christmas night dinner.

Claire was a big helper while I fed Susannah.

Poppy even came over to help.

Susannah had the hang of the present opening by this time. She knew to go straight for the big ones.

She still preferred the Christmas cookies to the Christmas presents though.

She did love all the books she was given. Especially this great big version of one of her favorites, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

Thanks to all of our families for giving us so many wonderful memories. We felt so blessed to be home for Christmas for the first time as a family of three.

Susannah's First Family Christmas

2011-12-30T15:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the looong hiatus. We are back home in sunny San Diego after spending a couple of weeks with family. It was a wonderful visit full of fun memories with family and friends. Our flight to Atlanta was uneventful. Susannah did great, despite having her first ear infection. Per doctor's orders, we loaded her up with benadryl and ibu profin so she slept during take off. And after she woke up, she was pretty content on our laps and in the floor.

We spent the first half of our visit in Knoxville Tennessee at Grammy's house. The big family event, though, took place at Grandmama's (Susannah's great grandmother). We had delicious food and lots of fun.

Susannah is the only great-grandchild, so she was the center of all the attention.

Susannah was a little overwhelmed by all the attention, but she loved the Christmas tree and presents.

"I want to open the big one!"

"Oh, what a pretty ornament!"

"So beautiful!"

We also spent an evening with my oldest friends, Lyndsey and Amy. Their daughters are Susannah's age and we are always so excited to get them together.

Lyndsey and Ellie were great dinner hostesses.

The girls had a great time playing together, even if they wouldn't stay still enough for a good picture.

And this was just cocktail hour......the actual dinner was even more beautiful and delicious!

The girls practiced their coloring skills in Ellie's nursery.

Already sharing.....what sweet friends!

The best group photo we could manage.

Adorable Scarlett was so well behaved during dinner.

Another failed attempt at a group shot of the girls.

We pulled out our last stop for a group photo with these marshmallows. While we did get the girls to face the same general direction, they all have chipmunk cheeks full.

"How many do you think we can fit into our mouth's at one time?"

Our last day in Knoxville, Santa came to visit Susannah at Grammy's house.

Here she is opening her first stocking.

She loved her new books and socks.

Crazy Christmas morning hair!

After opening all our presents, we headed back over to Grandmama's for one last dinner of her delicious cooking.

Susannah really warmed up to her Grandmama.....and this stuffed cat that was mine when I was a little girl.

Susannah has so much fun that night playing with Grandmama and Grammy.

Grandmama even gave her her very first piano lesson.

Our time in Knoxville was such a blessing. Thanks to Grammy for being such a great host. We are already looking forward to our next visit!

Christmas in Coronado

2011-12-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

It is officially Christmas time here in Coronado. We have had so much family Christmas fun lately, so I wanted to record some of the memories here on the blog. We put out our decorations a couple of weeks ago. We decided against doing a tree this year, but here a a few photos of the things we did put out .

Here is our handcarved nativity from Madagascar that Grammy bought for us at the Strasbourg Christmas market a few years ago. Is it somehow sacreligious to have baby Jesus on a cable box? It is just the only place high enough to be protected from curious toddler hands.

Here are our stockings hanging from our mantel. We still haven't used the fireplace, but I'm so thankful to have a place to hang the stockings.

Peter strung some lights around the living room.

And we hung our silver bells that Sarah Beth gives us every year at Christmas. I just love these.

We decided to let Susannah have her two Christmas presents from us early. We know she doesn't understand, so we thought, why not let her have them now? Lord knows, she will be getting enough from all the grandparents on the real Christmas morning.

Pat the Bunny is her favorite book, but she has "read" it so many times, it is falling apart. So Santa brought her a new shiny one.

He also bought her this little purse. Her friend Leyton has one and Susanhan LOVES it. It comes with a lipstick, a mirror, keys, and some play money. Here she is checking herself out in the mirror.

And eating her lipstick.

Thanks Santa!! I love my purse!!

We also went to the Coronado Christmas parade. Susannah loved looking at all the floats and bands that came by.

The Westie rescue mission of San Diego walked in the parade Here are all the Westies donning their Christmas outfits.

Susannah was wide-eyed the whole time.

And here is the greyhound rescue organization. This was awesome because all the greyhounds had lights on their outfits. (Yes, the parade did have participants of the human variety. We just didn't feel the need to take pictures of these.)

The grand finale was Santa on the fire engine.

Like I mentioned in the last post, Susannah was NOT a fan.

It has been pretty chilly here, so Susannah has been able to dress in her warm and cozy hat and mittens, adding to the Christmas vibe.

We gave it a week after the Christmas parade to do Santa part 2. We went to Seaport Village, a touristy cluster of restaurants and shops that are on the water in San Diego.

Susannah was all about it while we waited in line.

She was decked out and ready for the perfect Santa picture.

Should we wear the aviators for the shot? What do you think Dada?

Our turn next! Still excited!

If sitting with Santa is as fun as playing on these steps, then I'm all for it!

Actually, I think I'm ready to go see Santa right NOW!!

Oh, how quickly the mood changed once it was actually our turn.......

Scary, so so scary.

Oh this is torture, Mommy. Please rescue me!

We ended the weekend by having brunch at Clayton's, the beloved diner in Coronado. We have always wanted to go, but have never been willing to wait in the line. It wasn't too crowded on Sunday morning though, so we managed to get a table.

These are the faces of two people really really excited about blueberry pancakes.

I think it is safe to say that the Mallory's are off to a great start for a fun-filled Christmas season!! Hope all of you are having a Merry season too. Don't forget to do that last minute shopping at www.stelladot.com/whitneymallory !

Susannah Stats

2011-12-09T07:05:00.001-08:00

We went to our new doctor this week for Susannah's 1 year exam, and, despite the three shots, we LOVED the new doctor. Susannah seemed to know that the exam table was a bad place to be, so she cried the entire time she was on it, but as soon as we let her down, she crawled around and played happily while I talked to the doctor.

Here are her stats as of December 5, 2011:
Height: 30.25 inches 85th percentile
Weight: 20 lbs, 12 oz 46th percentile
Head Circumfrance: 47 cm 93th percentile

So it looks like she may be tall like her mom after all. The doctor said it was normal that she went down in the weight percentage, since she is moving around so much now. And, the head circumfrance, well, looks like we should start that college savings fund, since Susannah is obviously headed for the Ivy League.

Here are some pictures of her likes and dislikes as a one year old toddler:

She definitely likes to ride the elephant at the kids park in the zoo.

She really likes Meadow.

Really, a lot.

She likes to model her new big girl outfits that she was given for her birthday. Thanks Uncle Andy!

And she likes to hug her new monster protector stuffed animal that her M and Papa sent her.

And she likes practicing her balance in the morning in her new monkey pjs. Thanks Uncle Hollis and Aunt Kristy!

She DOESN'T like to wear her sunglasses.

She also doesn't like Santa Claus. This is her face as he rode by in the Christmas parade last week. She smiled the entire parade until Santa came by. We are going to try again today with a visit to Santa at his "North Pole" downtown, so maybe she will change her mind.

Have a good weekend everybody! And remember, instead of fighting the crowds at the mall, you can go to www.stelladot.com/whitneymallory to do shopping from the comfort of your home. AND you will know that your purchase is going to support a great cause. Guys, if you need help picking something out, you can post a comment and I will email you.

Happy 1st Birthday Susannah!!!

2011-12-05T18:31:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Susannah's first birthday this weekend. While we were sad that no family could be here, we felt blessed to have so many new friends to celebrate with.

Here is the invite.

And the balloons.

We had the party favors and the cake on the dining room table, along with the "time capsule." We asked everybody to bring something to contribute and asked our families to send notes or pictures and we plan to seal it up to be opened on Susannah's 18th birthday.

Everybody brought some of the neatest stuff.....newspapers, magazines, receipts, money, a fashion collage, even one of this year's award winning children's books. I'm already looking forward to watching her open it.

My friend Leeanne made the cake. Beautiful, isn't it?

She even made Susannah's little cake with healthy(er) ingredients.

The party was in the backyard and the kids had so much fun playing together.

Here Susannah is showing some of her favorite toys to Adam and Leyton.

Here are all the little girls on the blanket together.

Who are all these people playing with my toys Daddy?

My friends? Okay.

It was fun for the adults to watch all the kids play together.

Here are some of the "big" kids playing ball.

The girls liked playing ball just as much as the boys. Especially a pink ball!

And Susannah shared her new trike.....after she had a turn, of course.

Susannah's swing was a big hit too. This is Zane in his party hat pushing sweet Addison.

Of course, Leyton is still Susannah's best friend.

The adults at the party had fun too. Here are three of my new friends from bible study. Before we moved here, I prayed for Christian friends and Kim, Amber, and Anna are my answer!

We had a photo booth set up with props. Here are our sweet neighbors trying to get the "perfect" Christmas card photo.

Kim and Kenny and Addison

Shannon, Ryan, and Leyton

Amber, Jason, Zane, and Zoe

I think the photo booth was a much bigger hit with the adults than the kids.

The Mallory's were too busy hosting to take a silly picture. We saved all the props though, so maybe at Susannah's second birthday we can snag a crazy shot.

We had some yummy food and drink including a cheese platter, veggies with dips, and chips with salsa and guacomole.

We even used our fire pit for the first time to roast some smores. Yes, we had smores in addition to birthday cake. And it was awesome. Notice I have one in my hand here. Yum is all I can say.

As the sun started to go down, it was cake time!

Little Addison was so excited about the cake, she stuck her finger in for a taste while we were all singing to Susannah. This is her enjoying her piece after she recovered from her embarrassment when her mom yelled, " ADDY NO!" in the middle of "Happy Birthday." She was so embarrassed and upset, but I think this cake and ice cream did the trick in making it all better. So funny!

Here is everybody watching Susannah blow out her candles after the near disaster with Addy and the cake.

"Happy Birthday to you!"

"Happy Birthday dear Susannah! Happy Birthday to you!"

Susannah didn't know what to do with her special cake. She started by sticking one finger into the icing.

"Are you sure this is okay Mommy?"

After we buttoned her bib I think she realized that it was okay to dig in with the full hand.

Eventually she tried her luck with a spoon.

But then decided that the hands were the best utensils after all.

Or maybe the spoon is better......

After 10 minutes or so of playtime with the cake, Susannah decided that she was tired of being sticky and ready to get out of the high chair and play some more.

Here are Anna and Avery enjoying their cake.

After we said good-bye to the last guest, we came inside so Susannah could top her cake off with a little dinner. Here she is posing with all of her presents.

I think this face sums up the party. Fun, fun, and more fun.

It was a perfect day for the Mallory clan. Wow. How very blessed I am to be a part of this family!

Two Big Firsts

2011-11-27T16:08:00.001-08:00

In addition to be Susannah's first Thanksgiving, this weekend also featured Susannah's first 5k race and her first hike.

On Thanksgiving morning, we headed to Balboa Park to run St. Joe's 5k. It is dog and stroller friendly. They even give the dogs bandanas to wear.

Here we are walking to the start.

We were a little late, as you can see from the throngs of people ahead of us on the bridge.

Here we are when we finally made it to the start. We were behind the walkers and were having trouble navigating with the stroller and Meadow, so we ended up cutting off about 1/2 mile at the beginning of the course to make some room for ourselves. It was a wise decision because the rest of the run was fun. We did feel a teensy bit guilty when we crossed the finish line though.

Then on Saturday, after watching UGA beat Georgia Tech (GO DAWGS!), we headed to the base of Stonewall Peak to take Susannah on her first hike. Here is the peak from the parking lot.

And from the trailhead. Looks pretty daunting, huh?

Even more so when you put this on your back. But this was a special moment for Peter and me; a moment we have been looking forward to for over nine years now. When we were still in college, we traveled to Yellowstone National Park together. And every time we saw a family with a baby on the trails, we would talk about how one day, we would have our own baby in a backpack. So we were pretty giddy as we started up the mountain.

The blue sky was another inspiration as we climbed.

And climbed.

Susannah loved riding with Dada.

As we neared the top, we navigated some boulders.

But the view from the top was worth every step.

It was really windy, so we only stayed long enough to snap these pics.

It was amazing though.

You could see for miles and miles.

As you can see from this picture, Mommy was a little more impressed than Susannah, but she was a trooper overall and we are already looking forward to our next hike. Thanks Campoamors for lending us the pack!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Yep, I'm going to say it again.......Don't forget to go shopping for all the women in your life at www.stelladot.com/whitneymallory. There are tons of gift ideas under $50 and even under $30. Please take a moment and check it out. You can find the perfect gift and feel good about where the money is going. Or, even better, check out www.compassion.com to find out how you can sponsor a child and change a life forever.

Random Highlights

2011-11-22T08:08:00.001-08:00

Hope everybody's week is going well. Here are some random highlights of the last few weeks.

We went to the zoo and saw the tiger cubs.

It was right after Halloween and all the habitats had jack-o-lanterns.

We watched the mom and her two babies for awhile and she was just so beautiful.

We even heard her roar a few times and it was so powerful and intimidating, I thought it was a recording at first.

We also saw the hippo mom and her baby.

Susannah really liked watching them play in the water.

They put on a great show, swimming right up to the viewing glass.

In other news, I ran a half marathon last weekend. This is what I was lucky enough to be greeted with at mile one. Susannah caught up on her reading while she waited for mommy to run by.

You can tell by our smiles that this is mile 1.....only 12 left. I have to brag a little though......I set a PR of 1:45!! I was pretty proud (and tired!).

We also went to our friend Abi's birthday dinner. Susannah had her first experience at the "kid's table" and did so well.

Daddy and Susannah in their hats waiting for the cake.

Grammy sent us this for Susannah's birthday and she LOVES it!!

As you can tell by this face.

She loves it when Daddy and Meadow run her around the yard on it.

Thanks Grammy!

It is a nice alternative for walks too. When Susannah isn't feeling the stroller, we can use this. On our walk last night, she talked and pointed at things the whole way.

We also got our present from Grandmama yesterday. Susannah loves her new camera!

This is Susannah's "I'm not very impressed with all these bows" face.

She eventually realized how beautiful she looked and the smiles came back.

Growing up so so fast.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Don't forget to include www.stelladot.com/whitneymallory when you are doing your Black Friday Christmas shopping!

What's been happening chez Mallory this week?

2011-11-16T13:02:00.001-08:00

We have been doing some climbing.

And some tickling.

And some balance practice with the wine rack.

And discovering all sorts of new things at my new Baby Einstein discovery center.

And watching some tv. (just kidding.)

And playing with the favorite toy of the week.....the shape sorter. Susannah loves this thing, but gets so angry when she can't get the shape to fit. (Could it be that she inherited her Daddy's patience?)

And bouncing in my boucer. (New moms, do yourself a favor and buy this thing! Susannah still loves this after 4 months.)

And playing with our best friend Leyton, who has a cool new car that she likes to drive backwards, of course.

Leyton's discovery center is cooler than mine.

The girls did some dancing to the exersaucer music.

And they played ball.

And they stuck out their tongues.

All in all, a great playdate!!

Hope everyone else's week is going well! Please go shopping at www.stelladot.com/whitneymallory. Yes, I'm going to continue to endlessly promote this until some of you actually go and buy something. Come on, you get something pretty while also giving to a great cause. Everybody wins!

A Birthday Party and a Triathlon

2011-11-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks have been pretty full. Here are some pics from two of the big events of late in the Mallory household. First, Susannah's second birthday party. This one was Dora the Explorer themed and included a princess castle bouncy house!

Susannah did not know what to think of the bouncy house. She stayed in my lap and just watched the other kids jump. She definitely wasn't interested in any jumping of her own.

With Christmas coming up, she checked out all the backyard toys so she will know what to ask for from Santa.

From the looks of this face, I'm not sure she is going to want to be a firefighter.

The other big household event was Daddy's triathlon. It was unique because the participants had to complete the course two times. This means two dips in the chilly waters of Mission Bay. The race was too early in the morning for Susannah and I to attend, but we did manage to snag some pics of Daddy testing out his wetsuit the day before.

Pretty good action shot, huh?

Susannah and Meadow were pretty confused by Daddy's outfit.

Here is Susannah wearing Daddy's medal after he came home from the race. We were so proud of him!

Hope everybody is having a nice week. Don't forget to go shopping at www.stelladot.com/whitneymallory !

A different kind of post.....

2011-11-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

I want to share an exciting new project that I'm starting. I have signed on to be a "stylist" for the jewelry company Stella and Dot. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this brand, you can read all about it here. They really do have beautiful, fun styles that are affordable and high quality. It is often spotted being worn by celebrities and is featured in fashion magazines and television on a regular basis. And, for anybody interested in doing some Christmas shopping for wives, girlfriends, sisters, moms, grandmothers, ect, all jewelry is shipped directly to you in beautiful packaging. 100% ready to be thrown directly under the tree!

Now, for the most exciting part....... I am going to donate all of my commission (25% of total sales) to Compassion International. If you are unfamiliar with this organization please check out their website. Their mission is "to release children from poverty in Jesus' name." In addition to providing sponsorship opportunities, they also fund several initiatives including disaster relief and clean water provision. I will be donating my commission to three areas: 1. disaster relief (continued efforts in Haiti, the famine in west Africa, ect.) 2. Compassion's Safe Water for Life program (provides water filters to families with no access to clean water.) 3. Compassion's fund for unsponsored children. (this will provide assistance to children who are still waiting for a sponsor of their own. If you are still a little wary, click here to see their charity rating here. Just scroll down until you find that Compassion has the highest score available in terms of their legitimacy and faithfulness.

Which brings me to my next point. If you would like to skip me and my jewelry all together and just sponsor a child yourself, that would be even better! ;) Sponsorship has been such an amazing experience for Peter and me, and we can't wait to share it with Susannah as she grows up. Click here
to find a child that would love to have you in his/her life.

Of course, I really want you to buy some jewelry too, so please visit my website and go shopping! In my experience the jewelry arrives within a week of placing your order. Here is the site: www.stelladot.com/whitneymallory As you find things you like, remember that 25% of the sale price will go to give children in poverty clean water, food, clothing, education, and hope.

If any of you ladies are interested in scoring $250 in free jewelry, then considering doing an online trunk show. If will require 60 seconds of your time, and if your friends and family purchase jewelry, you earn free items of your choice. Please email me if you are interested.

I think that pretty much wraps it up. God has given me a heart for this charity for several years now and I'm so excited to finally be doing something to show my support. Thanks in advance for helping me in this important mission.

And, because I don't want to disappoint all of you who only check this blog for pictures of Susannah, here is one to tide you over until the next post......

Already jumping on the bed and she isn't even 1 yet. I think we may be in trouble. ;)

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

We have had such a blast celebrating our first family Halloween with Susannah that I couldn't even wait until tomorrow to post a blog about all the fun. (this could have something to do with the dangerously high sugar levels that are currently coarsing through my system. I type this as I am chewing on a tootsie roll.) Here are some pics from the day.

We spent the afternoon in the backyard for some pumpkin carving action.

Meadow and Susannah were much more interested in playing on the blanket than helping Daddy with the carving.

Once the work was done though, everyone wanted to play with the finished product.

Daddy is a great pumpkin carver.

After naptime we suited up in our costume for pictures and trick-or-treating.

We met up with some friends for the trick-or-treating. We had a giraffe, a bat, a ballerina, and Cinderella. Cinderella wasn't quite ready for the ball when we took this shot. ;)

Coronado has an amazing set up for Halloween. From 3:30-5:30, all the businesses on the main street close down and the owners wear costumes and hand out candy. Here is Susannah getting her very first treat.

And her second......

As you can imagine, she wasn't super excited.

She did like meeting another of her kind at the bank. ;)

It was crowded, but so fun to see all the costumes.

Daddy rescued her from the stroller for a little while.

Even the local movie theatre got in on the fun.

We ran into some more friends on the street. Arial and Sebastian riding in their wagon.

And then we came to light our jack o'lantern and handed out candy.

I told Peter that this is by far my favorite Halloween ever. So, so fun!! I can't even imagine how much fun it will be next year when Susannah actually understands. I probably won't be able to contain myself.
Hope your Halloween was just as happy!

A weekend of wild animals

2011-10-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was lots of fun, and, I realized as I was going through the photos, animal themed. Saturday was a big day.....Susannah's first birthday party. It was a costume party which meant that she was able to debut her halloween costume a week early!

Our little Sophie the Giraffe

I think the tail was my favorite part.

Here is the birthday butterfly Leyton with Susannah and the Daddys.

I think she loved her costume, don't you?

Here are all the girls. Far right is our friend Hillary, who came in all the way from Jacksonville, Florida for Leyton's big day. (In case you are wondering, Peter was a gorilla and I was a zoo keeper. Peter didn't get to wear his mask though, because the birthday girl cried everytime he put it on.)

Susannah loved playing with all of Leyton's birthday presents.

And she loved Miss Hillary. So glad we got to spend the week with you Hil! We miss you already!

This picture is random and doesn't really go with the animal themed weekend, but I had to post it because these are Susannah's first pair of big girl pjs. By big girl I mean 2 pieces. Peter and I were laughing about how they looked like Dr. Seuss pajamas and then when I was taking her picture, she kept pulling down this Dr. Seuss book and it just seemed post-worthy.

Sunday we headed for the Safari Park. It is north of San Diego and is a part of the San Diego Zoo. It features huge habitats and you can ride around in trucks and feed the animals. (we skipped this since we didn't think a two hour truck ride with Susannah in our laps would be the smartest choice.) It is a beautiful park though, and we had a great day.

Susannah and Daddy before the bird show. She loved watching the birds fly over.

Checking out the gorillas

Looks just like King Kong, right?

Here was the momma and her new baby. Interesting carrying technique, isn't it?

We also saw this elephant family, including the little baby. So cute.

Here is a view of the "African" habitat. It is so vast and beautiful.

Susannah really loved the view.

Next we headed into bird aviary. At first Susannah was a little suspicious,

but she warmed up quickly,

and had two new friends before we knew it.

All in all, a perfect family weekend! Happy Birthday Leyton! Thanks for a great party!

10 Month update and a Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Susannah, you are 10 months old!! How did this happen? When did this happen? You are such a big girl now. You are wearing 12 month clothes (already fitting into some 18 month stuff) and size 3 diapers. You are eating more and more table food. You love bananas and cooked carrots. We are still working on the sign language. You do the sign for "more please" during meals, but I don't think you actually know what it means yet. Here are some recent pictures of you, including our Saturday afternoon at "Pumpkinpolooza."

You pull up on everything now.

The couch is your favorite.

But the mirror in your room is really fun too.

Actually, come to think of it, it is all really fun!

You are without a doubt a daddy's girl. Your new thing is pointing. You point to us like you want us to respond in some special way. It is so cute.

And now for this weekend's big event.......Pumpkinpolooza!!! A local organic farming coop threw a big "fall festival" of sorts, complete with a scary, sunflower maze, live bluegrass band, and a real pumpkin patch. So, of course, when your best friend Leyton invited us to go, we wouldn't have missed all the amazing photo opportunities for the world!

Here you are checking out some hot peppers with Dada.

You and Leyton were not very interested in the cameras. You just wanted to look at each other.

Even if you guys aren't looking, you are still perfectly adorable!

Here is one of your solo shots. I think the sun was in your eyes a little bit.

Here you are helping Mommy navigate the spooky maze.

We thought it would be fun to get some shots of you playing in the hay, but you didn't want it to touch your feet, so most of the time, you were doing this baby version of 10 minute abs.

Eventually you relaxed enough to check out the weird yellow stuff that we had put you on.

I love this picutre of you.

After playing in the hay, it was time for the grand event......the pumpkin patch!!

"I want this one Mommy!!"

After purchasing the perfect pumpkin for your first Halloween, we headed to a sushi restaurant that had been recommended by a friend. Here we are in front of our spread. Yum is all I can say.

Putting you and Leyton at the end of the table together was the next best thing to having a babysitter. You kept each other pretty entertained.

Susannah, I know I say it everytime I post one of these monthly blog updates, but I don't think I can ever say it enough, so here goes: You are the light of my life. I really never knew I could love something or someone as much as I love you. You are a blessing straight from God. Your Dada and I love you so very much and watching you learn and grow is our biggest joy. (All of this is not to imply that you don't also drive Mommy completely crazy sometimes.....especially when you throw your sippy cup of the high-chair 27 times a meal.) But during those frustrating times, it only takes one glance at this face and my heart is glowing again.

Thank you, beautiful one, for all the love and happiness that you have provided during the last 10 months.

Grammy's Visit

2011-10-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

We were so happy to have Grammy come visit us this weekend. Having her here was such a special treat. Susannah adores her Grammy and we had so much fun showing her all the reasons we love living here.

Of course, Susannah wanted to show Grammy her favorite place, the park.

I think Grammy had even more fun than Susannah!

The swings and the slide were so much more fun with Grammy there to push/catch her.

We also went for lots of walks to check out the island. Here is Grammy pushing Susannah by the historic Hotel Del Coronado.

And here we are on the bay side, enjoying the beautiful city views.

Of course, Meadow got to come along for the walks. Here we are on our after church beach stroll.

Thanks Grammy for your visit. We love you and we miss you already!! If you want more pics of Susannah, this is a link to a blog post about her most recent playdate with her best friend Leyton. ;)http://campoamoradventure.blogspot.com/2011/10/safari-baby-and-play-date.html

Well, I promised a garden picture and here it is........

2011-10-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Meadow's new favorite backyard spot. I guess fence installation is now a necessary step in our planting process.

How cute is little miss attitude in this picture.?

Reading remains her favorite activity,

with book-eating taking a close second.

Here is another playing shot.

And finally, that clapping shot I've been waiting for.

And this is the reason why I'm the luckiest mommy in the world. This is what I am greeted with every morning.

And what have the Mallory's been up to lately???

2011-09-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long dry spell with no posts...... Our iphoto decided to disappear last week and since, like all other useful things that you don't even realize you have until you need them, we lost our mac software in the moldy move, we had to order the new version and await its arrival. I hope all of you haven't given up on us and at least one of you is going to read this post. :) We have been busily enjoying our sunny new life. (Seriously, after the greyness of Strasbourg, the sunshine here still makes me smile.) Here are a few of the things we have been up to:

Of course, lots of playing.........

Susannah's favorite game is taking all the toys out of the toy box and spreading them all over the floor. Then she crawls away to more interesting things like Meadow's bed or the electrical outlets. :)

And an afternoon of hiking in Torrey Pines State Park:

Dada pushed me since it was uphill through loose gravel.

Susannah and mommy just enjoyed the view.

We have also been having lots of fun in our backyard:

Including Susannah's new swing.

Higher Dada!!!

And our first foray into vegetable gardening:

First order of business was to clear out the last tenent's leftovers.

Don't let this picture fool you, Peter did 99% of the work. :)

Meadow and Susannah were there for moral support. (Meadow no doubt anticipating all the digging she can do in her new "sandbox".)

Here is the after picture. We left one grapevine but tore everything else out. Friday is "planting day." I'm giving it 50/50 odds that we actually produce anything edible first time around. All we can do is hope, right?

   We also enjoyed a couple of lunch dates with Dada.

Mommy loves the yummy fish tacos, while Susannah likes playing dress up with Dada' s uniform. Susannah does really well at restaurants, but definitely has a 60 minute high chair time limit.

We have also been eating and eating lots. All the crawling must be burning lots of calories because she went from not wanting to eat at all, to never seeming to get full.

So happy to be in the high chair.

More please Mommy!! (We are trying to teach you the sign language for more please because right now you make the craziest sounding gorilla noise when you want more. It is hilarious.)

You have also been growing lots of teeth. You now have 4 on top and 2 on bottom! We haven't snagged a picture of them yet though. But here is one last sweet shot for the grandparents.

How squeezable are these cheeks?

Here's to hoping that my next post is of a beautifully planted garden full of yummy spinich and kale and chard. We promise that the next post will be sooner rather than later. :)

Aaaand She's Off!!!

2011-09-12T16:38:00.001-07:00

Susannah, yesterday was a big day for our country. We were remembering and mourning a horrible tragedy that happened 10 years ago. But you, in your typical fashion, wanted to brighten our day, so you decided to crawl yesterday!!! You have been learning for over a month now. Almost every day your daddy or I say, "Oh, today is definitely the day she will do it." because you have been so close for so long. But yesterday you officially took off. Needless to say, this morning, first thing, you and Mommy took a trip to the Exchange to buy every baby proofing gadget that is on the market. Here you are in all your crawling glory:

You still have to concentrate pretty hard and you aren't moving too fast, so Mommy is going to try and enjoy her last few days of peace before the you figure out how to go really fast and the real storm hits our house.

Last week was a big milestone for you as well.....your nine month birthday and your first visit to the American Pediatrician's office. While the Dr. visit itself wasn't all that we had hoped for (let's just say Mommy unknowingly dropping her car key behind the secretary's phone and then searching frantically for it for 30 minutes, with very little concern or assistance from the staff was just icing on the already very disturbing cake. We are definitely looking for another Dr before your one year visit.) you did recieve a clean bill of health. Mommy was excited to have your height and weight measurments right away without having to go home and do the conversion from the metric system. You weighed in at 19 lbs and were 28 inches. This puts you in the 75th percentile for both. The kicker, though, was your head measurement. You were in the 97th percentile for that one! We are assuming this just means that you will be super duper smart like your mommy.

We know that you are smart because you already know how to clap your hands (haven't been able to snag a photo of this yet) and play peek-a-boo. Here you are simultaneously helping mommy with the laundry and entertaining Daddy with a game of peekaboo.
"Where's Susannah??"

"There she is!!"

We also know you are smart because you still love books. Your favorite is "10 Little Ladybugs." If you see it, you won't pay attention to any other book. But if it isn't in the vicinity, you will happily settle for others.

We also know you are smart because last week you spit up about an hour after I dressed you in this outfit and this week, you spilled water on it and spent the afternoon pulling at the neck like you wanted to be freed from the heavy burden that it is to be a Georgia fan this season (okay, for the past few seasons). I know baby, Mommy feels your pain.

I don't have a photo to go along with this, but I must mention that another way we know you are smart is that with just 3 nights of tough love, you taught yourself how to sleep through the night!!! We are so proud and sooooo relieved. It was really hard to let you cry it out for those three nights, but now, after my first full nights sleep in nine months, your mommy is elated. You are also taking all your naps in your crib now instead of needing a stroller or carseat ride. This proves just how much there is to be said for stability and familiararity when it comes to babies. You were a trooper during all of the craziness of our trans-atlantic move, but now that we are settled, you are thriving and it makes me so happy to see.

Yet another sign of your intelligence is your apprehension at dog beach. Even your cool shades can't make you completely relax when there are tons of sandy, wet dogs running around. You love hanging out with Dada though.

On the eating front, you are back to your normal, hungry-girl self, after a rough week last week. You love your puffs and mum-mum rice snacks. You love baby yougurt, especially banana flavored. You also love any kind of banana baby food. Banana and pumpkin is one of your favorites. Actual bananas, however, still give you a little trouble. No matter how small I make the pieces, you still gag. You will get it one of these days I'm sure. You are a big fan of avocados though. I tricked you into liking them by coating them with cheerio dust. (Thanks Shannon for this great idea!)

It is clear why you have to practically hosed down after every meal. Sometimes you decide to play with your hair in the middle of a meal, which translates to a sticky clumpy banana/pumpkin smelling mess that Mommy's attempts with a comb do little to help. Of course, this usually happens right before we have to go somewhere.

Yesterday you looked particularly adorable in your church dress and white hair bow, so we tried to take some pictures. You never stick your tongue out anymore, but yesterday you pulled out that old trick everytime we clicked the camera button. Here is the best one we managed.

Take that back, this is the best one. :) You recently decided that, while you don't necessarily want to smile for that black contraption, you definitely want to examine it more closely.

Susannah, being your mother is the greatest joy of my life. It is also, at times, quite the intimidating and frustrating challenge. But I thank God for giving me the opportunity to love you and watch you grow. You amaze me in a new way everyday. I can't wait to see what you have in store for me next.

PS. Be on the lookout for a post with a video link. We took a hilarious video of Susannah and Meadow yesterday that we are going to post soon.

A Few Random Pics

2011-09-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I was planning on posting a picture of Susannah in her Georgia gear, but I can't find the cord that connects my phone to the computer and emailing it isn't working, so........no Georgia picture. Honestly though, after that awful excuse for a game (and uniforms might I add) it is probably best not to post it. :)

But, here are a few other photos from the past week. Mimi and Poppy stopped by on their month long voyage across the US. They took us to a nice dinner (Unfortunately we couldnt find time for pics of the great view at dinner. We were too busy keeping Susannah supplied with cheerios and puffs to ensure best restaurant behavior.) and brought Susannah some much needed new toys and clothes.

Susannah wasn't in the best mood for photos, so we had to pull out the shoulder sit and let her play with dada's sunglasses to encourage her to cooperate.

We took advantage of the extra hands to take a family shot, now that Meadow is home and we are complete again. :)

Thanks Mimi and Poppy for a great visit. Can't wait for the next one!

How sweet is this picture? Susannah LOVES meadow and Meadow seems to understand that this little person that pulls on her fur is very treasured and needs to be not only tolerated, but protected. Meadow always comes into the nursery when Susannah wakes up to say hello and if Susannah is crying she comes over to check and make sure things are okay.

Notice how Susannah has turned around in this picture. This is her newest trick. I call it breakdancing because she can actually turn impressingly fast and sometimes she spins just for fun. She still isn't crawling but is surprisingly mobile for someone who can't crawl. She still manages to make her way over to the window fan cord even though she can't technically crawl yet. :)

I have to say, this week has been a little challenging. Susannah isn't sleeping through the night and has recently decided that she doesn't like her baby food so night time and meal time have been a little frustrating for Mommy. Okay, a lot frustrating. :) But, when I look at these pictures, I feel a wave of gratitude flood over me. Thank you God for this family. What a gift.

A Saturday at the Beach and a Sunday Morning Bicycle Ride

2011-08-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of lots of fun family time. Saturday we headed to the beach to debut Susannah's yellow polka dot bikini. (Thanks Casey!) Lucky for Mommy and Daddy, she napped the first hour we were there and then she was ready for fun in the sun!
She likes playing with her sunglasses much more than actually wearing them.

Here she is in her, "I'm almost ready to crawl anyday now" position. She can turn, slither, roll, and pull herself, but is yet to actual do the full scale crawl. We did, however, have to lower her crib to the lowest position when I came into the nursery to find her standing a couple of days ago. We are trying to explain she needs to crawl before she walks. :)

Here she is contemplating her next move.....

Then it was time for some actual contact with that freezing pacific ocean. I'm not sure she liked the first few minutes in the wet sand.

But she sure did look cute.

"Hey, why is this ruffle here?"

Mommy wanted in on the fun in the sun photo shoot too.......
Mommy's sunglasses are the best toy ever!

And Daddy needed in on all the fun too. After all, he's Susannah's favorite ride.

Sunday morning Peter participated in a 30 mile "Bike the Bay" ride that took him over the Coronado bridge. Since the ride came right by our house, we were outside waiting to cheer him on as he rode by. While we waited, we saw this guy, representing the team that will hopefully be beating Boise St. next Saturday. :)

Here is meadow, patiently waiting like the good dog she is.

And then he arrived!! Yae Dada!! We were so proud. That bridge is pretty darn high.....

All in all, a pretty good weekend, I'd say!

More of our new city and a two very special visitors

2011-08-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

We are still loving our new home here in San Diego. The beach, the food, the pedestrian lifestyle....we love it all. But if we had to choose our favorite thing it would have to be the weather. The sky is this blue every single day. And it is between 65-75 degrees. And in this kind of weather, Susannah has chosen a new preferred means of transportation.

One of the great things about living on Coronado is the ferry that drops you off right in the middle of downtown. We took it last week and had a great aftenoon.

The USS Midway is a popular tourist spot. In front was this giant replica of the famous homecoming photo.

We also went to the top of the Hyatt downtown for a drink and this amazing view.

But Susannah's favorite spot is still the swings in the park next to our house.

We have also made our way out to Point Loma to check out the views there. It is pretty amazing.

As you can see, Susannah really enjoyed herself.

The best part of the past week was definitely the arrival of the long lost member of our family....Meadow!!! Peter's dad was nice enough to drive her out cross-country and we were so happy to see both of them.

Here is Susannah practicing her walking with her Papa.

Susannah looooves Meadow and Meadow has been so sweet and patient. Meadow is even sleeping in front of Susannah's crib at night. Here are some shots from our evening picnic at dog beach.

Thanks to Papa for a great visit! More pics of Susannah coming soon.

Finally, the Knoxville post!!

2011-08-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well, now that we are finally settled and Daddy has gone back to work, Susannah and I are settling in nicely to our new California lifestyle. I'm going to do a day-in-the-life post soon, so we can share what a typical day is like, but until then, here is one of our newest and most loved activities......swinging at the park:

We spent the first half of July visiting my mom and her side of the family in Knoxville Tennessee. This visit was something I had been looking forward to for months and we had the most perfect time. My mom, now referred to by Grammy, was such a great hostess. It was just the relaxing atmosphere I needed after Susannah's crazy month long growth spurt and all the traveling we had been doing. Susannah had so much fun with her family. Here she is playing with her Grammy and Aunt Susan.

And here she is with her Grandmama(who is actually her great-grandmama by the way.) and her three great-great aunts. The one holding her, Aunt Charlotte hosted a 4th of July bbq in Susannah's honor. It was so fun seeing all of our extended family and letting them meet Susannah.

And Susannah loved rocking with her Grandmama.

One of my top priorities for the visit, was to have a little photo shoot with all 4 generations. It was hard to get Susannah to look at the camera, but we still ended up with a lot of great photos.

Here is one of my favorites.

I also looove these pictures of Susannah with her Grammy:

Susannah also enjoyed getting back to her East Tennessee roots with some time on the front porch swing.
Can't think of a better place for a nap.

Another highlight of our time in Knoxville was the opportunity to spend time with my two childhood best friends and their new baby daughters. You may remember the photos of all three of us pregnant last summer. My friend Lyndsey's daughter Ellie was born in October and then Amy's daughter Scarlet and Susannah were born less than 24 hours apart. The three of us had been looking forward to all the photo ops their first meeting would provide, so when the day came, we were armed and ready with our cameras. The girls, not so excited though.

The girls eventually came around though (and Susannah went down for a nap), so we mommys decided it was the perfect time to make a toast to the next generation of girls. (I love how Ellie and Scarlett are looking up at the glasses like they want some.)

Then it was swim time!! And time for another fun photo op that didn't turn out as perfectly as we would have hoped. Out of around 20 shots of the 6 of us in the pool, this was the best we have. Sorry we can't see sweet Scarlett's little face.

And here are Ellie and Susannah on the big girl float. Hard to believe that 23 years or so ago, their moms were right there in the same place, splashing around on a practically identical float.
Later in the week, Lyndsey's parents were so thoughtful in organizing a dinner at their house for all three generations. We dressed the girls up in their finest for another go with the photos. This one turned out okay, even though Susannah looks a little tired.

In all the others, at least one of the three were in meltdown mode. In all honesty though, I find the imperfect pictures to be the most fun. In this one, Susannah and Scarlett aren't loving the camera, while Ellie is happy.

30 seconds later, and Susannah and Scarlett have come around, but Ellie has decided she has had enough.

I don't know if you have noticed, but Susannah and Scarlett showed up in the same dress! What are the odds? Born within 5 hours of each other, and already the same taste in fashion......they must be soul mates! After dinner we headed down to the lake to try our luck outside. The girls looked beautiful in the evening light, didn't they?

This time next year, they will all be walking and we will be wishing for the days that our biggest concern was getting them to smile. We probably won't be able to keep them on the same blanket next year. Here is the best photo I have of all three generations. Even though some of us aren't looking, I still really love this one. I'm sure our moms were feeling overwhelmed to be there with us and our daughters.

And here is a shot with the husbands.

And, finally, here is the group shot from the night. I have to say a big thank you to Betty and Bob for hosting this dinner. It was so perfect to be able to spend an evening catching up and remembering old times. What a blessing old friends are. I am already looking forward to next year's reunion. You guys are up for hosting, right?? :)

Grub Sprawl

2011-08-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

With so many summer activities to do in San Diego we wanted to get started right away. Our first big event was right up our alley. The Coronado Grub Sprawl was a way to visit several restaurants in the area and try a bit a of everything.

The first restaurant was a lovely Italian place with a great view but only mediocre Ravioli.

Susannah gave us quite a chuckle though when she pinched the waiter's buttocks while he was serving the table behind us. It must be her flirty French upbringing.

After a lovely Japanese dish we strolled down Orange Ave. to a hole in the wall bar with a world class burger. Danny's slamburger was great and Susannah loved the festive atmosphere.

The next place was an awesome mexican catina with a cool setting. The tacos were delish and the smell of the outdoor tortillas grilling were enough to keep our appetites going.

Susannah was wiped out though, despite the abundance of aromas circling the courtyard.

Before the walk home we rewarded Mommy with a Banana and chocolate crepe. Just a little reminder of notre ancienne vie française. .

Settling into the sunshine

2011-08-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, after what has been a whirlwind 2 weeks, we have finally gotten settled and unpacked. The normal chaos that comes with moving to a new place was magnified by the need to replace all of the necessities we lost to the mold and the arrival of Susannah's top two teeth. We have made it through the storm and are happily enjoying the California sunshine on the other side though. During the past few days we have started to really take in some of the highlights of the area and we are LOVING it.
One of our first orders of business is to try and find a church family. Here is Susannah in her Sunday finest....

After church we had family lunch in the sunshine.

The Sunday fun continues in the evenings too, as the island has a summer concert series in the park. Last week was a fun 80's band. It seemed like the entire island was there, picnicking and dancing. Susannah and her new friend Leyton had a great time.

Here they are dancing:
And of course, the first second we had a chance, we had to go check out the famous Coronado beaches......

Susannah loved the beach.....

She was covered in sand after 5 minutes though.....

Definitely looks like she is going to be quite happy as a California girl.
Maybe the single thing that Peter missed the most when we were in France was grilling. He loves to grill and our new backyard is perfect.
Our first real family meal was delicious.....shrimp and pineapple.....yum.
And now that Susannah has a couple of teeth, she is enjoying all sorts of new and excited culinary treats--her favorite so far....old fashioned cheerios.

We also found time to hop over the bridge to the San Diego zoo. It lived up to all the hype.....pretty fantastic. We saw all sorts of animals, including this adorabel koala bear:

And this lion:
And this polar bear:

Unfortunately, Susannah slept through all of those animals, but after lunch, she was all about exploring the rest of the zoo with her Daddy.
This was her favorite animal though...

Another day we had lunch at Kansas City BBQ downtown. This is where the "Great Balls of Fire" piano scene from Top Gun was filmed. Here is Susannah eating in front of the sign.

Safe to say, we absolutely love our new home. Now that we are settled, I'm hoping to get caught up on posts from our time in the Southeast.

Mallory Family Update: Do you want the good news or the bad news first??

2011-07-29T12:29:00.001-07:00

Okay, lets start with good news......We are in California safe and sound and absolutely looove our new house. Its location on Coronado Island is especially spectacular. Pictures coming soon, I promise.
More good news.....Susannah is as beautiful and happy as ever:

And now for the bad news.......
These are the crates that held all of our household goods on their journey over from France. When the movers arrived on Tuesday and started opening them to unload all of our furniture, they noticed that all of the crates were molded. So all of our shipment was loaded back onto the truck and taken back to the warehouse where Peter and I spent an entire day sifting through every box to see what was salvagable. (Thanks Shannon for keeping Susannah all day.) This was my best attempt at a positive attitude before they broke open the first crate:

We were able to salvage around half of our things. Upholstered furniture, linens, books and some clothes were lost. We were able to keep most pictures though which was great news. We are in the process now of replacing all the necessities so that we can move out of the hotel and into our little cottage. As soon as things settle down, I will be posting pictures from our time in Knoxville, the rest of our time in LaGrange, and of course, lots of pics of Susannah at the beach and in our awesome backyard. All prayers for Mommy and Daddy's sanity over the next week or so are greatly appreciated. :)

Susannah-palooza 2011

2011-07-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

It's have a been quite some time since our last post, so we decided to dust off the blog some and post a few highlights from our visit home to the Southeast. The stop in the southeast is a great way to let Susannah meet all her relatives and see our families again before flying out to our new home in San Diego, California.

After a lengthy 12 hour trans-lant flight to Atlanta (during which Susannah never cried we are proud to report) Susannah met her Poppy for the very first time.

Our little jet lagged baby adjusted well and has been entertaining Mimi ever since.

Of course the big introduction was between the two new playmates, that's to say Susannah and her new best buddy in San Diego...our lab Meadow. It was joy at first sight...

...and smell! Meadow couldn't be more escastic to be introduced to this wonderful world of new smells that permeate in Susannah's vincinity not long after a meal. Meadow will be joining us in SD soon. While she is happy to be back with us, I think she will miss her tradition of sharing bacon and sausage biscuits from Tylers with my Dad every Saturday morning.

In addition to her new 100 lbs fluffy pillow, Suannah got to meet her Aunt Nancy for the very first time. Since her's is just starting to grow back, Susannah wasn't used my sister's flowing mane of hair.....

...but Nancy could definitely make her laugh.

We even had a big Mallory get together one weekend when cousins, aunts and uncles descended on my parent's house with hearty appetites, warm smiles and great families of their own. Mom-to-be Aunt Liz came into town as well as Uncle Hollis, or Uncle Haha for short.

It has been a great trip to LaGrange to see everyone and there is more to come until we head to San Diego in a couple of weeks. For now, though, Susannah is busy laughing with her Papa!

Up soon, Whit will report on their trip to Knoxville and East Tennessee to meet the rest of her family....and to say that they were excited to see her is an understatement.

Next stop......USA!!

2011-06-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

...but first a quick look at our trip to the Island of Corsica after a week of perfect weather and beautiful beaches. This was Susannah's first beach trip and the first time to get into the ocean...well the Mediterranean Sea. A full-size blog installment with all the pics and details is coming soon. But here are a few highlights......

Here's where we stayed, absolutely gorgeous Olmeto Plage.

Susannah had the chance to lounge by the pool all day and take her first dip, which she liked.

Having uncle Hollis and aunt Kristy there made the trip even more special and we loved hanging out with them all week. Here is a typical French vacation dinner.

Hiking the beautiful shores of Corsica.

Hanging out with Uncle Hollis.

Next stop....The USA!

C'est Finit!!!

2011-06-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

IT'S FINISHED!!! After 5+ months of interviews and research and 100+ pages of writing......in French, Peter turned in his memoire yesterday. Needless to say, Susannah and I are beside ourselves with pride.

How best to celebrate such an accomplishment? I think a sunny island vacation to Corsica fits the bill. We leave tomorrow morning so stay posted for pics of Susannah taking her debut dip in the Mediterranean.

6 months!!

2011-06-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Susannah, you have already been here with us for half of a year. How is that possible? Time is flying by, and even though you have been quite a handful these past few weeks, (waking up 2 or 3 times a night; Mommy really hates growth spurts!!) it breaks my heart to think that these sweet baby days are going to be over before I know it. Your little personality is starting to really shine through,

and even though sometimes that means that you are rather demanding of your mommy, it also floods my heart with joy every time I see you laugh or squeal in delight.

Since you no longer have a crib or your bla bla doll, we can't do a 6 month comparison picture, but here are the stats. Height: 26.5 inches, weight: 17 lbs. This puts you in the 50th-75th percentile for both. Here are some other shots from the past month. You are sitting up so well. The doctor was quiet impressed yesterday and called you "sportive". Of course, your mommy loved that. You are doing so well with your sitting up that you don't like your frog bouncer anymore. So we feed you on the couch. All I have to say about that is good thing we are donating this sofa before we move because it is already covered in carrot and pear stains.
Mommy wasn't very smart and only left out one bib when the movers were packing. Considering the mess we make at every meal, this was very poor planning. (this is the clean face before the storm.)

We also invested in some age appropriate toys for you and you LOVE them. Your favorite is this block pyramid with a hidden rattle ball. Of course, you want to eat the rattle.
You also love to knock over the pyramid.

We went to church this weekend to say goodbye to everybody. You wore this adorable outfit that your Aunt Susan gave you. You were so cute, I have to post several of the pics.

In honor of your 6 month birthday, Daddy and I decided to have a picnic of all our favorite french things. It was really muggy out though, so we decided to do it indoors. :) You wanted to try everything and kept reaching for all the food. I can't blame you though.....look at this spread.

We had what our french friends told us was the absolute best Cotes du Rhone, some goose rilletes (sort of like a pate), olives and tapenade, our favorite camembert cheese, cereal baquette, apple slices, my favorite butter cookies, some special sausage from Peter's favorite sausage vendor, and, despite the current e.coli scare, raw veggies. Yum is all I have to say.

Well Susannah, words can't express how much I love being your Mom. The last 6 months have been by far the most challenging of my life, but watching you grow and learn is the most amazing experience. I love you and thank God for entrusting us with you. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months will bring.

Stockholm marathon

2011-06-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well, our time is winding down here in France. Whitney and I are sad about leaving this amazing place, so in order to distract ourselves we trekked up to Sweden for the weekend and Whitney's final European roadrace before returning stateside.

After a long travel day via a budget airline and multiple bus and rail transfers we made it to Stockholm. Luckily the race didn't start until 1130am on Saturday, so we were all rested up for the big race. When we ascended out of the Stockholm metro the vibe of the crowd was electric and catching. Unfortunately Whitney was still battling a cold, but she pushed through like always. Of course, she did have some beautiful inspiration.

After Mommy went off to the start and we watched her set off on her 26.2 mile adventure, Susannah and I had some time to check out Stockholm's 1912 Olympic Stadium.

As I rolled Susannah into this hallowed arena, which has seen almost 100 years of great scandinavian and world athletes she was obviously inspired.

The runners actually finish the marathon on the track, but Susannah and I had the place all to ourselves at the beginning of the race.

We finally caught up with Whitney at kilometer 15 (mile 9). Despite her cold, the drizzle and cool temps she was keeping her pace.

We were planning on meeting Whitney again at 29 kilometers, but she had already kicked it in high gear. At 31 km she was already feeling better and was rocking a great pace. She finished in 4:29, her second fastest time ever for a marathon. Pretty amazing considering she devotes most of her energy to our little 6 month old bundle of joy! I was extremely proud and Susannah was extremely excited to have her Mommy's pretty smile back. We forgot to take pics at the finish because Mommy was nice enough to share her post-race beer and hotdog with me.

The next day we woke up to a windy and rainy Stockholm, so first stop was the indoor photography museum on the quay across from the city.

After we finished the cool exhibit one of us had some milk, while others opted for capuccino. Then we walked out to clearing skies and set off for the Archipeligo festival and the Vasa Museum.

Of course, being in this beautiful city on the Baltic Sea we went with a ferry trip over to Djurgaden island.

Apparently someone is a big fan of boatrides!

Despite running 26 miles the day before Whitney was a big trooper at the archipeligo festival..

Of course the food from the Baltic states, including tasty candies always helps..

Stockholm's perch on the water has made it a home to mariners for hundreds of years. A testament of this is the Vasa museum. The museum houses a Swedish warship that sank in Stockholm harbor on her maiden voyage in 1628. She was finally raised in 1961 and sits 98% fulled refurbished in a museum in Stockholm. Unbelievable to see.

At the end of our sightseeing day we somehow found ourselved in a white tablecloth restaurant, but we were ready for some Swedish food and Susannah seemed to be content with her few toys that we brought along.

Nothing beats a hearty meal of Swedish meatballs after a marathon.

Things were going well and Susannah was idling quietly on the bench next to Mommy unti we ordered dessert. Then the mood began erupting as Susannah had officially reached the limit of her sightseeing. Luckily we brought the old stand-bye, "The Hungry Catepillar" and that kept her occupied while we downed the desserts and headed for the hotel.

Ahhhh....much better...

Overall, we had a great trip and Susannah and I couldn't be prouder of Mommy's great marathon finish! Stockholm was a great way to start winding down our adventures in Europe.

Mallory family update

2011-05-25T02:06:00.000-07:00

Life chez Mallory has been pretty eventful these last couple of weeks. Monday the movers came and took away almost all of our stuff. We still have a few necessities, but the rooms are mostly empty. Sad, sad, sad.

Luckily, the most crucial of our possessions, the jumperoo, is still here for Susannah's enjoyment.
When Peter was packing his uniforms we couldn't help ourselves........

In other news, Susannah has been passing milestones left and right. She can sit up now. (at least for 60 seconds or so)

She really loves to sit up and read her books.

And last week we started solid food. Her first food was a mix of apples and bananas and after the first few attempts which she immediately spit out,

She got the hang of it and really liked it.

She even wanted to use the spoon and feed herself. I guess Mommy wasn't shoveling it in fast enough.

Week two of real food brought our first veggie.....carrots. Susannah was a trooper and ate like a big girl even though she doesn't have a high chair anymore. The car seat is working out okay so far.

She LOVED the carrots.

She is also drinking a bottle every night with a tablespoon of cereal in it so we are so proud of our "big girl." Despite all of these extra calories though, we are still up at 4 am every night for a snack. She will sleep through the night at some point before going off to college, right?

Answered Prayers

2011-05-21T02:34:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned in my birthday post, last weekend I ran the Strasbourg Half Marathon. Even though this race was really just a training run to prepare for the marathon I will run next weekend in Stockholm, it turned out to be one of the most meaningful races I have ever run. For one thing, it was my first race after having Susannah. I have been dreaming about finishing a race and seeing my family there at the end. That dream came true last Sunday.

Secondly, God taught me a lesson during this race. I don't usually talk about my faith on this blog, but I really want to tell this story because it was such an poignant moment for me. Susannah hadn't been sleeping well and I was really tired at the start of the race. I decided to try for my goal time of 1:55 anyway. After the first 5 miles, I was feeling really heavy and tired and starting to doubt that I would break 2 hours when, up ahead of me, I spotted a man who was running with the easiest gait. He didn't seem at all fatigued and he was wearing a shirt that said "Running Gloire a Dieu" on the back. (This means running for the glory of God.) Some of you are going to think I'm crazy, but I felt God telling me that if I just stayed with this guy for the rest of the race, I would accomplish my goal. And I did!! As soon as I started running with this guy, I felt my fatigue lighten and the rest of the race was fun. I finished in 1:54. The reason this was so significant for me though, didn't have anything to do with the race. The race was just a way for God to remind me that if I stick with him and trust his timing and his provision, I can relax and enjoy the crazy ride that is this life. As some of you know, the past month or so have been pretty crazy for our family. And I think it was starting to wear on me. But after the race, I had new assurance that I serve a God that is by my side through the good times and the bad. Okay, I'm finished with my tangent.
Here is my pacer with his cool t-shirt.
This guy totally thought I was insane by the way. He was friendly, but seemed a little overwhelmed by my enthusiasm. I'm pretty sure when he put that t-shirt on that morning, he had no idea what kind of impact it was going to make on this crazy American girl.

Finally, and most importantly, this race was special for me because of the amazing women who have run with me during my time here in Strasbourg. When I left Jacksonville, I left two of my closest friends. They were my running partners, my prayer partners, my friday girl's night out partners, and my shopping partners. I never even thought to pray that God would bring me similar friends in Strasbourg. I thought that finding a church was the most we could hope for. But Christian friends who also ran?? Come on, in France???? Never going to happen! But, like always, God surprised me with his faithful provision. So, this blog entry's main purpose is to tell these women just how much they mean to me and just how much I'm going to miss them.

Here I am with Jill and Pattie, my most faithful training partners. (They even do dreaded speedwork with me!)

And here is the entire group. (Except Louise......why weren't you in there??) From left, Heidi, Pascale, Pattie, Jill, and Danielle.

Danielle, you and Stephanie were always so sweet and patient to let me speak french with you during our runs. And I'm so impressed with the work that you did for the charity in Brazil. I know you will bring so much love and joy to those kids this summer!

Pascale, so beautiful on the inside and out. I should thank you too for your patience with my french. :)

Louise, sorry you aren't in this picture, but I have to thank you for your humor.....it was such a good distraction on those days when I was tired. Don't forget that I'm staying in your apartment in NYC when we run that marathon together.

Heidi, thank you for showing me what it means to trust God with every detail of your life. Can't wait to celebrate your 30th in Cali!!!

Jill, your perseverance, positivity, and strength, especially in the face of adversity, is such an inspiration to me. Without your and Pattie's advice and support, I may not have made it through as a new mom in a foreign country. And, of course, thanks for springing for the cool GPS watch and for letting me borrow it. :)

Pattie, I can't find words, so I'll just say this: You are and will forever be my Alice.

I thank God for each of you and can't wait to get back to Stockholm so we can have our last few "long runs" together.

Olmsted Extravaganza

2011-05-19T03:06:00.000-07:00

As our time here in France is drawing to a close, we have been so fortunate to squeeze in several Olmsted visits during these last few months. In March, we were able to meet the Wolfe family for coffee and had such a good conversation, we forgot to take pictures.

Then during the first week of May, we hosted Jen and Brian Hensarling from Belgium. We had such an amazing time and Susannah absolutely loved them.
We spent their first afternoon checking out the Cathedral.
And had an early dinner of the Alsatian "pizza" tarte flambée. The waiter even gave us May Day flowers.

The highlight of their visit, hands down, was our impromptu trip to Europa Park. When I left the dinner conversation to feed Susannah, the topic was public health care. When I returned, it was Europa Park and how we absolutely had to go the next day. As Brian said, "Sometimes the best decisions are made at 10 pm after a few beers." In this case, his theory proved true. Europa Park is the German take on Disney World and Peter and I have been attempting to go for over a year now. But with the pregancy and arrival of Susannah, it hadn't happened. So when Jen and Brian said they loved amusement parks too, we thought, why not? We had a blast. Here we are in front of their princess. (doesn't hold a candle to Cinderella, right?)

The even have a replica of the Epcot Center golf ball.

The coolest thing about this place was its "baby pass." This allowed one couple to wait in line, ride a ride, and then come back with a "baby pass" for the other couple to use to skip the entire line of that ride. It was awesome. And only one ride conductor wanted to see the baby. Everybody else just took our word for it. While Jen and Brian waited in a line, Peter and I entertained ourselves on these balance toys.

What is it about amusement parks that make you think you are 12 again?

Definitely not as cool as Mickey, but fun and friendly none the less.

They wanted to get a look at Susannah, but she was sleeping and not interested.

Susannah was an amazing baby all day at the park. She took two really long naps in her stroller and when she woke up, she still rode along happily.

We did eventually let her stretch her legs and ride around with Daddy and she loved it!

On Jen and Brian's last day, we were lucky enough to have anotherOlmsted couple come through town on their way to Paris. The Reber's from Kiev arrived just in time for a lunch featuring two of the things the French do best; cheese and wine. We had a great afternoon comparing stories and catching up.

Then for Mother's Day weekend, we headed to Munich to visit the Murphy family. They were great hosts. Their children were so sweet to Susannah, even sharing their balloon with her.

We spent our sunny Saturday at "SpringFest" which is the springtime version of Octoberfest. It was perfect.....not very crowded and very family friendly.

We checked out one of the beer halls and got a taste of what the real Octoberfest must be like.

Don't worry......my beer was half lemonade and I only drank part of it.

What better way to digest a liter of beer than to go on the swing ride???

Since the swings made me a little queezy, we decided this ride probably wasn't a good idea.

In Germany, even the carousels have bars......here are Peter, Patrick and sweet Molly simultaneously enjoying a beverage and a ride.

Susan and I watched so we could stay with our napping little ones.

After all the Springfest fun, we were hungry for lunch so we headed for a beer garden for some traditional bavarian fare. It was delicious and Susannah loved sitting outside in the garden.

Sunday Susan cooked us an amazing Mother's Day brunch before we headed home. It was the perfect weekend.

So, we want to say thanks to the Hensarlings, the Rebers, and the Murphys for making our last couple of months so special. We loved getting to know all of you!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2011-05-16T02:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was possibly one of the happiest days of my life. It was my 30th birthday and the day included so many of my favorite things.......my husband and beautiful daughter, my friends, running, cremant, and lots and lots of dessert. We actually started celebrating on Saturday night with a pre-race pasta party that I hosted for all of my training partners. We were running the Strasbourg half marathon on Sunday morning and we had a great dinner that included home-made chocolate cake covered in 30 birthday candles. Thanks Pattie and Peter!! I was having so much fun that I forgot to take pictures, but we had a great pre-race dinner. Thanks ladies!!
My birthday morning started bright and early at 5:30. (Susannah was just so excited to wish me a happy birthday, she couldn't sleep any longer.) And then at 9:00, I ran my first half-marathon as a mommy. I'll post more about the race later this week. Susannah stayed with Daddy while I ran and.....drum-roll please......drank a bottle after the race. She even held it by herself with her little hands. Best birthday present ever!!

After a quick shower, Susannah and I headed to my friend Jill's house for post-race celebration with dessert and cremant (alsatian sparkling wine.) Once again, having so much fun, forgot to take pictures. It was a great afternoon though. Susannah was a happy camper with all the attention she was getting. And Mommy was a happy camper because of the sweets.....rhubarbe custard pie, chocolate chip cookies, rasberry muffins......ahhh, it was perfect.

Then, when Susannah and I returned home, Peter had a family birthday celebration ready complete with a happy birthday banner, the most beautiful cake I've ever seen, and presents. Meadow was even thoughtful enough to send a present from the US. Here are the pictures that we did manage to take.

The cake was so beautiful and delicious, I barely noticed that my name was misspelled! :)

Susannah helped me open my presents. She liked the ribbons.

Here I am in front of my Joyeux Anniversaire banner:

Susannah wasn't as excited by the cards......

Here I am opening my gift. My shocked face is a result of realizing that I not only got the massage I had been hinting I wanted, but also a pedicure and a special leg massage. The appointments have even been made already by my wonderful husband. The day we get back from Stockholm, those 26.2 miles I ran will be rewarded with some major pampering. Can't wait!!

This picture sums up perfectly why I feel so blessed to be at this stage in my life.

5 Months!

2011-05-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

Susannah, I can't believe I am posting a blog entitled 5 months. Where did the time go? How are you already so big and expressive? It excites me beyond words while simultaneously breaking my heart to realize how fast you are growing.
Monday was your 5 month check-up and you passed with flying colors. Weighing in at a whopping 16.5 lbs and measuring 25.5 inches, the doctor has given us the go-ahead to start with solid foods next week. Mommy is hoping this means we can start sleeping through the night. (As of right now, you are still waking up around 4am for a quick 20 minute feeding before going back to sleep until 7ish.)
Here is your official 5 month photo.

You seem to change or do something new every single day. Here are just a few of the things that I have noticed this month. You have officially found your feet and they are often your preferred toys.

You also love playing patty-cake or any other game that involves singing and dancing.

You love being outside. We go to the park everyday and you love it.

You usually take your afternoon naps in the park since you rarely fall asleep during the day without a walk or run in your stroller.

But sometimes you want to be awake so you can show off your fancy sunglasses.

You have really strong legs and love to stand. Your balance is getting better and better. Lately, you only require a little help.

This was a rare afternoon snooze sans stroller. Precious.

You have officially outgrown your borrowed snowsuit. (Thank you Augustant from upstairs!) But it is still a little chilly in the mornings. Luckily Mommy's friend Shannon sent you this adorable sweater. You wear it every morning for our morning run/nap.

It is a good thing that the doctor cleared you for solid foods because you are very interested in our food. You have already grabbed a yougurt and poured it in Mommy's lap. You love looking at the big people food during dinner though.

You love your Daddy as much as ever. He can make you laugh so hard. Watching you guys together is my favorite thing in the world.

Recently you have started sticking your tongue out all the time. Maybe it has to do with teething? I don't know, but lately, your tongue is out more often than not.

Even in pictures when you are trying to smile.....

You still love to talk and squeal and do both all the time. This is the face you make when you are making mommy's favorite sound in the world......your coos.

And of course, your jumperoo is still the biggest hit in the apartment. You have already moved up to level 2 on the height adjustments though. What in the world will we do when you outgrow the thing?

Susannah, you light up my life. Watching you learn and grow is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. Thank you!

New Favorite Toy

2011-05-01T05:08:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so, we have been noticing that Susannah loves to kick her feet. So we decided to order one of the jumperoo toys so she put all of that kicking to good use. We were interested to see if she would love it as much as we predicted and we were not disappointed. She LOVES it! Within 60 seconds of being in it, she was going to town, bouncing and smiling and laughing.

Her little chubby legs get quiet the work out in this thing.

She loves all the toys on it as well.

She loves it so much, that on the first day it was here, she bounced herself into complete exhaustion.....

Peter keeps saying, "Whitney, how much did we pay for this thing?" And then, when I tell him, he says, "worth every penny." I think Susannah and I would both have to agree with him.