Blue Eyes

I love Mallory's blue eyes and hope that they don't change. I'm pretty sure they will though considering both Jody and I have brown eyes so the likelihood that they'll stay blue is really slim. They haven't changed color yet so who knows, maybe they'll stay. Her hair looks like it's going to be a light reddish-brown so if her eyes do stay blue she'll be a knockout for sure!

The Magic of the Swaddle

Mallory has slept through the night two days in a row now and I couldn't be happier! She's been going down just after 9 pm and getting up around 6 am. Luckily both Jody and I prefer to go to sleep early so we get ready for bed as soon as she's down which means I've been getting a good seven hours of continuous sleep. Even before Mallory was born I wasn't getting that much sleep because I was so uncomfortable with the pregnancy so a good night's sleep was long overdue for me. When I woke up on Wednesday morning I almost didn't believe that I hadn't gotten up to feed her. I thought maybe I was just so tired that I didn't remember getting up. Once I realized that she hadn't woken up there was a brief moment of worry so I went and checked on her; she was snoring away!

I've only made one change to her sleeping routine and I think it's safe to say it was a great adjustment. A few weeks ago I switched her from the swaddle wrap to a sleep sack. I figured she was getting old enough that she might prefer having more freedom to move while sleeping. The swtich didn't cause her to get up more times than before so I kept putting her in the sleep sack. Then about a week ago, she started going from waking up once a night to waking up twice a night. So I started re-evaluating things and decided to try putting her back in the swaddle wrap. It worked the first night and again last night so I'll be sticking with the magic of the swaddle for as long as I can. If it ensures that I get a good night's sleep I'll swaddle her for the next 18 years!

13.1 Club

As most of you know, I'm an avid runner. Toward the later part of living down in southern California, I took my hobby of running to the next level and started participating in 5K/10K charity races. I have continued to do so and have probably competed in at least 30 races over the years. I don't run them with the intention to win any of the divisions, but I still get the competitive adrenaline as if though I was. Keeping myself involved in them also gives me more motivation to continue my hobby. About three years ago I stepped up my racing desire and began training for longer distances so I could participate in half marathons.

So far I've trained for three half marathons; funny thing is, I still have yet to cross the half marathon finish line. In the midst of training for those races, situations came up that prevented me from being able to fulfill my training. The first time was due to injury, the second time was due to sickness, and the third time was due to finding out we were pregnant and not wanting to risk anything in the first trimester. All valid reasons, but all reasons that killed it for me.

While pregnant with Mallory I was fortunate enough to continue my running but I decreased my mileage. I told myself that once Mallory was born I would recover and begin training for Shamrock Half Marathon in March 2011. It's one of my favorite courses to run and I'm really excited to cross my first half marathon finish line. I'm officially registered for the race as of today and I will officially start my training in January. If I get injured I'll push through the pain. If I get sick I'll just down a bunch of cold medicine. If I get pregnant...well, that won't happen and I've made sure of it. No more reasons for me to start training a fourth time for a half marathon and not cross the finish line. I'm committed to fulfilling my training this time so I can finally be part of the 13.1 club that I've worked so hard for.

Stickin' It Out

She's been playing with her tongue a lot more lately; I think it's adorable!

The Joy It Brings

Every year when Christmas time rolls around and I get out the decorations and start putting things in their places throughout the house, I'm always reminded at the joy it brings me. How could this time of year not want to make people smile. Everywhere you look no matter where you are, there's at least one fun thing to remind you it's Christmas: oversized wreaths on doors, bright lights hanging from houses, giant inflatable figures on lawns, goofy looking reindeer antlers or red bows accessorizing cars, snow on the ground (for some of us), Christmas music playing, the jingle of bells, the distinctive shape of the Christmas tree in windows, shopping bags in people's hands. There are many ways that you can be reminded of Christmas during the month of December and I love it.

For me, decorating the house usually takes about a week. Not because I have too many decorations but because I like to be creative and put new twists on things each year. I'll decorate a little here are there, and then let it sit while I think of what else I can add. Though I'm not the type of person who collects things to store, decorating for Christmas can be very costly if you don't use what you have. Thanks to the unlimited design ideas at our fingertips, it's easy to take the old and turn it into something new with small changes. Last year my colors where red, lime green and white. This year I used the same colors and added in purple and silver with lots of glitter. I'm keeping it pretty simple this year and I like it. I would like to get some decor for next year during the after Christmas sales. Next Christmas will be much more exciting when Mallory is older and walking around. I want her to love Christmas as much as I do and I can't wait for her to be involved in decorating with me.

Two Months

Miss Mallory is two months old today. She's getting cuter with each day and her personality is starting to show more. We're pretty sure the colic has passed - thank God! - but she still is somewhat moody. She is however starting to smile and talk more, which I love. We're celebrating her two month birthday by venturing down to Sacramento to go to my work's holiday party. I'm sure she'll steal the spotlight!

Kicks

My mom came to visit today and brought Mallory some gifts, one being a pair of kicks that just so happened to match perfectly with her outfit. They're so cute on her. I love the look on her face in the first picture. She's not as photogenic as I was as a baby; at least not yet.

Happy Feet

My new running shoes came today and it was perfect timing because today was not a very good day so I was really looking forward to my run. Mallory had a 'tude today so I wasn't able to even make a dent in my to-do list. I tried to ignore it and keep going about my merry way in Marshall's but after trying everything I could to calm her down, I figured everyone else around me didn't need to listen to her screaming so we left and came home. I don't mind dealing with a cranky baby out in public but there's also a point where you just have to realize it's time to go home and today was one of those days. Unfortunately Marshall's was only the first stop on my to-do list so I felt like I got nothing done; fortunately I had a few shows on the DVR to watch since I was confined to my home.

During one of her naps I was able to do some Christmas decorating and run to the mailbox. When I opened our slot and saw the key to the bigger box when large packages come I got excited because I had a feeling it was my shoes. Sure enough. Put them on as soon as I got in the house and haven't taken them off yet. Went for a run when Jody got home to really test them out and they felt great; happy feet make for a good run.

This Time of the Year

I love the month of December; by far my favorite time of the year. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I remember a lot of traditions we did as a family during the holidays as I grew up and I cherish the great memories when I'm reminded of them. Now that Jody and I have our own family to start new traditions with, I can't help but want to bring in some of the traditions that I did as a child and create new memories together. Jody has told me more than once that one of the things he loves about me is my love for Christmas. He says that my excitement for the holiday not only makes him smile, but it also makes him like Christmas too.

One of the traditions I remember doing was getting the Christmas tree. We would always drive up into the mountains - usually Apple Hill - and cut our tree down. My parents even have video footage of one of our trips up where I was the one cutting down the tree while my parents stood by. It cracks me up every time I watch it. Now that it's Jody and I, it's easier to just get a pre-cut tree - usually from Home Depot - due to convenience and cost. Once Mallory is old enough to walk and understand a little bit more about the excitement of Christmas, we'll go cut our tree down. But for now the pre-cut ones work just fine. This year I wanted to try out a new place. The first lot had a horrible selection so we kept going; there was no way I was settling on our tree. Then I remembered Zittle Farm in Folsom so we gave it a shot. As soon as we got out of the car I could tell it was perfect. The trees were beautiful, very fresh, and smelled wonderful.

One tradition that I've altered is how the tree is decorated. Growing up the ornaments were ones that my mom had collected throughout the years. I love the nostalgia of it, but I can't stand when ornaments don't match. I need order and cohesion. Last year I did all green and red. This year I recycled some of those green and red but added in purple, white, and silver. Lots of shine and lots of glitter. Loving the result. And loving this time of the year!

Sold!

I received an early present from Santa yesterday and got a new car. I've wanted one for over a year but wanting and needing are different things. When we found out we were pregnant, trading in my car became more reasonable because a sports sedan is not so baby friendly. But we still wanted to wait to see just how expensive having a baby was going to be. It also gave me a chance to really narrow down what I wanted to get and do my homework.

Once I decided that I wanted to get the Ford Edge we decided to go to the local Ford dealership just to test the waters. It was a couple of months before Mallory arrived and the worst experience I've ever had. We got some punk kid who thought he was Mr. Somebody and yet couldn't even grasp the simple task of listening to us. It was a waste of three hours and we left feeling exhausted. Though I was excited about the prospect of getting a new car I was dreading going through the car negotiation process again. But I kept looking online all the time just waiting for a good deal to reveal itself.

Thursday evening I found one at the Carmax in Roseville that I was very interested in. Knowing that the Edge is really popular right now and they don't stay listed very long I knew I needed to go see it as soon as possible. So Friday afternoon Mallory and I drove over there to see what they could do for us. I had never been to Carmax before and had heard mixed reviews from people about their experience. As soon as I walked in the door and was greeted by John I had a good feeling it was going to be a good experience. Not only did he welcome me but he was very attentive to Mallory and throughout the process made sure to check that she was doing okay.

My biggest worry was how much they were going to offer me for my car. The Mazda wasn't in the best condition but it was still worth more than I owed on it. When he showed me what they were going to give me for it I was stoked; it was more than what I wanted and expected to get for it. I called Jody to tell him the good news. He was still a little reluctant but every question he had I had a good reply so I left him no reason to not go forward with the purchase. I got off the phone, turned to John and said with a huge smile, sold! The rest of the transaction was so simple I thought I was cheating the system. I got to Carmax at 2:00pm and left with my new ride at 5:00pm. Sure beat the last time we spent three hours at a dealership.

This is the first time in my life that I've had a car with such nice amenities and I'm in heaven. The only things that I originally wanted and had to compromise on were the panoramic sunroof and heated seats. But those aren't necessities and for the deal that I received for what I did get, I'm very happy. I've got tons of windows to roll down that can suffice as a sunroof and I'll just have to crank up the heater so the leather seats aren't so cold on my butt. Mallory loves her new ride as well. She was content as can be on the ride home. Now I want to drive anywhere just to be in it; anyone need a ride?!