Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Hanging with Dad
While I was forced to work last Saturday, Jody and Mallory got to spend some one-on-one time together. They went to the Folsom Zoo, the grocery store, swimming at the pool, and even took Leo over to the dog park. It was a great bonding opportunity for the both of them; some good daddy/daughter quality time. Before I left that morning, I told Jody that the only rule I had was for him to use the camera on their adventures. Here are some pictures of Mallory hanging with dad.
Friday, July 22, 2011
In My Absence
I'm super swamped at work and will be for another week at least. In my absence, please enjoy these pictures of Mal exploring the house and being cute.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Half Dome
A.Ma.Zing. Or as Huell Howser would say, "That is amazing," in his unique tone. But seriously, Half Dome was such an amazing experience that when I reminisce about our adventure, I still get a rush. I went through so many different emotions on this hike: excitement, pain, awe, determination, fear, empowerment, exhaustion, satisfaction, peace. I have wanted to hike Half Dome for a couple years now and I am so glad I finally got the chance to do it. I am also really glad that I am in good shape because it was a pretty difficult hike. It was a true test of strength for me in a couple of areas: physically and mentally.
I have a small fear of heights so the cables were scarier for me than I was imagining them to be; especially going down. Going up was actually pretty cool because you didn't have to look down if you didn't want to, and it wasn't hard to pull myself up. Going down was not so cool. You were forced to look down and while it's a beautiful view, it's freakin' scary. And the rock on the way down seemed steeper and harder to get a good grip with your shoes. There was a brief moment where I lost my footing and slid down to the next board, and it scared the CRAP out of me. But I handled myself like a champ and kept my focus on just getting down. When I made it to the bottom I was immediately proud of all of us for our accomplishment.
The hike wasn't all fun though. I got some pretty bad blisters on my heels on the way up the mountain and by the time we got to the top to eat lunch and rest, I had to use the first aid kit to try and bandage myself up. Luckily the way down is pretty much all downhill so the weight was on my toes. But because the trail was mostly downhill on the way back, my bum knee took a beating. I thought for sure it was going to be swollen the next day but it thankfully wasn't. We also ran out of water and the sun had become more intense than it was on the way up, so we were dying to get to the bottom of the trail. We were practically jogging down; cutting people off, taking shortcuts when there was one. There were some people on the trail with those damn hiking poles that I wanted to kick out of the way because I just wanted to be done and they were hogging the trail. And after being thrilled once we did reach the end and I was able to sit and take off my shoes, I then got eaten alive by mosquitoes.
But all in all, hiking Half Dome was one of those moments in life that will leave a lasting impression. Memories I hope to always remember and natural beauty that leaves you speechless. There has even been some talk between Jody and I recently that we wouldn't mind doing another one of Yosemite's many hikes again next summer. Maybe next time we'll turn it into a camping trip too and stay in the Valley this time. And when Mallory gets older, she can come camping with us; gotta get her used to the outdoors since this Jenkins family loves to be outdoors.
I have a small fear of heights so the cables were scarier for me than I was imagining them to be; especially going down. Going up was actually pretty cool because you didn't have to look down if you didn't want to, and it wasn't hard to pull myself up. Going down was not so cool. You were forced to look down and while it's a beautiful view, it's freakin' scary. And the rock on the way down seemed steeper and harder to get a good grip with your shoes. There was a brief moment where I lost my footing and slid down to the next board, and it scared the CRAP out of me. But I handled myself like a champ and kept my focus on just getting down. When I made it to the bottom I was immediately proud of all of us for our accomplishment.
The hike wasn't all fun though. I got some pretty bad blisters on my heels on the way up the mountain and by the time we got to the top to eat lunch and rest, I had to use the first aid kit to try and bandage myself up. Luckily the way down is pretty much all downhill so the weight was on my toes. But because the trail was mostly downhill on the way back, my bum knee took a beating. I thought for sure it was going to be swollen the next day but it thankfully wasn't. We also ran out of water and the sun had become more intense than it was on the way up, so we were dying to get to the bottom of the trail. We were practically jogging down; cutting people off, taking shortcuts when there was one. There were some people on the trail with those damn hiking poles that I wanted to kick out of the way because I just wanted to be done and they were hogging the trail. And after being thrilled once we did reach the end and I was able to sit and take off my shoes, I then got eaten alive by mosquitoes.
But all in all, hiking Half Dome was one of those moments in life that will leave a lasting impression. Memories I hope to always remember and natural beauty that leaves you speechless. There has even been some talk between Jody and I recently that we wouldn't mind doing another one of Yosemite's many hikes again next summer. Maybe next time we'll turn it into a camping trip too and stay in the Valley this time. And when Mallory gets older, she can come camping with us; gotta get her used to the outdoors since this Jenkins family loves to be outdoors.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Nine Months
Miss Mallory is nine months old today and is starting to turn into more of a little girl with each day. Ever since she discovered that she could be mobile on her own, she has become more daring and adventurous. She loves to cruise around the furniture and it's evident that it's only a matter of time before she figures out she can take steps without the furniture to support herself. We are in full baby proofing mode right now. She still doesn't crawl around a lot, but it's probably more due to the fact that we don't have carpet so it's not as comfortable on her knees. I had her at a friend's house today who has carpet and she was crawling around like crazy which proves that she will do it when she's determined to get somewhere. It's so cute to watch her go, just looking for something new to get her hands on.
We had her nine month doctor appointment last Thursday morning before we left for Yosemite. She weighs 21.8 lbs. (75th percentile) and is 28 in. (80th percentile). She's slowly starting to slim down and Dr. Randall reminded me that she will continue to do so as she gets more mobile. She is becoming more and more interested in our food as we eat and will even try to steal your food if she's close enough to reach it. She loves deli meat, Mum Mum's, avocado, tomatoes, yogurt, eggs, bananas, and steamed carrots. She still hasn't quite mastered the chewing of adult foods so I'm a little hesitant to try too much too soon, but I love to see her expressions as she starts to taste new flavors.
Her personality is starting to become really fun. She likes when Jody plays karate with her; big time belly laughs! She'll go around and around the ottoman and really gets into it if you chase her. As she explores along the furniture she talks up a storm so when it all of the sudden becomes quiet, it most likely means she found something she shouldn't be in to. She likes to push things around the house even if it doesn't have wheels. Her activity table has become a better walker for her than the actual walker. She found the dishwasher this evening as I was loading it with our dinner dishes and was so entertained I couldn't close it. Pots and pans, tupperware, wooden spoons, plastic dishes, Leo's toy, and empty boxes are favored over her own toys a lot now. She still loves Moose and gets the biggest smile on her face when she sees him on TV.
Though we're having to deal with the wrath that her teeth are causing her, I'm thankful we get good days sprinkled in between the hard ones. This round seems to be more painful for her as it will sometimes affect her sleep at night, causing her to get up a few times. Most times I can get away with just putting her pacifier back in her mouth, but a couple occasions have had me staying up to try and rock her back to sleep for an hour. We keep thinking those top teeth will break through the gums any day now, but they seem to be taking their sweet time. Even with her teething pains, she still has become such a happy little girl. Laughing, smiling, bouncing up and down, dancing to music, throwing items for you to retrieve, singing at the top of her lungs in stores, people watching, pulling on the pets' tails, pinching and hitting our faces. She is having a great time learning about all that is around her and we're having a great time watching it happen!
We had her nine month doctor appointment last Thursday morning before we left for Yosemite. She weighs 21.8 lbs. (75th percentile) and is 28 in. (80th percentile). She's slowly starting to slim down and Dr. Randall reminded me that she will continue to do so as she gets more mobile. She is becoming more and more interested in our food as we eat and will even try to steal your food if she's close enough to reach it. She loves deli meat, Mum Mum's, avocado, tomatoes, yogurt, eggs, bananas, and steamed carrots. She still hasn't quite mastered the chewing of adult foods so I'm a little hesitant to try too much too soon, but I love to see her expressions as she starts to taste new flavors.
Her personality is starting to become really fun. She likes when Jody plays karate with her; big time belly laughs! She'll go around and around the ottoman and really gets into it if you chase her. As she explores along the furniture she talks up a storm so when it all of the sudden becomes quiet, it most likely means she found something she shouldn't be in to. She likes to push things around the house even if it doesn't have wheels. Her activity table has become a better walker for her than the actual walker. She found the dishwasher this evening as I was loading it with our dinner dishes and was so entertained I couldn't close it. Pots and pans, tupperware, wooden spoons, plastic dishes, Leo's toy, and empty boxes are favored over her own toys a lot now. She still loves Moose and gets the biggest smile on her face when she sees him on TV.
Though we're having to deal with the wrath that her teeth are causing her, I'm thankful we get good days sprinkled in between the hard ones. This round seems to be more painful for her as it will sometimes affect her sleep at night, causing her to get up a few times. Most times I can get away with just putting her pacifier back in her mouth, but a couple occasions have had me staying up to try and rock her back to sleep for an hour. We keep thinking those top teeth will break through the gums any day now, but they seem to be taking their sweet time. Even with her teething pains, she still has become such a happy little girl. Laughing, smiling, bouncing up and down, dancing to music, throwing items for you to retrieve, singing at the top of her lungs in stores, people watching, pulling on the pets' tails, pinching and hitting our faces. She is having a great time learning about all that is around her and we're having a great time watching it happen!
Monday, July 4, 2011
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