Chit Chatting

Over the last few weeks Mallie has really started to have conversations with us. For example:

Mallie: Da
Mommy: Yes, that's the dog. Isn't she pretty.
Mallie: Ba
Mommy: Do you want to play with your ball?
Mallie: Ba
Mallie: Unny
Mommy: Where's the bunny? Are you my bunny?
Mallie: Uice
Mommy: I'll get you some juice.

Well, you get the point. She's becoming a little parrot and most likely knows more words that she's letting on. She'll just blurt out a word and shock you.

She's also starting to love on the dogs much more than she ever did. She'll cuddle up to them and just laugh and giggle. It's so darn cute. Jack is even letting her love on him even more.

Auntie Cheryl is coming!

What a surprise for mommy and Mallory. Auntie Cheryl called from the airport to say she's here. Mallie hasn't seen her since late Nov/early Dec. Cheryl is going to be amazed at how much this girl has grown. Mallie's almost bigger than Cheryl now (just kidding...well, a little anyway!).

I sure hope my munchkin behaves herself over the next few days. We're going to be busy shopping and all that good stuff.

We have a genius on our hands

So, every parent thinks that their kid is a genius, right? Well, I'm certainly no exception. Here are a few concrete examples of why my baby girl is headed for the ranks of MENSA.

• Her extensive vocabulary. Bunny (unny) and thank you (tao ou) are just a few of the many words she speaks. Some may say it sounds like Japanese or gibberish, but mommy and daddy know the truth.
• Toothbrush habits. So little miss already knows which tube is the toothpaste when it's time to brush her teeth and just asks for more and more. Nummy is her word for it. She is going to have the best hygeine habits around because she knows that her body is her temple. Mommy knows that it's not just the yummy taste of toothpaste that leaves her asking for more.
• Walking vs. Crawling. Mallie is walking about 98% of the time. But, there are still circumstances where she knows it's faster to drop to her knees and crawl rather than waddle along. She KNOWS!
• Her outstanding computer skills. She is able to use a mouse extensively and open up baby clothing sites and baby bulletin boards. All of this from a 16 month old!

So there you have it. All very real examples of why my baby is the smartest one alive. :)

Told you it was the teeth

So, I can officially blame all the sleep troubles Mallie's had this week on teeth. In between the wailing tonight I actually got to peek into the black hole (her mouth) and saw at least one new tooth that was just bursting through (left front tooth between the canine and middle one) the gum.

In one explosive whine, Shawn got to peek even deeper and said it looks like some of the molars are coming in. Hopefully they'll come in quickly so baby girl isn't in pain too long. Or, mommy and daddy too. We're tired and need our beauty sleep.

Lovey Talley

The recent "election" of Mallory's lovey has taken an unexpected turn, with the incumbent trailing slighly. Not sure if blankey will make it's way back.

Here's the current score:

- Baby doll: 4
- Blankey (incumbent): 2
- Monkey: 0

Lullabye and goodnight

Mallory has been a champion sleeper since she was 8 weeks old. She inately knew to start sleeping through the night before mommy went back to work! But the last week she has been a bear with all the whining and crying when we're trying to get her to bed. Tonight was the worst. She whined in the bathtub, threw an all-out tantrum when trying to put on her clothes. She even cried for 20 mins while Shawn and I tried to enjoy our dinner through the din of wails. Finally, I went in to rock her for a little while. I think it's more of those pesky teeth coming in. Hopefully they'll sprout soon and we'll all be catching up on our ZZZZZs.

Rain, Rain Go Away

We bought Mallory an outdoor play set with a swing and a slide. She absolutely loves it. So much so that we've played outside everyday since this last weekend. But, the weather has turned south and thunderstorms are rolling in. Poor Mallie won't get to play outside for the next few days until everything dries out.

Which lovey will it be?

Mallory has been in the process of trying to choose a lovey for quite a while now. First, it started with her fuzzy, wuzzy blanket. Everytime she got out of her crib she had to have it. Second, it was a soft little yellow stuffed monkey. She would carry it around the living room. Unfortunately for the poor monkey he was discarded after just a few days.

This morning it seems as if she may be test driving a new lovey...a baby doll Papa gave her for her first Christmas. She was fascinated with the little eyes that would open and close. So much so I couldn't hardly get her dressed for her playing with them. Okay...well, she wouldn't let go of the toothbrush either so maybe it's a fluke.