Our Easter and Mallory's 1st Birthday Celebration

Well, we've been so busy lately enjoying celebrations with our family. We spent last weekend at my folk's house down in Georgia to spend Easter and celebrate Mallory's 1st birthday with Grandma, Grandpa, Gram, Pops, Aunt Amanda and Uncle David. We had a full house and we really enjoyed being together all weekend. Mallory was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention and barely left my lap while we were around everyone. When I went out of eyesight, she screamed for a few minutes and eventually played with her toys, though bregrudgingly and with some tears. It was a challenge for me to visit with everyone, since Mallory was center of attention and I was frequently shooed from the room so she would be willing to go to someone other than me! She was SOOO clingy and we're still working on it, eventhough we've been home for 3 days.

Anyway, we arrived on Friday afternoon, along with Patrick's parents, and enjoyed a pizza dinner after Mallory retired for the night. The next day was spent celebrating her birthday. She wore a special birthday girl outfit, provided by Gram, and she was definitely "Queen of Sheba" for the day. We ate lunch at Papa's Pizza To-Go and Mallory couldn't get enough pizza, though she cried whenever I left her side to get more! She also enjoyed sucking on a chicken wing bone (Sharon L. would be proud!!!). She was pretty wiped out afterwards, but she didn't take a very long nap. I think she was ready for presents!!! And, oh my gosh, there were TONS of presents! She received so many toys and clothes!!! She didn't really know what to play with first and kept going from toy to toy!

We ate cake after dinner, which she really didn't know what to think of. She kept stroking the cake as if she was petting a dog, though she doesn't really know how to pet a dog! She never took a really big bite of cake, so that wasn't too exciting. I didn't get any pictures on my camera of that because my family members had their own cameras and Patrick had the camcorder. I'm looking forward to seeing the video!

We enjoyed attending church together the next day in celebration of our Lord's Resurrection. We had a big Italian lunch afterwards, which was quickly followed by the departure of my sister and Patrick's parents. Once the "crowd" dwindled, Mallory was much better at venturing away from my lap! We "hunted" Easter eggs with Grandma and Grandpa, a tradition my sister and I fondly remember as kids. Mallory wasn't too interested, but it was fun carrying her around and filling her basket with the eggs. Patrick and I were able to get some relaxing in before we headed back home on Monday. It was a nice trip and I'm glad we were all able to be together.

My days now have been filled with packing (which I'll have to write another post about), planning Mallory's birthday party here, making appointments for choosing things for the new house, and resting at the opportune times. God has blessed us and though we're anticipating some incredibly busy weeks ahead, we're looking forward to the outcome of our efforts!

The Birthday Girl!















Eating pizza at Papa's Pizza To-Go with Grandma and Grandpa



















Sucking on a Chicken Wing!














Opening presents














Mallory's first "tatto" (Thanks Grandma!)



















Easter picture of the Moss Family



















Easter Picture with Gram and Pop












Bunny Ears from Mallory's Easter Basket

Guiliani on the Republican ticket? God help us!

I came across this article today about Guiliani's stance on abortion. It's very disheartening to know that this man could be the Republican candidate in the '08 presidential race.

How 'bout them Gators?!?!?!?!?

Oh, it was so exciting to watch Florida pull off a 2-peat in the National Championship game against Ohio State! I'm so proud of my home-town team.

Go Gators!!!

Seeing our new little one!

Patrick, Mallory and I went to the OB's office today to get a peek at our precious little one. My heart's prayer was that we would see the baby's heartbeat and our prayers were answered! The baby's heart was beating fast - 164 - and it was so beautiful! The baby is measuring at my original calculations, only off by a few days. So, my due date will remain at November 7th, which means I'm about 8 1/2 weeks along. Praise the Lord for the good news!

Special anniversaries

Today, March 31, has 2 big anniversaries:

1. One year ago today was my last day as a working woman for Corporate America. I had stopped working in preparation for my upcoming baby!!! Man, my life sure has changed since then!

2. Three years ago today was another key life-change in our family. We had heard that our neighbors had rescued a beagle from a storm drain up in Kannapolis and was trying to find a family for her. We decided to go look at the dog and found her to be SOO cute! After much talking about it, we decided to adopt this little beagle, who was so sweet to have been caught in a storm drain! That night, Cayman was ours...and our lives have NEVER EVER been the same. Tonight, we're celebrating with a can of dog food rather than the dry stuff. Isn't she lucky?

59 cent tacos!

Last night, we went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant which promotes 59 cent tacos on Monday nights. We found out about this deal from some friends of ours and enjoyed a cheap dinner with them. The chips and salsa were SOOO good, the queso was excellent, and the tacos were great!!! And since my cravings have been for the salty and crunchy foods, I was very satisfied at the end, though the indigestion was brutal afterwards!!! We were very impressed with fare and are DEFINITELY planning on making this a regular event, since it was cheap and good!

Mallory enjoyed her first taste of refried beans. I let her play with the spoon I served her with and she made an absolute mess, but loved every minute.

11 Months old

I can't believe Mallory was 11 months old this past Monday. I was a bit behind in taking her pictures, but it's better late than never!!! At 11 months, she crawls all over the place, pulls up on anything and everything, cruises like a champ, plays well with almost all her toys, sleeps all night, and says "ba ba", "ma ma", and "da da" (though they don't "mean" anything in particular). At 11 months, she doesn't wave or clap, she doesn't drink milk out of a sippy cup, and has become a pretty finicky eater. She's a joy and delight and I'm looking forward to celebrating her 1st birthday really soon!

I can't decide which picture I liked best. I would post all of them, but here are my favorites.

Near-meltdown at the Wal-Mart

Yesterday was a day to run errands. I had a bunch of things to do in a limited time frame after Mallory's nap and before her lunch. Since she's become a finicky eater, I like to have her eat at home so there is MINIMAL distraction. So, I had about 45 minutes to do my grocery shopping and since I was by the Super Wal-Mart, I decided to go there.

Mallory and I strolled around picking up items from our grocery list, which was quite large since I had run out of all the non-food essentials...diapers, trash bags, papertowls, etc...and I was low on other essentials, like milk, eggs, and olive oil. So, we had a lot of big items in our cart and it was full of a few things that weren't on my list that I had forgotten to put on my list.

So, Mallory and I finally made it to the check-out counter, stood in a LONG line behind a few others, and we patiently waited for our turn. I lugged all the big items on the check out counter, lugged them back onto the cart, and followed with all the other $100 worth of items in the cart. I looked in my purse to pay the bill when I was shocked to discover that I had forgotten my wallet. I quickly realized that it was in Mallory's diaper bag...the bag that I left at home because it needed washing. I was relieved when I saw my checkbook and wrote a check, grateful to know that I'd be going home with my groceries, saving myself the embarassment.

When the clerk ran my check through the check machine, the man asked for my driver's license number. Um, I don't have my driver's license number. I forgot to bring my wallet. I sucked in my breath, remembering that they asked for those kinds of things. By the way, I NEVER pay with checks, so I forgot about all the info they want on them. Anyway, while I was standing in the check out line trying to hold it together, I remembered a post that my friend Kelly wrote about the same type of experience at Aldi's. The manager at Aldi's willingly took a check without a driver's license number and I figured that the same would happen here. I mean, it's Wal-Mart!!!

Well, the clerk said that he definitely needed my driver's license number. I calmly asked if I could call him when I got home with the DL number because I forgot my wallet. No, they don't do that. Well, could you call the manager? There was no need because the computer wouldn't allow a DL number override. Well, is there anything you can do? Um, I'm doing all I can for you ma'am (as he stands there, arms crossed, looking at me like I have two heads, as if that was all he could do). That's when the tears started.

I asked him what I was supposed to do with my groceries? The ones I chose so carefully? The ones that were now mine since they were in my buggy? Well, I could go home, get my wallet, come back and get the groceries. No, I couldn't do that because I had to feed Mallory, allow her SOME kind of play time since she had been in the car all day, and give her a nap. Plus, it would be another hour to drive home, get the wallet, drive back, get Mallory in and out of the car... but WAIT!!! My husband's name is on the check! Could I call him and get his DL number? No, ma'am. He has to be present to give the DL number. More tears.

Well, I guess I'll just have to leave my groceries. When I said it, another clerk came and took my buggy to customer service. There they went. And I watched them go with my mouth agape, trying to believe this was really happening. I followed my groceries to the customer service desk and pleaded my case with them. No avail, but of course they did all they could. I'd have to leave without my groceries. I was crying pretty hard at this point. Mallory was my tissue and didn't know why I was hugging her so tight and burying my face in her neck so no one would see my smeared mascara. At this point, I didn't WANT to come back for the groceries. I was so mad, upset, embarrassed, and everything in between.

All day, I had thought things like "I'm going to have some grape juice" and I'd look in the fridge for it, remembering that it was probably still in the buggy by the customer service counter. And since I was down to our last trash can liner, I knew I couldn't put off grocery shopping until the next day. So, after a nap (which I REALLY needed at that point), Mallory and I went to Food City and did our shopping. Though it was a little more expensive, it was faster and I didn't forget my wallet this time. And my grape juice is now chilling in the fridge.

What a day.

Various updates...

1. My first OB appointment for Baby #2 is tomorrow. Yeah! I love these appointments.

2. We're under contract with a house that we both really like. We should close around the first of May if all goes well with the construction. I picked out my paint color on Wednesday. I picked out the kitchen cabinets and vanities on Friday. I'm still hoping to hear from the builder that granite countertops is an option (it should be according to the house description). If I can have granite, then I need to go pick out my stone. I get to pick out my light fixtures tomorrow, in addition to picking up the floor samples from my real estate agent. Fun Fun!!! I'll post pictures soon! It's been really rainy and cold here lately...it even snowed yesterday! Since it's been overcast, I haven't taken any home pics. I'll get some soon!

3. Patrick's job is going well so far, though he's had his stressful moments. He's still in a transition mode and will be in this mode for a few more weeks. He gets a new laptop, though, and a cell phone, which he's excited about. He has more conference calls now and is going to be more office-based come mid- to late-March. He's hoping to recruit a new therapist in the next few weeks...pray that it happens soon!

4. Mallory is doing MUCH better, though she's still nursing a cough. We've had a few rough days, but she's gradually on the mend. I'm still having trouble getting her to drink her bottle. She only eats about 3-4 ounces per sitting rather than 6-7, which means she's only getting about 12 ounces a day. Not much! She was rejecting all food on Friday and Saturday, but is gradually getting her appetite back. I'm concerned about her milk intake, though. She's a skinny minny and I don't want her to be mal-nurished, though I know she's a long way from that (she's got NO ROLLS on her at all!). I've tried to give her other dairy products (yogurt, cheese, etc), but she's just not interested (spitting out of her mouth, throwing them on the floor, crying if I stick a dairy product in her mouth, etc). She also doesn't like milk in her cereal. She's a pesty little chick when it comes to dairy, though it doesn't seem to upset her tummy. Do any of you have suggestions? Tips? Words of encouragement??? Should I be concerned about her dairy intake?

4. The Gators are still in the NCAA tournament!!! Gators all the way!

Care for a slice?

Most of you know my folks own a pizza restaurant. I enjoy keeping up with any pizza news, and Patrick ran across this article that we both found very interesting. I think my parents should add this one to the menu...

Would YOU spend $1000 for a pizza?

Going to the Pediatrician

Mallory has been battling a runny nose for about a week and a half now, which eventually led to some chest congestion around Monday. This morning, she woke up with a fever and a thick layer of nose crusties. I feel so bad for her! Her chest congestion seems to have gotten worse overnight and she coughs when she cries. It's so pitiful! I called the nurse Monday and have been giving her a generic brand of Robitussin DM, which she absolutely HATES! I've also done the Vicks-on-the-feet thing, which helps with her cough, though she's not coughing a ton. She's just pitiful and it breaks my heart!

Anyway, please keep us in your prayers. I will let you all know what her Ped says...

Noon Update:
We just got back from the Ped and she said that Mallory has a sinus infection. She's been perscribed amoxcicillin, so please pray she doesn't have a reaction to the antibiotic and that she'll heal quickly.

Humbled by God's Abundant Blessings!

This has been such an amazing week for Patrick and me (Mallory too!). Though Patrick has been battling a sinus infection and Mallory has a raspy cough, we rejoice in the Lord and His abundant blessings.

Last week, we found out that our household will be blessed with another family member in November. Yes, Mallory will be a big sister. Yes, I am pregnant with my second child. Yes, our "quiver is getting full", praise God! Though I was surprised, I wasn't shocked at the news. Patrick and I are both thrilled and are looking forward to cuddling this newborn baby around Nov. 7th!

Three days after we found out about our new baby, Patrick was offered a new position at work to be a Director of Physical Therapy, which included a nice raise! What perfect timing! God knows what we need and knows how to provide and does so beyond what we ask. We're so humbled by this opportunity for Patrick. This new position will be a challenge for him and will cause him to stretch his skills as a worker, but I have the confidence that he will succeed beyond his expectations!

We've also found a house that we like that is in the process of being built. We've decided to move forward on making an offer and will be meeting with the builder today to try to work out some details. We're hoping this contract will go through and possibly be moved in the next few months.

So, we have much to rejoice over! I will continue to post updates about the baby, job, and house.

Lets Do Lunch!

Question about eating...

I have a few questions for you experienced moms out there regarding feeding your children. First of all, it's my goal to one day gather around the dinner table as a family, but it's very difficult to do that now. I'm trying to figure out a good schedule for Mallory to join us eathing, but I'm afraid she'd be eating too close to her bedtime and won't take her bottle before she sleeps.

So, here's a little sample of our evening schedule:
4:30pm - Mallory usually eats her dinner-time bottle
5:00pm - Mallory eats her dinner
5:30/6 pm - Patrick gets home from work/gym
6/6:30pm - Patrick and I sit down to eat for dinner
6:45pm - Mallory gets her bath
7:15pm - Mallory eats her final bottle
7:30pm - Mallory's bedtime

In the past, I've let Mallory sit at the table with us and eat some Puffs while we're having our meal, but she often doesn't take enough of her bedtime bottle, and thus will wake up EARLY and is a hungry baby. But, if she sits at the table with no food, she gets impatient. I know she's still pretty young to be eating with our schedule, but I was wondering when that will be? What should I do to move toward a family dinner time?

As she gets older and I start to wean her off of formula, how much whole milk should she get? How many ounces per day? When do those start tapering off? What are your suggested meal times/snack times...specifically for 12-18 month olds. I've searched the net for some suggestions but haven't found any that have helped. I figured I'd ask my mom-friends!!!

Bring on the suggestions!

Pretty eyes

Happy Birthday, Pops!

Patrick, Mallory and I were up in Culpeper, VA this weekend celebrating Patrick's Dad's birthday (his birthday is actually today, though). This was the first time since our wedding that we've gathered together with all of Patrick's family. Pops had all of his grandchildren with him, which is probably the best gift we could have given him. It was so much fun to spend time with everyone! We were at Patrick's sister, Karen's, house for the entire weekend. She and her family built (themselves!!!) a beautiful home on a lovely piece of property in northern VA. They have 3 horses, 3 goats, several chickens, a rabbit, 2 dogs, and 2-3 cats (I don't remember how many there were!). We had fresh eggs one morning...straight from the chicken coup!!! YUMMY! We had such a nice time and are looking forward to when we can go up again.

Happy Birthday, Pops!

(L-R Mallory, Skye, Colton, Ray, Michael)

Outtakes...

As I've been posting pictures, I always sort out the best ones for you to see. I recently started cleaning up some of my pictures and figured I'd let my guard down and expose you to some of the "outtakes" of my photo collection. Enjoy!

To Linda

Around 7:30pm, a dear sister in Christ went home to be with her Savior and Lord. It was an honor to be Linda's friend. To know her. To be a recipient of her kindness. To see the joy of the Lord radiate from her eyes despite her tiring fight with cancer. Linda has left a legacy with her children that is irreplaceable; she rejoiced in the Lord always, loved her spouse to distraction, looked proudly on her children, and, most importantly, lived for Christ first.

Linda always included hymns in her emails that spoke what she felt. So, as a tribute to her, here is a hymn that brings me such comfort. I looked over a bunch of hymns and felt this was most appropriate for her. To Linda.

Almighty Father of mankind,
On Thee our hopes remain;
And when the day of trouble comes
I shall not trust in vain.

In early years Thou wast my Guide,
And of my youth the Friend;
And as my days began with Thee,
With Thee my days shall end.

I know the Power in Whom I trust,
The arm on which I lean;
He will my Savior ever be
Who has my Savior been.

My God, Who causedst me to hope
When life began to beat,
And, when a stranger in the world,
Didst guide my wandering feet.

Thou wilt not cast me off when age
And evil days descend;
Thou wilt not leave me in despair
To mourn my latter end.

Therefore in life I’ll trust in Thee,
In death I will adore;
And after death will sing Thy praise
When time shall be no more.

Almighty Father of Mankind - Michael Bruce

10 months...

Mallory was 10 months old eariler this month. I've been WAY behind in the pictures, but better late than never! The day I took these pictures, it had snowed the day before and it was REALLY muddy outside. I took hardly any pictures because of the weather and we were leaving that afternoon to go to Charlotte for a QUICK trip. Patrick had a training class there for a few days and we were able to spend some time with Patrick's folks and a few other friends. It was nice, but a LOT of driving!

Anyway, our little girl is growing so fast. She's now crawling, pulling up, and cruising...all within the past week! She's been a challenge to figure out lately since her sleeping and eating schedules are not what they used to be. She doesn't sleep as much as she used to and isn't finishing her bottles either. Yet, she still is busy in her play and still has a sweet disposition. I think back over the last 10 months and I still can't believe all that has conspired. Whew!

Happy 10 months, Mallory. Mommy loves you.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Amanda

My sister's 30th was this past Saturday, the 24th. While I was taking this picture of Mallory, she was REALLY fussy...unusually so. It was after I put the camera down that I realized she had a slight fever. So, I didn't get a chance to post anything until now (Mallory's fever cleared up before she went to bed that night, Praise God!).

Though this is belated, we wish you a very happy birthday!!! Love and miss you lots!

Mallory's new trick

My life has now changed, now that Mallory can pull up. She's changing so much, so quickly.

4 years ago today...

Well, 4 years ago today I remember waking up thinking that I was in a dead-end relationship but was still hoping that Patrick may still want to marry me eventually. I remember feeling depressed and down, yet I was still looking forward to going out with Patrick later that evening. He could still propose, couldn't he? I mean, could what he had said to me the night before just been a line? But Patrick isn't like that. I was playing ping-pong in my brain...the ball was our relationship being whacked back and forth, yet I was both players doing the whacking.

It was supposed to be chilly that night with a chance of rain, but we had still planned to go uptown to a nice dinner at a little French restaurant and hopefully enjoy the romantic ambiance emulated along the night-lit streets of Charlotte. When Patrick picked me up, I was still a little in the dumps and I think he was getting a little frustrated by my reaction to his "schpeel" the night before. He told me that I was going to enjoy the evening, so just relax ("so...did that mean that he could possibly propose?" asked ping-pong player #1).

We headed off to Freedom Park first for a stroll around the pond. It was the first time I had been there and it was pretty crowded with runners, walkers, dogs and SCORES of geese (leaving behind their trail of poo we had to dodge). BUT, it was really nice. We ended up sitting on a bench watching people walk by while the sun was setting (a seemingly perfect time for an engagement to occur, thought #1). Patrick suggested that we go ahead an leave for our dinner before it got to late, so we got in the car and headed to the restaurant ("he's not going to commit...this is so lousy!, thought #2).

Before dinner, Patrick suggested we enjoy a coffee. How nice! So, we went to the Starbucks across from the Blumenthal Theatre, ordered coffee, and sat out by the waterfall infront of Bistro 100. The sun had set, the water sounded nice, the street lights were bright...a perfect time for us to enjoy the evening sipping some joe. Again, nice moment for a...well, I won't go there again because it was time for us to go eat dinner.

Patrick took me to a quaint French restaurant called Bijioux. It was located near Capital Grille uptown, but has since closed it's doors and is now another fine dining establishment. We had a table upstairs in a back corner away from all the other couples enjoying their meals. It was private and secluded and would, again, be a perfect spot for a couple to discuss serious topics in life without the intrusion of a stranger's listening ear. We had a nice meal, though conversation was strained and close to nothing. I'm sure I didn't help at all, because I was still holding a chip on my shoulder from the night before and the one side of my brain that was still hoping for a ring was loosing badly to the other. Our meal was good, the bill came, and it was over.

As we walked out of the restaurant, it started raining...one of those cold rains that will chill a person to the bone. As we started walking in the direction of the car, Patrick casually asked me if I wanted to walk around for a bit. Oh, yeah...in 40 degree weather in the rain? That sounded perfectly lovely. "Sure, I guess", I hestiantly replied. We walked down to the corner of Trade and Tryon and went over to the beautiful waterfall that is near the center city clock. I was shivering a bit and was wondering why we weren't headed to the car, since I was pretty cold and wet. But, the waterfall was really pretty at night all lit up. Patrick stopped me and gave me a hug. He said to me "Melanie, I love you." And then he pulled away from me.

He loved me? He was running out of time, didn't he know? I had a plan, a life, a future to think about. Did he still want me to wait around? And as I was whacking these thoughts around, I almost didn't see him drop on his knee. I think the sparkle of the diamond caught my eye and made me focus on the question he was asking me. "Will you marry me?" WHAT?!?!?!?!?

I think I stared at him for about 5 seconds not knowing what to do. He was holding out this beautiful ring, offering it to me, and letting me know he was ready to commit. Why did I fear? Why did I potentially ruin this night because of my unthoughtfulness and controlling attitude? Patrick had known all along and my pestering questions the night before caused him to think fast to somehow get me to not think about us and our future. I'm sure I put him through a lot too. But, I'm so glad that God kept my act in check because it started as one of the worst days, but ended up being one of the best days of my life.

4 years ago today, I said yes to marry the man God had selected for me.

"Malentine's" Day

...which I've been referring to today with my lovey daughter.

It was fun to have a baby in the house for Valentine's Day this year. She was all dressed in pink and hearts with a bright pink bow in her hair. She got Valentines from all of her favorites...Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Gram and Pops. Though I think she liked the envelopes and wrapping paper more than what was actually inside, it was fun to give to her.

Mallory - you are my sweet little Valentine. You give so much to us by being yourself! We love to receive your gifts of smiles, laughter, cuddles, and squeels. I wish we could give back to you all that you give to us. We try every day! Love, love, love you!

4 years ago today...

My friends Kelly and Dana have made posts on their blogs about Valentines memories. Valentine's Day in the past always included a card and candy from my parents, but never anything special from the opposite sex. Since I met Patrick, Valentine's Day has been celebrated on the 5th, so this day has been just another day in the life of us. That will change, now that Mallory is here, but I digress. There is one Valentine's Day I will never forget: V-day 2003. Though most Valentine's Day stories between boyfriend/girlfriend are often sweet and filled with stories including candies, roses, cuddles, cupid, white, red and pink, this story is not. Well, not at first.

Since Patrick and I had already celebrated our Valentine's Day on the 5th, we weren't planning on doing anything special on the 14th. We did have a date planned on the 15th, though, and we really just wanted to have a fun time that night. So, we ended up getting together with some of our friends (from our Sunday School class, of course) and attended a hockey game that night. It was lots of fun and it was one of the only hockey games I had ever seen...all I really remember about the game was that it was LONG, as most hockey games tend to be (side note - I'd rather go to a hockey game than a NASCAR race...at least you can TALK at a hockey game). After the game, Patrick and I went to Jackson's Java to have a cup 'o joe, play a game of chess, and talk.

At this time in our relationship, we had mentioned the "m" word and had talked about when we might approach the alter, but nothing was ever sure. While we were sipping our coffees (and I was beating Patrick in chess, but we won't go there...), I asked him when we would possibly be married. I mean, let's get to the truth, here. I was 24 years old, I was getting more established in my career, I was about to close on my first home purchase at the end of the month, and I was wondering when I'd finally be married. I loved Patrick and wanted to know when I could anticipate a wedding. I knew he was interested...or so I thought!

Before I continue, I need to give you a little background on what was happening with Patrick at this time. He graduated with his Masters in PT in '02 and got his first job in the summer at an outpatient clinic up in Concord, NC. One day in Jan '03 while he was working with a patient, the FBI came into the office, told him to finish with his patient, and shut the doors. They apparently were investigating his boss for insurance fraud and interogated Patrick for almost 2 hours that afternoon. Needless to say, Patrick did not want to work for his employer anymore and he quickly turned in his 2-weeks notice and quit his job at the end of Jan. So, at the time we were having coffee and I asked him the question about marriage, he was still unemployed and looking for a job.

OK...so, here I am, asking my unemployed boyfriend when were going to get married. Patrick looked at me with all seriousness in his eyes and told me that he wasn't sure if committing to marriage was something he should do at this time. He needed to find a job, get more established in his career, and just take some time out for himself. *blinking in surprise...trying to to choke on my coffee* WHAT?!?!?!?

I was so furious with him for not giving me any clue as to why he would do and say such a thing. I mean...just a week or so earlier, my sweet roomie at the time had asked me what my ring finger size was. I mean, why would she have asked me that if he wasn't planning on asking me to marry him? How DARE he string me along and not let me know that he wanted to have some "time for himself". Needless to say, I wanted out of the coffee shop and away from Patrick, but I also wanted to hug him, not let him go, and ask him why he didn't want to be more serious with me. I was so discouraged. And we were supposed to go on a date the next night? Ugh! He told me that I was overreacting and he just wasn't ready to talk about marriage at the time. He still wanted to take me out the next night because he enjoys being with me.

He enjoys being with me? And after over a year of dating, he still wasn't ready to get married? Should I still go out with? I mean, was I supposed to wait for him until his "life got all settled" again? I was plagued with the questions. But I agreed to go out with him again. At least one more date.

And what a date it was.

Misc Pics

Mallory is now on all fours, but mainly rocks on her hands and knees instead of crawls. She'll get the hang of it eventually.

















Here, she's suffering from a bad case of bed head. Cute!
















Getting a bath from Grandma and Grandpa!















Playing with her pizza toy on Grandma's kitchen floor.

Annual Traditions...

I've been talking a lot lately about memories I've had with Patrick. Well, there's a tradition that I have going on with my dad that I hope will continue for a long time. Every Christmas for the past 6 years or so, I have bought him tickets to the FL/GA basketball game in Athens for us to go to together. It's really the only time I get to spend with my dad alone and it's a date that we've really enjoyed over the years. This year, the game was this past Wednesday, Feb. 7th (the games are usually in Feb...sometimes on weekends, but mostly on a week night). Mallory and I drove down to Elberton on Wednesday morning and spent the afternoon with my mom. Oh - I also got a haircut, which was the first in a LONG time!!! Dad and I left for the game in the early evening and enjoyed our time in the car. It's always nice for me to have some one-on-one time to share with him about my challenges, joys, hopes, feelings, and other cares and trials that life has placed at my feet. In turn, I get to hear his. I love to confide in my dad. He's a great listener and will give advice when asked, but not push to hard on what he thinks I should do, since He knows that's between me, Patrick and God. He's quick to praise and always reminds me how proud he is of his girls. My sister and I have always felt confident in our father and I'm sure we both will feel that way for as long as we live.

Dad has instilled in both my sister and me a great love for sports...especially Gator sports! Amanda and I just love the Gators and we enjoy calling Dad after an awesome play or a hard-fought victory. This game we just saw was the first time I watched a defending National Champion and the current #1 team play LIVE...and it was even cooler that it was OUR team to boot! We sat in the midst of other Gators and we were ALL stoked that our team whooped the Dawgs.

I had a nice time at my parents and they liked spending time with Mallory. I left there on Friday morning with a promise to return in a week, where we'll be celebrating my sister's 30th birthday together as a family. Can't wait!!!

Update on house...

Sorry I haven't posted an update on our housing game. We couldn't come to terms with the seller on the house, so the deal fell through. We actually both feel good about it and know that God has something else in store for us. Keep us in your prayers.

Saturday...

I spent the afternoon with two of my girlfriends that I've known since I had first moved to Charlotte. They were part of my Sunday School class back at the first church I went to and we've remained good friends over the years. These women are SOO dear to me and I love them so much. Courtney (left) was my roomie for just under a year and we both got engaged while we were living together. She's an awesome photographer, too!!! She's expecting her first child in July. Erin (middle) was Courtney's roomie before me. She and her husband were missionaries in Europe for a while before they settled in Asheville last year. Erin's daughter is 10 days younger than Mallory. She has great taste in home decor and keeps a beautiful home. We all met at Erin's house for some girl-talk and baby-talk. It will be so much fun when lil' Courtney comes along!

I love these girls!!! You both are such dear friends and I cherish the relationship I have with you both. I hope our kids will be good friends through the years!

Our Valentine's Day...

was yesterday, Februrary 5th. When we first started dating back in '02, Patrick was in his last year of PT school and was supposed to go up to VA for a 6-week clinical during the majority of Feb and March. He was scheduled to be up there for his first day around the 11th, which meant that he would be gone on Valentine's Day. I was bummed, since it would have been my first V-day with a boyfriend. We decided to celebrate on the 5th instead, since it worked into both of our schedules.

Patrick arrived at my apartment with a dozen long-stemmed red roses, which was the first time I had received roses, too. I was just SOOO excited! I had made dinner for him - Ritz Cracker Casserole - and this meal is still one of his favorites today! I had also made a few other things for him...a picture frame with red-hot hearts glued all around it and a "thought box". The "thought box" was a heart-shaped box that had a pen inside and a stack of little papers that had "My Thought..." and "Date" written on them. I told Patrick that whenever he thought about me, I wanted him to write it down and put it in the box. He could either keep the thought or give it to me at a later time. I had made myself a box, too, and I had the same rules. I wondered if he this idea would make me seem too obsessive, but he really liked it. Over the course of the next several months, we traded thoughts with each other. I especially liked the ones he gave me that were from weeks or months prior. I have all the thoughts he's given me in the past, though they're now packed away in a box for safe keeping. You know, we should probably start that up again...it was so much fun to receive a thought!

Anyway, after dinner, I pulled out a stack of "Conversation Cards" that had a mixture of funny, serious, deep, and even shallow questions on them, which we enjoyed reading through and talking about. Before Patrick left for the night, we danced to a few love songs that I had put together in honor of our first Valentine's Day. It was very romantic.

So, we agreed that if we were still together down the road, that we would continue celebrating Valentine's Day on the 5th of Feb instead of the 14th. And now, 5 years later, we still continue on in the celebration. Last night we had our good friends, Josh and Rosanna, sit with Mallory while we had a nice dinner at a local Italian restaurant, Alta Cucina. It was very romantic and we REALLY needed some time to ourselves. I had pulled out a few "conversation cards" and talked about things other than life's challenges. It was fun to hear what he would name an island if he discovered one, what he would do if he came across a bear in the woods, if he would ever consider writing a book, if he would ever take a bullet for someone else, and his favorite subject in High School. It was fun, off-beat, relaxing, romantic, and VERY refreshing.

Happy Our Valentine's Day, Patrick!

How to fold a fitted sheet...

I used to get the Martha Stewart Living magazine before we moved and one of the issues had instructions on how to fold a fitted sheet. I never knew how to do until I read this article! My sheet sets were always bulky in the closet and very wrinkled when it was time to change the bedding. These instructions helped me SOO much!

So, in case you're wondering how to get your fitted sheets folded smoothly (leaving your closet more orderly!!!), follow these instructions. Happy folding!

Five years ago...

Every year around this time, I reflect on where my life was compared to where I am today. It's hard to believe that 5 years ago I was 7 months on the job in Corporate America, working hard to move up the ladder but at the same time wondering if my life would have more substance than just work.

I had moved to Charlotte in June of 2001 to start my job at "Big Power", only a month after graduating from college. I started going to a mega church and quickly plugged into a Sunday School class in order to meet some friends and, of course, maybe a guy I could date. The class I attended was a singles class and almost all of us were young corporate guys and gals in the same boat as me. We ended up having a ton of fun together going to movies, dinner, and other outtings, all the while feeling the waters for something deeper with the opposite sex. A lot of the group started coupling off, finding connections with the friends we had made, gravitating to the ones who had what we were looking for.

One Sunday in November '01 during a "Bible Trivia" day, this new guy, introduced as the SS teacher's best friend, visited our class. He apparently was a student at Elon college and was home on break. He was on the opposite team as me and answered a bunch of the questions right and I remember thinking I had to meet that guy. A few of my friends knew who he was since they went to college with him. I don't remember meeting him that day, but a month later when he visited again and I made sure I sat right next to him to introduce myself. "Hi, I'm Melanie. So, you're Dave's best friend?" "Yes I am. I'm Patrick". And there it began.

A few weeks later, my roomie, Courtney, who knew him from college, planted a bug in both of our ears about the possibility of dating. We were both interested, but didn't make any moves. We just sort of let the dynamics of the Sunday School class lead the way; we went out to dinner with the group, went to see a movie with the group, and just hung out with a bunch of people, which helped ease the awkwardness of the immature phase of "I like you. You like me. But what the heck do we do with that?"

On January 29th of 2002, Patrick asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with him after church, which I accepted, suppressing the true excitment I was feeling about it. I guess you could call this our first "official" date, though we weren't dating at the time. We had a nice lunch and I was impressed at how attentive he was in our conversation (though to this day I don't remember what we talked about). Later that night, we were supposed to play indoor kickball at the church gymnasium with the SS group, but I suggested that we could be each other's excuse to not go and just hang out together after the evening service. He thought that was a good idea. So, we met back up a church that night and afterwards, went to Blockbuster to rent a movie. He suggested "Les Miserables", which I had never seen and was shocked that he chose such a movie (he scored MAJOR points with that one). I thought it was romatic of him. So, we went back to my place, I cooked dinner and then we watched the movie. We held hands during the movie and afterwards, we agreed that we'd like to be more than just friends.

This was the first time in a long time I had dated a guy and my history accredited 2 prior relationships, both of which lasted a few weeks at the most. I went to bed that night thinking that I hope it would last for longer than 3 weeks...at least getting me through Valentine's Day since I had never had a boyfriend on that holiday (let alone other holidays...). I know, I know...that was a very shallow thought of me, but I would say that I was a bit shallow when it came to relationships at that time. As the anniversaries of our early relationship milestones pass, I will jot them down and share them with you...there are several in Feb!

Let the gaming begin!

Well, we've took the "plunge" and made an offer on the "pool house" this evening. After a lot of thought, research, discussion, stress, and (most importantly) prayer, we decided to move forward on this house. We're in a good place in this game of house buying; if we don't come to terms on a price, then we're willing to walk away knowing that God has something else for is. But, if we do come to terms, we will be very happy and humbly pray that the house will be used for God's glory. I'll keep you posted and ask that you keep us in prayer!

Pool? Or no pool? That is the question...

The house hunting has been well underway for several weeks now and I've experience little frustration in the process...up until now. We've probably seen over 50 houses since we first learned of our move to TN and each one has had some kind of drawback. I've finally found a house I REALLY like (Patrick likes it too), but it has a swimming pool in the backyard. We both were not wanting a pool and this is the first house we've seen that has one. I wasn't even going to originally look at the house because of the pool, but I was in the neighborhood this past Sunday looking at open houses and decided I would just drop in. I loved it.

I took Patrick by to see it yesterday and he agreed with perception of the house...it was great, but oh, that pool! Here are our main concerns (though we may not share the same intensity of feelings for each one, we agree on the list)

1. Mallory could fall in and drown (applies to Cayman as well)

2. Mallory could try to walk across the liner, fall in, and drown (applies more to Cayman than Mallory, but it could happen to both) or drown in the standing water in the liner

3. The general maintenance of it would be a hassle

4. Higher maintenance costs because of the pool

The pluses of the pool are as follows:

1. It would be a great way to excercise for me (and Patrick)

2. It would be fun to play with Mallory in the pool

3. Birthday parties could be raised to a WHOLE other level

4. Pool parties with friends would be a blast

Patrick is very hesitant about the pool, which I respect since I have my hesitations too. I get upset thinking that we'd disregard this house, though, because of it, though I'm willing to do so. But, the fear of our children (and dog) being hurt (or more!!!) because of it is great and I'm struggling with being too unreasonable about the fear. I keep going back to other things about backyards that can be fearsome (i.e. a high deck that the baby (and dog) could fall off/jump over, too hilly of a yard that could cause a broken bone if running too fast down, too close to a busy road that the baby (and dog) could cross and get hurt by an oncoming car). These types of fears plague so many parents, but I don't want these fears to overwhelm us to the point that we can't make a decision about a house. Fear is sin, but I know we need to heed our intuition on what is best for our family according to the wisdom imparted to us by God. But, what is hindering our decision in this case - Fear or Intuition?

Anyway, Patrick and I have wrestled quite a bit with our home decision and are coming down to the wire on ending or extending our lease based on us finding a house. It's frustrating, time consuming, draining, yet exciting all at the same time. I went to the bank yesterday and we're pre-approved for a loan far above what we'd ever take out, but I see God's grace on us and know that He'll bring us to the house that we're supposed to settle in.

So, to humor me, what are your thoughts on a pool...both good and bad? It may help us think of things that we haven't yet concluded.

Redneck Timeout...

My mom sent me this picture a few weeks ago and I ran across it this morning. Have any of you ever felt like doing this to one (or more) of your children?

Update:

THIS IS NOT MALLORY

:-)

Mallory's 9 month pics...

Friday was Mallory's 9-month birthday. Gosh, it's hard to believe she's been alive for as long as I was pregnant! My pregnancy seemed to have taken FOREVER, but these past 9 months have flown by. On Saturday morning, we took Mallory to Willow Springs park, even though it was a crip 27 degrees outside. The sun helped take the edge off the blistering cold, but it was still cold! Mallory was bundled up in a snow suit we bought for her off eBay and this was the first chance she had to wear it. It was slightly big, but it kept her from the cold! We brought Cayman as well and she enjoyed barking at the others out there with us braving the chill. Patrick brought his remote-control plane that he got for Christmas and enjoyed flying it around the wide-open spaces. He even had a chance to climb a tree (fetching his plane, of course). We had a nice time together and was able to capture some great memories digitally for us to enjoy and share with you!

Mobile Mallory!

Yesterday was Mallory's 9-month birthday. Today, Patrick will be helping me take her monthly portrait; it's much easier to take more formal pictures of her with Patrick's help than by myself these days. Mallory is getting around pretty quickly now! Though I think her means of travel can me a lot more efficient, it works for her. I don't think I'm ready for her to be moving around any faster, though I know it's inevitable! Here's a little video I took of Mallory yesterday scooting around in her "army style" crawl.