One Week with Mallory Brook

Here's to our first week with Miss Mallory Brook!  What a ray of sunshine she is. 
This week, we've spent a lot of time hugging, kissing, and playing dress up with our baby girl, while big brother Barrett entertains with puppet shows, singing to Mallory, and helping with diaper changes and feeding!!!  He really is a big help!!!  I've always needed an "extra pair of hands" to get a wipe, throw away a diaper, grab a burp cloth, take the lid off a bottle, or bring me a pacifier.  What do ya know....I have that now!!!!
At Mallory's one week check up, she had gained 8 ounces!!!  Wow!  Even the doctor was impressed.
I'm so blessed and look forward to the next few weeks I have with her before going back to school. 

Barrett starts back to school next week.  I'm going to miss him so much, but I know (especially with all the time I'm devoting to Mallory as a newborn) that he needs this opportunity to get his energy out, learn, play, and socialize with his friends!!!
I'm even in the process of signing him up for t-ball!!!! 

 

Buffalo Time

We just recently bought a 1/3 of a buffalo!  Actually, all we had to do is pay for the processing.  My daddy kept the buffalo, fed him, and sent Mr. Buffalo off to be processed.  Now stocked over 150 lbs worth of meat in our freezer!  I'm excited I won't be spending a lot of money at the grocery store in the future (unless it is on chicken or fish).

Our Family of Four

Wow!  If God has favorites, I think I'm one of them! 

This first week with Mallory has been great.  She and I were discharged from the hospital on Sunday afternoon and we headed home to McKinney.  Barrett had been staying with his Aunt Brandi while Mallory and I were at the hospital, and he too arrived back at home ready to take care of little sister!!!!

Barrett is great with her!  He smothers her with kisses, head to toe and helps out around the house during diaper changes and feedings.  The way he talks to Mallory when she is awake melts my heart.  He uses his "baby voice" (like we all do when we talk to babies).  I know Mallory recognizes his voice.  She follows him with her eyes and when she is upset, sometimes his voice soothes her.  It's very special to watch as a mother.  I. AM. SO. IN. LOVE!!!!!

We've had vistors, both family and friends.  We've also been showered with flowers, gifts, and even meals (which really helps from having to cook and clean the kitchen).

Overall, like I said before, I'm BLESSED!  I've got the perfect family and I'm so, so, happy.

She's HERE!!!!

Mallory Brook Barner made her arrival on August 9, 2012.  She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 19.7 inches long.  She's beautiful, healthy, and a true joy to our world.  God has blessed us so much with our new member to the Barner family.

Circus Time

The circus is in town...and I have a four year old that loves laughter, silly clowns, elephants, tigers, and more! 
Honestly, we knew that within just a few days, Miss Mallory would be here, and as much as we are looking forward to her arrival, we wanted to make one additional memory of just us 3.
I'm crazy, I know, because early in the day, I had a doctor's checkup, and he told me that I was dilated to a 3cm...and honestly, I could go into labor at any time.  That doesn't stop me though!  On top of that, it was probably somewhere around 108 degrees in Dallas, TX that day. 
We made it however, and the indoor air conditioning at the AA Center helped me out a lot! 
Everything was perfect! Barrett was thrilled to be at the circus. We had an incredible time!!!!!!!

My Fish!!!

Barrett has become an underwater, little, swimming FISH this summer. He's mastered his swim test that they give you prior to sliding down our big neighborhood slides, but more than an anything, he just enjoys swimming under the water!! I'll check him diving deep under the water to get his little diving sticks, swimming through Matt's legs, or holding his breathe to flip and turn under the surface! He's like me! I love the water too!!!!

With temperatures reaching 107 degrees and higher, the pool has been a life saver this summer. This particular day, Matt came home from work and we headed up to the pool for an afternoon swim.

Almost Time

We're all anticipating this little bundle of JOY coming our way...and it won't be much longer.
My friends Jamie Martin and Jennifer Schmidt (Aunt Jennifer) threw me a baby shower on Sunday!  It was wonderful, and so nice to see friends and family that I haven't seen in a while.  There were a lot of people from Wylie that drove out to my house, and that in itself was such a pleasure.

Mallory was spoiled with a lot of gifts!!!  You should have seen me after the shower.  I stayed up late putting things together, organizing, hanging precious outfits in her closet, assembling my diaper bag, and more!