Bye Bye Binky

After running out of excuses to put it off, the dreaded day finally reared it's lovely head. A day we had been preparing for (as much as possible) in the Poland household, the day that the Binky Fairy comes and takes away all the binkys for little baby girls and boys that need them.

This was something we tried to get Mallory ready for by explaining that she was big girl and that she needed to get ready to give her binkys to babies that needed them. She would sometimes humor me by saying "Okay Mommy," nodding her head, and then scampering along her merry way.

However, the time had come and after her well visit to the doctor, I decided we were doing it the following weekend. After a short conversation with the doctor about her very obvious binky effected teeth, I got some advice from her and decided now or never. Thanks to a great suggestion by Aunt Lori, we prepared a box for the binkys and had Mallory decorate it for the Binky Fairy. She was very excited and got very into the idea of giving her binkys to the fairy in exchange for a gift.

The first two days were difficult and just recently she stopped asking for her bink when laying down to sleep. However, the whole process wasn't too horrible considering how dependent she was on them. When waking up the next morning she immediately asked to go see what the fairy had brought and was extremely excited to find a dolphin balloon and a set of play-dough. Needless to say, we had to play with the play-dough before breakfast. That's okay, it was worth it :)

Decorating the box....

Watching Mickey (with Mickey) before bed, getting ready to say goodbye to the bink...
Play-Dough before breakfast :)

Two Unexpected Days Off

Last week I had my usual Wednesday off and then received a call from the sitter that due to a flu bug that has been making it's way around the city, it was probably not a good idea to bring Mallory to her house on Thursday. I attempted to find another option, but when all was said and done, I had to take the day off and stay home with her. Although I didn't want to have to miss work, I took advantage of a situation that I had no control over and tried to make the most of the day with my little girl.

On Wednesday, the weather hit us hard so leaving the house was not something I was willing to do. So, we stayed in (got a bit stir crazy) but still had fun. One of the things we did was the Giraffe Puzzle. Mallory had been really into puzzles lately and the giraffe puzzle was the one she wanted to do. This particular puzzle was a gift at my baby shower and although it sat around for awhile, we are getting a lot of use out of it now!

On Thursday, we ventured out to the grocery (the house was near bare) and then we came back and attempted to clean. I gave Mallory a spray bottle of water to help and she did a great job and made sure just about every surface in the house got sprayed including the dogs, me, and her face. How I wish a spray bottle of water could make me laugh that hard!!

Daddy's Favorite Song

Catching Up

Catching up on the blog in one post. Here goes....

A typical Sunday morning before breakfast. Couch, blanket, sippy cup, and Mickey Mouse.

Hanging out with Uncle Dan and reading her new favorite book, "Duck on a Bike"

Little Ev pulling himself up on furniture! Such a happy little boy.

One of the many faces Mallory makes while pondering her next move.

This is right after Ivan told me he was going to read the instructions for the play dough barn animal maker. He looked at them for awhile and then said "oh...."

Grandma and Ev playing

Mallory playing her favorite game which she calls "flies." They are a bunch of little paper butterflies that fly in the air while you try and catch them with nets.

Party Time Pictures

Almost a month after the fact, I finally was able to find the time to post some pictures from Mallory's birthday party. The party was on January 8th and was a lot of fun. We finally got to give Mallory the kitchen we bought her that was has been sitting in the garage with a Cleveland Browns blanket draped over it (I know, we are so discrete) since November. She loved it. She is constantly cooking in her kitchen and making us a variety of meals to eat. Just yesterday I had a piece of toast, ketchup, Juice in a bottle, with some mixed veggies. Delicious. She also likes to inform us about how "hot" the oven and stove top are, so we must be careful when in close proximity of the kitchen.

In addition to the kitchen, she got a lot of very wonderful gifts from everyone at the party. Clothes, toys, dolls, and doll accessories galore. I think that I could probably open up a dolls only toy store and make a pretty good amount of money with all the stuff she got. Two birthdays gone, and many, many more to go.

Little Beethoven

For your listening pleasure, I present to you Mallory the Pianist and her amazing rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Enjoy...

Mallory is Two

January 2, 2011, Mallory turned two years old. TWO YEARS!?!?! Where did the time go? Although her party wasn't scheduled until Saturday, January 8th (pictures to come) we felt it necessary to do something special on her actual birthday. Being that it is winter...and cold...we found ourselves struggling to come up with ideas on where to go or what to do. That is when Marc suggested Chuck E Cheese. Great! I totally forgot about Chuck E Cheese and remembered loving it as a child. Decision made.

After a call to Grandma and Aunt Lori, we had plans to meet at Chuck E Cheese on Sunday, January 2nd around 9:30 AM. Mallory really enjoyed herself. The games and rides were mostly geared towards her age and the excitement appeared to be almost overwhelming for her. I, on the other hand, was quite disappointed. I remember a band of mechanical animals that sang and danced - not anymore. I remembered fun ball pits that seemed huge to my little eyes - not anymore. What happened to Chuck E Cheese? What happened to the staples that in my mind made it so magical? Regardless, I suppose the day wasn't about me. So, I sat back and watched my daughter in awe of all the amazing toys, slides, and rides.

After Chuck E Cheese, we made it home without falling asleep in the car (score) and went down for a nap. Waking up several hours later, we spent the evening playing and dressing up. My princess was beautiful in her pink sparkly gown and made sure to tell me so. "Momma! Princess...Pretty" followed by a very over-exaggerated spin.

I couldn't help but remember the day in the hospital when Mallory decided to join us and make us a family. The excitement and wonder of that day will never leave me. I am so happy and proud of my little girl and so far she has grown into a smart, clever, sweet, and beautiful little lady. Even though it is our first time being parents, I think Marc and I have prevailed thus far. Of course there have been mistakes, but all in all I am very proud of the little girl I get to wake up to everyday and although it saddens me to see her grow so fast, I welcome the little lady she is becoming. Happy Birthday Princess. Mommy and Daddy love you.