It's a boy!!!

His name is Jack Richard Malone. Rick thinks we are naming him Jack David Malone...but I want to name him after his father. Please feel free to text Rick and tell him to give in! We saw Jack in a new ultrasound and he is perfect and healthy. He is a little wiggle worm. He is supposed to be born the first week of November. His sisters were nicely induced at a date of my choosing and convenience...we'll see if he is cooperative with his mother who plans everything. If he takes after his father...he will be born when he is darn good and ready...and i'll like it...haha.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY TO GLORY DANIELLE!!!

Here are some pics of my sweet little-little one on her birthday...thank you to all of our friends and family for the sweet gifts, attendance, and warm wishes!

It's my party and i'll cry if I want to! Daddy just hating it!

Yes, I do have the best looking husband ever!!!

He makes pretty babies doesn't he?

Glory makes the best faces!

I'll post more pics of all Glory's friends and family that attended her party soon!

Baby Jack!

11 weeks! You can see his head to the upper left, two arm buds, a belly, and two (not so distinct) leg buds to the low right. I hope you can make him out. Per the ultrasound our due date is November 8!

We call this little peanut baby Jack. Since we first talked about having a baby i've loved the sound of "Jack Malone". We have no idea what to do with a boy baby...but we are excited at the possibility! A couple more months and we will know. I am hoping for a boy. I told Rick I am all out of girl names...this one has to be Jack! He likes Frank. He says this is the last real "man's name" left. He also likes Jack but won't allow me to "church it up" and name him "Jackson". Well...i'm counting my blessings...he has decided that Jack's middle name will not be "Daniels"...my husband the comedian!

Fort Wayne, Alex visits, and Easter!

Grace is talking and learning words at an amazing rate. She said "....actually..." in a sentence yesterday and used it correctly. Glory says "dada, mama, and bubba". Glory is belly crawling and is getting her upper front teeth.

Grace now has a slide in her bedroom courtesy of daddy...and is practicing for a stunt double career.

The house is riddled with toys, random socks, left over snacks, and diaper changes now take place where ever I happen to be sitting. The diaper changer and diaper genie are collecting dust. We fill up a trash can twice a day! Our days seem to fly with this pregnancy. Breakfast, play, snacks, play, nap, daddy is home, bedtime, and so it begins again the next morning. We have also been really busy these last weeks....take a look!

We went to Fort Wayne, Indiana for Mason and Finley's 2nd Birthday party!

They have a slide and a swing set...this explains the slide that now sits in Grace's bedroom. Her dad couldn't bear it any longer. She "needed" it! Grace had so much fun with her cousins. They all played very hard each day.

Proud parents, Ron and Rachel. Ron is Rick's brother. Grace says "Uncle Ron looks like daddy!" Mason and Finley are getting so big and are incredibly sweet!

TT (Rick's sister Lynn) in all her glory with her nieces and nephews! I have since decided Rachel is a big cheater...two for one...twins...i'm the one suffering over the legacy here! Then again, everyone else worked hard to help with the party while I rested...hmmm this pregnancy gig isn't so bad!

Mackenzie is Mason and Finley's cousin on Rachel's side. She held Grace's hand and played with her for most of the party. They were big friends! Grace wanted it to be her birthday too. She was singing "happy birthday to Mason, Finley, and bubba!"

Awww...Rick has quite a crew of girls!

Rick was able to spend plenty of time with the kids!

Daddy's girl!

Alex came home with us to stay the week.

Uncle Rick taught her to mow the lawn on the rider.

This was a big adventure for our city girl. She lives a stone's throw from the Sox Stadium, downtown Chicago. You can see the Sears tower from the top floor of their home. Uncle Rick had her follow him around the yard once and then let her go. No...I did not interfere. I thought I should be a cool aunt, rather than a protective mother. I just prayed I would not have to call her father and explain why Rick had to rescue her and the mower out of the pond! As I expected she did an AWESOME job and Rick was done in half the time. She's hired!

She was incredible with the babies. She fed Glory, played with Grace, and at night would rest in her "apartment" downstairs. She was, as always, a joy and blessing to be with!

Uncle Rick is always saying she should go to college at Vandy. He changed it this trip...he explained that if this happens she is to be at our house after school Friday and she can return Sunday night. There will be no dating! Hmmm...I think her dad would approve...I don't know who will have it worse...me or Lynn...Alex dating...will send those two men right off the deep end!

Easter in Jasper, Indiana!

Glory's first Easter morning. She is so sweet!

Uncle Frank was so great with the girls. It seemed like every time I needed a third hand he was there to take Glory. He read her the story of Jesus' resurrection while we got ready. Sweet! When we came home after a few days Grace asked if daddy was bringing "Uncle Frank home with him".

Easter morning extravaganza!

Daddy looks like he could use a big cup of coffee! Grace hunted for eggs, we all got baskets, and fun was had by all!

The night before TT made me home made meatballs with her special red sauce (marina?)...i'm not sure...I just know that this is all I have been craving for months! I have my meatballs and sauce in the back of my freezer and I really don't want to share! I am not sure she had these culinary skills before marrying my Sicilian brother-in-law...but God bless him...because the woman can cook!!! I darn near licked every one's plate clean!

Of course no trip to Jasper would be complete without paps hauling the princess around in her carriage. She has a pillow, blanket, and snacks and they go around the block four or five hundred times!

Grama gets here Monday for ten days. I will post plenty of pictures!

We feel blessed and excited about baby 3. Rick is an amazing support when I am sick. He is super dad. He is all in with his two girls! Glory cries for him now when he is home and Grace has decided she will share her dad. All is well and our adventure is to be continued...

Feeling Great!

The concept of having three children has really settled in now with Rick and I. We seem to be more excited and less shocked this week! We told Grace there is a baby in mama's belly. We asked her if she will have a brother or sister. At first she was sure she is getting a brother. Now she exclaims, with an enthusiasm that seems to make Rick a bit dizzy, "a brother AND a sister!"

So here are some pictures of this week. Grace likes to do her own hair now and Glory had her first baby cookie!

A note about the godparents: I received an identical reaction from Grace's godmother, Laura, and Glory's godmother, Keri. Both of them belted out a laughter that was darn near unstoppable. They both know Rick and I very well so I have to guess this laughter comes, in part, with much anticipation of seeing us with three preschoolers. Alex gasped "nooooooo way" about ten times!
It is going to be great and we are more excited every day! I know the godparents check this blog often (Grace: Mark & Laura), (Glory: Bryan & Keri), and (Junior godmother to both girls: Alex). Your prayers and love for our girls is so appreciated. We don't thank you often enough or express our gratitude as much as we feel it! Our girls are blessed to have all of you...and we are counting on you...for lengthy babysitting commitments! =) Love you!

P.S....
Bryan you need to talk to Rick...look what is in my basement for crying out loud and what I find a midst the photos of my babies...this is the nervous tinkering of a man pondering the prospect of three daughters!!!

The BIG News!!!

I missed a week of blogging! By now most of you know why!

We are pregnant!

The shock and awe of this unexpected blessing fills our hearts with gratitude, excitement, and wonder. I had a feeling another Malone baby was destined to be for months. However, the thought of Rick being taken by ambulance to the emergency room or escorted by men in white coats to the state mental hospital, over the news, seemed to put a damper on the prospect. I myself wasn't really convinced this was coming, but couldn't shake the feeling. God, in His amazing timing and way took the planning out of our hands! (Ya'll know me...I plan everything!) I saw the test results out of the corner of my eye and dropped to my knees to pray for help...Rick would be coming to the door in seconds. To my relief the shear shock value of it all had both of us speechless and wide-eyed. When we managed to utter any sound it was mostly laughter! An unexplainable peace and excitement overtook both of us! Most everyone we have told, especially grandpa and paps, have burst out in the same uncontrollable laughter! Rick and I have come to the conclusion we are blessed and grateful. As Rick put it; this baby will extend the years we will spend hearing the contagious laughter of a toddler, listening to "Jesus Loves Me" over the baby monitors, playing hide and seek with people who think hiding is closing their eyes, seeing purity and honesty in such authentic form, and relearning the world through new eyes!

God is good indeed!

P.S...Grace was able to get into preschool this fall! She will start in September. As of this November I will have a newborn, a one and a half year old, and a three year old. Can you imagine...they will all go to highschool together...in a word...wow!

Potty, Preschool, & a Pillow!

First i'll mention a few really cute things that Grace said this week.

I woke up this morning hearing on the baby monitor "aaaaalie...oh...aaaalie". I went into her bedroom and asked "who is Alie?". "Maaaaamaaaa" she grinned! Grace recently called me "Allison"! I've never heard my name said in a sweeter voice...I sucked in the tears. As i'm writing Grace is in her bed calling "Allison...Allison...!"

She told me the other morning "daddy is working on his car". I shook my head no. "He is in heaven". I again said no. "He is at church". Nope. "He is at the hossippitttal"....she announced with a grin like she knew the answer all along.

We had another talk about Jesus and God. She told me she is "learnnning". I told her that God created everything and on the seventh day he rested. She shook her head in agreement and said "yes...angels tucked him into his ni-night bed. It is yellow." I thought hmmm...maybe so!. We talk about how God is in heaven and Jesus lives in your heart. She says Jesus does "bonk to your heart"...so so sweet!

Well i'll get right to it...a very big week for us...

Grace went potty for the first
time. Interest in this comes and
goes but she was very happy to
see daddy and mommy jumping
up and down...and the chocolate was
a definate inspiration. She likes to read on the potty!




Undie antics! She decided to run around in her new undies,
pink princess boots, and Ford Racing hat. Hmmm...can you
guess who's dad is a car enthusiast?

Other big news...we registered for preschool. Our church has a program two days a week. Grace would start this fall after she turns three. It is a reputable program that prepares for Kindergarten, she would be in our church that is familiar to her, the price is right, and she would have early enrollment as a four year old, if she gets in this year! I may go back to school if this works out. She actually is the first on the waiting list...please pray with us she gets in. She was really excited about going to preschool...I had to explain to her that the 45 minute wait in line to sign up, with the screaming toddler in front of us, is not her school. She seemed relieved! Aren't they precious...thought you all would like a look at our big girl at her Sunday School...and hopefully preschool...again please pray God will open up a spot for us!

This is how Rick spends his evenings between 5pm and 8pm most nights. He loves these babies and is all in...all the time. He gives them every ounce of energy he has! Glory got some tummy time thanks to dad. She cries for me...but plays with him...which seems about right!

They are in Grace's bed. This is big fun for them! The third monumental event this week...Grace got a BIG pillow. It just happened one night. She is very excited about this. Of course I have a Hello Kitty pillow case in the dryer...courtesy of Nana!

Now before I get a lot of "comments" on this blog...I want you to know, especially JGM, that in two seconds this stopped and she was sucking on the toy in her hand! We are a fickle crew sometimes. This face is so sweet to me. Sometimes I chuckle to myself...I too cry for no reason now and again...then get over it...as i'm distracted by something...a Dillard's add...a Kohl's coupon...a lipstick I thought i'd lost. This is normal for girls of all ages...sorry daddy...it is true!

Baby Glory used her sippie by herself. She can't get any juice out unless I hold it up...but it feels good on her two new bottom teeth!

We are a reading group of girls! Grace loves her books and we hope Glory is the same. Of course she chews on her book...but this is quite all right with us. And again, tummy time. She doesn't really roll front to back because of her girth issue!

Here we are in Glory's bed! Again all is fun and games until someone decides to stretch some else's bottom eyelids and cheeks! We have to play under supervision!

By the way, Grace insisted Glory get a "consequence" today! Glory pulled her hair as they were playing in Glory's bed and Grace cried. Grace was absolutely insistent on justice despite my efforts to explain Glory is a baby and she is also "learning". I had to take Glory's choo choo and ni-night bear away...and put her in time out. Glory was oblivious this was a punishment and kicked and smiled happily in the other room as I made faces to her and rubbed her belly. However, this satisfied Grace's need for justice and lifted her mood. She is developing a real sense of behavoiral rules and what happens when they are broken. She explained later in the day that Glory got a "consiwhensss" for pulling her hair! She doesn't seem to forget anything!!!

And finally...this is what most of my days look like...two sweet angels playing! I wish I had every day memorized! Again, i'm so grateful to be with them...thank you Rick! It is indeed a wonderful life!

They grow so quickly!

I thought I would post some old pictures of sweet moments.

They grow so quickly!