And the plot thickens

As if life couldn't get more interesting like a soap opera in the Malloy household. Still won't post the exact details about last month's events yet, but know that the saga continues with our property manager of our rental at Topaz and she has been busted!!! by the owner and is now grasping at anything!! The owner of the house called us last week to match storys and let him know a few things that had been going on without his approval.
Apparently we may be a 'victim' again on her list. Bring it on, I say, lies get you no where and only hurt your integrity. The good always win. We have a great lawyer who just loves to nail landlords who's intent is do malicious wrongdoings.

Also, at 12:45 am our doorbell was rung. Mike was up and I had just gone back to bed, after noticing he wasn't there.
It was the Chandler police department! An anonymous call was made saying that we had a rambucious party going on at our house! We were all laughing. All the kids were asleep, lights out in the house, yet we were secretly hiding a gaggle of kids and whooping it up. We told them nope, not yet. Whoever called got antsy for we were having a party today LOL. He asked us to wait till his shift was over ;-) So whoever made that call either completely got the address wrong or was someone that wanted to cause chaos in our life. Didn't happen!! Was actually very comical.

Mike's birthday weekend

We still have one more day to go, but here are some pics he took to celebrate the day. Caden and I made him chocolate cupcakes and I cooked his favorite pork tenderloin and red potatoes.
Also, BIG ACHIEVEMENT FOR MIKE......
He put up our new outside lights! He is becoming handy and I LOVE IT!! Better watch out Mike, can't use 'I don't know how' anymore tee hee hee!
Look closer at Teagan's picture and you can see one of her two teeth ;-)

HAPPY 6 MONTHS TEAGIE!!

Holy smokes can you believe it?
Had her 6 month well check and she is 28 inches tall (97%), 18.7 pounds (85%), and 18 inch (97% and total Malloy noggin).
She cut her second tooth this morning and is almost sitting up unassisted!
She rolls all over the place, grabs toys, the boys, and any object with both hands, Eats oatmeal, stage 2 foods, and drinks perfectly from a sippee cup! She has been getting up on her knees a couple of times, but I'm not encouraging that ;-)
We got her the Bumbo chair and wish I had that with the boys. She loves it and it's great for me so I can actually get a few things done and she feels apart of what's going on in the house instead of being layed back in a chair or stuck in the jumper-roo if I'm in another room.
She will maybe be crawling when we go home in 2 months!
Tonite we are off to Caden's friend Allie's birthday party at Peter Piper Pizza. He's so excited!! As well am I!!

What a crazy week, AS ALWAYS, it has been.
I have joined a bootcamp with my girls and we are getting a good workout twice a week! Man it feels great, I feel light on my feet again, and actually feel slimmer! Speaking of, I forgot to mention that when I went in for mastitis I officially have lost all of Teagan's pregnancy weight! Now, if only it came of in the places it went on!
I also keep forgetting to mention that I joined another Moms group called MOPS, Mother's of Preschoolers at my church. It's twice a month for two hours and the children go in Moppets/or nursery. While they have fun with new friends, I get to enjoy uninterrupted conversation, eat yummy food UNINTERRUPTED, and spiritual grow with what the speaker is presenting that day. It's exactly what my spirit needed and craved. I still do MOMS Club, I can't give up my girlfriends and I'm now, along with another friend, planning Activities for our group. It's pretty fun and easy, lost of ideas are sent my way thankfully!
So this week was MOPS, Bootcamp, school, two playdates, and lot of running around getting things for birthday parties. Speaking of birthday's, Mike's 34th is this coming Friday! We have a sitter for Saturday night and all he wants to do is shoot pool with little ole me! And Sunday we have family and a few friends coming over to watch the Patriots game! FUN!
The weather has been absolutely awesome! We went to the park tonite, it was so cool out! I hope it stays this way. We took with us our neighbor's son Andrew who is 9 and the boys are already infatuated with him. Can't blame them, he's so much fun and so patient with the boys!
Tomorrow is church and then boot camp for me at the high school track.. OH JOY, can't wait ;-)

Here are some pics finally! Some close ups of the kids, Caden is wearing a crown he made a church, and Riordan wouldn't take a picture with all of us, but I have some cute ones of him by himself! He did let Aunt Jen hold him though! See the proof here.

September 11

A lot of things for September 11.

We have OFFICIALLY lived in Arizona ONE year. We arrived in the afternoon a year ago today at Uncle John and Aunt Amy's house.

Today is my dad's 78th birthday, my friend Aimee B.'s birthday (21 again), and Mike's friend Mike L. birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU GUYS!!

And of course it's the 5th year since that horrible day of 9/11.
My prays are with all those who were directly hit by the result of what happened.

1st tooth cut!

Yep, she cut it! Most likely in the middle of the night, because boy it was a hard one. But this morning when I got her I could see and feel the tooth. Yesterday I could see the white dots and it about to break through!!
YAY for Teagan! Hopefully from here on out it won't be so bad as we keep going.
Off to our previous neighbors house for some quality time in their 'new' house (they moved 4 months before us)!

Aunt Jen's trip

Was the best. I still can't believe my sister gave up her holiday weekend with her family to come help me out with the children while Mike was in ATL attending a great friend of our's wedding. She and Mike passed in the air and probably could have waved to one another LOL
On Friday we all went in to pick her up at security gate. Caden and I waited, sometimes impatiently, for her while Riordan wanted out of his stroller, and Teagan bounced in the Bjorn. Yay! We got her, stopped at the Starbucks for a quick snack and then headed to, surprise surprise, Chick Fila! Brought the boys home for a nap and then my friend Michelle and her children came over to play that night and eat pizza.
Saturday we hit the mall. The boys played on the indoor playground for almost an hour! We strolled around with no agenda and ate in the court. Back home we came for naps. Teagan slept till 6 pm, so when she got up and everyone had dinner we hit the Super Target.
Off to church the next morning, which if you read was very moving, and then home to wait for Mike to return. We had a big girls day planned! Mike got in about 1, we cut OFF her hair for Locks of Love, and then went and saw 'Trust the Man' and had a delicious dinner and amazing talk at Fleming's Steakhouse. And yes I introduced her to the Coconut Tears Martini AND the Chocolate Lava Cake. YUMMO!
Monday was departure day and a sad one. I can't remember the last time she and I got to spend time like that together. Had to be before the kids were all born. Talk about home sick. Which is another motivation to book this trip finally to Atlanta. Caden and Riordan cried and she walked inside the airport. Even candy couldn't stop their tears. We miss you Aunt Jen!!
Pics of our weekend to come hopefully tonite ;-)

Gearing up!

For the 3-day walk. What a long trip it has been already! In about 8 weeks is the walk itself. Today I ordered all my gear: waist pack, water bottles, mole skin, etc. Still on the list, portable sunblock and thorlo (sp) socks. I had lost my passion for a bit after having Teagan. Hormones...
But I have been re-motivated, think I mentioned it back a few months ago because a close family member was diagnosed. Also a close friend's mother in law was diagnosed this past summer as well. I had sent out a video of Inflammatory Breast Cancer and had never heard of it. That video is what alerted my friend to her MIL's issues! I know how we can hate forwards, but on something like that if you can just help one person, in the end it is all worth it.
This is what life is all about. These lessons in life and people I see, meet, watch, and love are what I use to continually build on everyday.

5 months later

I get mastitis! After all this time!
Most of you friends and family know that I battled this with both the boys and always suffered badly. BUT I was very very proactive this time. I noticed it Monday evening, but was praying it was just slight engorgement and no infection. The next morning the inflammation had spread. I dumped everything going on in my life, got on the phone with my OB, they called in the antibiotic, and I got into bed. I never developed the fever!!
Today I went in for a follow-up, confirmed it was definitely mastitis and that I was out of the woods for the high fevers. I'm still tender and a bit tired, but I can make it to the Disney show on Friday with the family! Yay! We are so excited. Well Mike and I are LOL. Caden doesn't know he's going, and won't probably until tomorrow night. Plus with our Disney trip soon to come, it will be a nice warm up.
And a drumroll please!!
The Malloy Family will be returning to Atlanta together as a unit in November for a quick visit!! We miss everyone so much and my dad especially. I don't, for some odd reason, have a picture of him and Riordan together so that is my main objective ;-) OF COURSE I miss the rest of my family too, so don't take that last sentence the wrong way tee hee hee.
So we fly in to Birmingham late on the 16th, drive over to Atlanta early on the 17th and fly back out on the 20th. Caden knows this and has asked almost every hour today, " Are we going to get on the plane yet?!" This is why he doesn't know about the Disney show yet.

And like lightning

It hit me today in church. That the path I walk is still the right one and was completely validated in the message in today's sermon. It was definitely good for my soul. The devil has been pounding me lately , making me lose sleep, and sick to my stomach. I laid it at God's feet once, but unfortunetly I needed to bring forth more. As we were singing a song, a man, near my sister and I, lost conciousness.
I began to weep and pray for many reasons. Life is too precious (and I've been saying this lately) to acknowledge petty untruth's. Man what an amazing congregation we have. Everyone began praying and gathering around him to lift him up. He was able to walk out, for most likely some medical attention, but I have never been so emotionally moved in all my years of going to church. It was definitely a combination of the sermon, the amazing vocalists singing ( I still have chill bumps) and this man. Was this a message to me to remind me of what I need to be grateful for and not worry about what others think? I think so...
I pray that his health is okay, and maybe he just stood up too fast and that is why he fainted.

Mark 12:29 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength." (NIV)

The ultimate reward is Him.

I'm behind

Tim and Faith were so awesome, definitely a great performance and a concert that is good for any marriage ;-) They are so cute on stage!

Busy as always here! The children are all finally healthy and for the most part sleeping well. I just can't wait for a full night of sleep!

Aunt Jen is coming in today and Caden and I are absolutely beside ourselves!! The countdown started over 2 weeks ago ;-) She is here until Monday! Mike is gone until Sunday. He is in Atlanta for a good friend of ours wedding. I wish we all could have gone, but the wallet isn't giving lately. So instead I get to have a girls night with my baby sis. Movies and dinner! We both can't remember the last time just she and I had some good quality time together.

I have so much more to brag about with the children, but I must go prepare Jen's room and pick up the house a bit before Teagie Weagie wakes up. There is never enough time in the day, right?! And now she literally is waking up with her singing like she does every morning! So I may have to clean after we pick up Aunt Jen LOL

WE ARE COMING TIM AND FAITH!!!!!

wouldn't you know

That the first time we give Teagan solids she sleeps horribly and then last night as well.
I really think though it's because she has post nasal drippage going on. She is constantly coughing/gagging, Riordan was doing that last week, and not keeping milk down on occassion because of the constant hacking.
When she gets Triaminic she's does pretty well.
So we haven't done solids since Sunday and waiting for her to get over her cold. She was up for 2 hours straight last night, but I couldn't get out of bed, Mike did.
Turns out that I have figured out that I have beginning symptoms of Post Partum Depression. Last week sent me over the edge.
Not only did I not get out of my pj's but twice, seriously in 9 days, but my milk supply went down way low on Thursday. It killed me to see my daughter try and nurse and nothing be there. Thankfully she is supplemented on nursey days at church or when we go on dates, so I was able to successfully meet her needs.
I have had PPD before, realllllly bad after Riordan, so I know what to look for now. I was in serious denial when I had it with him.
Getting into a running routine was what got me going with Riordan and then I ended up pregnant with Teagan LOL. So I will do my elliptical and get back to running, but will avoid making another baby ;-)
I have too much on my plate as an individual, wife, and mom. I also have another health issue that I have tracked since Teagan was 6 weeks old and notice it's aggravated by stress. I'm in the process of getting another doctor since the one I have thinks my issue is exoskeletal... quack.
So because of everything going on in my life, yesterday I resigned as Prez of MOMS Club. An immediate weight was lifted off my shoulders and I had full support from my friends. I, for once in my life, am putting my needs first before others and let me tell you, it's empowering.
I'm not worried about how others may feel about my decision, because I know in my heart that I gave it my best shot. This is not the time for me to be supporting 45 other women.
I need to focus on my health firsth, my marriage, and my three beautiful children who need me to be healthy and happy.

Check out the necklace around Riordan's neck, it used to be Mike's! Teagan sitting pretty, and working on that Christmas photo, these aren't it but so adorable!

Catching up

So since last post, a lot has gone on.
One subject I can not yet talk about, partly because it's so absurd it will get my blood boiling because of the horrible lies it entails, and partly because we have sought legal consult and until it's settled then the world will know what we are going through.
However, Tuesday was a 'fun' day for me. I am officially now an Arizonian after over 2 hours at the MVD. Being there for an 1 1/2 got me the pleasure of the system going down. Thankfully God had my back and hooked me up with a wonderful woman, who could tell it wasn't my day (again you will find out hopefully soon), and took pity on me. Even though they weren't issuing original license at that hour because of a gliche in the system, she was able to set me up as far as to being issued a license number. Then whispered to me, to call back in an hour, it should be up, and then come find me and you won't have to wait in line! So with my 'break' I visited my friend Kelly, aka who was formally known as one of our two awesome sitters for the boys, in the hospital! She had delivered her baby girl Ava Elizabeth the day before via C-Section after 36 some hours of labor and 1 1/2 pushing! Ava had tilted her head just perfectly enough that she wasn't coming out. However, she is healthy and beautiful! 9lbs 5 oz and 20 1/2 inches long, I believe Riordan and she will live happily together ;-) Just teasing Megan!! She was born on her due date! I wasn't able to meet her, my main objective was to check on her. She was getting a sugar drip because her sugar levels still hadn't stabilized yet. They are home now, and doing great! I can't wait to meet her and bring them a yummy meal.
So after the visit, I headed back to the MVD and found my girl after being there for 20 mins, she was on break, and she totally took care of me with absolutely no waiting after that. I'm ever so grateful to her!
While I was at the hospital, I got a call that Caden got sick at school. Seeing that Mike's car was in the shop, and I was on the other side of town, his teacher, my friend, brought him home! I tell you it was the most amazing feeling to know really how well cared for he is! I was completely blown away by the wonderful sincerity and treatment he was given, not that I would expect any less, but boy it just touched my heart to know what good hands he is in when he goes to school.
Turns out it was the beginning stages of croup, he was having a hard time breathing and gets sick when he does, asthma related. The next night, he woke up at 1 am vomiting, short of breathe, and croupy. I ran a steam shower for him, gave him treatments, but he turned gray. Off to the ER he went with daddy. There they gave him meds and treatments and he was able to come home. He still has a bad sounding cough, but it's productive.
Riordan got the snot rockets on Wednesday. Then I began to pray for Teagan not to get sick.
Friday night she got a low grade fever. I thought for sure we were all staying home from a friends birthday party. Turns out I'm pretty sure she's teething because she had her first diaper rash the next morning and can not keep anything out of her mouth! No fever, still chewing on everything and likes it when I put pressure on her gums.
Speaking of Teagan, she had her first day of solids today! Rice cereal! She was a champ! She's been sitting with us for a month at the table, practice her mouthing technique, so she was more than ready. Caden was able to witness it as well as Daddy, and Caden kept saying 'Good job Teagan!' She ate the whole darn thing.
I think my stress level is back to normal and I can start to focus on whats going on around me more.
This week is simple with just school, MOMS night out to the movies, a puppet show, and then FAITH HILL AND TIM MCGRAW on Saturday! I can't wait! We have Suite tickets, because of Mike getting making it a work event! Going to get my roots done that morning and Mike is taking the kids to a birthday party and then I will be fashionably late tee hee hee.
Should be a good week.

Our weekend

It went fast! With family in town we just really tried to lay low since juggling three kids three and under and a whole bunch of adults is not easy. Not much you can do in Arizona in August. Naps and bedtimes are completely off schedule and grouchiness is in full effect. Goes with the territory and in the end all worth it. Number one priority was for the kids to get as much time as possible with everyone.
We had a great time, as always it wasn't long enough.
The family accommodated us and we had nights at our house and played cards and shared laughs. Caden and Riordan had a blast having so much attention from Grammy, Papa, Uncle Tim and Aunt Kelly and wanted to know when they are coming again.
We will hopefully get to make a Boston trip next year...
Riordan woke up yesterday morning with a fever of 102 and croup. He didn't have a cold and Friday night was cuddling with Grammy which if I hadn't had a couple of drinks and involved in cards, I would have realized it was the beginning. He's not and never has been a cuddler. He has only been really sick one other time when he was 2 months old and had the flu. He's had colds for sure, but that's easy to handle. He's had croup too, but to me it was never ever serious.
This time is was. He was miserable all day, totally in sick mode and just not himself. He cuddled a lot. We kept on top of his fever with Motrin and tried to keep it down. Seemed to be doing okay last night. Mike and I had a party to attend and Grammy was still up for babysitting so we went.
Came home to both the boys up and not happy. Riordan sounded horrible, he had stridor along with his croup. He fell asleep around 1:30 but was back up at 6 am. Low fever, but still miserable and couldn't get happy I finally called our awesome doctor who called back in FIVE minutes. She asked if I wanted to be seen today, but told her we could wait till tomorrow and she called in a prescription for him. She reminded me to do a steam shower with him and that crying actually was good because he would inhale more. Also said if I wanted I could do a treatment on him. Couldn't find the nebulizer so we did the aerochamber. No change.
Mike took his family to the airport with Caden, Teagan was asleep so we did a steam for 15 mins. He hated the first half, but finally was calming down ( he literally had been crying all morning) He payed attention to the books I was reading and was becoming more like himself. It was amazing and I should have stuck with it sooner when we were trying to do it the night before. We ended up doing two steams in 2 hours.
Mike came home with the script and when he woke up from his nap the croup sounded much better. Still a slight fever, but feeling confident that it will pass with the prednisone.
We go in tomorrow morning to get him check out, to make sure an ear infection isn't present and get his lungs listened to.
I just felt so bad for him and at the same time it was hard to tend to his needs along with Teagan and so I am thankful that we had family here to help out. Riordan, Teagan, and I stayed home yesterday while the rest went for pizza but we can definitely make that up another day.
We have a Peter Piper pizza party in a couple of weeks so that will be perfect!

And so it goes...

Like this:

We finally, after the move from Georgia, found the adaptor to charge our camcorder in the missing portable DVD case (it too had been hiding since the big move) YAY we can video the children again, but Riordan will notice when he's older that a phase of his life is missing LOL Middle child syndrome started already!
Missing now is the adaptor and car charger for the portable DVD.
Also found,the box of missing toys that included our cool puzzles and wooden blocks, yes missing since the big move in Georgia.
Lost now is the box that has my electric can opener, baking sheets, and waffle maker, and that was on this move!
But we did find the cord to the elliptical! :-)
Still not found is the blender, hand mixer, and other small kitchen items from the big move..
Thinking now that they never made it.

Oh the Humidity!

Yep that's right, your read correctly.
Summer here is humid, full of overcast clouds some days and every day dripping sweat, the kind that rolls down the side of your head or the center of your back. Lovely right? Just like back home.. thought I was rid of it for good!
However, our temps are in the low 100's, high 90's which is definitely a nice break.
So it seems that we have the same weather as everyone else right now...

The boys jumping in the puddles, the rain at this point was slight, but still fun. We made a homemade banana split tonight and I barely got two bites out of it because they loved it so much. And Teagan in her new highchair/booster seat!! Such a big girl!! Next month we will begin solids!! She loves to watch us eat.



More pics only if your bored! 120!! been a long time coming, pics of the house after all the work was done and some stuff moved in, more pics of rain puddle jumping, riordan sad because the lightning came back and can't play outside anymore, random shots of the boys packing from the old house, random of teagan, banana split eating.. and more i'm sure