...and Marlee Makes Three

3 Years

2011-01-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

At 36 months, Marlee Kay

-39.5" tall

-32 pounds

-has huge head (can't remember stats but she was 95%+)

-4t shirt

-3t (or even 2t) bottoms

-8-9 shoe size

-she calls every meal lunch

-when daddy and i are talking, she tells us no, don't have a conversation.

-is so very scared of loud noises. the vacuum, blowdryer, blender, loud anything.

-says what's this all about and you know who gave you that. two things i always say to her.

-looks at herself in the mirror and says i look beautiful.

-says momma i want to scream really loud. and i either say yes or no. if i say yes, she screams. really loud.

-has begun the i do it phase.

-started saying hold me instead of hold you.

-calls the a/c the heater. and it has to be running during nap and bedtime. if it's not on she requests it be turned on.

-when i tell her to do something she doesn't want to do, she responds with i too busy. wonder where she got this one from.

-likes to hold my hand "for a minute" when i lay her down for bed.

In her words:

how old are you? 6.

what is your favorite color? green.

favorite animal? doggie.

favorite cartoon? george.

what do you like to eat for lunch? quesadilla.

favorite drink? somethin' else.

what do you like to do for fun? i like birthday cake. i wanna do toys.

what do you like to wear? minnie jacket.

where do you like to go? old navy. (which she has been a total of two times).

**Post written in July. Yes, my daughter just turned 3.5.

***Photos courtesy Kristy Milton Photography.

My Blue Eyed Girl

2011-01-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

Our conversation while I rocked Marlee, just before bed:

Marlee: (looking up at me) Momma have green eyes.

Me: Yes, I have green eyes.

Marlee: (frowning) I don't have green eyes.

Me: No, you have the prettiest blue eyes.

Marlee: I want to get green eyes at the store after tomorrow.

**This conversation took place on 06/30/10 (picture also from June). Another one I wrote and never posted.

My Marlee Kay - #3

2010-07-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Girl,

It's been three years since the first time we met. How is that even possible? For your birthday your Daddy and I decided it was time to convert your crib into a big girl bed. When I went in your room and saw it, I cried. Your Daddy came in and said to me that we have to let you grow up, and he's right, but does it have to be going by so fast? Some days seem endless, but the weeks, months, and years are fleeting.

So many things are already a distance memory. Like your Daddy and I trying for so many years to have you, and thinking that maybe it just wasn't in the cards for us; never knowing if I would hear someone call me Momma; being pregnant and so scared; feeling you inside me; your smooshed up little face and big feet when you entered into this big unknown world; your new baby smell, how I wish I could have bottled it; your Daddy being so protective of you when you were first born, even with me; you sleeping next to me all swaddled up; your gummy smile; learning to sit up, crawl, stand, walk, and then run on your own; the babbles turning into real words and conversations. And soon, right now - this moment, will be just that, a distant memory.

Make no mistake, my Marlee Kay, things have not always been easy with you; and I know this is just the beginning. You are so determined, precise, demanding, and temper mental. More days than not you test my patience, and there are nights when I look down at you and tell you tomorrow Momma will be more patient. Momma will not raise her voice to get you to listen, as I seem to be doing that more and more lately. Momma won't be too busy to get down on the floor and play with you, even if it is at 8pm and I am Momma'd out. The good news is you don't seem to hold a grudge. You love me. No matter what, it seems. <3

Yes, I do have to let you grow up. And everyday I am going to try to remember how lucky I am. You have made my world that much brighter, my beautiful girl, and I love you. No matter what.

Your Momma

I Lobe You

2010-07-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I was rocking Marlee before bed, I started eating her up, as I would say (really just kissing her over and over). And out of nowhere she says Momma I lobe you.

Yes, she repeats it back to me most times when I tell her I love her, but this is the first time she has just said it. To me. Or anyone. Just because.

Made the week I had much much brighter. My little 3 year old knows exactly what I need.

Today

2010-06-29T22:47:00.001-07:00

-MK and I took our weekly trip to the library. An hour after our usual story time, which is okay with me since with summer break brings entirely too many kids. And too much chaos.

-Met Daddy for lunch at Red Robin, MK's favorite. She had her .75 cents in tow, as always, hoping this will be the time she gets the happy face ball. No luck. It was the dolphin ball. Again. But she seemed pleased. She was definitely pleased to order the macaroni and cheese, which was almost always a no no at restaurants due to her egg allergy. Well, that pesky egg allergy is a thing of the past. More on this later.

-Came home. MK napped while I worked.

-MK woke up and went swimming with Daddy. I wouldn't believe it if I saw it. She is actually swimming. Since Sunday (6/27). With a life vest on, of course. She goes back and forth across our 50 foot pool and she loves it. As long as dunking is not involved.

-I ran to LensCrafters to drop off my one month (new) glasses to have my second pair of ($400.00) lenses fitted into my frames due to LensCrafters damaging my old (new) lenses while adjusting my glasses. Yes, free of charge. Still annoying.

-Ran to yet another Target looking for my size in the cutest tankini. No luck. We leave for California soon (yippee) and I am in desperate need of a more modest swim suit. I don't want to scare my fellow beach goers and all. I will not give up.

-Had Stacey and Haylee over for dinner. Steak, lobster, and asparagus. No, we don't eat like this often. Yes, it was good.

-Cleaned up the house and got MK ready for bed.

-After reading stories (Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Snake Cake - both library books), singing our nightly songs (Itsy Bitsy Spider, Popcorn Song, ABC's and Count to 20), and rocking (yes I still rock my almost 3 year old baby before bed every night) MK says Momma let's talk? What did you do today? Something I have said to her night after night for as long as I can remember.

-So, we went through our day. As we so often do.

-And I thought I would share.

-Now off to pour me a bowl of honeycombs and turn on the boob tube.

Lately

2010-06-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

-she tells me momma be happy if I get after her for something.

-or she gets the saddest expression on her face, lip puckered, and says momma yelled at you.

-we were holding hands walking into her swim lesson on monday (5/24) and she said what a beautiful day. made me smile. something i always say to her.

-about swim, it was short lived due to the fact that she cried the entire 30 minutes. all but 1 time. after about 6 classes daddy gave up and has been working with her in our pool, which she doesn't cry in. go figure.

-her grandma viola and pappa harland have been visiting from florida. they drove. which is pretty amazing considering dave's dad's age (89 in july) and health. marlee instantly fell in love with her grandma and cried when she left. and pappa was ok, too.

-she is a little copycat. mimics daddy and me constantly.

-she loves to play games on my iphone. one of her favorites is a cupcake app. after she makes the cupcake, adds the icing and toppings, and adds and lights the candles she sings happy birthday to you. happy birthday to you. happy birthday marlee kay (or momma kay). happy birthday to you. she then blows out the candles and says yay! every time.

-she is asking for a big girl bed, to ride on a bus, and to go to school. none will be happening anytime soon if i can help it.

-okay, maybe the big girl bed.=)

-she had her first happy meal (05/29). mcdonald's. and it just happened to be shrek themed. bonus.

-she started dance (ballet and tap) last week. her first class that is not parent and me. she will not go in alone and makes me stand at the back of the room. this is no surprise.

-she is completely potty trained. she now wakes up from nap dry and is dry about half the time when she wakes in the morning.

-we're planning a trip to Disneyland this summer for her 3rd birthday.

-we went and saw shrek ever after at the movies on memorial day. the second movie we have taken marlee to. she loved it and did great. what a difference 6 months makes.

As for the rest of the family...

-dave is beyond busy. starting his days at 2:30am and pretty much not stopping until 8-9pm, when he crashes. and he never complains. ever. He defines ambition and makes the rest of us look inadequate.

-as for me, i too am busier than ever. taking care of MK, the house, working, working, working, and gearing up for the fall semester. it.never.ends.

-cooper has been having some problems lately. after a vet trip and x-rays we learned he has spinal disc problems, hip dysplasia, and arthritis in his hips. they have him on meds, which will hopefully help the disc problem. as for the hips, his doctor doesn't seem too concerned. we put him on dietary supplements and we'll see how it goes. time will tell. lazy little bugger.

-as for mollie, she had surgery on her mouth a couple of months ago due to gingivitis and periodontal disease. after pulling 11 teeth and a good dental cleaning, she is good as new.

-yes, the dogs are going to bankrupt me.

-and yes, the majority of this post was written on 5/25. i suck.

The Tale of Turtle

2010-06-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Marlee has been going pee pee on the toilet since January. Going number 2, well that's a different story entirely. Without going into too much detail, it's been much more difficult. I have been telling her for months if she goes number 2 (we say poopoo, of course) on the toetoe I will take her to Target and let her pick out anything she wants.

Finally.

On June 3rd she went number 2 on the toilet!

And keeping with my promise, Friday morning we took a special trip to target. I let her out of the cart and told her to go up and down the aisles and look for any special toy she wanted. After deliberation between a 4 pack of Cars matchbox cars and a Nemo turtle, the turtle won.

Yes, out of everything, my daughter picked a $12.00 swimming turtle. This just so happens to be the same turtle she had seen at Target a couple of months ago and wanted. When I asked her what she wanted to name turtle she said fourfivesixseveneightnineten.

And I'm happy to report we are on day 4 of 4!

Things She Says

2010-06-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

That make me smile...
-okay Momma.
-ne-night Momma - last thing i hear as i close her door at night.
-peeeeeeaaaaasssseeeee. so exaggerated.
-swing so high. out in, out in.
-hold you.
-too heavy.
-careful blue doggie (when using scissors - long story).
-big girl panties.
-momma i coming (when she wants out of her crib because this is what i have always said to her when i would hear her calling for me).
-brrrr...cold.

-i need to get situated.
-rock you.
-i got a weggie.

-maybe.
-got a lot of crap.
-i happy.
-pooey stinty.

and if you know my daughter, you know it's not always what she says, it's the way she says it.

No Thank You

2010-06-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

A typical conversation with Marlee Kay over the last few days:

Dave: Marlee, let's get on your jammies.

MK: No thank you.

Me: Marlee, can I have a kiss?

MK: No thank you.

Me: (smile)

Me: Marlee, it's nap time.

MK: No thank you.

Do you think she's getting the whole manners thing?

Looking through old photos tonight...

2010-05-20T22:33:00.001-07:00

and this one made my heart smile.
07.2008

(ps-taken by lesley)

I Do It

2010-05-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

My daughter will be 3 in less than two months, yet to me she is still so little.
I still get her dressed/undressed, put on (most) of her shoes, help her on the potty, help her wash her hands and brush her teeth, rock her before bed...
This is normal for me. This is normal for Marlee. I've done all these things her entire life. I've never thought of not helping her.
Lately I have been better about telling her to go wash her hands, brush her teeth, etc. And I've been wondering at what age does she start doing more of these things on her own.
Just today I was explaining this to my sister Kristy. I also had a play date with my oldest friend Jessica and her two kids.
I don't know what happened. I don't know if Marlee heard my conversation with my sister or if she was watching Jessica's 4 year old daughter being more independent. However, this afternoon I kept hearing "no Momma I do it." I tried to help her put on her shoes and this is what I heard. I went to help her on the potty and this is what I heard.
And as much as I want to raise an independent child, I too want her to need/want my help.
Sadly, I know this is just the beginning.

Halfway to Three

2010-05-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

At 2.6 (01/10/10), MK

-knows her abc's
-counts to 20
-learning her colors. recognizes blue, black, purple, green, white, pink, orange, yellow. All the basics but red. I'm starting to think she may be color blind to red.
-favorites are probably purple and green.
-shapes. recognizes triangle, heart, star, and circle.
-slowly grasping her opposites. she now says "momma i happy" or "i sad."
-talks and talks and talks.
-loves to swing so high, as she says.
-has a serious addiction to minnie and mickey. mr bear has taken a back seat.

-is still in her crib. with a tent. yes, she's a climber.
-goes down the big slides at the park all by herself. i have daddy to thank for this one.
-has started going potty on the toe-toe.
-loves the library and all things book.

-has a freckle on her right thigh, which she compares to her daddy's freckle. sometimes when i rub lotion on her she gets upset worrying that the freckle will rub off.
-is a great sleeper and still napping daily.
-loves baking with momma.
-is addicted to her daddy.
-cut all four 2 year molars. two in november. two in december.
-makes me smile. everyday.

**MK is now 2 years 10 months, but this post was written in January when she was actually 2 years 6 months. I never posted it. Oops.

8 years

2010-04-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it
(anywhere i go, you go my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear no fate
(for you are my fate my sweet)
i want no world
(for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky and the tree called life;
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart
(i carry it in my heart)

-ee cummings

happy number 8 to the man who stole my heart.<3

Favorite part of my day

2010-02-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

This afternoon Marlee and I were dancing. I was holding her and we were swinging, spinning, dipping, and twirling about when she leaned in and kissed me.
Just because.
Made my heart smile.=)

Least favorite part of my day...
Right before dinner Marlee had an allergic reaction.
To what, I have not a clue.
I do know that her allergies - environmental or food, I'm not sure - seem to be getting worse.

The What If. Dresser Edition...

2010-02-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

No, not the pool this time, but equally as frightening.

This afternoon...
Dave had just gotten home and the three of us were in our bedroom.
MK was supposed to be resting in my bed as she decided she didn't need a nap today.
And she was resting until her Daddy walked in the door.
Dave and I were just on the floor talking.
MK was over by our tall 6 drawer dresser pulling one of the drawers open.
I could hear the drawer open, then close. Open, then close.
Then I hear it.
That awful make your heart stop, panic, hold your breathe sound.
The entire dresser fell on my daughter.
All the drawers came crashing down on top of her.
The entire dresser fell on my daughter.
We both ran to her and started pulling on the drawers and dresser to get her out from under it.
All the while me screaming, in my breathless, frantic voice, for Dave to get it off of her.
Once we got the dresser moved Dave carefully picked her up.
Before we even had a chance to make sure she was okay, she was crying.
Of course she was crying.
For Mickey.
The DVD player that was on the dresser also came crashing down and was yanked out of the wall in the middle of The Three Mouseketeers.
Yes, my brave daughter was more upset over the movie possibly being broken than over the dresser falling on her.
She is okay.

Other than a swollen face/cheek/eye that immediately started bruising and a swollen bump on her knee and foot.
She is okay.

More than anything, I wanted to hold my baby.
To comfort her.
To tell her she is so brave and I love her so much.
She wouldn't come to me from her Daddy.
I just kept begging and begging until she finally gave in, just as she does me.
Daily.=)

The scary part of the whole thing is that Marlee was not climbing on or up the dresser. She did not have a bunch of the drawers open at once. It was just one drawer that she must have pulled on just right to bring the entire thing down.

*Photo taken about 20 minutes after the accident. By this evening she was already sporting a swollen black eye.

Favorite part of my day

2010-02-16T22:43:00.001-08:00

Dave, Marlee, and Cooper were snuggling on the couch tonight watching Mickey Mouse. Marlee looked up at Dave and said "Daddy, I happy."
Nothing like a 2 year old putting things into perspective.

Today's Marlee-ism (2)

2010-02-01T22:30:00.001-08:00

This is how the conversation with Marlee went as we were getting ready this morning, more specifically me putting on my bra:

MK: want boobies
Me: what honey?
MK: (as she's pointing to her boobies) want to wear boobies.
Me looking perplexed and still not getting it.
So she repeats: want to wear boobies, until I realize she is wanting to wear my bra.

Definitely put a smile on my much needed face.
Couldn't she put a smile on anyone's face?

Playing outside today. Beautiful weather. One of the benefits of living in the desert in February.

PS-crappy quality photo taken with iphone.

Today's Marlee-ism

2010-01-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

As we were getting buckled in and pulling out of Target's Parking, I hear MK release some excess gas.
I say:
"Marlee, did you just toot?"
Her response:
"Tooted! Momma, I gassy."

I guess it's better than what I've been getting lately when I ask that question, which is "no, farted!"

My sweet and gassy girl, who is addicted to all things Mickey and Minnie, and her baby bear.

Annual Family Photos

2010-01-20T14:32:00.001-08:00

12/2009

All photos taken by an amazing photographer, Lesley Barr. Who also happens to be my big (little) sister. To see more photos and to read about my crazy love for my Bubba's, go here.

The Flu

2010-01-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

Well, Marlee got her first bout of the flu this past weekend. She woke at 3:30am Friday(01/08) throwing up. Thankfully the vomiting only lasted until 12:30pm Friday.
She just rested all day Friday and was so clingy and snuggly. Dare I saw I enjoyed it? Except for the not sleeping good part.

We Have Pee...

2010-01-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Today was the day

For the past week or so, Dave and I have been putting MK on the potty here and there, but she had yet to go pee pee on the toe toe (as we call it).

Today was different. She woke up (at 7:45am) and went from night time diaper to Minnie big girl panties immediately. Finally, after much practice and constant potty talk, MK peed on her little toilet around 11:35am.
Yes, my daughter must have a big bladder like me. She only pees a couple of times a day, but when she pees, she pees. As you can see from the picture.

Doesn't she look so proud of herself? Or it could be the sudden shock from the bright flash.
I danced, hollered, and clapped my hands. As a special treat for going pee pee Dave and I took her to the library after her nap. She was over the moon excited! I have never met a kid that loves the library like my little MK. She was also treated to chocolate in her milkie.

I am so proud of you my Marlee Kay. Just one more step that takes you from baby to big girl.

And because I have to document everything...
Day 1
-panties on at 7:45am
-went pee pee at 11:35am
-diaper wet after nap
-went pee pee at 6:30pm
-went pee pee at 7:15pm
That's it! Other than nap time, MK was dry all day. She seems to have caught on quickly. We'll see what the upcoming days hold.

Wishing you and yours

2009-12-25T23:13:00.000-08:00

a Verry Merry Christmas!! Hope your day was filled with smiles, laughter, love, and good food.

I spent the day with my 2 most very favorite people and now I'm off to curl up with a good book. The end to a perfect day.

I love you....

2009-11-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

Tonight.
Another first.
As I was tucking Marlee into bed and telling her goodnight, I said love you, as I always do.
But tonight was different than all the other nights.
Marlee told me she loved me.
Her exact words, love you.

Although I have heard her repeat this to Daddy when he tells her he loves her over the past few days or so, this is a first for Momma.

She is growing up. Everyday.

**Another photo courtesy of my talented sister Lesley.

Already?

2009-11-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today...
I went to look in on MK, who was so quietly playing in her room.
She was sitting in her rocking chair reading a book - which she does often.
I stood in the doorway watching her.
She looked up at me, got up and walked to the door, and shut it. On me.
Already?

Halloween Fairy

2009-11-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

This year M was lucky enough to score a beautiful fairy costume from my friend's daughter. Isn't she adorable?

First, on Thursday we took M to my parent's church trunk or treat and it didn't take her long at all to figure out the whole trick or treat thing.

Since she seemed to have so much fun, Dave and I took her to a few houses to trick or treat with her cousin Haylee on Halloween.
The first of many.

Haylee the ballerina, my Sissie Stacey, and Marlee the fairy.

And let me just add that it I can slowly see how crappy future Halloween's are going to be with Marlee's peanut allergy. Not fun. Not fun at all.

My Husband...

2009-10-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

The other day I was out in our side yard and I saw a trail of popcorn on the ground. I turned to my husband and asked him what the popcorn was for. He tells me he left it out for the squirrels to eat.
How I adore this man.

A Typical Conversation

2009-10-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

A typical conversation with my MK last night:

While showing MK a picture of a squirrel:
Me: what is that?
MK: mouse.
Me: no, that's a squirrel.
MK: mouse.
Me: squirrel.
MK: mouse.

Moving on, now showing MK a picture of a giraffe:
Me: what is that?
MK: zebra.
Me: no, that's a giraffe.
MK: zebra.
Me: giraffe.
MK: zebra.

So, apparently my 30 years of wisdom means absolutely nothing to my - wise beyond her years - 2 year old. I'm so in for it. Oh how she is so much like me.

Pickin' Pumpkins

2009-10-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

Our trip to the pumpkin' patch today. Or as Marlee calls it, the pumpkin store...

M set out to find the perfect pumpkin

and pet the animals

and go down the huge slide...by far, her favorite

can you tell

and even though she looks to be having a good time, this was her pouty expression for most of the morning

unless she was going down the slide, that is.

PS-yes, those are holes in Dave's socks. As he says, they are his Sunday socks...Holy. Get it?

2 Years...or 24 Months

2009-10-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

At 2 years, Marlee Kay...
-weighs 28 pounds - 50th percentile (at 27 months).
-measures 35 3/4" - 75th percentile (at 27 months).
-wears a size 5 diaper.
-clothes size 2t.
-shoe size 7 (approximately).
-has 16 teeth, all but her 2 year molars.
-sleeps 12 hours at night and takes about a 2 hour nap.
-now puts together 3 and 4 word sentences
-counts to 10.
-has not only food allergies, but environmental too. bad.
-is so much like her momma.

Favorites...
-books. I cannot even begin to explain her love for books.
-curious george cartoons. over and over again.
-her lovey's. two. mr. bear and mickey, which she pronounces "niney".
-the library.
-milkie.
-music. the louder the better.
-being rocked before bed.
-climbing. up on the counter, out of her crib, everywhere.
-hoarding things.
-drinking out of Cooper and Mollie's water dish.
-cheese.
-being outside.
-blankie game. something we do before bed.
-medicine.
-abby cadabbie.
-testing me.
-swinging.
-jumping.
-noodle roni.
-going out the doggie door.
-her momma.

Dislikes...
-the shower. she is terrified.
-the vacuum.
-time out.
-the drive through car wash.
-meat. with the exception of chicken nuggets.

*all photos are courtesy of my beautiful and oh so talented sister, Lesley. Go check her out. You can also view more of little M's photo shoot here and here.

**PS-yes, I realize this is almost 3 months late, however most of this post was done just after she turned 2 (other than her height and weight). I am just now getting around to finishing up and posting. Better late than never, right?

Sick, Part II

2009-09-29T07:37:00.001-07:00

She is sick, again. Another lower respiratory infection and this time she threw in an ear infection. This is two of these infections in less than two months, which is so not good. So, again, she is on breathing treatments, which I dislike. If you know me, you know I am anti-medication, but sometimes it is necessary. This is one of those times.

Don't let the above picture fool you, she fights taking the treatments. So. Not. Fun. I, the anti-bribe Mother, now bribe her with chocolate milkie or a candy corn if she will sit still for the treatments. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.

Oh, and have I mentioned we no longer have health insurance? Why is it when we have it we don't use it, and when we don't have it we need it. Between M's frequent visits to the doctor and me with my sprained ankle, it seems I have been to the doctor more times in the past six months than all of last year. Murphy's Law, I guess.

My Marlee Kay - #2

2009-09-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

My Marlee Kay,

Where has the time gone? You have been apart of this world, my whole world, for 2 short years. You see, 2 years ago on this very day, you and I met, and my life has never been the same. Time is going by so fast, too fast. I thought once I got past your first birthday, things would slow down. I was wrong. I thought as I look through pictures of you as a tiny baby, I would always ache to have that time back with you, to be able to hold onto you at that moment in time for a little longer. And, although I still feel this way, I am now finding myself looking through pictures of you from a year ago, even six months ago, and missing you then. You are growing up right before my eyes. It seems everyday you are learning something new and truly amazing me in one way or another. I could sit for hours and watch your little curious brain going. You are so full of life.

You have brought so much to my life. Because of you, I now find joy in the simplest things. Because of you, I feel a sense of completion. Because of you, I feel blessed and so lucky. Because of you, my heart is so full. Because of you, I know true innocence. Because of you, I smile (and laugh) every single day. Because of you, I stop and smell the flowers.
Because of you, I am fearful. Because of you, I contemplate the what if. Because of you, I second guess everything. Because of you I question greatly.

Oh how I love and treasure everything about you, my beautiful daughter...your unexpected hugs and kisses, your imagination, your innocence, watching you run into your Daddy's arms when he walks through the door...so delighted, hearing you call out for your Momma first thing in the morning...how I love hearing that word, how you say "ne-night" when you know it's time for bed, how you tell everything "bye bye" when I tell you we are leaving, your snuggles first thing in the morning, watching you dance to music (the louder the better)...especially in your car seat, your voice..

You are a determined, curious, temper mental, giggly, impatient, loving, delightful, beautiful soul. I am so fortunate that you chose me.

I love you. So much.
Your Momma

M.I.A

2009-09-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am aware that I have been horrible about posting. I have so much I want to write about and document, but I never seem to find the time. Where are the days going?
With that said, I'm getting my grove back. Stay tuned.

Weekend Free

2009-08-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

My Marlee Kay,
Tomorrow I will be leaving you for a couple of days. This is another first for us as we have never been apart for more than a couple of hours. Daddy is going to take such good care of you while I am gone and I know you two will have such a great time! If I know Daddy at all, I am sure he will not stick to your same strict schedule that Momma sticks to; and that's okay. I just want you to have fun. I also want you to know that this whole leaving business is very hard for me. As much as I want this well deserved break, I am going to miss you so! I will call you everyday...multiple times a day, and you will never be far from my thoughts my beautiful girl.

As I rocked you and put you to bed tonight, I held you just a little longer. I took in your pure smell, and I explained to you that I will be gone for a few days. Oh how you will miss me my love. I'm not sure who is going to have a harder time with my absence. But I will be back, and it will be like I never left. Promise.

See you soon,
Your Momma

PS-I secretly hope that you wake tonight so I can rock and hold you just one more time...

So far today...

2009-08-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

M and I
Slept in...
Snuggled on the coach while watching Curious George and drinking milk (M) and coffee (Momma)...
Played...
Caught up on laundry...
Went to Einstein for Pizza Bagels...

Just want to remember mornings like this...

**Photo courtsey of my talented sister, Lesley.

Sick Sick Sick

2009-08-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

We are so so sick.
Marlee with an lower respiratory infection (she gave us quite a scare with this one) and a sinus infection, and Mama with a nasty chest/head/nasal funk.

And a husband/daddy who canceled his weekend trip to stay home and take care of his two favorite girls. Thanks Daddy!

Another First

2009-07-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

I would like to start out by saying Dave and I try our best to watch our potty mouths around Marlee. There are definitely a few bad words that are not used; in front of M, that is. However, every once in a while, you will hear a few choice not-so-bad words. Especially the S word...

Yesterday (July 25th), as we were driving home...
Dave says, "holy sh*t".
Marlee responds, in the sweetest, most matter-of-fact voice, "holy sh*t, holy sh*t, holy sh*t".

We get home and Marlee did something to which Dave responds...
"little" and he stops himself.
Marlee then says "sh*t".

So, moral of the story...I guess it's time to stop calling my daughter and the dogs a little sh*t.

Baba No More

2009-07-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 30th, Marlee had her last bottle (baba),
My goal was to have her off the bottle before she turned 2. I had 10 days to spare!
It was a very easy transition. Tuesday evening I just told her she was going to drink her milkie in a big girl Elmo cup.
And that was that.

Make a Wish...7/10/09

2009-07-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

Marlee's birthday was pretty low key. I really wanted the day to be about her.

Dave, Marlee, and I started the day off at Chuckie E Cheese. She had been there once before, and had a blast.
Came home. While M napped, I baked her cake (and cupcakes) and Dave wrapped presents.

Marlee woke and the fun began...balloons and presents!

Later that evening we had family and my one friend over for cake and ice cream. And more presents!

She actually blew out the candle!

Happy #2 my sweet girl.
I still can't believe 2 years has gone by...

Two and Counting

2009-07-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

Today, at 5:09pm, my daughter has been a part of this world, my whole world, for 2 years.
Happy Birthday my beautiful girl...

07.10.09

07.10.08

07.10.07

*More on her birthday celebrations to come.
**Check out her identical facial expression in the top two pictures.

Little Slice of Heaven

2009-06-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

*Today I...
spent the afternoon with 3 of my favorite sisters.

*Which consisted of...

..delicious, hi-caloric lunch - chips with salsa and guacamole, fries with ranch, and a chicken caesar salad. Conversation included our girl trip to NEW YORK CITY this fall.

..a couple of hours at the Red Rock Spa. Jacuzzi, steam room (which I disliked), laying poolside, and a swedish massage...divine.

..coming home to a happy daughter who was so delighted to see me and dinner on the table.

..rocking my sweet baby girl before bed.

It doesn't get any better.

She Pooped

2009-06-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Or as we say poopoo stintee.

Today, at 1 year, 11 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day old, my daughter poopoo stinteed in the toilet.

Have I started potty training, you ask? No. A couple of months ago I bought the ring that goes on the toilet and a small potty chair. Every couple of days (or weeks) before bath I would ask her if she wants to sit on the toetoe (that's what we call it). In the beginning, M would sit on it for a couple of seconds and hop down. Now, over the past few weeks she wants nothing to do with the potty and I don't push her. Tonight right before she got into the bath I ask her if she wants to go potty on the toetoe. She says no. I had a feeling she had to go (and was worried we might have an accident in the bath) so after bath I asked her again. She pointed to the toilet and said toetoe.
So, after about a minute or so, she poopoo stinteed in the toetoe.

My big girl.

If you are curious, no, she has yet to pee in the toilet.
I've heard that the peepee on the potty comes much easier than the poopoo. Not for my daughter. She knew exactly what she was doing when she was doing it.

Yes, I took a picture.
Yes, my husband thinks I'm crazy.
No, I won't completely disgust you all by posting it.

Yesterday

2009-06-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

we had a yard sale.
The profit was going into my treadmill fund.
A treadmill that I have been coveting for months.
Never did I think my junk (err stuff) would add up to over $700.00.
Very exhausting but so worth it.
That's all.

Teeth

2009-05-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

I try to brush Marlee's teeth twice a day, after breakfast and before bed. If I shoot for twice a day, I know it will get done at least once. It's always the last thing she does (or we do) before she goes to bed.
The past few nights after milkie, I tell M it's time for night night, like I always do. And you know what she tells me? Teeth. She says teeth and points to her teeth. Telling us to brush her teeth.
Habit already formed.
Little, yet big, things like this remind me of how quickly her little brain grasps and absorbs things.
I definitely don't give this little human being enough credit.

**PS-yes, I know I promised SD post and pics. Check back in a day or two. Double promise.

Today...

2009-05-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

was a great day.

Just want to remember.

PS-please bear with me. I will be writing about and posting way too many pics of our San Diego trip later this week...promise.

Sigh of Relief

2009-05-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

I made it through another semester...
Just a few more to go.
I. Can. Do. This.

Messy Face

2009-05-12T21:50:00.001-07:00

Pudding...1st timer
05/12/09

Round 2

2009-05-10T21:54:00.001-07:00

Another Mother's Day, my second, has come and gone.
Today, I feel fortunate...
...fortunate to FINALLY be a Mama and celebrate this day
...fortunate to have a healthy daughter who amazes me daily
...fortunate to have a wonderful husband who would do anything for us

and last, but certainly not least
...fortunate to have the best Mom a girl could ask for. Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you.

4 generations..Mom, Grandma, Me, Marlee Kay. Oct 08

**I so milked this day for all it is worth. I told my husband I wanted nothing more than a clean house and to be dotted (is that even a word) on all day. The dotting part, he went above and beyond. I barely lifted a finger all day. The clean house, well, it got about half done. And I am more than pleased! Thanks for making my day so special. Next year Marlee will have to step up.=)

Back to Reality

2009-05-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

We are home. After 5 days of pure bliss in San Diego.
Back to reality....work, school, cooking, cleaning, laundry, working out...you know, the usual.
Many many posts and pictures to come from our first family trip.

Before I move forward I want to share something funny....
The house we rented in Pacific Beach had a black and white painting of Audrey Hepburn. Many times, M pointed to that picture and said "Momma". Well, thanks Marlee.
One night she was holding a box of Orville Redenbacher popcorn (yes, she had popcorn for the first time on vacation, and she loved it) . She pointed to the picture of Orville Redenbacher and said "Daddy".
I couldn't stop laughing. Dave, not too much.
So, I'm the beautiful Audrey Hepburn and Dave is the old Orville Redenbacher.
Kids, I tell ya.

Hippie Hair

2009-04-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

Not the best view of the cut, but the best picture of me. And really, isn't that what's important?

Posting pictures, as promised, Sissies.
I cut off about 7 inches.
No more hippie hair.

As a side note, went to the eye doc today and I am officially blind (well, almost). My prescription is now -6.00 (left eye) and -4.75 (right eye). When, oh when, will my eyes stop getting worse?

Progress

2009-04-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

It's been (almost) 7 months.
7 months since I made a commitment to make exercise a part of my life.
7 months later, I am happy to report that I have made good on my commitment.

Things that keep me motivated...
*I am down 10 pounds (as of April 1st - haven't weighed myself since)
*I (finally) reached my pre pregnancy weight.
*Flexing in the mirror (joking, kind of)

I am still working out with a trainer a couple of times a week, and she has really helped motivate me and keep me going.

About a month ago I made a goal for myself to run a 5k by my 30th birthday (this August). After running (no pun intended) this goal past my sister and workout partner, Stacey, we started running and haven't looked back.
I am now up to running a steady 2.5 miles without stopping....and it feels good!
Stacey and I (and maybe Dave) are hoping to run our first 5k in the next couple of months.

I realized my first goal was so minuscule, and I have upped the ante...

My new goal...
I have decided to run the half marathon (13.1 miles) in December. And, of course, Stacey is on board with me as I think she might enjoy running even more than I do.

**Make no mistake, this whole running and work out thing has not come easy to me. I have had my good months and bad, and by no means do I crave going to the gym. However, over the last couple of months I have really started noticing changes. It has taken so much longer than I had initially expected, but overall I am at a very good place and feeling very positive about myself.

Sign?

2009-04-26T22:53:00.001-07:00

We leave for San Diego soon, very soon. I have been so excited as this is our first family vacation since Marlee was born. It's also the first vacation Dave and I have had in years.

I have envisioned long walks on the beach, a trip to Sea World, shopping, strolling through Balboa Park, etc. Walking, lots of walking.

Only problem(s)
-I think I sprained my ankle today. It is swollen and sore.
-Has anyone else been following the swine flu outbreak? It seems to have originated in Mexico, which neighbors San Diego. Great.

Do you think it's a sign?

San Diego or bust!

Easter 2009

2009-04-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

We colored eggs, which M thought were balls.

The Easter Bunny stopped by and left M loads of good stuff...

and hid some eggs for her to find.

First time blowing bubbles, and yes, she tried to eat the wand.

Favorite photos of the day

...

We finished Easter off at Grampy and Grammy's house with my family. Dinner + egg hunt = fun time (other than the Marlee mishap).

**Last photo courtesy of my sister, Kristy. Two photographers in the family...aren't I lucky!

One Year Nine Months

2009-04-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

At one year nine months, Marlee Kay...
-weighs 27 pounds
-measures ????? inches tall (reminder: Measure M)
-is still in a size 4 diaper
-wears 18-24 month clothes
-shoe size is 6w
-has 16 perfectly straight teeth, all but her 2 year molars
-sleeps 12 hours at night
-takes one 2-3 hour nap
-gets into e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g
-is fearless
-repeats everything
-put her first two words together - thank you

Favorites...
-being outside. period.
-jumping on her trampoline
-putting things in her mouth when she knows she shouldn't
-Mr. Bear - her lovey. Mr. Dog comes in second and Mr. Frog third
-shoes
-bath time
-water
-books
-drinking out of a big girl cup
-Sid the Science Kid and Curious George cartoons
-Shrek (the movie)
-carbs - especially bread products
-testing me
-climbing. still
-Elmo and Abbie Cadabie
-blankies
-balloons
-grapes, bananas (which she calls mine), cheese, and noodles
-DADDY!
-Cooper and Mollie - especially Cooper (or as she says Coocer)

Dislikes...
-getting dressed
-brocoli, asparagus, leafy greens - any green veggie but green beans
-the blow dryer and vacuum (this is new)

**First photo courtesy of, yes-you guessed it, my sister Lesley.

The What If...

2009-04-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

I would like to preface this post by saying (or writing) that I am what many consider a "helicopter parent". I'm that Mommy at the park that gets on the play structures with my daughter, helps her down the slide, etc.

We have a pool. It is gated. Marlee is not on the patio without Dave or myself. Ever. The gate is not fool proof. We also have a latch at the top of our back door leading outside. Just in case.

Sometimes when she naps, I have crazy fears about her climbing out of her crib (which is now impossible since we put the crib mattress on the ground and basically placed the crib around it) opening her door, getting to the back door, getting all three locks unlocked, getting outside, getting through the locked gate, and drowning in the pool. Kristy, you know my crazy fears!

Our pool scares me.

Today we went to my parents house for Easter Dinner. They, too, have a pool. It is not gated. Dave and I are a pretty good team in keeping an eye on her. If she goes missing, one of us is on her pretty quickly. She is fast. So fast.
She was in the living room and the next thing we know she is gone. Dave asks, where's Marlee? We both immediately start looking for her. Dave to the front door and me to the back. As I approached the closed and locked back door, I could see nothing but a child's hand as I looked out through the blinds. Yes, it was Marlee. I screamed Dave's name and went running outside. Marlee was out there on the patio, happy as could be, playing with Hunter, my parent's dog. Once she saw and heard me she went running towards the pool, thinking we were playing some sort of game. I caught her less than one foot from the pool.

I was so choked up I could barely talk. There was a moment that my heart completely stopped. Everything around me stopped. A horrible moment.

Marlee is fine.

Come to find out Marlee had went to the back of the house (which she had done quite a few times to sneak into the toy closet), went out the door to the garage, went out the outside door, and went around to the pool (I think).

As I said, she's fast.

I believe if it wasn't for her interest in Hunter, the pool would have been her interest. Marlee had been watching and talking to Hunter through the glass of the backdoor earlier. Also, she had to walk by the pool to get to where she was on the patio with Hunter.

Tonight, Daddy got Marlee her bottle. About halfway through she got up off the couch, went into our room, laid on our bed, and finished her bottle. Dave and I lied on either side of her, and just snuggled our baby.

I kept thinking, what if.
What if.
What if.
Awful feeling.

If it's possible, Dave is even more crazier than me when it comes to our pool.
If he has his way, Marlee will be swimming before summer's over.

Sorry for the dreary post.
Stay tuned. Tomorrow will be a much happier, Easter post.

Marlee Lately

2009-04-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

Month in Review...

Feeding the ducks (or as M calls them: quack) at the park.

Graduated to the big swing. After playing with my friend Jessica's daughter last month, Marlee wants nothing to do with the "baby" swings anymore.

Goodbye high chair, hello booster (3/19). You can see from her expression, she loves her big girl chair.

M's new ride.

Can't get enough of the Cheetos.

Relaxing in a storage bin.

First good owwwwwwwwwwwie, as M would say (4/5)

Loves horsey rides from Daddy.

Number 7

2009-04-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to the man who is meant for me.

After 7 years, you still make my heart go pitter-patter.
I love you...so much.

4.3.2
Maui, Hawaii

Jump Jump

2009-03-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

M helping Daddy assemble her new play toy.

A TRAMPOLINE.

Just her size.

She loves it.

PS-Jessica, as you can see, we are taking full advantage of the clothes you so kindly gave us. Thanks again!

She's Crafty

2009-03-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Just want to share a bow holder I made for my friend, Jessica's, daughter Madeline.

Well, I can't take full credit for the idea. My sister, Kristy, made one for Marlee for Christmas.

No, I am not ashamed to admit I copied the idea entirely.
As for all the bows, they were handmade by Kristy. Marlee is in bow heaven!

Yes, I'm crafty. Or rather, Kristy's crafty and I'm just a reproducer.

Mine

2009-03-18T21:28:00.001-07:00

Marlee's favorite fruit...

is bananas.
Which she calls mine.
I just love this picture.

Avocados come in at a close second.

First Piggies, Take II

2009-03-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago (February 26), I put Marlee's hair in piggies for the first time, officially. That is, unless you count these as her first official set of piggies.

Now does she look adorable or what?

The bows didn't stay in long and who cares if after nap her tiny little rubber bands were nowhere to be found. If she did in fact eat them, she'll pass them, right?

**Adorable bows courtesy of my talented sister, Kristy. M is in bow heaven!

Time to Change

2009-03-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight I come home from girls night out, dinner and a movie with my Mom and Sissies, to all the clocks in the house already an hour ahead for the time change tomorrow. Who does this? Other than my husband, of course. Am I the only one who goes off old time for weeks? Sheesh.
I am not happy about losing an hour of my precious Sunday. Furthermore, if this bloody time change disrupts my daughters great one nap groove that we have finally achieved, I will be one very unhappy Mama.

One more thing...
Am I also the only one who, after my husband has done the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, reorganizes the dishes in the dishwasher because they have to be neatly loaded in the correct area of the dishwasher.
Okay, so I also re-wipe down the counters. Is re-wipe even a word?
Don't worry, I give him a big thank you for helping and I wait until he goes to sleep to redo his already done. I wouldn't want him to think I didn't appreciate all his help, now would I?

Okay, so maybe that was three more things.

Well, according to my clocks, it is after 1:00am and I am going to bed.

An Answer to My Prayers

2009-03-06T23:09:00.000-08:00

Marlee's peanut allergy, although very scary, is easy to maintain. No peanuts (or any nut for that matter), peanut butter, peanut oil, etc. Pretty simple, right?
The egg white allergy, well that's a different story entirely. It is quite frustrating to say the least.

Near and Dear

2009-03-04T23:02:00.000-08:00

So, it's happening as I knew it would. Georgia is trying to put forth legislation limiting fertility treatments. The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. You can read both of the bills here and here. Here is a recap of the bills:

Senate Bill 169 would restrict doctors' ability to perform IVF in accordance with best medical standards.

No more than 2 or 3 eggs could ever be fertilized in a cycle; if a woman produced more eggs, they still could not be used.

Only 2 embryos could ever be transferred to the uterus, unless the woman is age 40 or over (then a max of 3).

No extra embryos could be cryopreserved. If they are created, they have to be transferred.

No financial relief, such as insurance coverage, is proposed to help with the added financial burden of using less effective treatment. Patients will still have to pay out of pocket for less effective treatment.

Bans all financial compensation for donor gametes, such as egg donor, sperm donor, or embryo donation, which would reduce the pool of available donors in Georgia.

Senate Bill 204/HB388 is an embryo adoption bill. It would subject embryo donation to all the same provisions as required by law for adoption of a child. This would subject infertility patients needing an embryo donation to go through the judicial proceedings, home visits, and other procedures required for an adoption. We do not believe that such treatment is appropriate or needed for embryo donation.

If any of you have missed all the hoopla surrounding OctoMom, where have you been? However, because of her, people are up in arms, and now the government is getting involved.

As many of you know, this is very near and dear to my heart, and I am seeing red over the ignorance and public perception that ART (assisted resroductive technology) and IVF (in-vitro fertilization) has.

So, because this is my blog, I am going to share my feelings. Feel free to move right along.

My struggle with infertility...

I am one of the many many faces of infertility. We all have a story, a struggle, that is unique and ours alone.

After years of infertility, three IVF's, over 35 follicles extracted and fertilized, a total of twelve embryos transferred and spending over $50,000.00, I was childless. All that was left was an emotional, bloated, angry, sad soul. Dave and I are not alone in our struggle. There is another side of infertility that does not include multiples or even one child, for that matter.

The above bill would mean that all three of my IVF transfers would not be allowed today. It would mean that if I was lucky enough to have extra follicles, they would have to be destroyed, not fertilized and frozen for a future cycle. It would mean that there would be no financial compensation for embryo donation or sperm donation. And most importantly, it would still mean that insurance companies would not have to cover infertility treatments. Even though what the bill is proposing would drive the cost of infertility treatments up even more.
Then there is also the embryo adoption bill, which basically treats an embryo donation as an adoption.

And I fear this is just the beginning.

I think this article might be on to something. These bills do not protect the health of women, but more about establishing legal rights for embryos. The bill would ban embryo-destructive stem cell research. So, basically, I wouldn't have the final say with what happens to my embryos? This all coming from the Georgia senator who believes in less government, more personal responsibility, and greater individual freedoms. Um...okay.

When did it become acceptable for the government to regulate my health and personal life?
My body, my choice.

Today I...

2009-03-02T23:04:00.000-08:00

Had the best day with Marlee. After 3 weeks of not so great days with M not feeling well, I welcomed this great day with open arms. I think she is finally on the mend.

Started my menu plan for the month of March, made my grocery list, and clipped coupons from Sunday's paper.

Went to the bank and the grocery store.

Worked while M took a long, much needed, nap.

Walked to and played at the park with Marlee, Dada, Cooper and Mollie.

Made chicken piccata for dinner (minus the capers). So so good. Give it a try.

Went to the gym*. Did cardio, then strength with my bomb ass trainer. It felt good! Major stress reliever.

Came home from the gym to Marlee's tornado of toys picked up and put in their designated spaces (thanks Babe).

Took a long, hot shower.

Am going to bed...right now. Okay, maybe I'm going to go fall asleep on the couch while trying to catch up on all the shows I am very very behind on. Yes, I heart DVR...necessary evil in my opinion.

*As I was leaving for the gym, I bent down to tell Marlee goodbye. She ran over to me with her lips puckered, making her kissing noise (something like mmmmm) and gave me the best kiss without me even asking. I love unexpected gestures.

When in Doubt

2009-02-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

Check it out.

Last week, Marlee had a rough couple of days. After about four days of hell, I finally broke down and took her to the doctor last Wednesday for a once over. Turns out she had fluid in both her ears. Her doctor said it probably started as allergies and settled in her ears.
Of course, I felt awful that it took me four days to break down and get her in. Haven't I mentioned how much I hate doctors?
And I felt double awful when M's doc told me that the fluid causes her to feel pressure in her ears as if she were on an airplane.

On top of the ear issue, Marlee is also fighting off a nasty chest cold. Poor thing sounds awful. Since birth, she has been so lucky in the sickies department and let me just say she does not handle sickness well.
I'm happy to report, after 8 days of antibiotics, she is on the mend.
My new motto...when in doubt, check it out.

Daddy taking such good care of his baby girl

I sure hope she is not going to have environmental allergies like her Mama. The food allergies are bad enough.

One...Two...Three

2009-02-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

Quite often, as I'm doing things with or for Marlee, I count. For example, I will say to her two books, one two. Tonight, as Marlee and I played before bed, I said one...and Marlee said two. I said three and she said four. I did this with her over and over to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing.
Tonight I learned that, when prompted, my 19 month old daughter counts to five.
Amazing.
She is learning new things every day.

I Did It!

2009-02-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

Look what finally came in the mail:

Yes, I have already framed it and have it hanging in my office.
And yes, I stare at it often.

Take a closer look:

Yes, I did graduate with not just honors, but with HIGH honors. I guess that's what having a 3.86 GPA gets you.
And yes, I'm bragging.

Look for another one of these degrees coming my way at the end of the year.
Yes, I am a busy bee.
And yes, it is worth it.

One Year Six Months

2009-02-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

At 18 Months Marlee Kay...
-weighs 25.5 pounds
-measures 33 1/2 inches tall
-is in a size 4 diaper
-wears 18-24 month tops and 12-18 / 18-24 month bottoms
-shoe size is 5.5
-has 14 teeth - cut two this past month
-sleeps 12 hours at night
-takes one 2-3 hour nap
-says about 40 words and is adding more to her vocabulary daily
-uses utensils - kind of

Favorites...
-bananas, avocados, and veggie dogs
-being outside
-swinging
-water - especially Cooper and Mollie's water bowel
-giving her doggies kisses
-being rocked before bed
-Mr Bear - her lovey
-climbing. on everything.
-bath time
-books
-going to the park
-feeding herself with a spoon/fork
-Curious George cartoons
-Cooper and Mollie
-getting into cupboards
-throwing tantrums
-running around nakie after bath time
-her baba
-music
-bows
-drawing/coloring

The shirt says it all!

Dislikes
-getting dressed after a bath
-being told no
-most fresh fruit
-being confined

Note: this is a little late as M is 19 months today. Now, at 19 months she has cut two more teeth for a total of 16 (all but 2 year molars). Also, her vocabulary seems to expand daily. She now repeats so many many words.

Note Note: the above photos are not my favorite. I am having trouble with my computer and have already wasted entirely too much time.

Journey

2009-02-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of everyday with Marlee is before bed, when she snuggles into me and lets me rock her. She lies so still, with her Mr. Bear under one arm and her sippie cup of water under the other.
Tonight, as I rocked her, I thought about what a wonderful day we had together. The past couple of days have been pretty tough on my baby for reasons unbeknown to me. The hard days make the good days that much better. Today was a that much better day.
As I rocked my daughter and ran my fingers through her hair, I started thinking how fast my baby's entire life has gone by. It seems we were just celebrating her first birthday, which was in July. I thought once she reached one year old, time would slow down. How wrong I was. These past six months have flown by at an excessive speed. I can't even believe my baby girl is 18 months old.

Six long years ago, Dave and I were preparing for our first IVF cycle. Our journey has been a long one. Our struggle is still so fresh in my mind, yet nothing more than a distant memory. It's almost a surreal feeling.
Through all the sadness, I would have never thought that there was a plan for me. That miracles do happen. That through years of heartache, there would be a time for happiness.
My Miracle.
My Marlee Kay.

Little Things

2009-01-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

Last night for dinner I cooked chicken, pasta, and green beans.
Marlee ate. All of it.

Happy day!
I guess consistency pays off. Well, at least yesterday it did. Tomorrow may be a different story.

It's definitely the little things.

As a side note, isn't my baby getting oh so big?

My Little Monkey

2009-01-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

Today
At one year, six months, and eight days old
Dave went to get Marlee Kay out of her crib after nap time
He found her standing in the middle of her room

Yes, my little monkey climbed out of her crib.

August 2007-One month old

Who would have thought this peaceful, tiny, little being would grow up to be a crazy, climbing, energetic little girl?

A New Year...all about me

2009-01-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

So, this is a me post.
As I stated at this time last year, I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions. I believe that if there is something I want to do or change about myself, I should try to do it. Why wait around until the first day of the new year to make changes that I feel are important? Instead I thought I would brag about things I have accomplished this past year that are important to me.

-I finally earned my first degree, an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice. Yes, it's only a two year degree, but I am so very proud of myself. Also, I am five classes away from my Associate of Business Degree, which I will earn this year and then transfer to UNLV. To pursue what, you ask? Why a degree in Criminal Justice AND Business? Good question. This is a question I ask myself quite often. Before I had my daughter the plan was law school. Now I'm just not sure. I would still love to be an attorney. I'll just take it one step and degree at a time. I'm learning a whole hell of a lot and at the end of the day that's what matters to me.

-I can finally say I am fitness extraordinaire. Okay, maybe that's stretching it a little bit. I joined the gym at the beginning of October and have been working out 3 days a week for an hour and a half. My sister, Stacey, and I have recently started exercising with a trainer and it has made a world of difference. She works us, I mean really works us and it feels good. After two and a half months, I still do not enjoy exercising. However, I like the way I feel after a good workout...it makes me feel good.

-I have done pretty well with a goal I set for myself this time last year. This past year I have really worked on being less wasteful in many aspects of my life. I instituted the three R's over a year ago: reduce, reuse, recycle and I have been doing rather well. Now, I really think twice before buying or throwing something away. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Here's to a wonderful year!

Our Christmas

2008-12-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm running a little behind this year...

We had a wonderful Holiday.

Christmas Eve...
Was a pajama party at my parent's house. We ate yummy food, opened presents, and the bigger kids frosted sugar cookies.

Christmas morning...
My husband is an early riser, and by early I mean like 4:00am. So Christmas morning he woke me up at 7:30 and asked if we could wake Marlee. I, of course, told him no way. We sat around and waited, and waited, and waited. Around 8:30 Dave and I got impatient and opened our presents from one another.

Finally, just before 9:00, Marlee woke up. She had Elmo Live waiting for her under the tree from Santa and a few presents from Dada and Mama to open. It was so fun watching her get into the wrapping paper. I can only imagine how fun it will be next year.

Her list of presents:

Santa...
Elmo Live
Elmo movie and toothbrush in her stocking

Dada and Mama...
My first laptop
Sandra Boynton books
Pajamas

And Dada got her a special ceramic angel. The tag was addressed to "my little angel." This is the second year that Dave has gotten M something special just from him and it makes my heart go pitter patter.

Christmas day was spent running around like a crazy person to get out of the house to spend the day with family. It ended with a dinner out in Pahrump that my Grandma Bea hosts every year and a major snow storm on our way home.

I'm a little perturbed that I did not have one picture taken of Dave, Marlee, and me on Christmas. We did, however, take a picture in front of our tree a couple of days after Christmas with the new DSLR Camera my husband surprised me with on Christmas. But I'll have to post that another day!

Thought I would share my 2008 Holiday Card with you too!

I hope your holiday was overflowing with as much love and joy as mine.

Happy Birthday...

2008-12-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my..
wonderful
kind
giving
caring
helpful
selfless
hard-working
patient
understanding
smart
funny
happy
and, of course, handsome
..Husband

I love you..so much.
Thank you for always being so good to Marlee and me.
How lucky we are.

Happy Birthday Sugar. Hope you have an extra special day.
Muah.

One Year Five Months

2008-12-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

My beloved daughter is 17 months old, one year five months. I can’t even believe it. I blinked and in one year, Marlee went from this:

December 2007

to this:

December 2008

My big girl.
She is growing up entirely too fast. Her personality and vocabulary are exploding. A busy bee she is. Around 12 to 14 months when people would ask me if she is walking yet, my response was no, she does not walk, she runs. My daughter runs from the moment she wakes up until the moment her head hits her mattress.

My big girl.
I will say that this past month of sickies has brought out a different side of Marlee Kay. She has become quite the snuggler. Now, before nap and bedtime she will let me rock and read to her. Before she would not sit still long enough. If she starts to get antsy and tries to sit up, I will say you want to go in your bed? She will lay back down and freeze, understanding exactly what I am saying.

New developments these past few months:
-teeth. She has so many teeth, twelve total and working on thirteen. Four front top, four front bottom, four first year molars, and she is cutting on of her canines.

-she knows eyes, nose, mouth, and button (belly button). I will ask, Marlee, where is my/your nose? She will then point to my or her nose and say I, everything is I. Whether she is pointing to her nose, mouth, button, or eye, it is I.

-tantrums. As I stated in my previous post, tantrums are a daily, probably hourly, occurrence. It is quite amusing to watch.

-biting. Need I write more?

Marlee’s Favorites
-she still loves checking out her reflection in mirrors and windows. She will do something silly and watch herself.

-she can’t get enough of books. The bookworm in me loves that she loves books.

-eating the dog’s food. Every chance she gets, she runs into the laundry room, grabs and handful of dog food,and shoves it in her mouth.

-the Bubba’s (aka dogs), Cooper especially. Every dog is CooCa.

-crackers. M would eat crackers for all three meals if I let her. Numerous times a day she goes to the kitchen, points to the counter, and says QuaQua over and over. However, do not give her a broken cracker. Somehow she knows the difference and she throws a fit until we give her a "whole" cracker.

-bath time. She loves taking baths and running around the house naked after bath time.

-going to the park, especially swinging on the swings.

-Daddy. Definitely her all time fav. At the end of the day when I hear Dave in the garage I say Marlee, who is it? She gets so excited. Throughout the day she will walk around the house saying Da-ddy.

-Mr. Bear, Mr. Dog, Mr. Frog. Her three lovey's. However, Mr. Bear is by far her fav, followed by Mr. Dog.

-Elmo. Or as Marlee says, Oh.

-climbing. Marlee climbs on everything…furniture, into her hi chair, up onto our pony wall (this one scares the hell out of me), almost out of her crib, our patio furniture, up ladders, and anywhere else that looks tempting.

Marlee’s Vocabulary
Man oh man is her vocabulary exploding. She is one smart little girl. These days, she repeats about anything we say. Her choice of words are: Da or Da-ddy, MomMom, baba (bottle), CooCa (Cooper), quaqua (cracker), Oh (Elmo), ball, hi, hot, dadie (baby)…
Other words: cup, park, bath, poop, doggie, moo, shoes, and many more.

She sings the ABC’s. Well, her version of the ABC’s. This is by far her favorite song for us to sing to her. She also sings the chorus of Old Mcdonald, the E-I-E-I-O.

Oh how I adore this girl.

As a side note, November was probably one of the hardest, most challenging months for Mama. Between sickies, tantrums, sleep deprivation, and clinginess I happily embraced December.

The photos of M outside in the brown dress and the middle photo courtesy of my sister, Lesley. You can also view her work here and here.

Let there be SNOW

2008-12-15T23:01:00.000-08:00

It snowed today...in Las Vegas. I could not wait to get Marlee up from her nap and take her outside to experience snow for the first time.
Needless to say, she loved it.
My little snow bunny...

Even Mollie got in on some of the action.

Seeing Red

2008-12-15T11:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am upset. I just got done writing a 17 month post for Marlee that took me days to finish. I went to post and wa-la, something horrible happened and it's all messed up...ugh.
Stay tuned. Time to start over.
And before you suggest I write it in a word document and save it, I do. However, my computer restarted the other night and I can't recover it.
I think it's high time for a new computer....doubtful.

And btw-it's SNOWING. I live in the desert and it's SNOWING. Stay tuned for some pictures of Marlee experiencing snow for the first time.

Tidbits

2008-12-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

Just a few things I feel are noteworthy that I want to document...

Last Monday as Marlee and I were running errands, I decided to go through one of those drive through car washes. After I paid and started through the wash, I realized Marlee had never been through one of these before and I wasn't quite sure how she was going to handle it. Well, she LOVED it! I turned around to watch her and she was throwing her head back and forth and laughing through the entire wash as she looked through the side windows.

Disclaimer: poop mentioned.
Marlee is usually a nap time pooper. When I go in after a nap or in the morning, she has pooped. Upon the unpleasant whiff I get entering her room, I always say did you poop? The other day I walk in her room and get the whiff. My daughter jumps up, holds her arms out for me, and says poop, poop. She completely understands what I am saying and is relating the word to the act (or object). Wow.

Tantrums are in full swing here at the Ross house. When M doesn't get her way, whether it be us not picking her up and holding her while standing (this is a new one), or we take something away from her, she sits on the ground, slowly lies back and starts to scream and holler. It is so amusing because she is so careful as she puts her head back on the ground.

And for your viewing pleasure....

Because what's a post without an adorable picture? Isn't she getting so so big???

Shout Out

2008-12-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

A huge thanks to my big (little) Sissie, Kristy, for surprising me with my new page. Isn't it so cute?

Photo taken at my baby shower (May 2007). I was 8 months pregnant with Marlee and Kristy was about 4 months pregnant with Carter Bug.

Thanks again, Sissie!

Another First

2008-11-30T22:40:00.000-08:00

With Marlee not feeling well, it has been meltdown mania at the Ross household. Sleep, what is that? Sleep has pretty much gone out the window. Last night was another rough night. After taking an hour to get Marlee to sleep, she woke up screaming at 1:00am. So, of course, I go in and rock and soothe my baby. It is now 2:00am when I return to bed. At 2:30am, I hear more screaming. Dave goes in to get her back to sleep. After about 15 minutes Dave comes back to bed...with Marlee. He put her in our bed, she snuggled into her Daddy, and feel asleep until 7:00am.
This is a first. Marlee has never, and I mean never, slept in our bed. Even when she was a tiny little baby, she slept in the pack-n-play next to the bed. This was just something Dave and I both agreed on as we did not want to form habits and Dave was so worried about suffocating her. Then once she got mobile, forget about relaxing enough to go to sleep if she's not confined to her crib.
Although I didn't sleep well, I loved having Marlee snuggled in our bed.

Sickies has brought out a whole other side of Marlee...a lovin', huggin', snugglin' side, which I am enjoying immensely!

11/29 - First time Marlee slept in Daddy and Mama's bed.
Oh, and Kristy, she is a thrasher...reminds me of someone!

On a similar yet different note, my 16 month old daughter is a jump away from crawling out of her crib. She kicks her leg over the top of the crib, straddles the rail, and laughs like she is so cute. Which, of course, she is! Lord help me.

The upside of sickies

2008-11-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

Marlee is still not feeling well. This morning after her bottle she went and got a blanket, brought it to me, and lifted her arms for me to pick her up. She then laid in my arms and watched cartoons for a good 20 minutes. This never happens...
There is an upside of sickies.

Enough of the Crap!

2008-11-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, the week of Nov 3rd, Marlee got her first bout of sickies, a cold. Yes, she didn't get sick until 16 months...pretty amazing, right? I believe she must have her Dada's rockin' immune system.

Fast forward to last week. My beloved dog, Cooper, got sick. Let's just say I dealt with a lot a crap, pun intended, and it was not pretty...not pretty at all. A trip to the vet informed us that he has colitis. Who knew dogs can get colitis. A week of meds and he's fine.

Cooper...aka Mr. Dog

On Friday (11/21) my daughter started with the diarrhea (yep, I said it) and kept it coming all weekend. I took her to the doctor yesterday as I was worried about dehydration. After checking M out, the doctor tells me it's probably a virus that just needs to ride its course.

Then, I tell her about Cooper and you can guess where this is going.

Colitis can be caused by some type of a virus or bacteria, which I knew. However, did you know dogs can get certain types of viruses or bacteria (can't remember what she said exactly) that can be passed onto humans that come into contact with the....feces (yep, I said it).

So guess what I get to do? Take Marlee's stool sample to the lab tomorrow to be tested.

On a side note, after asking me a few questions, Marlee's doc didn't seem too concerned as there are usually symptoms that Marlee's not showing. Don't worry, I won't share the symptoms. I don't want to completely gross you out!

We shall wait and see...I'll keep you posted.

Precious Moments

2008-11-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

Two important notes before I move on:
Marlee is a Daddy's girl. If Daddy is around, forget about Mama.
Marlee is not an affectionate, snugly baby. The only time she stops is to go to sleep.

Last night Dave had a pour at midnight so he went to bed at 5:30pm.
With Daddy sleeping, Mama and Marlee played quietly together in the family room. She would go get a book, bring it to me, sit in my lap (which she never does), and let me read to her. This went on for a good hour. Then out of nowhere, M walks over to me as I was sitting on the floor, leans down, and puts her face about and inch from my face. I thought here we go, she's going to try to bite me as we have had a problem with biting lately. I was wrong. I leaned into her and put my lips on her lips. My baby was giving me kisses! She did this three times and each time she would hold still and kiss me for 5 seconds.

Last night is one of many moments that I never want to forget. A moment when I realize every bad day is worth it for these quick, precious moments of complete contentment. A moment when I realize I have the best job in the world. A moment when I know I was meant to be a Mom.
First kisses November 17...with Mama.
Daddy has yet to get one..nenernenernener.

**Photo courtesy of my talented sissie, Lesley. You can also view her photography website here.

Quote of the Day

2008-11-14T19:38:00.001-08:00

I have been faithfully working out for about for about 6 weeks now. I know, I know, go me!! Dave has been nothing but understanding, helpful, and supportive as I head off to the gym 3 days a week. Yesterday, as I bent over to pick something up this is what my darling husband says to me:

Husband: Babe, your butt has gotten smaller.
Me: I have a big butt?
Husband: Not anymore.

Yes, this was a compliment. He meant well.
I have been accused of a lot of things, but never a big butt.

BOO-tiful Butterfly

2008-11-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

Just for the record, Marlee loved her costume. Yes, I know the picture isn't great, but it's the best of the bunch!
For Halloween this year we took Marlee to the Haunted Harvest at Springs Preserve. We had a pretty good time. There was a live band in the courtyard that Marlee loved. It was so cute to watch her bob her head and rock out. When we would leave the courtyard area, she would cry to go back. I told Dave he now has his dead head that he can go to rock concerts with.

I'm an Esme

2008-11-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

My sisters, Mom and I all read the Twilight Series and are going to see the movie in a few weeks. In honor of that...

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Man, I'm hot! Who are you?

My Breaking Point

2008-11-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

This past week has been one of the most difficult weeks I have had in a very very very long time, for various reasons, and I think I reached a breaking point. I will not bore you with the mundane details that have almost sent me over the edge, no I will not. I just feel it is worthy to note that it is not always sunny here in Ross land. At times it is down right gloom and doom.
Here's to a better week. Attitude is everything, right?

PS-If you are wondering, yes, I have turned comments off on this post. This is because I am not looking for sympathy, advice, or support (mean as that may sound). As stated previously, just thought my bad week was noteworthy.

**Ahead this week...Marlee Kay's second Halloween, her first bout of the sickies, and a 16 month post. Stay tuned.

Yes We Can!

2008-11-04T21:59:00.001-08:00

The American people have spoken...loud and clear. What a proud and defining day in our nation's history.

Vote

2008-11-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

Marlee's first time voting!

Just a reminder to get out there and vote! Vote vote vote...
As much as I love politics, I am so ready for this election to be over. It has been a long time coming and today I will be on the edge of my seat...waiting to see which direction this country will be going. Will we be taking one step up or two steps back, as Springstein would say.

Peanut's Results

2008-10-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

My Marlee Kay is allergic to peanuts, egg whites, and dog dander. Let's discuss these outcomes one by one shall we...

Peanuts. As we figured. The allergy is rated 1 to 5 with 5 being the most severe. Marlee is a 3.

Egg whites. Marlee is also rated a 3 for egg whites.

Dog dander came in at a 2.

Marlee's pedi wants to retest in 6 months. In regards to the rating scale, a person with an allergy rating of a 1 has a good chance of growing out of the allergy and a 5 is severe. So I guess time will tell.

In regards to the dog dander, the doctor does not seem too concerned. Neither of my dogs shed and it is the dander she is allergic to, not the actual dog. I too am allergic to dogs. Also, Marlee has shown no signs of being bothered by the dander.

Initially, one might think egg whites are not so bad, but think about it...pastas, baked breads, muffins, pancakes, waffles, cake, most types of pastries have egg in them. My poor peanut is going to have to bring her own special cupcake to birthday parties.

So, it could have been better news. It could also have been a lot worse. I was so worried the test was going to come back positive for dairy or wheat. Now that would have been awful. Hopefully we can get a handle on her eczema.

It is late and I am tired. My apologies if this post does not seem too articulate. The words just don't seem to be flowing out of me.

My lil' Peanut

2008-10-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well, my poor little peanut is allergic to peanuts.

A little back story...
Last Wednesday (Oct 15) Marlee and I went over to her cousins house to play. The kids are playing while Lesley and I visit. I look over and see Marlee take a bite of Shenzie's cracker with peanut butter, which she had yet to be introduced to. Very little peanut butter I might add as Shenzie had scraped most of it off. I really thought nothing of it. Marlee is 15 months old and has never had a reaction to any type of food that we know of, nor do Dave or I.
Well..
Before I left Lesley's house, I noticed what looked like scratches on Marlee's chin. About two hours later I lifted her shirt and she was covered in hives. After completely freaking out I called her pediatrician. Her wonderful doctor told me the signs to watch for throughout the night and go straight to the emergency room if Marlee's tongue swelled up or if she had trouble breathing. After two doses of benadryl and a very worried Mommy who slept all of three hours, Marlee is fine.
However..
We had to take Marlee to get some blood work done for allergy testing. Due to her horrible eczema, her pediatrician thinks she might have other allergies.
So..
Thursday Dave and I took our daughter to get the blood work done. It was awful watching her get poked and poked and poked until the nurse finally found a vein. Marlee was quite the trooper though. Of course she screamed, but she calmed down the minute we picked her up. Brave girl!
The results should be in later this week. Dave and I are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.
Figures, right?

PS-Photos courtesy of my sister Kristy. Thanks for taking all the great photos of Marlee this weekend!

Day after Day after Day

2008-10-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

Marlee Kay climbing up and sitting on my office chair.

Well, Marlee finally figured it out. We knew in time this would happen as Marlee is nothing but fearless.
Here is a play-by-play of what went down Friday night:
I am in the office working and Dave is watching Marlee.
Before long I hear...
Dave: Marlee, where are you? Marlee??? Babe is she in there with you?
Me: Nope.
So, of course I start looking for Marlee and I just knew. Yep, she had crawled out Cooper and Mollie (my dogs) very little doggie door and was just standing outside wondering what all the fuss was about. This would be a first in her book of many firsts.
Okay, back to work for about another 30 minutes. When I emerge from the office Dave says to me...
Marlee is crazy! Not only did she crawl out the doggie door, she also climbed on the ottoman and stood up laughing (her new favorite thing). Then I took her outside on the patio and, once again, she was missing (don't worry people, our patio is gated). You know where she was? She had somehow gotten in between the back of the barbecue and the fence and was hanging on the fence.
My reply: Welcome to my day after day after day.......

Ahhhh...the life of a work at home Mama, and I wouldn't change it for a thing!

A big thanks to Madeline from Marlee for the pretty dress and the rest of the clothes! Marlee loves them.

On and On

2008-10-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This is a somewhat political post.

Since this is ultimately a blog for Marlee, I find it fitting to acknowledge the trouble our country is in. Every morning as I feed Marlee and watch the news, I am horrified by what is going on in this country. From the housing market crisis, to all the bad loans that were lent by the banks, to the stock market crashing, to our government stepping in and bailing out banks, to the $700 billion bail out package that is in the works, to the never-ending war in Iraq, to the cost of food, to our dependence on foreign oil, to gas prices hovering at $4 a gallon, to shipping jobs overseas, to unemployment being on the rise, to our dollar being worth less and less, to our national debt, to social security running dry, to our ever-lacking education system, and on, and on, and on...
To hear economists talk, we are just three steps from a depression. Sometimes I feel as though this country is not moving forward, but rather backward.

In other news, is anyone else excited to watch the one and only VP debate tonight? I'm hoping to get a few good laughs out of it!

Let's just hope our next president can do a better job than our current president has done.

The Smallest Gestures...

2008-09-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Mean oh so much.
A couple of evenings ago, I decided to go have a little me time for a few hours. I kissed my two babes (aka husband and daughter) goodbye and off I went. When I got home, about 9:00pm, both the babes were sleeping...expected that. However, the dinner dishes were done, kitchen counters clean and wiped down, and all Marlee's "stuff" (ie toys, books, stuffed animals) were put away in their respective places. The only thing I had to do was start the dishwasher.
These little helpful things that my husband does without being asked mean so much to me. What a lucky, lucky girl I am to have such a wonderful partner.

Thanks Sugar...I heart you <3.

Fall Days

2008-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

I love fall..definitely my favorite season. The crisp morning walks, the leaves changing colors, the earlier evenings, the smell of baked goods...I must bathe in the fall glory as we go from hot to cold quickly here in the desert. The past couple of weeks have been so nice and we have been enjoying our weekends full of outdoor fun.

This past Sunday we took Marlee to BalloonaPalooza at the Craig Ranch Golf Course. They had hot air balloons, a carnival, live music, a circus, food, and much more. Just thought I would share a few pictures of our enjoyable morning.

I am enjoying this age with Marlee Kay immensely. Her constant motion, curiosity, tempers (yes, plural), giggles, and excitement make everyday so new and special. She makes me stop and see the world and what's in it so differently...so beautifully and simply.

As you can see I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with my camera and photoshop.

Pickin' Apples

2008-09-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Dave, Marlee, and I went to Gilcrease Orchard. Who knew we had an orchard practically in our own back yard. Imagine my excitement! We paid a couple of bucks to enter into the orchard and then we picked our own fruits and vegetables. At this time of year they have apples, pears, peaches, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, all varieties of squash, and more.

Marlee picking a zucchini.

Our pickings for the day.

I had such a blast going up and down the aisles of trees and picking the apples. That’s probably why we left with 9 pounds of apples!
I’m off to make zucchini bread, bars, casseroles, pancakes…and apple pie, turnovers, chips, butter, muffins….

First Kiss

2008-08-27T21:08:00.001-07:00

Another birthday came and went.

Tonight Dave and Marlee took me to dinner for my birthday. As we were eating dessert, hey-it's me birthday remember, I leaned down and asked Marlee for a kiss. She leaned into my lips with her mouth open wide and gave me the most edible kiss. I asked her for another kiss and she leaned into me again and planted another kiss right on my lips...so sweet. Only later did I realize the ice cream I was eating might have had something to do with all the kisses. Still, this ranks right up there with last year . What a difference a year makes.

After we got home from dinner I tried getting a few pictures of Marlee and I. As usual she was not cooperating, so this is what Dave did to get her to hold still:

Yes, he stuck her in the bushes.
She will not touch the bushes to work her way out. Same goes with grass. If Marlee falls in grass, she just sits there with her hands out, rocking back and forth on her butt until Dave or I come to her aid.

My two most precious gifts. Thanks Sugar for making my birthday so special, as usual. I heart you forever.

One Year

2008-08-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

One year ago today I started my blog. Happy one year anniversary me!!!

My Hero

2008-08-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Anyone following the Olympics as I have been? Dara Torres is my hero.
I told Dave in a past life I was an Olympian swimmer just like her. Heck, I'll just settle for her smokin' hot body...

It's Been Awhile

2008-08-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, it's been awhile. There has been so much going on in my life and the days just seem to get away from me. I am finally done with the summer semester and can start focusing on so many other things I have on my never ending to do list.

Stay tuned for a post about..who else? Yes, Marlee Kay. She is growing and changing right before my eyes!