Marlee's first Halloween..BOO

Happy Halloween...




























Marlee and I want to wish everyone a Happy, and safe, Halloween!

Happy Birthday Carter..<3

My nephew, Carter Bradley, has made his appearance.

October 25, 2007 at 5:00am

20 1/2 inches long and 8 pounds 4 ounces

Kristy had a slow start but once her water broke she went from 6 centimeters to 10 centimeters in no time. She sure has a hard time carrying babies but she makes the birth look effortless!

Carter has big, beautiful blue eyes and is a mix of both Alexee and Braiden.

My parents have had 5 grandchildren in about a one year span. And to think my Dad called us underachievers..he's eating his words now!

Picture Day

Just thought I would share some pictures Dave and I took of Marlee over the weekend. She IS the cutest damn baby I ever did see..

Love the tushie!!

Monkey Face..2 1/2 months

Three Months..

My sweet baby girl is 3 months old today! I can hardly believe it. She is growing up so fast, too fast. She weighs about 12 pounds and is 24 1/2 inches long. My Mom has always said watching your child grow up is bittersweet and I couldn't agree more. Sad to see her changing so fast but so excited to see what tomorrow holds. It is surreal. The other day I was changing her diaper and I let out a little cough...Marlee Kay looked up at me..and laughed! This is the first time she has actually "laughed" when she has been awake. I could have cried! And of course now every time I make this little fake cough she laughs...that is until the video camera gets set up..already stubborn like her Mama..and Dada!
Not only are Dave and I blessed to have a daughter, we are blessed to have such a good...and haPPy daughter. Someone asked me the other day "so how has parenting been for you these past few months?" My response...piece of cake! Marlee has made it so easy for us.

She is getting so strong. She still has a slight bobble head but sometimes she holds her head up all by herself!

Although she loves her Mama, she is definitely a Dada's girl. When Dave comes home from work and Marlee hears him, she starts looking around for him. Right when he goes to her and their eyes meet Marlee smiles and smiles...Mama's heart melts!

She is still sleeping in the pack-n-play next to our bed. I know, I know, our goal was by 3 months, but we are just not ready to move her into her crib. Her bedroom seems miles away! Dave gets out of bed and checks on her about a gizillion times a night with her IN our room and I still have the habit of putting my hand on her chest to make sure she is breathing. I'm not sure if we are both so nervous because of Marlee's traumatic birth and her not breathing on her own for a good 5 minutes or if we would have been this craZy anyway...I vote the latter! Hey, at least she's not IN our bed, right? The good news is she takes naps in her cribs and for the most part she sleeps well.

Marlee loves to go for walks with the Bubba's. She just sits in her stroller and takes everything in. As she is looking around I think, wow, this is the very first time she has seen a tree, or heard a siren (that happened yesterday), or looked at the sky..unbelievable.

Dave and I both left her for the first time last month. Dave was at work and I had to go to the doctor for an ultrasound. Auntie Kristy came over and babysat for a couple of hours. I get so sad to leave her...I know, no doubt, I'm crazy. I think in the next couple weeks Dave and I will break down, get a sitter and have date night.



At times when I look at or think about Marlee I get overwhelmed with emotion. The other day I said to Dave "Don't you just love her..I mean really lOvE her?" His response: "she's like a breath of sunshine."

Go Pack, Go..

Marlee showing her support wearing Green Bay Packers colors.

Go Packers Go...let's make it 5-0 tonight!! Our Man Favre won't let us down. Superbowl here we come =)

PS-Sorry about your Broncos Honey...love you, muah!

Oh the Irony..

Kindness, generosity, respect, knowledge, responsibility, courtesy...blah, blah, blah

A few of the character traits that Dave and I feel are essential to life. Traits that we will instill in Marlee. We were having this "profound" conversation over the weekend. Talking about things we feel are important in life and the type of parents we hope to be.

So, Dave says something like I hope she finds an honest, decent, hard working husband.
I say I can only hope she can be as lucky as me and find a husband she can be proud of. A husband that puts his families needs and wants before his own.
His response: Babe, I don't know how okay I'll be if she brings home some forty year old guy.

All I could do was laugh...ironic, right? I guess this is going to be one of the many "do as I say not as I do" conversations with Marlee...

What's a crazy Mama to do?

I have officially become one of those crAzY Mama's...
Marlee Kay is 12 weeks today...I know, I can't believe it either. Last week I decided it was time to start talking about moving her out of our bedroom and into her crib. She has slept through the night in her bassinet since we brought her home and now sleeps from about 9:00 to 6:00...sorry Kristy. Most naps throughout the day she takes in her crib and she loves it! I am having a really hard time with this so I decided to go to Dave for the strength I so desperately need...big mistake. Here is how our conversation went down last week:

Ang-Babe, I have decided it is about time we move Marlee into her crib at night

Dave-(with look of sadness)-I'm not sure I am ready for that...

What? Not what I needed to hear, right? I said this weekend (which was last weekend) we are going to make the transition. Well, weekend came and went and neither Dave or I brought the issue up as we put her to bed in our room. Looks like I am going to have to be the strong one since Dada's obviously not going to.

My new goal is to have her in her crib by October 10, which is when she turns 3 months...can I do it?

I know, I know, I am one of those crazy Mama's that I used to laugh at...I remember telling Kristy when she was having a hard time moving Alexee into her crib "what's the big deal"-I so so so get it now! Poor Marlee...she has a crazy Mama...and Dada :)

Any words of encouragement would be great...:)