Random Thoughts..

Marlee Kay has a thing with hands. When I am feeding her a bottle, she will lift up her arm and just stare at her hand in amazement, turning her wrist back and forth. Then she will open and close her hand. It's like she is seeing her little hand for the first time, all the time. If I hold up my hand, Marlee will focus on it, then place her hand in my hand and just gaze at our hands.

Marlee also does this new thing, again, usually when I am feeding her. She will crinkle up her nose and snort in and out and in and out. I need to get a picture of this.

Now that Marlee has learned she can roll from back to belly, to back, to belly, she loves to be on the floor. I can put a blanket down in the family room, lie her on it, and she will be so content rolling around. She loves to be on her belly, smacking her hands on the blanket, "bouncing", kicking her legs, bobbing her head up and down, and trying so hard to move.

When I am changing Marlee on her changing table, she has this thing where she rolls to her side and grabs the long sleeve of my left arm, tugging and laughing all the while.

We have this "game" we play. After I get done suctioning her nose with the aspirator (is that what the sucky thing is called?), I put it in the side of her mouth by her cheeks, release the ball and suction her mouth. She thinks it is so comical..we both laugh and laugh. Now, every time I get out the aspirator, Marlee immediately opens her mouth, wanting to play the "game".

Lately, Marlee has been sleeping on her side. It is so damn cute. She has her arms bent, one above her head and the other at her side, and she sticks her little butt out. When she wakes, Marlee seems to immediately roll onto her tummy. Once she sees me or Dada, she does the bouncing, hand smacking, head bopping thing.

My favorite times with Marlee throughout the day is when I lay her down for a nap or bedtime and when I get her up after her nap or first thing in the morning. I hold Marlee tight and she wraps her little arms around my neck and gives me a hug..makes my day.

Marlee loves the Bubba's and the Bubba's seem to love Marlee-from a distance. When Marlee is sleeping in her room, Cooper will go in there and lay on her floor. The other day Marlee was taking a nap and Dave was in the shower. When Marlee awoke, Cooper went into the bathroom, waited for Dave and he did this thing that he does when he wants one of us to follow him. He starts running and every couple of steps he looks back, to make sure that we are following him. He ran right into Marlee's room. He wanted us to know that Marlee was awake.

I almost forgot to mention, Marlee can now sit up unassisted for about 10 seconds.

Sorry for the randomness. I have so many thoughts going through my head today and I wanted to get it all down on "paper". Time is going by way too fast for me. I can't even keep up and I am worried if I don't document every little moment, or thought, it will be lost forever as every day is literally a new day with my beautiful Marlee Kay.

Wasted

A couple of years ago I made a decision to never make a New Year's Resolution. This is not to say that I don't make resolutions, I just don't feel that a person should wait until the beginning of each year to live a certain way or do a certain thing (much easier said than done, I know).
With that said, I did make quite a few "resolutions" a couple of weeks ago. I will not bore you with what these resolutions are (except for one-the reason behind this post) as I want to live each day with these thoughts and promises to myself and not just talk (or write) about them.
So, the one resolution I will share with you is to be less wasteful. When I think of how wasteful I am on a daily basis it nauseates me.
One area that I am wasteful in is the kitchen. My Grandma Bea would be so disappointed as she can make a dinner out of anything, and I mean anything. It's so hard to not waste food when there is only two adults living in my house and you can't even get just FOUR hot dog or hamburger buns, but I am trying. I have started making one dinner, taking the leftovers, and "reinventing" the leftovers for another night. Here is what I do with a beef roast:

Night 1-Beef Roast
Place a beef roast, onion, carrots, potatoes, and garlic in a crock pot. Add seasonings, either beef stock or water, and cook accordingly.
Note: if you put slits in the roast and place pieces of whole garlic in the slits it gives the roast great flavor.
Oh so yummy. This dinner so reminds me of Sunday's growing up. We had roast every Sunday after church..yummy. Thanks Mom!

Night 2-Hash (recipe courtesy of Marlee's Grandma Viola):
In a pan, saute one chopped onion in olive oil
Take leftover roast, carrots, and potatoes and cut them into bite size pieces.
Add to pan and heat through
So good..thanks Grandma Viola for this recipe. It's now a family favorite.

I can't wait for dinner tonight. Hope you enjoy. I'll be sharing more recipe reinventions in the future.

Oh-and yes, if you feel my recipes are too vague that would be my Mom coming out in me..a little of this and a little of that.

Let the Fun Begin..or Not

The fun has ended. School starts today..yipee, not really.
Of course, I am upset with myself because I had quite a long "to do" list (yes, I am a list person-the OCD coming out in me) during my winter break and I did not get everything accomplished. I could blame it on the holidays, company, Dave being off for two weeks, being a new Mama, blah blah blah, but if I'm being completely honest I just did not want to do it. What could be more enjoyable than spending my days in my Mama bubble. Today's list consists of (but not limited to ):
-Clean off my desk and school shelf in the office.
-Go to the campus to get my books.
-Make an appointment with a counselor to find out what I need to do to apply for my degree.

I am already counting down the weeks until May. Generally, once I get back into the swing of things it's not all that bad.

Funny story
About two years ago, Dave and I met with a financial planner. The meeting starts off with the planner asking Dave and I what our plans for retirement are. Dave points at me and says "She is my retirement".

Guess I better make something of myself..and soon!

Oh-and if you are wondering, yes, I am upset that my Packers lost. I told Dave I am boycotting the Superbowl..stOOpid Giants and Patriots.

Six Months

I am not sure where to even begin this post.

My daughter is SIX months old. I know I say it every month, but I truly cannot believe that Marlee has been a part of my life for six months. It seems so much longer and shorter all at the same time..Does that make any sense?

Well, I guess I will start with her six month check up with her doctor.
At six months, Marlee measures 28 inches long-80 percentile
and weighs 20 pounds-75 percentile

The appointment went well. Other than her poor bout of eczema that I can't get a hold on, Marlee is perfect. She's been teething and currently has four teeth that are so ready to break through! Oh how I will miss her smile full of gummies!

This past month has definitely brought on the most change. Marlee has slowly become this delightful, blissful, lively little person just full of spunk and personality. So full of smile and laughter..it is contagious. It is so amazing to watch her grow and experience new things everyday.

Okay, enough of the sap.

This past month Marlee rolled from her back to her belly (December 23). She rolls onto her belly, kicks her feet, and gets upset because she can't actually go anywhere. It's like she forgot how to roll back onto her back. Uncle Brad taught Dave and I how to hold her legs still and this gives her the ability to "scoot". Dada does this with her and she loves it. She has also started sleeping on her belly, but only occasionally. I will admit, this does freak Mama out just a little bit.

Getting Ready to Roll..

While we are on the subject of sleep..Dave and I did it, we finally did it. Marlee now sleeps in her crib at night! I told Dave, there is never going to be a time when I feel ready to move her into her own room at night. He had to be the strong one in this situation because I just couldn't do it. So, on December 22, I went out to do some last minute Christmas shopping after dinner. When I got home, Marlee was sleeping peacefully in her crib and I did it. I left her there..ALL NIGHT. The first couple of nights were rough but we all managed. And I must admit, Marlee sleeps so well in her crib. Dave and I have got a good bedtime routine which involves bottle, story and bed. Most nights she falls right to sleep.

What else..?

Marlee started solids! So many people could not believe that we waited this long to start solids and I am unsure as to why this is? The recommended age for starting solids is six months, people!

Back to solids. On December 30 Marlee got her first vegetable, acorn squash. Next we moved to sweet potatoes, which she is currently on her third day of. For anyone that doesn't know, I am a total control freak. Therefore, I'm making Marlee's baby food. Really, there is not much to it.

Marlee's new favorite thing is bouncing or jumping (not quite sure what to call it-as I won't post what it really looks like she's doing). Whether she is on the ground, getting a diaper change, or being held up by Dada or me, she does this little inch worm bounce. It's no wonder she loves the stationary jumparoo Santa brought her for Christmas. We put her in that thing and she jumps..and jumps..and jumps. All the while with a big smile plastered on her face. Forget the toys surrounding this contraption..Marlee just wants to jump!


Marlee still loves the Bubba's. She just can't get enough of them. I'll lie her on the ground and Cooper or Mollie will come over and give her a sniff or snort (or try to *sneak* off with one of her toys). Marlee thinks this is comical. She will just see one of the dogs and start laughing. Once she reaches for one of them, it's over. They're gone.



Anything within reach Marlee grabs at. Whether it be my hair, face, the arm of the couch, the area rug, her bottle, etc. She loves to *feel* and scratch at different textures. I could watch her teenie, tiny hand grab and feel something new all day long. I sometimes close my eyes and do the same, experiencing the touch of all the different objects and textures that she is experiencing.

Marlee has definitely found her voice. I am tempted to call it talking..well, not really. There are squeals, shouts, sighs, and high pitched screams that come out of her sweet mouth these days.

When I read through her monthly updates, there is already so much that has been forgotten... So many things I will miss..but that's another post!

So many nights I will go in Marlee's room and watch her sleep, so peaceful. What could she be dreaming about?
The reality of my life still hits me like a ton of bricks at times..in a good way.

My 2 Favorite People..

...and the crowd goes WILD!

Brett, Brett, he's our man. If he can't do it, no one can!

Congratulations Green Bay Packers..stompin it to the Seahawks yesterday!

We need to win the NFC championship next weekend, then...

Superbowl here we come!!

Marlee showing her team spirit last night

Vent..Unassisted Home Births, What?!?

Disclaimer: This is the opinion of me and me only..

Okay, so I must vent. This morning I was feeding Marlee her morning bottle and I had Good Morning America on. There is a segment on unassisted home births. They interviewed women who chose to forgo the "traditional" hospital setting and deliver her baby (or babies-a Mom carrying Twins) at home. I know there are women out there that choose a home birth with the help of a doula or midwife, which I would never even think about considering but to each her own. However, these women were COMPLETELY unassisted. Oh, I'm sorry, some had the assistance of their spouse. There was even a women doing this carrying TWINS!

I feel this is completely irresponsible and for anyone even considering doing something like this, she is tempting fate in my opinion. I just think about my birth experience (which I'm sure has tainted my opinion). If it weren't for me being in a hospital setting with the help of a great doctor and nurses Marlee would not be here today. I know what happened to me is uncommon but there is potential for so many complications, so why risk it? Women can choose to experience certain birth plans and still deliver in a hospital. There are good doctors out there. Why not find a good doctor that will respect your wishes and birth plan?

I can't even wrap my head around this one. What if the baby is breach? What if the baby comes out not breathing? What if..what if..what if?

Not worth the risk.

Just my opinion.

Okay, vent done.

I was going to post a picture of Marlee a couple minutes after she was born and being given oxygen but decided against it, too personal for me.

Light At the End of the Tunnel

I can breathe a HUGE sigh of relief today, even if it is a little premature. I must say I am giving myself one BIG pat on the back..I just registered for Spring 2008 classes and once I have completed the semester in May I will have, are you ready..
My Associates of Criminal Justice Degree!!

This has been a long time coming. Let's see..almost 100 credits coming. For anyone that goes to school you will know it takes about 60 credits to complete an Associates Degree. Let's just say I changed my major a few times and then had to make things even more difficult by having a double major, Criminal Justice and Business.

Why these two majors, you ask? Well, my plan was law school but now with Marlee I will complete my two Associates Degrees and I'm not sure what will come next.
I will complete my Business Degree at the end of this year..all the hard work finally seems to be paying off.
Now I just have to get through this semester..4 classes and a science lab...I'll see you all this summer..=)
I must admit, the winter break has been quite nice.

Can you tell I am proud of myself?

Growth Spurt Galore

So, I have always heard of "growth spurts". You know, the first couple of months of life a baby has a growth spurt at 1 month, 2 months, 4 month, blah, blah, blah. Of course, there have been times that Marlee has slept and ate a lot, way more than usual. Chock it up to a growth spurt, right? I guess I never really realized what this actually is, until today..

Ethan got Marlee a cute little one piece jumpsuit (not the outfit in the pic), size 6-9 months, for Christmas. I wash it and Marlee wears it for the first time on Friday the 28th (Dada's Birthday!). It's, of course, kind of long, so I roll the bottom cuff, about 1" and as always she looks adorable..=)

Fast forward to this week. She had a rough Saturday and Sunday, not wanting to sleep (I think she is teething). Come Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday ALL my little girl seemed to do was sleep.

So today after her bath, I am getting her dressed in the same cute outfit she wore a mere SIX days ago and to my surprise it fits JUST RIGHT. Not even a fraction of a centimeter too long. I have now witnessed what I am to assume is a growth spurt. At this rate she is going to be wearing 9-12 month clothes by February.

I am anxiously awaiting her 6 month check-up on the 14th to know just how much she has grown.

Dave always wanted a basketball player...

She looks so big..this pic was taken the first time we put her in real shoes. She stands up so good with them on.

On another note, I am finally getting her eczema under control. It started on her face and she started getting dry patches on her body. It looked awful and I tried so many different creams that just weren't cutting it. I bought the Mustela eczema line and put a humidifier in her room and her face is looking MUCH better. I am leaning toward her having some type of environmental allergy based on her flare ups. Another question for the doc.

Stay tuned for Marlee Kay's 6 month post next week.