Marlee's Blessing - 06.21.08

Marlee Kay was blessed on Saturday. Nothing formal as we are not active members of a church, just close family at my parent’s house. My Dad blessed her and, as you can see in the very last picture, she was not the best about cooperating. She lost it about halfway through the prayer.

The beautiful white dress M has on is the same dress I was blessed in. It was made by my Grandma Mary.

Marlee wants to thank her Grandpa for making her blessing so special. We love you!

**PS-Two middle pictures courtesy of my sissie Lesley.

11 Months

After I became pregnant with Marlee Kay, known as baby no name back then, I heard a song on the radio, a song I had heard a couple of hundred times before, but there was something different about this song now that I was going to be a Mama. I remember tearing up and thinking that this is exactly how I feel about Marlee, even though I had yet to meet her. Although there are many songs that strike a cord with me, this one has lingered.
From the day I brought Marlee home from the hospital I have sang this song to her. Whether I am putting her to sleep, trying to calm her, or just want to sing to my baby, this song is always at the top of the singing list.
Now, after hearing this song day after day, month after month, Marlee hears me begin to sing the chorus and she smiles. This started a few months ago. If Marlee is having a rough time, or she can’t go to sleep, or she can’t get settled, I sing this song…instant calm and smile (usually).
Moments like this I never want to forget. I want to embed them into my mind because I know how quickly things change, how quickly they are forgotten. How quickly my baby girl is growing up. Eleven months has passed since the two of us met and my life has yet to be the same. I never knew I could feel this way, love this pure and deep. It cannot even be explained, you must be a parent, maybe even a mother, to understand.

As stated, my sweet little lovey is 11 months old. She is so fun, so, so energetic, so curious, so temper mental, so determined, so serious, so Dave and myself wrapped into one. Everyday I think, this is it, I love her more than yesterday, but how is that even possible when yesterday I thought my love could not seep any deeper? Somehow, it does. Somehow she works her way more and more into my heart.
Thank you for all the bows Auntie Kristy.
11 Months…
Marlee now has a lovey she is becoming quite attached to. His name is Mr. Bear. There are times when I grab Mr. Bear and just inhale my daughter’s scent that has now become Mr. Bear’s scent. As much as it is due time to wash Mr. Bear, I cannot bring myself to wash Marlee’s scent that lingers on her lovey.

Marlee loves the water. Whether it be a shower with Ada (Dada), a bath, or swimming in the pool…if it involves water Marlee is happy. She also loves to explore. She is so curious and just wanders aimlessly, absorbing everything that surrounds her. She loves books, rather it be Dave or I reading to her or Marlee just sitting so content flipping through a book. She loves mirrors. Give her a mirror and she will talk and talk to her “friend”, which is really just her. When will she realize this? It’s so entertaining to watch.

Marlee is now a crawling machine and also walks with the aid of furniture. She is very careful and has great balance. My prediction, she will be walking by the time she is one year old. She loves to squeal, shout, laugh, and “talk”. Her words of choice thus far (in order): Ada (Dada), MomMom, bubba, hi, dog and just last week she said ruff-ruff. She also waves.

This past month has been so much fun. Marlee is on the go from the time she wakes up until the time goes to bed. Yes, the days can get exhausting and monotonous, but there is nowhere else I’d rather be than spending my days with my sweet, loveable, temper mental, energetic, beautiful daughter.



You are my I love you baby girl...<3

Father's Day

To my Ada,

Happy Ada's Day! Thank you for taking such good care of me...for playing with me, reading to me, singing to me, swimming with me, being so patient with me, rocking me to sleep... Thank you for loving me so much.

I love you so much,
Marlee Kay
..your punkin


The very first time we met..7/10/07


Taking such good care of me, as always...1 week old

Hangin out...November 2007 - 3.75 months

Reading me a bedtime story...March 2008 - 7.75 months

Playin with Ada...April 2008 - 8.75 months

At the fair...April 2008 - 9 months

Playin hi-5...June 2008 - 10 months


Swimmin...June 2008 - 10.75 months

**Marlee also wants to wish a great big Happy Father's Day to her Grandpa Earl and Papa Harland. We love you!

Look what I picked off my zuccini plant:


My first squash of the summer.
Nothing like making zuccini and carrot muffins with only the freshest ingredients.

RockaMy Marlee

This is what I get to wake up to daily:

Ignore the towel taped around Marlee's crib. You can assume what her new favorite past time in her crib is, but that's another post.

Once Marlee became even the slightest bit mobile she has wanted to go, go, go. No more sitting on my lap, snuggling, or cuddling, oh no. I cherish snuggle time as it is very few and far between. The only time she will snuggle into me is before or after naps and bedtime.

A little back story..

Once Marlee became mobile, if I would try to rock her before bed she wouldn't have it. She would wiggle and squirm until I put her in her crib. She has always been such a great sleeper and has no problems putting herself to sleep and staying asleep, that is, until lately.

First, let me say, over the past few months, Marlee has been better about Dave or I rocking her before bed and I am loving every minute of it!

So, over the past couple of weeks M has had a rough time getting to sleep, especially at night. So, what do I do? Rock her, of course. And she now loves it! It has gotten to the point where she will not just go to sleep, oh no. She wants to be rocked to sleep. I have mixed feelings about this because although I love to rock her, I don't always have the time. However, I cannot listen to my daughter cry. On Thursday, Dave rocked and rocked her and she would not go to sleep. We decided to put her down and give it 5 minutes. It...was...hell! After about a minute I told Dave I am going in there, and then...it stopped. She was so exhausted. I went into her room and told her Mama was so sorry she made her cry. I seriously wanted to wake her up and rock her.

Here is my conclusion...

Poor Marlee, we are confusing her. Sometimes Dave or I will rock her to sleep and sometimes we won't. What kind of structure is she getting with this? I cannot let her cry, fuss yes, but cry, no. How can I let her cry when I know she wants nothing more than to be comforted and loved by Dada and I. However, I also want to teach her to self soothe, which she has been great at for 10 1/2 months. I know, I want it all!

So, starting this week I am going to work with her. Before naps I will rock her for about five or ten minutes and then put her down. You know, drowsy but awake, and see how it goes. Bedtime will be the most difficult. Marlee seems to have a harder time when Dada is home.

But....I cannot let her cry! We'll see how it goes...

ETA-I think we might have found the culprit. Marlee cut one of her front, top teeth today..yipee!

First Piggies

Marlee was born with a lot of dark brown hair. As the months went by her hair thinned out and got lighter and lighter. Currently it is light brown and getting thicker. Behind each ear she has long strands of curly hair, much longer than the rest of her hair, almost like an A-line. My Mom says my hair grew the exact same way. Yay, she has inherited something from me.

So, lately Marlee has started pulling out her hair. I mean really pulling. She now only has one wing because she has pulled and pulled on the other one. I believe this to be a soothing technique for her. However, Dave is all freaked out that she might have Trichtillomania, which is a disease that involves uncontrollable hair pulling. He gets so upset when she pulls on her hair. I mean really, who worries about this stuff at 10.75 months?

Marlee with her first set of piggies before she developed Trichtillomania...cheese!!

I'm Still Here

I know I have been MIA lately, but don't fret, I'm still here. I only have a total three weeks off before summer school starts and a long, long list of to-do's that I am so desperately trying to accomplish. Throw in a very active almost one year old and I have been going non stop for about a week. My first project? This past week I have been working on flipping rooms. Dave and I moved the office into the spare bedroom and got new furniture. Can I just say I am so happy we finally did this. So good for us but no so good for house guests. Oh well, sorry!
I only have about ten more projects to accomplish in a week's time. Think I can do it? Probably not as I am still organizing the new office and the old office is in disarray.

I also went out for girls night on Saturday. We went to Kona Grill for dinner and to the movies to see Sex and the City. My review? Such a good, funny flick. And surprisingly, not much nudity.
Well, back to work. I have a few things I want to post about so stay tuned.