Counting my Many Blessings..

Happy Thanksgiving..

What a year to be thankful for. I am overcome with emotion when I think about how lucky I am. To FINALLY be blessed with a healthy, happy, perfect in every way baby and a supportive, wonderful, patient, more than I could have ever asked for husband..I have the best family a girl could ask for and I am definitely counting my many, many, many blessings this year. Life is good.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Four Months

Well, my little Marlee Moo turned four months last Saturday. Time is passing at lightening speed! I am so sad to see that she is not a teeny tiny baby that Dave and I brought home from the hospital and to think that I will never get that time back...but oh so happy to watch her grow into this little being..this little life just oozing with personality. At her four month well check she weighed in at 14 pounds 15 ounces (60th percentile) and measured 26 1/2 inches long (75th percentile).
What a difference a month makes..
This past month she found her hands and feet..they go straight into her mouth along with anything else she can get her hands on. She has gotten so strong and can now sit in the Bumbo unassisted..this was a sad day for me.

When I put her on the activity mat she now reaches for the toys and of course they go straight to her mouth. Her favorite toy is definitely the bouncy chair. I usually put her in this on the counter when I cook dinner and she loves it. Daddy will rock the bouncy like crazy and she loves it! It's so cute, she kicks her left foot and laughs and laughs!

Marlee is so happy. When she first wakes up in the morning and after naps she talks and talks. Once she sees me or Dada she gets this big ole' smile and starts kicking her feet. If she wakes up crying or upset I know she hasn't gotten enough sleep.

She thinks the weirdest sounds are so funny. She laughs when I sneeze, cough, clear my throat,or sip coffee.

I am still swaddling her for naps and bedtime. This past week I have started leaving her arms out. She sleeps all kicked back with her arms behind her head..it's so darn cute. When I first get her up I put her arms around my neck and she gives me hugs...she is edible.

Dave is so perfect with her..she is his little "Pumpkin". I love to watch him with her..seeing his strong hands be so gentle with her..my heart is so full of love at times I think it could burst..<3

Let the Embarrassment Begin

So it happened..it happened today. Dave and I were in the middle of an important meeting and once we got there and I realized how looooonnnggg this meeting was going to take I should have gotten a sitter..although getting a sitter and leaving my baby is a whole other issue. Okay back to the meeting. As we were sitting there I kept thinking Marlee needs to sleep. She needs to sleep or my little girl who is so so good 95% of the time is going to start to cry because she is too tired..I mean really cry..ask Stacey. So I am sitting there having a hard time even being part of the meeting when I hear what sounds like a pellet gun. Over and over..for a good fifteen seconds. I try to ignore it because I know exactly what it is and of course after the second fifteen second pellet gun went off Dave looked down to acknowledge that our sweet little girl was yes..you guessed it..tooting. However when it sounds like an adult male can it be considered a toot. I was so, so, so embarrassed. So then the two individuals we were meeting with had to laugh..haha. Her "tooting" went on for a good twenty minutes. All the time everyone just kept laughing. You would have thought it was me that was ripping them with how embarrassed I was. I know, I know, this is just the beginning of the embarrassing things she is going to do or say!

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...:)