So much to be Thankful for...

Marlee was 3 months old for her first Thanksgiving! We woke up in Nashville for the first time on Thanksgiving Day since we've lived together. Dave was supposed to work on Friday, but the shop/office closed, so we got to head to Centre on Thursday after making breakfast and watching some of the parade on TV. My parents went to Tuscaloosa that day to be there for the Iron Bowl on Friday. So we stayed at the Sanfords the first 2 nights. Then the Sanfords hosted their family and my family for an awesome dinner...so much food! But everything went well, and I enjoyed helping Beth and April prepare the food. We ate lupper at Gaye's house on Sunday before heading back to Nashville. Beverly is 17 weeks pregnant and Natalie is now walking. Auburn ended up winning the game against Bama...28-27...WAR EAGLE! They are undefeated and play South Carolina for the SEC championship this weekend.

We are headed back to Centre this weekend again to celebrate Christmas early with Larry's side of the family at Maw Maw's. It'll be the first time they have met Marlee (except for Maw Maw). She has been exploring so much more with her hands, and still trying to find her thumb. There is a lot of grabbing at and holding onto small rings/toys. She still loves her little girl doll which we have named Polly Prissypants, and we found out that mom's cousin Sarah F was the one who got it for her. She's tolerating tummy time more and getting stronger, and her head control is awesome. Now she can entertain herself for short chunks of time looking around, at toys, her hands, and even tries to look at the tv sometimes. A growth spurt is supposed to occur between 3-4months, so she'll probably get taller, but right now she's a little chunk! Around 12lbs or so. Her eyes look like they are going to stay blue too. ;) She's also enjoying bath time more and more, splashing some and it's so cute!

We are so thankful for our little family!

But LOVE to see our 3 month old smile and grow!

Our Marlee is 3 months old today! She's such a big girl! We're working on finding the thumb, holding onto rattles, reaching for things, pushing up while laying down, and even working up to rolling over. She's still not a big fan of tummy time, but she's always trying and getting stronger. There is a lot of smiling and cooing, you can tell she recognizes us right away. I can't wait til she's rolling over and sitting up. I'm not swaddling her during the day, just at night. She slept 7 hrs straight again the other night! She's sleeping 8-10 hrs total in her bed every night, and getting a few hrs during the day in naps. She's doing great!

Oh, how I hate to hear her crying...

Looking into those pretty blue eyes while getting grins and gurgles is THE BEST, but she still cries at times. For the past week, the schedule has fallen to where daddy can hold her while I make dinner, then we eat while she swings or lays on the floor while we eat, then I feed her. But lately while I'm cooking dinner, she starts crying while daddy has her after he's had her for a while. It's usually because it's getting close to her eating, but also because she is still getting used to daddy and the way he does things. It is so hard to just go about making dinner while she is just crying away...I want to fix it, but David needs time to figure things out with her himself. Plus, the few times that I have stepped in to offer suggestions on what to do to get her to stop just makes him mad/sad. I know that he is gone working all day everyday and only has a short time in the evening and on the weekends with her, but the crying I have to hear during the day is minimal, so it's hard when it happens at the end of the day. I need to just keep my mouth shut and start leaving the room, and he will figure out the way and she will love and trust him. He's already competing with not having a boob to offer, so I know it's hard on him. ;) But she is happy most of the time with both of us, and I know it will just keep getting better. She's still little and needs a lot of sleep with short spans of attention.

I'm so relieved not to have the extreme anxiety anymore regarding whether or not she is getting enough milk...that was the roughest part at the beginning. She is having plenty of diapers and growing great! So now we are looking forward to seeing her start grabbing stuff (which she's already grabbing the edge of her blankets and bibs) and rolling over (which she's still not super thrilled with tummy time, but she sure is getting strong). Her new favorite thing is for daddy to let her sit on his arm near him elbow while he holds her chest (she's basically in a standing position) while he flies her around the room...she'll let him do it for a long time...but arms get tired so she needs to get used to chilling more and not having to be walked around constantly.

She's so cute and can't believe she's about to be 3 months old! It seems like it's flying by on one hand and like we've had her forever on the other!

What a difference a month makes...

Just a month ago I felt overwhelmed and hoped everyday that I was doing the right thing as a mommy for Marlee. I was so excited about being a stay-at-home mom, but accepted tons of responsibility for all that happens with her. I am so thankful for the classes we took before birth & reading all the books/online info that I could, and I am grateful for the weekly e-newsletters from Pampers, the Bump, etc. about week to week info of our new baby girl.

She did have a weak appetite yesterday after 2 shots on Monday, had green, leafy poop, & slept for 7 hrs straight! But she got her appetite back at 4am :) and back to normal poop!

Marlee is now a more calm & mellow baby...her crying overall is very low, and it's been weeks since she just cried to the top of her lungs w/ no break & sometimes for what seemed like no reason. Before it seemed like she was always crying, on the boob, or asleep (often at the boob as well). Knowing now that this is how it is makes us more confident, along with the fact that she seems to be progressing so well. No one can prepare you for how much newborns cry...no one. But it's been a great experience & we love her more everyday!

She is now close to 12lbs...that's a gain of almost 5lbs in less than 3months! She's (we're) on an EAT, PLAY, CHANGE, SLEEP, CHANGE daily schedule (for the most part), and she's sleeping at least 4-5 hours straight at night in her own bed, then I feed her while rocking her, and she'll go back to sleep in her bed, and I will usually bring her in our bed after Dave is up for work after 6am. Before 2 months old she was in the bed with us most of the night. I'm so proud of her (us)! Love watching her grow!

BTW...she's into size 2 diapers now and officially too big for all of her newborn clothes!

Grandparents visit & gearing up for MJ's 1st wedding

Last week Bebe (Dave's mom) came to visit on Tuesday and stayed until Thursday. We went to run errands and to lunch at a cafe/antique shop on Wed. After she left on Thurs. I took Marlee to Kroger with me alone for the 1st time for grocery shopping. She did great on both her outings...slept most of the time and made it without having to take a bottle!

Then on Friday night Gama & Papa arrived for the weekend. We watched football all day Saturday, and my mom watched Marlee while my dad, Dave and I went to Pizza Perfect to order and pick up dinner. It was our 1st time to leave Marlee at the house with someone and both of us be gone. She did well. On Sunday, my mom kept Marlee again while Dave was at Pete's house jamming, and daddy and I went to the grocery store to stock back up some. She was asleep when we got back, yay!

Marlee is so social now! She sustains eye contact, giggles, smiles, coos, and observes everything! She's not protesting clothes or diaper changes like when she was new, and she likes getting baths now more too. She can attend to a few short books and loves for us to sing/talk to her. She can see herself some in the mirror and is awesome at tracking toys/objects. Love watching her learn and grow!

We head to Centre on Friday to stay with the Sanfords all weekend since my parents will be in Tuscaloosa. On Saturday we're going to David's cousin Amanda's wedding near Rome, GA. It'll be the 1st wedding she goes to...hope it goes well...at least it's in a church so there will be lots of rooms for us to go to if needed. It will be the 1st time many of that part of the family will see her. Hopefully we can visit her Great Grandma in the nursing home on Sunday before we leave town too.

The weather is back in the 70s this week, wish it were in the 60s, but at least it's not jumped to freezing cold yet! Marlee got the rest of her shots yesterday...2, 1 in each thigh, she did pretty well, and again doesn't seem adversely affected by them, yet. A lot of 1st's for Marlee recently and many more to come!

Happy Halloween...bring on Sweet November!

Marlee was a pumpkin for Halloween...she's our precious punkin everyday! I was a witch and Dave was a redneck (he would've been Garth but couldn't find the black frame glasses he planned on using). We didn't carve a pumpkin this year, but we made homemade ghosts to hang on the front porch (3, one for each of us). This is the first time we've been at home on Halloween since we've been living together, Dave's band usually has a show. They were supposed to get together together to play a benefit at the Municipal Auditorium downtown with Edgar Winter, Little River Band, Eddie Money, and Marshall Tucker Band...but the event is rescheduled for Feb. 18th. That's really the only show that Delilah Why plans on playing for a while. We only had one set of trick-or-treaters, so that was kinda disappointing, but we enjoyed the nice weather, Julie and Mallory coming over Friday night, football on Saturday and watching scary movies.

Marlee has been doing great sleeping in her bed 4-5 hours before needing to eat again! Last night she went down at 9:15 then up at 2:30am, back asleep by 3:30 then up at 6:30am, back asleep by 8:00am then up at 10am. I was able to get a little more sleep and a shower all while she slept as well. She's been taking naps in her crib too, but sometimes during the day she just wants to sleep on me (but that's ok b/c I don't have anywhere to be and so grateful to be home with her for now). Dave has been working so hard to keep his job and position at the shop (looks like that will definitely happen) and getting extra money from odds/ends and studio singing sessions as well. Him getting a good night's sleep is pretty crucial too.

Breastfeeding is going very well now. My supply seems to be up (I can still get 1-3oz pumping after nursing). It was only painful the first couple of weeks until we got the hang of it. It is a very sweet, loving bonding experience...the noises she makes are so cute! Marlee is also now more efficient at eating and getting full quickly, as long as she's not super sleepy. Dave and other family members and friends have fed her some from the bottle (which seems to be easier on weekends in some social situations), but she's not all that into it. She'll take it so she can get some food, but usually whines through it and is more likely to spit more of it up afterwards...but it has it's place (seldom). She loves the boob! ;)