14 Months Old!

Marlee is such a big girl!  Can't believe she's 14 months old now!  It's so awesome to see her grow and learn everyday!  She's getting so good at feeding herself with a spoon and fork.  She insists on trying to do it herself, but she lets us help some and still pretty messy.  But it's cool to see her explore her food.  :)  Still loves looking at the moon and stars before going to bed at night.  A pro at standing up from sitting without holding on.  She's practically running now.  Loves to climb in and out of boxes, climb the stairs, and being flipped around.  With great weather lately, we've been able to take lots of walks/hikes and play outside where she's been exploring the falling leaves, etc.  She's learning so many words, and started calling Nana and Boda (our dogs) by their names (and correctly too) this week!  Such a smarty!

I'm still working part time, which has been a great help financially.  I went to our state conference, TABA, last week.  It was in town and so much cheaper than the national conference.  I got to hang with Julie, and Dave's parents came up to hang with Marlee during the day.  Pretty sure they had a blast!

It's the week before Halloween!  I love this time of year...kicking off the holidays!  I'm making our costumes...MJ: bumble bee, Me: flower, Dave: beehive.  I'm hosting a themed book club on Wed night, going to see Wicked with Jules and Mal on Friday night, then we are going to hang out with the James Gang for Kalei's b'day on Saturday.  Jon and April are coming up for the party and then spending the night with us too!  Fun times ahead!

The Circle of Life

With the "Lion King" coming out in 3D...it makes me think about the Circle of Life.  I haven't posted in a while due to my computer screen being completely out of commission now and borrowing Dave's.  Much has happened in the last few weeks...

My Grandma, Jesse Mae Sheppard, passed away.  It's my mom's mom, and she and daddy were with her at the nursing home in the middle of the night when it happened.  I will miss her, miss seeing her see Marlee, and hate Marlee won't really know her.  I really wish she could've seen Marlee walking; we were not far out from getting to visit her again.  It's hard not to think about losing my own mom one day, or Marlee losing me one day...sadness, but it is the Circle of Life.  Her memorial service was at her old church Avondale Methodist in B'ham on Sunday, Oct. 9th.  It was a good service, and we got to see family and friends we hadn't seen in a while.  We even got to see the house my mom grew up in, that I vaguely remember visiting when I was little, right behind the church.  No one lives in it, and it badly needs repairing.  But it was still cool to see that big old house.  Just another reminder to live every day like you mean it and let those know who you love!

Marlee is growing sooo much!  She is practically running, trying to eat with a fork/spoon, drinking through straws, squatting and rolling around when playing, saying a lot of words and using more signs, clicking her tongue, recognizing people/family in pictures, "talking" about stuff all the time, found her belly button, is obsessed with the Moon, loves looking at books (even by herself), likes walking/running around with the dogs, and so affectionate.  She is just so cute and sweet...I could eat her up!  She's also trying to sing a lot and loves "playing" on Dave's guitars and a borrowed banjo (which she calls jo).  ;)

Thursday was mine and David's 4th wedding anniversary!  I can't believe it's only been 4 years...well over 6 total together...but seems like longer.  ;)  I hope there are many, many, many more!  He is the best husband and father!  He's been working his butt off lately, but we plan to celebrate today after he gets off of work with some football, wine, and a beautiful fall evening!  I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

Also, today is my daddy's birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY AND PAPA!!!

We've been really busy with MOMS Club activities lately (playgroups, cooking club, book club, etc.)...it's awesome, so glad I joined!

Happy Game Day...WAR EAGLE!!!

13 Months Old Today and It's Officially Fall!

The fall weather has teased us some, but it should be nice this weekend.  I'm digging some new bangs and can't wait to break out the layered clothing!  And football, football, football!  Poor Marlee is going to be so confused because she wears AU and UA clothing during the respective games.  ;)  Dave has been working a lot of overtime on Saturdays for extra money, and now I'm working 2 days a week in the afternoons seeing a young girl/family I used to work with for a few hours.  That all is helping out with our moolah situation.  :)  The family contacted me at the end of August, good timing...we put it out there and it came to us. 

And Marlee is a big 13 month old girl today!  She is growing so fast!  She is walking so well (and faster).  It's so cute to see her practice her turns and squatting to grab stuff off the floor.  She's still into bringing books to us to read her, pushing her baby around in her walker/stroller, banging things together, putting stuff in & out of stuff, throwing/kicking/carrying around balls, bubbles, music, and toys she can shake.  She's now consistently using the sign for "more" paired with the verbal, signing "eat", "milk", and "all done".  Just started working on "help".  She knows her belly/tummy/nose/face/hair/toes and working on some other body parts.  She learns so quickly and WANTS to learn.  So cute and sweet giving kisses too! :)

We had a scary moment today: I put her down for nap and got in the shower, she was fussing a little bit like she didn't want to go to sleep (like she does sometimes).  She got louder with a strange scream, I jumped out of the shower and checked the monitor, I couldn't see the lower half of her body, she got quiet for a minute, then screamed the loudest/scariest scream I have ever heard from her!  I ran in there and her foot was stuck inbetween the end foot board and the metal rod that the drop side slides up & down on.  It was stuck good...I had to slightly twist and push hard on her foot to free it.  She was hysterically crying!  The good news was that I think she was more scared than hurt...and I was scared to death!  Her foot was a little red, but she could wiggle her toes, and stand and walk, so after we checked it out I felt better.  I hope that never happens again, and I really hope I don't hear that scream again anytime soon!

Love her!

10th Anniversary of 9/11...We Will Never Forget!

It's been awhile since I've blogged because my computer has been out of commission for over a week.  It is over 5 years old, so it's been opened and closed LOTS of times.  An inside hinge broke awhile back, and it didn't help when Marlee has pulled on the screen when my laptop has been open a few times.  So eventually, my screen just wouldn't come on.  At least it was just my screen and not the actual motherboard.  I've used Dave's Mac some (which really makes me want one), but he opened it up and used his "fix-it-all" awesomeness and wah-laaa!!!! 

Anyway, we are watching CBS which is showing a documentary of the events that unfolded because of the terriorists attacks on 9/11/01 in NYC.  It didn't start out as a docu of this day, it was 2 brothers shooting it of a rookie firefighter in NY.  They captured it as it started, with a plane hitting the first tower, then the second, them both collapsing...chaos and utter devastation. 

I remember that day, 10 years ago.  I was in Auburn, had just started college as a freshman.  I didn't have class that day, so I was still sleeping when it began.  I was awakened by a phone call from my friend and roommate Jennifer Derrick.  She told me to turn on the tv because a plane had crashed into a World Trade Center tower.  As soon as I turned on the tv, I was glued...and horrified.  Minutes later, the second plane hit the second tower.  I couldn't believe what I was watching was real.  It was a planned out terrorist attack on America.  These were in NY, but there was also a plane that hit the Pentagon in D.C., and a plane went down in Pennsylvania when the passengers overpowered the hijackers, who were also planning to crash that plane into a building as well.  It was a tragic event, but America prevails, especially our spirit.

Much has gone on since that day...but IT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!  I am so thankful to ALL men and women who were heros that day, and so sad and sorry for all the lives lost that day as well.  I salute all militery, police, firefighters, and other community workers that put their life on the line everyday to preserve our freedom.  GOD BLESS AMERICA!  One day Marlee will know what happened that day, and I hope she never has to experience anything like it.

One Year Old = 12 months old!!!

Her actual birthday was on a Monday.  We played and cuddled lots!  She wore her pretty dress...even though we didn't go anywhere.  We did skype with Jon & April and Bebe & Gramps so they could sing Happy Birthday to her in person.  When daddy was home when she woke up from her afternoon nap, we went to get her up together and sang Happy Birthday to her (and we videoed it too).  So we hope to get her up singing Happy Birthday each year and make a homemade birthday hat every year for birthday traditions.  I'm sure we'll add more along the way!

We went to the doctor yesterday (Tuesday).  There wasn't much of a wait since it was before lunchtime when we were there.  It was different from previous visits because now she can walk, so she was all over the patient room...in nothing but her diaper.  The doctor said she looked great and was impressed by her motor skills and the number of words she was saying.  Including but not limited to approximations of: Daddy/Dada, Mommy/Mama, up, ball, bubble, baby, ooh wee, hop, barking (for dog), roaring (for tiger), moo (for cow), more, sshh (shoe), balloon, cheese, apple, hi, bye, and Papa.  She knows a lot of receptive words: dance, clap, belly, dog/puppy, milk, Mama and Daddy.  She LOVES to dance (just starting moving back and forth) to music and singing.  And our favorite time of day is after bath & milk when we all lay and play on the bed.  She's so cute how she's starting to flop around on the pillows...fun and sweet times!  She's still sleeping good, starting to do a little imaginary play (especially with her new tea set she got for her birthday), and she still loves most food and her milk.

And of course, her birthday always means that football season is just around the corner!  Yay!  War Eagle!  (and Roll Tide! for the rest of the family ;) ).

Centre Birthday Party and My Class Reunion

Okay, needless to say from this picture....she LOVED her cake, well, mainly the frog made of icing on top.  Which she ate all of!  Her party turned into kind of a big deal.  It was at Bebe and Gramps' house, with help from Gama and Papa.  Family and friends came...including grandparents, Great Aunt Jane, the Thrifts, the Mobleys, the Davis', and many more!  There were cupcakes, bubbles, food, presents, and fun!  Marlee was a good sport and wore her hat again (for a few minutes), sat with me for opening all her gifts, and picture taking until time to leave town.  She got some awesome gifts...including her first pair of chucks, some Bama stuff (of course), cool clothes, "I Can Do It Myself" book, books from my grandmother that she used to read to us when we were kids, cute bloomers, toys, other books, and checks.  Everyone was so generous!  And Bebe did a great job coming up with the decorations!

She was so sweet and clapped when all her presents were open and waved at everyone!  It was a little chaotic, so we didn't get as many family pics as we would have liked.  Glad this kind of event only happens once a year (until you have multiple kids, I guess)!

The day before was our 10 Year Class Reunion.  It started with Saturday in the Park and ended with dinner and hang time at Chattokee Lodge in Gaylesville.  We got lucky with good weather all day, even though it was a little warm.  Here she is with Harper Nowak (Ted & Kadie's beautiful daughter) at the park.  A few families showed up with their kids.  It was nice!  Hopefully more people can show up next time!

Here's my best friend growing up...Jennifer Derrick.  It was so nice to hang out with her again, meeting her son earlier and her fiance for dinner.  Holly Jo Flora graciously took a group picture of all the classmates and posted it on our Class Facebook page.  (Holly took 1 year old pics on Friday of Marlee at my parents' house...can't wait to see them!)  We had pork tenderloin, asian slaw, baked beans, rolls, and tea.  It was all really yummy, and BYOB...so it definitely got fun!  We even went to the Gridiron for an after party to hear Jason Cambron play...and you know Dave ended up playing the guitar and singing too.  ;)  It was so good to see and catch up with many!  I've decided we might have to have a casual 15 year one as well!  :)

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE GIRL!!!

This was me in late July last year.  Marlee was coming soon...and arrived 2 weeks early.  I had beautiful maternity pictures taken by Holly Jo (she also took my wedding pictures & is taking Marlee's 1 year old pics on Friday).  My little girl is 1!!!!!!!  The celebration began on Saturday and continues into this coming weekend. 

And this was Marlee Jessamine Sanford on the day she came home from the hospital.  Born Sunday, August 22nd, 2010!  It feels like it was yesterday in some ways, but sometimes it feels like we've always known her.  We love you so much Marlee J!!! 

Our big, sweet, precious, smart, funny girl is 1 year old!  She is growing and learning so quickly now.  She is saying more sounds/words...and that finally includes "mama" on a consistent basis!  :)  She's still a good eater and good sleeper.  She is fully weaned off of breastfeeding and onto whole milk.  Some days she still naps 2 times, but some days it's just one big 3-4hr nap.  She is walking even more steps now.  And now dancing from side to side (sooo cute) and playing peek-a-boo (behind chairs, coffee table, blankets, etc...so cute also).  She LOVES music and books!  She is getting teeth #5 & 6 on each side of her top 2 teeth, so she's been a little snotty and whiney lately.  We go to the doctor next week for 1 year old check up, so I'll make sure everything is fine with her.  The family is gonna love spoiling her this weekend for more birthday celebrations!

The Birthday Celebration Begins....Marlee's Turning 1!

And so the fun begins!  After keeping Marlee out at Julie and Jade's house last night to celebrate Mallory's birthday til passed her bedtime, she slept til almost party time this morning.  Jade grilled burgers, Marlee played with toys and walked all over, and Brittnye came to hang out too.  It was fun...a separate celebration for the friend with the same birthday!  Since their birthdays are Monday...why not party all weekend?!

We had Marlee's party at our house at 10:30 this morning.  Some of our friends, neighbors, and friends with their kids came.  The theme was stripes and polka dots.  I made: a chocolate cake (which we gave a slice to Marlee to mash/eat), her party hat (which she wore some of the time), her pom pom banner which read "Marlee is 1!", chocolate treats (delicious pretzel, hershey, m&m combo), and rainbow fruit kabobs.  I got a small ice cream cake and soft sugar cookies w/ icing as well. 

The kids were huge fans of playing with toys and the balloons, eating ice cream cake, and getting their bubble favors.  Marlee seemed to like the chocolate cake, but wasn't so big on the being messy part.  ;)  She got some awesome presents: clothes, an activity table, books, stuffed animals, and a talking/singing dog Violet.  It was a lot of fun!!!!!  MJ loves bubbles and all her balloons too! 

Here is Dave with Bart and their girls!

The celebration continues next weekend in Centre with family!

Heavy Heart Despite a Renewed Soul

I was soooo thankful that my friends Mallory and Julie wanted to take me to the beach for a girls' trip around Marlee turning 1 to celebrate Mother's Day and being a mom for a year...we've almost made it! ;)  It did my soul good to take a break from the everyday of being a wife, mom, housekeeper, dog trainer, etc. to get away and just worry about myself for a few days.  It was a blast!  We laughed a lot, read a lot, ate a lot, had a few drinks, and had to endure some rain, but at least our last day was sunny the whole day! 

However, our last day I also received some heart-breaking news...Jon and April lost their baby.  I almost break into tears just thinking about it.  Dave told me over the phone that it happened Friday.  Jon and Dave's mom Beth was in town for the last few days of my mom keeping Marlee while I was gone.  Their whole family is devastated, understandably.  But even though Jon and April don't deserve to go through this, I know they can handle it.  It just wasn't the right time, and everything happens for a reason...but it's still hard to take.  Even though it hurts mentally, April is okay physically, so at least they can try again.  And I hope they do...they will be great parents!  Anyway, I haven't called them yet because I don't know what to say, and I don't want to drudge it up if they are in a good place when I call.  I can't wait to give them huge hugs next weekend in Centre!  I send them much love, peace, and comfort.

We are gearing up for Marlee turning 1 around here.  Throwing a small party with friends for her Saturday morning that should be fun!  Can't believe it's almost her birthday already!  She is so precious and such a joy!  Everyone deserves the opportunity to feel and experience this...especially Uncle Jon and Aunt Ape! 

Must log off before I start crying!

First Steps, First Cousins, Firsts, Firsts, Firsts...

We were hanging out at the house on Sunday since we got to stay in town this weekend.  After cooking a late breakfast, I began doing some cleaning while Marlee and Daddy played.  I've been cleaning and trying to finish up laundry getting ready to leave for a girls' trip to the beach.  {Side note: I'm gonna be away from Marlee from the first time for more than 12 hours...and it's for 5 days!!!!  Mallory & Julie invited me to the beach!  It'll probably be harder on me than her, but I will definitely enjoy my girl time away.  Gama came up for the week, Bebe is coming on Thursday, and I'll be back Sunday.  I hope everything goes okay (a little anxious)!  But I'm so excited!} Anyway, I come downstairs after vacuuming, and Dave said that Marlee keeps letting go of his hand to stand and looks like she wants to take a step.  We grab the yoga mat, set up the video camera, and have her try to walk back and forth between us.  And....she did!  We have almost 6 minutes of video, but Dave edited the best part of the video down to under 2 minutes (he even added sound effects).  Said video above!

And guess what?!  Marlee's first, first cousin (Charlie, not really, but that's what the name is until they know the name) is due March 24th!!!!!  Jon told us when he came to the beach with my family because April thought they might be, but they are almost 7 weeks along now.  And today is April's 30 birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT APRIL!  We are so excited that they are expecting!  Fun times ahead!  They will be awesome parents!

Marlee has had a lot of firsts in her short little life so far (rolling,sitting, foods, laughs, teeth, standing walking) , but there are lots of "firsts" on the horizon.  Tonight, I'm leaving Marlee for the first time, she'll have her 1st b'day party soon, and many more!  I love my family and friends so much, and I LOVE be a mommy.  Can't believe I've had this important job for almost 1 year already, but it feels like Marlee has been part of our lives all along.  Looking forward to the rest of the year!

11 Months Old & 1st Visit to the Beach!

Our beautiful, smart, funny, sweet baby is 11 months old!!!!  I can't believe she's already almost 1 year old.  We had to download all the video from our video camera, which included vids from before Marlee was born up until last week.  Soooo we had to watch a few clips...starting on her birth day...so many awesome memories.  I am so thankful to have been home with her for most of them!  Hopefully we won't go too overboard planning her 1st B'day party. ;)  We're thinking bubbles/polka dots & stripes & frogs. 

Most of the good beach pics were taken with my moms camera...but I got a lot of good video.  Marlee loved the beach!  Wanted to walk in the sand, splash in the water, and play with her squirt toys.  She could never last more than 1-2hrs once we finally got to the beach, from getting ready to nap again, but it worked out well.  We went along with my parents on my dad's annual medical meeting trip to Sandestin Resort.  We picked up Uncle Jon on the way from Nashville (Aunt April was in Oregon with her sister, who is expecting...they found out it's a boy while Ape was there).  Uncle Matt Matt and Aunt Ashley were there too!  Dad rented a beachside villa...which was awesome!  Wish we could've spent more time there, but I'll take any time.  It didn't rain until the day we left, and we had some awesome food!

Unlce Jon & Daddy at the beach!  Thank goodness we had our 10x10 canopy tent...it was sooo hot!

This is THE stinkface!  It started when she didn't like us wiping her face after eating, we labeled it "stinkface", and now we can say show us your stinkface...and she does it...so funny! 

And, she's walking/cruising all over the place.  Still no solo steps, but is standing without holding on for at least 5 seconds at a time.  She'll be taking off soon!  Such a big girl!

She is definitely looking like a Nelson in this picture with Uncle Matt Matt and Aunt Ashley and yours truly.  It was so good to all hang out together!

Happy 4th of July & Happy Birthday David!

Well, since it's still summer, guess where we went for the 4th of July?  The lake of course!  We thought Dave was gonna have to work on Sat, but got off at the last minute, so we headed in Friday night after traffic died down & after dinner with Marlee in her pjs.  She slept the whole way after falling asleep 20mins into the ride, and there wasn't much traffic.  She woke up when we exited the interstate, was in a good mood when we got to Gama & Papa's house, then went back to sleep.  :)  However, since she's sleeping in the pack n' play in the same room as us, when she stirred at 5am, she could see us, so she protested to get out of her crib and into the bed with us.  She never went back to sleep, but we stayed in bed til almost 8 before going down to eat breakfast.  At least she took some good naps!

Later at the lake, Dave took Boda to the lake for swimming.  He swam great, but he was not a fan.  Kept swimming right back to shore, and when he's wet he's sooo skinny!  My dad grilled ribs & chicken and everybody came over for dinner...yum!  Then Sunday was when we had different ribs & chicken with all the family (including Maw Maw & April's parents too) over for lunch.  We celebrated Dave's b'day too with a cookie cake, pound cake with whipped cream & blueberries (Marlee finished off most of the blueberries...good thing they have their own bushes), and presents!  More lake time and hanging out.  My brother was in town and came over on the jet ski, and it was a fun hangout day.  We even got a boat ride.  Marlee still loves the water, but she wants to be inhibited by a float less and less...fearless!

Last night for Dave's b'day (July 7),  I hung a b'day banner before he got home from work, we had tacos for dinner (his favorite), blew up balloons (which Marlee loved), and had a summer flavors sampler in of Sam Adams in the fridge.  Tonight we are hanging out and watching a movie, knowing that Dave doesn't have to work tomorrow, and we don't plan on traveling this weekend.  We are going to Atlanta for a Braves game next weekend, then the beach the next...bout to get busy!

Just found out friends Ryan & Carrie Mussato are expecting their first baby...so exciting!!!!  And Ruthann R. & Tony Hendon just had Reid recently.  Babies are in the air!

Speaking of babies, I guess Marlee is about to be a toddler....she is all over the place.  Pulling up on everything and speed-walking with the walker.  She stands up and lets go of support for a few seconds at a time...it won't be long now!  I barely get any good pics of her anymore b/c she moves around so much, but I try to get some good video.  We'll have to compile it soon since she's approaching her 1st b'day...can't believe it!  I love her soooo much!  It's amazing how much she is learning and how much fun it just keeps getting!  She's a rockstar!

Father's Day!!!

Just realized that I forgot to blog about Father's Day!  We were driving back to Centre that day, this Sunday, and I thought about it on the drive back, but never followed through.

Here's a pic of Marlee asleep on daddy at just 1 day old still in the hospital...soooo sweet!  David is the best father in the world!!!!  I don't know how to thank him for how wonderful he is to us.  It's so awesome that he works hard so that I can stay home to be mommy.  I cherish these days I have at home with my baby!  Not only is he a daddy that provides, but he changes diapers, gives baths, plays with MJ, cooks & cleans some, and loves her unconditionally!  I'm so glad that he is the father of my child. 

Dave seemed to have a great 1st Father's Day weekend.  He got Friday off due to work logistics, so we had a leisurely drive in.  It was rainy when we got there, so we didn't hit the lake til Saturday.  We went out to La Cabana in Cedar Bluff with my grandparents for dinner, then they came back to my parents' house to hang out.  Grandmother loves talking to and holding Marlee, even though she doesn't want to sit still much anymore.  She tried some new foods...still likes most everything she tries...such a good eater.  Dave played with Marlee in the lake on Saturday & even some on Sunday...they were both happy campers!  Here's a pic of them snuggling on the couch before bedtime at home on Father's Day. :)

He's been working so hard lately, having 10hr days this week & even working tomorrow (Sat).  We are getting some friend time in this weekend though...having friends over tomorrow & Sun afternoon.  Some grilling, some baby playtime, and fun!  While Dave is working tomorrow, we hope the rain holds off so I can take Marlee to Bekah's pool for some girl time! 

I LOVE OUR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY!

10 months old!!!!

Marlee turned 10 months old yesterday!  I can't believe I'm already thinking about planning her first b'day party!  She is learning and changing so quickly these days.  The sippy cup is mastered, she's eating so much of adult table food, waving & saying "hi" & "bye bye", turning pages in books & lifting the flaps, crawling fast on her knees, pulling up to stand on everything, and even letting go for a few brief seconds at a time to stand independently!  Sounds like she's trying to sing sometimes and is constantly dancing when music is playing or when we sing.  Trying to say "Papa" & "moo" and repeating many other sounds that we say. 

Since joining the MOMS Club of Bellevue, we've had some playdates with other kids her age & some mom's nights out.   It's only $25/year, and there's multiple events per month.  It's nice for Marlee to be around other kids and for me to be around other moms.  There is a big pool playdate next week with everyone.  I think I like it!

This weekend we are having lots of hangout time with friends at Bekah's pool and here at the house.  Looking forward to it, but it always seems like everything always happens all at once...we're gonna be worn out, but in the good way!  ;)

Next month is gonna be a big one for all of us too: 4th of July on the lake, Marlee's first ATL Braves' game, and first beach trip!  Lots of fun to be had...excited!

Dancing, clapping, waving, crawling, standing, cruising, swimming, and talking...whew!

 Marlee loves to listen to her daddy sing and play music...I love this picture of her watching him.  He's been playing even more than usual to practice for his solo acoustic shows around Nashville.  And she just bounces her little body around to dance, dance, dance.  David's probably going to go by the name Sanford as his show name, and should be booking more shows soon.

 His first show was at Sweet CeCe's in Green Hills.  It's a gourmet yogurt shop right off the main road.  It was awesome that it was at a location and time in which Marlee could join us!  She was dancing on the table tops (in the cute baby way) throughout the whole show!  And during certain songs she would turn and just watch him.  So cute!

 My friend Karey came to Nashville this weekend for the CMA Festival (Bonnaroo was this weekend in TN as well).  She and her friend Billy stayed at our place.  We had a lot of fun hanging out Friday night.  Since they were going to be gone all day & night on Sat, we decided to go to Centre for one night so that Aunt April could get some Marlee time (since April can't come back to Centre next weekend for Father's Day).  We didn't get caught up in traffic going or coming, and we made it back by 5pm on Sunday.  But we didn't leave without getting some time in the lake.  Marlee loves kicking in the water and splashing around.  It was a calm morning on the lake Sunday, and it was a great way to end the weekend with wading in the water watching Marlee have fun! 

I snapped this picture while I was fixing our dinner after we got back into town.  Marlee crawled over to the kitchen from the living room play area to see the dogs (we were still dog sitting Lucy) because they were making lots of noise.  She pulled up on the gate and stood there going back and forth for almost 10 minutes!  She's been pulling up on the couch and coffee table/ottoman a lot lately.  So she's getting really good at getting across the room, even though she's still pulling with her hands/arms than using her knees.  And we can't believe how long she can stand...and she loves to practice walking holding our hands.  She's now consistantly clapping to sign more during meals, and she just starting waving last week.  It's awesome that you can say clap or wave and she understands receptively, and if we do either action she will imitate.  Amazing stuff!  She makes a barking sound to imitate the dogs sometimes, which is cute...and she's using mama and dada a lot more.  It seems like she comes up with new sounds all of the time.  She's eating a lot more of what we eat too now.  This passed week we had chicken faijtas, and she fed herself small pieces of chicken, red bell pepper, onion, avacado, shredded cheese, and tortilla...such a big girl!

Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake!

During breakfast at Bebe & Gramps' house on Memorial Day (even though this picture is from later that night at dinner back at home) Marlee started examining her hands after banging on her tray...and then started banging her hands together to clap!  We all clapped & she went back and forth with us clapping then her clapping.  Of course after we got the camera, she wouldn't do it again til later in the day.  She did it for Gama & Papa while hanging out at the lake after swimming that afternoon though. 

And love swimming she did!!!!  She had a little froggie pond to swim in by the lake and a float to sit/float/swim in that looked like an elephant.  Not scared of the waves at all, and she acutally danced to the motor sound of the boats driving by.  It was a very busy weekend, even though Dave had four days off it flew by!  We stayed with Gama & Papa the first two nights and Bebe & Gramps the last two nights.  We took MJ to visit Grandma in the Nursing Home on Saturday since her b'day was Monday.  Then the Grandparents came over for ribs!  On Sunday we got some time in the lake, then had cake & ice cream to celebrate Maw Maw (Levon) & Gramps' (Larry) birthdays.  His side of the family came over to join in.  We had to leave on Monday, but not before grilling some hotdogs & hamburgers, playing in the lake, and hanging out with family some more.  This was Beverly and Case's first trip to Centre with Carly as well...not even a month old yet and it seemed like she was doing really well.  I got to hold her for over 45 mins Sunday night after they got into town.  Bev is doing great!

Marlee is already clapping and saying "mo mo mo" for more food during meals.  She is such a good eater and tried so many new foods this weekend: strawberries, cherries, biscuit, whole peas, turkey, hotdog, cake icing (just a fingertip's worth), and apple juice.  She's a pro with eating finger foods and still working on feeding herself with a spoon.  Hope we get to swim or play in the water outside more soon....it's sooo hot...90's all week!

9 Months Old...Marlee J is Today, Hooray!

Growing up so fast!  It's like she's starting a whirlwind of milestones.  Her two top middle teeth are poking through her gums...can't believe she's got 4 teeth.  I heard some grinding during lunch the other, and I hope she doesn't make a habit out of it...that kinda makes my skin crawl.  She's crawling (mostly still army crawling, pulling self with arms), pulling to standing (did that in her crib for the 1st time yesterday instead of napping...the crib is now officially lowered all the way down), walking on the floor holding on to our hands (loves it!), eating lots of food with her fingers (Cheerios, banana, toast, veggies pieces like sweet potato, etc), feeding herself some with a spoon (starting w/ banana pieces...load up the spoon & give it to her), and the cutest thing ever is her DANCING!  When we sing or especially if music is playing...she starts wiggling and bouncing whether she's sitting or standing...it's soooo cute!  She did it the 1st time in her portable high chair out to dinner at the GridIron in Centre with David and my parents, there was live music playing. 

And the sweetest thing happened Friday night...after dinner we got Marlee ready for bed as usual, then went to the front porch to hang out talking and rocking.  David held MJ and rocked while we talked...she played at first, looking all around and up at Dave every now and then.  Being out there awhile, she never got fussy once, she loves outside, she just got more and more still.  She was facing Dave sitting in his lap...done playing with her toy, she started leaning against her daddy's chest.  At first she just would lay against him for a few seconds...getting longer and longer til eventually she fell asleep.  We let her sleep on him for a while longer while we continued to hang out, talk and enjoy the nice night outside.  Plus, she hasn't actually fallen asleep on us for months...it was PRECIOUS!!!!  He put her to bed and she slept all night...it was the first night without her blanket as well. 

She is growing so fast and gets more and more precious everyday!  We're going to Centre again this weekned for Memorial Day (and MawMaw, Great Grandma, and Gramps' birthdays).  Beverly and Case are bringing Carly for the 1st time (their baby girl was born healthy on May 4th).  I hope the weather is good so that we can hang out at the lake...and Marlee can wear her swimsuit for the 1st time!

My First Mother's Day!

I've been trying to capture my wonderful Mother's Day in a blog all week...it's been pretty busy! 

It was THE BEST DAY!  Marlee slept until almost 11am!  I woke up after 8 straight hours of sleep (which hasn't happened in a while), to David cooking breakfast and just finishing arranging beautiful purple, pink and white flowers for me.  When Marlee finally woke up, David went to get her and brought her to me...she was holding a Mother's Day card in her hand...ADORABLE!  We had a great brunch, then spent the rest of the day outside under our shade playing, and I got to read when MJ napped.  I had a nice view of my hunky hubby doing yard work as well.  ;)  He was just finishing up what he and his parents didn't get to when they were here the 1st part of the weekend.  They helped make it look so good in our yard!  They also took us out (my mom's day gift from them) for a yummy dinner at Coco's Italian Restuarant near Sylvan Park.  They helped me clean and prepare for the brunch I hosted for my friends and former coworkers on Saturday...which went great and was so fun!  It was a great weekend!  I love being a mom to my beautiful, sweet, wonderful daughter Marlee, but I wouldn't be the person or the mom I am today without my wonderful mommy! 

The puppies are officially 6 weeks old, and we're heading to Centre this weekend.  Going to be an adventure!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...won't you be mine

She LOVES her swing that Gama brought Easter weekend!  It was a beautiful Saturday , so we got to play outside for a while after her nap before dinner.  Marlee studied the swing for a minute, but as soon as she swung back and forth the first time...she was hooked!  It was great to see her smile and laugh...such fun!  I hope there are many more days to come like this one.  Yesterday we started letting Marlee feed herself some with her spoon.  She's been playing with it after she's done with her food for over a week now, learning how to hold it and how far she can put it in her mouth.  Now we can load it with a little food, guide it to her right hand, and she will get the food in her mouth.  There is obvious pride after she does this.  :)  She's almost crawling on hands and knees, but mostly army crawling and on hands and feet (which is so funny looking, but it gets her where she wants to go).  There has been some pulling up to standing on several things too.  She is also finally able to bounce on/reach the ground in her jumpy/spinny thing that Bebe and Gramps got her (see pic below).  She is moving and shaking!

The puppies are almost 5 weeks old.  And it's official that the girl puppy is going to a new home in a few weeks...to Rebekah and Mike!  My Auburn girl friend who lives in Nashville now.  Husky was a breed she and her hubby were considering getting, and we decided it would be best to just keep one puppy (logistic-wise).  It will be so hard to let her go, but she is going to a great home...Bekah is sooo excited!  They are out and about so much more now...getting into everything!  They are starting to play with toys and really get each other.  Today was the first time we've taken them outside.  Hopefully potty training will start soon.  ;)  They are so cute and fun...and the definitely make Marlee smile!  Here is a pic of Boda around 4 weeks old.

Even though it's beautiful here, and we have all our comforts...tornadoes ravaged parts of sweet home Alabama this week.  Tuscaloosa was the city that was worst effected out of all 6 states.  Almost 300 people are confirmed dead, and many houses and other buildings were flattened.  The video and pictures are devastating!  My brother (who is currently a student about to graduate at University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa) said finals were cancelled and graduation is postponed til August 6th.  Many people and organizations across the state have already teamed together to organize relief for the many victims.  Many people are getting donations to my brother or to me to get to him to help out as well.  It is so bad, but it seems like much good is coming out of it.  Cherokee Co. (our hometown, Centre) has been without power since Tuesday.  Some people got power back today, but many (including our parents) are still without.  Not much complaining about losing power when others lost so much though.  Keeping all the effected in my thoughts!

Learning and growing so fast...

Not sure how much Marlee weighs now, but she feels pretty heavy...such a big girl!  She's still in size 3 diapers, but soonly will be in 4s, is officially eating yogurt & starting cheese soon, has 2 bottom teeth & think a top one is coming soon, starting to point, eating cheerios and star bites independently, recognize object or action when a word is said (when we say "up" or "where is the fan?" she looks up!), spontaneously saying approximations to words (up, mama, dada), stringing many sounds together and varying her intonation (making speeches/telling stories), army crawling on floor, holding herself standing against furniture, taking toys in & out, blows air out of mouth when we blow bubbles, making the sound on her own that she likes us to do using our hand/finger covering her mouth by using her own hand, turning pages in books & pointing to pictures on pages, sitting and playing for long periods of time, getting better at drinking water from a sippy cup (tilting head back more on her own), still sleeping through the night & usually taking 2-3 naps a day, great eye contact, looks up at you when you're reading a story, walking along floor & furniture while we hold her hands/arms, sucking thumb only occassionally to self soothe, loves being outside, and is the cutest little girl ever!  We go back to the doctor at 9months for measurements and bloodwork.  She's still breastfeeding 3-4 times a day.  She's so much fun, and we are loving watching her grow!

8 Months Old & Happy Easter & Growing Puppies!

Marlee's 1st Easter was celebrated all weekend as she turned 8 months old!  Both sides of the family came in town for the weekend, including my Grandparents.  Sadly my sister couldn't make it, but hopefully she can come to Centre at the end of May for Memorial Day weekend.  We all hung out Friday night.  On Saturday the Sanfords helped David with the yard (for an early b'day present)...it looks so much better, but we still have to mulch/etc the hill infront of the house.  Of course, Marlee was the center of attention the whole time, especially after we had our Easter dinner Saturday night and were all sitting around the table...Gramps (Larry) stood up holding her before her bedtime & she just started TALKING.  I mean all kinds of sounds, complete with arm motions and head movements.  It was like she was trying to tell us the secret to life, but we couldn't understand her...it was so cute, and we got it on video (for once she didn't stop when the video started).  The Easter bunny brought her outfits, toys, decor, and more.  She was dressed up all cute and had a ball emptying her baskets over and over. 

The puppies are 4 weeks old and are getting all over the place!  Nana coaxed them out their room several times over the weekend.  They enjoyed all the attention from the family as well.  There was lots of cuddling, playing and picture taking going on.  They are running/bouncing around, eating more puppy food, and starting to rough play with each other.  Nana is such a good mama, teaching them what it means to be a puppy! 
It's pretty much a cuteness overload around here!

There's the light at the end of the tunnel...but there's lightning too!

This was punkin riding in the grocery cart like a big girl for the first time on Tuesday.  She loved it!  There was lots of looking around at all the stuff and watching & smiling at the people passing by in the aisles.  She got a lot of compliments!  ;) 

Well, we didn't have to go into the studio/garage this week due to the storms, but we've had lots of rain with thunder & lightning again this week.  The last storm system is actually about to go through now, but it's weakened so it's not considered severe anymore.  I'm glad it didn't get too bad because David is at work..............but only two more weeks and he's done with the 2nd job!  Our life will be back to "normal" soon!  I admire and appreciate him so much for working so hard for our family! 

Even though it's his next to last Friday at HD, he will hopefully take off that Good Friday night because we have all the fam coming in for Easter weekend.  My grandparents are even coming.  It should be fun, but wish my sister could come too.  I miss her!  If the weather is good, we may go to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens & Art Center on Saturday.  Neither I nor Dave have ever been, and I hear it's beautiful.  It just opened last weekend. 

This is Boda (the boy) with his eyes open...pretty baby blues!  Both have opened their eyes and they are starting to get around a lot better.  Their eyes and ears opened at the same time, and they (especially him) are starting to watch us and baby bark at us too.  They are so cute!  We are holding them a little more.  They are playing with each other too now.  With growing puppies and a soon-to-be crawling baby....it's gonna be a circus around here!

Spring is in the air...

Uncle Jon and Aunt April came last weekend to visit and the weather was gorgeous!  We set up the tent with the gazebo over it to have a place to play outside...and to air out the tent if we get to go camping anytime in the near future.  Marlee seems to love being outside...I better get the sunscreen and bug spray ready.  We are using soap and water mixed in a spray bottle to kill wasps in the house now...and it works!  You might have to spray more than the toxic stuff, but you get the same result...DEAD.  It's back in the 70s-80s, and we have plans to hang here again this weekend.  Only a few more weeks of Dave working at Home Depot.  Both of our families are planning on coming here for Easter weekend...should be fun!

Marlee LOVES bubbles!  She laughs, follows them, and tries to pop them.  You can tell she is studying and learning so much all of the time.  She's sitting and playing very well now and rolling around like crazy.  There have been many crawling attempts (baby pushups and rocking), but she's not quite there yet.  Oh, and the 2nd bottom tooth popped up a week after the 1st one!  Chicken was only an ordeal at dinner for the first 2 nights and now enjoys it nightly.  I'm still making her food, except for prunes (have helped her poo issues, as well as switching to oatmeal instead of rice cereal).  I also bought a few jars of Beechnut food when they were on sale and I had coupons too.  She's getting better with the sippy cup too.  I've been giving her bigger chunks of banana to chew before practicing as finger food, and she holds the food up front and chews it with her teeth...so cute and smart.  She still makes the motorboat/motorcycle sound a lot (all pitches), but now she's doing a growling sound a good bit too.  There's still some fake coughing going on too...attention seeker ;). 

There are a few other video auditions that David can send in to competitions (America Sings, X Factor, The Voice)...haven't heard from America's Got Talent yet...they have til the end of April...we'll see!

After a little trauma and drama...we have puppies!

Nana just turned 6 years old and before her b'day we decided that it was finally time to breed her before she got too old.  Dave drove her to Centre and back one Sunday in January to our breeder Kim's place where she had a couple of hours to hang out with a beautiful black haired, blue eyed boy dog Storm.  It takes about 9 weeks for the pups to be ready.  The closer it got, the more we could tell that she was indeed going to be a mommy.  Dave is still working days and nights, so we were really hoping that she would have them over the weekend.  But Saturday and Sunday came and went, but on Monday it seemed like labor had started.  Lots of whining and pacing.  Feelings of excitement and nervousness were abundant.  Nana got pretty quiet before dinner on Monday night, then David left for work.  I was so tired from lack of sleep, but something told me not to go to bed.  Around 10:30pm I went into the laundry/bathroom to sit with her.  Then she started pushing around 11pm.  The first puppy was born around 11:25pm...a boy!  Dave got home around 12:30am, Nana wasn't pushing anymore yet, but was doing well with the 1st puppy.  We were so exhausted that we went to bed at 2am and were up again by 5:30am...and there was another puppy...a  girl!  David left for work again around 6:30am on Tuesday.  By 10am I started to get a little worried because it had been over 4 hours between puppies, when no more had come yet.  Our breeder said it could take a while.  Then around 11:30am, puppy #3 starting coming out, but it was feet first and ended up already dead.  :(  It was heartbreaking!  I called Dave immediately (crying, of course) and told him I was officially worried.  I called the vet not long after that, they said to bring her.  After Dave got home we watched her for a few more mins, she was very lethargic and not tending to her pups very much.  We took her to Bellevue Animal Hospital, worried the whole time for her safety and if we would end up forking out tons of money for a c-section or something.  Well, what was going on was crazier/scarier than we could have imagined.  An x-ray showed a huge pup still inside her.  We didn't know dead or alive, but the vet said it was too big for her to birth....so emergency c-section it was.  We opted for a hysterectomy as well.  We brought Marlee back home and they called us when they were done.  The last puppy didn't make it...it was a girl.  The hysterectomy became necessary because the big pup had broken through her uterus and was halfway into her abdomen!!!!  All the contracting and pushing had ruptured the last 2 pups' placentas and broken her uterus...which could've been fatal...but so thankful that she was saved!  The vet said that is super rare, and our breeder who has breeded huskies for YEARS has never heard of this happening and she has never had to have vet intervention!  Crazy!  They cleaned her out, sewed & stapled her up, and we got to bring her home.  Beth (Dave's mom) was coming Wed, came on Tues night (arriving at 12:30am on Wed), and she slept in Nana's room Tues and Wed night, then stayed til Friday.  It was so great and helpful to have her here.  Nana came out of from under meds around midnight and had to be watched til the next day.  We took her back to vet for followup on Thursday (some staples had come out), and she and the pups checked out great.  So now we are moving forward and likely gonna keep both pups.  We may sell one, but we'll see.  Thinking Boda (boy) and Nola (girl)...the boy is big and the girl is little.  Cannot wait to see them grow and play!  Nana has that twinkle back in her eye and the wag back in her tail.  It is know a beautiful thing to see her with her babies, she is a good momma, but it was quite stressful there for a little bit.  The vet expenses eat into our tax return a little, but hopefully Dave can still quit HD soon. 

Marlee has been watching the pups some and still smiles and laughs at Nana.  Bebe loved spending time with her this week...Marlee loved it too!  She's so close to crawling, eating chicken with no problem now, and in size 3 Pampers diapers.  She's all over the place and getting more and more fun and sweet.  LOVE HER!