First cereal...big girl & auditions!

The face of a big girl who just ate her first bowl of rice cereal (mixed with breastmilk) and finished it!  Well...more of it might have ended up on her bib than in her tummy, but she did great!  Everytime something with a taste is put in her mouth, she always makes the same "I'm not sure if I like that" face, but ends up wanting more.  She started cereal on Monday and has had some everyday this week, starting w/ 4 1/2 Tbsp of milk mixed in, down to 3 1/2 Tbsp tonight.  We have let her have a taste of carrot, apple, banana, and celery...just sticking big pieces in her mouth and letting her gum/teethe on them.  Bebe found some mesh food eaters to put apple and other foods in to chew and suck the juice through.  She really likes it.  Next week we are gonna start making and freezing food to eat with a spoon too...starting with carrots.  My mom got us a food processor too, so it should be easy!  I can't wait to see what she likes and what she doesn't...she's been so interested in what we are eating and drinking for a while. 

Daddy got to have daddy and daughter time Monday night while mommy went to hang out with the girls for Rebekah's b'day (her hubby was out of town...they moved a few months ago from NY) at Cantina Laredo in the Gulch.  I had never been out down there, and it was fun.  After dinner we walked over to Sambuca, but I only stayed a few minutes to get back for bedtime ;). 

Marlee and I went to Centre Tuesday-today to hang out with Gama and take Nana to Dave's parents til Sunday.  We are going to ATL tomorrow for David to audition for America's Got Talent on Saturday!  It's super exciting, and Jon and April are coming too!  I know he will rock it, but he won't find out anything for sure til April.  I might even get a visit from some ATL friends while we are in town too.  :)

Marlee J is 5 months old today!

We have started putting veggies and fruits in cheesecloth for Marlee to chew/gum on to help with teething and give her a taste of real food.  It's so cute to see her faces when she tastes new things!  She is VERY interested in anything we hold or do...especially watching us eat.  We are gonna start rice cereal mixed with breastmilk next week.  And Uncle Jon and Aunt Ape got us a book about making and freezing our own food, so I want to do that too.  She has awesome control of her head and is so close to sitting up, is doing it very well supported as of now.  Reaching for everything and it all goes straight to her mouth if she gets a hold of it.  She finally started taking the paci, only for naps a few weeks ago, but now she is refusing it again, but sucking on her thumb more...left thumb.  She's definitely found her feet and has even gotten them in her mouth a few times.  She loves for us to sing to her and to chase Nana.  It's so cool to see her personality start to emerge.  Even though she's been a superstar sleeping through the night, it's not smooth every night now, mostly due to teething and being a little more hungry.  After mastering each stage, there comes another.

Mom is recovering well from surgery and still cancer free.  Once her skin heals, the reconstruction will begin.  Marlee and I have gone to hang out with her for a few days at a time here and there to keep her company.  It's hard to be away from her daddy for long though! 

Can't believe how much snow we have gotten so far!  Week before last, TN schools were closed all week, then again this passed Friday.  Wonder when it's gonna warm up.  I do miss taking Marlee for strolls everyday, but spring will come soon. 

This week is gonna be busy...We are gonna try to breed Nana, Dave has an interview for part-time work at Home Depot, and we are also going to ATL this weekend for Dave to audition for America's Got Talent.  It's exciting and exhausting at the same time!  He is taking Nana to Kim (the breeder he bought her from) to mate her with Storm (a mostly black with piercing blue eyed 2 year old husky).  So we could have puppies in a couple of months as well. 

It's almost Valentine's Day and it's already carnival season!  I can't wait to take Marlee to New Orleans for Mardi Gras one day!  I can't believe she is 5 months already.  Some days I feel like it flies by and some days I feel like I've known her forever!  I've got to get busy printing off pictures that we've taken.  Oh, and my birthday is coming up soon too...only 2 years left to 30!

Mom's surgery, snow, rolling over, & AU Tigers are the National Champions!

Last week my mom had surgery to remove breast cancer.  It was one globular spot in one breast, which was well defined.  She opted for the double mastectomy and reconstruction, as to hopefully not worry about it again.  I was nervous the day of the surgery and Mallory came over to hang with us in Nashville on that Tuesday.  It lasted almost 7 hours, everything went well, lymphnodes tested negative (wohoo!), and she came home on Thursday.  Me and Marlee went by to eat lunch with Dave on Thursday and went to Centre afterwards.  The plan was to stay until Monday or so, and Dave came for Saturday and spent the night.  Mom could get around surprisingly well, but really enjoyed the help and especially the company.  It was torture that she couldn't pick Marlee up though.  ;)  I ended up leaving on Sunday as well, because of the threat of severe winter weather.  They were predicting 5-10 inches of snow and lots of ice.  They got 5-6inches and the roads are pretty bad, so I guess it was a good thing that we didn't get snowed in and away from daddy.  Hated to leave my mom though.  My dad's office has been closed, so he has only worked part days.  My mom is supposed to go back to the doctor this week in B'ham, but we'll see if they can get there.  So glad she is recovering so well!

Tennessee got some snow too...about three inches, and schools have been closed this week so far.  We both made it back before any sign of it starting.  I had to reschedule my dentist appointment, but Dave has made it to work so far.  It's so pretty, sticking in the trees and everything, but may get a little stir crazy.  Looking forward to a weekend at home with our little family!

Yesterday, Auburn played Oregon for the National Title and won 22-19.  I had so many friends that traveled to Arizona for the game...I know it was expensive, but probably worth every penny when it was all said and done.  Some people didn't make it out of Alabama because of the weather, and I think some flights back to AL and GA were canceled as well.  So excited for the Auburn family that Auburn won the 2010 National Championship!

Marlee is now rolling over a lot more and practicing sitting up in her Bumbo seat quite a bit.  She pushes up high and straightens her arms, getting stronger and stronger.  She's still sleeping at least 7 hours straight at night and on an eat, play, sleep routine.  She has started talking/babbling and laughing/squealing a lot more...it's so cute!  She loves chasing Nana and flying around with daddy.  Her 4 month appt went well, although she did NOT like having her ears looked at, but no infections.  She weighed 13lbs 4oz and 24 in long.  She cried, but handled her shots well.  Looks healthy and great!  Getting to be such a big girl!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I took this picture after getting back from Huntsville with the girls before NYE...loved this outfit.  We meet up with Jenni, Brittany, Ashley L-B and her son Caden.  Ashley is pregnant again and they think it's a girl!  Ashley is almost done with nursing school, and Jenni is enjoying teaching her kids this year.  Brittany is still working at Harrah's and we celebrated her b'day too.  Karey couldn't come because her family was sick and she had to care for them.  Caden is almost 5 and such a big boy.  And Marlee did so well in the car and at the restuarant...we met at Rosie's Cantina...kinda become a tradition.  She let everyboday hold her, took a bottle from me and slept on the way there and back.

David had Friday off of work so we slept late, cooked food, and he started working on his motorcycle...it was 65 degrees.  We watched some movies and then got ready to ring in the new year.  But apparently Dave doesn't care much for it now that Marlee's here and thinks it's a girlie thing.  She was up again before midnight and was about to go to bed soon after, Dave wasn't paying attention to the countdown and took her upstairs right before it started, so I had to run upstairs to be with him and Marlee at the stroke of midnight!  Kisses all around and to bed right after!  On January 1st we made goals (short & long term) as we reflected on what all we have accomplished so far.  Bring on 2011!