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!