Catching up

Things lately have been better. Marley's tooth came in 2 weeks ago and she also started rolling over! I FINALLY saw it yesterday with my own eyes. I guess she wanted to wait to show me on her own time. All the while, she was rolling everywhere and for anyone...except me! She's pretty smart because if she's on her play mat, she'll use her foot to hook it around the overhang to help her move in a tight area. Maybe she'll use her feet like I do....as hands. I'm constantly picking things up with my monkey toes, even if it's easier to just bend down and get it.

I'm hoping the weather starts to warm up - Marley loves being outside and taking walks in her stroller, so spring, let's get moving here. She's doing very well with the baby food - we finished peas and are now moving on to carrots tonight. She thinks it's really funny to laugh while she's eating and spit food all over my face. Jason teases her that she's going to have to make up all this bad behavior in time outs later when she's older. Here's a quick picture from my friend's cell phone of her eating peaches last week:

On a side note, I recently came across a super website called etsy.com. If you have not witnesses the magic, please check it out! It's a collection of artists who sell their homemade work and in my opinion, is such a unique find. I love, love, love my Target, but it's nice to get things made especially customized for you. I found one particular seller, TomKat Studio who makes THE cutest decorations for birthdays and room decor. I already have Marley's next 4 birthdays planned thanks to Miss Kim! Do yourself a favor and check her out!!

And they're cousins...

Gabs and Marley (why is she always wearing the same outfit when I take pictures??)

Cousins AND friends

She learned how to kiss...the mirror

Marley liked the mirror, too, but she is a little too young yet for the toys

Gabs loved the instruments!

At Auntie Shelk's...Gabriella loved her earrings

Excited for swimming!

She is not having bath time

Whoops neither is Marley!

Blackmail!!!

I love that Marley has so many babies to play with, especially her cousin Gabriella, who is 4 months older. She is so fun to watch and I look forward to Marley doing what she is at that age. We took the girls to Gymboree to see if they could handle a baby class and it was so nice to get out. It's hard being couped up and there are limited options for what you can do with babies during the cold months. At least when they are older, we can go to museums and parks and all that fun stuff. After, I took the girls to my sisters for some swimming. Shell has the rest of the pictures from the pool, so I'll post those after I get them because they are too cute!

Birthday Party & Jammies & Cereal

Here are some pictures from recent events...

What a daddy's girl!

Give me more cereal, NOOOW!

Mmmm

New jammies! Uh, obviously mine are not

Marley with Hailey (who is almost a year)...you think Marley will be tall or what?

Ryan, birthday boy, was loving takig pictures of everyone

Good grief

I've come to the conclusion that Jason and I are being duped. Marley is far too smart for her own good. Yes, we've learned to recognize her fake cries and when she is pushing us, BUT that doesn't mean it's any easier. Her sleep patterns have changed once again and it's incredibly frustrating. Just when we think we're getting somewhere, that little you know what decides to play in the middle of the night. Now, people have told me to ignore this and she'll go back to bed...riiiight. You come listen to that child at 3am. She was doing so well, sleeping from 7pm-7am, and now, she is waking up at 1am, 4am, 5am, and 6am. Delicious. It's no wonder I don't have time to do my hair or put make up on. I'm tired, irritable, and a ton of fun to be around. I'm hanging on by a thread here....

On a lighter note, we started for real trying her on foods. She loves oatmeal and opens and closes her hands real fast trying to get more. Or she screams real loud if you don't get it in her mouth quick enough. She tried holding her spoon, which she then threw at me and thought that was funny too. Our night ended with a bath after she kicked her oatmeal bowl right out of my hand and got us both all gross. Jason taught her how to blow raspberries and she can't quite get her lips together, so she just spits everywhere and makes a loud noise, like she's imitating the actual raspberry noise. It's the cutest thing ever and she cracks up laughing. She also loves touching faces...if you put it close enough she will touch/squeeze/pinch your cheeks. It sometimes hurts, but again, funny.

Still no sign of a tooth...if it doesn't come in soon, I'm going to take matters into my own hands. Luckily, my classy friend Stephanie told me about teething tablets which if nothing else, help her calm down enough to sleep. Rarely takes a good nap, but I guess I'll go with someone else's answer that smart kids don't ever sleep. I'll keep my fingers crossed for that Harvard acceptance letter.

She had her 4 month checkup last week. She cried way more this time with her shots, but we were ready with the tylenol this time (why did no one tell me to medicate her BEFORE getting shots??). I'm on to you shots...

Here are her updates:

-14 lbs. 5 1/2 oz. (75 percentile)
-25 inches (75 percentile)
-can't remember her head size, but it's in the 50th percentile

I can't wait for good weather...I love being outside with her and watching her face as she discovers trees and leaves for the first time. It's absolutely priceless.

The Weekend

We had a very exciting, eventful weekend. We had Ryan's 3rd birthday party (my camera is dead, I'll post pictures later) and it was so exciting to see his face when he opened all his fun presents. He would scream at every gift, tear the paper off, then look at someone to give him another one. It's easy to see how full a house gets once you have kids! Jason had a hard time realizing how much "stuff" kids have...he'll learn very soon - Marley's stuff is stock piling already! Sunday I went over my mom's and we decided to go for a walk around the sqaure in Medina. I hadn't been there since my high school years and it was perfect weather. PLUS Marley got to sit in her stroller for the first time like a big girl. She LOVED it. She was so serious as she studied everything around her. I am so glad I have her to remind me of the little things - she is seeing the world for the very first time and I get to be right there with her. When she is excited, it makes my heart jump out of my chest. It's bittersweet to watch her grow.

"Ooh this is different!"

Shark attack, ahhhh! She does NOT like this

Silly Gammie, in an astronaut hat

Looking like a Vegas Showgirl in a boa...still not havin' it

Ah, she sleeps...on the counter at Joanne Fabrics

What a laugh

I was driving to work today (with all the Clevelanders who can't drive) thinking about how many things I had to do. How in the world did I ever get things done before Marley? Well, let's think about that - no crying during odd hours, going on date nights, seeing friends, and actually sleeping the same number of hours consistently - it's a wonder I got anything done with so much free time. I swear I love Marley more than anything, but I think I'm still adjusting to life with her. Packing all her stuff up just to run errands, have her scream the whole time and then have to shout "THANK YOU" at unreasonable decibals when handed my reciepts is hard. Some of my friends are so fortunate to have perfect babies and sometimes I have to remind myself that Marley is normal - babies cry, they fuss, they keep you on your toes. People keep telling me it gets easier as they get older and I'm completely relying on you. Suddenly I am writing a "Real Men of Genius" Budweiser song in my head about saluting moms with toddlers...."so today, we salute you, mom with toddler...sure you stick to finger painting, chicken nuggets, and cartoons, but when a battery dies, you know RIGHT WHERE IT IS"....

All I can say is I am hoping for hope...I think we'll take it one day at a time, that's all anyone can really do.

Dinner at my mom's

I was so happy my mom asked my sisters and I to go over to her house for dinner yesterday. Our schedules are all so busy so we don't get to see each other as often, even though we live so close. It's nice when we are able to. I have to start making the slideshow for the wedding so we got out a bunch of pictures and were reminiscing - and by reminiscing I mean making fun of each other. I should put some pictures on here, but I have to scan them all and to be honest, I'm that lazy.

Marley got a new toy, book and head piece from her Gammie & Dan. She seems very interested, but would rather put everything in her mouth. Some days I think she's super talented because she can almost fit her entire fist in her mouth...maybe she will qualify for Jay Leno's stupid human tricks one day...what can I say, I have high expectations for my daughter's future...

Baby cuz' I'm a thug...with Aunt Sammy

The Easter bunny came early this year!

Baby, the other white meat...

Her new toy...needed a little help from Aunt Sam standing up!

Pooped out..check out those jeans...NERD ALERT!

You got a friend in me

Marley is so lucky to have friends and cousins so close in age. I can't believe how smart the parents were in planning them all at the same time. There were no surprises whatsoever (insert GIANT laugh here). Something was definitely in the water. All that matters is they are here and we love them all. First came Miss Hailey, then Gabriella, Owen, Fiona, Amelia, Marley, and Ethan. We're still waiting for KB and two unknowns. One we will call "Honeymoon". The other we will call "Surprise", but not because they weren't planned, but because it's their 3rd child and they want to keep the sex a surprise. There are some older cousins and friends that can't wait to play with Marley once she is much bigger and can at least pinch/punch/push back.

Hailey and Marley

Owen, Fiona & Marley

LJ adores Marley and always wants to hold her.

Brianna likes her too. They are waiting for their

surprise sibling expected this fall.

Cousins Jayleigh and Sofia...poor Marls had a cold

and an ear infection on Christmas Eve

Valentine's Day

I know this is going to be way past due, but I had to put it on here. Jason and I are both very aware that Marley is only 4 months old and there's only so much you can buy/do/make, but she did get a small Valentine's day gift from one special guy...her daddy of course! She is learning to grab things and ram them in her mouth (sounds familar, this is how I eat) so naturally she wanted her roses immediately in her pie hole. Then I was trying to get a picture of her smiling, which is darn near impossible because she sees the camera light and does her best impression of a hot dog and freezes. Jason asked if she was his princess and of course, she smiled for HIM. I am foreseeing my life in the years to come...

"Marley where is your mom?"
"Oh, she's behind the camera...."

I finally understand why there are so little pictures of my mom and I...

My new obsession

So I might have stole this from my friend Stephanie's friend's post. It's come to my attention that this friend and I share the same sense of humor and way of expressing ourselves. I was recently (and by recently I mean I have spent the past two days AT WORK catching up on their 2 years worth of posts) came across a free photo editing website. At least I was warned it would be addicting...(thanks Facebook, I never stood a chance). I'm still learning this whole blogging thing, the layouts and all that jazz. But here are some pictures I edited in my spare time...HA, spare.

Thanks for the pj's Fiona!

They DO grow so fast!!

Wow! Marley is just a few weeks old here and I can't believe how much she has changed. She seemed like she'd never get bigger and she'd be my little peanut forever and ever and ever. Her baby hair is already changing and her "voice" is "maturing". Haha. A little baby puberty, if you will. What a big girl she's becoming. Can't wait until she's old enough to sass back....riiight.

Are you down with G-O-D?

Marley did pretty well. She at least waited to scream until before and after the actual baptism. I might have seen a slight smirk on her face when she was doused in water when I half expected her to scream! But she does love the water...just like her mama. And no Michelle and I did not coordinate outfits, although we always seem to dress alike.

Marley's first taste of cereal

Well Marley got her first taste of cereal last night. We definitely need some practice! She kept smacking her lips and eating her bib like she liked it, but spoon + mouth does not = happiness.

My first post, hope this works!

Marley loves NY!!