Hello, Teething!

Saturday, August 8th, I noticed Pumpkin was sticking her tongue out oddly; I didn't think anything of it. After church on Sunday Pumpkin and I sat down to eat avocado and grilled chicken. I was checking to see if she had any left over food in her mouth and something scraped my finger. I pryed open my her mouth and there it was. A tiny little nub of a tooth coming up through her gum. I am one proud Mama!

Of course I ran to her baby book and recorded it.

I have yet to get a picture, but you better believe I'll make a blog post just for it!

What a weekend!

Thursday night Scot and I had date night. This is one thing I miss from the pre-baby days. We had tons of dates. I took those dates for granted. Now I cherish the alone time we have together. Even if it's just going out to eat and having a few drinks. Which is absolutely what we did. We missed our movie and spent our time talking. It was so nice.

We spent the day Friday as a family. We went to Academy for shoes for Scot, the 99 cent store for things we just couldn't live with out (basically junk haha), and the Farmers Market for a honey dew melon and blueberries. It was a very enjoyable day to say the least.

Saturday Pumpkin and I went to Little Elm to spend the day with Tina, Candace, and Carter (Pumpkin's boyfriend). I had such a good time!!! We just sat around and talked, had a few drinks, ate chex-mix (the best! I will share the recipe one day soon), and had roast for dinner. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-L-Y perfect day! They are such great ladies, I love them!

Today was the MOST important day of the weekend, though. Janie's (one of my best friends) sister graduated from high school. Haltom High School class of 2010! It was a wonderful ceremony. Pumpkin did great, except towards the end. People were hooting an hollering and it scared the heavens out of her. We are pretty loud around her, Roxie barks all of the time, but she is still a jumpy baby. It broke my heart how scared she got!! Poor little girl. Congratulations Stacey Pathammavong!!!!

While I'm blogging, here is a picture of Pumpkin...she was thuroughly enjoying her peas. Yum!

Pumpkin Laughed!!!!

Mom, it's 4:30!

A few mornings ago I was awoken at 4:30 a.m. by Pumpkin singing a song. A thirty minute song. I layed there the whole time giggling to myself. I love that little girl. A few hours later while I was getting ready for the day, this is what she was doing:

Topics Galore!

First I would like to start out by saying Marlee has hit a clingy stage. I didn't think at 4 months this would be possible (but what do I, a first time mom, really know??) If I put her down she cries. It's not the "I'm hurting" cry or the "I'm really hungry" cry. It's an absolutely pathetic whiney cry that B-R-E-A-K-S my heart! It makes me feel great that she wants to be so close to me, but I can't get a thing done! And believe me, I have a lot to get done around this house.

Every morning we wake up around 8:20, it's been this way for a few weeks now. She has her first bottle and then we spend a few hours in my bed watching T.V and snuggling. I decided today was carrot day. We've knocked out sweet potatoes (like), green beans (semi-like), peas (like), butternut squash (really like), peaches (dislike), apple sauce (semi-like), and bananas (omg she can't get enough). I never know how she will react. The week that we tried butternut squash she really didn't know what to think at first. By day two, she loved them. So this morning I was hoping she'd take a liking to carrots. WRONG, very very wrong. She hates them. The face she made after the first bite said it all. But when I gave her a second bite, she cried. She wanted nothing to do with it. So I gave her some cereal and a bottle. Once she was done I figured we would give them another shot. She wasn't having ANY OF IT. She threw a fit! Tomorrow we'll try again, maybe she'll warm up to them. If not, I'll just have to keep trying!

I've made a few new bows lately in my free time! Two of which I custom made for a friend (AND SOLD!).

I also took pictures for a friend on Saturday. Stacey is graduating this year and needed senior pictures. What a perfect way to build my portfolio! We went to the Grapevine Botanical Gardens, which were absolutely gorgeous. It's small but beauitful, a very good choice thanks to Nikki from Everlasting Expressions Photography! It was a lot of fun, and with out further ado, here are a few shots that I got that day.

Dear Marlee

Everyday you grow more and more. I can't believe that so much time has passed since I first heard you cry. You don't know how blessed I feel to have you in my life; happy, healthy, and beautiful. I dreamt of how you would be while you were in my tummy. I wondered who you would look like. What color would your hair be? I wondered if you would come out absolutely perfect like I hoped.

Although we had some struggles in the beginning, you showed me that you are a fighter. Day two in the NICU and you were breathing normal oxygen. I prayed for this, I prayed you would be strong. You came home after six days in the NICU, Christmas Eve for that matter, and made our Christmas unforgetable. We fought jaundice for a good two-three weeks, but you pushed through it and you are now a perfectly pink baby.

When you were born, you had a skin tag on your right cheek close to your ear. This is from extra tissue that formed into part of your ear. You had to have a minor surgery to have this removed. You will always know it was there due to a tiny scar, but it gives your character =). If that wasn't enough to deal with, we found out you have hip dysplasia in your left hip. We have almost reached the end of that journey. You have 8 more days before you get your pavlik harness off.

We have had such an interesting 18 weeks with you, Marlee. But I would not change it for the world. Good or bad, it makes for memories. I don't ever want to forget them.

You mean the absolute world to me, Pumpkin. You were wanted before we ever conceived you, and loved you when we heard your first heartbeat. I can't imagine life with out you. I hope for wonderful things to come in your life.

I love you Marlee Addisyn.

Love,
Mommy

Four months old

Marlee turned four months old on April 18, 2010! I honestly cannot believe that it has been that long since we first met! She has turned into such a beautiful little girl. She smiles constantly. It doesn't matter who she meets, she smiles. And she has dimples. The cutest dimples ever! I am just smitten!

HAPPY FOUR MONTH BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE PUMPKIN!

Today was her four month check up and it went really well. She weighs 13 lbs (50th percentile), is 23.75 inches long (25th percentile), and has a 15.75 inch head circumference (15th percentile). She also had two shots and the rotavirus vaccine. She did so well, barely a peep out of her! I am so proud of her.

16 weeks old already?

I knew that time would fly, but I didn't know I would blink my eyes and it would be 16 weeks! Marlee is blossoming into such a beautiful little girl. Everyday is a new adventure with her!

Wednesday the 7th my Aunt Deb and Uncle Rob watched Marlee while Scot and I went on a date. Our first date since little Mar had arrived. We went to eat dinner and saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D...IT WAS AWESOME!!! I've never seen a movie in 3D, it was worth the $13 ticket.

We were only gone from Marlee for 2.5 hours and she was all I thought about. I knew she was in great hands, but I still couldn't help but think about her and wonder if she was ok. And not to mention I kissed her a hundred times before walking out the door.

I very briefly updated about Marlee's hip yesterday. I'm hoping the next 4 weeks go by fast. I'm ready to snuggle my little bug for more than 30 mins every other day!

A short one

I ordered $31 worth of ribbon supplies tonight! So exciting. I'm ready to make Marlee some cute bows!

We went to another hip appointment today. She is doing really well, her hip is in socket and staying there. 4 more weeks to go!!!!

A big 'ole update

Friday the 2nd was Marlee's first checkup since getting her harness. While we were waiting for our appointment, I met two familes who's little girls have the same issue as Marlee. It's nice meeting people who are going through the same thing. They were incredibly nice. Hopefully we will see them both again.

Doctor Herring came in to check out Mar's hip and said that it's in socket and feels great. Now isn't that reassuring?! We also got another harness because the first one is getting DIRTY. After her appointment we drove straight to Oklahoma.

It was so nice spending a few days with my parents. We didn't do anything excited for Easter. Saturday we went to see the Easter Bunny and my camera flipped out. So I got no pictures of her with the bunny. Oh well. Afterwards we went to see my Papa, Daylene, and Great Aunt Georgea (Marlee's Great Great Aunt). We had a pretty good time.

Marlee is such a ham! She is always so happy to meet new people. I hope she keeps this up the older she gets.

While we were gone I really started missing Scot. I'm not surprised at this, but I am surprised that it only took me 12 hrs to miss him! I was ready to go home the day after we arrived. I think the time apart (four days) really did our relationship some good. I couldn't wait to get home to him. It really put into perspective the important things in life. While I'm sure we will still bicker every now and then, I hope that we can put aside our differences and not aruge as much. I really love him with all of my heart and am willing to do whatever I have to to make him and I both happy!

Here are a few pictures from our Easter weekend:

oh they make me smile!

Today was wonderful. Marlee and I took a nap at 7 this morning, and Scot came home around 8. I completely forgot it was April Fools today, and he got me GOOD. He proceeded to tell me that he got fired and his check was only $500. Needless to say I freaked out and almost beat him.

After a good laugh (ha ha...can you sense the sarcasm?) we layed in bed talking to Marlee. She is so happy first thing in the morning, so sweet. After a while I let Scot get some extra sleep, fed Marlee, and put her in her swing. Scot slept for 3 hours, finally got up and we went off to shop for groceries. I cannot tell you how many people stop me and tell me how beautiful Marlee is. It's so nice to hear it, because she IS beautiful, but I hear it so often it's kind of getting annoying. Is this bad?!

We got everything done that we could before Marlee and I leave tomorrow for Oklahoma. Scot changed the oil in the car, I packed Marlee's bags. And Mar and I even got in some shopping at Target. I found a GREAT toy. It hangs from a carseat or play gym. It is sort of a rattle, it makes noise. When I shook it for Mar she was smiling from ear to ear. I had to get it from her. The only down side? It hangs in her face! I'm going to have to figure something out.

RIP swing and a lot of other mumbo jumbo

The swing that I so lovingly talked about a few posts back, died yesterday. I knew I'd have to change the batteries soon because it was moving kind of slow, but Marlee has only used it for about 3 weeks now! We replaced the batteries and it stood there...not swining...completely still. GREAT! So I made Scot go get a new one. Had I thought the idea through I would have gone myself. What did he come back with? A Winnie the Pooh swing.

Ok, I like Winnie the Pooh. It's cute, kids like it. But I personally don't want to decorate my house with Winnie the Pooh items. Putting that aside, the swing came with a plug, YES!!!!! No more batteries (even though we bought a huge pack of C batteries). Scot put it together and Marlee loved it.

Please don't let that face mislead you!

We are on day three of the harness. So far so good! She is still able to kick her legs out (which she does very often). AND I can put a blanket on her at night and it stays in the exact same position the whole 8 hours that she sleeps. HAHA! Last night was her first night of freedom. She gets 30 mins a day to be out of the harness. We used this time last night for a bath and a harness-free feeding. I was putting babyoil on her back and couldn't resist getting Scot to snap these pictures!

These actually take me back to my infant stage, I had so many booty pictures taken! Even looking at these I am overwhelmed with love for her!

Last night after Marlee went to bed I attempted my first project on my sewing machine. It was interesting to say the least. I attempted baby tights made from an old stretchy t-shirt. This project was very much trial an error because this was the firsrt time I've sewed in my life! It is not perfect, there are a few holes, and a I ran out of thread in the end. Here it is:

                                     

I'll continue to perfect it. They turned out kind of cute, don't you think?!

Here are a few pics I've snapped, enjoy!

my little froggy

We have been waiting for this day for a few weeks now. The Scottish Rite Hospital for Children has loomed in my thoughts since we found out Marlee's left hip has slight dysplasia. Now I want you to know, going into this I figured Marlee was completely fine and would need no treatment. I mean she's my child and utterly perfect. And the fact that we have been through a lot with this kid made me wish this even more.

Of course, we never get our way. We spent a total of three hours at the hospital. First we saw a resident who was extremely tall and definitely didn't lack in the "good looking" department...seriously he gives a good name to doctors! He acessed Marlee's hips and she was, of course, stubborn as could be. So to make absolutely sure what they were working with, he ordered an ultrasound.

An ultrasound was nothing new for us. The hospital, however, was and we got lost. After we finally found where we were going we went into an ultrasound room with a tech who's name slips my mind. As she started the ultrasound her phone rang. "Sure go ahead and answer it" BIG MISTAKE! That opened up the flood gates to her personal life to which I didn't care. She proceeded to tell me her son was in private school and she couldn't afford it because her husband of 25 years left her for a stripper, YES A STRIPPER. This lasted for a good 30 mins. Finally it was over and we were sent back to our room.

We were then greated by her doctor, Dr. Hering. He's an older man and definitely looks and sounds like he knows what he's talking about. He was followed by the tall handsome resident and another younger doctor who's name was Nick (he was a cutie too!). Dr. Hering said, "Marlee has an abnormality in her left hip that has the ability to easily slip out of socket. We will put her in a harness for 6 weeks. This treatment is 99% effective and we're expecting great results." My heart sank. While I was happy for the treatment and its effectiveness, I was sad to put Marlee through this. I know the routine all too well because my hips were out of socket when I was born. I went through the same ordeal only earlier in life.

A nurse and Dr. Nick showed me how to put the harness on her. She has to wear it for 23.5 hours a day. She gets 30 minutes of freedom a day. Every other day that 30 mins will go toward either her evening bath or tummy/freedom time. I pray that the next 6 weeks fly by for Marlee's sake!

Aside from our adventure today, my little stinker is 14 weeks old. Can you believe it?! She is growing so big and smiles all the time. She absolutely makes my day everyday. I love being a mom.

Spring is here!

As I write this, it's storming outside. Our first spring storm is upon us!!! Although In love winter, spring is my second favorite season. I enjoy the storms, especially the severe ones. There is something about a severe thunderstorm that gets your adrenaline going!

The past two days have been great. Yesterday we went to lunch with Scot's Dad. I don't look forward to our meetings. This might sound mean, but there is something about Scot's dad that rubs me the wrong way. Have you ever met that guy (old or young) who knows it all? Not only does he know it all, but you know nothing and he lets you know that. He has done and seen everything. If I ask a question or throw in some input he is quick to disagree or make me feel stupid. I now know where Scot gets it from. We have had many fights over the way he [Scot] reacts to my questions or comments. Infact when we are around his dad, I feel that Scot's attitude changes for the worse. It is very aggravating, but I tend to ignore it.

Aside from his dad's attitude we had a fairly good afternoon. At 5 I went to Kristin's to babysit Tanner and Grace. I brought Marlee along so they could finally meet her. They were amazed at how little she was. I don't think they understood why she wasn't their size! They "oooed and awwwed" for a while and Grace was very into helping and telling me that Marlee was hungry. I finally got home around 9:15, needless to say it was a long night. And to add to it, Marlee was incredibly cranky last night. She fell asleep in her swing and slept all night in her crib. She's such a big girl!

I babysat again today until 2 o'clock. Afterwards we went to Kid-to-Kid. I have been there once before to buy some bows, but haven't ever looked at their clothes selection. I found A LOT of stuff, but selected 4 things and only spent 11 dollars!!

Scot is a big Aggies fan, so when I found the Gig'Em onesie I had to get it. Lucky for me it was only $2.50! I figured it would make Scot's day if she wore it, so when we got home he was napping and I slipped it on her and we went to wake him up. He loved it! Except the ruffles; he seems to think girls don't need ruffles. I BEG TO DIFFER!

Dear swing, I love you

Marlee has absolutely hated her swing from day one. I could understand, it's nothing fancy and very boring (in my opinion). When picking out a swing the first quality I wanted was cozy. I figured the baby would be spending quite a bit of time in there. The second quality was cute, I'm a woman what do you expect?! After finding out Marlee was a girl all I thought was GIRLY! I very much regret this because she hated her swing...until now. It seems she's grow into it and has taken quite a liking to it.

Last night Marlee was having an "off" night. She was exhausted and fighting it whole heartedly. She screamed for about an hour before I set her in the swing. I prayed for silence and sleep. As soon as I pressed 4 and the swing started, she was quiet (beat that, paci!). Three mins later she was out. I picked her up, put her in her crib, and she didn't wake up until 6:30 this morning. Thank you swing, for doing your job!

While we're on the subject of jobs, Scot is now working 4-8's since the time changed. This means I won't see him all day, unless we get lucky and someone cancels a job. The good thing: more money (to spend on diapers, formula, clothes, and bows!

A few days ago I did a DIY Easter photo session with Marlee. They turned out wonderfully! I am going to send out cards to family and friends for Easter. Here are a few of them.

I just love this little girl!

a late update and Marlee turns 3 months

I'm a few days late...please forgive me!

Marlee has done so well in her crib. I thought that this whole experience might be hard on us both. I really didn't know how she would react to not being close to us during the night. Quite honestly I don't think she knows the difference! While this makes me happy I am also sad that my little girl is growing up and becoming independent (even if she doesn't know it) and sleeping on her own. As I have said before, I love having her so close to me!

Today Marlee turned 3 months old. UNBELIEVABLE!!! It doesn't feel like this journey has already been 3 months long. I am so excited to see my little girl grow! She is becoming so fun!

HAPPY 3 MONTH BIRTHDAY MARLEE ADDISYN!!

Follow up to Day two

Once again yesterday went with out a hitch. I am thinking that Marlee is comfortable sleeping in her room. She slept all night and woke up at 6:00 this morning. I slept a little better than the first night. I find myself always listening and waiting for her to make a noise. Hopefully this will pass and I will be able to get a better nights sleep.

Yesterday I decided that I would like to use cloth diapers, or at least try them out. While I was pregnant I had thought about this. The first word that came to mind was "EW". Now when I think about using cloth diapers the first words that come to mind are "SAVING MONEY". Everyone tells you how many diapers you will be buying, but I don't think you realize until you've just bought a new pack of diapers, and you need to buy a new one a few days later.

Buying bulk would be an option, but we are still spending money on something we are ultimately throwing away! I am trying to research a few brands and read reviews. So far I think BumGenius and Fuzzi Buns look promising. I'm going to buy one of each and see how they work and then go from there. I am so excited to take this cloth journey! Not only will we be helping the Earth, but we'll also be helping out our wallets!

Follow up to Day one & the start of Day two in the crib

Yesterday's attempt at Marlee sleeping in her crib was a success. It took her around 30 mins to fall asleep, and she slept for almost 2 hours. Had she had a few more naps yesterday I don't think she would have freaked out on Scot last night. Fussy time has reared it's ugly head, again.

We started with our normal night time routine: bath, bedtime lotion, 5 oz bottle (she's eating more than 3-4 oz!) and a paci in the mouth. I laid her down in her crib, turned on her seahorse, radio, and fan. She was out before I left the room!

I couldn't help but stare at her as I left. My once 5 lb 12 oz baby is now an 11 lb 8 oz almost 3 month old!!!!Where does the time go? She is such a beautiful baby, and growing so well. I feel so blessed!

Marlee slept a whopping 8 hours last night! I on the other hand slept off and on thinking she was crying. She didn't cry once last night! Had I not woken her up, she would have slept longer. I thought I heard her moving around on the monitor so I went to the kitchen to make her a bottle. I went into her room and she was still snoozing! I decided to go ahead and wake her up, change her, feed her, and put her down for a nap.

This morning after tummy time (I got to finish her laundry!) Marlee was really cranky and possibly over stimulated. I put her down in her paci and turned on her seahorse, and what do you know...out like a light!! I'm going to have to stock up on AA batteries!!!

The only glitch during nap time is the PACI. I have to continuously reinsert it!

Transitioning to the crib: Day One

I have been meaning to transition Marlee to her crib for, lets say......a few weeks now! I really enjoy Marlee being in our room. I like the closeness of her sleeping in her bassinet. I like knowing I can walk a few feet away and there she is. Having said that, rule number one while I was pregnant was after Marlee was 3 months old she couldn't sleep in our room anymore. Scot and I were both adamant about this because it can cause bad habits, and we both want Marlee to be independant and enjoy her own room.

After Scot asking several times when I am going to transition her into her crib, I have finally decided it's time. It is currently nap time and Marlee's first attempt at sleeping in the crib. I set her in her sleep positioner on her side, turned on the radio to KISS FM, and turned on her seahorse. I have been in there twice to replace her paci two times since 12:53...it's 1:08! I am not looking for instant results (although that would be nice!), I know this is a work in progess.

Aside from the transition, Marlee is 12 weeks old today. It's unbelieveable that it's been that long since giving birth. I feels like yesterday that I first held her slimey little body. Now she is becoming her own person and developing such a personality. I love her so much!!!

Happy 12 weeks Marlee Addisyn!!!