Growing up

We're sitting up all by ourself just like a big girl! 

6 Months Old

Happy Half Birthday Marley!

Now lets spend the morning at the doctors office and the afternoon at the hospital. Yup, we just returned from the hospital. Yesterday, on a few occasions you found yourself gasping for air. At first we thought you had just learned something new to do with your throat but kept an eye on it. This morning you woke up wheezy and breathing a lot heavier so I made the call to the doctor. He thinks youre just congested being cold and flu season and along with all the drool pouring out your mouth you may have choked back on some and caused the congestion that way. But just to be sure he sent us for a chest x-ray and RSV test. We'll be getting the results in a couple of hours.

So, get better sweet girl.

Other than that youve been such a happy girl. You laugh and squeal almost all day long. Especially at Paddington.

You can sit up all by yourself for a good bit now. And now you definitely want to ever be laid down unless youre sleeping. Even changing your diaper you put up a good fight laying down.

You can get up on your hands and knees like youre going to crawl but can't quite get the balance/strength to get moving from there. I'm sure it won't be long. You also love to stand up on your feet with only a little bit of our help to keep your balance. I've been told I started walking at 8 months so maybe you'll be an early mover too.

We had a great thanksgiving and you've met Santa this month. And you take your first plane ride in the next week! 

Birth – 7lbs 6oz /// 21” June 9th 2010

1 Months – 9lbs 4oz /// 21”

2 Months – 11lbs 12oz /// 23”

***3 Months - 12lbs 8oz /// 24”

4 Months – 16lbs /// 26"

 ***5 Months - 17lbs /// 27"

6 Months - 17lbs 10oz /// 27"

Santa!

 

We had a great time at the Festival of Tree's. You watched the school kids sing and play their instruments, iced cookies and got to sit on Santa's lap! 

What do you want for Christmas? 

Your two front teeth.

There a couple of teeth that are definitely so close to breaking through. Hopefully they will before our trip.

Counting down the days...

 

16 days!

In just over 2 weeks we'll be on our way to England and we can't wait. We've already started packing! Although my mum and I wish Marley and I were traveling over with her on the 12th  I'm sure the time will go by quickly as we have quite a few things going on over the next couple of days/weeks. Friday and Saturday is the Festival of Trees and Marley will be meeting Santa Claus. Next Thursday I will be going to see the Rockettes in Jacksonville.

Cyber Monday?

We took advantage of the deals on Monda y and ordered Marley's new car seat. Her current one weight and height restrictions are 29" tall and 22lbs. According to my measurements and scales she was 17lbs and 27" tall so we knew it wouldn't be long into the new year that we'd be needing to upgrade.  Over the weekend we had been in Savannah and looked around at Babies R Us for some ideas and get an idea on what it was going to cost. 

We decided on the Graco Nautilus 3 in 1 car seat. She could ride in it now with the rear facing and 5 point harness, and it would upgrade to forward facing, then a high back booster to just a regular backless booster. And had a reasonable price tag of $179.99.

Monday morning I realized that most stores were having online sales after the crazy shopping weekend. (it was not fun working on Friday) So I decided to check out what deals they had going on at Babies R Us and our car seat was 20% off! Although we don't need it right now we took advantage of the sale and free shipping and ordered it. It's exactly the same pattern just instead of the yellow on her current car seat this one is pink. . Marley's growing up to be a big girl. Can't believe she'll be 6 months in just a couple of days.

We're on the move.

Marley is sort of crawling.
She's got a way of throwing her body around, using a booty scoot, and body rolls to get to where she wants to go. We think she'll be properly crawling by Christmas.

Watch out everybody here she comes!


Paddington has no idea what's about to happen.

Peppermint Squares

I made these for Thanksgiving. I first made them in September for Becky's birthday as she loves grasshopper pie. I still need to work on the middle layer the consistency of the icing isn't quite right yet. But they are yummy!

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup hard margarine (or butter), softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted if lumpy
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Middle Layer:
2/3 cup hard margarine (or butter), softened
2 cups icing (confectioner's) sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
5-6 drops of green food coloring
Top Layer:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons hard margarine (or butter)

 

Directions:

Bottom Layer:

Cream margarine and brown sugar together in medium bowl. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix.

Add next 4 ingredients. Beat until moistened. Turn into greased 9 x 9 inch pan. Bake in 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Cool thoroughly.

Middle Layer:

Beat all 5 ingredients together in separate medium bowl. Spread over bottom layer.

Top Layer:

Heat and stir chocolate chips and margarine in small heavy saucepan on low until melted and smooth. Spread over mint layer. Chill overnight until set. Cuts into 36 squares. 

Recipe and Picture form The Nest.

Manners

 Didn't you know it's rude to eat with your mouth full? 

This is Marley's new thing. Trying to walk while getting a spoonful of food which means not only is she needing a bib but so do D and I as lovely baby food is sprayed around the kitchen as she blows raspberrys between her "ooh's" and "aahs". Which pour out of her mouth all day long along with the gallons of drool (I can't keep up with the soaking wet shirts/onesies).

At least we're beginning to get the whole baby food thing down. She has a vegetable at lunch time and fruit at dinner time. So far we love squash and carrots and getting use to eating the green beans and we'll be

trying sweet potatoes next week. For fruits she absolutely loves her bananas but will occasionally eat some peaches. We'll also be adding apples at some point next week too.

Anyways, I'm off to Ocala for the weekend. Photographing the little sisters horse competition on Saturday and I'll be baby free. D has Marley all to himself for daddy-daughter bonding weekend and maybe some Christmas shopping too. Be back Sunday.

Movie: A Nightmare on Elm Street

This was never posted about a week before Halloween...

So with Halloween just around the corner we rented A Nightmare on Elm Street and invited a bunch of friends over for a late, late night movie night.

There was a much richer mysterious element to the original film and to my surprise, much more creative. I thought the kills and nightmare sequences would be vastly improved upon, but alas, gigabytes, green screens and CGI can not compete with hands-on creativity.  

You know you have problems when Freddy is revealed five minutes into the film. Not in a silhouette, but in full make-up. Right away we know the writers aren't looking to create suspense. That's what made the first one work. It's never a mystery as to who or what Freddy is. Granted, with all his popularity, it might seem pointless to keep him hidden, but it would've made his character a hell of a lot scarier.

I hate you Jillian Michaels...

but hopefully I won't be saying that in 30 days.

I started the 30 day shred today and it was a workout. Hoping to get in a little better shape before flying to England for Christmas in 30 days.

Can you believe it's November? Marley is 5 months old. Thanksgiving is a week away and our trip we've been looking forward too for so long now is only a month away! Time is definitely flying by. When you're having fun right? Definitely.

We've been busy...

I never posted a picture of Marley in her Halloween costume...

 

5 Months Old

What have you been up to?

• Well you just keep on growing. 27" tall and weigh about 17lbs. We'll be getting a new car seat for you very shortly into the new year.
• You're beginning to eat real food, although you're not to sure about all these new flavors and textures we're slowly getting the hang of eating from a spoon. We've had green beans and peaches. You also sometime enjoys sucking on those rice cereal biscuits that taste like bananas.
• You still sleep great. Although with the current time change were going to bed early and waking up earlier too. We cant complain as you slept 12 hours last night. You fight your naps during the day so hard, which I wish you wouldn't, you get so upset and irritated when you don't get naps. I promise I won't let you miss anything if you fell asleep. You still move all over your crib and you almost always sleep on your stomach now.
• I can feel those teeth coming in, and sometimes that makes you grumpy too, but for the most part it's just made you drool non stop. And chew on those fingers of yours. You don't suck on your thumb but you definitely favor your "pointer" finger to chew and suck on.
• You always want to be sitting up or standing up, with our help. 
• When you roll on to your stomach you are determined to try and crawl. You've got this little scoot thing you do to get around your play mat. It won't be long until you'll be army crawling around the house. 

I can't wait to see what next month has in store. 

Birth – 7lbs 6oz /// 21” June 9th 2010

1 Months – 9lbs 4oz /// 21”

2 Months – 11lbs 12oz /// 23”

***3 Months - 12lbs 8oz /// 24”

4 Months – 16lbs /// 26"

 ***5 Months - 17lbs /// 27"

***According to my measurements

Movie: Life as We Know It.

There is a fairly standard template for the romantic comedy: we are introduced to a couple who appear to be chalk and cheese although we have an inkling that they are ideally suited to each other: they are thrown together by virtue of a maguffin: in the course of resolving the maguffin they discover love for each other: a last minute plot wrinkle drives them apart: various manoeuverings bring them back together, albeit not without an element of panic.

Although the movie storyline and ending are predictable, I felt myself getting caught up in the characters and story in spite of the predictability. I laughed, I cried, I wanted more. The situation at hand was of two opposite people that have nothing in common; are abruptly placed as the legal guardians of their friends child, after the couple perish in an automobile accident. You've seen this type of film too many times, like Three Men and a Baby(1987), and Raising Helen(2004), people living the good life, forced to it on hold, when a child has to come live with them, and there not ready to be parents, you get the drift.

Everybody knows the two main characters will eventually fall in love...that is obvious...it's the ride getting there that is funny, delightful, and very touching at moments.

Green Beans

As the pediatrician suggested we started Marley on stage 1 fruits and veggies and she had her first taste of green beans yesterday. By the look on her face she's not to sure on them. She ate twice yesterday, lunch time and in the evening, and we saw her eat more today so I'm sure she's just getting use to the new food taste. 

Don't worry Marley, you get to try peaches on Monday. 

4 1/2 month check up

We just got back from our doctors visit and Marley is doing well. She did as great as she could through the 5 shots she got and was done crying about them by the time we were walking out the door of the office. We'll be having lots of cuddles today.

Her weight is 16lbs. Her height is 26". Both are in the 90th percentile. Looks like she'll be getting her daddys height!

Recap:

Birth – 7lbs 6oz /// 21” June 9th 2010

1 Months – 9lbs 4oz /// 21”

2 Months – 11lbs 12oz /// 23”

***3 Months - 12lbs 8oz /// 24”

4 Months – 16lbs /// 26"

***According to our measurements on the Wii & Tape Measure because there are no doctors visit at these times.

We've been told to start her on stage 1 fruits and veggies. Were going to pick a few up at the store tonight but I hope to try and make most of my own baby food.

She's got rolling from her back to her front down, and does it pretty much every time she's put down on her back. She hasn't got rolling front to back figured out, shes trying to crawl instead.

Rice Cereal

Marley's started to eat real food. We started on the rice cereal a couple of days ago and she's not too sure about it but each day she eats a little more from the spoon. I'm sure we'll be on to fruits and veggies by the end of the month. Doctor's appointment tomorrow.

Another busy weekend...

The weekend just flew by.

- We spent Friday night out for dinner (tried a new restaurant) and at the coffee shop with friends. 

- Saturday we ran some errands, shopping, and cleaned around the house. D got himself a smoker, an early birthday present and was incredibly eager to begin smoking some meat. I had to work that night, I was on schedule for 9pm - 2am for floor set but ended up staying until 4:15am.

- Slept for 5 hours, then had to be back at work for 1pm to 7pm on Sunday.

As I said, the weekend flew by. I have today off from work and we are having people over for bbq and Monday night football. Go Jags!!!

I only work one day this week, Tuesday, so I'm hoping to get quite a few things done around the house instead of taking it a little easy like I usually do when I'm working. Marley is taking a nap so I am getting stuff done around the house, cleaning up from the weekend, putting out a few Halloween decorations (we got lights for the front yard) and just getting the place presentable for tonight.

Marley has her 4 month check up on Thursday. I know I said before that it was Wednesday of last week. Well it was really Tuesday of last week and we missed it. 

This is what Marley thinks about going to the doctor for shots this week.  (Check out the pink Jaguars gear!)

 I have had all my days and dates all messed up since I started work. I need more sleep.

Wine bottle flower vase.

This morning I felt like doing a quick little craft project. I'd collected a couple of clear wine bottles and thought they'd be a quick and easy flower vase. So, instead of keeping the actual wine label, although this one is pretty and the main reason why I bought/wanted to try this bottle I didn't really want it to say Kate & Cassie. I decided to get some ribbon and lay it around the glass.

So I collected up some ribbon and my double sided tape and went to wrapping my wine bottle. I raided the $1 bins at Michaels to find these ones.

And this is how it turned out...

 

 I didn't remove the original label on this one. I'm debating whether or not to seal it with mod podge. For now the double sided tape is holding it just fine. But you can see the shadow of it underneath when the bottle is by the window. When it's elsewhere in the house you can't see it. Next time I'll remove them.

Now I just need to find some pretty flowers and a home for this one. 

 

Marley tried out her highchair for the first time today. I think she liked it. We go to the 4 month doctors visit tomorrow so I'll have an update about that then.

Today has been rough so far. I barely slept all night and this wonderful alarm clock had me up at 6:30am. She's been fussy for most of the day and I'm not feeling to good. Plus I have to work 6:30-10:30pm tonight.  Fun (add sarcasm here).

Thanksgiving Dinner

My little sister came to visit for the weekend. A little after arriving on Friday we were at the mall, mainly to pick up my work schedule but a little shopping was done too. We ate out at Spanky's and had friends over to watch the Brave's play and win in extra innings. 

Saturday morning, while D was in Savannah with his Dad, my sister and I went grocery shopping for our little experiment - Thanksgiving Dinner. Back home in Canada today is Thanksgiving so we had our own celebration two days earlier and watched hockey.

A full Canadian day.  Well not completely full because Bulldog football was watched at lunchtime. 

Our dinner turned out great. I was excited because it was a first time cooking a lot of the things myself. We had turkey, bacon wrapped sausages, roasted potatoes, stuffing and corn. And had plenty left over for Sunday's lunch! 

Passport

 

We got Marley's passport yesterday! She's all ready to travel the world now. Well, travel to England at Christmas time at least because we have no plans or unfortunately the funds to go anywhere else currently. 

Least she's prepared...just in case. 

A Lazy Day...

 

This pretty much sums up today - Marley sound asleep beside me on the bed for the 2nd nap of the day . As you can see our bed isn't made, there's a pile of clothes in the dryer waiting to be folded and put away, and everything else has been put on hold while naps are being taken. It's a lazy day before I have to work 6-11pm tonight. 

But in other exciting news, hockey season has officially started and we caught the first game today. Can't wait to see those Sens play tomorrow and Saturday. 

I'll have something exciting tomorrow...maybe.

Bright Orange Candy!

 

I caved and bought Halloween candy. My favorite too, candy corn. I was going to wait to closer to actual Halloween but I thought these would look great in the Mason jars I got over the weekend.  Hopefully it wont kill my diet too bad. 

Weekend Update

It was a good weekend. Friday's I've said I am unavailable to work and apply that also to housework. I do very little of it on Friday's. I spend the day playing with Marley and while she's napping I catch up with TV shows I may have missed during the week, like Grey's Anatomy. Laundry doesn't get done Friday & Saturdays and one load on Sunday. Which means Monday is spent catching up with what does need to get done. It's my cleaning day. 3 or 4 loads of laundry gets done so the rest of the week only the occasional load is needed like for Marley or bedsheets and towels. I've come to like this little system of mine. Before I said I would only do it on certain days of the week and it just mounted up and lots never got done and I would have days where all I did was wash and fold clothes. And although I currently work in retail I really don't enjoy folding and putting away clothes that much. 

So this Friday I decided I was going to check out what this whole obsession with Glee is all about and watched the Pilot episode....and well the next 3 episodes after that too. Marley also enjoyed it. She's definitely paying more attention to whats going on around a room and when she hears music on my laptop or TV she's glued to it. She already knows what she does and doesn't like on TV. Sunday evening we were playing on the floor in D's parents living while the Jaguars were playing the Colts and she was just watching the TV and kicking her legs, squealing and getting excited. She loves her Jaguars check her out in her gear...

(Yeah, I know you cant really see in her car seat but its the only one I got because she later spit up her whole bottle over it before the game started.)

We had a rather quiet weekend really, Friday night was at a friends for dinner and a movie. Saturday was spent all day at the coffee shop playing cards and scrabble before I had to go to work and Sunday was spent as usual watching football.

Its been so nice and cool today and suppose to stay that way all week. Perfect for Wednesday when I have to walk 4 miles working on the PGA Tour.

Spring cleaning…except in the fall.

As I mentioned before I’m trying to de-clutter and downsize in the amount of stuff we have around our house. It’s a long and sometimes slow project. I don’t exactly have all day to myself anymore to sort through things and take them to the trash when I need too. So therefore each afternoon, when Marley is down for her nap I try to get a project or two done around the house. I’ve made a plan to work from one room to the next and only move on once that room is complete.

Yesterday, I started in our bedroom. It’s a room I’m hoping to eventually re-paint and replace furniture. Which who knows when they’ll be money available to buy new furniture but one can dream and plan for such a purchase. For now I will clean and remove unnecessary items and live and work with what’s there.  

When we first found out I was expecting her room was my “office”. It’s in quotations because my own business never really got off the ground. The plans are all still there but the need for film/video work in this area is just not there and so my camera sits in its camera bag waiting for the next client to come around. So my “office” was dispersed. The futon was moved downstairs to the games room, the bookshelf (which broke in half during the move) is now on the back screened in porch and my desk/chair and computer found their place in our bedroom.

As for reasons mentioned above, it doesn’t get a whole lot of use at the moment and became a gathering spot for anything and everything we don’t really have a home for. Looking something like this:

So Marley went down for her 3pm nap and I went to work. I'm working on a creative way to store all those stacks of blank CD's. I'll post what I've done in the next couple of days. And yes, that is 5 external hard drives all needing to be organized as well.

My little spot now looks like this:

My plan is to eventually get our storage room cleared and sorted and hopefully turned into my “office”/play room for Marley and we can get this out of our bedroom.

My next "job" our walk-in closet.