It's been over a month!

Time flies and we've been busy around here.

Marley is days away from being 10 months old and is into everything! She's walking, or taking a few steps not holding onto anything but she's getting faster and faster on those feet when she's holding onto something. And she's speedy on those hands and knee's crawling. We've really had to baby proof the house the last couple of days/weeks. She knows how to wave and will sometimes blow you a kiss but both are those on her terms only now.

We've been to St. Augustine and Orlando, both to visit with my parents. Marley loved her trip to Sea World, and we were surprised how attentive she was in the shows. She loved the Pet's Ahoy show and would yell and wave her hands up in the air in excitement during the Shamu show.


She also went swimming again and really enjoyed it.

I'm loving my job and it keeps me busy.

Y3W: A New Job!

Today I will be handing in my two weeks notice at American Eagle because over the last couple of days I have become a member of the Boys & Girls Club staff. I'll be doing Special Events and Programming at the Teen Center. I'm so excited to start creating something new for the Teens. We have quite a few ideas set up and ready to take place! I'm working on a Mardi Gras Masquerade for next weekend at the moment so I'm pretty busy getting everything in place so this will be short. 

Wordless Wednesday

Burlesque

The plot is pretty transparent, the jokes are fairly obvious, and if I said the words "the club is in financial trouble", you can most likely guess the majority of rest of the movie.

Vocally, Christina Aguilera and Cher both have amazing voices. But does every song they sing have to be a power-ballad with all those full-out wails and cadenzas? Enough, already!  I understand she's passionate about what she's singing. That's fine. But don't beat me over the head with it. Those songs and vocal gymnastics lose their dramatic power when they're all we ever get to hear.

Oh, and as for the final number… THAT was the song that took so long for the hero to write??? THAT was the song that was so deeply personal that he couldn't share it with anyone until he felt it was perfect???

If you're going to see this movie, just enjoy it for what it is. Don't expect a piece of masterful cinema, don't take it too seriously. Enjoy the music, enjoy the plot for the fluff it is, and if you're a guy seeing it with your wife/girlfriend, enjoy the scantily-clad women.

Black Swan

With Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler), you know going in that you are going to get something gritty, raw, and real. You know that, even if it's good, it's going to be hard to process. But when he gets a hold of something, really gets a hold of it, you won't be able to look away, no matter how hard it is to watch. 

"Black Swan" is no exception. In many ways this is the most Aronofsky of his films. His style is spot on and works exquisitely with the world he is presenting. It's surprising because he normally shows the dirty, gritty, and ugly places; where as everything in this film is clean and polished. But don't let that fool you; he saved the dirt and grit for the characters.

Natalie Portman as Nina was incredible. Her transformation through the movie is disturbing and very intense, and Portman handles it incredibly well. She plays a very flawed character, making the role even tougher. Nina is not the greatest ballet dancer in the world by any stretch of the imagination. She has all the technique and is in fact a master at it, yet it is her emotion that she has the problem with. Portman almost had to act her character poorly to capture the multiple layers correctly. The unfitting facial expressions and awkward movements are part of the character of Nina, and Portman somehow makes it all work to a great advantage that makes the film even more fascinating.

The rest of the cast is incredible as well. Mila Kunis takes on a much more serious and more complex role than she is used to. Her character has very many layers, and doesn't fit into one specific archetype, mainly for reasons that would spoil the movie. Vincent Cassel is the sleazy and inappropriate director of this ballet production. He is the driving force behind much of the tragedy of the film, and he is a character you love to hate.

Not everyone will love this movie, actually most people will probably dislike it. 

Oscar Nominees

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Black Swan (review tomorrow)

The Fighter

Inception

***The Kids Are All Right

***The Kings Speech

***127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

***True Grit

***Winters Bone

*** Haven't seen yet.

Atlanta Aquarium

We had a blast!

`

Be my...

Happy Valentines Day!

This little lover is watching her favorite - Baby Einsteins. Watch out, she will give you a dirty look if you interrupt.

We're heading to Atlanta and Alabama tomorrow!

8 Months Old

Wow, 8 months already.

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"

7 Months - 18lbs 10oz /// 27"

8 Months - 20lbs 4oz /// 28"

You're standing more and more on your own and each day you get a little more brave and let go and stand solo. Everything you can use to stand you will use.
Including Paddington.

It'll be only a matter or days before you're running around. I took my first steps when I was 8 months old and we see you following in my footsteps. No pun intended.

We made it back from our trip to the great snowy white north aka Canada. You didn't like having to bundle up every time we went out and not being able to move in your car seat. You loved spending time with you Nan and Granddad though. Our surprise went down flawlessly and Nan only wished her present lasted longer than a week.

You get your second flu shot on Friday.
And there's a possibility we might be in Atlanta next week and visiting your cousins in Alabama next weekend. We see if work actually decide to put me on schedule.

Turning into quite the little traveler because we also have a trip to Orlando booked in March!

We have a secret!

And I think its safe to say on here because the person it involves doesn't know about the blog. And if you know them, don't tell them about it!




We're going to Ottawa!

Next week, Wednesday to be exact, to surprise my mum with Marley for her birthday!
I told her I was going to Atlanta that weekend so she has no idea.

We can't wait for the trip. But I'm flying solo with Marley so that'll be a new challenge for me.

So shhh!... don't tell her!

Or Marley will get you. She's very very scary!

With her one tooth. 

It's very very sharp. 

Y3W: Keeping Those Resolutions!

One Month Down! 

well almost...

January is coming to a close and this is when resolutions start to break. 

I made a couple of new years resolutions...

1. Lose weight (isn't it almost on everyone's list of resolutions?)

2. Along with the above - get healthy - I've made appointments with my dentist, optometrist, and a chiropractor.

3. Start running and working out.

Yes, one through three are pretty much all the same.

4. Get organized around the house.

I've been doing pretty well with resolutions one through three, next Monday will be a month on my new diet and workout routine so we'll see what the results for January are then. I've been doing the couch to 5k program and the 30 day shred DVD. I gave up soda, until yesterday I had craving for a diet Dr. Pepper and caved. Drinking soda won't be a regular for me though, maybe a once a month treat. 

I went to the chiropractor last week, had x-rays and all the testing done to find why I continuously have lower back problems. Results were not to surprising. I have crooked hips, which I've been told before, but it's essentially causing my spine to zig zag and the surrounding nerves to tense up. So he suggests I go for adjustments 3 times a week for 3-4 weeks to begin and do all the testing again to see the results and where we need to go from there. Dentist and optometrist appointments are next week. 

As for getting organized - were slowly getting there, tackling one project at a time. As I said the other day, we've sorted through all our clothes, boxed them up or sent them to be donated. I've began to scan and clear up all the paperwork around the house and trying to go as paperless as we can in 2011. Hopefully this weekend we'll be able to tackle our garage and storage room downstairs, sorting what we want to keep, possibly sell in a garage sale, etc. 

Getting Organized!

Our closet looks like were moving out!

So far...
I've filled one Tupperware box already.
D has filled one too with clothes that we want to keep but don't fit us right now.
We have one garbage bag filled with stuff to throw away.
And one to donate.

Now to work on the big pile of shoes.

ebay

Selling some stuff on ebay.

Teeth

We have a tooth! 

The bottom left one is just starting to breakthrough. And it's sharp!  

Watch out fingers...and toes...and noses.

Bedtime

We've got the sleeping in the crib thing down. Just need to work on what time Marley goes to bed. She now seems to think we are to go to bed at around 12:30am and sleep-in in the morning until 10am.

We start her usual bedtime routine between 8:30 and 9:00pm (giving her a bath, night time bottle, etc) and she will sometimes fall asleep then but it won't be for long. Normally 15minutes and she's up and ready to go.

At least we've got our own bed back. One thing at a time, right?

Belated Christmas Present.

I got my Christmas present yesterday! A new DSLR Canon Rebel T1i.

I also got a Telephoto lens because it was such a good deal. I ended up only paying approx. $25 for it. 

I've definitely enjoyed taking pictures with it so far.

Paddington has had enough of having his picture taken.

Standing

I think it's time to lower the mattress in the crib. 

I put her in the crib while I grabbed some clothes and she stood up. 

She was so proud of herself.

7 Months

This is a little late but we've been somewhat busy but Marley you're 7 months old.

Here's what you're up to:

• You weigh 18lbs 10oz and 27inches tall. 
• This means you've grown out of all your 3-6 month clothing. Were working on 6-9, and  6-12 month clothing now. You wear 9 month PJs! We have quite a few clothes we never got around to wearing because you grew threw the 3-6 month clothing so quickly. 

• Were on stage 2 foods. You absolutely love your fruits but we sometimes have a fight with the veggies and it normally ends in quite a mess. Yesterday you flung Sweet Potato & Corn all over your face because grabbed the spoon, and while I was trying to tug it free you quickly let go and food went everywhere. This doesn't happen when you eat fruits, especially anything with banana or apples in. 
• While in England you were introduced to Farley's Rusks and absolutely love them. 

• We've had a little bit of a fight lately with sleeping in the crib, you got so use to sleeping on or with me or your daddy over Christmas break you now think its the norm and that you should sleep with us every night. It's been tiring trying to get you to return to your crib. Some nights you sleep the whole night through, others you wake up between 1 and 3am and theres no going back to the crib.

• You sit completely all by yourself. And beginning to crawl. It's more you pull on your arms and swing your legs all around to get some forward movement. But it gets you places pretty quick. 
• You try to stand every chance you get, you crawl over to me and pull up using my hands - you want to do this nearly all day long
• You absolutely love dogs, especially Paddington, and Rusty too but you were introduced to Chops and Gwen and giggled and squealed whenever they were around. 
• I love watching you get excited and intrigued by the things around you

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"

7 Months - 18lbs 10oz /// 27"

We're back!

We finally made it back from our family vacation to England. I will post a recap with pictures soon but we gad a great time with friends and family. Right now were trying to get back into the swing of things/time zones back here in GA.