Back to Work...Almost :(

Sad, sad, sad...today I start working again.  I am working 12-4pm only, and Uncle Jesse is taking care of the babe, but I feel so sad!  It is not the end of the world, I know, but I just can't help feeling like I am going to miss out on so much.  All the daily ins and outs with my little lady, some of her "firsts", etc.  I'm going to miss her so much!

Wish me luck!  I'll post pics later today of our first day apart!!!!

Stevie :)

Oh, to be 10 weeks old!!

Marley is 10 weeks old today!  It seems like just yesterday that we were heading to the hospital, preparing for the C-section, wondering what our little baby girl would look like!  How time flies!  In just 10 short weeks, we've fallen head over heels in love with Miss Marley and our world has completely been changed for the better!  

Which reminds me...I was watching a show called, "Kell on Earth" the other night.  It's a show on Bravo about Kelly Cutrone who runs People's Revolution, a fashion PR agency.  Anyway...she was hanging out with her daughter and she made a comment about her role as a mother that I thought was so true.  She said, "I'm just here to baby-sit Ava (her daughter's name) for God until she's old enough to take care of herself, so I need to do the best possible job that I can!"  In a way it sums up how lucky I feel to be blessed with a healthy baby and how fortunate I am to have Marley in my life.  Looking back, I really believe that pregnancy and giving birth to the most precious human being is truly a miracle!!

Enough sappy stuff...I'm just extra emotional knowing that my time at home with Marley is coming to a close!  She is such an active baby now-a-days!  Her newest obsession...mirrors!  They are all over our house and she smiles and coo's whenever we pass one!  I'm just waiting for her to giggle...someday soon!!  She also loves her books.  Her fave is a book that Auntie Brenna just bought for her called "Baby Plays Pat Pat."  Love that book and all the contrasting colors!  I think she might be a lefty because she always reaches for things with her left hand, but who knows!!

Happy, happy Monday to everyone! 

Heart,
Stevie and Marley

Happy Friday!

 Marley is glad that it's Friday!  Yesterday was "shot day"...her 2 month check-up at the pediatrician's office and she got 4 shots, 2 in each leg.  What a trooper!  This was probably soooo much harder on me than it was on her.  She cried so hard that she could barely breathe and her face was bright red.  I felt so sad!!!!!!  Helpless!!  And afterwards, she just cuddled in to my chest and wimpered.  My poor baby girl!  On a brighter note, the doctor said she is EXTREMELY healthy and the only problem we're dealing with is a case of mild infant colic.  It seems horrible to us now, but we were reassured that it is normal and has reached it's peak by about 2 months of age.  Hopefully she is on the downswing and we can have our happy baby back from the hours of 7pm-11pm.  Daddy is beginning to think Marley hates him!  As soon as he gets home from work, she starts getting crabby.  

She celebrated her first St. Patrick's Day with us on Wednesday.  Since Daddy is a little bit Irish, we dressed her up in some green for the fun of it!  We also got a visit from Uncle Jesse that night!

Grandma Connie was over today to hang out with us and I'll see Auntie Brenna and Grandma Kathy tomorrow!  So many visitors!  We're winding down our time at home together!  Only 2 more weeks and I will be back at work.  I'm feeling a huge mix of emotions...happy to be getting out of the house a bit (though I wish it was just for 4 hours a day), sad to be leaving my baby, scared of how she'll manage, or how I'll manage...so nerve-racking!  I keep trying to look at the bright side...the fact that Marley is still my baby and just because going back to work makes me feel like I'm losing her in some way, I am not.  She is still mine and she will be waiting for me everyday...like a light at the end of the tunnel to a long day at work.  She is the best part of our lives and I know that I will still find time to see her and I'll cherish every minute with her even more than I do now!  My little munchkin!  Just love her to pieces and can't imagine my life without her!  I can't do anything that I used to do, well almost, and that is fine with me, because our lives have been forever changed by little Miss Marley Jean!  Yay!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

XOXO-
Stevie and Marley

Favorites from Florida!

I'm 2 Months Old...Look At Me!!!

Here I am at 8 Weeks Old!

And at 7 Weeks Old!!

Me and Mommy

And hanging out with my Daddy!

Trying on my headbands!

My First Plane Ride!!!

Miss Marley got to go on her first plane ride this past weekend!  Woohoo!  We flew to see my sister, her husband, and their kids in Anna Maria, FL.  It's a beautiful little island...just off the mainland near Bradenton.  

Marley and Momma packed up and left Minneapolis on Thursday morning, March 11th.  It was Marley's 2 month birthday, so we were really celebrating in style!  I agonized over flying with her for at least 2 weeks.  I was so nervous that she would misbehave (cry) the entire flight and that passengers would be looking at us like we were the biggest pain!  To my surprise, Marley was a total angel.  She nursed when we took off and landed to prevent against ear popping, and then she slept the entire time in between!  Couldn't have been more perfect!  

Auntie Heidi picked us up from the airport and we drove to their house on the island.  We were welcomed by Uncle Andy and Addie...Kyan was napping and Ava was at school!  We had a nice lunch, Andy is an amazing cook, and then took at short stroll along the beach on the Bay side of the island (Tampa Bay).  To say Marley loved the beach and the outdoors would be an understatement!  It was so breezy that day that she could barely keep her eyes open, but she was in Heaven!!  That evening, we hung out at home with all the kids.  Heidi and I had a few "adult" beverages and enjoyed catching up.  I miss my sister so much and living far away truly does stink!!  

Day 2...rainy, rainy, rainy day!  We made a trip to Wal-Mart to pick up some snacks and also to buy a few different bottle styles for the little lady.  She is having a hard time taking a bottle and so I thought we could "practice" a bit with Auntie.  We had authentic Cuban sandwiches from a place called Jose's!  Yummy!!  That evening, we walked with all the kids to a local ice cream shop called Two Scoops!  Marley had on her snazzy leopard print leggings and I swear she was just the main attraction in the cute little shop!  Everyone was ooohhing and ahhing at her!!

Day 3...yay for the sun!  I got incredibly burned!  My skin really hasn't seen much of the sun since very early in my pregnancy.  We took a LONG walk along Bean Point and snapped tons of great pictures of the kids.  Then we scurried home to enjoy some laying out time!  Marley was napping indoors as she is soooo fair at the moment!  Another great lunch made by Andy (burgers), which we enjoyed on their new patio set (all 6 of us)!  We, meaning my sister and I, were treated to a very special dinner on Saturday night at the Beach Bistro.  Heidi and Andy both work at this local restaurant and it is owned by my dad's good friend, Mr. Murphy!  Fresh seafood, steak, you name it......bottom line, DELICIOUS!!!  Andy stayed home and babysat the kids, including Mars!  It was so nice to go out with my sister and just have some girl time!

Last day on the island...more sun!!  Again, Andy made a great lunch...Arroz con Pollo and super yummy mojitos for Heidi and I!!  He headed off to work and we took all the kids to the local St. Patty's Day parade, which is hosted by the Beach Bistro.  We had soooo much fun!  Later that evening, we took a stroll to "Jelly Fish" Beach and watched an amazing sunset!   It was a bit chilly out, but the views were spectacular and it was so fun to watch the kids playing in the sand and enjoying each other!  Once back home, we got all the kids ready for bed...a day with no naps is not good!!  Heidi got some final quality time in with Marley and then we were off to bed!

The trip was amazing!  We had so much fun and it was great to see family!  It sucks living so far away, but it makes our visits that much better!  I just wish Marley got to live a little closer to her auntie because I know she is going to grow up so fast and we won't have many opportunities to get to Florida in the coming year!

Other news...Marley is "officially" 2 months old.  She gets her shots on Thursday and then we are debating a trip to get her ears pierced in the coming weeks!  I'm almost positive that she will be bald for quite some time, so it would be nice to have some sparkly little studs in her ears!

Happy Spring...almost!!

Stevie, Travis, and Marley :)